Incline?

ApolytonGP · Post by **ApolytonGP** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:16 am

Should I add incline? Right now, my push type motions are:

Bench (DB)
tricep press thingie (sort of like a dip...probably move to weighted dips soon as getting hard to stay on the machine)
overhead press (new, used to do flies)
lateral raise

I would keep the first two and switch out one of the last two. I do wonder if that's too much pressing though. USed to have pec flies, maybe go back to them after my pec recovers.

Whole things seems like kind of a puzzle since there are more good exercises to do than I have capacity for.

frogbyte · Post by **frogbyte** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:11 pm

Of those 4 the press is the most important. The tricep machine would be first to go.

jml · Post by **jml** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:00 pm

Yes, you must do incline. But it won't work unless you do 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75º. You also must do decline. Also to prevent imbalances you must do a row at each one of these angles.

Han · Post by **Han** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:31 pm

All you really need is a horizontal (DB bench covers this) and a vertical (overhead press). You could do some incline as assistance work, or swap it in for bench or overhead (depending on how much incline) to change things up every 6-8 weeks or so.

IMHO there is no need for someone with your goals to do direct tricep work if you are pressing as above. At most, just do a few sets after your compound work as a finisher.

ApolytonGP · Post by **ApolytonGP** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:52 pm

To be honest, I think the tricep press although advertised as an isolation is really a compound motion. And I lift a lot of weight doing it. It's really similar to dips.

Han · Post by **Han** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:06 pm

If you are talking about one of those dip type machines, then it is essentially another press.

Can't see the need to do dips, bench press, overhead press AND incline in the same workout. Maybe if you were some kind of advanced bodybuilder. Maybe not even then.

If I were you I'd switch out the machine, and do DB Bench and DB OHP as your main lifts. Then do some incline as assistance and lat raises to finish off.

Actually if I were you I'd be doing 5x5 type full body workouts, but that's a separate issue.

ApolytonGP · Post by **ApolytonGP** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:07 pm

jml wrote:Yes, you must do incline. But it won't work unless you do 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75º. You also must do decline. Also to prevent imbalances you must do a row at each one of these angles.

I love this post!

ApolytonGP · Post by **ApolytonGP** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:18 pm

Han wrote:If you are talking about one of those dip type machines, then it is essentially another press.

Can't see the need to do dips, bench press, overhead press AND incline in the same workout. Maybe if you were some kind of advanced bodybuilder. Maybe not even then.

If I were you I'd switch out the machine, and do DB Bench and DB OHP as your main lifts. Then do some incline as assistance and lat raises to finish off.

Actually if I were you I'd be doing 5x5 type full body workouts, but that's a separate issue.

1. I'm already doing 3 of those lifts, so I would just be switching out the tricep press for the incline. Maybe I will do that eventually but right now, I have a hardon for the tricep thingie, since I broke 200. Want to take it until I max the machine out, or find it impossible to wedge myself down into the thing from the weight. Going at 5# per 2 weeks, should take me 26 weeks to max it out (285). After that I would go to real dips or weighted dips. Those aren't bad for your shoulder or pec right?

2. But I'm progressing very methodically with my screwed up routine.

Neener, neener!

Seriously, why change what works?

Han · Post by **Han** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:26 pm

Errr, ok. Personally I would rather set a goal to be "bench my bodyweight" rather than max out a machine.

Why change what works? To change to something that works better, perhaps?

If I was driving a Ford Focus and someone offered me a Ford GT, I'd change ....

ApolytonGP · Post by **ApolytonGP** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 11:14 pm

Bodyweight DB bench would be impressive. (adding the two DBs, I mean. I don't know if we have DBs higher than 150!)

Post by **Jungledoc** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 11:54 pm

Pick a couple of stinking exercises and do them for a while. Sheesh! Just pick some and do them. After a while you'll know more about them. Then do some others. After a while change again. After a while you can go back an pick up the ones you liked best.

As a great man once said:

Stephen Johnson wrote:Endless analysis is a poor substitute for actually rolling up your sleeves and doing the work. It has appeal to people who like to procrastinate. Experience is the best teacher.