Workouts to improve upper body strength?

[wingchun100]

On an unrelated note, I wonder what someone slipped in my coffee this morning!

 

[JR 137]

No pull-up bar? I got a solution for that because in my apartment, none of the doorways are sturdy enough for me to do pull-ups. Here's what I do:

Take two dumbbells and lean over at the waist. Hold the dumbbells with my palms facing toward me, and then lift. It's kind of like a row. The one downfall to this is that when you do a pull-up on the bar, you are lifting all your body weight. Unless I could find 200-lb. dumbbells, I'll never be able to get the same effect with the exercise I just described.

HOWEVER, there is one little nuance I discovered last night that makes up for it: do this dumbbell exercise in an eccentric fashion. What do I mean...do the exercise in a weird way? NO! Not that kind of "eccentric." What it means is when you pull the dumbbells up, you EXPLODE UP, but when they descend, you let.........them.........down.......slllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. This gave me one hell of a sore back the next day, so I know it works.

Good sore, or bad sore?

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

No pull-up bar? I got a solution for that because in my apartment, none of the doorways are sturdy enough for me to do pull-ups. Here's what I do:

Take two dumbbells and lean over at the waist. Hold the dumbbells with my palms facing toward me, and then lift. It's kind of like a row. The one downfall to this is that when you do a pull-up on the bar, you are lifting all your body weight. Unless I could find 200-lb. dumbbells, I'll never be able to get the same effect with the exercise I just described.

HOWEVER, there is one little nuance I discovered last night that makes up for it: do this dumbbell exercise in an eccentric fashion. What do I mean...do the exercise in a weird way? NO! Not that kind of "eccentric." What it means is when you pull the dumbbells up, you EXPLODE UP, but when they descend, you let.........them.........down.......slllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. This gave me one hell of a sore back the next day, so I know it works.

How far do you lean over? I have been trying to find something to replace pullups (same problem as you), but the way I am imagining this, it would wreck my back.

 

[wingchun100]

Good sore, or bad sore?

Good sore. The kind of sore that makes you say, "Thank God I'm alive so I could feel that and know it's working!"

Okay...really, who spiked my coffee?

 

[wingchun100]

How far do you lean over? I have been trying to find something to replace pullups (same problem as you), but the way I am imagining this, it would wreck my back.

I am having a hard time finding the exact words to describe it. Aside from leaning over, I also bend at the knees.

I will try to find a video and share it.

 

[wingchun100]

How far do you lean over? I have been trying to find something to replace pullups (same problem as you), but the way I am imagining this, it would wreck my back.

Watch what the pretty lady does around 1:28. She passes through it briefly, but that is what I do.

 

[wingchun100]

Here are more solutions. I like #1 because you are using your body weight. Might not be fighting gravity in the same way, but still...

 

[wingchun100]

Aha! Found a video showing EXACTLY what I do!

 

[wingchun100]

The cool thing about the last guy is that he also shows you it is possible to do this exercise while varying your hand positions. For the longest time I wasn't sure if I should even bother doing that, but I guess it is good for the sake of variety.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

How far do you lean over? I have been trying to find something to replace pullups (same problem as you), but the way I am imagining this, it would wreck my back.

Look for a video of dumbbell rows (sometimes called bent rows, and similar variations). It's a fairly common exercise, so should be easy to find. If you want to increase the weight, you can do them with one knee and one hand on a bench (so one side of your body is supported, while the other does the exercise). This takes the effort off your back, so you can safely do heavier weights. It removes the core support, though (which isn't so much involved in pull-ups, either).

 

[jobo]

Look for a video of dumbbell rows (sometimes called bent rows, and similar variations). It's a fairly common exercise, so should be easy to find. If you want to increase the weight, you can do them with one knee and one hand on a bench (so one side of your body is supported, while the other does the exercise). This takes the effort off your back, so you can safely do heavier weights. It removes the core support, though (which isn't so much involved in pull-ups, either).

hmm, the whole point of pull ups is they work the back muscles, doing the exercise to remove the back muscles is rather pointless, doing the exercise with lighter weights so you don't strain them is a much more sensible option. This then slowly strengthens them, making heavier weights possible
you don't need push ups, you just need pull strengh excersises

pull ups are extremely difficult, most people can't do even one proper one, they are in themselves a demonstration of having good upper body strengh rather then a way of obtaining such strengh, you can do inclined push ups under a table or some such, to build up the muscle or throw a length of rope round a door handle or some such and do upright rows

 

[Gerry Seymour]

hmm, the whole point of pull ups is they work the back muscles, doing the exercise to remove the back muscles is rather pointless, doing the exercise with lighter weights so you don't strain them is a much more sensible option. This then slowly strengthens them, making heavier weights possible

pull ups are extremely difficult, most people can't do even one proper one, they are in themselves a demonstration of having good upper body strengh, you can do inclined push ups under a table or some such, to build up the muscle

It doesn't remove the back muscles when you support at a bench. It removes the lower back muscles, which don't get much impact in a pull-up, either. The upper back (lats, trapezius, rhomboids) are still recruited, as they are with any row. The advantage of a standing row is that it recruits the lower back (erector spinae, et al), as well, but that can limit the weight for some folks, reducing recruitment of the upper back muscles.

