My thoughts, YMMV:
barbell curl or dumbbell curl?
Barbell allows for more incremental loading vs DB. However, the bicep is largely responsible for rotating your wrist, and is loaded differently at different angles that may be desirable, yet inaccessible with a barbell. E-Z bar can give you some of both worlds. There’s a reason why it was invented. Also, DON’T be the &@#$ who curls in the power rack.
chin up or pull up?
See @ropable’s response
barbell row or dumbbell row?
I’ve already covered BBvsDB loading increments, but also, the BB row has more transference to the DL, which is usually prized among powerlifting communities which is where the roots of this community come from. This is because BB row requires you stabilize the lift with your lower back. That said I fucking hate BB rows and refuse to do them for that very reason. I’ve DB rowed 120lb for 20 reps on each arm, but when I do a set of 8 BB rows at 185, I’m sloppy as hell because I don’t have those 3 points of contact stabilizing my upper body. When I spend time doing rows I want my lats to feel torched, not maximize lower back transference to DL. Also, I count the heavier weights for more reps on DB rows as grip work for my DL.
tricep press down straight bar, rope attachment or v bar attachment?
Why limit yourself to only 1? Have fun! try em all! Seriously, that’s one of the things I like best about tri(and bicep) isolation moves is mixing it up.
low row with lat pulldown attachment or v attachment?
Meh, no opinion
dips or push ups?
Having done a metric fuckton of push ups in the Army, I’ll say that if you are benching, and have dip bars available, do the dips. Quoting Andy Baker:
Dips are unique because they put the shoulder joint in an extreme position of extension. This targets the outer head of the tricep the best. The outer head is the most visible head of the tricep from an aesthetic point of view, but it’s often described as the “lazy head” in power lifting because it’s believed to contribute the least to the Bench Press.
They also hammer the tri’s
stiff leg deadlift or RDL?
Easy. I refer you to the untamed Alan Thrall
front squat or high bar squat?
Meh, Have you done both? Assuming you primarily low bar, and don’t want to try high bar as a primary movement, if you want to do a variant that puts more emphasis on the quads, why go halfway and do high bar? Unless of course you are like me and are uncoached and find the front squat rack to be untenable I guess.
Pendley row or barbell row?
No opinion, see BB row vs DB row for why.
lying tricep ext with E-Z bar or dumbbells
Find your own preference
