Phaedrus, your philosophy of training is exactly what I've been wondering and thinking about. It seems to me that everything gets overcomplicated for people like me who just want to be in good condition and be strong, too. I just want to live a healthier life all the around - no fitness competitions, no bodybuilding aspirations. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
*Seems like server lost my last post, so I will try again*
Ben, this is exactly what I have been debating since Steve's presentation and my instructor gave me the "green light" to test for my black belt in September.
To this point I have really been training for fat loss, but the more I talk to Leigh Peele, I am understanding you don't "workout" to lose fat (Too lose fat, you eat less then you expend in daily movement. Working out only increases the daily burn total).
But muscle endurance seems to make more sense then "one-time" strength. I just wish I had the experience that you and Roland have in designing a workout plan to focus on that.
*Seems like server lost my last post, so I will try again*
Ben, this is exactly what I have been debating since Steve's presentation and my instructor gave me the "green light" to test for my black belt in September.
To this point I have really been training for fat loss, but the more I talk to Leigh Peele, I am understanding you don't "workout" to lose fat (Too lose fat, you eat less then you expend in daily movement. Working out only increases the daily burn total).
But muscle endurance seems to make more sense then "one-time" strength. I just wish I had the experience that you and Roland have in designing a workout plan to focus on that.
I was going to do a farmer's walk finisher, but I was going to be late for work if I did. Regardless, I was drenched. Seriously, Tuesday's and today's workouts have made me look and feel like when I used to leave wrestling practice, but in a good way. Hell, it's always fun to scare the other people in the gym by doing those DB C&Ps.
Aside from the actual fun of doing the workouts, "Roland" has replaced "Alwyn" in my vocabulary. Sure, I know he didn't actually write the program, but he did introduce me to it, so now I'll be hating life in the middle of a set and silently let out a sailor-blushing string of colorful metaphors. Ya know, #!$^%! #$@!#$ Roland ^$&#$% @%$%#$, or maybe something more casual like, "Man, I need to take a Roland (and wipe my RedLefty)." Something like that. For instance, I said "Roland" a lot yesterday while foam rolling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanceDiva
Log is funny. Blog is interesting. If we get to know each other better, I'll say something more profound (but since I didn't have a Liberal Arts education, probably won't be lengthy).
Trust me, a liberal arts degree is highly overrated. "Ooo, look at me, I can write and think critically!" Okay, great, can you do _____? "Um, no..." Yyyyyyeah.........
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodfromafar
Phaedrus, your philosophy of training is exactly what I've been wondering and thinking about. It seems to me that everything gets overcomplicated for people like me who just want to be in good condition and be strong, too. I just want to live a healthier life all the around - no fitness competitions, no bodybuilding aspirations. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for reading. Part of the initial email exchange between Roland and me centered around goals, and like you, there's no desire to win a sanctioned competition or even just be able to lift the most weight one time. Let's face it: we just want to look good naked while not sacrificing conditioning (pure strength training) or overall health (pure bodybuilding), be able to hold our own--even be above-average--at amateur/casual/pick-up sports, look good naked, be able to face daily life without major physical limitations, and of course, look good naked. He may pull that off; I'm just too hairy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bacardio
*Seems like server lost my last post, so I will try again*
Ben, this is exactly what I have been debating since Steve's presentation and my instructor gave me the "green light" to test for my black belt in September.
To this point I have really been training for fat loss, but the more I talk to Leigh Peele, I am understanding you don't "workout" to lose fat (Too lose fat, you eat less then you expend in daily movement. Working out only increases the daily burn total).
But muscle endurance seems to make more sense then "one-time" strength. I just wish I had the experience that you and Roland have in designing a workout plan to focus on that.
Your/Roland's challenge looks like fun.
Congrats on the thumbs-up. jugglecat jumped in as well, and he's whipping me right now (I haven't compared his numbers to anything Roland's done yet). As for experience, that's Roland's and jc's department--I'm a total n00b at this, which is why I'm sticking as close as possible to the suggested program setups in Infinite Intensity.
