Squats. Inside view. How to choose the right exercises depending on the structure of the body: male version What amplitude will give the best result

In our women's team, in fitness training, almost everyone has their own problems: someone would need a bigger ass, but the figure is boyish, someone cannot get rid of annoying "pies" and "ears", and someone whines that all would be fine, but the belly is too big, although the hips are narrow. Men have about the same problems, only they do not trumpet about it left and right, but try to keep quiet and either puff in sports clubs, or try to pass off their disadvantage as an advantage.

It turns out that if you want to get rid of certain problems, you need not just work hard on the general program or spy on it from a neighbor, but build your own, and preferably with a coach at least at first. Since what suits your stocky neighbor is unlikely to suit you if you are 187 cm tall.Coach Adam Bornstein gives useful tips to help you achieve desired result no injury.

1. Bench press - for those with long arms

The bench press is a very popular exercise, but due to the fact that in its standard variation it is only suitable for those with an average figure. If you are not one of the lucky ones, you need to correct some points. For tall guys with long arms, the standard option does not work as their shoulder joints are more prone to rotator cuff problems.

It is proposed to replace the standard bench press with a bench press from the floor, not from a bench, work with dumbbells, simple push-ups and push-ups with weights.

Bench press from the floor

Incline dumbbell bench press

Dips with extra weight

2. Barbell Squats - For Tall Guys

The main problem tall guys face with this exercise is back pain. Sound familiar? You should not completely abandon this exercise. You just need to modify it a little and remove a lot of weight. It can be replaced by standard lunge squats, bulgarian lunge squats, front barbell squats, Romanian deadlifts, and good morning bends.

Lunge squats

Bulgarian Squat Lunge

Barbell Front Squat

Romanian deadlift

Bends with a barbell "Good morning"

3. Rows and pull-ups - for men with short arms and long legs

They say that the less arms you have, the less weight you can lift. Grip strength, the strength of your hand, can be one of the most underestimated of all arm lift exercises. In this case, the gym is clearly not your place. Instead, try a sumo deadlift, rack deadlift, or just take your average weight and walk with it for as long as you can hold it. Gradually increase the load when you feel you can handle it longer.

Sumo Deadlift

Rack pull

In principle, girls can also take note of these exercises, but usually they have slightly different problems, which we will talk about in another article. ;)

Some people argue that barbell squats are not necessary for girls, if not even harmful. Say, they grow not only buttocks, but also quads. And that unaesthetic legs of a football player, and other joy that we do not want at all, going to the gym for harmony.

Another thing is that no constructive replacements are usually offered. Maximum, it is advised to do plie with a dumbbell. Or the Bulgarian split squat, which is known to be slightly more difficult than a simple squat. And it is practically impracticable if the beginner's technique is zero. In all fairness, quads work in all types of squats, and you can't isolate them. So you have to put up with some growth. But with the right technique, the glutes work harder.

Barbell squats for girls: benefits and harms

The problem with all those who exclude squats from their training is not only that they are deprived of fun and a reason to seem very cool in the eyes of their male counterparts. The trouble is that by giving up squats and deadlifts, we get training without the right hormonal response.

Basic exercise causes a massive increase in oxygen consumption under exertion, and a surge in GH levels.

These two factors not only help you recover better from the two dozen nut-isolating swings that we all practice, but also burn more fat before, during, and after training. So the whole point is not only in roundness, but also in their absence in unnecessary places.

