Hey guys,
i´ve got a full power rack including a cable tower at my home gym. At the moment i use it for triceps only. Now i was wondering, if it might be good, to use it for lat pulls and seated cable rows as well. I´m at the usual BBB template, so it would be 5 x 10 reps. Or should i stick with “free movement” like chins/pulls for lats and dumbbell/barbell rows for upper back?
Thanks for your feedback!
Do both
Substituting one with the other (e.g. lat pulls instead of pull ups) oder adding the cable assistance on top? As i am doing the BBB template, i do 5 sets of 10 pull ups or rows at the moment, keeping the same exercise for my bench and press assistance. So if i substituted them, i would do chins or pull ups only every 6th circle. Would this be still enough?
Do some cycles with one, other cycles with the other. You don’t have to pick 1 movement and run it for the rest of your life.
BBB has nothing to do with your back assistance. You don’t have to do 5x10, it’s only for supplemental with the main lift. 5x10 is perfectly acceptable for your pulling work though. Chins are more valuable than pull downs for the 531 purpose, you should probably do them more as long as your elbows can handle them. I try to only use the pulldowns or non free weight rows when my elbows are acting up or when I’m just feeling tired or beat up and just need to get some easier pulling volume in. You don’t need to plan your exact assistance work out if you have any experience at all. Just do what you can do that particular day… some press days I’ll do 5x10 dips with 90-100 pounds added. Others I’ll do 50 body weight dips or push ups. Concentrate your energy on the main lifts and then just get some work in for the assistance.
Somewhat related: I like Cobra lat pulldowns when I’m feeling beat up or after a bit of a change.
I think they are good happy medium between something like heavy weighted chins and doing nothing (or facepulls or something).
Weighted chins superset with pulldowns, dude. I usually keep the chins neutral grip and slightly wider than shoulder, then make the pull downs light and super wide or narrow grip, take more time to stretch at the top and contract at the bottom. Cables are super useful - as long as they’re assistance, not a staple.