Justin Rivelli’s Physique Transformations

Tag: form

Lat Pulldowns: How to Make Them More Effective
In this post you will learn…

1. Eight “mistakes” of the lat pulldown.
2. How to make this exercise more effective.
3. What a “good” lat pull-down looks like.

The lat pull-down is an extremely common exercise I see butchered daily. Below you will learn how to make this exercise more effective by generating more tension on the musculature you are aiming too (the latissimus dorsi or the “lats”). Let’s get started.

EIGHT LESS THAN OPTIMAL WAYS TO EXECUTE THE LAT PULLDOWN

1.) The elbows go behind back behind your torso, not towards your back pockets.

When you pull your elbows back, the humerus (upper arm) glides forward and causes and excessive amount of stress on the anterior capsule (front) of the shoulder. It also causes an anterior tilt of the scapulae leading to less tension on the musculature we want. The latissimus dorsi or the lats.

2.) The Chest Caves, The Shoulders Shrug, & Or Your Using Too Heavy Of Weight

This usually happens when you get tired, or the weight is too heavy for you. This can also reinforce problem number one.

3.) Pulling The Bar Too Low

Most people don’t even have enough mobility to pull the bar to the chest, forget going any further. By pulling the bar down this far you disengage the lats (the muscles you want to be “working”) and almost automatically make mistake number one mentioned above.

4.) Excessively Arching The Back & Extending The Ribs

This isn’t “wrong” but by excessively arching your upper back you switch from primarily using your latissimus dorsi (lats) to using your middle trapezius and rhomboids. Since this exercise is called a lat pulldown, I am guessing most of you would like to know how to maximize the activation of your lats. Over extending your thoracic spine isn’t how you do this.

5.) Leaning Back (different than arching)

Again not “incorrect” however, here you are using your HIPS in place of the slight upper back arching (thoracic spine extension) you need to engage the lats. People with poor upper back (t-spine) mobility tend to do this. By leaning back you also switch from primarily using your lats to using your middle traps and rhomboids.

6.) Pulling The Bar Behind The Head Without Enough Mobility & Excessive Forward Head Forward

I disagree that the behind the neck lat pulldown is inherently bad, but it’s the application of it that makes it a poor movement.

You can pull the bar behind your head, but most people lack the required amount of mobility and flexibility to do so. This in turn can be damaging to the shoulder (increase your risk for shoulder impingement and cause damage to the anterior capsule). This exercise also usually reinforces more forward head posture because as you pull down the bar, most people protrude the head forward (see the picture above) to prevent slamming their head during the movement.

7.) Calling It A Lateral Pulldown!

Like I have said multiple times already, the primary muscle being used in this movement is the latissimus dorsi. Your not executing anything “lateral” here.

8.) Not Feeling It In The Right Place

People who perform this exercise can end up feeling it too much in the…

1. Biceps: There arms take over the movement. This is actually okay if it’s your goal.
2. Forearms: They curl the wrists. Again, it’s okay if it’s your objective.
3. Front of the shoulders: They make mistake number one.

Using less range of motion, changing your grip, holding the correct bottom position, or going lighter can help with this problem. With that said using the cues and techniques I am about to show you usually help you feel this movement where you should be. In your lats.

MAKING THE LAT PULLDOWN BETTER

The grip doesn’t matter (underhand, overhand, neutral, wide, narrow, different bars etc.) as the form basically follows the same rules for each.

Note: If you do notice you cant get into the correct positions below (for example you cant stop your shoulders from rounding forward) you may need some more specific exercise regressions, extra mobility work etc. first.

For The Visual leaner: Here is a picture of a correct lat pulldown.

For The Auditory Learner

Internal cues:
- Keep your shoulder blades (scapulae) and elbows down.
- Pull through the outside of your hand (your pinkies).
- Squeeze your glutes
- Keep your back straight
External cues:
- Stick your elbows and or the top of your shoulders in your back pockets.
- The top of your head is reaching towards the ceiling.
- Pinch a penny between your butt cheeks.
For The Kinesthetic Learner

I can’t touch you through the computer, Instagram or even Facetime etc., but if I could or if you want a partner to help you, have them…

1.) Put you in a correct position. For one example, if you were shrugging your shoulders (getting no scapular depression) I would push your shoulders down.

2.) Exaggerate your poor positioning to an extreme. This way you could feel what is wrong. Then I would have you perform the correct movement by yourself, or with some ” hands on” assistance if necessary.

3.) Hit, touch, or tap on the primary musculature that should be doing the work. In this case it is the lats (short for latissimus dorsi).

If you’re still not feeling it in your lats you may need to go lighter and hold a fully contracted position for 10-20 seconds. You can do this multiple times a week. Note that this may take a week or two, and even more until you really “get” it.

