Wednesday, April 1, 2015
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The pull-up plan
Let’s be honest: you should be able to do more pull-ups. Yes, they’ll carve you a head-turning V-shape, counteract your nine-to-fiver slouch and burn unholy amounts of fat – but more importantly, you can almost always find something to do them on so there’s no reasonable excuse. Double digits is the benchmark – and if you’re already there, make a concerted push towards the holy grail of 20. There’ll be no kipping, butterflying or other cheating on the form here, thanks – the strict standard is head above the bar at the top, arms straight at the bottom and minimal leg movement throughout. Time to get your back in action.
The move
First, tweak your pull-up form for maximum efficiency. Instead of pulling down, pull back – aim to get your elbows behind you as you pull up and you’ll fire up your lats, reducing reliance on your arms. Brace your abs as well – according to studies, a properly-done pull-up incurs more muscular activation than even a weighted crunch. Finally, resist the temptation to ‘bounce’ – it might get you another rep, but the elbow tendinitis isn’t worth it.
The assistance
This plan includes weighted pull-ups: some heavy, some light. Your options: hold a dumbbell between your feet, wear a belt or get a weighted vest (pictured right). The latter two are preferable, since they allow you to devote all your effort to getting over the bar – but use whatever kit’s available.
The plan
Do pull-ups three days a week, with at least 48 hours’ rest between sessions. Do them during a regular gym workout or as a separate session. Here’s how it breaks down.
Day 1: Heavy weight
‘Warm-up sets don’t count towards your total,’ says Jason Sayler of trainheroic.com. ‘Choose a weight that makes the reps hard but doable. If you have to drop to four on the final set, take a couple of seconds and then do the last rep, that’s acceptable. Rest for three to four minutes between sets.’
Day 2: Light weight
Add much less weight than you used on day one – 6-8kg will do it. ‘Break the reps up into as few sets as possible,’ says Sayler. ‘And time yourself, aiming to go faster each week.’
Day 3: Bodyweight
‘The goal here is to get the most reps possible in total,’ says Sayler. ‘So don’t “hit the wall” at any point. Stop one or two reps shy of failure on each set.’ Rest for two minutes between sets.
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Complete arms workout
Hitting your biceps and triceps muscles from as many different angles as possible is crucial if you want to develop impressive arms. That’s why this workout – provided by trainer Rich Phillipps and demonstrated by MF deputy editor Ben Ince as part of his eight-week body plan transformation – has lots of variety to help maximise lean muscle growth and leave you with a serious pump.
1A Seated dumbbell biceps curl
Sets 4
Reps 5-6
Rest 90sec
Sit on an upright bench holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your palms facing away. Keeping your back flat against the bench and your elbows close to your sides, curl the weights up to shoulder height. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the move, then slowly returning the start.
1B E-Z bar triceps extension
Sets 4
Reps 5-6
Rest 90sec
Lie flat on a bench, holding an E-Z bar with a narrow grip directly above you with straight arms. Slowly lower the bar towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your sides. Press the bar back to the start position by straightening your arms.
2A E-Z bar Scott curl
Sets 3
Reps 6-8
Rest 10sec
Hold the E-Z bar with your hands around 15cm apart and rest the backs of your upper arms against the bench. Lift the bar towards your chin, maintaining the tension at the top of the lift. Lower the weight slowly till your elbows are fully extended.
2B Incline bench Zottman curl
Sets 3
Reps 4-6
Rest 10sec
Lay face down on a bench set at around 50°, holding dumbbells with your palms up. Curl them towards your chin. At the top of the lift rotate the dumbbells till your palms are facing down and lower the weight slowly. Rotate the dumbbells back to the starting position.
2C Incline dumbbell hammer curl
Sets 3
Reps 8-10
Rest 2min
Sit on a bench set at around 40° holding dumbbells in each hand with a hammer grip. Curl the weights towards your shoulders, keeping your arms close to your body. Lower the weights till your elbows are fully extended.
3A Decline lying triceps extension
Sets 3
Reps 6-8
Rest 10sec
Lie on a decline bench, holding dumbbells above you with straight arms. Slowly lower the weights towards the top of your head by bending your elbows, which should stay pointing directly to the ceiling. Without arching your back, slowly return the weights to the start position by straightening your arms. This can also be done with an E-Z bar.
3B Dip
Sets 3
Reps 4-6
Rest 10sec
Grip parallel bars, keeping your body upright. With your elbows pointing straight back, lower your body as far as you can comfortably go without stressing your shoulders. Keep your core braced and don’t swing your legs for momentum. Press back up powerfully but don’t lock out your elbows at the top.
3C Reverse triceps cable pull-down
Sets 3
Reps 10-12
Rest 2min
Hold a straight bar cable attachment so your palms are facing upward. Keep your elbows directly below your shoulders, close to your sides. Pull the weight down, locking your elbows at the bottom. Allow the weight to rise back to the start, keeping it under control and ensuring your elbows stay directly below your shoulders.