For the Long and Lanky

[motiv8erJR]

Alright,
So I have seen a lot of post about the best chest exercise and back exercise. This is a thread for those of us that are exceptionally tall... you short people have it WAY easier when it comes to mass movements for the chest and back.

At 6'6" I can bench 260 flat barbell, and do a couple of sets of 6-10 with the 100 lbs DB.

I can outlift a lot of the freshman football players, but their chest and back developement is a lot better than mine... A) gentically they have shorter frames, and B)Thats all they work...


Now, back to the thread... What movements and combination of workouts do you think work best for taller people. Does hitting back and chest twice a week sound like over training?

Does the use of DB of BB press make a large difference?

Currently, I am trying an experiment. I am hitting back and chest in a twice a week schedule. Putting four days between each work out. At one work out I am using more volume for back and heavier and lower reps for chest, then on the opposite day I am doing the complete opposite.

I switch up different exercises and attempt to shock my system. I just wanted to see if anyone thought this was strategic overtraining, or if it sounds like a good idea, and to see if anyone else had any ideas for training the lanky fellows! Thanks guys!

 

[BigCasino]

@ 5'10" I'm deffinately not "tall", but I think that you should focus more on finding the BEST exercises for someone of your height, rather than trying to find the magic amount of volume or a special routine for tall people. I seriously do not think there is going to be any special connection between your height and the frequency you workout or type of routine you have.

I think you are doing pretty well man, the numbers you posted here sound good, as do the figures you have mentioned in other threads (ie: 365lbs deadlifts for reps, etc), so I think you have been doing something right. I understand that you are just trying to maximize your growth here, but you might be overcomplicating it. We all grow the same way, quality nutrients, hard core training stimulation, and rest.

Now when you were asking about the exercises, I will chime in that I believe DB Press to be better for you than the bench press. You have more control, greater range of motion, and that should allow YOU to control it in a way that really lets you zero in on your pecs and shredd em up!

 

[motiv8erJR]

Tattoodnpierced1 and I had the same conversation about DB presses. I am just trying to figure some other things out as well. Because since I have started this type of 2 workouts a week my back has seen a lot more growth, wherre as my chest feels tighter and stronger, but not any growth.

Trust me I understand about the volume verses power, I was just seeing if anyone thought that was just nutz....


But another thing I thought of last night. For back thickness I have always had bent over barbell rows as what makes my back grow thicker. Now, I had always read that you wanted your back at more of a 45 degree angle.... well the last two times i have had my back closer to a 25 degree angle with parellel, in doing so I have had to use a lighter weight, but I felt the contraction a lot more... A) maybe this has something to do with physics of hight and fulcrum point in someone tall, B) I am just weird


OUT

 

[BigCasino]

Ok I see what you are saying


Hey have you tried T-bar rows for your back thickness? I know you said you were making progress with the BB rows, but you should try some T-bar rows and see how the positioning feels. Also, I would think that the closer to parralel your stance is on BB rows the more it would target your upper / mid back. At a 45 degree angle there would be stimulation of your back, but also your lowerback from having to maintain an an inbetween angle where you are not full erect but also not totally curled. I mean for me, just standing in those positions I feel more strain on my lower back at 45 vs 25. However, as you said with your frame it could be different, so do whatever gives best results and feels best.

In the mean time maybe I will get some of our baskettball players to try this out hehe.

 

[CROWLER]

Well Lou Ferigno is what 6'5" or so and he used the same basic exercises as Shane Dimora 5'6"(youngest bb to get his pro card).

So I think there is your answer.


CROWLER

 

[motiv8erJR]

Ok I see what you are saying


Hey have you tried T-bar rows for your back thickness? I know you said you were making progress with the BB rows, but you should try some T-bar rows and see how the positioning feels. Also, I would think that the closer to parralel your stance is on BB rows the more it would target your upper / mid back. At a 45 degree angle there would be stimulation of your back, but also your lowerback from having to maintain an an inbetween angle where you are not full erect but also not totally curled. I mean for me, just standing in those positions I feel more strain on my lower back at 45 vs 25. However, as you said with your frame it could be different, so do whatever gives best results and feels best.

In the mean time maybe I will get some of our baskettball players to try this out hehe.

Well the deal with T-bar rows. Is I cant get a good contraction doing them, because my arms are so long and the range of motion is so short for them that I either end up nailing myself in the crotch..(not really but close) or my arms cant reach full contraction to get it onto my back. because I have long legs and a long torso. The idea that if you have long legs and long arms and a medium to short torso T-bar rows would be awesome. Plus if I try to use a T-bar row machine, or pre set type T-Bar Row I am normally to long for the bench, or the angle is not right...

