I watched Alex Leonidas' chest expander workout video yet again, to try to catch details I've missed before. Some things I'd missed include the backdown set of Sideway Extension and the 2nd Bicep Curl set being a backdown set (1 less spring).
Leonidas kind of explains what a back off/backdown set it in his videos but leaves out the info on when to do a back off set in your routine. So, my guess is this: If your perceived effort is high during your first set, your next set should be a back off set. I like GMB's Ease and Quality scales for evaluating exercise performance. So using these scales, if your Ease is Challenging/Maximum Effort or your Quality is Broken/Rough on your first set, your next set should be a back off set. Doing a back off set allows you do to more reps compared to your first set, and thus gives you more opportunities to practice the movement and possibly stimulate more muscle gains than if you had done your 2nd set at the same load. Conversely, if your Ease is Solid/Relaxed and your Quality is Smooth/Snappy for your first set, a 2nd set at the same load might be preferred over a back off set. I may have to watch Leonidas' videos again but I think he says in at least one of them that going for high reps does not buy you much on a chest expander - so I do say 10 reps with Solid Ease and Snappy Quality in the first set, then I might be better off doing a 2nd set at the same load - in which I might hit 8-10 reps, than dropping one spring and going for say 23 reps in the 2nd set.
Here is what I think is the corrected routine:
Overhand Vertical Pullapart - 1 set
Overhand Vertical Pullapart - 1 set - May optionally be back off set with one less spring
Underhand Vertical Pullapart - 2 sets - 2nd set optionally a back off set with one less spring
Horizontal Pullapart - 1 set, followed by mechancial drop set of Underhand Vertical Pullapart
Horizontal Pullapart (back off set) - 1 set - All these pullapart exercises should stimulate strength and muscle gains in the upper back to improve shoulder stability, as well as pre-exhaust the delts and triceps.
Back Press - 2 sets, with 2nd being optionally back off set - improves behind the neck pressing mobility, as well as working the shoulders and triceps. Whether the mobility gain translates to improved mobility for double KB press, double KB jerk, etc. remains to be seen.
Sideway (Tricep) Extension - 1 set
Sideway (Tricep) Extension (optionally done as back off set) - 1 set
Overhead Tricep Extension - 1 set. Should be enough to finish off the triceps, which are probably feeling pumped by this point.
Bicep Curl - 1 set
Bicep Curl (optional back of set) - 1 set
Reverse Curl - 2 sets, with 2nd being optionally a back off set - All these curl variations are for stimulating strength and muscle gains for the biceps and forearms. There is no direct benefit for pressing but these exercises should help improve elbow health and performance in the kettlebell clean, as the biceps help control the descent of the KB out of the rack position into the bottom position.
Lateral Raise (scapular plane/Y raise) - 2 sets - Finish off delts which have been pre-exhausted by the earlier exercises, to stimulate muscle growth.
Alex Leonidas has another chest expander video in which he introduces the chest expander and has some advice on exercise programming, favorite exercises, etc. I didn't find any info on how often to do the routine, so I'll just do it 3 times a week.
Leonidas mentioned Fred Rollon - aka The Human Anatomy Chart - in his chest expander videos. Rollon was a bronze era bodybuilder who claimed to have developed his anatomy chart physique using only chest expanders and cables. He reportedly started lifting weights eventually... years after he developed that physique. Rollon reportedly trained with chest expanders with as much as 140kg (about 308lbs) of tensile strength. I am only one of several - or perhaps many? - satisfied owners of the Baraban Chest Expander, which comes with 7 springs, each of which has 10kg of tensile strength, for a maximum of 70kg. In the time I've owned mine, I've figured 70kg is more than enough for me. However, I just found out that Robert Baraban has started selling a new version of the steel string chest expander called The Rollon.
Now it is possible to work up to Fred Rollon's level of strand pulling strength and beyond. What is also interesting is Baraband is also making foot stirrup attachment for his chest expander models. With 2 chest expanders, 2 foot stirrups, and 2 or more of the "super springs" that come with The Rollon, it should be possible to do exercises that may require more than 70kg of tensile strength such as shrugs, deadlifts, and squats.
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