Barbell squats for girls also solve the following problems:

• allow you to get rid of a stooped posture. You simply do not go down into a squat if your shoulder blades are "spread" over your back, your lower back is bent forward, and your stomach is thrown out for all to see. Getting ready is the first thing to teach correct squat... Pull and lower the shoulder blades, fix the native lumbar rigid retraction of the abdomen. These skills are very useful in everyday life. For example, those periods of her when you desperately want to look slimmer, but it does not work;
• strengthen the abs in statics better than a million twists at different angles on all sorts of strange objects. It is the strength transverse muscles the belly is not enough for those comrades whose belly falls out forward, despite the huge amount of work done on the press;
• in the presence of correct technique Helps avoid injury in typical "female" activities like repetitive muscle quality training and 100 forms of running to burn fat;
• help to reduce the amount of cardio work performed to a reasonable level, by increasing calorie expenditure, and, finally, spend less time in the gym

But with sloppy technique, performing squats with a barbell on the shoulders can be dangerous. Strictly speaking, the bar should not lie on any shoulders at all. It is worth starting to learn from the "bar below the trapezium" position, continuing to put the weights on the top of the trapezoid, as soon as they learn to remove the swing, and lifting the shoulders.

Correctly squatting with a barbell is also not easy because there are individual developmental characteristics that must be taken into account when setting the technique. Often on the Internet you can find the opinion that a girl should squat with a barbell on her shoulders, her pelvis to the floor, deeper than parallel. And an excellent explanation of the methodological "calculations" - they say, girls want to pump up their buttocks, so they work there. "There" they do not work for everyone, and many such a squat is contraindicated due to lordosis of the lumbar spine. In general, it is better to decide on an individual technique in advance.

Everyone can do the right squat

The standards for this movement differ in powerlifting and bodybuilding. The peculiarity is that the lift option is more anatomically determined:

• they fit under the barbell with the stomach already drawn in and the shoulder blades pulled to the spine, the bar is set quite low, just below the midline passing through the rear deltas;
• check the posture, get together, remove the projectile, step back, place it in two steps on a comfortable leg width and begin the exercise;
• the feet are at the width that is comfortable for the hips and does not allow the kneecaps to move inward;
• the bar lies low, which eliminates the expansion of the shoulder blades and the loss of stability, accompanied by a back injury, usually;
• socks are moderately pulled apart, adding a pose of stability;
• the movement begins with the pelvis down and back, according to this, the knees bend. This squat resembles how we usually sit on a low bench;
• throughout the entire movement, the press is pulled in, the back is in a natural deflection, the forward bend is very moderate, the body does not lie on the hips;
• at the point of maximum depth, the lumbar spine does not "unwind", and the pelvis does not make a characteristic "peck" downward. Squatting with this movement is sometimes allowed, but not for beginners training for aesthetics. "Pecks" and "beatings" due to bending of the legs can take place during squats on "power", with small jumps, they are not used in health fitness;
• this is followed by a smooth weight lifting due to extension in the hip and knee joints.

The individual squat technique includes determining the available depth and maximum forward bend. Stand in profile to the mirror and sit down. As soon as you notice that the lumbar spine "unwinds" and the pelvis "bites" - you have reached the maximum depth, fix on it, you should not force any more.

The slope should be what you get if you kneel down on a wall with socks at a distance of 10-15 cm from its surface. Lower below chest not worth it.
Well, the distance between the feet and the distance between the knees is selected so that there is no transfer of body weight to the socks, and various vibrations of the hips (their information and dilutions).

The barbell squat technique is best done with a trainer. Self-study are also good and useful, but after you automatically correctly take the weight from the racks, collect, and smoothly perform both lowering and lifting the weight. In most gyms, you can take a few personal workouts, this will help.

A coach is also needed in order to determine what additional exercises will help you to get rid of bad squatting habits. These habits are developed by the way we walk and sit since childhood, and can be very harmful when the weight gets heavy.
Don't want to squat with a lot of weight? Strength training should be progressive in nature. You cannot achieve results by training with an empty bar all your life. Usually engaged girls reach one and a half of their own weights on the barbell in a year or two classes in the format of "three workouts a week", and this is not a record, but quite a typical indicator.

Types of barbell squats

In addition to the so-called lift squat, there is a weightlifting option - it involves a high bar position, on trapezius muscle, and exceptionally great flexion in the hip joints. It is rarely used in the practice of health-improving fitness.

