A few weeks ago I was training back and biceps with my training partner,Shane. We had strafed (I'll explain that particular piece of terminology in a subsequent post) our backs, and biceps were next in the firing line. Wayne is in his late (ok, middle) 40's and I am 50. As middle aged trainers we both have our fair share of joint niggles and muscle pains. At the moment Shane and I are struggling with some forearm issues so I suggested we do some Hammer Curls.
I went first and, as my forearms warmed up I morphed from hammers to hammers with a slight twist at the top for a better contraction. Quite rightly Shane demanded to know what the hell sort of hammers were those?!
Hybrid Hammers, my friend, I confidently proclaimed feeling pleased with my quick thinking.
The point of the story is this: as a more mature trainer we have to be adaptable and train our muscles in ways that suit them best, whether that be a narrower grip when benching, a wider stance when squatting or, indeed, a Hybrid Hammer when curling.