Work on your shifts, even if you're tall!

In the following lines we will advise you how to overcome the problem of long arms and high body weight.

The big guy's way to the first bend

If you're tall, heavy and have long arms, chances are you can't even manage a single push-up. That's not okay. Strength is strength. Everyone should be able to practice pushups. Even you can find a way to work your way up to them, despite your somatotype.

What do you need to realize first? Your range of motion will probably be longer than people with short arms. It's all about lat grip. If you put a tall guy and a short guy next to each other, you'll notice in the push-ups that the taller guy won't have as much elbow flexion at maximum contraction.

Yes, the lats clamp high on the arm for most people. But the real variable is the length of that arm, which will determine how far you have to pull to get full back engagement without the help of other muscles.

For someone with long arms, the answer may be:

A few inches from the chest touching the centerline.

Maybe you're killing yourself to achieve a range of motion that isn't necessary for your body type. Don't torture yourself by trying to get your chest to the centerline. Follow the contraction. That will be better for you.

For the lost causes: vis in the hunch grip and pause

Go back to high school and remind yourself of the vis in the flexion grip. This will allow anyone to practice the isometric hold in the top position of the exercise. Holding in the top position - even if only for a second - is something most practitioners neglect.

If you're big and heavy, you can't be expected to hang in there for 60 seconds like you did in seventh grade. I can currently manage 30-35 seconds on a good day. Start at 10 seconds and work your way up.

Slow startup also works well. Up you can help yourself with a stool, down you will lower slowly and until your arms are extended.

Do not stop until your elbows are fully extended. A 20° angle at the elbows is not a complete repetition.

Start with assisted bends

If it's your back muscles you're after, don't get hung up on the power, but give yourself the assistance you need to get through more reps.

The muscles of the upper back that hold the upright posture respond well to higher repetitions and high volume work. Although hunches are good, wrapping it up at 3 reps is worse for muscle development than hanging into a rubber band and squeezing out more reps with 20-30% assistance. This recommendation is in no way related to strength, only volume.

At the top of each rep, pause for a few seconds to take advantage of the resistance profile. Remember that the rubber will help you the most at the bottom, where it is tightest. At the top, enjoy the strongest contraction. Plus, the top is where most people, especially the bigger ones, lack strength and technique.

Practice your push-ups on circles

If you're big and wide, overhand or underhand shrugs won't be pleasant for your joints, especially your shoulders and wrists.

Each variation of overhead pull-ups has its own unique benefits for back training, and hybrid methods are no exception. Neutral grip overhead shrugs are effective, but the circles variation is unbeatable. Being able to rotate the circles during the deadlift adds a very natural feel, destroying lats and forcing you to work on stability.

I've done most of my push-ups for the past year on circles or rotating hangs. The results speak for themselves - especially when one returns to the fixed trapeze. The strength is completely different.

If your gym doesn't have rings, invest in a swivel hanger that you mount on a trapeze and you'll be out of trouble.

Should you practice hunches with added weights?

I don't know too many people who weigh an eighth of a metric ton who are excellent fishermen.

You might be strong enough to squeeze out a few reps of push-ups with weights, but think about whether you really need them for strength or size. In my opinion, 125 pounds of bodyweight is too much for shrugs. Exceptionally strong individuals exist, of course, and they can add weight at will.

It's always amazing to see someone hang 20 kilos on their belt and practice shrugs with perfect technique. But it doesn't happen often. And when it does, the trainee is usually under 100 kilos and the number of reps is not very high.

However, after an individual with long arms, weighted shrugs don't bring many benefits. Save them for when you're really strong or a little leaner.

Source: www.t-nation-com - Pull-Ups for Big Guys
By Lee Boyce