Written by Team MD
11 October 2018

18victor-oct11

Solving Workout Problems

Victor Martinez On Rib Cage Expansion, Training Diary & Leg Training

 

 

Q: Is there anything you can do for someone with an uneven rib cage that makes one pec bigger than the other?

 A: How do you know you have an “uneven rib cage?” There can be a few reasons why a body part is bigger on one side, either related to some type of injury you might not even be aware of, or even something so simple as having a much better mind-muscle connection on one side. My trainer, Victor Munoz, had a really good way of working the pecs one side at a time that you can try. We use the pec flye machine, the same one you can face into and use for rear delts— but just do one arm at a time. The sets are for 10 reps, but we do 5, then hold the contraction for five seconds and repeat. This is a great way to pre-exhaust the weaker side so it will have to work harder during presses. You can also do more for the lagging side with dumbbell presses, or use a Hammer Strength machine. Remember, don’t do more than just try to maintain the stronger side— so the other side has a chance to catch up.

 

Q: Do you think it is important to write down everything you eat and keep a nutrition log?

 A: Yes, doing this at least in the early stages of your bodybuilding career is how you can figure out what the best foods are for you, and which ones you should avoid. You need to write down not only what you’re eating, but also how you feel and how you look. By doing that, I found that white bread bloats my waistline badly, and dairy products also make me look and feel bad. A food diary is also a great tool for when you’re trying to either gain weight or lose fat. If you’re trying to gain and the scale isn’t moving, how would you know how many more calories or grams of carbs to add, for example, if you have no idea how much you’re already eating? The same goes with dieting. It’s very important to know the amounts of macros you’re taking in so you can make adjustments. Otherwise you’re just guessing, and guessing doesn’t cut it when first place is on the line. So write it all down and then you can add or subtract, and see how that works. If you aren’t gaining or losing, you add or subtract again. Knowing exactly where you are lets you make those adjustments so you’re not one of those guys who says crap like, “I eat and eat and I can’t gain weight” or “I’m eating perfectly but I’m not losing any weight!”

 

Q: Vic, what’s your opinion on those standing squat machines— the kind that look kind of like a hack squat except that you are facing into it and there’s no back support? Do you like them, and do you think they could be a good alternative to real squats?

 A: The barbell squat will always be the best way to squat, but this machine also has its advantages. Number one, you don’t have to balance the weight, so it’s great if you have issues with your lower back. Another thing is that a lot of guys can’t use a narrow stance on barbell squats to focus more on the quads, because they have to set their feet wider to keep balanced. With a squat machine, you could put your feet all the way together if you really wanted to. Like the leg press, it’s a nice way to keep overloading the quads after you squat. Usually after a few heavy sets of squats, you can’t keep heavy weight balanced on your back anymore, but your legs still have a good amount of juice left in them. A squat machine, like a leg press, lets you keep hitting them hard for a few more sets and forcing them to grow.

 

Q: I do both lying leg curls and either seated or standing leg curls for my hamstrings on leg day. I see other guys doing stiff-leg deadlifts, and pretty much every pro leg routine I see has those in there too. But every time I have tried them, I only feel them in my lower back, not the hams. Do I really need to do them? If you say I do, got any ideas on how I can do them better?

A: If you want complete development of the hams, yes you need to do either stiff-legs or use a glute-ham machine— which not too many gyms have. The hamstrings have two major functions. One is knee flexion, basically the movement of a leg curl— but the other one is to extend the hip when your torso is stationary. That’s a stiff-leg deadlift. So skipping that would be similar to only doing presses for your chest and never doing any type of flye movement— you’d be missing out on working all the major functions of the muscle, and your development just wouldn’t be as good. Without seeing your form, it’s tough for me to say what you need to change. I’ll take a guess, though, and say I bet you’re rounding your lower back instead of keeping an arch in it. Try the motion with a slight arch, and also let your knees have a little bit of bend in them too. They call it “stiff-leg” but don’t let that dictate how you do the exercise. Finally, you might be better off using dumbbells instead of a barbell. I’ve seen guys who just couldn’t get the form down and make their hams do the work have a lot more success once they did that.

 

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