Form pointers needed on two exercises please

andieje

Cathlete
Hello

I was wondering if you would be able to give me some advice on problems I am having with two exercises.

Firstly in the lying extensions in S&H my elbow on my left arm often locks up half way up so I cannot straigten my arm. I have to quickly leave the exercise and straighten my arm and then try and return to the exercise.

Does anyone have any advice on how to avoid this?

Also, when I do dumbell rows in S&H I can feel my triceps being used far more than I think they should be. Please can anyone advise on how to make sure I am using my lats.

Thank you very much
Andrea :)
 
On the dumbell row, lower the weight by the next increment down and really retract that shoulder blade. Make sure your back is flat as a table, keep elbow in close to the body. Keep the should retracted through the whole move, don't let the dumbell pull the arm down, use your arm to lower the weight. Think through it, get a good feel, then go back to your usual weight.

If you have Power Hour, filming does an EXCELLENT job of zooming in on Cathes retracted shoulder blade.

That's the best I've got! HTH!!

Sarah
 
Lightening weights on the extension could help, but it sounds like you might have a problem that might need input from a PT.

For dumbell rows, think of pulling through your elbow, then when you have the weight up, think of squeezing your elbow in toward your middle back (it might be easier to do if you do both arms at once, and pull the elbows towards each other). That's a tip I got from Gunnar Peterson's workouts, and I really feel it in my lats when I do rows this way, even with lighter weights.

It may also help to go through the motions of the exercise with no weights, and concentrate on using the lats (to help develop a mind-body connection that you can apply to the move with weights).
 
Hello

Thanks for the pointers. I have tried the dumbell row ones and they definitely help. I think my left elbow is just weak. All of my joints are weak - runs in the family.

Andrea :)
 

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