Hyde’s Strength Odyssey

8/21/21
BW 229.0

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks
Jumps
Band Pullaparts & Dislocations

Axle Powersnatch & Press Away
45 2x5
95 2x5

Super High Incline Axle Press from pins
95,135,175,200x5
210x4
220x3
230x2
240x1

Sandbag Clean & Press
100 2x5
137x3+1 clean

NG Fat DB Bench
75x12
85x10
95,105x8

Fat DB Standing Press
55x15,13

Dead. New DB handles performed admirably with 100lbs loaded onto them. @jinxie it’s definitely easier to keep them on the thigh if you use a 25 each side:

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Upper back looking juicier as well - maybe it’s just the sweat

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Yeah I figured as much about the 25s. I only have a pair of urethane ones and then bumpers. Maybe I’ll have to man up and buy 2 more. Thanks for the tip!

I bought some smaller collars this morning, arriving tomorrow. Lockjaw hex. My Lockjaw pro 2s are too big. Get in the way of resting the weight on my thigh.

Back looks swole AF and you look leaner, for sure. Nice work with all those chin-ups!
 
Back is looking beefy @Hyde!
 
8/23/21
BW 228.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

V-grip Chin-ups
4x10, 1x11 PR

Incline Bench Chest-Supported DB Rows
90x10,10,12

DB Laterals
40 2x12

Seated Rear DB Flyes
30 2x12

Didn’t have a lot of time or energy (poor sleep), but I have never actually managed 5 full sets of 10 on chin-ups since I have been working on this over the last 4 years, until today. Even grabbed an 11th on the final for good riddance.

Also, my hands/wrists were shot after all the 2” thick pressing Saturday - the regular 90s at the gym felt like anchors in my hands today!
 
Congrats on that Chin PR!!!!
 
Hyde said:
8/23/21
BW 228.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

V-grip Chin-ups
4x10, 1x11 PR

Incline Bench Chest-Supported DB Rows
90x10,10,12

DB Laterals
40 2x12

Seated Rear DB Flyes
30 2x12

Didn’t have a lot of time or energy (poor sleep), but I have never actually managed 5 full sets of 10 on chin-ups since I have been working on this over the last 4 years, until today. Even grabbed an 11th on the final for good riddance.

Also, my hands/wrists were shot after all the 2” thick pressing Saturday - the regular 90s at the gym felt like anchors in my hands today!
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good work bro. That’s a lot of chins for sure
 
Beastly v-chins!
 
8/24/21
BW 228.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

GHR
2x12

Squat
45 2x5
95x5
145,195,245,285,315x3

Frontsquat
215,235,255x5

Legpress
3,5,7pps x15

Laying Leg Curl
110x10
180x10,8,8

Stir the Pot
attempted, but abs were already smoked

Grabbed some legs at the gym late last night after the boy was in bed; no preWO used but a shot of Stampede, 25mg DHEA tab sublingually and excitement to squat had me in a great place just the same. 3 wheels felt smooth and easy. Even happier how the beltless frontsquat went. Pacing myself and not making the mistake of lifting what I’m actually capable of, but rather staying well within it - I have zero reasons to rush the comeback, & plenty to be patient.
 
Hyde said:
8/24/21
BW 228.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

GHR
2x12

Squat
45 2x5
95x5
145,195,245,285,315x3

Frontsquat
215,235,255x5

Legpress
3,5,7pps x15

Laying Leg Curl
110x10
180x10,8,8

Stir the Pot
attempted, but abs were already smoked

Grabbed some legs at the gym late last night after the boy was in bed; no preWO used but a shot of Stampede, 25mg DHEA tab sublingually and excitement to squat had me in a great place just the same. 3 wheels felt smooth and easy. Even happier how the beltless frontsquat went. Pacing myself and not making the mistake of lifting what I’m actually capable of, but rather staying well within it - I have zero reasons to rush the comeback, & plenty to be patient.
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your restraint and dedication to lifting in the way you need to at the moment is really awesome bro. Tbh I wouldn’t have that discipline (and among my lifting friends I’m one of the more disciplined lifters).

im looking forward to seeing this pay off for you with future performances.

plus you reminded me of STP which I’ve been doing much more off lately - such a good exercise 👌
 
Bloodwork from 9 weeks post blast came in; not happy with what I found:

-Estradiol sensitive test shows a measly 12pg/ml.

-Total Testosterone sensitive is a whopping 1,318ng/dl nearly at trough, and a wild 237.1pg/ml Free Test level.

-HDL and Trigs are fine, but LDL is 137 - that’s a terrible number to see this far from a blast, and means it’s been at least that high likely all this time.

