Letter to a friend: The Powertec Gym & a lil Schooling

[Abaddon]

Dear Old Friend,

Thank you for the below link of the exercise equipment you are lucky enough to have at home! The Powertec Gym is truly impressive.

I have a few comments though. I hope not to offend you.

When it comes to training, there is no magic rep range or muscle-confusing set scheme to separate mass building from power (or functional strength) building. However there IS a distinct difference in training methods, which becomes painfully obvious the closer you look into it.

Bodybuilders use hypertrophy routines, which guarantee maximum muscle mass growth (providing their diet is spot on) but have a nominal focus on strength gains. And this is the kind of training I am used to, certainly, as are you. But on inspection it seems this Powertec machine takes non-functional mass-building to a whole new level. Let me explain:

While that is a shit load of weight he's bench pressing there, you know that the machine makes it easier; that's not good. Heavy bench press is NOT an isolation movement! While my home bench is a Piece of shit BBing setup, I will nonetheless show you correct benching form in due course.

That machine does not develop the pectoral 'stabiliser' muscles - or any other muscle which assists with heavy ass benching (which is why I always advocate barbell followed by dumbbell exercises). In another 1000 years, the truest test of a man's ability to press a weight will still centre around a free-weight… probably in barbell form.

That guy? He's not natural. In fact, he appears to be using both steroid(s) and synthol (fluid injected into the muscle belly) to further increase his size, hence his physique is so top-heavy and odd-looking.

I know people who can do much the same as this guy with a regular bench and regular bar, and all of them are natural too; ever heard of Rich Knapp? He's a world class natural body builder who only uses a machine similar to this one because he's a paraplegic. And his numbers are inhuman, to boot!

Here, please watch for the dangerous (above parallel, fixed knee) Smith machine-style squats. This is the only example of lower-body training I could find using this machine.

While this guy does have nice quads, he didn't get them from just using this machine and eating well. And he is a really bad example of the one major, super-serious fact I'd like to share with you now:

Big (natural) arms start with big (natural) legs. The quads are the largest muscles in the human body, and are located on either side of your own Growth Hormone production factory (ur nutz). Therefore, the heavier and deeper you squat and deadlift, the more of you there will be everywhere. I'm talking lean muscle mass in your quads, glutes and lower lats and core of course: this is how you reach the limits of your natty potential. 'That guy' has a naturally unattainable physique, so I am generally disinterested in his abilities (but I'm a hardass on natty training, so don't take it too close to heart).

In Summary:
Unless the remainder of your workout is really solid, relying on this contraption to work out seems to promote useless muscles, thanks to the isolated, specific ROM providing precisely 0% functional strength.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night and hope my home equipment is suitable for your training purposes

Abaddon

[Off Road]

I wish I had one of those fancy lifting contraptions. My wife could hang her laundry on it instead of hanging it on my squat rack

[BendtheBar]

Me eyes just witnessed knees forward squats. Not a good morning.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Off Road

I wish I had one of those fancy lifting contraptions. My wife could hang her laundry on it instead of hanging it on my squat rack

The Smith machine is King of towel racks, but is this the Queen perhaps?

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Me eyes just witnessed knees forward squats. Not a good morning.

Man, that was it? Sorry for blowing your day lol - least it weren't ur neez

[Abaddon]

"My response to powerlifters would be that this machine was the only single machine that I found that could do all the exercises I wanted including cables with up to 300kg and still fit in a 1.5mx2.5m space.

Secondly, the machine will give you big muscles which are functional for the ladies that look at them.

Thirdly, I think bodyweight exercises are a valid form of functional strength - dips, chin ups, push ups. I can do 20 chin ups, most power lifters cannot - but they are still functionally very strong in other ways that are also valid functional strength exercises. You can either be the elephant or the orang utan, you can't normally be both.*

Most importantly, the machine is a safe way of getting an injury free workout for people who train alone. You can also use settings that avoid shoulder injuries etc. It is as good as anything I have found for rowing or cables due to the ultra smooth swing arm motion having a constant resistance. This makes it a lot harder than it looks."

I think this machine would be excellent for a powerlifter who wants a brilliant rowing/lat pull down/cable machine that takes up to 200kg of olympic plates on the small cable arm. It can do all the rest of the exercises but most big guys buy this + a power cage.
Lastly, if you stack up all the arms with spare olympic plates you can store 600kg of olympic plates on it - which is handy.

* My emphasis here. I just like the quote.

[Abaddon]

*Bump*

I am still chuffed with this contraption, and would like to read more discussion on it's usefulness, or lack thereof.

[Off Road]

We all have different goals. I would never spend that kind of money on something like that when I can get a better workout (for me) with a power cage. But for somebody with an unlimited income it would fit the "general fitness" goals or be a nice addition to my cage for some assistance variety.

But I still wouldn't do squats on that thing...

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Off Road

We all have different goals. I would never spend that kind of money on something like that when I can get a better workout (for me) with a power cage. But for somebody with an unlimited income it would fit the "general fitness" goals or be a nice addition to my cage for some assistance variety.

But I still wouldn't do squats on that thing...

Nope.

I like money, and would like more of it. But I can't see this as being $500-600 well spent...
But I am very biased, since I'm all about the SM stuff now.

[kitarpyar]

It's a good investment if you are like Bud Cort (makes his appearance around 1:20)



It sure will get the blood moving

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by kitarpyar

It's a good investment if you are like Bud Cort (makes his appearance around 1:20)



It sure will get the blood moving

Repped. I am so glad I watched that! LOLing hard still!