Article republished from MightyKat.net, courtesy of Kat Ricker.
This month, Muscle and Fitness is proud to debut a completely new venue in training – a technique based on simple tools and traditional movements. The twist? It transports you into a completely new environment, where performing your tried and true exercises is like learning to do them all over again. The result is a shock to the system that can propel your body into new levels of development in physique and strength.
When competitive powerlifter Bill Tyson incurred multiple rotator cuff injuries, his doctor said his lifting days and his 497 benchpress in the 220 class were over. The gym was his life. He refused to accept defeat. He knew that in order to rehabilitate his shoulders, he had to find a way to bolster the integrity of the entire shoulder muscle structure, including not only the prime movers of the three deltoid heads, but moreover, the complicated network of intricate stabilizing muscles holding it all together. Through nights of brainstorming, he hit upon the concept of performing push-ups on two chains suspended from the bar of a Smith Machine. The play in the chains would demand muscular response with each micrometer of sway. He continued with bruising deep massage. The combination of the two, he believes, are why he is in the gym today, benching heavy and enjoying his new venture as a personal trainer.
I hired Bill. When he shared his push-up technique with me, I knew he had hit on something big. I have expounded on the applications and found the chains environment to be a supreme method for blasting through plateaus precisely because you can use it to develop all the body’s stabilizers as well as prime movers. Once the base is made stronger, the prime movers can handle more load. It’s like fortifying the structure of a building so it will hold another floor.
Although it’ll make you a bit conspicuous, this dynamic chains technique can help you make great strides in your training. The quantity of muscles effected in these multiple joint movements will save you time in the gym. The effect on the entire core is amazing. You’ll appreciate it the day or two after you’ve experimented with the exercises below. Just be sure you’re stocked up on Epsom salts.
The exercises that follow are advanced. If you do have shoulder injuries, they may be considered high risk, and you should use extreme caution. I recommend using a mat and a good spotter. A good personal trainer to eye your form never hurt anyone, either.
SET UP: At your local hardware store, have two chains cut exactly four feet. Be picky; there is no margin for error with chain length. They must be the same. You’ll also need two carabinieres and two square-shaped handle attachments, like those generally used with the cable crossover. Don’t forget the mat.
To the gym. Lower the bar on the Smith Machine to the third notch. You want it high enough that you will just hover above the floor, but not drag your knuckles on it. Drape the chains over it and adjust them so that equal halves hang on either side of the bar. Clip the carabinieres to the ends and the handles. You should be looking at two handles hanging from chains at the same depth.
Stand before the bar and hold your arms at a natural push-up angle. Remember that proper elbow flexion for a chest push-up is 90 degrees. Adjust the chains so that they are as wide as the space between your hands. This angle is important; too wide and you’ll be floundering to stay up, too narrow, the triceps will be awkwardly emphasized, and the push-up will feel very unnatural.
Ready? Begin. Core stability is everything. Keep your abs tight and don’t let your back sag. Start on your knees if you have to. You’ll feel the magic of stabilizing muscles as your hands try to shake in all directions to adapt to this new demand.
The push-up can be altered in many ways to keep the body challenged. With a spotter, put your feet up on a stability ball and continue your push-ups. What you’re performing is the equivalent of a bench press. So to mimic an incline press, raise your feet on a support such as a flat bench. The greater the angle, the more load is placed on the shoulders. On the flip side, keep your feet low but raise your upper body to perform a decline chest press. Raise the bar above waist-level for this great move.
By now you realize it’s not just your chest that’s being hit. Although you’ll get a powerful burn in the pectoral region, you will also feel these moves in your shoulders, arms, back and abs. You can use different exercises to really target these muscle groups as well.
Lat pull-up
With your feet out in front of you and a wide grip on the chains, pull your bodyweight up. You will activate your biceps, but to truly focus on the back muscles, concentrate on driving your elbows down and back and squeezing your shoulder blades together to perform the pull-up. This activates the scapulae, rhomboids, trapezius and the large latissimus dorsi muscle group. Tomorrow – you’ll see.
Dips
Similar to the acrobatic rings, the chains allow superior tricep development through the traditional dip. Begin with your feet before you on the floor and progress to your feet on a bench, and eventually with no support at all. This is an advanced exercise, and those with shoulder problems should really attempt these with a spotter.
One-armed push-up
Okay, make sure you can do these first, on the floor. On one centered chain, this exercise is extremely advanced and also extremely effective. Form, as always, is everything. Legs should be wide and the spine ramrod straight. Tighten those abs! A special warning with this exercise is that you may intimidate others in the gym who will – guaranteed – be watching you.
Bill and I hope you have as much fun with the chains technique as we are. The multiple joint moves demand everything you’ve got. The work is hard, but the results are big. Be a trend-setter in your gym, and have a blast!