Improving physiques one exercise at a time
No matter what your sport is, whether you are a bodybuilder or a strength athlete like a powerlifter, or you play a ball sport, just about every elite athlete agrees that the willingness to learn and adapt is key to making consistent progress. If you are not continuing to learn new things, you are not adapting and growing.
Earlier this week, natural pro bodybuilder, renowned powerlifter, and fitness content creator, Jeff Nippard published a video on his YouTube channel in which he approached pro athletes mid-workout, offering science-backed lifting advice. While it may sound intrusive, it is not him approaching just random people in the gym, they knew who he was.
Nippard went on to say “When I talk about technique from a science-based perspective, there are two things I look for. One is the range of motion (ROM), and the other is control on the negative.”
Nippard’s Advice
The first person that Jeff Nippard approached was IFBB pro bodybuilder Morgan MacDonald, a 325 lb monster of a man who was training his delts by doing cable lateral raises. MacDonald had set the pulley at the lowest setting on the cable stack, but Nippard suggested raising it to hip height to isolate his delts better. He explained that by putting the pulley at hip height, then you can feel the most tension while the delt is at the most stretched point (when the cable and arm hit 90 degrees).
From there, Nippard Shifted his focus to elite powerlifter Dima Alizarchyk, who happens to hold the Canadian all-time Junior bench press record. He kept a close eye on Alizarchyk’s form, then went on to suggest that Alizarchyk could improve his lift by leveraging leg drive. This means that by pushing firmly into the floor with his feet, Alizarchyk could generate more power for heavier presses.
After that, Nippard approached Pro Figure bodybuilder Valerie Ratelle, to improve her seated row form. Nippard advised her top try retracting the scapula on concentrics and squeezing the mid traps together at the top of her range of motion. This was to help her to achieve peak upper back contraction.
The next person of interest was 2019 Mr. Canada Eiren Gauley, who is trying to prioritize his back width in the current off-season. Something Nippard recommended using was the assisted pull-up machine, as it helps limit momentum and ensures the lats are pretty isolated and mostly responsible for handling the workload.
Another athlete that Nippard consulted was IFBB Men’s Open bodybuilder Hassan Mostafa, who wants to improve his back thickness (unlike Eiren Gauley who wanted to improve back width). Nippard recommended a chest-supported T-bar row followed by Kelso shrugs in order to really build up that thickness.
Once reaching the point of mechanical failure with a full range of motion on T-bar rows, Nippard performs mid-trap shrugs by extending his elbows and retracting his scapula, unlike the traditional shrug where you just retract upward. Nippard recommends flaring the elbows a bit to bias the mid traps and limit activation of the lats.
The last athlete Nippard critiqued was Men’s Open division bodybuilder Quinton Eriya, who was working on single-arm lat pulldowns with neutral-grip D-handle attachment. During the exercise, Nippard noticed that Eriya tends to curl his non-dominant wrist, which leads to greater forearm and biceps engagement. Eriya stated that there was a noticeable improvement in lat contraction upon using a proper neutral grip. Nippard advises against pulling the elbows behind the midline on the lat pulldown lowering phase, as the lats lose their ability to generate significant force in that overextended position.
Wrap Up
Overall, what do you think of Jeff Nippard’s advice to athletes? Do you know anything that you currently struggle with in the gym?
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