-Blood values for the first time ever on a cruise/off time are just barely out of range (high) for RBC, Hemoglobin & Hematocrit.

-Liver enzymes are lower than they have ever been ever, and Kidney estimated filtration is excellent as well.

Been on 120mg each of test e and eq for 7 weeks before this draw (100/100 test/mast the 2 weeks before that). After analyzing this, doing some reading and finding an article from More Plates More Dates, and putting the pieces together it’s led to some startling revelations. Turns out EQ competes heavily (and generally wins) with testosterone for aromatase enzyme. But the estrogen EQ gets converted to is NOT estradiol (E2), so despite feeling like my estrogens are a bit high (they are), my actual E2 - responsible for lipid health/cardiovascular protection - is less than half what I’d like it to be. Furthermore, since total test can barely get aromatized due to EQ taking up all the aromatase, a very large percent remains testosterone and is actively free testosterone. So 120mg test isn’t yielding nearly enough estrogen, while also yielding low blast levels. This is nice for performance, but E2 is important as well for all kinds of functions, including being alive in a few decades.

I actually have stopped taking NAC the last few weeks since I have been pinning about 400mg Glutathione/wk over a couple shots, and it obviously has improved already normal liver enzymes, which is great to see.

I’m not really worried about the blood markers being up temporarily; that’s expected and I do not believe I am at any appreciable risk for a cardiac event currently at my age, conditioning, and supplement protocol. But the mildly atherosclerotic environment in what should be off-time needs to be addressed. I don’t have a pressing need to be on blast soon, and honestly with the beach vacation & wife’s comp early October I don’t want to get into anything serious until after that. So the focus the next 7 weeks will be to continue to try to lean out, and improve blood LDL. I had already began some time-release niacin before the bloods but hadn’t ramped it to the 2g minimum effective range yet, but am now there. Here’s my plan:

-Drop EQ & Exem use (was using 11mg/wk)
-Maintain 120mg/wk of test
-Pin 250iu HCG more frequently
-Add 25mg sublingual DHEA/day
-Add P5P 2x/day
-Add 3 dates/day
-Add tbsp flaxseed/day
-Add 3g spirulina/day
-Continue to ramp niacin therapy

I do wonder also what impact the L-Carnitine and Boron daily use have on those test values, but I’m not complaining about the radical efficiency, just the depressed E2 from EQ. It will take about 8 weeks to appreciably clear EQ. Just not a good steroid unless you are running huge test levels with it.
 
SkRaw85 said:
First time running Stampede? That blend looked intriguing iirc.
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I think I’ve used it about 6 times now. Overpriced for sure for the teeny amount of AMP, but it is a good product. Always seem to have a good session with it so far.
 
08/26/21
BW 227.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks
Band Facepulls & Pressdowns

Bench
vs micro minibands
45 2x5
95,135,185x5
225 3x5

Spoto Press
225 2x8

Axle Strictpress
45x10
95,105x15
115x14

Laying DB Tri Extensions
35 2x15

Up at 4:30am to knock this out silently in the garage while the boy slept & wife went to the gym to deadlift - lifted til he woke. Fasted all day yesterday until one 1,200 cal healthy meal around 9pm, so I didn’t try to push anything heavy on such little fuel.

I’ve already implemented everything on my plan to help raise my estradiol and manage my LDL except the Spirulina, which comes Saturday. Tracking also shows my new SSB is coming then as well!!!
 
Hyde said:
08/26/21
BW 227.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks
Band Facepulls & Pressdowns

Bench
vs micro minibands
45 2x5
95,135,185x5
225 3x5

Spoto Press
225 2x8

Axle Strictpress
45x10
95,105x15
115x14

Laying DB Tri Extensions
35 2x15

Up at 4:30am to knock this out silently in the garage while the boy slept & wife went to the gym to deadlift - lifted til he woke. Fasted all day yesterday until one 1,200 cal healthy meal around 9pm, so I didn’t try to push anything heavy on such little fuel.

I’ve already implemented everything on my plan to help raise my estradiol and manage my LDL except the Spirulina, which comes Saturday. Tracking also shows my new SSB is coming then as well!!!
Click to expand...
You still running the DIM? Supposedly it works by better utilising estrogen metabolism to its 2 hydroxy derivatives.
 
Hyde said:
08/26/21
BW 227.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks
Band Facepulls & Pressdowns

Bench
vs micro minibands
45 2x5
95,135,185x5
225 3x5

Spoto Press
225 2x8

Axle Strictpress
45x10
95,105x15
115x14

Laying DB Tri Extensions
35 2x15

Up at 4:30am to knock this out silently in the garage while the boy slept & wife went to the gym to deadlift - lifted til he woke. Fasted all day yesterday until one 1,200 cal healthy meal around 9pm, so I didn’t try to push anything heavy on such little fuel.