The variations used in bodybuilding involve playing with the width of the feet. A wide squat with socks spread to the side - plie, is considered loading the buttocks. Position with narrow setting stop and abduction of the pelvis back - to work out the front surface of the thigh

By the type of bar position, squats are distinguished into:

• frontal - the bar is placed on the chest, and is held either with a hook-shaped grip (the forearms are parallel to each other, the bar lies on the shoulders), or by crossing the arms;
• with a barbell overhead - or, more precisely, the bar runs slightly behind the head. The bar is taken from the floor with a jerk (hands almost under the pancakes, with a wide) grip, and jerked up, turning the shoulders and directing the projectile just behind the head. In this position, the squat is performed. Beginners are often given movement in a simplified format, with an easy gymnastic stick... It helps to correct minor postural problems, and to learn how to keep your back correct.

Related to the barbell squat are the exercises of the same name in the Smith machine and the hack machine. They are aimed at insulating the legs and placing little stress on the stabilizers.

It won't be a big problem for a beginner to squat every workout if you do 3 sessions per week. As the weights grow, you need to organize your sessions on a squat-or-deadlift basis to avoid overloading the central nervous system.

Many novice athletes consider squats to be the main exercise for their legs, while athletes, in turn, squat to pump up their buttocks. In fact, in addition to these roles, squats help build muscle mass all over the body. If your goal is to gain mass, then keep in mind that it will be very difficult to achieve this without squats.

There are several differences of opinion in the field of bodybuilding regarding technique. Some advise using bars or pancakes under the heels, others say that squats need to be done not full, only to the knee level, and still others. Check out some videos on the internet on how to do squats by different athletes. Most likely, their technique will be different from each other. As you can see, this problem is very urgent and needs detailed discussion. This is what we'll talk about.

First of all, you need to remember the emphasis on muscles with different squat techniques. For example, deep squats allow you to shift the load from the hips to the buttocks, but incomplete squats are the main tool for working out the quads. Often the athlete's technique is determined by his body type. Here illustrative example: The middle-aged athlete should always put his feet narrower than the tall person. To practically eliminate the risk of injury, squats are best performed in a special rack box. If the workout is planned at home, spare some money and buy a universal stand, the design of which includes safety supports. It will be useful not only in squats, but also in other barbell exercises. Understand the main rule for yourself, squats should be accompanied by a straight back. Incorrect spine position is a big risk of seriously injuring your back and dropping out of training for a long time.

Legs are just as important for muscle performance. Mostly athletes put their feet too wide, or too close to each other. For each you need to choose your own setting of the legs, this is done in the following way... Take the bar from the bar and start experimenting, first place your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your toes outward a little so that when lowering the body, the knee joints do not bend inward. If this inaccuracy is often the case, at best, the knees will be very sore, at worst serious injury provided. Next, you need to select a comfortable position for yourself, which would provide the desired amplitude and would not cause unpleasant sensations in the joints. Always put your socks out, remember this nuance.

Next, you will need a partner, so ask someone. You do squats, and your partner should evaluate your technique, in particular, the lateral view of the lower back is important. When it begins to round arbitrarily, to make an irregular bend, the exercises must be stopped. Often, the onset of bends occurs even before the moment the hip is parallel to the floor. This mistake can be corrected by stretching for 2-3 weeks and doing squats without extra weight.

Some athletes cannot squat to parallel at all, based on their physiological characteristics. There is nothing scary here, each person is individual and this cannot be ignored. You just need to remember at the level of consciousness that optimal point at which the back makes the first urge to round. It is not recommended to cross this point, it is in it that the required amount of load on the spine is laid. The reduced range of motion has its significant advantages, one of which is the ability to work with large weights.

Squat technique for girls

Will learn to feel bottom point lowering, a bench or stool of the desired height will help. Several workouts using this trick will allow you to get used to the right height and never cross this line again. But on the other hand, at the beginning of training it is not safe to do this, since it is easy to get a spinal injury. The athlete does not yet know the technique, he simply "throws" the body down, and restriction along this path will cause compression of the spine and its crush. This method can be useful in cases where the athlete is faced with problems when lifting the bar. To learn how to overcome a difficult lifting point, you can easily use the bench.

