We Tried Crazy Old School Bodybuilder Exercises (Do They Still Work?)

[@elikebudi]

I respect this old time bodybuilders. If they hadn’t found those exercises, there wouldn’t have been today’s exercises. I am wondering how people of 2090 find our current fitness exercises 😀🤔 Great video as always!!!

[@fittysit-tea5287]

A lot of the "current" exercises we do are already 50-100+ years old. So we have an idea of what works thanks to modern science. There probably will be new invented exercises and new science on nutrition but everything we do now is safe & works so future exercises will probably be very similar.

[@Alexor715]

Oh when looking at Russia angrily shaking its ancient nuke fist I don't think there will be any 2090. 😉

[@John-cena6483]

@@fittysit-tea5287 modern science? Bruh, we've been doing these the whole time, we already knew what worked

[@jimboorins5038]

@@Alexor715 Russia hardly poses a threat compared to the globohomo kosher west.

[@Brandon68plus1]

No one will be exercising in 2090 just lipo and sculpting muscles with surgery.

[@JackgarPrime]

The thing that I'm not liking about the kettlebell extension is that the weight is directly above the top of your skull. If your grip slips, that's gonna be really bad news, even on lighter weights.

[@kamo7293]

fair point. if you go too heavy maybe use straps to inc grip

[@JackgarPrime]

@@kamo7293 Even then I worry that a cramp or slip would still result in bad times for your noggin.

[@diogeneslantern18]

Indeed, it's a very tenuous movement. A lot of people in the kettlebell community also question the safety risks of TGUs (myself being one of them)

[@Alexor715]

Use straps for extra safety then. It's not about the grip strength so it's no big deal.

[@fraseplow]

Stumbled across the monkey rows a couple months ago and they quickly became a part of my upper routine. So how much easier on my shoulders than an upright row.

[@porkchopproductions0314]

The Reeves Deadlift has always been a one time caliente that Reeves did at York Gym. Everyone was weightlifters and Reeves was the only bodybuilder there. They all thought Reevs was weak, so he had someone load up 400 pounds to the bar and deadlifted it like the Buff Dudes did

[@miskee11]

I actually do the "wrist twist barbell curls" pretty often, but as spider curls instead. It's a very good movement for poor home gym owners who don't want to buy a set of dumbbells for a couple of grand. In my opinion it works wonders when done as a spider curl, because then the weight doesn't really bang on to your body. I also do plain hammer curls with the same exact setup from time to time.

[@jordanreynolds1498]

When I saw the Dudes doing them I thought it looked like a useful exercise that could be utilised

[@kamo7293]

yeah I was going to point out that it's useful for minimalist home gym owners

[@clydenolet736]

300LB of Olympic weight and a 45LB usually runs about $400

[@happyjam92]

Dumbbells don't cost anywhere close to that

[@newport5504]

Id laugh if I seen ya doing that at the gym

[@oldmanmuscle]

Hi guys, The exercise you are referring to as "monkey rows" is an outstanding movement for anyone with compromised shoulder stability or shoulder joint issues. Late last year, I did a video about this movement on my channel, but I had no name for the exercise because it was something that just came from my own head (I had never seen or heard of something like this one before, and I've been bodybuilding since 1968). I was looking for something that was easier on my shoulders with less, or no, risk to them. What my goal was is to work the same deltoid musculature as side DB laterals without having the DBs way out to the side, which can cause joint issues for lifters with compromised shoulders if the angle is off a little bit. I did way too many heavy overhead presses and upright BB rows for 50 years, which I believe is finally showing up now negatively at 72 in the form of shoulder stability. It you compare this movement to DB side lateral raises, you will see that at the uppermost point of the movement, your deltoid complex is in nearly the identical position as with a lateral side raise, and the result in muscle stimulation is essentially the same. Hold a dumbbell in each hand (lighter for the strict lateral raise side), and do both movements at the same time in front of a mirror while watching your delts. I do feel it also in my traps, but the weight is fairly light for maximizing trap growth. The great thing about this movement is that the hands are in the neutral position, palms facing one another, so there are none of the problems associated with BB upright rows (not a good exercise, but I did them for decades because that's what I was taught by Bill Pearl and the guys at his gym when I was a novice). BTW, the name of my video is "Build bigger shoulders with less risk of common injuries!" if you are interested. Thanks for highlighting this great DB exercise, a very productive movement that I have been using for over a year now, and getting excellent results with no injuries at all. Take care! steve

[@ajcarter2548]

You two have helped me so much. Not quite at the status of "buff" but I think I'm back to my "hot little number" status. Thanks guys and keep on keeping on!

[@youtubecreators384]

Some crazy old school exercise I could suggest is the two hands anyhow lift, which Arthur Saxon to this day holds the record on.

