When is comes to training vids, I have NOT found a close second to John Meadows Free tips and info. Morning coffee, Mountain dog video, then off to the Gym.. My daily routine.
Training for over 20 years, now starting to use more machines just for the sake of my joints in the long term. I usually go by feel, so when I don't feel tension on my pecs, or any other muscles for that matter, I usually stop my ROM. This actually makes a lot of sense to me, as we all know, time under tension helps create hypertrophy. I've seen way too many people use these machines incorrectly, mostly just loading up so much weight that they can't properly get into "thier" best ROM. Like to see more of these vids on other muscle groups, great stuff.
It's amazing how much of a difference it makes having a "safety net" isn't it? You can go as heavy as you physically can without any risk. I encourage any "traditional" lifter to try different machines for chest. They do work.
Despair Also can use a stricter form on machines. I get a sore chest more from machines than when I bench heavy. I think it’s just an old school bodybuilder thing to hate on machines. Also good for preventing injury.
人間の原則を超えた男 Solely because you don’t have to balance the bar/dumbbells and you don’t have to throw the dumbbells down after a set. Whatever works for you, I still bench and lift dumbbells more than using the machines but I usually use the machines at the end of a workout to fatigue my chest. Agree cable flies are one of the best exercises and especially compared to dumbbell flies which I personally think are useless.
I’m a physics major and I think Eugene explained it wrong. On the first one the weight is first being lifted vertically and then starts rotating towards the machine similar to dumbbell flyes where the start of the movement is hardest because of the distance the weight is out a distance from the machine (aka your body in the flye case). The downward force is calculated by the weight of the object multiplied by the distance away it is from the fulcrum, in the case of flyes it’s the horizontal distance out from your shoulder joint. Where as directly above your shoulder joint it has the same downward force but is nearly all being held by the bones in your arm and not your muscle. It’s just a direct load on your bones at that stage. On the second machine the distance from the fulcrum isnt changing like eugene says, however the weight is lifting vertically up at first and then rotating so it is no longer travelling perfectly vertically. The amount of force to lift a weight depends on the sine of the angle it is being lifted at. So lifting a weight vertically up (sine of 90 degrees) requires the maximum force, where as lifting a weight from A to B horizontally requires the minimum amount of force (sine of zero degrees). And then on the third machine the weight travels vertically the whole time so it always requires maximum force to lift.
markdelej Exactly what I was thinking. I’m majoring in mechanical engineering and the statics course is basically the idea of this video but applied to chest machines.
Yeah i think though the physics of it doesnt matter that much because you can feel tension on muscles anyway so your natural feeling of dumbbell flyes being hardest at the bottom and easier at the top will be correct where as cable flyes feel hard throughout the whole movement. So even without knowing the physics of the machine it doesnt really matter and if you go like john does by feel it will still work great. An engineer would be better at explaining it than me. I think to put it as simply as possible: When a weight is lifted directly from A to B vertically upwards it requires the most force. When a weight is being lifted at an angle upwards (so not directly straight up) it makes it easier. So any movements with dumbbells or plated machines with a rotation involved will have an easy part of the lift and a hard part
That's pretty much what he said without breaking it down further than necessary. He probably could have made the point that "closer to" means relative to gravity not the distance measured between the points at any given angle.
That kinda blew my mind....I was just "wait whaaat?" and then on the Hammer Strenaght it clicked for me. Thank you this was really helpful. AND after first thinking...meh this guy isn´t like the other Fitness RU-vidrs. To coming back to your content because I want to understand and learn more and more lol. Your content is great!
Very good vid about WHY those machines hit the exact muscles they are supposed to. They almost take error out of it, close to Hammer Strength. It’s really fun to use great equipment!!
I personally do not like using machines. It is mainly because because I used so many different gyms due to travel that the likelyhood of seeing the exact same machine was slim. With that being said, I wish I would have known this information from the start. After this video I feel like I’m going to be more consistent with my workout routines because I have a better understanding on how to use and set up the machines. Great information.
GREAT VIDEO! I DID INCLINE PRESS ON THE HAMMER STRENGTH AND AFTER A FEW REPS OF LOCKING OUT I FELT MORE TENSION IN MY BICEP MORE THEN MY PEC. HAD TO DO HALF REP TO KEEP THE TENSION. NEVER PAID ATTENTION TO THE MECHANICS OF THE MACHINE NOW I WILL THANKS .
I am an engineer and have no idea what he is calling the (very hard finger quote) joint (very hard finger quote) of the machine. I am not sure if he is just a bad explainer or actually does not know what he is talking about. Lets take the hammer strength machine for example... If i took a string and tied it to the load bar and the pivoting joint, there would be no stretch in that string. The difference in resistance the user feels is due to the change of angle the load path moves away from parallel, aka the user has to push harder to move the weight up than he does to move the weight parallel to the ground. Its the same effect of an angled leg press vs a vertical leg press, with the same weight loaded on both machines the vertical press will be more difficult and require more force to move the load.
