Hammer Curls and Cable Rows -preferences-

[Valdez]

HC: do you guys do them across the chest or out in front? I feel it way better and can use heavier weight if I do it across the chest.

CR: when I do these I lower myself forward with the weight to about half-way to my shins and then pull back to about 90 degrees (no more, that's cheating ) and pull my shoulder blades together and try and touch them together. I pull the handle right into my stomach. the movement is fluid, with equal time in descent and ascent. some people just sit upright and don't move their torso. IMO that is somewhat incorrect. when you lean forward you stretch the lats and the hamstrings (they become involved also). Cable rows are a good compound movement. how many of you guys do it this way?

[BigAndy69]

HC: I've always done them out in front with my elbows tucked in, never really liked it across the chest. To me, it's more of an isolation exercise.

CR: You NEED to stretch out the lats during the negative phase. During that negative phase, I will keep a comfortable bend in the elbows and will go forward without changing the bend in the elbows. If you let your elbows extend, you shift the stress from your back to your joints. Your arms have to act like hooks.

I also pull back to a 1 o'clock position instead of the 12 o'clock position(90 degrees) you described to get a better contraction. The 1 o'clock position if done right is not cheating. Give it a try.

[Valdez]

I was being a little conservative, the 1o'clock sounds right. thanks for the input, off to work.

[danielson]

in front for hammercurls, and i do tend to stiffen up on cable rows (i.e. only move from like a 12-1 postition). hopefully this is ok, i curve myself (arch) more than i move

[BigAndy69]

That's bad form Danielson! You need to bend forward and keep you elbows bent. They should act as hooks, never breaking the bend as you move forward. Use less weight and give it a try, you'll notice the difference immediately.

[danielson]

thnx, ill give it a try!

[MrMuscle]

HC: i prefer doing these seated, and doing both arms at the same time.


CR: SLightly bent legs, on the lower position try to stretch my lats as uch as possible without getting any stress on my lower back. Pull until my back is 90 degrees and at the same time pull the weight back and try to make my shoulderblades touch each other

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[strengthmonster]

HC I do them seated and too the front. I find across chest allows more elbow movement to give you more momentum thus heavier weight, however, less isolation. I sit bacwards on a preacher bench so that my elbows touch the pad behind me, making it impossible to swing them.

SC Same as you said mate. They sound bang on.

[punch]

I was doing real heavy hammer curls up until 6 months ago when my gains ceased. A Bodybuilding friend recommended doing hammers on a preacher curl. I was skeptical at first because hammers tend to require fairly heavy loads to sufficiently work the muscle. In any event I tried the preacher method and have been doing them ever since in this fashion. I agree that this is an isolation movement and nothing isolates more than a preacher bench. I prefer to do hammers by pretending that I am balancing a wine glass on the top of the dumbell. I feel that this keeps constant tension on the muscle. LOL

[Neo_born]

HC: Out front seated both arms at same time.

CR: Erm standing, I take the cables pretty much from just above shoulder level and straight down just in front of ma pelvis or abs. always keeping ma arms bent like an M shape....or erm soomething.

I like to always do a drop set on the last two sets.....grrreeorrrwwww

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