Professor X: A Request

Training Bodybuilding
322

[quote]BBoor82 wrote:
Hey Prof,

I remember you mentioned what you did with triceps earlier in the thread… but it’s so damn long, I don’t want to go look through the whole thing. I noticed you didn’t mention what you do in the initial program outlined on page 1 of the thread.

I think I remember you saying you start with Pushdowns.

I have arm day today, and generally for tri’s, I do 3 x 6 with 100 lbs for heavy dips, and then do skulls for 12,10,8, and then pushdowns for 12,10,8… but I somehow remember you saying you start with pushdowns? Is that right? Why do you do it this way? I think it may benefit me to do the same, so that my tri’s will be the weak link in the dips. Thoughts?[/quote]

I start with pressdowns because I consider that a good warm up. I also have a problem with my elbows where I get EXTREME pain if I do movements like lying triceps extensions with an ez curl bar or any over-head extension movements. That limits my choices.

I generally do pressdowns (for 3-5 sets), dips on the hs dip machine, and then two other extension movements whether they be kickbacks (I don’t always do these) or some other cable movement.

I am actually thinking of giving triceps their own day because they aren’t growing enough to really fill out the lower part of my arm and “hang”.

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[quote]Professor X wrote:
BBoor82 wrote:
Hey Prof,

I remember you mentioned what you did with triceps earlier in the thread… but it’s so damn long, I don’t want to go look through the whole thing. I noticed you didn’t mention what you do in the initial program outlined on page 1 of the thread.

I think I remember you saying you start with Pushdowns.

I have arm day today, and generally for tri’s, I do 3 x 6 with 100 lbs for heavy dips, and then do skulls for 12,10,8, and then pushdowns for 12,10,8… but I somehow remember you saying you start with pushdowns? Is that right? Why do you do it this way? I think it may benefit me to do the same, so that my tri’s will be the weak link in the dips. Thoughts?

I start with pressdowns because I consider that a good warm up. I also have a problem with my elbows where I get EXTREME pain if I do movements like lying triceps extensions with an ez curl bar or any over-head extension movements. That limits my choices.

I generally do pressdowns (for 3-5 sets), dips on the hs dip machine, and then two other extension movements whether they be kickbacks (I don’t always do these) or some other cable movement.

I am actually thinking of giving triceps their own day because they aren’t growing enough to really fill out the lower part of my arm and “hang”. [/quote]

X, how about steep decline lying triceps extensions? I use those at home since i dont have a pulley system as an alternative to pushdowns. They are really similar. Do those hurt you too?

324

[quote]DJS wrote:
Professor X wrote:
BBoor82 wrote:
Hey Prof,

I remember you mentioned what you did with triceps earlier in the thread… but it’s so damn long, I don’t want to go look through the whole thing. I noticed you didn’t mention what you do in the initial program outlined on page 1 of the thread.

I think I remember you saying you start with Pushdowns.

I have arm day today, and generally for tri’s, I do 3 x 6 with 100 lbs for heavy dips, and then do skulls for 12,10,8, and then pushdowns for 12,10,8… but I somehow remember you saying you start with pushdowns?

Is that right? Why do you do it this way? I think it may benefit me to do the same, so that my tri’s will be the weak link in the dips. Thoughts?

I start with pressdowns because I consider that a good warm up. I also have a problem with my elbows where I get EXTREME pain if I do movements like lying triceps extensions with an ez curl bar or any over-head extension movements. That limits my choices.

I generally do pressdowns (for 3-5 sets), dips on the hs dip machine, and then two other extension movements whether they be kickbacks (I don’t always do these) or some other cable movement.

I am actually thinking of giving triceps their own day because they aren’t growing enough to really fill out the lower part of my arm and “hang”.

X, how about steep decline lying triceps extensions? I use those at home since i dont have a pulley system as an alternative to pushdowns. They are really similar. Do those hurt you too?[/quote]

(Not answering for X here)
I’ve always found extensions painful, with very few exceptions… I’m sure it’s not tendonitis or anything like that as I’ve had that pain since the beginning of my training career and it only rears it’s ugly head during Extensions…

Skullcrushers are by far the worst, overhead DB extensions not only hurt my elbows but seem to cause some sort of impingement thing in my shoulders (not sure if that’s what it is, of course), so I avoid these as well…

I rely on heavy pressing moves instead (CGP’s, the occasional Dip, Smith pressing variants and I’ve found that Pullover-Extension hybrids like PJR’s don’t cause any pain whatsoever)… Pushdowns of any sort also don’t cause me any pain but I don’t usually do them.

I wonder why all that is. Maybe it has to do with tricep (esp. long head) attachment lengths?
Some guys can apparently do nosebreakers all day long with no pain (until several years down the line when they end up developing tendonitis, which almost all of them seem to do eventually).

As a guy with medical credentials, you have any thoughts on this, X?

325

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:

As a guy with medical credentials, you have any thoughts on this, X?

[/quote]

That the act of holding humurus over the head (or even perpendicular to the body) in some people causes that tendon to stretch abnormally and pull on the joint. I usually felt the pain on the negative portion much more than the positive portion of the movement. I feel it sometimes on pressdowns if I don’t use a lighter weight first and warm up.