While doing squats, you have to build your own individual body structure. First you need to find the optimal body position in which the back, buttocks and leg muscles will receive the required load... Forward bends, roundness of the back, rocking, jerking are unacceptable. The main support should be on the heels, not socks. It is often noted that the heels are literally pressed into the floor during squats.

We have already partly mentioned the use of heel pads, thanks to which it is possible to significantly change the "angle" of the exercise. As a result, the load is better distributed throughout the muscles of the leg, but it also suffers more. knee joints... Often, athletes complain of knee pain after the decision to use pads. Never think of squats as exercises to strengthen the legs, they have a beneficial effect on the entire muscles, so the load should be taken on several muscle groups.

• transfer the load to the socks (tear off the heels);
• round the spine (this is an unnecessary burden on important element musculoskeletal system);
• direct your gaze in any direction other than forward (thus, the load is not distributed as needed).

Get a solid shoe for doing squats, mean a firm sole with low cushioning. Keep your laces tied at all times.

The squat is one of the three most important exercises in bodybuilding. It will help to radically change the previous physique of a person, turn a thin person into a pumped-up, fit athlete. True, if the correct technique and perseverance are observed. Ideally, he will learn the technique, it is unlikely that he will succeed in 2-3 workouts, for some it is beyond the control of even a year.

The main nuances of squatting technique

Full concentration on your movements, an even distribution of the load in the complex on different muscle groups, an even back during squats will ensure a positive result and constant progress. Good luck in your sports achievements.

In my youth, what I hated most was those unpleasant moments when, when they looked at me, people immediately said: "Oh, this guy is tall!" I really wanted them to avoid this definition in my description. For me, it was even more humiliating than the definition of "dumb."

When I was a teenager, I was 183 centimeters tall, so I trained hard in the gym to transform from a "tall guy" to a "big guy", however, nothing came of it. However, over the past few years I have gained valuable experience that has helped develop more effective training with some perspective for taller athletes. With that in mind, let's finish with the introduction and start getting down to specific things.

Almost all trainees other than beginners know that when it comes to achieving optimal results, certain points may differ depending on the individual athlete. Dietary protocols designed to burn subcutaneous fat may work for one person but not work for another. Likewise, bodybuilding training protocols vary depending on the goals of the athlete, as well as the ability to adapt to specific exercises and training styles.

So why should things be different with regards to the growth of the trainee? Let's face it, tall guys aren't very popular when it comes to weight training, and there are too few articles written specifically for the likes of us. Thus, the time has come to change the current situation.

Which athlete is tall?

However, I noticed that all my clients, whose height fluctuates within this number, tend to have very long arms and legs when compared with their height. And this is a very interesting point. Anthropometry is what distinguishes most tall athletes from middle-sized guys, and intense workouts with heavy weights and a short torso, wide arms and legs, a giraffe can be an athlete's worst nightmare.

Now my height is 193 centimeters, and my arm span is 203 centimeters. Finding the shirt that's right for me is as hard as finding masculine features in Justin Bieber. They are out there somewhere, however, you will not immediately notice. And my legs are no exception, they are very, very long compared to the length of the torso.

Needless to say, thanks to such arms, legs and girth of the shoulders, a tailor became my best friend and a real salvation.

So, given my own height, I will try to debunk some of the training myths, using practical evidence, scientific evidence, and logic to improve the effectiveness of training tall athletes.

A matter of strength

It must be remembered that resistance training is about developing an effort against resistance. The result of this action is work. In physics, work is defined as force times distance. Thus, the amount of effort applied at a certain distance determines the amount of work performed.

Let's take this example to the gym. Let's say an athlete is 175 centimeters tall and can do full-range squats with 100 kilograms. By doing this exercise, it goes through a 60-centimeter drop (its eccentric repetition phase) and returns to its original position - thus, its range of motion is 120 centimeters.