One of my Favorite Versions of the Lat Pulldown to Reinforce Good Technique

Try wrapping handles, two sets of straps, etc. around the lat pulldown bar that won’t slide. This allows you to pull the bar straight down, not in front or behind you to minimize things that can go wrong.

But be careful, and don’t do this! In the picture below the handles are too short and you can cause some damage to the top of your skull because of this. Note how my elbows can’t come down any further or my head would get crushed.

Instead get some longer handles or tie two sets of straps together etc. and do this. Now the bar won’t bash your head.

Setting up the exercise like this will ensure the lats are working over other muscle groups like the mid traps. Now you can pull straight down to your head without going behind the neck, or worrying about all the other mistakes I mentioned that come with keeping the bar in front of you.

Just get creative. If you have two pulleys at your lat pulldown machine just simply attach two handles and pull straight down. If you have a machine that you can pull to the side like this, do that.

Wow.

This ended up being a lot longer than I expected. Showing you mistakes of the lat pulldown, how to correct them, and demonstrating what good form looks like was my goal. I did this because I just haven’t seen a fully in depth explanation of the lat pulldown presented on one page, in a logical manner in a book or online. Yet. Hopefully I did my job. Feel free to share this post if it helped you or with someone you think may benefit.
February 15, 2014
You Probably Don’t Use This Style of Training But You Should
In this article you will learn…
1. What tempo training is.
2. How and why to utilize it.
3. Mistakes and corrections in the application of it.
Tempo Training: “The Break Down”

In simple terms, coming from a musician, tempo is defined as the speed or pace of a given “piece”. In a fitness sense, it’s the speed or pace of a given “exercise”. Although every movement we perform has a specific tempo naturally and without thinking, manipulating and/or paying attention to it is something you may benefit from.

What do the numbers mean?

This is how the parameters of an exercise are usually set up. Today we’re looking at the italicized tempo portion.

Exercise: Back squats
Sets: 5
Reps: 3
Rest time: 120-180 seconds
Tempo: 6-3-2-2

The first number (6) is the eccentric or lowering portion of the exercise: Here the muscle is lengthening while its getting worked. For example, this would be the lowering of a bar during a bench press, or the straightening of your arm while performing a biceps curl.

The second number (2) represents the pause in between the lowering and lifting portion of the exercise. This pause usually happens between the eccentric (lowering) phase and the concentric (lifting) phase of a repetition. An example would be when the bar is nearest your chest in the bench press, or when the arm is fully extended during a bicep curl.

The third number (3) is the concentric, or lifting portion of the exercise: The concentric contraction occurs when the muscle is shortening. Examples of this would be the pushing movement of the bar during a bench press, or the flexing (bending) of your elbow during a biceps curl.

The fourth number (2) explains the pause at the top, if you choose to include that: The contraction happens at the end of your concentric (lifting) portion. Examples would be at the top or lockout position with the arms straight at the top of the bench press, or when your elbow is fully bent at the top of a biceps curl.

Note:
- If you want to use, or see someone uses an (X) it means to perform that phase of the movement as fast as possible.
- If you want to use, or see someone uses a (0) it means you spend no time pausing at either the top or bottom of the exercise.
Tempo training can be implemented to achieve all types of goals. You can use it too…

Increase your strength and power

https://www.instagram.com/p/61AbrsxMVZ/?taken-by=justinrivelli

Increase muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth)

You can manipulate tempo to increase things like metabolic stress (the burning feeling when you train), mechanical tension (in simple terms using the heaviest loads you can handle) and or to increase muscle damage (by using a long eccentric contraction or unfamiliar movements).

Identify weaknesses, correct poor technique, or help with problem areas throughout an exercise.

By using different tempo’s (whether they are fast, paused, or slow) it enables you to see and feel certain positions and problem areas throughout the four phases of an exercise. This way you can gain better awareness of your body in space.

Improve body control, technique, and quality of movement.

For example if you struggle keeping a neutral spine near the bottom of a stiff legged deadlift, I could change the tempo so that you spend more time there to either create more confidence, strength, or familiarity in that position. I can even do it to give you a greater return of proper technique for the future.

Be aware of counting too fast.

Being a drummer my whole life I like to think I have a great sense of time and tempo. What I often notice is that because using slower tempos is challenging, people count inconsistently, and quicker than they think they are.

So how do you fix this?
1. You can look at or listen to a stopwatch or metronome, which sometimes can get annoying.
2. Have someone count for you, which will require a partner.
3. Count slower with one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand.
Or what I have also seen work great is…
1. Check and re-check an actual stopwatch from time to time, to make certain you are accurately counting the number of seconds properly.
2. Double the amount of time you want to perform, to ensure you’re counting slow enough.
The ways you can use tempo training are endless.