I’ve already implemented everything on my plan to help raise my estradiol and manage my LDL except the Spirulina, which comes Saturday. Tracking also shows my new SSB is coming then as well!!!
Click to expand...

Nice! Excited for your SSB!
 
8/27/21
BW 229.0

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

V-Grip Chin-ups
BW, +20,40,60,80x5 PR

One-arm DB Row
90x8
110x20/side

EZBAR Strictcurl
55,75,95,105x5 (assuming bar is 15lbs)

Woke up late and had to jam this out in 50 minutes, but what little I did I believe I did well. Not sure how much further beyond 310lbs I can drive chin-ups right now, but I intend to at least pull a 100lb db for a single soon.
 
Hyde said:
8/27/21
BW 229.0

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

V-Grip Chin-ups
BW, +20,40,60,80x5 PR

One-arm DB Row
90x8
110x20/side

EZBAR Strictcurl
55,75,95,105x5 (assuming bar is 15lbs)

Woke up late and had to jam this out in 50 minutes, but what little I did I believe I did well. Not sure how much further beyond 310lbs I can drive chin-ups right now, but I intend to at least pull a 100lb db for a single soon.
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Chin up master! Also those db rows are nuts. Nice work!
 
wfreiling said:
Chin up master! Also those db rows are nuts. Nice work!
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Haha these weren’t chest-supported bilateral like I’ve been doing - this was belt on, bent over with hand on a bench to brace and 20 reps a side. You can lift much more weight this way, it’s just a little bit of a mental game because even when you finish the 20 you have to go right into the other side for another 20 before you are done.

I also found out my power belt is way too loose, like 2 notches I need to bring it in.
 
Hyde said:
8/27/21
BW 229.0

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

V-Grip Chin-ups
BW, +20,40,60,80x5 PR

One-arm DB Row
90x8
110x20/side

EZBAR Strictcurl
55,75,95,105x5 (assuming bar is 15lbs)

Woke up late and had to jam this out in 50 minutes, but what little I did I believe I did well. Not sure how much further beyond 310lbs I can drive chin-ups right now, but I intend to at least pull a 100lb db for a single soon.
Click to expand...

Are you pulling the chin up weight by clasping it with your feet?
 
Today was a scheduled rest day. Elbow/bicep/Tri tendons just feeling kinda beat up, bodyweight seems to be kind of settling in, and I want more fat loss. Wrote out a diet yesterday for about 2,750 calories for both training and off days based largely around what I already do 80% of the time, but committing to the process. There will undoubtedly be some deviations, but there are too many variables at this point that work too well to keep me at maintenance right now, so I need to be more regimented to continue to lean out from here I think. Especially in an environment where I will hopefully be actually raising my e2 over the coming weeks and lowering anabolics.

Also, watched a cool video from Vigorous Steve doing a modified fast for 5 days, and it made me realize it’s actually been over 2 years since I did my 7 day fast of no food! I am more than due for some autophagy, and now feeling a little beat up & with zero reason to push seems like the perfect time for a 3-day fast.

The supplement plan is as follows:
-200mg glutathione this morning (day 1)
-0.35ml AA Super Shredder (carnitine, albuterol) subq 3x/day
-1 cup black coffee 2x/day
-Fresh green tea several times per day
 
Hyde said:
Haha these weren’t chest-supported bilateral like I’ve been doing - this was belt on, bent over with hand on a bench to brace and 20 reps a side. You can lift much more weight this way, it’s just a little bit of a mental game because even when you finish the 20 you have to go right into the other side for another 20 before you are done.

I also found out my power belt is way too loose, like 2 notches I need to bring it in.
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These are one of my favs. I always need to catch my breath after a set.
 
Day 2 of fasting - yesterday I weighed 229.0 in the morning, today was only 222.8

Plenty of water intake, but I haven’t been doing any salt or electrolytes. Wife let me sleep in today while she got up with the boy - got 10 hours of sleep and feeling incredible!
 
Hyde said:
08/26/21
BW 227.2

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks
Band Facepulls & Pressdowns

Bench
vs micro minibands
45 2x5
95,135,185x5
225 3x5

Spoto Press
225 2x8

Axle Strictpress
45x10
95,105x15
115x14

Laying DB Tri Extensions
35 2x15

Up at 4:30am to knock this out silently in the garage while the boy slept & wife went to the gym to deadlift - lifted til he woke. Fasted all day yesterday until one 1,200 cal healthy meal around 9pm, so I didn’t try to push anything heavy on such little fuel.

