ODD EXERCISES
Excercises You've Never Tried Before #5
Limited Range Dumbell Pull Over
We picked this one up from T-mag contributor John Paul Catanzaro.
To increase chest size, you have to train both the pec major and minor. The minor tends to get overlooked since it's not as glamorous as the major. The limited-range pullover will target the pec minor, which in turn will "push out" the pec major, thus making it look bigger. Think of it as a natural pec implant.
Cup a dumbbell between both hands and lay back onto a flat bench. With your arms fully extended above your face, carefully lower the weight until your outstretched arms are in line with your body. Keep the small of your back pressed against the bench and brace the abdominals throughout to protect your lower back.
Make sure the elbows stay in (don't let them flare out) or else the lats will kick in. Elbows should be directly beside your ears in the bottom position. Raise the dumbbell in an arcing motion only about six to eight inches, or 45 degrees from horizontal. Keep your arms straight throughout and keep the abdominals tight!
If your chest development has stalled, try limited-range pullovers!
8x11
9x9
10x11
It must have been eons ago that I tried pull-overs. So started conservatively, also considering the twinges in the shoulders when doing the military presses. After 2 sets I got the hang of it again and went till failure.
Opinion: positive, but it’s an exercise that’s only useful in a 3- or 4-split, otherwise you’ll just drop it as it remains (in my eyes) an isolation exercise.
Overhead Cable Curl
Here's a biceps exercise even we had never tried until Don Alessi introduced it to us.
Position yourself on a shoulder press bench facing away from the high pulley machine (back toward the machine). Grasp an EZ swivel bar overhead with the elbows extended and close to your ears. Next, flex the elbows behind the head. Return to extended position, then wait patiently for some dweeb to ask you what the f%*k you're doing!
3,75x14
6,25x13
I’d done this exercise before, but then in the lat pull down machine. This time it was in the cable station. I’ve tried it from the low pulley position though as the high pulley felt too awkward. Getting seated and into position was a bit awkward, but the movement itself went much smoother. Gonna try the high pulley position another time.
Opinion: neutral-negative, better than in a lat pulldown station but still a too fancy schmancy isolation exercise.