Standing Military Press
I have fell over several times while doing this exercise. Luckily, I was focused enough that my reflexes responded quickly and I was able to throw the bar behind me. I've tried using a spotter but it's kinda impossible to spot somebody who is about couple of inches taller than you with long arms...my spotter tried stepping on a bench but that quickly turned dangerous for both me and him. Dangerous because if I fall backwards again, I'll take him down with me. I'd rather hurt myself than be responsible for someone else's injuries.
Deep Squats
I fell several times on this exercise. Very frequently too because I'm always trying to break my old record every week and the weight just becomes too heavy. I set the safety bars high enough that I don't drop the barbell on to the floor. The safety bars are VERY close to the barbell when I go deep in to the position. That way if I fall, I can just duck underneath and out of the barbell, take off some weight, and try again. I have despised this exercise from day one, even when I was doing half reps as a newbie. The thought of that barbell with weights on your back ready to crush your spine and break your hip still fazes me.
Skull crushers
Well, the name just suggests that this exercise is designed to crush your skull. Having long arms doesn't help because it just increases the range of motion which means I have to end up using a little bit of forearm strength to bring the barbell back up. The good news is that the times that I have failed on this exercise, I have been able to use my long arms to advantage and throw the barbell behind my head. Progression on skull crushers is very difficult because even though it's supposed to be an isolation exercise, it feels like a compound because once again, the whole notion of crushing your skull makes your body think it's a compound.
Lunges
At first, you wouldn't think this is a terrible exercise. But with long legs, this exercise is a painful one. Not only does it hurt your ass at the end (and makes you feel a little gay because straight guys aren't supposed to be hurting their asses under any condition) it kills your hamstrings in a way that you hate sitting down/standing up. Stabilizing on your toes when you in the down position is very tricky too. And yes, I've almost fell but there was enough space around me that I've caught myself and "ran" off with the weight, so to speak. Although, with a barbell, this exercise might be either too difficult (because if you fall, you go down with the barbell) or too easy (because you don't have to contract your shoulders and arms isometrically to hold the dumbbells by your thighs). Either way, this exercise is still pretty terrible.
Pull ups
Specifically, wide grip pull ups. Again, long arms means increased range of motion which means working harder to pull myself up. The callouses on my palms that result from this exercise are pretty rough too because it becomes harder to do the exercise. Even when the pull up bar has a rubber wrapping to make the metal a bit softer, callouses ALWAYS occur.
Leg Press
I'm talking about the leg press where your body is in decline and NOT horizontal. Horizontals are too easy. Plus, that's not even a real press because your legs are horizontal. It'd be like doing bench press standing up. Anyway, that's a debate for another thread. But the good old leg press are terrible. Injury risk is very low with these because most leg press machines have a safety breaker system which stops the weights from crashing down on your legs and snapping them into pieces. Yet, failing on them is still pretty bad because once your legs give, it becomes difficult to get up and walk off of the machine. You have to sit there in pain and agony the whole time.
But guess what?
These are the exercises that I have made impressive gains in.
And these are the exercises that have helped skyrocket my numbers in assistance and related compounds. (Pull ups helped with BB rows; Lunges helped with squats and leg press (and marathon sex sessions); Skull Crushers with bench press)
And these are the exercises that have changed my physique in a way that I never thought they could. (Pull ups helped develop a very defined back; Squats defined bulging quadriceps)
And these are the exercises that I hate so damn much that I secretly love them.
And these are the exercises that have showed and taught me that working hard and achieving success usually, more often than not, involves doing things that are not very pleasant and might be dangerous.
And these are the exercises that taught me that the only way to achieve success and beat all the odds (including possibility of crushing your skull) is by doing them again and again until you transcend the breaking point.
I hope you all see that the point of this thread is not a rant but a lesson in never raising the white flag or throwing your hands up in the air in the face of impossibilities and improbabilities. Next time you are ready to "give up" because it's not "you", just rememeber that most things aren't designed to cater to specifically "you".
Don't wish things were easier; wish that you were better.
