What do you guys think is the most “humbling” machine or movement in the gym?

[CorgisOnTren]

By far the most humbling move in my gym is watching Emily.

Emily is an inspiration.

Emily is a 45 year old young lady who comes to the gym 3-4Xs/wk using a walker. Emily has multiple sclerosis. She had it since she was young and she choses not to let it run her life. Her positive mental attitude encourages everyone she talks to. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

The question is what is the most humbling machine… but I guess Emily is a damn machine so still answers the question literally that’s inspiring for sure.

 

[Masterblaster1]

the most humbling for me is Bulgarian split squat 100 percent

 

[Golden]

Arsenal Strength - Chest Supported Lever Row AKA “The Humbler”

Arsenal Strength® on Instagram: "Reloaded Lever Row - The Arsenal Strength Lever Row features rotating, adjustable-width handles to help the user get the most out of their back training. Coined “The Humbler”, the Reloaded Lever Row has an adjustable

645 Likes, 15 Comments - Arsenal Strength® (@arsenal_strength) on Instagram: "Reloaded Lever Row - The Arsenal Strength Lever Row features rotating, adjustable-width handles t..."

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Definitely this. Remember first time I tried it thinking I could load it like a usual chest supported row. Big mistake

 

[w8tlifterty]

Shit, at 40 and with some hard and heavy years in the game… everything is humbling as the poundages fall and the sins of our youth start to show up.

I’m fighting to work around a new problem every other month it seems.

This iron bug is both a blessing and a curse.

 

[Brock456]

Definitely this. Remember first time I tried it thinking I could load it like a usual chest supported row. Big mistake

Finally someone who knows this machine! Lol

I remember putting 2 plates per side on this thinking I could row this…. Reality check.

 

[tedstriker]

Anything involving grip. I'm addicted to using straps for pull ups, deadlifts, etc, so when I don't have them, I'm pretty useless.

 

[alfresco]

I guess the reason I mentioned them is that I am fairly good at those exercises , a poorly disguised slap on my own back.

My best parallel grip behind the neck chins was 110lb x 10, 135lb dips x 10, handstand press-ups x 8, all at ~ 160lbs a long long long time ago.

That is about the only thing in a gym I can brag about.

I misremembered, my mistake. Apologies.

According to my records those were one rep max., not for reps.

 

[xpoc]

Anything where you are trying to balance on one leg. I tried that rear elevated leg lunge thing and tore my hamstring. Never tried them again. I don't see a huge hypertrophy benefit in exercises that rely on balance. As the saying goes, "You can't shoot a cannon from a canoe."

 

[Mufasa123]

Anything where you are trying to balance on one leg. I tried that rear elevated leg lunge thing and tore my hamstring. Never tried them again. I don't see a huge hypertrophy benefit in exercises that rely on balance. As the saying goes, "You can't shoot a cannon from a canoe."

I used to explain this as "making an exercise harder doesn't necessarily mean it's more stimulative, otherwise we'd all be making giant gains squatting in roller skates."

Most frequently, eliminating wasted energy, a stable platform, posture and efficient form will make it easier to put more stimulus on the muscles being trained.

Not saying there aren't reasons to do otherwise, but you should have a reason to be doing it.

 

[xpoc]

I used to explain this as "making an exercise harder doesn't necessarily mean it's more stimulative, otherwise we'd all be making giant gains squatting in roller skates."

Most frequently, eliminating wasted energy, a stable platform, posture and efficient form will make it easier to put more stimulus on the muscles being trained.

Not saying there aren't reasons to do otherwise, but you should have a reason to be doing it.

Training for performance (sports for example) is much different than training for hypertrophy (mirror muscles). I used to look down on bodybuilders as being mirror athletes. All show, no go. I would swing sledge hammers, flip tires, do "core" exercises etc. And that lead to my return to competitive powerlifting. Which lead to my return to bodybuilding. I've gone full circle.

 

[lifter]

I don't know if it has already been said but I vote for the pendulum squat.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Anything where you are trying to balance on one leg. I tried that rear elevated leg lunge thing and tore my hamstring. Never tried them again. I don't see a huge hypertrophy benefit in exercises that rely on balance. As the saying goes, "You can't shoot a cannon from a canoe."

It's so true. Exercises that are unstable will never be as "loadable" as ones that are stable. This is why you can use more weight on a Seated Overhead Press than a Standing Overhead Press (and before anyone wants to argue semantics, I'm not referring to a Push Press). That doesn't mean they're bad exercises, just that a trainee will lose some ability to load the movement as much as possible. I like Bulgarian Split Squats, but there's so much effort involved in just balancing that you can't really give your all to just standing up as you would in a regular squat unless you do them how John Meadows did them. He used his free hand to hold onto a bar or part of the power rack. This does solve the balance problem. Of course, some people will call that cheating but who gives a fuck? If you using this movement for hypertrophy, this is beneficial and if you're using it for anything other than hypertrophy, probably better to utilize the hardest way and go no hands.

As for me, my humbler was also a Pendulum Squat. I could use that thing without any weight at all and still get a good workout if I had to. Another would be the Flex Leverage Incline Press. I'm terrible at inclines but that machine was even more humiliating. Always felt super heavy at the top/finish of the movement.

 

[gutsandblood]

hack squats

 

[Freighttrainwayne]

Back in the 90s Dorian was king, blood n guts was my favorite book, and heavy duty was the latest training style. My training partner and I would do warmup sets squatting till we got to 500 and that would typically be our working set for max reps. We would grind those out but every 8 weeks we would break it up with a rep day. Warmups at 135/225 and our working set would be called the “315 test”. I imagined someone holding a gun to my head. Obviously the first 10 are cake. Reps to 20 are still academic. When I got to 30 I would really be starting to hurt. After that, pride, ego n sense of manhood kicked in because if I quit I knew my partner would surpass my number and humiliate me. We had that kind of relationship. Best friends but once we entered the gym, mortal enemies. It was his job to kill me and vice versa. We usually ended up in the mid to high 30s range but because we only repped out occasionally, it was rough. Couldn’t breathe. Head pounding. Blurry vision. Nauseous but trying not to puke. Legs burning like the were going to explode. Feeling like I may die, but rather die than be bested by this motherfucker waiting his turn to beat my number. Then lay on the floor, in a puddle of sweat, thanking god it was over. I remember having anxiety lying in bed the night before because I knew what was coming the next morning. That was my most humbling movement in the gym. Never done anything harder.

 

[qbkilla]

Training for performance (sports for example) is much different than training for hypertrophy (mirror muscles). I used to look down on bodybuilders as being mirror athletes. All show, no go. I would swing sledge hammers, flip tires, do "core" exercises etc. And that lead to my return to competitive powerlifting. Which lead to my return to bodybuilding. I've gone full circle.

I think it's good to have a balance. We have a guy at our gym who does all the sledge hammer, functional stuff, moves sleds but he's like 6 ft 195 14% dad bod.. Then there are guys who have muscle popping off the bone but what it took to get there now they have high BP/heart issues, are reliant on Cialis, caverject and no flexibility. IMO the key is balance, look good but be able to have a functional body. Obviously if someone is a pro bodybuilder they make that choice but I think for the majority a middle ground is ideal especially as we get older and more health conscious.

 

[Aikman56]

Pendulum squat machine...instant ego crusher.