Special exercises of your own design...

W

Wildman

New Member
I was wondering if any of you have any home grown exercises you use in your routines? I have a couple I use for peaking and for time management reasons. Shout out and tell us what you got.

The Mantis Curl: I am currently using this one in my split routine as a finisher for the biceps. You take an EZ-Curl bar and perform a bent over curl up to the peak then hold the peak as you pull your elbows back until the bar touches your abdomin then back forward again to touch the bar to your forehead before lowering the weight back to the bottom position. Repeat for 10 - 15 reps for a killer burn and pump. Great for working the peak but not for the feint of heart. These hurt.

Row Deadlift: Position your self for a straight leg deadlift and perform a barbell row up to the abdomin and hold it there before standing errect. Bend back over then lower the weight. A good combo for the back. Try using a little less than your normal barbell row weight because the long static hold on the up position gets brutal. Hits low back, mid back and upper back all in one fell swoop.

Front Raise Press Side Raise: Take some light dumbells and perform a front shoulder raise, continue the lift until the dumbells are over hed then lower to the dumbell press position and press back up. Finishe by lowering the dumbells to the side and repeat. Another brutal combo lift to try.
 
those are good for what they are, but I've always felt that combo lifts are like a street/trailbike. It's not great on the trail and not very good on the street. Guys who row on the low cables with the fullbody extension and pulling back to the chest after leaning back tell the story. You never see them going very heavy or getting very big, IMO. For the purpose of crossfitness, these would be neato.

My invention of sorts: Put a flat bench inside of the crossover machine. Get your db's ready, but before pressing them (flat) you put about 35lbs. on each stack, and attach those furry ankle collars to the cables around your wrists. As you bench the weights, the cables are trying to pull your arms apart, and you have to use HUGE pec involvement to press the weight. It gives you some serious DOMS the first time you do it.
 
That does sound like a good challenge. I agree about the combos. I use them mostly to cut time in a pinch and not so much for every workout situations. Except the Mantis curls. I do use those regularly as a finisher.
 
I always use deads to cut time.
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Not as hardcore as quadancer's move, but I like to do weighted close-grip pullups by grabbing onto two ends of a towel hanging over something.

Helps grip and forearms while working bi's and back. Typically my forearms get sore first though
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I really like... and may try - one day, when I have shed loads of energy.... Quads fly/press combo

Sounds a great exercise!

My own only 'home-made' exercise (and I dont know if its unique to me) is a lying tricep extension (skullcrushers) combined with tricep press.

Basically, when the weight is real heavy (for me at least, adn I'm weak!) I do the lowering part of the skullcrushers, to my forehead, using an ez bar, and then drag it down to my chest and press up in a tricep close-grip press movement.
Then lower again.

Is that as clear as mud???

I doubt its unique to me, but its as adventurous as I get, I'm afraid...

Brix
 
These were certainly not "invented" by me but are a little bit out of the norm:

I do box squats but straddle a flat bench instead of using a box.  It keeps my legs pointed out (like power lifters) and protects my back when lifting relatively heavy (I also set my safety bars to be about 1/2" below my seated position).  Resting for two seconds with my butt on the bench also allows me to get rid of the squat "bounce effect" and desengages my muscle fibers so that they have to start from an uncontracted position again. Seems to work for me. I have yet to see anyone else do this "straddle box squat."

I also use bands to finish my triceps with one handed reverse grip pull downs with the band hanging from a pull up stand. Bands seem to be less "forgiving" at the bottom then doing regular grip pushdowns on a lat machine and seem to get deeper into the tricep head.
 
<div>
(quadancer @ Oct. 02 2009,7:54)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I assume you're holding 110's in each hand?</div>
I wouldn't be seen holding anything less.
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Brix: I've done your exersize, but at the end of a set of skullz...when I can't press any more but wanted more reps. Super burn.
 
instead of doing bent-over-lateral raises,i use a cable crossover machine,but not bent over,i raise the height of the cable to my shoulder height, then standing side on pull using my right hand,from my left shoulder keeping my arm slightly bent,it gives a good stretch and saves my back,probably been done before but never noticed anyone else doing it.
 
Faz,

I have seen that done before, though never thought about trying it myself...

I used to struggle with the bent over lateral raises - because of the stress on my back.
After a while, I opted for doing them, lying face down on a high (slightly inclined - cos I got long arms) bench.

But I might now give the standing ones a try too?

And of course, also, witht he cables rather than dumbbells, yyou would have continual tension throughout the whole range of movement, as opposed to the slacking off when the dumbbells are in the bottom position.


Cheers
 
I like this version of reverse db laterals, done at a 45 degree angle from hanging straight down...only a picture can explain this, as it's done on an incline:
DBrevlats.jpg

It has a long ROM and you advance the weights pretty fast...I even use 55's for this.
 
<div>
(quadancer @ Oct. 04 2009,7:09)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">only a picture can explain this, as it's done on an incline:</div>
Mate,

Thats pretty much exactly what I used to do, and was trying to describe - obviously unsuccessfully - above...

Good stretch and ROM as you say.
But I got long arms, and some benches arent high enough for me, which meant that the dumbbells were dusting the floor at the bottom end of the movement.

I dont use cables very much, but am considering Faz's idea.

Brix
 
<div>
(Old and Grey @ Oct. 02 2009,11:50)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I do box squats but straddle a flat bench instead of using a box.  It keeps my legs pointed out (like power lifters) and protects my back when lifting relatively heavy (I also set my safety bars to be about 1/2&quot; below my seated position).  Resting for two seconds with my butt on the bench also allows me to get rid of the squat &quot;bounce effect&quot; and desengages my muscle fibers so that they have to start from an uncontracted position again. Seems to work for me. I have yet to see anyone else do this &quot;straddle box squat.&quot;</div>
I decided to do box squats using a declined bench, more for a safety thing as I'm going heavy (well for me) at the moment, my rack doesn't have the biggest pegs! [And I'm alone in the basement where &quot;no one can hear you scream&quot; &amp; there's no cell signal!!!]

I thought I had good form as I like to do most exercise with quite strict form . . . . unless cheating for a good reason.

I was surprised to find that my arse touched down in a different place on the inclined bench by a good few inches when going heavy as compared to warmup!! I had poor form!!
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Using back too much! But now got the quads going fully!

So thanks for the tip &quot;Old n' Gray&quot;, and they certainly &quot;feel&quot; a bit different done this way.
 
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