I have fell over several times while doing this exercise. Luckily, I was focused enough that my reflexes responded quickly and I was able to throw the bar behind me. I've tried using a spotter but it's kinda impossible to spot somebody who is about couple of inches taller than you with long arms...my spotter tried stepping on a bench but that quickly turned dangerous for both me and him. Dangerous because if I fall backwards again, I'll take him down with me. I'd rather hurt myself than be responsible for someone else's injuries.
Deep Squats
I fell several times on this exercise. Very frequently too because I'm always trying to break my old record every week and the weight just becomes too heavy. I set the safety bars high enough that I don't drop the barbell on to the floor. The safety bars are VERY close to the barbell when I go deep in to the position. That way if I fall, I can just duck underneath and out of the barbell, take off some weight, and try again. I have despised this exercise from day one, even when I was doing half reps as a newbie. The thought of that barbell with weights on your back ready to crush your spine and break your hip still fazes me.
Skull crushers
Well, the name just suggests that this exercise is designed to crush your skull. Having long arms doesn't help because it just increases the range of motion which means I have to end up using a little bit of forearm strength to bring the barbell back up. The good news is that the times that I have failed on this exercise, I have been able to use my long arms to advantage and throw the barbell behind my head. Progression on skull crushers is very difficult because even though it's supposed to be an isolation exercise, it feels like a compound because once again, the whole notion of crushing your skull makes your body think it's a compound.
Lunges
At first, you wouldn't think this is a terrible exercise. But with long legs, this exercise is a painful one. Not only does it hurt your ass at the end (and makes you feel a little gay because straight guys aren't supposed to be hurting their asses under any condition) it kills your hamstrings in a way that you hate sitting down/standing up. Stabilizing on your toes when you in the down position is very tricky too. And yes, I've almost fell but there was enough space around me that I've caught myself and "ran" off with the weight, so to speak. Although, with a barbell, this exercise might be either too difficult (because if you fall, you go down with the barbell) or too easy (because you don't have to contract your shoulders and arms isometrically to hold the dumbbells by your thighs). Either way, this exercise is still pretty terrible.
Pull ups
Specifically, wide grip pull ups. Again, long arms means increased range of motion which means working harder to pull myself up. The callouses on my palms that result from this exercise are pretty rough too because it becomes harder to do the exercise. Even when the pull up bar has a rubber wrapping to make the metal a bit softer, callouses ALWAYS occur.
Leg Press
I'm talking about the leg press where your body is in decline and NOT horizontal. Horizontals are too easy. Plus, that's not even a real press because your legs are horizontal. It'd be like doing bench press standing up. Anyway, that's a debate for another thread. But the good old leg press are terrible. Injury risk is very low with these because most leg press machines have a safety breaker system which stops the weights from crashing down on your legs and snapping them into pieces. Yet, failing on them is still pretty bad because once your legs give, it becomes difficult to get up and walk off of the machine. You have to sit there in pain and agony the whole time.
But guess what?
These are the exercises that I have made impressive gains in.
And these are the exercises that have helped skyrocket my numbers in assistance and related compounds. (Pull ups helped with BB rows; Lunges helped with squats and leg press (and marathon sex sessions); Skull Crushers with bench press)
And these are the exercises that have changed my physique in a way that I never thought they could. (Pull ups helped develop a very defined back; Squats defined bulging quadriceps)
And these are the exercises that I hate so damn much that I secretly love them.
And these are the exercises that have showed and taught me that working hard and achieving success usually, more often than not, involves doing things that are not very pleasant and might be dangerous.
And these are the exercises that taught me that the only way to achieve success and beat all the odds (including possibility of crushing your skull) is by doing them again and again until you transcend the breaking point.
I hope you all see that the point of this thread is not a rant but a lesson in never raising the white flag or throwing your hands up in the air in the face of impossibilities and improbabilities. Next time you are ready to "give up" because it's not "you", just rememeber that most things aren't designed to cater to specifically "you".
Don't wish things were easier; wish that you were better.
