Are cables only for higher reps?

[SteelWeaver]

I have this weird problem with cables: they seem to be really bad for anything lower than about 8 reps. Anytime I put the pin up to a weight I can handle for 6 or so reps, I can't get a full ROM, but if I then put it down one plate, I crank out, like 10-12!

Anyone else have this problem? Or any pointers? It's not just for one move - it happens on just about every cable exercise (not that I do much on cables, heh heh).

 

[Intenceman]

I really can't see why you would have that problem, unless the resistance is just too heavy. I did cable laterals today doing drop sets- averaging 4-7 reps each drop set and had no problem maintaining form, save for th last- i.e. failure rep on each drop set.

 

[SteelWeaver]

Face pulls, pull throughs and wide-grip pull-downs. Maybe I need to slow the reps down and put in a pause or something at the bottom.

 

[SteelWeaver]

I should do that, shouldn't I? My old gym used to have the funny shaped extra plates - this one doesn't, but I guess I could hang a 1.25 kg weight on the pin itself and see how that goes - that's the lowest plate we have.

The really bad news is I had to give up pull-throughs when I came to this gym because, of the 2 low cable stacks they have, one is crowded into a tiny space where there isn't enough space for pull-thoughs, and the other has the lowest setting at about mid-shin height, which I found simply isn't low enough for pull-throughs. But I used to have a real problem balancing for heavier reps on those. Lowest I could go was about 6. Drop sets were pretty painfully fun though

 

[Gladiola]

I guess I could hang a 1.25 kg weight on the pin itself and see how that goes - that's the lowest plate we have.

The really bad news is I had to give up pull-throughs

When hanging a plate- just make sure the pin itself is long enough to go through the plate AND stack & STAY PUT! Tried that once & learned the hard way that it wasn't going to work!

Why not rig your own pull throughs? You could use rubber bands (they may have those tubes in the aerobics room). You could place one under under anything (bench) & pull the other - just grab the band lower or higher to get more/less resistance.

Now that I bought myself a membership at a REAL gym, I'm going to miss this outlet for creativity!

 

[SteelWeaver]

Cool, you're going to a real gym? Great

I just can't wait til I'm back home and can go to a gym with SPACE - you can't really do much creative stuff here - everything is packed just *so*, so that there's JUST enough space for people to squeeze their way past each station with minimal ducking, threading, bobbing and weaving. And nothing's bolted down, in case they have to move it. I could do myself some interesting injuries with pull-throughs attached to machine legs etc. lol I guess I'll just wait til I get home in 2 months, and do GM's and SLDLs in the meantime.

I'm also waiting for the day I can do proper pull-ups so I can quit pull-downs. Not holding my breath ... just keep plugging away.

 

[SteelWeaver]

Yup - I'm going to do a BSc in Molecular Biology And then an MSc, PhD ... in 7-9 years you can call me Doctor Steel, and I'll have the best damn natural physique south of the equator (except maybe for MS, assuming she keeps it up), and I'll be intimately acquainted with the human body right from the nano level on up - yaaay!

I would have loved to study in the US, but it's simply too expensive, and the degree back home is solid and internationally recognised. I figure if I work hard enough and get all A's, I can get a scholarship to do post-grad overseas - the US, Oz, or NZ - difficult choice - they're all such fantastic places.

But first, undergrad ... basics in biochem, physics, stats, maths, then the fun stuff



Incredible - bodybuilding has set me off in such a fascinating and different direction - I've found my life's calling I always liked biology, but never thought to study it - was so enamoured of sculpture (and I was rather stoned in those days too, lol).

 

[MrStamina]

contract the muscle you are working on for a 1 or 2 sec on light weight with the cables.
You ll see amazing results. I promise. If you are working chest and feel it in shoulders and back, its to heavy for you so lower the weight.

 

[SteelWeaver]

Hey thanks MrStamina. So you reckon peak contraction is an effective technique? For hypertrophy? What sort of "amazing results"? Size? Strength? I've been wondering about this lately. I've been using it here and there on some sets just for variation. It's rather painful, but what a lovely pump!

 

[MrStamina]

I lost my partner so I've been working out by myself for the last couple of weeks.
My partner got married and just bought a house so he s not allowd out any more.lol

for example: I work chest twice one week and 3 times next week(Lagging chest muscles). One of my chest days I do all cables for about 30 - 45 minutes. I slide in the adjustable bench , work incline with very light weight but contract throught the entire motion. Don't try and contract on the negative. Now these are flys not cable presses. When you bring your hands together contract for as long as you can then release. You ll see you can only do this about 5 times max if you're contracting as hard as you can.
Repeat with flat bench;
Then remove the bench and do standing flys. At different angles.
Once with your hands coming in very high to target teh top of your chest,
Then at 90 degrees, straight in front of you;
Then coming in very low, with your hads coming in around your privates.
Do about 2 sets of contracting for each exercise and then raise teh weight if you like and do a normal higher rep set. A total of 3 sets for each exercise.

Depending on how much energy I have or how good if feels, I some times do a extra contracting set. Or go to the smith machine and do contracting sets again, but keep your workout at no more then 45 minutes.

My chest didn't change until I started doing this, my upper chest is coming out nicely.

I saw a pro body builder with the biggest, sickest, looking chest I've ever seen. It looked like a plastic surgen cut a Basket Ball in half and implanted both halfs on his chest.
Well he said all of exercises he does that, (contracting) with light weight. He said to me "Make up your mine, are you here for looks or practicing to be a power lifter?"