Stupid Questions Thread

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

I think the problem with the Texas Method is that you don't lift heavy weights many times.

Don't see it. Explain.

IIRC, Loads are typically 82% to 98% typically on the main lifts.

A 5RM (int.day) is around 87%.
5x1's (int.day) is probably 95%.
Volume day would be around 80-82% of 1RM for 5x5 or something like that.

You'll lift a heavy weight few times, and not many with Texas Method.

Yeah pretty much.

Just to give some context, I use the phrase "lifting heavy weights many times" in a semi-facetious manner. I did not originate the phrase, I heard it from Tom Platz.

[Hanley]

The thing is, to a non-science person like myself, his explanations made sense to me

Internally consistent arguments are compelling.

Even when they don't map to reality.

[James]

Been a while since I read PP but doesn't volume day's 5*5 start at like 90% of your 5rm. Which should be like 73-75%.

[ChasingCurls69]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

[OverheadDeadlifts]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

Overhead extensions with ez curl or Swiss bar. I’ve heard things like they work the long head better and put the triceps in a more stretched position. The real reason I like them is because they don’t aggravate my triceps tendon as much as other triceps isolations.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

- Lying triceps extensions with an ez curl bar
- Priceps pushdown with either a cable or bands
- Dumbbell rollovers (like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrIGHGVKKg) either on a flat bench or inclined

In general: moderate weights, lots of reps, lots of burn.

[GeoffBUK]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

Lying tricep extensions, with one dumbbell, holding the plate with a kind of parallel grip, letting the weight go back behind my head stretches the tricep without to much elbow flexion, everything else makes my tendons on the inner side of the elbow 'pop' and just pisses them off

Band pushdowns don't aggravated my elbows, but probably aren't great stimulus anyway

[DCR]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

Overhead extensions with ez curl or Swiss bar. I’ve heard things like they work the long head better and put the triceps in a more stretched position. The real reason I like them is because they don’t aggravate my triceps tendon as much as all other triceps isolations.

Now it’s my response too.

My French press really isn’t even triceps isolation, because I get a lot of shoulder into it, i.e. my elbows are not at all held in place but have substantial up/down movement. Anything that involves holding my elbows in place feels like lighting the inner portion of them on fire, immediately, regardless of the weight.

[dw]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

Not sure if you intended to include commercial gym equipment but I find any overhead rope press on the cable system effective. Rarely any elbow or tendon discomfort or anything like that.

[mbasic]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

Something different .... like:
- LTE with some arm swing (lat involvement);
- Standing overhead tri ext. (barbell, or French Press? w/ DB)

As opposed to standing cable pushdowns, CGBP, Dips .... it seems (t me) like the triceps are already getting worked that way, with arm/shoulder in the same configuration/relationship.

[OverheadDeadlifts]

My French press really isn’t even triceps isolation, because I get a lot of shoulder into it, i.e. my elbows are not at all held in place but have substantial up/down movement. Anything that involves holding my elbows in place feels like lighting the inner portion of them on fire, immediately, regardless of the weight.

All of this. I think allowing the elbows to come forward let’s you move the bar in a more or less straight line behind the head rather than arcing out behind you. Easier to balance, bigger weights, little bit of extra muscle involved. Kinda like an overhead JM press.

[Hardartery]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

JM Press - with EZ Curl Bar
Cross Body Extensions
French Press - with EZ Curl Bar
BTN Press
The last one is considered a shoulder exercise, but for me it really seems to isolate the triceps because it takes the pecs and anterior delts out of the movement. I has historically driven my OHP up, I am confident that is because of the triceps getting worked hard a compound movement. Isolation makes them a little bigger but doesn't seem to affect strength the same.

[quikky]

What's everyone's preferences for triceps isolation movements?

Seated tricep cable extensions. You sit away from the cable, around 45-60 degrees, and have the cable in front of you. Much more stable. Learned about these recently and they are superior to standing tricep cable extensions that can often lead to some lean/ab work.

[DCR]

My French press really isn’t even triceps isolation, because I get a lot of shoulder into it, i.e. my elbows are not at all held in place but have substantial up/down movement. Anything that involves holding my elbows in place feels like lighting the inner portion of them on fire, immediately, regardless of the weight.

All of this. I think allowing the elbows to come forward let’s you move the bar in a more or less straight line behind the head rather than arcing out behind you. Easier to balance, bigger weights, little bit of extra muscle involved. Kinda like an overhead JM press.

Exactly.

[ChasingCurls69]

Nice, I appreciate all the responses!

Definitely going to keep the DB LTEs in since those got a lot of support.

I've been doing overhead cable extensions almost like a French press, but my overhead position is not great right now I get a lot of lumbar extension for high RPE sets. @dw I train at CF gyms or PL gyms, but I have access to cable machines and ropes so I'll definitely give those a try instead of a straight bar.

@quikky do you have a reference video for these? I'm having trouble picturing it.

JM Press is also high on my list to try now, either with an SSB no handles, or straight bar+chains since we have one ez curl bar in a different section of the gym.

[quikky]

@quikky do you have a reference video for these? I'm having trouble picturing it.

Sorry, I can't seem to find a video where I first saw it. If I can describe it, just imagine pulling up an incline bench to a cable pulley, facing away from it, and set to 45-60 degrees. Then just do tricep extensions seated, with the cable moving in front of your face. To be clear, you are using the top pulley, and not the bottom one. This is like a better version of standing tricep cable push downs.

[lehman906]

Nice, I appreciate all the responses!

Definitely going to keep the DB LTEs in since those got a lot of support.

I've been doing overhead cable extensions almost like a French press, but my overhead position is not great right now I get a lot of lumbar extension for high RPE sets. @dw I train at CF gyms or PL gyms, but I have access to cable machines and ropes so I'll definitely give those a try instead of a straight bar.

@quikky do you have a reference video for these? I'm having trouble picturing it.

JM Press is also high on my list to try now, either with an SSB no handles, or straight bar+chains since we have one ez curl bar in a different section of the gym.

JM Press always felt weird to me, but I'm very much in favor of compound movements for triceps strength and size. I don't have big triceps compared to many, but I've seen more gains from things like weighted dips, Close grip benching and push ups, and DB bench or floor press with a hammer grip.

[Culican]

Calf raise machines (both standing and seated): Feet parallel? Toes out? Does it matter?

[quikky]

Calf raise machines (both standing and seated): Feet parallel? Toes out? Does it matter?

It has been debated whether toe position matters much, and from what I can tell probably not. However, one thing that I think does matter is doing a deep eccentric and pausing a good few seconds at the bottom to take all the rebound/stretch reflex from the Achilles. I have been doing standing calf raises with an SSB like this and have seen some noticeable calf growth for several months. And, this is coming from someone with naturally small calves.

[lheugh]

There is evidence that foot position can influence calf muscle activation: turning the feet inward targets the lateral head of the gastrocnemius, whereas turning the feet outward targets the medial head, but this is a relatively modest phenomenon and of questionable practical meaningfulness from a hypertrophy perspective. Standing calf raise places the gastrocnemius under maximal stretch and maximises force output. Seated render the muscle actively insufficient and forces the soleus to take the brunt of the work.