[@gregorysorce1898]

When Hudson did the javelin press he reminded me of Prince Adam lifting his magic sword yelling "I have the power!" becoming He-Man.

[@chaddy1207]

If you do the monkey rows really slow, 4 seconds up, 4 seconds down, you get major trap activation.

[@Eisbreaker1]

I believe the rotation on Barbell Turns has to do with the fact that muscles tend to become stronger within a 15° range of motion from the position you train them in. If you do a 15° rotation before each press on these, and you go both directions, you end up training the entire range of motion your shoulders could work in - so you get maximal muscle fiber recruitment. It would probably make a good exercise for any athlete that uses a stick, bat pole, etc. in their sport.

[@Vnm-sh1jv]

Been doing monkey rows, but twisting the wrist towards the end, for years. Love that workout. Some people ask me where I got it from, but I don't remember. It's a really good workout and activates the crap out of your traps and rear delts and even some lats.

[@kennethmacgregor-Gregorach]

The hospitals must have been full back then after people tried these out! I've been doing Monkey Rows off and on for a few years, I like them.

[@wakemusicalarm]

I'd love if you guys and The Duke took a trip around the world to see rare and foreign work outs and health and high protein buff diets from other cultures!!!

[@petriaspvik]

Would love a part 2!

[@betauser6233]

Monkey shrugs are suppose to be a 2 part exercise. First shrug upper traps then tighten the lower traps by bringing elbows up and back. If done correctly your shoulders are mostly relaxed with a full contraction on traps.

[@alpulley4894]

Can you guys do a video on" 1 set to failure" type of workout? I keep hearing about this, seems interesting. Curious if you guys can try the system out

[@nunninkav]

The Reeve's DL is actually really good for shoulder distraction, if you have a shoulder impingement it helps alot!

[@nickdoci4454]

You may want to talk to Nick Best. He has good knowledge this area.

[@christopherwinrow3878]

Brilliant video mate respect YNWA brothers

[@Jpopguin]

Awesome! I’d love to see you guys do more old school strength feats!

[@MrPrimitiveman]

Excellent video! Like to see this be a complete series! Thanks for the great content!

[@tammyt3434]

Monkey row: "If you haven't done this one give it a try." I carry my own groceries, so definitely done this one.

[@peterparahuz7094]

i've been doing the 'monkey row' with external rotation for rear delts. i was unaware of its simian name.

[@papaspaulding]

Ive never heard of monkey rows before but do actually do these with resistance band as found it a good movement for shoulders and traps towards the end of a workout

[@bjornsiebert3412]

Monkey rows are great, also known as hip huggers. Been doing them with bands for a while now and can highly recommend them

[@deamianalt]

I would love to see you guys do a 10-day challenge of water fast plus vitamins to settle the debate of whether water fasting is killing your gains while working out. Do a DEXA scan before and after

[@jay_mw]

The molding a mighty back one is still safer than cross fit.

[@saddletramp1979]

At 1:48 is that DIY Duke on the right. He even stole DIY Duke's Grrr...

[@Utchaynavlogs]

nice upload guys vut please also make a video about what do we need to do when again pandemic strikes when again all stores are close tnx in advance

[@anthonypena336]

I now read every Buff Dudes video title in Hudson's voice lol

[@What-he5pr]

Firstly, like how the video is segmented by exercise so we can easily navigate it. But, they don't understand the mechanics of the wrist twist curls. With them, the full weight of the barbell works against your supination. With a dumbbell, the weight is balanced in your hand and doesn't act against supination even if you rotate as you lift, at most you just activate your brachioradialis.

[@peterfisk6598]

These style videos are awesome!

[@octoman_games]

...Hudson looking bigger than Brandon today!

[@leonardohernandez1411]

Amazing video ! I'm gonna try the monkey rows.

[@pifuskinz]

Man, my tucking algorithm has pushed you guys out of my viewing area. Literally had to search cuz I hadn’t seen you guys in awhile

[@Dragonfiregum]

I didn't know those were called monkey rows. I've been doing that one for years.

[@bhosein]

""pull a few tendons and break a few bones ...."" haahaaha

[@TrollPductions]

Been doing monkey rows with a D handle on a pulley as my upright row fixer, didnt even know it was a real exercise.

[@makaiev]

Fun fact, javelin press on high reps makes keeping guard high effortless....

[@enriqueneria432]

Hahaha I've been doing the monkey curls this whole time and didn't know they were called that. I just started doing them because they look and feel great!! Stay buff buff Dudes 💪💪

[@meekrodriguez6438]

Dope video

[@Theo-ul8qm]

I think you guys missed some popular exercices, especially the famous ‘bent-press’. I’ll be honest, I don’t know the exact form, but I see it mentioned in many old-time strongman books, like from Eugene Sandow times. Apparently they were using some serious weight on that ~300 lbs. Curious to know more about that. My favorite part about these old school exercices is they remind me not to be so fixated on the exercices that are popular. There’s no special exercise, just stimulus, recovery and growth. I think that’s the takehome message.