It seems like we both took away a sense of "why am I doing this" from Cotter's seminar. No one ever accused me of being the brightest crayon in the box, so it's little surprise that I didn't actively connect and apply all the crap I learned in teacher training about setting up a curriculum, namely the part about working backwards: start with your goal, figure out when/how you assess progress along the way, then determine the day-to-day components necessary to make it happen. I guess that, in a way, that happens in Western periodization schemes, but by and large, those programs are limited to a strict timeline or target load. After that, you're supposed to take a break, essentially de-training (sounds like summer breaks in grade school, no?). In my program's configuration, there are no targets, so to speak. It's about the journey, not the destination (apologies to Aerosmith).
Quote:
Originally Posted by mel
interesting read in here. I'm also undergoing some philosophy shifts so I'll be keeping an eye on where you go.
mel
Whoa, a boatload of new readers. Sweet I will warn you that so far, I've maintained an R-rated log. I haven't quite gone beyond that.... yet
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Okay, Roland is my daddy. He did the Magic 50 workout from Infinite Intensity on Tuesday. It looks like this
5 rounds for time
--5 DB snatch per hand
--5 DB swing per hand
--10 burpees
Roland's time with a 50lb DB - 11'12"
my time with a 45lb DB - 24'03"
Man, my conditioning sucks donkey balls. I will say that (a) I ended up with a heavier DB than I thought--45lbs versus 35lbs (some douchewad can't match the numbers on the DB with the numbers on the DB rack)--and (b) I tweaked the swings by adding a horizontal high-pull to the top of the ROM per Steve Cotter's demo with KBs. No extra rotational work needed for me!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go shower and murder a sushi buffet before going to work
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Last edited by Phaedrus49er : 06-13-2008 at 11:56 AM.
You think the "Infinite Intensity" program. might fit the bill for what I am looking for???
Hey Barcardio, I know I'm not Ben but I've been doing the Infinite Intensity for about 3 months now so if you want to check out what the program entails then just give my log a look. I personally think it would fit what you are looking for. More strength endurance right? That's the great thing about Ross's stuff. The book lets you customize your workouts based on what you want to do or need to work on. So if you need more strength endurance then you would add that into the program. But conditioning is the basis of the program.
Hey Barcardio, I know I'm not Ben but I've been doing the Infinite Intensity for about 3 months now so if you want to check out what the program entails then just give my log a look. I personally think it would fit what you are looking for. More strength endurance right? That's the great thing about Ross's stuff. The book lets you customize your workouts based on what you want to do or need to work on. So if you need more strength endurance then you would add that into the program. But conditioning is the basis of the program.
Hey Barcardio, I know I'm not Ben but I've been doing the Infinite Intensity for about 3 months now so if you want to check out what the program entails then just give my log a look. I personally think it would fit what you are looking for. More strength endurance right? That's the great thing about Ross's stuff. The book lets you customize your workouts based on what you want to do or need to work on. So if you need more strength endurance then you would add that into the program. But conditioning is the basis of the program.
What he said, except that I AM Ben.
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I would just like to thank you for the image of a murdered sushi buffet....involves a lot of wriggling, slimy parts. Thanks.
mel
I actually failed a little. It was way too hot in that restaurant today, so that combined with some lingering queasiness from my workout resulted in only two plates. I'm so ashamed at not getting my money's worth today. I must redeem myself.
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It seems you were thinking a lot on that long drive from Little Rock. What your doing looks a whole lot like XFit to me, always a good time. Maybe I'll join your merry little band after I hang on that rim.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
It seems you were thinking a lot on that long drive from Little Rock. What your doing looks a whole lot like XFit to me, always a good time. Maybe I'll join your merry little band after I hang on that rim.
