T Nation

Destroying Fat Article Question

Bodybuilding
#1

I’m designing a new plan to get a bit more lean for summer, and i’m basing it on a template provided by Thib here

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1499282

The problem i’ve encountered with this template is on the lactate days, in circuit B, he suggests to do 15-20 reps of vertical pushing, then pulling etc.
I can’t do 15-20 chins or pullups 3X as part of a circuit with no rest. My max chins is 10-12. So what can i replace the vertical pulling with? I don’t want to do upright rowing, because that fucks with my shoulders horribly. I was thinking of doing DB shrugs or Haney shrugs (behind me).

Can anyone a bit more experienced than me give some suggestions please? I really don’t want to fuck with the template since i respect CT and his ideas. Cheers

#2

Hello. Have you considered Lat Pulldown in the cable-machines? Or maybe Bent-over Rows?

#3

Use a band to assist, or gasp do pull downs. My 2 cents.

#4

Thanks you two, but neither answer will work. I’m training at home, without any machines, just weights, a bench and a bar, so pulldowns etc are out of ze question.

And the routine prescribed dictates different exercises for vertical pulling and horizontal pulling, + since rowing to stomach/sternum is a horizontal exercise, i can’t use that as a vertical exercise.

#5

exrx.net/AnimatedEx/BackGeneral/BBBentoverRow.gif

It is, if you do it like this :wink:

#6

That is pretty much exactly how i do it, and i’d say that’s horizontal. Look at his stomach, at start it’s almost parallel to the ground, and though the guy does sway up and use his spine a bit, he never goes upright enough for me to call that a vertical pulling exercise.

#7

A barbell row is fine. Traps work is NOT fine… doesn’t involve enough muscle mass and doesn’t have a long enough range of motion to maximize lactate production.

#8

Try doing pullups/chins with your feet on a bench in front of you, so you are in a “L-sit” position as in a bench dip. Search for a image of a exercise called “rack chin” because it?s hard to describe but you will understand if you see it.

#9

[quote]dannyrat wrote:
That is pretty much exactly how i do it, and i’d say that’s horizontal. Look at his stomach, at start it’s almost parallel to the ground, and though the guy does sway up and use his spine a bit, he never goes upright enough for me to call that a vertical pulling exercise. [/quote]

Oh yeah, guess I got those two confused.

#10

No worries mr hamper, it’s Saturday, be as confused as you can!

Thanks to Christian not just for an excellent article but for being generous with your time and answering my question.

sagat- that’s awesome. That’s exactly the kind of thing i was looking for, it’s strange that i never thought to do them before, seems perfect especially since i’ve got an adjustable doorway bar and a desk near the door. Thanks again, i think since i’ll be doing 2 lactate sessions weekly i’ll do rack chins 1 day and bar rows another, and see how that goes.