Upright Rows: resvisited

[Bulldog]

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(Mardarxz @ Nov. 05 2006,17:58)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAOex2bm_RI = clean and jerk lolll this guy is  great

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OMG....that guy is going to hurt himself! LOL.......

 

[quadancer]

...Uh, just exactly what is he trying to work?

 

[liegelord]

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(scientific muscle @ Nov. 05 2006,19:29)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(liegelord @ Nov. 05 2006,17:22)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I agree. Any type of olympic lift or pull is better than upright rows. Power cleans and clean pulls will allow much greater loads than upright rows.</div>
Imo, olympic lifts and cleans are not very good for hypertrophy, they are an explosive power movement not a movement which puts alot of tension on the muscle for a decent amount of time. Which is why most olympic lifters do not look like bodybuilders even with low bodyfat. Olympic lifters usually have huge thighs though, but other than that their upper bodies are not extremely hypertrophied. I don't like cleans much for building muscles, I tried them once and got a little stimulation of traps and delts, but nothing great.
I noticed you are always telling people they have to do olypmic-style lifts, leigelord. If explosive strength is the goal then I agree, but not for body-building. The entire body can be hypertrophied without ever doing an olympic lift in your whole life.
So I have to disagree that cleans are better then more controlled upright rows, etc.</div>
I never claimed anyone would have to do olympic style lifts for hypertrophy. I believe that if healthy, some olympic lifts should be a part of every routine. But, one can still get bigger and stronger without them. You can get big legs without deadlifting also, I wouldn't suggest doing it though.

I don't think you've ever seen guys who can clean or power clean 315+; if they are not huge it's only because of diet to keep within a weight class. There is no comparing heavy pulls from the floor with upright rows. The best exercises are the ones that work the largest muscle groups together, that's why squats and deadlifts are the top - they work the most muscle with the highest loads. Comparing cleans to upright rows is like comparing weighted dips with DB curls.

I believe in keeping it simple and fun, olympic lifting is fun, upright rows are not. I've seen 315+ cleans, never 315+ upright rows. The greater loads will stimulate more hypertrophy. You squat, deadlift, pick a push and a pull with the greatest potential for increased loads, and then get real strong at them.

There are plenty of weightlifters in the lower weight classes that look like bodybuilders. This is just one:

 

[scientific muscle]

That guy is impressive! Speaking of Olympics, I remember also being impressed by some male gymnast with giant biceps, (and you can bet he didn't get those doing curls, ring work which is similar to chin-ups, and parallel bars, which is similar to dips, etc., gives gymnasts their impressive upper bodies.)

 

[Lol]

I've always been impressed by the physiques of the Oly lifters in the lighter weight classes where they tend to carry much less bodyfat.

The potential power production by a muscle is going to be greater if the muscle is larger so I suspect that all Oly lifters would like their shoulders and traps to be as large as possible for their weight class.

It'd be interesting to know if any of them have ever done upright rows along with cleans to maximise potential. I somehow suspect not but i don't know.