Description of the exercise
The upper block for the head is performed on a specially designed simulator and largely imitates pulling on the crossbar.
As in the case of tightening, this exercise is mainly aimed at developing back muscles. Despite the fact that this is a “exercise” exercise, it is often included in the so-called “base” for the very reason that its effectiveness is comparable to conventional pull-ups with weights.
Work on the simulator with the upper unit is very popular with both beginners and experienced athletes.
To a large extent, this has contributed to all sorts of movies. Indeed, the traction on the upper block is a rather effective and effective exercise. At the same time, variants of its execution are possible – both to the chest in front of them and straightening of the arms – for the development of triceps – as well as traction behind the back. This exercise will be described later.
Thrust vertical block for the head – working muscles
Exercise primarily captures the latissimus dorsi muscle. As ancillary – work big round muscle and biceps. And also involved in some degree of the shoulder muscles, rhomboid back and the lower part of the trapezius muscle.
How to make a block for the head
The athlete sits on the bench facing the simulator. In this case, the legs should be placed and firmly rested to provide the necessary stability. If the simulator is equipped with rollers – your knees need to have for them.
The back is kept straight, the head is down. Exercise is performed with a wide neck grip. However, too wide a grip will impede the maximum amplitude of movement. Therefore, the width of the grip should be chosen in such a way that at the lowest point of the blade are as much as possible connected.
Weight stretches down smoothly, but quickly enough. At the lower point of the trajectory of the blade should be kept as flat as possible, and elbows lead in a direction perpendicular to the floor. At the same time let’s say a slight tilt of the body forward: in this way it will be possible to reduce the blades even more.
At the same time it is necessary to try so that the hands take part as little as possible in the burden. Weight should be taken mainly due to the back muscles. This requires the correct selection of weight. Too big will inevitably lead to the fact that hands will join the work, and this should not be allowed in any case. It is better to even work out the technique and feel every muscle with a weight two times smaller than the worker.
At the lowest point of the amplitude the neck of the simulator should touch the back of the head. After that, a stop is made for 1-2 seconds – and then the weight gradually and under control falls. When the arms are extended, it is not recommended to relax them completely. The shoulder girdle should be kept in a tense state. Here you can relax a bit, take 3-4 deep breaths before starting a new repetition.
A big mistake when doing this exercise is the following:
- weight is taken by the whole body or with hands;
- when lowering the weight, its free fall occurs, and the athlete’s buttocks detach from the bench;
- slinging an athlete during the execution of a traction movement;
- too much weight, because of which it is impossible to perform the exercise correctly. It is possible to consider as optimal those weights at which it is possible to perform from 8 to 10 repetitions in one set.
Some athletes use straps or simply tie their hands to the neck to turn off the work of the forearms and additionally load the lat. Muscles.