I thought about the CrossFit connection as well, but Ross' stuff seems to actually be going somewhere and is periodized pretty specifically. IIRC, Alwyn Cosgrove did an extended analysis of CF WODs and found no rhyme or reason--basically, no obvious progression--other than comparing the named WODs from one iteration to the next. In fact, the CF order seemed largely random despite the site's claims of being on a three-day rotation of strength, power, and endurance (maybe S and P were switched). I haven't looked that closely at CF myself since the CFers I've been in contact with have a T-Nation type of mindset, only toward CF instead of hypertrophy. I'm not sure who said something like "you do CF to get good at doing CF but not much else," but it wouldn't surprise me. CF conditioning is intense, so that similarity is there, but I want something a tad more structured and predictable, even if the exact movements are not.
BTW, NEVER doing that ride again
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Good workouts there, Ben. Pretty strong numbers in the snatches and clean/press!
I don't see the crossfit comparison. Maybe the GPP stuff, but the workouts each have specific progression form wo to wo.
As written in the book, you've got a power lift each strength session, then a full body workout to follow. Ross staggers plyometric work so it's every other strength workout (so every 10 days).
They have specific rest periods, too. Only the GPP and challenges are races for time or reps.
Trust me, a liberal arts degree is highly overrated. "Ooo, look at me, I can write and think critically!" Okay, great, can you do _____? "Um, no..." Yyyyyyeah.........
*Terry hangs head in shame and slowly turns to leave*
So, as expected, I'm more than a little sore. It started yesterday. Whether it was/is from Thursday, Friday, or both, I'm walking around like I have a corncob shoved up my @$$. Well, no, not really--I just wanted to give you that visual. The soreness is real, though, especially in the lateral hamstrings. I'm slated for more manual hamstring curls tomorrow, but I may look for a substitute movement depending on how much warm-up and ibuprofen I get beforehand.
In other news, it's always fun when the bride's mother keeps feeding you beers all night (I was DJing a wedding reception last night) and repeatedly invites you to the "hospitality suite" for the "after-party party."
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
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Okay, Roland is my daddy. He did the Magic 50 workout from Infinite Intensity on Tuesday. It looks like this
5 rounds for time
--5 DB snatch per hand
--5 DB swing per hand
--10 burpees
This one is going to eventually make it into my log. It looks like fun. Thank you Roland.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er
So, as expected, I'm more than a little sore. It started yesterday. Whether it was/is from Thursday, Friday, or both, I'm walking around like I have a corncob shoved up my @$$. Well, no, not really--I just wanted to give you that visual.
After I finished laughing, I was going to offer some suggestions on how to turn that into a sexy walk. Then I saw the no, not really.
__________________ Just because your mother thinks you're special doesn't mean I do
In other news, it's always fun when the bride's mother keeps feeding you beers all night (I was DJing a wedding reception last night) and repeatedly invites you to the "hospitality suite" for the "after-party party."
So did you tame that cougar?
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
Notes:
--A dislocated shoulder is a sickening thing to experience, I'm sure. I say that based on the tiniest hint of one today during my final set of snatches (which started at 55lbs), second rep with the left arm. I got the DB to about waist-height when that tell-tale dull little *pop* stopped everything mid-flight. It didn't hurt, but I still took a knee for a couple minutes, tested my ROM, added a little weight to the ROM test, then decided to back off the actual work load for the set. I think it was just a form issue (not dipping enough for the catch, so I was explosively shrugging), but it may actually mean I need to use HEAVIER weight so I'll be more inclined to dip instead of shrug.
--You'll notice I changed up the exercises in the first superset. Single-leg box squats weren't going to do me much good since (a) I was nailing those pretty well last time, and (b) they actually promote poor form (for me) compared to the full-ROM single-leg squats, so I opted for the rollbacks that are part of Cotter's progressions (these are a bear). Similarly, I know I'm not going to get full-ROM manual hamstring curls anytime soon, and considering the residual fatigue from last week (yes, still, and no, I didn't do anything to flush the toxins over the weekend), the Swiss ball leg curls are a good substitute as they allow for measurable progression (I'm actually good to do single-leg curls, but that'll have to happen when this soreness subsides).
--I topped my raw push-up volume by six reps, but I'm still far short of 50 straight reps. Baby steps, baby steps...