What I find that really helps, and I dont have at college is seated rows. They do the best to my upper portion of my lower back. Done fully erect with out any curve and all motion is in the scapula coming together.

 

[motiv8erJR]

Well Lou Ferigno is what 6'5" or so and he used the same basic exercises as Shane Dimora 5'6"(youngest bb to get his pro card).

So I think there is your answer.


CROWLER

I am pretty sure I would debate that. Lou Ferrigno is a monster. Yes all the basic movements are good, but I know personally, that certain things work for me that wont work for my training partner because he is 5'10". He is fine doing barbell presses for chest, where in if I do just barbell presses, my chest wont grow by my front delts get all the focus.... even with varying grips, time of contraction and stretching. I think there are some time honored thoughts on us lanky fellows... Thanks for your insights guys, and CROWLER how tall are you?

 

[BigCasino]

What I find that really helps, and I dont have at college is seated rows. They do the best to my upper portion of my lower back. Done fully erect with out any curve and all motion is in the scapula coming together.

How about with something like bent over dumbell rows? I know your arms are long and compacting them to bring the db all the way up might be an issue? Like I said I am avg. height, but when I do db rows I bring them all the way back so that the weight touches my chest, but I don't think it interfers with "feeling" the exercise. I still feel my back being worked. Are you worried in such a case your arms would be doing more of the work because of their length?

By the way, you seem like a pretty sharp fellow, I'm sure your big bro is proud.

 

[motiv8erJR]

How about with something like bent over dumbell rows? I know your arms are long and compacting them to bring the db all the way up might be an issue? Like I said I am avg. height, but when I do db rows I bring them all the way back so that the weight touches my chest, but I don't think it interfers with "feeling" the exercise. I still feel my back being worked. Are you worried in such a case your arms would be doing more of the work because of their length?

By the way, you seem like a pretty sharp fellow, I'm sure your big bro is proud.

Thanks BigCasino, I dont know about proud... but something We have a lot fun!

Now dumbell rows... Those are good staple for a tall man with a long torso. You say you pull them to chest level. Well thats what I do, but I try to throw some spice on these, cuz they work sooo well. If you change the angle of your back to the floor. Say you do one set at parallel to the floor, I am assuming you do these with as straight a back as possible, you hit the inner side of your lats really well that way. Then if you move the angle of your back, but keep it straight you can then hit two other areas. by going to a more 25-40 degree angle from parallel, you can row more towards your traps, firming up the gap between you scapula and mid back.
If you go back to parallel, and lift the DB more towards your shoulder it can be almost like doing an inverted seated row. Now those are just food for thought.

Anyone have an idea about long arms and which form of dumbell pec flyes is more um... good? I ask because on flat bench my biceps always get worked harder than my chest, even when I sit and feel the contractions. BUT if I do flys on a declined bench, I feel it so much more.... any ideas?

 

[motiv8erJR]

Ok, thought I would throw this in too.

Squats...

Long legs...
I like to do my squats with a REALLY wide stance, toes out. It hits my inner quad better, and I can get AIG without compromizing my knees. (I have a bad left knee, so I have to play by feel sometimes with my squats and leg presses)

So I take a wider stance for my squats, and then on my leg presses I take a lot narrower stance, high up on the deck. It hits my quads hard, and it allows my to point my toes in some too, which hits the outer heads of the femorus better... Does anyone have any otherr ideas on long legged squats?

 

[CROWLER]

I am pretty sure I would debate that. Lou Ferrigno is a monster. Yes all the basic movements are good, but I know personally, that certain things work for me that wont work for my training partner because he is 5'10". He is fine doing barbell presses for chest, where in if I do just barbell presses, my chest wont grow by my front delts get all the focus.... even with varying grips, time of contraction and stretching. I think there are some time honored thoughts on us lanky fellows... Thanks for your insights guys, and CROWLER how tall are you?

I am short I am a measly 6' tall ya giant

Well Shane is a personal friend of mine so I know what he did to get big and unfortunately the other probodybuilders I am friends with are all short compared to you so no help there sorry.


CROWLER

 

[warriorway]

I'm only 6'3 so thats fairly tall. For some reason chest really grows easy for me whereas my calves and biceps don't hardly grow at all. I'm close to 230 with just under 16 inch arms.

 

[motiv8erJR]

I am short I am a measly 6' tall ya giant

Well Shane is a personal friend of mine so I know what he did to get big and unfortunately the other probodybuilders I am friends with are all short compared to you so no help there sorry.


