HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!

Today I will share with you two more things that I wish I did earlier in my bodybuilding journey.

The first one is training and taking better care of the rotator cuff.

I’ve mentioned previously about my crazy upright row workout where I did three hundred reps, non stop and how after this my rotator cuffs did not feel very good.

So the number one thing is to not do anything stupid regarding your rotator cuffs.

Which would entail avoiding upright rows, and presses and pull-downs behind-the-neck.

Before I get jumped on, yes, I realize that upright rows can be made safer by using dumbbells and by not pulling the bar up so high.

But again, this post is for beginners and since I was a beginner myself once, and I know that I would not have listened to any ones advice if they told me, well you can do upright rowing, but you cannot pull the bar up so high, and you should really watch the amount of weight that you use.

Yea right!

Like I would have listened to any of that nonsense.

So to me, beginners would be better off avoiding the exercises altogether until they have some more experience and understand lifting better.

Next, to go along with avoiding certain exercises, is to add in direct rotator cuff training.

Why?

This will help strengthen the rotator cuff.

If you have a chance, check out a book called The Seven Minute Rotator Cuff Solution.

You can read more about it by going here.

I get nothing by recommending the above book, it is a good book, and I own a copy, and think that if you are looking to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles you should check it out.

However, I would be remiss if I did not bring up my old favorite, the overhead press.

I like the overhead press done with dumbbells because it is easier on the shoulders, but the barbell version works good too.

The reason I bring up the overhead press is because, back-in-the-day, the overhead press was the lift that was done for the upper body.

Yes, before the flat bench, there was the overhead press.

And you know what, rotator cuff injuries were very rare back then.

And you want to know why?

Because the overhead press strengthens the muscles of the rotator cuff.

Along with this, it will help build you a pair of massive shoulders, give the triceps a good workout, and it also hits the middle back in a unique manner.

So along with the above book I would also recommend you start doing some overhead presses.

You will be glad you did.

I know I said I was going to cover two things today, but this post ran long, so I will save my other topic for another post.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

KEEP WORKING

Today I want to talk about, yet another thing I wish I had done earlier in my bodybuilding career.

Wide grip pull-ups.

Pull-ups are done with your palms facing away from you.

The reason I bring this up is because wide grip pull-ups do a wonderful job of stretching out the shoulders and widening you out.

I know, people will disagree with me on this one, but I am a firm believer in this, especially when you are young, wide grip pull-ups will really help to widen you out.

This helps in a number of ways.

First nobody ever said, you know, my shoulders are too wide, and you know I wish I was born with narrower shoulders.

Even a guy as gifted as Phil Heath, has a flaw, and it is that he is not as wide in the shoulders as some of the other top guys.

I am not saying that you will be able to widen your shoulders out to massive proportions, but when you are younger you can do more widening then when you are older.

Next up with have the fact the wide grip pull-ups work the back.

Alright wise guy, you might be saying, I know they work the back.

O.K.

But hold on.

The reason I bring this up is because of the past Mr. Olympia winners.

Lee Haney won because of his back, Dorian won because of his back,

And Ronnie’s back, in it’s hey day, is considered one of the best backs of all-time.

Starting to build your back with wide grip pull-ups would not be a bad way to begin.

Lastly, the reason this makes for a great beginning is because most people avoid this particular exercise, because it is so hard.

So by working it from the very beginning you will be used to it, and more importantly, be able to do tons of pull-ups.

Nice.

Of course wide grip pull-ups have another advantage as well; they will give your biceps a nice workout as well.

After all, nobody has ever complained about having biceps that were too big.

Until Next Time

KEEP WORKING