Cathe.....

T

trevor

Guest
this might be dumb but can you tell me any exercises I can use to substitute for the overhead press? I have reached 170 pounds on the machine at the club and that is the entire stack so no more weight is available on that machine. Maybe I should just go to overhead presses using dumbbells perhaps? I also have the same problem with leg extensions as I have reached the end of the stack at 315 pounds. Should I just do them one-legged?
Thanks.
Trevor
:)
 
Hey Trevor,

Maybe you need to cut the spinach eating! Popeye is getting jealous and you don't want to make him mad do you?

}(

p.s. just kidding - I am in awe!
 
You're too much...LOL!! Actually I think it just sounds like alot but I really am quite average strenght-wise. Nothing special. If anything these dang machines just need more weight on them!! :)
Trevor
 
Well Trev, if you are just average, then how come the machine doesn't have enough weight for you? I can't believe they would make them like that if the "average" person would already be maxed out.

So either:

a) you are being modest, or
b) all people in Europe eat too much spinach and the weight machines come from N. America, or
c) I have too much free time on my hands.

I CHOOSE to pick a), since I don't want to admit to c) because it would mean I was a loser! hehe

Anyways, sorry to butt in on your thread, but I figured as long as I wasn't flaming you, Cathe wouldn't mind a little humor around here!
 
Holy Moly! How about lifting cars or something as a substitute??? LOL!! I'm VERY impressed ...

Carol
:)
 
Did you see the guy on Leno/Letterman who was lifting sofas, riding lawn mowers, etc.? Maybe you should just pick up the whole weight machine instead of just the weight stack!
juliee
 
Why are you using machines??? How about free weights? More motorunits are recruited. Or better yet, free weight over head presses (should) while sitting on a swiss ball... Arnold Press. Alernate should Press. Clean and Press...this list is endless...machines i'm not a big fan of.
 
I switch back and forth between free weights and machines for most exercises but I have always done overhead press via machine so maybe I should just go to dumbbells. I was just hoping Cathe had seen something that could substitute that exercise so I won't be stuck doing free weight overhead press forever. Also for leg extensions there isn't a free weight exercise to substitute for it. It is an auxiliary exercise so I could drop it totally from my workouts but I like the squeeze I get with it.
Incidentally the machines I use are Cybex machines and have alot of range of motion. You'd be surprised. The arms have side to side freedom as well as forward and back motion. Also machines allow heavier weight to be used in alot of cases and less time stacking and unloading weights.
I do know what you are saying, free weights are very good, but I wouldn't be using the Cybex unless I thought they were excellent. I've been lifting off and on since high school(19 yrs.) and hard now for 2-3 yrs.
Trevor
:)
 
Hey Trevor, aren't you following the Hyertrophy method? Three days, total body per week? How is it going? Any improvements? Gains in mass and or body fat loss? Would love to hear...:)
 
I did do the Hypertrophy thing for about 12 weeks I believe. Then I switched up and right now am doing this:
Sun -- spin class
Mon -- chest/back/shoulders
Tues -- 20 min intervals
Wed. -- legs/tris/bis
Thurs. -- off or 20 min. intervals
Fri. -- chest/back/shoulders
Sat. -- off or less intense longer duration cardio OR extra weights on areas I am really looking to improve in.

The next week I would start off Mon with legs/tris/bis so that one week leg/tris/bis get 2 workouts and the next week chest/back/shoulders gets two.
I do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps. I do abs 3-4 times per week and use many different ab exercises to keep it fresh. The intervals can be treadmill, stair climber, other cardio equipment, and I mix Cathe in also. These cardio sessions are very intense. For instance, on the treadmill I might go 20 mins. with 2 mins. off(7:30 min. per mile) then go 1 min. on(6:30 or 6:15 min. per mile pace), and alternate these.
The hypertrophy workouts were great but very time consuming. Also total body workouts don't allow me to go as heavy as I want because my muscles are so fried from working so much in one day. Just my opinion.
I am going really heavy and it's working. My goal was to hit 185 pounds on my 6 foot frame and be able to hold the weight. I am very close now, at 182 pounds. I was as low as 163 in June from way too much cardio and improper eating.
I have to eat like crazy though, lots of protein. And I cannot emphasize enough....HEAVY HEAVY weights and slow movements if you want to get bigger.
Cathe is gonna kill me for taking up all this space in her ASK CATHE forum!! Right Cathe? hehehe
:p
Trevor
 
Problem with hand stand pushups is that Treveor only weighs about 150! LOL Not really, I don't know how much he weighs but from his pictures, I'm guessing it's not much more than 175-180. He's a slender man--nice build! Doesn't show off his legs enough!

Love ya, Trev!
 
Trevor...what is your diet like? Can i see a copy of it? I'm 6ft. 160lbs. 12% body fat. I have a six pack. 12" arms and 40" chest. I want to add bulk (lean mass) to my frame. I eat about 20-35 g pro every meal (5 meals). What about carbs. Do you count em? High? Low? Would be most grateful if you could send me something...email is [email protected] or post it on here. Thank you. Wayne :)
 
Well, Trevor you sure got some serious attention from all of us, wow! I don't know what to tell you, I don't believe that I will ever have that problem.
I loved your conversation with punky3333, what a great laugh. She is very cute with what she said.
Good luck, I hope that Cathe can help you.
 
How about preexausting the muscle with some lateral raises, or even rear shoulder flyes, then going right to the overhead press machine. That will make the #170 feel heavier than it is!
 
Hey Wayne,
I am not on any specific diet. I try to eat at 40-35-25 ratio of carbs-protein-fat. The fact that I have picked up my protein intake through protein bars, drinks and eating things like chicken and turkey is what is helping me. Before I was just chewing myself up with too much cardio and could not get my bodyweight up. Now that I am heavier the muscle is showing through much better I think.
Trevor
 
Hi Trevor,

There is nothing wrong with mixing up machines and free weights; the trouble occurs when one becomes too dependent on machines and develops not only pattern overload, but also atrophy of the important stabilizer muscles.

I vote for using dumbbells, but keep in mind that the overhead press puts a lot of compressive forces on the spine. Therefore, if your deep abdominal muscles are weak (Transverse Abs and Internal Obliques), you could be doing more harm than good trying to heavy up with free weights due to the lack of trunk stabilization.

Kathryn's suggestion about the front raise pre-exhaust is helpful, as the overhead press works the anterior deltoid (shoulder flexion), as well as the upper trapezius and triceps muscles. So, you could also pre-exhaust your triceps and find you will push less weight on the Cybex.

I am always in favor of doing a completely different exercise once you max out the current - something that challenges as many muscles as possible. Cathe does a great inverted shoulder press on Push-Pull. You are pressing your own body weight, but the entire core is active during the exercise. I usually rewind and do two sets! Regular dumbbell shoulder presses seated on a stability ball will fire up the stabilizers. Keeping both feet close together on the floor (while seated on the ball) will require more of a balance challenge than feet farther apart. You can also try the presses seated on the ball and balance with one foot an inch or too off the floor. Or, as you mentioned, standing up balancing on one leg. The possibilities are endless!

You sound very dedicated and committed with a variety of routines, and variety is key to results. Let us know what your altnerative is!

-Roe
 
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