Muscle Ventures Video Analysis

In this podcast (download iPod compatible, 40MB), Dave Liepman demonstrates the strong man tire flip on his driveway. As we learned in his initial podcast, Dave has gone through quite an experience gathering training implements. Here we see that he has a 658 lb. tire with lots of wear and tear, including holes to let the rain drain out.

The tire flip is not just about brute strength. Dave notes the following factors:

• Grip is important. Dave demonstrates both three and four tread grips. If your grip gives out, you're done for.
• Leverage is important. As can be seen in the photo above, Dave uses his knee as part of the final thrust. The knee is well positioned for effective leverage.
• Surface is important. Dave makes the point that the tire tends to slide on sandy surfaces allowing you to get considerable distance without having to fully lift the tire.

In our next segment, we'll look at the keg carry.

In this exercise analysis (Quicktime, 7.3 MB; Google video, no download), Nancy Arnold and I (Bud) demonstrate a reverse curl on the Free Motion Biceps machine. This is a good exercise for working the biceps through an extended range of motion. The cable system also allows you to adopt a form that suits your build. As can be seen in the photo strip on the left, Nancy and I perform slightly different movements to accommodate our differences in build.

To perform the exercise, choose an appropriate weight as we show at the start of the video. Next, face away from the machine and back up to where you can pick up the cable handles. I usually then step forward onto the bench and move my arms into the fully contracted upright position shown in Photos 2 and 4 on the left. When the weight gets really heavy (over 60 lbs. in my case), you may have to lean forward slightly to keep the stack from pulling you over backwards.

The exercise movement is a standard curl. You start in the down position illustrated in Photos 1 & 3. You then contract your biceps fully to complete the movement, Photos 2 & 4.

The are two major cheats in this exercise. One is to engage your deltoids to gain momentum and assist your biceps. This cheat reveals itself by too much swing in the elbows. To guard against it, keep your elbows as stationery as possible. The deltoids are a stabilizer for this exercise but otherwise not a component.

The second cheat is to rock your body to gain momentum. This one particularly comes out as the weight gets heavier. The cure is again to hold your torso as steady as possible.

Additional Links

Most demonstrations of the cable biceps curl show the standard version which is executed like a barbell curl, just with a pulley attached. The version demonstrated here is more like a decline dumbbell curl which also uses the deltoids for stabilization.

In this video analysis, I demonstrate the rear double bicep pose (Quicktime, 1.1 MB; Google Video, no download). When executed correctly this pose can diplsay much more than the biceps. Let's take a closer look.

I have stated before that every pose begins from the ground up and this one is no different. I enter this pose by placing my right foot slightly behind me and I keep my heel up off the ground. This allows me to flex my calf to the fullest extent. By placing my right leg behind me, I can also flex my hamstring.

After I finish my leg placement I begin with the second half of the pose. I move out of the "relaxed" position by lifting my arms away from my sides and sweeping them over my head. The length of my arms are and advantage here because by keeping them fully extended and sweeping them over my head it creates the illusion of a big, dramatic movement. This is more likely to catch the eye of the judges. Once my arms are completely over my head I can then enter the pose. As I lower my arms I close my hands into fists. This will allow me to fully contract the bicep. I continue to lower my arms and draw my shoulder blades together. This shows muscularity in the back and more importantly makes my back appear narrow before I open up into the final phase of the pose.

The final phase of the pose consists of liftng my arms back up so my elbows are slightly higher than my shoulders. This is the optimum position to show off the width of my back. As I settle my elbows into place I focus on contracting my lats, shoulders, triceps, glutes, hamstrings and calf as well as my biceps. So you can see from all that has to remain contracted throughout the duration of the pose that there is much more than biceps involved in this pose.

Additional Links

• For more information check out this article on the rear double bicep pose.
• For more information on why every pose begins from the ground up read this article on posing from the judges perspective.