326

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
I’ve always found extensions painful, with very few exceptions… I’m sure it’s not tendonitis or anything like that as I’ve had that pain since the beginning of my training career and it only rears it’s ugly head during Extensions…[/quote]

Same here. I was able to do all that stuff when I first started training, but it didn’t take too long before those exercises just started causing a ton of pain.

I have the same problem. I can only perform flat and decline dumbbell triceps extensions with a moderate weight without pain. Even using the EZ curl bar with lighter weights almost immediately causes pain in my elbows and any type of overhead extension kills my shoulders.

I do the same…close-grip benches, some dips (this can be hit or miss on my shoulder) and various pressdown variations work great for me.

327

So, did my arm workout during my lunch break.

Started with 2 sets of light, but progressively heavier pushdowns to get the blood flowing. Felt good.

BB curls 3 x 10, 8, 6
Skulls 3 x 10, 8, 6
Inc DB Curls 3 x 10, 8 6
HS Dips Machine (first time ever) 3 x 10, 8, 6
HS preachers 1 x 15
Pushdowns 1 x 15

Honestly, this was all I could handle. I was finished by the end. Normally I do 9 sets for each bi’s/tri’s, and my plan was to do one or two more sets of the preachers/pushdowns, but I was just DONE.

Im dieting for the first time in my life. I’ve always kept a food log, but more for knowledge than anything else. I have always indulged in cheesesteaks and pizza pretty much at will.

Calories were generally 3300-4000 depending on the day. For the past 2 weeks, I have been super strict, no carbs after 8pm, no bread after morning meal (2 pcs of whole wheat with breakfast), only about 2700 cals a day.

  1. think this has effected my ability to complete my normal 9 sets?

  2. It also could be that I went back and forth in antagonistic fashion, which I normally don’t do, and I was pouring sweat by the end.

  3. Or, it may be that I go too heavy on my 10-rep set, and therefore it becomes more of a sub-failure work set, as opposed to a warm-up type set?

  4. Either way, a dude who’s a regular (big guy, 5’9’’ and 215, pretty lean) came up to me and said i’m looking a ton leaner. Felt good… So, I’m not quite as concerned about the lack of ability to successfully complete the workout…

  5. btw, Really liked the hammer dip. I did it more out of laziness, cause weighted dips sounded really tough today… but I ended up feeling it much more in my triceps than i do with weighted dips. Much better contraction.

thoughts?

328

What do you guys think about Incline close grip benches? I’ve been trying these lately and IMO they are really great for finishing off the chest and hitting the triceps hard. Also I think the range of motion is good.

What do the more experienced people think? Have any of you tried this sort of exercise?

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I think it might fuck up your shoulders

330

[quote]Stength4life wrote:
I think it might fuck up your shoulders[/quote]

No one is asking you. I want to hear from the advanced lifters.

331

[quote]Der Candy wrote:
Stength4life wrote:
I think it might fuck up your shoulders

No one is asking you. I want to hear from the advanced lifters.[/quote]

Welll I Bumped this thread so I think that qualifies me to say whatever the fuck I want to “Der Candy”. On second thought, you go ahead and do your incline close grips.

332

[quote]Stength4life wrote:
Der Candy wrote:
Stength4life wrote:
I think it might fuck up your shoulders

No one is asking you. I want to hear from the advanced lifters.

Welll I Bumped this thread so I think that qualifies me to say whatever the fuck I want to “Der Candy”. On second thought, you go ahead and do your incline close grips. [/quote]

Do you not speak english? What part of “What do the more experienced people think?” is not in your vocabulary?

333

[quote]Der Candy wrote:
What do you guys think about Incline close grip benches? I’ve been trying these lately and IMO they are really great for finishing off the chest and hitting the triceps hard. Also I think the range of motion is good.

What do the more experienced people think? Have any of you tried this sort of exercise?[/quote]

In the past I have used reverse grip close grip incline presses as my main tricep movement on arm day. I did that until I hit weights big enough that it got to be too much of a mechanical disadvantage. But I emphasize, that was with a reverse grip in which the triceps really get killed. Certainly not a bad movement but make sure to switch it out once stalling occurs.

334

I have horrible shoulders and incline CGBP doesn’t tweak them at all. My elbow on the other hand…

335

This is an absolute gem of a post, glad I found it.

336

PX -

Getting back on track–

How’s the diet-down going? At least the last I read you started / were-considering dieting down some.

  1. How have you changed your diet
  2. How is your strength
  3. How are you holding your size (ie arm/leg size)?
337

I m kind of curious myself

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I hate to break it to his groupies but I think he has moved on from these forums. He’s posting on another forum that is actually BB oriented.

339

Oh he’s TO COOL FOR US. I see how it is. Should I replace him?

340

[quote]Game Time wrote:
I hate to break it to his groupies but I think he has moved on from these forums. He’s posting on another forum that is actually BB oriented.[/quote]

i see him posting all the time so what do u mean?

341

[quote]Stength4life wrote:
Oh he’s TO COOL FOR US. I see how it is. Should I replace him?[/quote]

You need to add about 100 lbs…