[quote]slimthugger wrote:
Is there any validity to the body type theory ie ectomorph, mesomorph etc. I’m tall and lean. I’m about 6’6 and was wondering are there routines or exercises tat work better for tall people like myself. I enjoy squats, deads and bench, but it seems like those movements just are made for long limbed guys[/quote]
I think being 6’6 is a gift lol. Me being 5’10 I could never look as big as you could potentially. At 6’6, if in a few years you filled that frame out with some solid muscle you’d look massive.
I’m 6’7", so I can relate to where you’re coming from. Just keep at it. You won’t get thick as quickly as the shorter guys, but you’ll be a lot more impressive looking when you’re big and towering. You’re blessed to be your height. Not everything comes easy.
IMO, I would keep working at squats and bench. Who cares if you can’t lift as much as the shorter guys. It doesn’t mean you’re weaker, you have to move the weight a further distance after all. Check your ego at the door when you enter the weight room.
Deadlifts are easier for tall guys. I have a 7’ wingspan and deadlifts come EASY, but don’t work me well. Squats are tougher, but really thicken my legs and work my core much better. I like deep squats too. IMO, I wouldn’t shy away from the lifts that don’t come easy, you should embrace them.
[quote]butka wrote:
I’m 6’7", so I can relate to where you’re coming from. Just keep at it. You won’t get thick as quickly as the shorter guys, but you’ll be a lot more impressive looking when you’re big and towering. You’re blessed to be your height. Not everything comes easy.
IMO, I would keep working at squats and bench. Who cares if you can’t lift as much as the shorter guys. It doesn’t mean you’re weaker, you have to move the weight a further distance after all. Check your ego at the door when you enter the weight room.
Deadlifts are easier for tall guys. I have a 7’ wingspan and deadlifts come EASY, but don’t work me well. Squats are tougher, but really thicken my legs and work my core much better. I like deep squats too. IMO, I wouldn’t shy away from the lifts that don’t come easy, you should embrace them. [/quote]
just keep in mind that there is a difference between lifts that are hard because they are challenging and lifts that are hard because they are not good for you.
a lunge is going to be very hard for me, ive always had trouble with them. but thats not because the weight is so difficult its because im just bad at them. whereas i can do a reverse grip benchpress which is difficult because i use appropirate weight but gives me good benefits.
The key point to take home is to find out what your body best responds to.
I’ve seen Serge Nubret’s workout program and the volume is HUGE (something like 12 sets per exercise) but so many people have claimed great results from it. Training light can be good, but you really need a mind-muscle connection to do this imo.
I just realised my lifts haven’t increased a whole lot over the last year, in fact my barbell curl has gone down 5kg from 12 months ago, but my arms have grown almost 3 inches.
[quote]analog_kid wrote:
slimthugger wrote:
Is there any validity to the body type theory ie ectomorph, mesomorph etc. I’m tall and lean. I’m about 6’6 and was wondering are there routines or exercises tat work better for tall people like myself. I enjoy squats, deads and bench, but it seems like those movements just are made for long limbed guys
Welcome to tall lifter land. Most tall guys will use being tall as a cop out, but there is really isn’t any reason you can’t put on a respectable amount of muscle, as long as you train and eat properly.
Eventually you will come to realize(or already have)that you are have a bit of a mechanical disadvantage for some lifts. Check out these articles for some tips to improve form, sticking points, and adding size to problem areas for taller lifters:
The body is a constantly evolving and adapting entity, there are just too many variables to take into consideration to be able to place people into nice neat little categories like ecto, meso, and endo.[/quote]
It seems like boxing yourself in one of the three somatotypes is a convenient way for someone to mentally limit their full potential.
I’m an ectomorph, so I can’t…
Well, I’m an endomorph, so I’ll never…
It’s so hard for me to … because I’m a mesomorph
Having said that, I can certainly see where someone having better leverages may have advantages for certain movements. That’s still not an excuse for the ‘disadvantaged’ to blame leverages on poor lifts.
[quote]jtg987 wrote:
people like too play the victim. They also enjoy being lazy, so will use any excuse they can grab on too.
If everyone had great leverages in squats and bench don’t you think it would make Body Building/Power Lifting/Olympic Lifting/Hell weekend warrior weightlifting boring as fuck?
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what excuse do you have for not being able to read? Simple question, nothing about laziness at all.
I think taller guys need to be a lot more cautious of form with squats. Already, just being tall makes you somewhat more likely to have lower back issues, which, I think can only be compounded by slacking on technique.
I mean, everyone should strive for perfect form, but when it comes to injuries, I think that taller lifters have far less of a threshold for error.
So, I make it a point to practice and check my squat and deadlift form. I also make sure to warm-up completely before lifting, and try my best to be hyperaware of things that I might be doing inefficiently. Cause, I think that is the primary effect of weird leverages, a little bit of inefficiency becomes magnified.
