Tip: The Sissy Machine That'll Get You Strong Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Sissy Machine That ll Get You Strong The wimpiest machine in the gym can actually help you build strength and muscle Who knew Try these two exercises by Calvin Huynh January 21, 2018September 28, 2022 Tags Bodybuilding, Tips, Training The Assisted Pull-Up Dip Machine Can this machine actually be useful? Many lifters see it as a weakling's way to do pull-ups, and maybe they're right. But it can be used in a way that'll help you get stronger, build muscle, and carryover into your regular pull-ups and dips. These two exercises activate a majority of muscles in the upper body, fix imbalances, and improve your mechanics in their respective movement patterns. Oh, and the contractions are outrageous. This exercise will force you to squeeze the bar much harder and move through the vertical pull pattern properly with one arm. It allows you to isolate one side of the pull-up without having to do a one-armed pull-up. The lats and biceps will be hit the hardest, but you'll feel it all over the upper body. If you find that your grip is lacking in one hand, you've spotted a crucial imbalance. Now you know what side to bring up. Keep your torso forward just like standard dips. You should feel it mostly in your triceps and chest. Keep your core tight. Towards the end of the set your body will want to lean to one side. This is the key to maintaining tension and building some raw single-limb strength. Set a weight that'll allow you to move smoothly, but not assist you too much. If you can do more than 12 reps, it's too easy and you need to lower the assistance weight to make it harder. Do 2-3 sets of 4-10 reps per side. That'll be more than enough to have your upper body begging for mercy. These are best done toward the end of your workout. Don t Be Closed Minded I get it, your buddies will laugh at you if you suggest walking over to the assisted pull-up/dip machine. Show them these two exercises to change their minds. Or just do these on your own and watch your strength skyrocket past theirs. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Videos Tip The Landmine Deadlift Groove your hip hinge and boost your deadlifting volume with this great lift. Deadlift, Exercise Coaching, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips Tony Gentilcore December 13 Training Tip Adaptive Resistance What You Need to Know Is it time for you to dump a favorite exercise and switch it for something new? Answer these three questions and you'll know. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips, Training Charles Staley May 8 Training Tip Do Metabolic Finishers EMOM Style Get your heart rate up for 10 to 20 minutes using EMOM. Here's how it works and why your body will love-hate it. Fat Loss Training, Metabolic Conditioning, Metcon, Tips, Training Dean Graddon May 29 Training Tip Do Jump Squats with Judo Push-Ups Get ready for 150 reps of fat-burning pain. Here's how to do it. Tips, Training Chad Waterbury February 13