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Pain for Mass Gain?

Steve doing dumbbell curls

It’s an old joke…

Patient: Doc, it hurts when I do this.

Doctor: Then don’t do that.

That should be posted in every gym. Unfortunately, people think that it’s a good thing to power through pain… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: injuries, joint pain, muscle burn, pain to gain, shoulder injury, shoulder pain

Lats Grow! Kipping No! (video)

Video screenshot of kipping

Q: I’ve seen new muscle after adding in stretch exercises. But your discussion on pulldowns was kind of confusing. You concluded that parallel grip with separate handles is best at about shoulder width, and close-grip V handle is okay, but an over grip can cause shoulder impingement. I don’t see much of a difference. Can you explain? [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: back exercises, CrossFit, ideal back, kipping, lat exercises, lat workout, shoulder injury, shoulder pain

Upper-Body Mass From the Back

Mike Mentzer's back mass - Upper-Body Mass From the Back

Q: In the Positions-of-Flexion exercise matrix [in 3D Muscle Building] you don’t have any midrange moves listed for midback. Instead, you say, “covered with lat midrange work.” But I know I’ve seen behind-the-neck pulldowns in some of your workouts as a midrange exercise. Should I not use that exercise? Is it dangerous?

A: Doing pulldowns behind your neck can be dangerous—if you train heavy and pull the bar too low or jerk the bar down. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, back attack, back specialization, back workout, behind-the-neck pulldowns, fiber activation, fix my shoulder pain, fix your shoulder pain, midback, midback work, mike mentzer, POF, positions of flexion, pre-ex 3x, rick kaselj, shoulder injury, shoulder pain, shoulder safety, upper-body mass

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