(Yet Another) Belt Explanation

[Gary Gibson]

Those of you who've done chin ups with a weighted chin/dip belt will know this; when you cross your legs and shove your shins against the plates hanging from your belt, you can exert more force with your upper body. You can display more strength when you're tighter overall, when your legs have something to push against so you can brace your abs.

Try it next time you're doing weighted chins. Start with your legs hanging free. You'll notice that in order to get the last couple of reps in a set, you're legs will automatically try to curl in and push against the hanging plates. When they do, you'll find that reps that seemed impossible suddenly become doable. Here's the thing; I'm going to go ahead and say that you are not robbing your upper body of any work by doing this. You are not cheating; you are allowing your upper body to work harder and will thus progress that much faster. This should sound vaguely familiar.

[cjangelo]

If you can do weighted chins, you need to gain weight.


That's my excuse, anyway.

[simonsky]

^ sig potential right there

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Gary,

You'll notice that in order to get the last couple of reps in a set, you're legs will automatically try to curl in and push against the hanging plates. When they do, you'll find that reps that seemed impossible suddenly become doable. Here's the thing; I'm going to go ahead and say that you are not robbing your upper body of any work by doing this. You are not cheating; you are allowing your upper body to work harder and will thus progress that much faster. This should sound vaguely familiar.

this happens also with normal chins, but there might an additional explaination. As your legs curl, your CoG moves, and your body swings around the bar. This will put your torso, at least temporarily, in a better position to get the back muscles working. The advantage lasts only moments, as your body will swing back, but if you are rising quick enough you can use that time window to close the rep.

The effect is less pronounced for weighted chins, because the additional weight makes you slower.
I'm pretty sure a similar dynamic applies to kipping pull-ups, where the body swing is purposefully exaggerated.

IPB

[fmerges]

If you can do weighted chins, you need to gain weight.


That's my excuse, anyway.

Hi,

I don't agree with that... do you think this guy needs to gain weight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLl8rGhJvE

That's like the excuse of not being able to do more reps because of the body weight...

[aussieluke]

Hi,

I don't agree with that... do you think this guy needs to gain weight?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLl8rGhJvE

That's like the excuse of not being able to do more reps because of the body weight...

Your sense of humour bypass was a success then.

BTW, those are unweighted, kipping pullups. Still incredibly impressive, but not relevant...

[aussieluke]

Oh and Gary, I think Charles Staley's video on belt use gives a much better explaination.

[fmerges]

Your sense of humour bypass was a success then.

BTW, those are unweighted, kipping pullups. Still incredibly impressive, but not relevant...

I know they're kipping ones, and it's relevant to a certain point as you can guess that this guy can also do them with weight and strict; but I can't see why he should add more body weight...

So you agree then if someone can do 8-10 pull ups weighted he definitely need to gain body weight?

[aussieluke]

I know they're kipping ones, and it's relevant to a certain point as you can guess that this guy can also do them with weight and strict; but I can't see why he should add more body weight...

So you agree then if someone can do 8-10 pull ups weighted he definitely need to gain body weight?

No. I think that comment was meant as a joke.

[gzt]

To be fair, I heard KK say that he wants to gain a little more weight...