--Rope skipping for max time is a little unusual for me as it's always my hands, wrists, and shoulders that give out way before my legs, so it actually ends up being an upper-body finisher, which I need.
--Oh, I almost forgot to mention: I asked Old Man George about the chances of getting some kettlebells in the gym. It was all he could do to keep from laughing. Instead, he told me it was about the same chance as getting a new DB rack and (unbroken) DBs. So, I told him I was just curious so I'd know whether or not to look into getting some for myself. He asked if I'd let him know who I went through and if I'd bring them in if/when I got them (of course I will).
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Manual Hamstring Curls? vs. automatic? Call them GHRs like everyone else! Anyhow, when I do them, my glutes are sore the next day. Even though, in pictures, the hips don't move, there's still static contraction at work.
What's the pushup plan there? You can do 25 max in a row, so what's your plan to get to 50?
Yeah. Combine growing up overweight with no strength training to any degree and lots of baseball, basketball, tennis (yes, tennis), and wrestling, plus partially-torn rotator cuffs a couple times each, and you get a bleak picture of shoulder health. I've worked on correcting the imbalances, but there's a LONG road ahead for that. I'm hopeful that all this overhead work will help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Dog
Manual Hamstring Curls? vs. automatic? Call them GHRs like everyone else! Anyhow, when I do them, my glutes are sore the next day. Even though, in pictures, the hips don't move, there's still static contraction at work.
No, I refuse To me, they are two distinct movements. In fact, you, Roland, posted the exact difference I mean here (your "natural GHR" = my "manual hamstring curl while my GHR requires the GHR bench). I did fail to clarify what I mean by the Swiss ball leg curls--my body isn't stationary while I bend at the knee and hip; instead, I make a straight line from my shoulders (pivot point) to my knees, and my knees are the only moving joints, so I get a similar isometric glute contraction (helpful if I ever plan on committing a felony). I've done the single-leg version before with good results; I just have to, ya know, stop being sore in da butt (NSFW?)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Dog
What's the pushup plan there? You can do 25 max in a row, so what's your plan to get to 50?
Pain and humiliation? I'm approaching this as a grease-the-groove movement much like I handled pull-ups. Just do a lot of them and get there eventually. It looks like volume won't be a problem on this program.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
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Welp, as expected, my left posterior shoulder is a bit sore inside the joint. Nothing major, just probably should've iced it after the gym. It'll be squirrelly for a couple days, I'm sure. ROM is fine, just some extra clicking and popping throughout a Cuban press-like rotation (upper arm abducted to 90 degrees, lower arm flexed to 90 degrees).
In other news, I need someone to convince me to NOT buy a kettlebell just yet
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Last edited by Phaedrus49er : 06-17-2008 at 06:06 AM.
Circuit x 5, no RI
--burpees x 30sec
--jumping jacks x 30sec
--rope turns x 30sec
--shadow boxing x 30sec
Circuit x 3, 60RI after each round
--flag x 3 negatives
--Saxon side bends @ 20lbs x 3 each side
--Supermans x 15
--lying bicycle kicks x max
Finisher
--one-handed planks (switch hands every 5sec) = 50sec
Notes:
--As expected, I was sucking hard at the end of the first circuit, but it went by more quickly than I thought it would.
--My flags are fluttering, certainly not taut. Much harder movement than I thought, but it wasn't a horrible performance, just pitiful (3 negatives versus the prescribed 5 full-ROM).
--Side bends were bit heavy considering their placement in the workout, so I cut the reps in half.
--One-arm planks are a lot easier first thing in the morning compared to last thing after the ass-whoopin' I just gave myself. Again as expected, my arms gave out before my torso.
--Left shoulder is a little sore throughout the capsule, and there's a little tightness at the ROM extremities, but nothing that'll really affect any lifting after sufficient warm-up (did some 1-arm DB squat-bottom presses at the end of today, and strength-mobility wasn't an issue).
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
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I will warn you that so far, I've maintained an R-rated log. I haven't quite gone 
Linear Mode
