The "Look! Look at my cool workout!" thread

[Gyakuto]

I'm pretty much a free weights fundamentalist, largely because I lack the funds

I only use machines because they’re safer in the event of a poorly executed move. There’s no way I’d use abarbell squats on my own and thus I wouldn’t push myself for safety reasons; I avoid injury at all costs as it takes time out of your training and inhibits ones progress never mind the pain and possible long term debilitation.

nearly all human movements; pressing, pulling, even squatting have some way to train them by bodyweight, and options of difficulty to cover virtually everyone (how many people do you know who can actually do 20 pullups and 20 pistols on both legs?).

This is true, but doing 79 pistols squats/pull ups will facilitate lean, slow twitch fibres and one’s cardiovascular system. If you want strength then you have to use progressive overload.

The only movement pattern that can't be got at by any other means is the deadlift,

“Say ‘hello’ to herniated L4/5 intervertebral discs” (“not if you do them correctly” )

and in my view a flywheel trainer like a K-box could be used to provide all the resistance one actually needs. Siting one of those things in every public park, along with a pullup bar and some sort of benchy boxy thing could revolutionise public health and you don't have the problem of people sodding off with the equipment, if it's securely bolted to the tarmac. Obviously it would have to be weatherproofed too.

I suppose for MA training, you’re right. My vanity means I want a bit of bulk too!

 

[Prince_Alarming]

"Say ‘hello’ to herniated L4/5 intervertebral discs” (“not if you do them correctly” )

At the same time it is a fundamental human movement pattern and very useful to the rest of your training if not abused.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Mind you, I only deadlift because I have long arms and a short upper body, but mainly because the weight is held in the hands rather than perched atop one's back which is not really practical without a squat rack or even stands, and much harder to bail out of if excretia hits air conditioning.

 

[Gyakuto]

At the same time it is a fundamental human movement pattern and very useful to the rest of your training if not abused.

I have a butler to do my heavy lifting

 

[Gyakuto]

Mind you, I only deadlift because I have long arms and a short upper body, but mainly because the weight is held in the hands rather than perched atop one's back which is not really practical without a squat rack or even stands, and much harder to bail out of if excretia hits air conditioning.

One of my old dojo mates, a postman, had long arms. I swear his hands dangled by his knees when he stood up right and he didn’t need to walk up garden paths to deliver mail; he just stood at the gate and used his long arms!

 

[Prince_Alarming]

I have a butler to do my heavy lifting

As the lord lieutenant once said in my presence "Wilkins, take this abhorrent creature outside and give him a good kicking will you?"

 

[Gyakuto]

As the lord lieutenant once said in my presence "Wilkins, take this abhorrent creature outside and give him a good kicking will you?"

Good heavens! That’d require acknowledging it’s existence

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Good heavens! That’d require acknowledging it’s existence

I know, I felt very much obliged

 

[Prince_Alarming]

One of the things I read on Arnie’s Pump Club newsletter was the idea that ‘confusing’ the muscles by varying the type of exercise one performs to improve hypertrophy and strength is a fallacy. It’s more effective to be consistent with the type of exercise and progressively overload. This suits my habitual nature.

The way I see it, neuromuscular efficiency is a good thing. By becoming more and more proficient in a relatively narrow range of activities, I believe we handle bigger weights and more reps, leading to greater glory. 'Narrow but deep' as it were.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Good heavens! That’d require acknowledging it’s existence

It should be emphasised that what I said is a work of bullsh- I mean fiction. Not to be taken seriously

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Warmup:
General mobility: leg swings, marching arms and bodyweight good mornings
Pulse raiser: 100 jumps, jump rope
specific mobility: not really applicable since this is a general workout. Did bretzel stretches, both sides
Final pulse raiser: 5 reps of each exercise in the circuit

Main session;
4 rounds:
10 pushups-15 on last circuit
10 situps- 20 on last circuit
10 each leg step ups, 25 on last circuit
10 bench dips- 20 on last circuit
5 barbell curls@25kg
10 deadlifts @ 80kg
10 straight arm medicine ball twists
100 jumps, jump rope

warm down- stretching.

I find it helps to approach the warmup in this way. In fairness, I hate warming up so I do as little as possible, but what with me getting older and all it needs to be done

 

[Prince_Alarming]

strength[/I] then you have to use progressive overload.

There are ways of doing this other than adding weight though- one can switch to a harder variation of the exercise

 

[Gyakuto]

What makes it ‘harder’?

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Exploring different training variations: 3X, 4X, pyramids, drop sets, 1+1/4 reps, NA (negative accentuated reps).
Multiple progression phase (increase reps, sets, decrease rest, slower reps/negatives, stretch partials)

I like the idea of including multiple progression methods in a program. Do you have a plan for varying them or do you just wing it?

 

[Prince_Alarming]

What makes it ‘harder’?

Usually more disadvantaged leverages. Things like moving your hands lower or closer in a pushup

 

[Gyakuto]

Usually more disadvantaged leverages. Things like moving your hands lower or closer in a pushup

….which progressively increases the apparent load…like adding weight

 

[_Simon_]

I like the idea of including multiple progression methods in a program. Do you have a plan for varying them or do you just wing it?

I generally just determine what would actually be a progression (more challenging to the muscle) and implement over time. Even using the same actual weight and sometimes focus on increasing reps, then add a set next time, then drop the volume and increase weights, and repeat that. This focuses on long term progression as opposed to short term. Over longer periods there is progression, and the drop in volume/slight increase in weight is a nice little semi-recovery session.

Otherwise with intensity techniques doing standard sets, then next time doing 1+1/4 reps, then pure negative accentuated has been a progression I've used. Then next time increase weight and back to stock standard rep-style. Can get really creative but takes a bit of know-how (and reeeeally good technique is super important).

Some intensity techniques it's really hard to delineate a legitimate progression, but like I said I mainly use it to spice things up and explore different styles of training.

Used to be suuuuuper scientific, rigid and consistent, which is better for results, but now am more loosy-goosey.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

I generally just determine what would actually be a progression (more challenging to the muscle) and implement over time. Even using the same actual weight and sometimes focus on increasing reps, then add a set next time, then drop the volume and increase weights, and repeat that. This focuses on long term progression as opposed to short term. Over longer periods there is progression, and the drop in volume/slight increase in weight is a nice little semi-recovery session.

Otherwise with intensity techniques doing standard sets, then next time doing 1+1/4 reps, then pure negative accentuated has been a progression I've used. Then next time increase weight and back to stock standard rep-style. Can get really creative but takes a bit of know-how (and reeeeally good technique is super important).

Some intensity techniques it's really hard to delineate a legitimate progression, but like I said I mainly use it to spice things up and explore different styles of training.

Used to be suuuuuper scientific, rigid and consistent, which is better for results, but now am more loosy-goosey.

I think as your training age increases, you end up getting more loosey-goosey. You develop an instinctive feel about what you can do. The flip side of that is that of course you start entering into the zone of diminishing returns sooner or later, but that's just life.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

….which progressively increases the apparent load…like adding weight

My point precisely?