Leucine & HMB: One vs. the Other vs. Both?
You have also likely heard of ‘HMB’ which is a derivative of leucine. In fact the above pathway requires that ...
Exercise Execution
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Cinnamon: The Surprising Spicy Advantage Sitting on your Shelf
Cinnamon, one of the most undervalued, underestimated, and under-appreciated supplements around. When taken at effective doses, it packs a very ...
When Can I Eat Junk While Dieting And Not Get Fat?
When it comes to “Junk” food. First we must clarify what “junk” is. Carbohydrates themselves for example don’t make you ...
Caffeine: Strategic Supplementation for Maximum Benefit
Bodybuilders and other fitness-minded folk are for the most part considered to be a healthy bunch. Well balanced nutrition, regular ...
What is the Ideal Breakfast?
As the old adage goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Starting the day off right is ...
Chelation & Why It’s Important for Mineral Supplementation
Minerals like zinc and magnesium are necessary for us to properly use energy, detoxify our bodies, and hundreds of other ...
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Chest Presses
Ben's step-by-step guidelines for performing the best chest pressing movements for maximal muscle growth!
Back Isolation Exercises
Step-by-step instructions for performing the best isolation exercises for building a barn door back!
Front Delt Movements
The best front delt exercises to add to your routine and how to perform them for optimal growth!
Rows for Back
The best rowing exercises, broken down BPak-syle!
MI40 Protocols / Intensifiers & Finishers
Explaining the various Intensifiers that appear throughout the MI40 Nation 6 Week Workout Programs
Trap 3 Isolation
Building an impressive physique starts with a strong foundation... these are an awesome tool to add to your arsenal!
Pullups & Pulldowns
General guidelines for all Pull-Up and Pulldown movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)
- back flat / abs tight, elbows in as close to body as possible (avoid letting them flare)
- attempt to remain perfectly vertical throughout (avoid leaning / throwing hips back)
- keep wrists, elbows & forearms in a straight line as close to perpendicular to the ground as possible
- relax the arms to minimize their involvement, focus instead on stabilizing from the back
- contract the scapula (shoulder blades) & lats throughout while pulling through the elbows (as opposed to the hands)
- on the concentric, pull the shoulders back, aim chest to the bar, & drive the elbows simultaneously towards the floor & away from each other; avoid any ‘shrugging’
- on the eccentric, extend / protract the scapula & let the shoulders roll forward at the extreme
- ‘shove’ hands outwards throughout (intent)
- when performing with an overhand-grip, don’t allow the elbows to come behind the body (drive them towards the lats). When performing with a neutral / underhand-grip, end the concentric with elbows as far behind torso as possible, chest touching the bar.
Pull Ups / Chin Ups (incl. ‘Assisted’) – overhand / neutral / underhand grip
At the top
- Exercise Specific:
- variable hand grip and spacing is acceptable (besides very narrow) from workout to workout – though stick with the same choice during each individual workout
- if / when performing Assisted Machine Pull-ups, place knees at the back of the pad unless directed otherwise.
Ring Pull-Ups
- Exercise Specific:
- during the exercise, consider your hands like hooks – do not pull with the biceps or forearms
- allow pronation of the shoulders at the bottom of the rep (you may need to rotate your hands / arms externally on the way down so that your palms end facing away from you at the bottom)
- take a neutral-grip during the concentric portion of the rep.
Push-Away Pull-Ups – advanced exercise
- Exercise Specific:
- the focus is spent on the eccentric / lowering portion of the movement
- do what it takes to get to the top, then slowly ‘push away’ extending the arms straight out in front; really fight against the descent while staying as high as possible
- make an extra effort to try and maintain a vertical plane (as depicted above, you can see it is not easy!).
Lat Pulldowns – Overhand, Reverse, or Neutral Grip
Performing with an Overhand Wide-Grip
Performing with a Reverse-Grip
- Exercise Specific:
- as a general rule, position body as appropriate to achieve a vertical plane of movement (slide butt forward if necessary) – depending on your structure, you may however find that to achieve full engagement of the lats, you need to lean backwards slightly instead
- if the above is true for you, or you are instructed specifically to perform the exercise with a backward lean, lean from the hips, NOT from the spine (keep the abs tight).
- If performing with a reverse or neutral-grip: take a shoulder-width grip on the bar, and end with elbows behind the body at the bottom, chest touching the bar.
Incline Supine Overhead Reverse-Grip Pulldowns
Extended at the top
End position
- Exercise Specific:
- set-up:
> if possible, attach leather straps to the pulley instead of a bar (to avoid ‘over-supinating’ the hands)
> place a bench facing away from the apparatus and set at a high incline
> a spotter may be required to pass / take the weight when beginning / ending each set. - with a neutral-grip and slight arch in the back, expand the lats on the way up (push them towards the ceiling)
- aim for a strong stretch at the top
- aim wrists to hips and finish with elbows behind torso as much as possible at the bottom.
Hammer Iso Lat Pulldown
Supinated-grip
- Exercise Specific:
- chest up tall, no arching from the lower back or hips.
