weight questions

[Jul]

Hi Cathe and everyone! I am unable to do tricep dips and I modify with Pat on PS CST. My question is: Since my goal is muscle definition, when I am modifying with Pat with the dumbbell over my head should I use a lighter weight and do the reps quickly keeping up with the tempo of you and the crew who are dipping or should I use a heavier weight and do slower reps? I noticed Pat keeps up with your "dip speed" and does fast repetions.
Question 2 - When doing side laterals, Cathe says "Lead with your elbows". I am not sure that I'm leading with my elbows. Does that mean the elbow comes up first before my hands/fore-arms & weights?
Thanks for all input & help!

 

[debmac]

I'm not Cathe, but I'm glad you asked, Jul!

The same questions occurred to me, just 2 days ago when I did the PS upperbody tapes! I also do the overhead modification instead of the dips, as I feel it works my triceps more effectively. I use a heavy dumbbell and I go at about half the pace that Pat does. I was wondering the same question myself! I also wondered about your second question too--when I watch the video, it doesn't appear that Cathe & crew's elbows are higher than the rest of their arms. You read my mind with these questions! Looking forward to Cathe's input! Thanks!

 

[Jul]

Great minds!

You know what they say about great minds!!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Jul!

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON May-19-00 AT 05:05PM (EST)</font></center>

As far as deciding whether you should go lighter or heavier with extentions is simply a matter of preference. Both methods will bring out muscle definition. As a suggestion, you may want to do it one way for a while and after a few workouts do it the other.

Although you already mentioned this, I would just like to reiterate that if you decide to go with heavy weight, then you need to slow the rep speed down. Be sure that you are able to maintain impeccable form during your exercise reps/sets with the weight that you have selected. Actually, the nature of your arm position during extentions makes it difficult to go very heavy anyway.

When leading with the elbows during side laterals, yes the elbows are SLIGHTLY higher than the wrists. Notice that this lead is very subtle. It is just a visionary to help encourage you to lift your entire arm up more evenly as one unit, verses the tendency of letting your hands hoist the handweights upward with momentum, causing your hands to fly up much higher than the height of the shoulder. I must admit that when I get tired I have to work hard to fight this tendency myself. Hope this helps to clarify things.

 

[debmac]

thanks, Cathe

I *think* I remember a segment from a Firm video.....might be MBS....in which Tracie Long demonstrates what NOT to do in side lateral raises, and she really exaggerates doing the move with her hands flying up much higher than her elbows. Now I see that your cue to lead with your elbows is basically the same cue as Tracie's visual showing us what not to do. Thanks for clarifying this. Don't want to be doing anything wrong! LOL!