Here are a couple videos of me applying some different tempos.

Tempo training will give you a greater appreciation of an exercise, especially if you are getting bored and need to step out of some old habits. Pick a primary goal and execute numbers appropriately. If you need help with something specific, feel free to comment or message me.
January 17, 2014
You Must Learn This Before You Start Training (For Ladies and Gentlemen)
In this article I’m going to teach you three things…

1. Why you need to learn the hip hinge before you begin any type of training program..
2. The mistakes I come across in just about every client when coaching it.
3. How to correct these exact errors.

WHY LEARN THE HIP HINGE?

If you cannot perform a proper hip hinge, you should not be attempting some of the most important and popular exercises being taught or performed today. These include the deadlift, kettlebell swings, and rowing variations etc.

In person, I rarely work with someone that can initially perform a good hip hinge. Without question it usually takes in depth proper teaching, practice, grooving and loading to understand. In simple terms it takes repetition. Actually, proper repetition with the objective to get better is more like it.

The hip hinge is often overlooked in training facilities, rehab centers, and in everyday life. I cannot believe more personal trainers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, and orthopedics, etc. do not make sure they themselves and their clients or patients know how to perform it.

Since no amount of treatment or therapeutic modality is going to cure this movement, I believe it is my job to teach every single one of you how to do it. It’s not only appropriate but necessary you can feel the difference between loading a movement through your spine (and other unwanted areas), and loading a movement through more appropriate places like your hips and hamstrings.

Whether you are picking up something up and putting it down, shoveling, tying your shoes, or getting up from a toilet seat, a proper hip hinge will spare you the repetitive unwanted trauma that will lead to inefficiency and injury.

Here is what a good hip hinge looks like before I present, assess, and correct common mistakes of it.

HERE ARE FOUR COMMON MISTAKES OF THE HIP HINGE ND HOW TO CORRECT THEM:

Problem One: The hinge isn’t a squat.

Hip Hinging involves reaching the hips back, not dropping the butt down. Dropping the butt down, causes your weight to translate forward, not back.

If you stood with your knees against an object, they would hit it, or you would push it forward. This is incorrect. See what I am talking about in the video below.

SOLUTION!
If you were standing in front of an object and performing it correctly, your knees wouldn’t touch it at all. Look below to see a hip hinge where the hips are reaching back, but not dropping down:

Or you could even do this next to a wall to help fix your butt dropping problem.

Problem Two (s): Legs remain straight throughout the entire movement, excessive rounding or arching occurs, butt doesn’t go back.

In layman’s terms, excessively rounding or arching the back is not favorable for long term bone, or joint health. This is usually accompanied with straight knees, and the butt not going back as well.

SOLUTION!
Problem Three: Using your lower back, not your hips to finish the lift.

The first mistake I see in this category is “leaning back”. This is where people use lumbar (lower back) extension, instead of hip extenison. The second mistake I see is where people do not use hip extension or their glutes at all. They are both shown in the pictures below.

Solution:
Problem Four: Hyperextending the low back, upper back, and or neck.

This might be less serious than the other problems for the majority of the population, especially seeing some coaches teach this position on purpose. But for the most part learning neutral alignment instead of hyperextending everything is a smarter safer choice. It’ll not only help with performance of other lifts, but create awareness of positioning as well.

Solution:
1. Place a dowel rod, tick, broom, or whatever you have onto your back.
2. Perform the hip hinge.
3. During the movement make sure it maintains contact with the following three places. The back of your head (occipital region), in between your shoulder blades (scapula), and your tailbone (sacrum).
4. If you lose contact, something is out of alignment. To correct it, just reassure the dowel rod is in contact with the three areas mentioned above.
If you stuck with me this long so far, thats great! Now let’s take a quick look at some exercises that involve the hip hinge I taught you above. I left out pictures of kettlebell swings, good mornings and certain Olympic lifts etc. Just note exercises other than the ones presented below will require you know the hip hinge in order to be performed.

Bent over barbell rowing:

Bent Over Rear Deltoid Raises:

Stiff Legged Deadlifts:

And finally, a short clip of the conventional deadlift using the hip hinge correctly.

By learning the hip hinge you will not only enhance your physique and performance, but prevent injury and increase your training years more than you can imagine. It will also help you look like you’re an advanced trainee, lifter, gym rat or whatever you want to call it. Whether you’re at a gym, moving a sofa, picking up grocery bags, or playing with your child at a bouncy house, you will be a master of this movement anywhere you go if you implement what I just showed you.

P.S. If and only if this post helps you please feel free to share it with anyone you believe could benefit from it.
January 3, 2014