Hey Christian, two quick questions for ya: In The Two Exercise plan for size, can the zercher squat be replaced with the snatch grip high pull (I don’t want bigger legs), and also, the added assistance work spesifically the pull ups, are they to be done weighted or with bodyweight only? Thanks, answers would be greatly appriciated.
Well, you can do whatever you want. It’s you training. If you really don’t want bigger legs I guess it’s fine. But I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of what you want to do. But hey, I’ve done something like that for 3 weeks (only did high pulls and bench press) and I lived. But it’s not something I would use as a regular training plan; I did that solely to peak my high pull for a video.
As for the pull-ups when it all depends on your goal. If you are after mostly size then the reps per set should fall between 6 and 12. If your body weight is challenging enough for that zone then you don’t need to add weight, but if it’s too easy you’ll need to use added weight. If your main goal is strength then the reps will fall between 1-5 (mostly 3-5), so once again if your body weight alone is plenty challenging, then you don’t need to use more weight. But if 3–5 reps are easy you’ll need extra resistance.
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Ok Christian, but when training for a bigger bench, is it more benefical to train the back for strenght or size i.e training the pull ups with high or low reps?
I’d assume a bigger back equals a bigger base to press from but i’d like to hear your input on the carryover from pull ups to bench press.
Aslo, can you confirm that the band pull apart strenghtens the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus and Teres minor?
Both are useful. A bigger back can actually give you better leverage, but it also needs to be strong to help you bench bigger weights. So ideally you would alternate phases of accumulation (more focus on size) and intensification (more focus on strength). For 4 weeks each.
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It can even hit the mid and lower traps as well as rear delt. But it depends on how you do them. BUT they do have a limited effect on “strengthening”… they are better suited for muscular development. To be a true strength exercise you need more band tension so that you can get 3-6 reps per set, maybe up to 8.
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