When it comes to achieving physical superiority, its often what's behind that counts!

_ BB Chin-Ups (palms facing you) by Reg Bradfurd photo Check out the training logs of successful How important are pulling exercises for preventing, bodybuilders and you'll see that they perform not going to develop it by performing a few extra sets on the bench press.

Ripley, a sports medicine specialist whose success middle back. Only by performinga wide variety of stories include 27 sprinters who have won medals exercises, each of which stresses the various muscle fibers from different angles, can bodybuilders refine their muscles and pack on as much size as possible. Indeed, a variety ofexercises for the back overworking the bench press and not performing his football players perform such a wide variety of muscles is crucial for athletes in every sport, but pulling exercises such as chin-ups.

Most of the exercises, University of Utah Head Strength Coach not for the purpose of building an aesthetic, symathletes | treat for shoulder injuries have glaring Bruce Johnson said that changing the types of metrical physique. weaknesses in the upper back and rotator cuff exercises his athletes perform motivates them. “It's muscles, especially when compared to the strength hard for a guy to do the same lifts for five years are increasingly common among young factors ar One of the additional benefits of performing auxiliary lifts is that they keep the workout interesting for the athletes.

In every BFS clinic that we've held for the past 29 of the pushing muscles used in the bench press. and stay really motivated,” says Johnson. Judging years we've recommended that all athletes, regard ‘These imbalances make the shoulders more by the success of his athletes, Coach Johnson less of sport, perform power cleans and deadlifts. susceptible to injuries.” strength in the muscles ofthe upper and middle In the area of performance, success in many sports Aback. And in addition to emphasizing these lifts, is strongly dependent upon pulling strength.

Think we also encourage athletes to take their training to of a linebacker grasping the shirt of a quarterback coach lan King, is to divide them into two groups:

These are great core lifts that develop functional great way to the next level by performing a variety of auxiliary to score a sack, a wrestler pulling his opponent horizontal pulling exercises and vertical pulling exercises for the back. Not only are these exercises onto his back for the pin, or a basketball player exercises. Vertical pulling exercises would include sport specific but they also will help prevent injugrappling for a rebound. Without exception, every pull-ups, chin-ups and lat pulldowns. Horizontal ries, especially to the shoulder. sport requires pulling power — and an athlete is pulling exercises would include bent-over rows, incline lever rows, seated rows and vertical rows.

the biceps more. As for pull-ups, they work the progression would be to have the athlete perform Let’s take a close look at each of these exercises. forearm muscles harder than the chin-up does and the lift without any assistance, and then eventually they put less stress on the wrists. But as with the to increase resistance by attaching weight plates to bodybuilder, there is no such thing as a single best achin/dip belt. grip or best hand spacing for performing chin-ups cises, you'll see that they often possess tremendous LAT PULLDOWNS. If an athlete cannot peror pull-ups — variety produces the best grip form multiple repetitions properly or simply does upper back development.

And this effect has not been forgotten in the bodybuilding community.

Regardless of the grip or hand spacing you use, not like chin-ups and pull-ups, the lat pulldown is In fact, former Mr. America Mike Dayton held a you want to perform chin-ups and pull-ups with an excellent alternative. Besides providing precise world record for one-arm chins and often opened a full range of motion, At the start your shoulder control of the resistance, the cable apparatus his strongman shows doing a hundred chins off a blades should be elevated and your arms should allows for the use of various attachments. For ceiling girder.

be straight; but do not hyperextend your elbows, as example, a V-handle will position the hands to this would place excessive stress on the connective faceeach other (semi-supinated grip), which will The chin-up is one of the best exercises for not tissues. The exercise is performed by holding your increase the work on the rhomboids and lower lat just the back but also the upper body. Some of the breath and simultaneously bending the arms area. exercises worked with this auxiliary exercise (get squeezing the shoulder blades together, achieving out your anatomy books) include the following: full contraction at the end of the exercise.

Exhale Even though most athletes can eventually use latissimus dorsi, teres major, posterior deltoid, as you lower yourself. relatively heavy weights in lat pulldown exercises, thomboids, the sternal portion of the pectoralis it’s important that a thigh pad be attached to the machine to anchor the body. Also, in an attempt major, the lower portions of the trapezius, and the If athletes cannot perform the goal number of biceps, brachialis, brachio-radialis and pronator repetitions in their workout, they should bend their to use more weight in the exercise many athletes teres. Whew!

knees and have a spotter pull up on both ankles will instinctively crunch forward as they pull, so during the ascent. Only enough help should be coaches must watch for this error as they supervise Just to be clear, chin-ups are performed with your given to enable an athlete to perform the goal their athletes. palms facing you (supinated grip), while pull-ups oumber of reps, and less help should be given (if are performed with your palms facing away from any) on the descent. When the goal number of you (pronated grip). Chin-ups emphasize the reps is achieved, a spotter should hold on to only ROWS.

For the middle back muscles, especially biceps and lats more than pull-ups do: a wider grip one ankle, as allowing the other leg to hang free the rhomboids, rows are the exercise of choice. Two works the lats harder, whereas a closer grip works will increase the load on the muscles. The next excellent ones are the T-bar row and the incline leplace — especially when it comes to training the the back.” ver row. The T-bar row is performed on a platform in which the row machine makes it easier to maintain proper get into position to start the exercise. And like the as the back is supported with the chest pad.

incline lever row, the vertical row has a chest pad to reduce the tendency to cheat or round the back. y the same: t pad is provided so that the athlete does not ave row and incline lever row machines offer handles with multiple grips. to support the weight with the strength of the back. that enable the exercise to be performed with SEATED ROWS AND VERTICAL ROWS. multiple grips.

Seated rowing machines and vertical rowing ma‘The most common errors rows using a cable apparatus and vertical rows performance and preventing injury, but auxiliary maintaining a good arch (ie., locking in the lower the T-bar rows and incline lever rows, with the comes to training the muscles of the back.

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From BFS Magazine — November/December 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).