The Pulley Workout - Don Ross

 

Though it predates modern exercise machines by a century, pulley training will provide you with as good a workout as $50,000 worth of machinery. Essential equipment includes an overhead pulley (lat machine), floor pulley, upper and lower cross-pulleys, and a 45-degree pulley. 

The key advantage to pulley training is the fact that you are not dependent on the relation of the weight to gravitational pull, as with dumbbells and barbells. 

With CORRECT POSITIONING you can provide tension at the end of the movement as well as at the beginning. Muscle isolation can be achieved and stricter form adhered to. 

Pulleys are generally thought of as shaping or definition-building exercises. They can be used to build size as well. Whenever you increase your strength in any exercise, muscles are growing. By exercising more muscle fibers through pulley isolation movements, size increases are rapid. 

There are pulley exercises for every muscle group . . . 

Chest Workout

Move a flat bench between the lower cross pulleys. Keeping your arms slightly bent, bring them together above you, as in a dumbbell flye. Do 5 sets of 8 reps. 

Do the same exercise on a decline bench for 3 x 8. These work the inner pectoral, like the Nautilus chest machine, but without the ligament stress at the shoulder joint. The variety of angles is unique as well.

Conclude with standing pulley crossovers. Bend forward slightly. Bring the pulleys down and cross your arms at the conclusion of the rep. Do 3 x 15.

Upper Back Workout 

Take a wide grip on a lat bar and do 3 sets of pulldowns behind the neck. Do 3 more sets bringing the bar to you chest, for 8 reps. These can be done with medium and close grips for advanced trainees who want additional work. 

Take a close grip on the bar of the 45-degree pulley. Brace your feet on the provided area and do 3 x 6 of heavy rowing. Follow this with 3 x 6 on the floor pulley. 

Standing between the upper cross pulleys, bring them down to your sides, keeping your body and your arms straight. So 3 x 15 of these "crucifix" movements.

Hold the lat machine bar with hands spaced shoulder width apart. Keeping your arms straight at the elbows, bring the bar down to your thighs. Do 2 x 20 of straight arm pulldowns. 

Shoulder Workout

Stand between the low cross pulleys. Have the left pulley handle in your right hand and the right handle in your left hand. Keeping your body straight, but stepping back slightly for unimpaired movement. Keep your palms down and raise your slightly unlocked arms to level with the top of your head. Do 5 sets of these side laterals, 10 reps each. 

Attach a straight handle to the floor pulley. Take a shoulder width grip. Pull the bar to your upper chest in an upright row, bringing your elbows as high as possible. Do 5 x 6. 

Hold the handle of the floor pulley with the same grip you used for upright rows. Use a lighter weight with straight arms; raise the bar until level with your forehead. Do 4 x 8. 

Work your rear delts with bentover crossovers. Hold the handles in the opposite hands as you did on the first exercise. Bend over at the waist, and raise your slightly bent arms out to your sides as high as possible. 

Arm Workout

Begin with biceps work. With a medium grip on the bar attached to the floor pulley, do 4 x 8 standing curls. Follow this with 4 x 10 of alternate curls on the double floor pulleys. 

Move an angular preacher bench in front of the floor pulley. Take a medium grip on the bar and do 4 x 6. You will feel resistance at the completion of the movement at the top. With standard barbell preacher curls this is not the case. 

Lying curls under the lat machine are next. Take a close grip on the lat bar while lying supine on a bench with your head toward the weight stack. Keep your elbows up as you curl the bar to your chin. You will feel your biceps contract strongly and your forearms pump from this movement.  Do 4 x 12. 

Complete your forearm work with floor pulley wrist curls. Sit with your knees bent, your forearms resting on your thighs, palms up. Let the bar down, bending your wrists back. Unclench your fingers, letting the bar roll down to the second joint. Clench the bar into your hand and roll your knuckles toward you. Use a light weight. Do 2 x 20and 2 more sets of 20 with a reverse grip. With the reverse grip, keep your hands clenched throughout the exercise.

There are many good triceps exercises with pulleys. Here are some of the best. 

Start with the standard lat machine triceps pressdowns. Keeping your elbows down throughout the exercise, let your hands all the way up, then push to lockout. 

Don't lean into the bar or swing it down with bodyweight. Do 2 x 8 with a close grip and 2 x 8 with a wide grip. Perform an additional 2 sets with a reverse grip on the bar. You will feel the reverse grip pressdown in your lower triceps just above the elbow. Do 8 reps per set. 

Repeat the same exercise, this time on the 45-degree pulley so you feel resistance at the lockout. Do 2 x 10 regular grip and 2 x 10 reverse grip. 

Kneel down with your back to the 45-degree pulley. Hold the bar with a close grip. Use a handle or rope which will allow you to have your palms facing each other, knuckles out. Bend over, keeping your elbows pointed forward. Extend your arms for 3 x 6.

Put an incline bench with the back to the floor pulley. Use a straight or angled br. Keep your elbows up, bring the bar down behind your head, then straighten your arms for 3 x 6. 

Conclude your arm work with single pulley kickbacks. With a light weight on the wall pulley, bend forward facing the weights. Bring one elbow high behind you. Holding the single handle with one hand, bring your hand down and back in a lockout. Do 2 x 20 for each arm. 

Midsection Workout

Sit up in front of the floor pulley, legs straight out. Hold the bar at arms' length as if to do a floor pulley row. Keeping your arms and legs straight, sit back until you are lying flat. This reverse situp works your lower back. 3 x 10. 

Next, perform 3 x 10 stiff-legged deadlifts. If you have a weight strap that will fit over your neck, you can attach this to the pulley and do this exercise Good Morning style. 

Attach the single handle on the floor pulley. Perform  set of 20 side bends on each side to strengthen your oblique muscles. 

Put the rope on the lat machine for ab crunches. Hold the rope with both hands. Bring your elbows forward. Kneel facing the machine. Crunch over, pulling the rope down until your elbows touch your knees. Do 5 x 15. 

Leg Workout

What? You can work legs with pulleys? Try this, skeptical one, and you'll be surprised! 

Wear a weight belt backwards so the chain is behind you. Attach the loops to the floor pulley. Lean forward supporting your hands on a high bench or table. Do 3 x 15 thrust squats. Conclude each set with 20 heel raises with your toes pointed in different directions.

Move a high bench or sturdy table in front of the floor pulley. Use an ankle strap. Attach the pulley and sit over the edge of the bench with your back to the machine. Do 3 x 12 of leg extensions each side, lowering the weight slowly. 

Lie face forward on the bench with the pulley on an ankle strap. Do 3 x 15 each leg. 

Follow this with 3 sets of standing leg curls done with your back to the machine, leaning forward slightly, holding on to the bench. 

Here is a unique exercise for the adductor muscles of your inner thighs. If your gym doesn't have two weight belts, a standard lifting belt can be used. Sit on a stool halfway between the low cross-pulleys. Strap a belt to each thigh. Have assistants attach the cables to the belts. Start with your knees far apart, then bring them together for 15 reps. Do 3 sets. 

You can use any of these routines to provide a slight jolt to slowly responding bodyparts. You may want to use the entire workout. If so, divide the load into three and train six days a week.

Do each exercise with full effort, good form and slow, controlled return movements. 

Enjoy Your Lifting!