 

[jobo]

hmm, the whole point of pull ups is they work the back muscles, doing the exercise to remove the back muscles is rather pointless, doing the exercise with lighter weights so you don't strain them is a much more sensible option. This then slowly strengthens them, making heavier weights possible

pull ups are extremely difficult, most people can't do even one proper one, they are in themselves a demonstration of having good upper body strengh rather then a way of obtaining such strengh, you can do inclined push ups under a table or some such, to build up the muscle.

It doesn't remove the back muscles when you support at a bench. It removes the lower back muscles, which don't get much impact in a pull-up, either. The upper back (lats, trapezius, rhomboids) are still recruited, as they are with any row. The advantage of a standing row is that it recruits the lower back (erector spinae, et al), as well, but that can limit the weight for some folks, reducing recruitment of the upper back muscles.

so you build up the lower back, so you can do the exercise properly, rather than change it so you can lift heavier weights with bad form. Other wise you will end up with a strong shoulder gurdle you cant use as you lower back is weak as buttermilk.
if you we're to do lulls ups, you would have to find another excersise to strengthen your lower back, dead lifts are good

 

[Gerry Seymour]

so you build up the lower back, so you can do the exercise properly, rather than change it so you can lift heavier weights with bad form. Other wise you will end up with a strong shoulder gurdle you cant use as you lower back is weak as buttermilk.
if you we're to do lulls ups, you would have to find another excersise to strengthen your lower back, dead lifts are good

Yes. But you also can choose to work at capacity for the upper back. There are other exercises that develop the lower back, in the meantime.

And for some people, it's not a matter of strength in the lower back, but of injury. For those folks, the bench version is a way to not let the injury limit upper back development.

 

[jobo]

Yes. But you also can choose to work at capacity for the upper back. There are other exercises that develop the lower back, in the meantime.

And for some people, it's not a matter of strength in the lower back, but of injury. For those folks, the bench version is a way to not let the injury limit upper back development.

so in summary, you recommending people with weak lower backs, not to do an exercise that would strengthen their lower back. Rather to do an additional exercise to strengthen it

you need to build your body in unison to avoid imbalance's and posture problems, if you have a weak lower back, you should be strenthening it in the shoulders. You should be bringing you lower back up to good level first

 

[Gerry Seymour]

so in summary, you recommending people with weak lower backs, not to do an exercise that would strengthen their lower back. Rather to do an additional exercise to strengthen it

Perhaps go back and actually read my post. I recommended precisely the opposite. You're trolling.

 

[jobo]

Perhaps go back and actually read my post. I recommended precisely the opposite. You're trolling.

no that's exactly what you. Said, rest the lower back on the dumbell lifts, but do another exercise to strengthen it

 

[Gerry Seymour]

no that's exactly what you. Said, rest the lower back on the dumbell lifts, but do another exercise to strengthen it

Yeah, that's right - do another exercise to strengthen it. That's precisely NOT "not to do an exercise that would strengthen their lower back". That's "strengthen the lower back, without sacrificing upper back development".

 

[jobo]

Yeah, that's right - do another exercise to strengthen it. That's precisely NOT "not to do an exercise that would strengthen their lower back". That's "strengthen the lower back, without sacrificing upper back development".

but you shouldn't be developing upper back unduly if the lower back is weak, that leads to imbalance and postural problem.
that why compound exercises rather than isolation excess s are much much better

if someone has a defined weak point then that should be brought up to standard before you concern yourself with developing other area. That's a part from the fact that,strong shoulders are useless with a weak lower back, from a fighting point of view

 

[Gerry Seymour]

but you shouldn't be developing upper back unduly if the lower back is weak, that leads to imbalance and postural problem.
that why compound exercises rather than isolation excess s are much much better

if someone has a defined weak point then that should be brought up to standard before you concern yourself with developing other area. That's a part from the fact that,strong shoulders are useless with a weak lower back, from a fighting point of view

There are better exercises for developing the lower back than a bent row. I'd advocate using those if lower back strength is low. But that's no reason to stop developing the upper back, which is not entirely useless just because it is more developed than the lower back. It won't provide its best utility unless/until they get that lower back better, but unless they create a deep imbalance (unlikely if they are directly targeting the lower back with other exercises), it won't be a problem.