Which exercises are best suited to the ‘7' sets?
Certain exercises are more appropriate than others for the ‘7' sets. The big compound free
weight movements like squats and deadlifts usually are poor choices, for two reasons. For one
thing, they involve several other muscle groups and don't do a good job of isolating a target
muscle. Also, they require technique and balancing, which tends to break down if one attempts
to perform multiple sets in such a short time span. Machines are a good choice in many
instances because they keep you in a fixed plane of movement and thus make it easier to
isolate a given muscle. Those with selectorized stacks also make it very fast and convenient to
increase or decrease the resistance as needed. Here are some suggested movements that I
have found work very well:
Back width: Machine pullovers (Hammer Strength, Nautilus) or cable pullovers
Back thickness: Seated row machines with chest support
Chest: Pec deck or peck flye machine*, cable crossovers
*I find that the pec decks with the pads for the elbows usually work very well for shorter trainers,
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