I’ve already implemented everything on my plan to help raise my estradiol and manage my LDL except the Spirulina, which comes Saturday. Tracking also shows my new SSB is coming then as well!!!
Click to expand...

Good diligence here. I’m sure higher e2 will help drop LDL.
 
Looking forward to seeing your progress leaning out and getting those bloods in order. I know you will have us all impressed with the results.
 
Dustin07 said:
damn now that's a challenge I want to get in on!
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First one to a 330lb total weight chin-up wins

Speaking of bodyweight, dipped under 100kg this morning (today is Day 3 of fast)!

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Also, look what finally showed up today:
Titan SSBv2!!!

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Can’t wait for tomorrow night to break it in; did a few reps on boxsquat with the empty bar and it’s a perfect yoke bar replica, with better sleeves.
 
Farking beautiful! Damn man, you’re going to be ultra marathon running status in two more days at this rate .
But seriously, props on the fast.
 
SkRaw85 said:
Farking beautiful! Damn man, you’re going to be ultra marathon running status in two more days at this rate .
But seriously, props on the fast.
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Well, I did take a 30 minute walk on my lunch break….so you could say things are getting pretty serious
 
Hyde said:
First one to a 330lb total weight chin-up wins

Speaking of bodyweight, dipped under 100kg this morning (today is Day 3 of fast)!

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Also, look what finally showed up today:
Titan SSBv2!!!

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Can’t wait for tomorrow night to break it in; did a few reps on boxsquat with the empty bar and it’s a perfect yoke bar replica, with better sleeves.
Click to expand...
Haha **** that's like + 155lbs for me

But ok
 
Hyde said:
First one to a 330lb total weight chin-up wins

Speaking of bodyweight, dipped under 100kg this morning (today is Day 3 of fast)!

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Also, look what finally showed up today:
Titan SSBv2!!!

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Can’t wait for tomorrow night to break it in; did a few reps on boxsquat with the empty bar and it’s a perfect yoke bar replica, with better sleeves.
Click to expand...
Bro, that's more plates you gotta hang to win that challenge!!!


Seriously though, congratulations!!
 
BennyMagoo79 said:
Bro, that's more plates you gotta hang to win that challenge!!!


Seriously though, congratulations!!
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You think that’s bad, dropped more than a kilogram overnight again lol

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BUT with no electrolyte intake the last 3 days, I’ll rebound heavily today - just hoping for a kg of actual fatloss.

This is where we’re at weighing 216.4lbs (-12.6lbs/~5.5kg) after fasting for 85 hours with carnitine, albuterol & green tea 3x a day (and 2 cups of black coffee/day):

Relaxed
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Flexed
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8/31/21
BW 216.4 (morning, not by training)

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Side Planks

SSB Boxsquat
60x5
+ Average bands
60x5
150,200x3
240 6x3
270,300x2

Hi-handle Trapbar Deadlift
135,185,225,275,325,355x5

SLDL
115,135x12

Ab Wheel Rollout
2x15

Seated Band Hamstring Curls
Light 2x25

20 min walk fasted on Super Shredder this morning. Broke my fast after about 86-87 hours. Got some food & sodium in me and rehydrated before tonight’s garage session, which was perfectly awesome. Love the new SSB!

Poor wife had her very first L-Carnitine shot before leaving for cardio tonight; she was not a happy camper at all. But we need to keep her levels from getting depleted from the 10mg Cardarine we’ve added in at 6 weeks out. Think we’re going to have to forget delts and keep it to glute shots going forward. She’s still around 162lbs so we really need to get the scale moving again since adding in var.
 
Nice work on that 3 day fast! That Titan bar is sharp! Looks just like my YOKE bar.
 
Dustin07 said:
I'm a tiny bit jealous that you guys get results with such a lower amount of carnitine than I am taking orally lol
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Yeah the pills just kinda sucked the times I’ve used it, having to take 2x500mg horse tabs 3x a day and no acute endurance benefits the same way as when you can just pin it preWO.

Of course my wife might argue that having a dull muscle ache for hours sucks worse? It’s definitely more cost effective if pinning a small amount vs oral.

MrKleen73 said:
Nice work on that 3 day fast! That Titan bar is sharp! Looks just like my YOKE bar.
Click to expand...

Thanks! It flew by honestly. And the bar is great; bands sit really well on the camber before the sleeve begins.
 
Hyde said:
Yeah the pills just kinda sucked the times I’ve used it, having to take 2x500mg horse tabs 3x a day and no acute endurance benefits the same way as when you can just pin it preWO.