[@madvicemusic]

I wanna go to a public gym and do the back breakers

[@mojavista3907]

THIS EXERCISE, THIS EXERCISE IS REAL!!!!

[@Luckragol]

kettlebell, kettlebell to everything to fix the scary shitness. except perhaps 0:45 that could be done better with clubs. but i dont know, past is funny place even at gym. :)

[@christopherwinrow3878]

I'll deffo do the monkey rows

[@cn728]

I died watching this!!

[@cincomorales]

Great video

[@nextsteptrainer9202]

You will see Crossfit doing many of these exercises at the next games

[@abracadabra9781]

i just realized i was chowing on a cookie when i was watching this. and not the first one

[@weekendwarrior8179]

Super slow lifting was a big thing for a while

[@SHARKVADERS]

BD!!!!!

[@SamiirMusic]

he looks so similar to Jim from Stranger things

[@johnbannon2812]

Arching your back on the first is bad opening up with a vertical spine is better.

[@davide.7804]

In 2122, when we all use vibrating bodysuits to get in shape, we'll probably pull 2022 bodybuilding exercises and shit on them too.

[@SpirrePirre]

Early crew checking in

[@Clozarov]

Now I know where crossfit gets ideas

Just looking at this exercises and my shoulder is hurting. WTF

[@jaredgalloway3642]

Those Klein turn things is supposed to be your rifle not a barbell...

[@MrSandwich246]

The reeves deadlift looks like the anti sumo deadlift

[@cyclopsboi]

weirdest old school workout that i can think of that is still very good are the indian clubs

[@VacuumDweller]

Clubs/Maces are savagely underrated, people know about Kettlebells but Clubs have yet to really break through. Really intense workout once you know a few basic movements

[@auto_math]

I can hear Aga laughing.

[@Snarksalot69]

Thanks!

[@HUGECOCH69420]

i will deffinetly be doing the monkey rows exercise

[@Jousef9]

I really thought they patched it

[@RyouConcord]

the reeves deadlift lmaoo. I was surprised with how many of these actually seemed pretty solid haha

[@seanb390]

This looks like a fun one.

[@shadows1531]

Do khusti training

[@kit2770]

That first exercise is insanely ridiculous. Good lord.

[@Disneymagic24]

yo i might actually try those monkey rows

[@joestanley1245]

More grip with towls i think

[@sonnyamar2352]

I know there's prolly better versions to those exercises. I think they need be coached better or used as warm ups. Again it shocking the muscles.

[@wilfordbrimley6938]

Never done wrist twist curls, but nothing about it seems "bogus". Lower the weight, clown. Just because you made it uncomfortable doesn't make it bad

[@BBP081]

For the wrist twist curls it kind of makes sense: with a dumbbell the weight is on either side of your hand, the weight is balanced so their is no resistance to pronation or supination. Turning your wrist over is easy, so to make pronation or supination a challenge you need put the weight on one side of the hand. Try grabbing a hammer and go through the pronation/supination movement versus a dumbbell of similar weight and you will see the difference. So, by grabbing a rope you make the force gravity against elbow flexion and forearm supination at the same time. That said, this set up does not look very practical. Using a cable machine with the rope attachment or a kettlebell with towel through it may be easier.

[@papaspaulding]

Id imagine even using the 'rope' attachments on a barbell has its use in that it wold force you to lower the weight and really control the movement to keep the bar stable forcing more time under tension as a result. but with dumbells its pretty much just a standard alternating curl (or how ive always done them at least)

[@richluke24]

I used to do those "monkey rows" when I was a teenager about 20 years ago, my dad taught me them. Stopped doing them when I went to a gym rather than training at home, as no one else was doing them.

[@MightyFartBomber1]

Just do them my guy! I feel like once someone sees you and gets curious enough to try it out, it might actually become a trend that you started. I used to shy away from doing workouts that nobody else in the gym does and might look weird (a few ab exercises in my case and soon monkey rows too) but then I just remind myself I went to the gym for a selfish reason- for my sake, not for them and then the shyness just goes away. Just as long as I am confident that the seemingly awkward thing that I am doing actually works and in this case the monkey rows actually has a great deal of trap and delt activation

[@jarlielloach1468]

I still do monkey rows

[@tammyt3434]

It's tough being the only one in the gym doing something, but sometimes that's how you become a leader.

