Searching for a New Program

[AccipiterQ]

Well since everyone here basically took a steaming dump on my 5x5 I had designed, and I assume most of you here know more than I on the topic of body building, I’m now searching for something new to try for a routine. I was trying a 5x5 due to time constraints. I really can only get to the gym MWF, and MAYBE Saturday if I don’t work. (2 jobs, 20hrs/week in class, 20hrs/week studying).

My current strong points: huge ass & hamstrings, and my quads are well developed. My biceps as well are disproportionately large. My back has some decent thickness.

My current weaknesses: Despite having a bit of thickness on my back, I have 0 width. None. I went from being 160 lbs several years ago, to as much as 210 after a recent bulk. I have also gone from not being able to do more than 4 pullups at bodyweight, to being able to do 17-20 depending on how much I weighed at the time. The result? Barely an inch on my lat spread. I also apparently have a relatively undeveloped lower back. Third, my calves are a bit under-developed. I feel like they’re shorter than most people’s as well, so not sure if that makes things harder or easier. Also, despite having a decent ass & hamstrings I can’t squat or DL very much (1RM’s on squatting about 350, DL, around 450).

I’d like to develop some sort of routine that addresses my weaknesses. I’ll listen to any suggestions, but please don’t suggest rack-chins. I’ve tried them dozens of times and I can not get them to focus even the slightest on my lats. My biceps get hit so hard by them that they cramp up mid-set. I’ve tried every trick in the book on them and gotten nothing out of them.

[tribunaldude]

Put up a video of yourself doing rack chins or pulldowns or pullups.

[w00tage]

Yeah, I just did rack chins for the first time today and didn’t feel it in my lats at all, so I’m searching around for good explanations on how to do it. This is a quote from DC:

[quote]at the very top of the chin your ass must be lower than your feet so put the bar in the smythe rack accordingly—would you think about dips between benches this hard?

a) your feet are up on a bench crossed so it takes your hamstrings out of the movement so you dont have the urge to push up with your legs

b) chin up to the bar with no weight in your lap–is your ass lower than your feet still? good–there you go
[/quote]

and another more detailed explanation from DC:

strap up to the bar at your widest grip, your ass is always lower than your feet, even at the very top, on the way up arch your back and on the way down flare your lats outward and round your back a little while you kind of (kind of) lean backwards–on the way down your lats should hurt slightly because they are flared—here try this (do a double bicep pose while sitting at your desk reading this–while doing it bring your elbows slightly forward and flare your lats outward as hard as you can…feel that? feels like they are going to cramp doenst it? thats what you want to try to do on the negative phase— -at the very bottom with your lats flared–go for an extra inch of stretch by letting your shoulders raise upward and pushing into the stretch–then steadily explode up to the bar–for the static all you do is go down the bottom and stretch and flare your lats and lean backward slightly with that barbell in your lap–it will be freaking excruciating. You make 10 seconds your mortal, you make 20 seconds you are a god, you make 30 seconds and your an android…alternatively you could do some short reps at the bottom but i think the stretch method works best in this case. The next day after youve done 15-20 reps rest paused of rack chins–lean over slightly and pull on a doorknob with your lat, Id be very surprised if you didnt whisper “oh my god” from the soreness. The penalty for not getting to at least 10 seconds on the static is pictures of Raul copulating with your sister in compromising positions showing up in your email

if you’ve already done them as described there, then I guess you’ll need to upload a video… now I “know” how to do them properly I can’t wait to try again next week