Of course my wife might argue that having a dull muscle ache for hours sucks worse? It’s definitely more cost effective if pinning a small amount vs oral.



Thanks! It flew by honestly. And the bar is great; bands sit really well on the camber before the sleeve begins.
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I can not wait to get back under my SSB, even if just the bar...
 
9/1/21
BW 221.4 (still 7.6lbs less than pre-fast)

10 min walk
Bird Dogs
Band Pullaparts

Standing Strictpress
45 3x5
95x5
115,135,155,175x1
+gear
195x1

Behind the Neck Pushpress
175,185,195x4

Incline Bench
135,185,195x5
205x7

Standing Db Rear Delt Flyes
25x15,20

One-Arm Band Pressdown
Light 2x25/arm

Still down 7.6lbs/3.5kg from 4 days ago! Kinda blown away by that number, but my core/love handles do look genuinely smaller, without a doubt, so maybe I really did smoke off more fat than expected. Last night’s training is all new recent territory, number-wise, coming back to squats and pulls, so there was no performance metrics to compare things to. Today however it was obvious - things felt like I had lost 7lbs in 4 days! Still, training was very enjoyable so zero complaints. Haven’t pushed from behind the neck in forever.
 
Curious to see what you are looking like in a few more lbs of filling back up. You definitely leaned out a decent bit going from the before fast and after. Add some glycogen and I bet you look even leaner!
 
MrKleen73 said:
Curious to see what you are looking like in a few more lbs of filling back up. You definitely leaned out a decent bit going from the before fast and after. Add some glycogen and I bet you look even leaner!
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221.8lbs this morning weighing earlier than usual, and I even drank 10g Creatine mono yesterday - I would have to say that I am already filled out fully. My muscles still felt pretty full after the fast, and I believe this is because there was no training or strenuous activity coupled with the L-Carnitine preferentially sparing glycogen to oxidize fat that was transported more easily.

In other interesting news this morning, the wife is back to being able to do chin-ups for sets of 5!

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I coached for years and chins/pull-ups were always so incredibly difficult for women, but it always cracked me up at how well they could master the squat. I could get a woman to squat perfectly within like 3-5 reps. But a dude might take 3-5 months and still have an atrocious squat 😂😂

When the girls couldn't do pull-ups we worked very slow negatives into their routines a few times a week. the gals that were consistent with it really developed pull-ups pretty quickly.
 
Dustin07 said:
I coached for years and chins/pull-ups were always so incredibly difficult for women, but it always cracked me up at how well they could master the squat. I could get a woman to squat perfectly within like 3-5 reps. But a dude might take 3-5 months and still have an atrocious squat

When the girls couldn't do pull-ups we worked very slow negatives into their routines a few times a week. the gals that were consistent with it really developed pull-ups pretty quickly.
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The best coach my wife ever had was big on controlled negatives to establish some base pull-up capacity; he said it worked way better than banded pull-ups. After years of watching others I’d have to agree it’s the best way, much better than bands. That’s better as acute volume overload, but bands just aren’t great for getting them to that first unassisted pull-up. Even for heavier men.
 
Hyde said:
The best coach my wife ever had was big on controlled negatives to establish some base pull-up capacity; he said it worked way better than banded pull-ups. After years of watching others I’d have to agree it’s the best way, much better than bands. That’s better as acute volume overload, but bands just aren’t great for getting them to that first unassisted pull-up. Even for heavier men.
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Nope, banded pull-ups are complete garbage unless you are just doing 20 in a wod for a cardiovascular type effect.
I had a female athlete who came to me after 12 months of bands with no legit pull up yet. I tested the band strength (black band, least resistance.) I put a 20lb vest on it, it went crashing to the ground, that black band could no support even half of that 20lb weight vest.

i put that 20lb weight vest on the woman, and told her to attempt a banded pull up now, knowing full well that I added MORE weight to her, than the band was removing. She pounded out 10 like it was nothing. a lightbulb went off in my head and I realized that if these folks wanted to get pull-ups, bands were not going to get them there.
 
I love this convo, because I have always seen people touting that banded or assisted pullups are better than lat pulldowns to improve on pull ups because you are moving the body through space. However I always felt that assisted pullups via band or machine were not mechanically similar due to how the assistance affects the movement and feels nothing like a real pull up. For me they didn't carry over any better toward real pull ups than a lat pulldown. However negatives are the real deal, and seem more effective to me as well. I used them to get my wife doing pull ups when she was lifting with me.

By the way the wife's back, shoulder, arms oh hell whole physique is looking impressive. She looks like a powerhouse for sure!!!!
 
For some of us, banded pull-ups are the only option. Just another tool in the box, though.
 
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