Now let's take a guy who is 190 centimeters tall - he can also do full-range squats with 100 kilograms. In order to enter a full squat, he needs to drop 75 centimeters - the full range of motion will be 150 centimeters. Compared to a guy of average height, this is 30 centimeters more per repetition. Now multiply that value by 10 reps and you get three meters of extra distance in one set. Thus, the taller athlete does more work in this set, using the same weight, performing what it might seem at first glance, exactly the same movement and observing all the same "requirements".

The reason why I raised this question and gave these examples is because, given these points, you can safely ask the question which of the athletes presented needs to be stronger in order to complete the task. Without going into details about the body weight of each of them, many will agree that, in general, for a tall guy, this task will be much more difficult and stressful.

By this I mean that being tall in the gym should not be categorically considered a disadvantage. Long, muscular abdomens and giant leverage points to the enormous potential for effort and strength development - in virtually every exercise.

Thus, I came to the following.

The amplitude of movement is above all! (True true!)

If you've already read my articles, you should know that I advocate the use of maximum range of motion when doing exercises. And for tall guys this moment is a must.

In this case, the standard set will be longer, which means that the time under load will increase. In addition, maximum range of motion means an increase in the level of effort generation for the maximum available distance, that is, more work.

In short, if you want to increase strength, keep the amplitude at its maximum.

Growing problems

We have already decided that we can get myofibrillar hypertrophy and increase strength using heavy weights and maximum range of motion. But what about our main goal- an increase in muscle size? Things are a little more complicated here. We are dealing with very long muscle belly, which means that any built muscle mass is distributed over a larger area. This is depressing, since an increase of even 7 kilograms can go almost imperceptibly for a tall, lanky guy.

Without turning the topic of this article into a dietary one, I will say the following: consume as much food as possible. In pursuit of size, you can afford to increase the level of subcutaneous fat, because here you have the advantage precisely for the reason that you have difficulty building muscle mass. You won't turn into a fat bumpkin with some extra carbs, so even pizza is bold.

When it comes to training for the sake of increasing size, I believe that a tall athlete who is also a hard gainer can benefit by focusing on isolation training a little more than the average trainee. Provided there are large compound exercises in the program, a long-legged, long-armed athlete can benefit greatly from their large leverage in exercises such as biceps curls, tricep block presses, leg extensions, leg curls, and high pulldowns.

SAID principle

The SAID principle is specific adaptation to specific influences. If the body is repeatedly exposed heavy weights and prolonged load, then he simply has no choice but to become larger and stronger in order to adapt to training influences.

I am a proponent of this principle and believe that tall guys should benefit from this by increasing their time under load through controlled eccentric reps, maximizing range of motion, and high reps.

One of the reasons building muscle is a real headache for tall athletes is because general recommendations that infiltrated the training industry, in connection with which many beginners, as well as intermediate athletes, take them at face value, without thinking about the anthropometric characteristics of each person. Here are some of them:

Don't let your knees stick out over your toes.

It's easy if you have the longest torso in the world, and your height is about 165 centimeters.

Otherwise, you will have to break this rule. Personally, I have found nothing wrong with knees protruding beyond the toes during squats, and this is supported by a lot of research.

If you have long legs but you are still trying to comply with this recommendation, give it up. For a visual example, below is a video of me doing kettlebell squats. Of course, frontal loading contributes to a more pronounced extension of the knees forward, however, rest assured that these angles are also necessary for me to achieve a good full squat in the overhead squat.

This is the reason for my problems with such preparatory exercises like the wall squat, which is designed to develop "correct technique" in the squat. Standing so that your toes are against the wall, but at the same time avoiding touching it with other parts of the body during the full-length squat, is almost impossible for an athlete with long limbs or for just a tall guy. Squats are a very specific exercise and should be treated accordingly.

When doing high pulldowns or pull-ups, try to keep the handle or bar touching your chest.

This example may seem like an exception to my propaganda of maximum amplitude of motion, and it really is. The problem is that a short lifter will achieve maximum lats contraction with full contact of the handle or bar with the sternum. This is because the short arms reach the body under conditions of dominant lats.