The radius is constant on the second machine meaning the distance from the pivot location is constant. As others have said a little off on why it feels different there. Love the info however, we all learn!
Chest machines are definitely improving my bench press. I've been to the gym only for a month after almost two years and I'm already benching 200 lbs, very slowly getting back to my 225 PR. I weight 193 lbs at the moment so I should be able to destroy that PR by at least 20 lbs in the next two months. I always learn something different from these videos. Thanks, John!
I love machines more and more! Been watching Eddie Hall's videos a lot too, and he does either a squat, DL, or BP, then finishes everything off with machine work.
Personally the biggest thing i see is people not retracting their scapula and pinching their shoulder blades back... I never got that mind to muscle connection until i started doing that.
I'd love to try either of these. Bench is my weakest compound movement and I don't always have a spotter. I end up using the seated Hammer press and it's ok.
The first machine is so easy to finish squeezing the chest. I've never seen before these machines look very interesting, and feel disappointed not to train with them.
Hello sir as a suggestion please make your next video on how to mix strength training with hypertrophy training so we don't just grow but also keep getting strong as heck...
youre finally in my city and Im out of commission post hip replacement lol. We really should train together sometime. Im a trainer retired nat BBer and commercial actor/model.
That incline body masters press machine there all over the place down here in Mississippi i try a different gym every now and then for variety and just cant get away seems like all tbe gyms in my area has one
interesting to hear that. i collect gym equipment and it took me a very long time to find a cxp bodymasters incline chest press. i buy from all over the states.
I need to start doing a few machines, keep pulling a damn pec. Its sore but no bruising so I just hit it again the next week but I have this nagging feeling I should back off. I started doing floor presses of the shrug machine it's an amazing chest exercise you should try it. I'm going to start using some options for machines more. Thanks again.
Thats true...some hammer strength shoulder press machines seem more difficult than others ...some i can load with 5 plates others only 3 and a quarter.
Do a video about all the unorthodox unique workouts or different ways to use machines that you've found during your career and being in and out of gyms. That would be a cool video. Example: Hammer lat pull dwn machine can be used as a tricep push dwn machine Preacher curl can be used to hit long head of triceps Calve machines can be used to do trap shrugs
this was great! if one trains with an weaker person or an elderly that cant handle that much of a load in the starting possition. To look for a machine with the joint close to and then get further out, an easy start with not so much pressure on the shoulder. I train with my father so this will come in handy. Physics by john and Co XD
I hear a lot of guys say using those Hammer machines is cheating not real strength let's put it into that can you mention something about that so I don't have to hear it any longer I use them because it keeps me from getting hurt I'm 70 years old pushing good and I want to keep doing it but I keep hearing those guys say that all the time at the gym 24-Hour Fitness Hayward California
I guess mainly what I'm trying to get from you is a response in what I can tell these people who tell me this stuff thank you so much it is good to see you and your bride working out Frank Montenegro
Thanks MD&E! I do have a question regarding tension as that topic came up again. Since I have been focusing on compensatory acceleration and trying to generate as much torque from the trained muscle and trying to keep the same amount of tension on the muscle in the shortest position by squeezing as hard as I am able to for a full second, would that be considered potial loss of time under tension? As there is a significant difference in tension during the repetition. My practical results so far: I have much more conscious control over the muscle and the amount of used weight has reduced significantly but the bloodflow, fatigue and damage I'm able to produce is something I haven't experienced so far with exception of using intensity techniques. Thanks again for the video 😁
What about using bands for the machines where you lose tension on the lockout ? Like for example hammer strength incline where jay cutler was coming short of lockout ?
I like putting bands on the Hammer Strength incline press. I put them on the Hammer Strength leg press as well-try that with a 6 sec eccentric. Ooof. It feels like it wants to kill you. 😀
Hi John, question about an Techno**** Pure incline chest press. When i do this i don't feel it in my upper chest. How low or high should i set the seat? Should the handles be just around my chin or lower? Or should i change my handposition? Thanks for all your great videos, love watching them!
yea those are harder on front delts than anything...you have to make sure when you bring weight down your elbows aren't tucked, and they arent out to side, they are in between, That is the direction the fibers run. I have a video on this coming in 1-2 weeks, just filmed it.
Hammer Strength Row Machine, always seemed easier at full pull inwards...physics, the force pushing down is more absorbed my the machine at that point.
Tell eugene to come to Kentucky and follow me around to all the gyms I visit regularly and give me some tips👍👍 but I'm poor so if he doesn't mind footing the bill. Lol, I got 4 kids, what else do I need to say 🤠
Our gym has a similar Hammer Strength machine. My issue is that I hate how low the starting position is. Doesn't feel correct for me. Stacking some plates at the stopper doesn't always work. Any ideas?
i just did chest yesterday too... is Thursday always chest day? for me it is, today is back day, saturday sunday i work too much to go to gym so those are off days. monday is always arms.