CROWLER

Ahh, gotcha sir.. Most PRObodybuilders are short, because its easier with their frames.... Look at Gunter he is the tallest pro/competitor right now. He is only 6'3"

and for you short guys, 3 inches after 6'1" starts to make a BIG differrence in the length of ones arms, and the balance of your hips to your shoulders. My brother is 6'3" and 220-30ish

He builds chest really easy, because he was a football player and has the muscle memory, I am 6'6" and was a bicyclist till I was 16, I was 6'5" and 175 lbs... thats at 3-5 % bodyfat. I was not healthy, had a bad accident and broke both arms and damaged my left knee. Hit my head a couple of times too...

Short of the story is that I can build good quads and hams, but I never did a lot of push ups before I got my height... I cant do pull ups very well, because I am 240 lbs, and never did them before I started to lift weights, I am having to LEARN the muscle memory to do them right with 240 lbs.... thats hard, cuz most of your PRObodybuilders are 240 lbs at competition weight at 5'6-5'8"

Ok enough of my *****ing.

Its kinda like when you watch Pumping Iron, check Lou's hand position when he is doing the over head BB press for shoulders... he is taking an interesting grip compared to Arnold... but then Arnold thought that by taking a really wide grip it made him look wider...

Plus I have heard differing veiws on Ferrigno's height. The commentary on Pumping Iron has him at 6'4" or 6'"3, while Weider says he is 6'5" 1/2, well to you short guys that might not seem like a discrepency, but I am 6'6" and 30 lbs, off from being Ferrigno's weight in Pumping Iron... makes one think dont it? so technically I should have to weigh 280 lbs, at 3-5 % body fat, to look like him...?

out

 

[warriorway]

Well it's definitely hard to do chin ups when your that heavy. Straps are supposed to help with your grip but I've never used those.

 

[BigCasino]

Plus I have heard differing veiws on Ferrigno's height. The commentary on Pumping Iron has him at 6'4" or 6'"3, while Weider says he is 6'5" 1/2, well to you short guys that might not seem like a discrepency, but I am 6'6" and 30 lbs, off from being Ferrigno's weight in Pumping Iron... makes one think dont it? so technically I should have to weigh 280 lbs, at 3-5 % body fat, to look like him...?

out

It's hard to know man. Weider loved to exaggerate the stats and training habbits of his bodybuilders. You see a lot of so and so did squats for 3 hours, then went on a 20mile bike ride, and everymorning he runs 5 miles for general health. He did this so they would seem truly superhuman. A lot of these guys really did do amazing things, but Weider deffinately fictionalized a fair share, that includes their height. Lou was deffinately a tall fellow, but that being one of his main unique points I would not be suprised if the actual figure for his height measurement was exaggerated by a couple inches. Arnold is supposed to be 6'2", but my father is a 6'2" right on the line and standing next to Arnold he there was a subtle, although noticable difference in height.

If I had to guess, I would put Lou at a true 6'3".

Who know, he may very well be 6'5" though, in which case get off your computer and back to eating :-D

 

[CyberMuscle]

Well im 6" 5.5" at 282lbs with a wingspan of 6'7" and can honestly say theres not much of a difference in the way a tall guy trains and a shorter guy trains. The only bodypart that i can not efficently hit is chest. My arms and front delts seem to soak every bit of the movement up though im still able to hoist up 395lbs with ease.recently i have swapped over to more dumbells presses. With DBs i seem to activate more of the chest than with a BB, especially the inner chest.

 

[motiv8erJR]

Well im 6" 5.5" at 282lbs with a wingspan of 6'7" and can honestly say theres not much of a difference in the way a tall guy trains and a shorter guy trains. The only bodypart that i can not efficently hit is chest. My arms and front delts seem to soak every bit of the movement up though im still able to hoist up 395lbs with ease.recently i have swapped over to more dumbells presses. With DBs i seem to activate more of the chest than with a BB, especially the inner chest.

I agree that there are not a lot of differrences. The point to this thread was to find the differences and to figure out a way if not a couple of ideas on how to make the max for a tall fellow.

I agree chest is really the only difference, in that barbell press does pretty much nothing to a tall man's chest, but I was wondering maybe about partial reps?

But I also notice that most tall guys got skinner legs . I was just thinking about technique and any ideas for squats. Like today I busted my balls at 315 for three, when normally I can at least get 315 for 6... (I just got off a volume training schedule)

I noticed that my hip flexors where a lot sorer than my SHORT training partner... Which just stands to show that the weight has to be balanced a lot higher and what not, I am just thinking.

Cybermuscle, at your height and weight, how do you do your squats.

Another thing, with that wing span... its pretty much the same as mine, how do you do your pull ups, total wide grip? Because I have trouble finding bars... wide enough to really stretch out my lats... just some ideas... thanks boys

Out

 

[motiv8er]

I'm also finding more articulate hypotrophy with Dumbells. Evens the playing field while in symetry catch-up mode.