However, in the case of long arms, the elbows will still be farther from the body, even if the point of attachment of the lats is at the shoulder of the arms, simply because the humerus is longer.

As a result, full lats contraction can be achieved by positioning the handle or bar further from the chest. Deep pulling will not give any positive effect in this case, but simply involves the muscles of the arms and possibly the upper trapezium in the work, which in turn will weaken the grip strength and the specific isolation of the lats.

Thus, it is necessary to focus not on the traditional pattern of movement, but on the stimulation of the target muscles, so if you have long arms feel free to end the concentric phase of the exercise a few centimeters from your chest.

When performing dead, try to pull the working weight back.

This common recommendation can be very confusing for tall athletes. When we strain the entire body in preparation for the heavy deadlift, we try to do our best to move the bar in a straight line during the movement, however, this recommendation for the back deadlift may force you to use a lower pelvic position in relation to the shoulders.

Meanwhile, when doing dead rods long legs and a low pelvis don't go together. This is why Mark Rippetow reminds me of one of my favorite coaches. He simply goes against the system, and like me, he believes that the bar should be in the same plane with the shoulder blades, and all other parts of the body will take care of themselves.

Place your shoulder blades directly over the bar and then tighten your chest and back. For a leggy guy, these actions will provide a higher pelvic position, however, so the bar can move in a straight line from the correct starting point.

Below you will find another example that demonstrates my position of the pelvis when performing a relatively heavy deadlift... In the video presented, you can see that lowering the pelvis lower without breaking the trajectory of the neck, I simply will not be able to:

Salvation for sore joints

Another area where taller athletes often run into problems is joint stress. Due to the long body, our attempts to use the maximum range of motion in exercises can be troublesome for our joints. However, this does not mean that we should avoid wide amplitudes. Instead, we must identify our weaknesses and make the necessary adjustments.

For example, deep squats require good movement in the hip joints. Hip joints people with poor mobility can (and usually does) contribute to unnecessary stress in the knees and lower back. Very often people are too hasty to write off this as a supposedly "unsuitable exercise for me" instead of figuring out the problem and coming to a rational solution.

Make sure to do whatever is necessary to create and maintain structural balance around each joint. This is achieved by building the correct, strong foundation, while also not forgetting about the quality of tissues, mobility and functional strength. In addition, here are some guidelines for you:

When doing bench exercises, use neutral grip, if possible. Due to the deep insertion of the elbows behind the body in the lower section of the range of motion of most pressing exercises in the presence of long arms, it is useful to rotate the wrists so that, with a load, shoulder joint found himself in a more suitable position. When it comes to bench presses, feel free to use dumbbells, which will allow you to "play" with the position of the hand.

Bench presses in a power rack, squats from the bottom up and other established exercises with partial amplitude should be used in training in the event of injury or chronic discomfort in the loaded joints. Exercises like these will save you from the lower section of the amplitude, which in this case can do more harm than good.

Do the deadlifts more often. Very few chronic injuries can reduce pulling power. Plus, quite often, repetitive deadlift turns out to be the main remedy for chronic injury problems! Do 2: 1 Rows to Press to give your joints rest.

Conclusion

Tall guys have a hard time in the gym, however, we can train smart. The same can be observed even if you look at the genetic freaks from the bodybuilding world. Guys like Jay Cutler, who are 176 centimeters tall, have an advantage in both size and heavy training over athletes like Lou Ferrigno, who is 196 centimeters.

Instead of complaining about long limbs, it's time to take advantage of them for intense training. The points and recommendations I have presented should help you with this. Looking at photographs of such giants as Arnold, Lou Ferrigno and Tony Freeman, and such strong men as Brian Shaw (203 centimeters tall), as well as recalling the tall height of Superman himself - 190 centimeters, you can be sure that we have much to strive for. It all depends on our efforts.

A tall athlete looks much more impressive than a short one, but it is more difficult for a tall one to gain weight. According to our data, only 10% of those whose height exceeds 188 cm do not experience problems with gaining muscle mass.

