I recently replaced lat pulldowns with rack chins after reading up around here, and I loved it. I was also thinking about tossing close grip bench and going to close grip pin presses, the only thing is that I would have to do it in the smith machine. Does this sound like a good idea or should I just stick to the full ROM CGBP? Also, does anyone else have any other exercises they’ve tossed for ones you feel have given you better results? Thanks.
Are you stagnating on CGBP? If you’re still making progress, there’s no reason to switch really until you hit a wall. That said, reverse wide grip bench on smith is awesome for tris (try to push toward your feet).
I started doing reverse-wide-grip bench press on the smith machine for tris. I like them.
EDIT: Guy above me mentioned it already and I failed to read all 2 posts in the thread. Sorry 
I personally really like close grip presses for just the top part of the movement. 7-8 inches off my chest too lockout works best for me.
If you are already using a good exercise that allows good progression, milk it for all it’s worth first and THEN switch it out for a similar one and milk that one again for all it’s worth and so on…
Different story when a certain movement does not produce results though-but that is common sense…
[quote]BurnMyEyes wrote:
I personally really like close grip presses for just the top part of the movement. 7-8 inches off my chest too lockout works best for me. [/quote]
same here.
[quote]zenomaly wrote:
Are you stagnating on CGBP? If you’re still making progress, there’s no reason to switch really until you hit a wall. That said, reverse wide grip bench on smith is awesome for tris (try to push toward your feet).[/quote]
I’m still making progress on CGBP, but it just seemed to me that close grip pin presses were pretty much the same thing, just more efficient since its taking away the bottom of the motion where it seems the pecs are doing most of the work.
JHK, if you are doing CGP’s after delt or chest work, and thus lose strength/balancing ability due to fatigued shoulders, then give the pin CGP’s a try. Or board presses (2 or 3 board depending on arm length).
In the smith you can also do
- as mentioned above, wide-RGB, thumb and index finger grip mostly (PL setup is important here, as on all presses!) and pressing towards your feet (i.e. against the smith if it’s a straight one, or actually towards your feet if it’s a slanted smith) as well as up
- IH press (close grip armpit or shoulder width or whatever feels nice on the wrists etc… Again, press towards feet as well as up)
- Smith JM press… Might want to ask maraudermeat about the proper setup/execution there or watch one of his vids. I haven’t tried these yet.
Number 1 and 2 take stress off the shoulders due to your pressing towards your feet… Like the Pin Press, ideal if your shoulders are tired from chest and/or delt work already.
So question I have after reading these responses: I generally change my accessory lifts in 5/3/1 every month to give myself some variety. Do you guys think it would be beneficial to stick with the accessory lifts longer to allow myself more time to improve on the lift? (i.e. 2 cycles, instead of 1). Thanks.
Thanks C_C. I would actually much rather prefer to do board presses, but I don’t have boards, or a training partner on most days, so I decided to try the pin CGP. A couple questions though: the pins should be about 5" or so above my chest and I should come to a dead stop on each rep right? Thanks for the responses guys.
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
JHK, if you are doing CGP’s after delt or chest work, and thus lose strength/balancing ability due to fatigued shoulders, then give the pin CGP’s a try. Or board presses (2 or 3 board depending on arm length).
In the smith you can also do
- as mentioned above, wide-RGB, thumb and index finger grip mostly (PL setup is important here, as on all presses!) and pressing towards your feet (i.e. against the smith if it’s a straight one, or actually towards your feet if it’s a slanted smith) as well as up
- IH press (close grip armpit or shoulder width or whatever feels nice on the wrists etc… Again, press towards feet as well as up)
- Smith JM press… Might want to ask maraudermeat about the proper setup/execution there or watch one of his vids. I haven’t tried these yet.
Number 1 and 2 take stress off the shoulders due to your pressing towards your feet… Like the Pin Press, ideal if your shoulders are tired from chest and/or delt work already.
[/quote]
[quote]JHK wrote:
Thanks C_C. I would actually much rather prefer to do board presses, but I don’t have boards, or a training partner on most days, so I decided to try the pin CGP. A couple questions though: the pins should be about 5" or so above my chest and I should come to a dead stop on each rep right? Thanks for the responses guys.
[/quote]
The pin height depends on your individual preferences. If your shoulders are fresh when you do the exercise, you can set them lower and get more ROM… But if they’re fatigued, set the pins somewhat higher to make up for that. Also, limb-length comes into play…
Yes, a dead stop is what I’d do. If necessary reset your setup between reps every now and again… And be really explosive on the positive (tense the whole body - well, setup should be tight anyway - arms and all just before you lift the weight)… Don’t need to lock out completely, but do control the negative so that you’re not just dropping the weight. Doesn’t need to be slow, but don’t drop it.
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
3) Smith JM press… Might want to ask maraudermeat about the proper setup/execution there or watch one of his vids. I haven’t tried these yet.
[/quote]
[quote]w00tage wrote:
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
3) Smith JM press… Might want to ask maraudermeat about the proper setup/execution there or watch one of his vids. I haven’t tried these yet.
[/quote]
great exercise, but what’s with the head bobbin’?
[quote]PB Andy wrote:
So question I have after reading these responses: I generally change my accessory lifts in 5/3/1 every month to give myself some variety. Do you guys think it would be beneficial to stick with the accessory lifts longer to allow myself more time to improve on the lift? (i.e. 2 cycles, instead of 1). Thanks.[/quote]
It really depends how advanced one is… 2 way rotations and the more advanced 3 way rotations are awesome for extending progression and will allow one to keep an exercise for much longer…obviously depending one how well recruits fibres- some people struggle with doing an exercise only once in two weeks. (just one of the MANY reasons why DC is only for advanded trainees-just a side note)
If I remember correctly your doing a BB type 5-3-1? So alternating loading and reps etc. can be of benefit for some extra growth-just look at the excellent results BBB gives by doing just that for some evidence…(obviously it’s much more than that, but still…)
Maybe keeping the same exercises and cycling rep ranges in a some manner?
Maybe set up a two way exercise rotation setup and riding it out? (what I love to use most and works wonderfully with 5-3-1)
Maybe do both of the above?
Lots of options, but the key will be to keep it simple to gauge progression…With other words: Some form of repeating an exercise in the same way in a shortish period of time (say two weeks max)to be able to beat your previous…Like in SPBR, DC etc…
But like Jim said- it’s just assistance
So just milking exercises for all their worth and only switching them out then will do the trick as well… ( I do this myself with 2 way rotation MOST of the time)
Hope I gave you some ideas…