FWIW Do we have spellcheck?

 

[CyberMuscle]

I agree that there are not a lot of differrences. The point to this thread was to find the differences and to figure out a way if not a couple of ideas on how to make the max for a tall fellow.

I agree chest is really the only difference, in that barbell press does pretty much nothing to a tall man's chest, but I was wondering maybe about partial reps?

But I also notice that most tall guys got skinner legs . I was just thinking about technique and any ideas for squats. Like today I busted my balls at 315 for three, when normally I can at least get 315 for 6... (I just got off a volume training schedule)

I noticed that my hip flexors where a lot sorer than my SHORT training partner... Which just stands to show that the weight has to be balanced a lot higher and what not, I am just thinking.

Cybermuscle, at your height and weight, how do you do your squats.

Another thing, with that wing span... its pretty much the same as mine, how do you do your pull ups, total wide grip? Because I have trouble finding bars... wide enough to really stretch out my lats... just some ideas... thanks boys

Out

I do my squats later in my leg workout. I pre fatigue quads with 3 sets of extensions and 4 sets of leg Presses before i even do squats. I use a wide stance and go to or somewhat below parallel. I pre fatigue mainly to keep myself from having to use such heavy weights on squats plus i seem to get more growth this way and my knees thank me. I also found that doign an isolation movement for chest(pec deck or DB flys) prior to pressing movements has made a big difference in how much muscle was stimulated.

For pullups one of the station at my gym has all the fancy grips for pullups. Its hard to explain but i place an olympic bar over the back of all the handle placements where it sets in a groove and is very stable. This allows me to get a wide grip.

 

[ssor1005]

Yeah at 6'4 I would have to say my chest is by far my weakest body part. Flat press does nothing what so ever for me, but I have just started noticing better results with DB presses. I had a really good chest workout last night that seemed to stimulate some fibers as when I woke up my chest gained a good amount of mass. Declined DB presses supersetted with declinded DB flyes really hits my chest well, so you may want to try those if you are not already doing them. However, my legs are probably my biggest body part so we differ there. Have you tried supersetting your squats with lunges?

 

[motiv8erJR]

Yeah at 6'4 I would have to say my chest is by far my weakest body part. Flat press does nothing what so ever for me, but I have just started noticing better results with DB presses. I had a really good chest workout last night that seemed to stimulate some fibers as when I woke up my chest gained a good amount of mass. Declined DB presses supersetted with declinded DB flyes really hits my chest well, so you may want to try those if you are not already doing them. However, my legs are probably my biggest body part so we differ there. Have you tried supersetting your squats with lunges?

The way I do my squats, if I tried to super set them with anything, it would be with lunges to the trash can...

I use lunges irregularly, due to a bad knee. I can do them maybe 50% of my leg workouts. I tend to do them Ronnie Coleman style, with a bar and go up and down the indoor workout cent at my gym. days that I do lunges, tend to be days I dont go over 300 lbs for a my squats. If I do that I cant stand to lunge, I get like a cramp in my glutes... that no stretch fixes....

 

[ssor1005]

The way I do my squats, if I tried to super set them with anything, it would be with lunges to the trash can...

I use lunges irregularly, due to a bad knee. I can do them maybe 50% of my leg workouts. I tend to do them Ronnie Coleman style, with a bar and go up and down the indoor workout cent at my gym. days that I do lunges, tend to be days I dont go over 300 lbs for a my squats. If I do that I cant stand to lunge, I get like a cramp in my glutes... that no stretch fixes....

I know what you mean, lunges can be a pain. Regarding your knee, have you tried using less weight and pausing at parallel or below for a little extra time to feel it more? This might relieve the stress on your knee a bit, and would still work your legs pretty hard.

 

[motiv8erJR]

I know what you mean, lunges can be a pain. Regarding your knee, have you tried using less weight and pausing at parallel or below for a little extra time to feel it more? This might relieve the stress on your knee a bit, and would still work your legs pretty hard.

Not that sort of knee injury. I wrapped some handle bars around it in a 60mph down-hilling mountain bike accident. They had to remove some of the epithilial tissue that lines the sheath of the upper patela tendon... Meaning I dont get pain while I do an exercise. I get it after. So I can do the lunges, its just a matter on what I want to follow it up with. So I try to systematically figure out what I am gonna fry the hardest... it normally shapes into warm sets of leg extensions
squats
leg press
SLDL and or hamstring curls
sometimes killing it with a super set or three of heavy leg extensions

the SLDL is were I sometimes insert the lunges. Matters on how bad I want my glutes vs. my lower hammies to feel...