I don’t buy into the bodytype theories too much though, especially for beginners/untrained folk.
you can take the bravado role and say, nah man all the shits the same. but it isnt, at least not in the start.
maybe when you get to professor x’s size it doesnt matter anymore and your levers are overcompensated by mass. but if you want to get to that point in the first place its probaly a good idea to have an idea on how to go around those obstacles.
from what ive been seeing lately this site seems to have a very dogmatic view of how to train. and if you go against that dogma it is blasphemy. you just cant assume everyone will prosper from the same thing people are different and also the same. id rather listen to what someone with a similar bodytype to me did to get big than someone completely opposite. i dont see how you can avoid the sense in that. if a guy who started out 6 feet 165 pounds got to be 245 pounds id rather listen to what he has to say than a guy who started 5’8 210 pounds, overweight
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Agreed. Some guys just get lucky with good leverages for lifts. Since the lifts are easier for them and they see results fast, they just figure everyone else is just lazy. bleh…
People tend to confuse height with limb length. Like the lurch and leverage articles said. Limb length is probably a more important factor to help you decide what lifts would be optimal for your body type. You dont have to be tall to have bad leverages either.
Example:
I have an acquaintance who is 5’11 just like me. His legs make up about 40% of his total body height(really low hips and long torso). He has shorter arms than me also. My legs make up about 60% of my height (high hips and short torso). Obviously, physics will come into play big time when it comes to certain lifts.
So if you havent dealt with such awkward levers, keep the mouth shut and dont just think its laziness. Trust me…we try.
First off, its not your overall height that determines if your a long limbed (tall) person. It has to do with your bone structure and length of certain limbs (ie. femur, tibia, humerus, etc.) I myself am only 5’11", but have very small wrists and ankles, and therefore I consider myself a tall lifter.
I started taking some advice from CT and Charles Staley about long limbed lifters, and its made a pretty big difference.
Deadlift is going to be your best bet.
If your not good at squatting and youve given it an honest try, switch to unilateral movements. (stepups, split squats, and pistols work great)
Train with slightly lighter weights, but more speed
[quote]Malevolence wrote:
I think taller guys need to be a lot more cautious of form with squats. Already, just being tall makes you somewhat more likely to have lower back issues, which, I think can only be compounded by slacking on technique.
I mean, everyone should strive for perfect form, but when it comes to injuries, I think that taller lifters have far less of a threshold for error.
So, I make it a point to practice and check my squat and deadlift form. I also make sure to warm-up completely before lifting, and try my best to be hyperaware of things that I might be doing inefficiently. Cause, I think that is the primary effect of weird leverages, a little bit of inefficiency becomes magnified.
I don’t buy into the bodytype theories too much though, especially for beginners/untrained folk.
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x2 the form part. I’m 6’2 and back is fucked from poor squat form (bending too much at the waist while trying to go ATG). I’ve recently found that for me box squats are the best thing for my legs. Im not worried about falling over because I know I’m about to sit on something so I’m not bending at the waist. Hits my legs very well and doesnt stress my back at all.
I find this tall shit bullshit, I’m 6’2 close to 6’3 and the lift I excel in the best is bench. I have long arms too. It’s all in your head or maybe I just have some better fiber ratios or something, my DL gets good real fast too.
In all honesty though I still think it’s all in everybodies heads, don’t play me a fool either I’m tall and would probably fall in a category of poor leverages. I’m going beyond what I’m trying to say, which is just fuck it and lift.
[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
I find this tall shit bullshit, I’m 6’2 close to 6’3 and the lift I excel in the best is bench. I have long arms too. It’s all in your head or maybe I just have some better fiber ratios or something, my DL gets good real fast too.
In all honesty though I still think it’s all in everybodies heads, don’t play me a fool either I’m tall and would probably fall in a category of poor leverages. I’m going beyond what I’m trying to say, which is just fuck it and lift.[/quote]
It’s definitely not bullshit, but people get caught up on stuff like this and use it as an excuse for not progressing. My raw squat is always going to be significantly lower than my deadlift, but when I’m busting my ass training legs it’s not like I can’t move more weight.
Definitely generalized question, but how do you know if you respond better to a lower rep range (3-5) versus higher rep ranges(10-12)? Simply via trial and analysis?
[quote]Droogan Leader wrote:
Definitely generalized question, but how do you know if you respond better to a lower rep range (3-5) versus higher rep ranges(10-12)? Simply via trial and analysis?[/quote]
My old partner was built like a fire hydrant. His bench press ROM was probably only 8 inches. He was always able to press more than me. However, my longer arms gave me more ROM and longer levers for flys and such. As a result I believe that I had better chest development at the end of our five years training together because I had to do more work than he did.