Obviously anybody exercising knows that you don’t just do one muscle group, you alternate and get more well rounded in your skills. But that being said, we all have areas that we want to improve on. I have pretty decent arms and chest, but now I think I need to work my traps and and shoulders. I have some notes that I’ve been writing down for what exercises to focus on and what the muscles do. What do y’all wanna work on? I love exercise and talking about it, everyone interacts with it in a different way, gets tired at different paces, sweats more or less, does more or less reps or sets.
Overhead press - barbell
Bench press - barbell
Curls - dumbbells
Deadlift - barbell
Squats - barbell
Weighted lunges - dumbbells
Trying to add pull ups but I suck at pull ups still. Also push ups because why not.
These lifts encompass like 80+% of overall muscle groups from what I have been told.
Actually I also do these weighted bridges as part of my stretch routine my physical therapist game me, where I sit a weight on my lap and a resistance band around my legs above my knees. Do the bridge then at the top I open my legs and stretch outwards against the resistance band.
Would you add rows and negative pull ups (just letting yourself down from the top, getting up there with a chair) to assist your full pull ups?
I probably could. I’m just like, super lazy, and so I just have been doing sets of “as far as I can go” and slowly been working up to full on pull ups. lol. Keeping up with my current routine is hard enough so I kind of just do what I can with adding things.
Well, you are already hitting back with the deadlifts and squats (I assume back squats?).
Some unsolicited advice on building lat strength when you find the time:
When it comes to it, you could try one set of 3 negative pull ups followed by 3 sets of 1 pull up. Finish by hanging from the bar in a stable position (i.e. not just ‘hanging’ limp, but with your shoulders ready to pull you up: see below) for as long as you can. Work up to hanging in the ready position for 3 x 30 seconds. (This will build grip strength of that’s a weakness.)
When this is easier, end with a set of negatives x 3.
And when this is easier turn the full reps into 3 sets of 2 (or 2, 1, 1 until you can do 2, 2, 1 until you can do 2, 2, 2).
Add reps slowly like this till you’re at 3 x 5, then build up in the same way to 5 x 5 (keeping a negative set or two as a warm up).
Make sure you’re retracting your scapula by pulling your shoulder blades back and together (same position that you brace in to support the bar for squatting). Feet together and pointed forwards. Abs tensed just enough to keep your toes slightly in front of you for the whole movement. Breath into your stomach. Don’t let your elbows flare out behind your head. Grip the bar slightly ‘over’ it so there’s a small bend at your wrist at the bottom of the movement (imagine making a very slight swan shape with your forearm). When you’re at the top, your wrist should / will be straight. It’s less strain in the wrist at the hardest part of the movement.
You can hit your lats like this a few times a week until you’re doing 3 x 3, then keep it to back days, and it won’t take long to get those reps in.
Edit: until you’re doing full reps you could do them first, every session, while you’ve got the most energy.