[@richluke24]

@@tammyt3434 lol I don't mind, I haven't trained in a gym for about 3 years. I train at home in my garage, don't have a bench, use my dads weights from the 70's and I'm a boss at floor pressing ;) I'm also easily the biggest strongest bloke in the garage ;) (I train alone).

[@LTPottenger]

You're supposed to shrug the reeves deadlift at the top. This really hammers your side delts. My favorite side delt exercise.

[@rolsson1693]

Please do more old school!!! Cheers 🍻

[@jodycameron-roy2544]

I'm pretty sure the Reeves Deadlift is actually done as a shrug. Golden era bookworms KZbin channel has a video on it.

[@decomodus]

How about trying the workout routine done by Indian/Pakistani wrestlers (Kushti)? Especially with the clubs involved, it is kinda old school as well.

[@TheHylden]

My shoulders have a lot of issues doing rows and stuff. The monkey rows actually really look good. I am definitely giving them a try 👍

[@GeneDarrTV]

The first one didn't even look like an exercise, looked more like a stretch ones does in the morning after waking up 😂

[@RealRuler2112]

I love how Hudson tries to be serious & Brandon just keeps making him laugh while he's trying to do these. XD

[@Black_Adam911]

I've seen people use towels to curl and do pull-ups. Really thickens the wrists and forearms.

[@TheAllanBrownlie]

Cant believe ive never done a monkey row. It makes so much sense

[@ryanmelvey8764]

monkey row seems really cool. like a pulling version of a dip

[@duelknight69]

Guys can you also make a review of the bullworker. When I was young I often saw my dad using it in his exercise routine. What's you're thought about this? Thanks and more power guys.

[@dsiii98]

Barbell turns could be good if you’re a practitioner of martial arts with bo staffs.

[@Vorylenus]

Impressive you guys didn't know about Monkey rows. Great exercise, but got to be honest. I didn't know the name for them lol It is an exercise I've been doing since I was a teen. Yats Ffub

[@SchubertAloysius]

What if Buff Dudes join WWE? I'd pay to watch it!!! They'd make good team and entertaining as well!

[@VacuumDweller]

Given that so much of this old-school "physical culture" stuff (what we would call today "body-building") was so, so new for these guys, it's easy both to make fun of it and also to appreciate it all the more. It's important to keep in mind the equipment that these guys had; most everything they had was both fixed-weight and fixed-bar as well (non-rotational like modern collared bars), which puts stuff like the Javelin Press in context. If you were capable of pressing really any serious weight. it would have been a 'big' 50lb+ solid iron mass that you would have had to balance like that! The "Mighty Back" movement is honestly just a Snatch that ends in an Iron Cross position (curious, but salvageable), and the Wrist Twists is just the first half of an Arnold Press that ends in the curl position without the Press portion. Those Monkey Rows are absolutely golden, what an incredible movement! Same with the Reeves Deadlift! It's really interesting to see how close these programs and their practitioners are to 'modern' physical culture. I genuinely wonder how any one of us would have fared if we were transported back in time, with the inarguably cleaner food but slightly worse equipment...

[@NoFormalTraining]

Here's a thought, can you find out what sort of exercises the ancient Greeks were using? I say this because I'm thinking about all those stone and marble statues hanging around from then, and there are a lot of rather buff looking peoples amongst them. I know those are statues but the fact remains, whoever made them, knew exactly what big and well defined muscles looked like.

[@mitchiedjdotcom]

That barbell turn one reminds me of one I found on KZbin when I first starting going the gym, where you hold out a weight and slowly turn it as if your turning a steering wheel back and forth, the burn kills and I didn't half get some funny looks in the gym didn't do it after the first try lol

[@lwskiner]

Try using an E-Z curl bar for the Reeves but do either a stiff-leg deadlift or bent row with that hand position/grip, those are excellent exercises.

[@What-he5pr]

Sounds awesome, thanks for the idea.

[@jeffreythompsonii9931]

Looks like these old school exercises work on the twitchy stabilizing muscles

[@KurtAngle89]

You GOTTA do something about the man, the Myth, the Legend, Eugene Sandow!!!

[@chrisfalx3251]

When you and your brothers find grandpa’s old weights out in the garage this is the kind of shit we would do

[@keropnw3425]

Old video but you're generally wrong about these exercises. Crucifix is great for developing shoulder and thoracic mobility if you do it controlled and supination curls actually don't work with dumbells bc the weight is on both ends, there's no direct resistance to supinating the hand.

[@Reeg3x]

The karma sutra of picking things up and putting them down

[@Niborino9409]

I'd urge you guys to check out Golden Era Bookworm: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3TWfJmdg9Zroac The Steve Reeves deadlift isn't for heavy weight deadlifts, it's to broaden the shoulders. 😎