It is also worth pointing out a certain visual moment: people with the same body mass index and the same body build (for example, ectomorphs) look different, having significant differences in height, and the superiority here is on the side of those who are shorter - they seem more massive.

There is one more problem. Let's call it "mechanical" - this article is devoted to it.

Mechanics of Exercise in Tall People

Mechanical problem is one of the significant barriers limiting muscle gain in tall guys. The essence of this problem is as follows: high growth is, first of all, long limbs (legs, arms). Especially if a person is an ectomorph by his bodily nature. All the main (basic) work in gym carried by limbs.

In this case, it is necessary to understand the importance and peculiarity of the length of the limbs. After all, the longer the limbs, the longer the mechanical lever. What is Leverage? Imagine a simple experiment: two people are holding a shovel brick by brick (the shovel is held at its end with their hands). But one person has a 1-meter shovel, while another has a 2-meter one. Let's imagine that the shovels are of the same weight. Who finds it harder to hold a brick on a shovel? Of course, the one with the longer shovel!

In addition, the long lever creates conditions not only for additional efforts, but also for a greater range of motion. All this cannot but affect the performance of the exercises and their effectiveness.

For people with long limbs, this problem is quite noticeable in exercises such as the standing press, bench press, and squats.

In these (and some other) exercises, tall people (with long levers) usually exhibit power indicators below average (see Table 1). In turn, the inability to reach heavier weights (due to long levers) can interfere with muscle gain. The main thing is not to be disappointed, but to understand the essence of the problem, and then look for ways to solve it.

Tab. one. Average indicators of maximum results
in some exercises (for amateur bodybuilders)

It is appropriate to quote the words of Arthur Jones from one of his articles when he compared the strength indicators of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Colombo: “Arnold Schwarzenegger has at least three times more muscle than his friend Franco Colombo, and yet Franco can lift more than Arnold, which means absolutely nothing. Arnold's forearms are three inches longer than Franco's, so Arnold needs to lift the weight a greater distance when lifting the bar for the biceps. That is, even when lifting the same weight, Arnold will have to move the bar six inches further than Franco, and thus do more work. "

But in some other exercises - primarily in the deadlift - high growth, on the contrary, is an assistant when performing exercises, which allows you to have strength gains above average. Here the leverage effect is the opposite. Remember Archimedes and his famous phrase: "Give me a foothold and I will turn the earth." In the deadlift, the fulcrum is the floor and the lever is the legs + torso. And the longer the lever, the easier it is to lift the more heavy weight... By the way, purely technically, for a tall deadlift, the deadlift may not go with certain proportions of the length of the legs, arms and body. With such proportions, the positive effect of the leverage will fade into the background.

How to solve the problem?

First option... People with long arms should spend a lot of time experimenting with movement techniques to find the positions of the smallest arm radius. That is, the minimum task is to find the most optimal vector (direction) of movement in a particular exercise.

Second option... People with long levers are allowed to experiment not only with the motion vector, but also with the amplitude of motion. Judge for yourself: the longer the lever, the greater the range of motion. Compare two people in the bench press with a difference in height of about 30 cm (for example, 190 cm and 160 cm) and observe how much distance (how many centimeters) the amplitude of the barbell movement takes from the position of straightened arms to touching the chest. You will find that a shorter person will lower the barbell to a distance that for a tall person will be equal to about half of his range of motion.

From our side there is no call to switch exclusively to half-pressures and half-squats and forget about full-amplitude movements forever. However, we strongly recommend that you do not ignore these exercise options (read about options in and) and do not perceive them as some kind of technical error (and this is how many approach this question). Remember, if you are tall (with long leverage), you have every right to act contrary to the recognized rules, because these rules were clearly not written from you.

Poll in the article: Pirrone M. 5 tips for thin and tall guys to gain muscle mass // Bodybuilding for hardgainers, 2013,

Jones A. Size and strength // Ironman. 1972, no. 1.

2014 © Bodybuilding for hardgainers