Take the Confusion Out of Strength Training
By Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE
If you're overwhelmed by opinions about where to hold the bar when pressing, which angle is better for curls or if you should go by the feel when gripping the rope, you aren't alone. A few weeks back, I wrote about different hand and foot positions and how they affect your muscles in a different way. This week, I’m going to help you take the guesswork out of the cable attachments to help you fine tune your training results.
You may be intimidated by the number of cable attachments you see when you walk into a gym. They may be found scattered about the fitness floor or neatly stacked on racks. I’ll highlight the advantages of these useful accessories to help add some purpose and variety to your routines.
1. EZ-Bar -- This bar is shaped like a flattened out "W," which provides two places for you to grip -- along the straight outside or the angled inside. This bar is mostly used for bicep curls, triceps press downs and upright rows. A palms up grip with a lower cable emphasizes the biceps, a palms down grip focuses on the brachialis and a neutral grip emphasizes the brachioradialis.
For biceps, you can hold the grip where you feel most comfortable. For the triceps push down, use the upper cable with a close grip. The further you grip towards the outside of the bar, the more chest muscles you begin to incorporate.
2. Multi Use Bar -- This bar helps to relieve some of the stress on the wrists, because it swivels as you move throughout the range of motion. When used for rows and pull downs, the closer grip helps you focus on your biceps in addition to the lats.
3. Press Down Bar -- This bar looks like an inverted "U." These come with stoppers on the end to keep your hands from sliding off. This is great for triceps press downs. This bar helps you keep a neutral grip and stresses all three heads of the triceps when performing overhead extensions.
4. Angled Press Down Bar -- This bar looks like an inverted "V." It places less stress on your wrists because it revolves. The stoppers also help you to position your hands safely. This is mostly used for triceps press downs but can also be used for close grip curls.
5. Straight Bar -- This bar mimics an Olympic bar in shape but is smaller in length and width. This bar places more stress on the wrists than the ez-curl bar. You may want to avoid this one if you have wrist problems. Try to only use a straight bar that swivels to put less stress on the wrists and incorporate the forearm musculature.
6. Tri-Angular -- This bar can be used for low rows and it is effective in stimulating your back muscles. Placing the hands in the middle of the handle focuses on the rhomboids, traps and lats. If you see different size triangular grips, try all sizes for a slight change in muscular activation. During a row, the only motion taking place should be from the shoulders. The torso should remain stationary.
7. Single Handle D Grip -- You can work just about any upper body muscle with this attachment. The cable allows for free motion, and you can work unilaterally (one arm at a time). This helps to balance out both sides of your body equally.
This handle can be used for a variety of bicep curls, triceps kickbacks, press downs, extensions, chest flys, cable crossovers, back rows, lateral raises and so on. Using the D grip allows you to stimulate muscle fibers that may otherwise not be utilized doing traditional free weight or machine exercises. For example, when doing the cable crossover, try crossing the hands over each other (as the name implies). Those final few inches of the movement maximally activate the inner portions of the pecs.
8. Lat Bar -- This bar is primarily used for lateral pull downs. The wider the grip, the greater the upper lat emphasis. Using an overhand grip, the upper lats, teres major, the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids are the major muscles involved. The more narrow the grip, the more emphasis on the lower lats, traps and biceps. Use both grips in your routine to completely develop the lats.
9. Rope -- The rope also gives you free form movement and allows for a full range of motion. You can go further with a rope than you can with a straight bar, therefore recruiting additional muscle fibers. Adding a twist at the end of a triceps press down adds more intensity to the exercise. Some exercises include: triceps press downs, overhead extensions, rows, straight arm pull-downs, hammer curls, supinated curls and abdominal crunches. You can even perform exercises unilaterally using one end of the rope.
So, if you have been ignoring the attachments or just using the same ones in the same old ways, it’s time to get a little creative and take advantage of the multiple uses these accessories provide. Your reward will be soreness in places you never imagined could be sore, along with some newly acquired definition.