Stiff Arm Lat Pull-downs
The other back exercise
In life, it often makes hay too approach the same problem from different vantage points that all make sense. For instance, there exists at least three different ways that all strings on a guitar can be tuned to pitch. Back in my science and engineering days there were many similar examples of this. For I witnessed single systems I worked on being measured in a plethora of different ways. As a 20-year-old college student doing research for a professor of mine, I struggled to wrap my head around this when he would employ this method. By the time I was 23 and working as an engineer for a large computer company, this made a little more sense.
Let me expand just a little with the guitar idea. That I'm sure will seem cooler to people reading this on average.
When I tune a guitar using these three different methods, each string will arrive at a slightly different pitch. Therefore, each of the three methods will arrive at a slightly different tuning for the entire instrument. From here, the trick is to then arrive at a pitch for each string that is an amalgam of the three distinct pitches using your own ear, or minds eye. Therefore, coming up with your own distinct tuning. Your own distinct sound.
It's like observing something that is said to be the color yellow via three different methods of observation and generating three different hues. But, you need to arrive at single shade of yellow from the three. So, in a way your mind will mix all three together for a conclusion.
In effect, this method is called tempering. With the color example, you temper one's perception of what you think yellow is. The guitar example is more straightforward, for you are actually tempering the instrument. Arriving at a tuning that can reproduce certain notes played in different ways, on different strings. (There are many different ways to play the same note on a guitar.)
In physical fitness, you must learn how to temper your body. That is why I have written about, and will continue to write about different exercises that train the same muscle groups. For instance, I've written a lot about the many different ways to train your lower body.
Now I will focus on another way other than a pull-up to train your back muscles. That is by doing something called a stiff arm lat pull down. I've mentioned lat pull-downs as an alternative to a pull-up in my 30-minute back and booty post. Well, stiff arm lat pull-downs will be using similar equipment at the gym. But, you will be moving the weight in the machine using your latissimus dorsi (back) muscles by pulling down, while keeping your elbows locked (ie arms straight), and rotating them about your shoulder joint. Think about how a swimmer pulls their arms through the water to propel themselves forward. It's literally the same motion. Just with both arms at the same time.
Other than the obvious, the main difference between these and lat pull-downs is that you will be standing on your feet when performing this exercise. And, your biceps will be disengaged, as in not in use. For pull-ups, or lat pull-downs, they will be.
Here is an example of the movement.
The idea is to keep your core engaged, and knees bent, making sure that you have as great of a range of motion as possible. I go as close to an entire 180 degree sweep as I can.
To me, it seems that these engage more of my mid/lower back. And since my biceps are not helping at all, the focus is put on me lats.
Attacking my back in different ways, from different angles, using different movements. Tempering my back muscles. So that in real life, when my back is needed, it won't matter how it is being used or tested. It'll be ready for all of the training I've put in has prepared me so.
Nobody likes a one trick pony. Multi-faceted, multi-talented, thoroughly capable is the new sexy. Or has it always been...?
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