Advise me

M

Mr.Mann

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I posted here a few months ago before the birth of my daughter. She's here now and all is well.

My HST workouts will be starting soon if I can just figure out the logistics of where to do what. What I mean is, here at home I have a great bench and a pretty decent set of DBs (10-70 lbs), an Iron Mind Dip Belt, dip station and pull-up bar.

The problem is that I can't do squats or deads (or legs in general, save for calf rasies) at home, and my gym has really sucky benches, especially their incline benches! I only, right now, can use my back room which has carpeting (with padding)--that is not the surface for which to deads, squats, bent-over rows (or any heavy standing movements). So until I can move to my garage and get a nice platform and squat rack, which won't be soon, that is what I am working with.

I also didn't want to just be doing chins for back. The best for back that I have at home is chins/weigted chins and DB rows (but my DBs only go up to 70 lbs which is not going to work out for the second 2nd and 3rd blocks).

Can anyone give me tips on how to work around this? I can figure out how to work around it doing some ad hoc routine; but for HST, I'm iffy at best with the strategy.

What I was thinking was that I did an upper/lower split and placed deads on lower days considering, well, it's a deadlift (even though, it's not solely "lower"). I guess I could alternate deads and squats on lower days--so if I was doing 6 sessions a week, I'd hit deads 2 x one week and squats 2 x the next week. I really wanted to do full body workouts--they have always worked best for me--but I don't want to be using DBs for chest (since that's all I would be able to use at my gym) instead of actually benching. But there is also that issue with hitting my back good and if my upper days are at home, it would be just DB rows and chins/weighted chins.

I'll only have about 45 mins (which is perfect) in the wee hours of the mornings to workout.

So what say you? Do 6x week (at least for the first 2 blocks)? Do 3x full body and use DBs for chest at the gym? Do any of you all, or have any of you all ever used DBs for chest on HST? It seems like DBs are not advantageous for progressing in the way that a benching is. And finally, would chins/DB rows be okay solely for back? They seem a bit incomplete.
 
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Congrats on the baby girl!

You can do many fine DB only full body workouts. There are more possible exercises with DB's than with only BB's. Your only limiting factor is the 140 pound max weight and even that can be overcome, to a limited extent, by using very strict form and very slow eccentric movements. And that includes squats, deads and lunges for your legs. Not ideal but certainly doable until you can upgrade your equipment or join a decent gym.

Your biggest limiting factor right now is getting enough sleep to stay awake during your workouts! :)

O&G :cool:
 
Mr.Mann said:
I posted here a few months ago before the birth of my daughter. She's here now and all is well.

And finally, would chins/DB rows be okay solely for back? They seem a bit incomplete.
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Congrats on your new arrival Mr. Mann:)

Pullovers - possibly one of the better lat exercises imo , just experiment with your positioning on the bench and you will find the sweet spot where you activate the lats. Chins - pullovers - db rows........they'll hit the majority of the back region nicely.
 
Nagels, I have not done BB pullovers in about 50 years. In the 1950's we did them religiously as they were thought to expand your rib cage. That, apparently, proved to be false but Mike Katz swears it worked for him.

I don't do DB pullovers because I do not feel safe doing them as I do not lift with a partner. Therefore I don't even think of them as an exercise when asked about back programs. I would like to see a study that tests the efficacy of them, as well as other lifts if anybody has a link to such a study.
 
Old and Grey said:
Nagels, I have not done BB pullovers in about 50 years. In the 1950's we did them religiously as they were thought to expand your rib cage. That, apparently, proved to be false but Mike Katz swears it worked for him.

I don't do DB pullovers because I do not feel safe doing them as I do not lift with a partner. Therefore I don't even think of them as an exercise when asked about back programs. I would like to see a study that tests the efficacy of them, as well as other lifts if anybody has a link to such a study.
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I have done pullovers with varying degrees of success, but alas, they don't ever feel quite right to me. If I had my druthers, I would use a pulley/cable system to do them, or, I would use a pullover machine with a safety catch/foot lever. My gym (LA Fitness--I know, I know) has a pullover machine, I believe it is a Hammer Strength, but it doesn't have a safety feature. Then again, if I was working my back at the gym, I would be fine with lat pulldowns and Pendlay Rows, or even T-Bar Rows.

Anyway, I thank you all for the responses and the congrats offered. I am still debating, but I do appreciate the advice since that's what I asked for. By all means, keep it coming.
 
Chins and dumbell rows are enough for the back. Chins hit the lats and teres major very direct. Rows hit the traps, rhomboids and other upper back muscles well. The only part of the back you are neglecting is the erector spinae. Most guys so squats or deadlifts for that, or Romanian deads, good mornings are other good options.
 
Old and Grey said:
Nagels, I have not done BB pullovers in about 50 years. In the 1950's we did them religiously as they were thought to expand your rib cage. That, apparently, proved to be false but Mike Katz swears it worked for him.

I don't do DB pullovers because I do not feel safe doing them as I do not lift with a partner. Therefore I don't even think of them as an exercise when asked about back programs. I would like to see a study that tests the efficacy of them, as well as other lifts if anybody has a link to such a study.
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I don't disagree Grey when it comes to heavy pullovers , however I have had great results from using at most a twenty kilo plate as the weapon of choice for two slow purposeful sets of bent arm pullovers. Lying flat on a bench and concentrating on the slow and steady motion certainly hits the lats. It takes a couple of sessions to find that sweet spot but definitely worth incorporating imo. It's an isolation technique that has yielded me solid results.
 
Nagels said:
I don't disagree Grey when it comes to heavy pullovers , however I have had great results from using at most a twenty kilo plate as the weapon of choice for two slow purposeful sets of bent arm pullovers. Lying flat on a bench and concentrating on the slow and steady motion certainly hits the lats. It takes a couple of sessions to find that sweet spot but definitely worth incorporating imo. It's an isolation technique that has yielded me solid results.
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Are you using weight plates with the cutouts (easy grips)?
 
Yes Mann, they allow a good grip and no fear of slippage , I generally have my thumbs touching as it gives me a really good stretch on the lowest point ROM.
 
Nagels said:
Yes Mann, they allow a good grip and no fear of slippage , I generally have my thumbs touching as it gives me a really good stretch on the lowest point ROM.
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See, that makes sense! I was thinking, if he has the same kind of plates I got, well, LOOK OUT BELOW! LOL
 
Unless anyone tells me that this is stupid, which would be okay, I think I am going to do a split. Not a traditional upper/lower or even push/pull, but a split nonetheless. I am thinking I could do chest/shoulders/triceps/abs alternating with an "everything else" day, e.g., back (including traps), posterior chain, quads, biceps.

Is that mutilating HST or simply working with it to fit my needs? It's all predicated on the notion that my bench is most important to me until I can get a squat rack and move to the garage.

Does anyone see a problem with a split that way?
 
Old and Grey said:
Other than including traps with shoulders, that is pretty much the same type of split I usually do.
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Great! Basically, I am going to to include posterior delts with traps and anterior and lateral deltoids with the more press-centric day (even though, technically, lateral deltoid movements like lateral raises or Gironda Swings are pulls; but no need to be overly technical).

I figure posterior deltoids/traps may as well go on the day with the back exercises since they are pulling movements.

The more I think about it, I guess I will be doing a press/pull day, save for squats/leg extensions being on pull day--but those are going to be alternated with deads/leg curls.
 
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