A perfect workout or exercise technique doesn’t quite exist since every fitness enthusiast might have a unique approach toward their goal. However, fitness icon Sean Nalewanyj was overly critical of Sam Sulek’s signature technique of performing ‘face pulls.’
The way Sulek attempted face pulls was to lie down on a bench and pull the cable bar attachment towards his face. This was not only quite different from the traditional way of performing the exercise, but he also felt that it helped with more stability and burn for his delts.
However, Nalewanyj seemed to be skeptical of the technique, admitting that while it seemed fine in theory, it might have several flaws. Pointing out the setback in the young bodybuilder’s footage itself, he revealed why it still did not fully stabilize the back.
Nalewanyj admitted that lying down while performing pull-ups could work the deltoids more, but at the cost of the body constantly moving. If the main goal was stability, then the technique didn’t seem to be satisfying it.
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“Ideally, you’d want to be driving against something in front of your body rather than behind.”
Furthermore, the fitness icon argued that if the bodybuilder isn’t pushing against the force in front, the weights will pull him forward while lying on the bench. This will act as a counterproductive move for deltoid growth.
“It’s not that Sam’s version is necessarily “bad”, but in most cases it would just make more sense to perform it upright using a chest support.”
Nevertheless, Nalewanyj acknowledged the intention of Sulek’s modification of a popular exercise and provided alternatives. He revealed how one could effectively achieve a similar effect while seated or on a separate machine that triggers the same moves. Interestingly, he had even called Sulek out for promoting a certain body weight previously, just to stir the pot.
Sean Nalewanyj asserts the irrelevance of sticking to measuring body weight alone
The journey of bodybuilding can involve several ups and downs with many learning curves that ultimately help young individuals become more aware of the process. Sulek is one of the most popular public figures, especially for young and aspiring fitness enthusiasts. Therefore, when he uploaded a video about sticking to his 200 lbs weight, Nalewanyj had to intervene.
Maintaining a certain body weight throughout one’s bodybuilding journey isn’t an optimal goal to keep up with. Instead, it depends on several factors, including height, body fat percentage, genetics, etc. If, as Sulek pointed out, the goal was to stay at 200 lbs and be lean at the same time, Nalewanyj argued that it could take years to get there with no guarantees. Therefore, finding sustainable goals and approaches was crucial in the sport.
