Charlie: Didn’t Ben outstrip the machine? I don’t see too many with weight stacks greater than 100k. Did you find any cross over benefit in the hip flexors? (holding isometrically)
I Weigh 150 pounds and i go up to 210 pounds on the pulldown machine For reps of 8. So i can imagine what Ben was doing. However i use close grip and lean back.
I think the isometric contraction of the hip flexors holding may depend on how you are sitting. The only way i can see this occuring is if you legs are at 90 degrees. I personally do not feel it in my hip flexors unless the seat is too high and my legs arent being held down firmly.
thoughts?
Originally posted by QUIKAZHELL
However i use close grip and lean back.
you are not getting much work out of your back, partly because of the machine, and also because you are leaning back. i’ll take weighted pull ups anyday over any machine there is for back.
espn,
I feel it more in my back when i arch it and lean back slightly. And i also do pullups, seated rows, and db rows.
Im getting plenty of work out of my back.
Thanx though.
I´m with ESPN - no comparison between machines and chins of numerous varieties.
Some very interesting research on chins and pull-ups.
Quik, if I remember correctly, you have a pretty good bench, so I can imagine that you have a good strength/bodyweight ratio. But is 210 lbs on your lat machine really 210 lbs? How is the pulley system set up?
If you can pull 210 for 8, you may want to try a couple of these variations of pulls:
Sternum chin-ups, and subscapularis pull-ups. Check out this URL:
http://t-mag.com/html/body_85back.html
I´m curious.
carson,
yes my bench is was 305. now that i am training hard again (on the track) im assuming it is around 295 as i am doing 270 for sets of 3.
i cant be posively sure i am pulldown 210 pounds but that is what it says. But as you said each machine is set up a litttle different and some have alot of resistence. But at school i was doing 190 with no problem. So i think the 210 is probably 210. I have also done weight pullups with a 35 plate for 8 reps. So thats 185 pounds because i weigh 150. I guess its a little differnt though. Thanx for that link… when i get a chance to really look over it ill try them and let you know. It looks like good stuff.
Does it really matter how much it actually is? What I mean is if I notice I improve on this movement -pull-downs month after month in 5lbs increments (I think anyway right) is that good enough? or should I try and figure out what the weight really is?
Also, I have found out from personal exp. that lighter amounts of pull-downs don’t cross over to being able to do chins but doing chins help you do pull-downs. To a certain point anyway. I’m getting up there in weight with pull-downs and every once in a while I test my chins (weighted) and I seem to be improving on them despite not doing them anymore.
With that being said I would think that If I only did weighted chins I would go up in both exc. more quickly…what do you guys think?
Has anyone else come across the same thing or anything similar?
150lbs putting up 300 on the bench. that’s one of the most impressive things i’ve seen from a sprinter. I weigh 150 as well and i thought thought putting up 250 was pretty good. but 300 is up there. I hope to put that up within a year or two but i’d probably weigh 160 by then.
i heard smyrldog benched 800 pounds at a bodyweigh of 135?
haha, i forgot about smyrldog. what’s most impressive is his standing broad jump.
who is “smyrldog”?
What other “pull movements” does everyone incorporate?
I do: T-bar, seated cable rows, one arm dumbbell rows, and weighted pull-ups.
i do the complete exact same thing also sometimes close grip pulldown as i stated…
this is probably why we are similar in body structure
I find that weighted pullups work much better than lat pulls. You can’t cheat on pullups. Obviously a person wouldn’t intentionally cheat on pull downs, but it is easy to “swing” the weight and get momentum going. I used to do pull downs all of the time though. They work well if the lifts are done correctly and strict.
Chins work your abs hard too!
try complexing standing long jumps/bounds and chins back to back - youch :karate:
they do work you abs i noticed?
how much weight do you guys usually attach? and how… with a chain belt? and how many reps do you do?
I use a chain belt. I add 45 for the first set and go up to 70 lbs. Sometimes more depending on how I feel.
The abs flex hard to hold your torso, otherwise your spine would snap in half 
I have done up to 5 reps with 35lbs attached when done on a power rack - much harder due to the grip on the square bar. Also 30lbs for 3x5
Remeber I weigh around 210lbs 
I use a weight belt and steel cable with a dog clips on the end. Well that’s what the gym has for use.