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Post by beardedbob on Mar 24, 2008 18:23:03 GMT -5
My workouts are significantly different then bodybuilders in that I do not use weights anymore.( I stopped lifting weights in 1996). I now rely on pushups ,pull ups, chin ups and various other exercises to try to keep my almost 60 year old body in shape. To decrease body fat I walk 30 to 60 minutes a day and from April thru December try to kayak 5 days a week. Although I fish from the kayak, which you would not think of as an exercise, I do kayak sprints and some distance kayaking to get to the fish, and use the weight of the fish as they pull away to do various exercises, which can be quite strenuous. I am 5'3" and under 150 lbs.I'm looking to cut up a bit more, but having trouble developing my serratus. When I was younger the serratus showed, but I lost the look with age. Since I no longer do bent arm pullovers, which I believe was the right exercise for me,I am not sure what to do and would appreciate some advice. I 'm not fat, but could be trimmer so possibly I need to trim down more to have the serratus show. WHATTA ya think ?
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Post by jasony on Mar 25, 2008 6:55:35 GMT -5
Welcome BeardedBob!!!
If you want to develop the serratus anterior without using pull overs, some sort of roll out can be done using a ball or one of those wheel things they used to advertise on TV. Cable crunches and wood choppers help with this as well. If you want to show definition, cutting is the only way to do that.
I've never been that cut:))
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Post by koneill on Mar 25, 2008 12:27:51 GMT -5
The serratus also respond by means of what's called the "serape effect" when doing twisting movements such as hi to low and low to high chops with cables or tubing cables. A ring of interrelated muscles composed of exterior and interior obliques, serratus anterior and rhomboids are all activated by the serape effect. It's named after the Mexican garment worn over the torso, put on like a t-shirt. More information can be found in the works of Juan Carlos Santana, likely the book on stability ball training or medicine ball training.
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Post by al on Mar 25, 2008 15:48:42 GMT -5
Hey Bob,
Can't believe you don't do pullovers anymore. I remember when you wrestled, that was "your" exercise and gave you quite the chest and back for someone in the 105 lb class.
Yea, those low/high, high/low woodchoppers Jason and Ken recommended will do the trick. You said you have bands, right? If not, buy some. (Don't make me call you a cheap bastard in front of all these people. Mom will come back to haunt me.)
The serratus (serrati?) also come into play during the press, since they contract when you move your shoulder blades forward. I'm not talking about the old Olympic press we did as kids, where we bowed our backs as we pressed. The way they teach the movement these days, you push the weight directly over head while moving your head forward through your arms. To do so, you have to pull your shoulder blades into your body, thereby activating the serratus.
Since you don't lift weights anymore, why don't you try this with your handstand pushups? You'll have to play with your distance from the wall to see where the optimum spot is to get the shoulder blades involved optimally, but I think it will be worth the effort.
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Post by beardedbob on Mar 25, 2008 21:22:51 GMT -5
Thank you for the advice. I'll give them a try and let you know how I do. Al.... can I tye rubberbands together to make an exercise band. In the store they cost.... $11.00 !!!!!. I get the rubberbands free on my escarole.
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Post by al on Mar 27, 2008 11:47:58 GMT -5
Yes, escarole rubber bands work well, as long as you double them up.
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Post by koneill on Mar 28, 2008 16:02:51 GMT -5
for general purpose training, the JC Predator bands can't be beat - or at least as far as I know. Those are from Juan Carlos Santana in Boca Rotan, Florida - with shipping about $55. He also has DVD and book for all sorts of training uses. His books are extremely well done, written in a style showing he learned a lot in graduate school - thorough, to the point, no stone left unturned, and highly instructive for movements. What he doesn't make plain is the resistance in those tubings. The beginner's model is fairly challenging for most people. I have a set of the intermediates, known as Elite. The top end, green ones are the professional model, having a reported combined 600 lbs of resistance when fully configured. I'd guess the elites get close to 400 lbs resistance depending on how far you stretch them for stretch position. I've used less costly bands in the past, finding how easily they break - they don't seem made for hardcore lifters.
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Post by al on Mar 30, 2008 16:05:28 GMT -5
Thanks, Ken. I bought my bands from Westside Barbell. So far, they're holding up well.
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