"Why You Do Like That?" Weights, Martials and 'The Healthy'

It was pretty hot today. The gym A/C was fine, and I was only in there for an hour, got business done, but the dojo (I went to Judo straight from the gym) was like a sauna. Not nice in a gi.

 

Lol I bet it was like wearing an electric blanket inside a boiling kettle right?

Weights for an hour then Judo? Do you take any NOX or caffeine to get through that workload? Or are you just use to it now?

Either way that's pretty boss

 

My laptop is well overheating so typing this I have to be careful not to put weight on the case or it highlights the text and I just overtype it

not sure what NOX is (preworkout)? i bought a pint of milk after the gym and added a scoop of whey protein and creatine to have, but it was more the lack of air and heat that did me in at Judo, i wasnt up for randori, better in evening sessions or air conditioned halls

My friend was trying to suggest I might be overtraining so the 1 hour was an experiment of sorts. I only had time to do the priority for the day, so it was Skipping, Max Effort Bench, Repetition Method Squats (Box Squat, as a bench was sitting there in the Power Cage), finished with Dumbbell Rows supersetted with Dumbbell Incline Bench. Normally I would add in some Pendlay Rows (not DB Rows), Pullups, Dips, Ab Rollouts, Landmines and a much longer warmup

 

This was something I poseted in Pascalwood's thread question about Protein intake - It's not a bad start at summing a few things up:

A week off lifting is nothing. It's not 'So Long'. It's a teeny blip. If you're moving fairly hefty poundages then you easily take a few weeks off and all it does is good.

Powerlifters regularly take a week or so off in between their cycles. And then they start again.

You'll heal a bit in that time. Your body will thank you for the rest. And you will come back stronger. Obviously most Powerlifters (the ones I know) start another wave or step-like cycle at a lower starting point. After they've taken that time off.

That's purposeful. They're not weaker when they come back. They just want to start from a lower entry point. So they can then move up their cycle to lift more at the end of said cycle (quite fascinating how they do this).

Approx half of their sessions are to do with the betterment of their technique and speed in the lifts. Hence why they modulate their training.

For maximal strength training (not powerlifting etc) - If maximal strength is your goal (and you're not using gear of all or any description) - Taking a few weeks off a couple of times a year will aid you greatly - Particularly if you're resisting fairly hefty weights.

It can be difficult to do though. You'll bridle at the fact that you should be 'doing something'...After all don't we equate more work with more gains? Don't you feel you really should be 'doing' something more?

Really the confusion about having to train 3 or 4 or 5 times a week...And that muscle and strength gains disappear quickly...Is absolute crud.

Mostly you're encouraged to train 3 or 4 or 5 times a week so you can split out the work. To get it all done.

So your Bodybuilder does - example - a 4 -day split so they can get all their bodyparts done.

Powerlifters and Oly Lifters will also do training splits. Some of their work is for strength. And some of it's just work (technique, speed, getting through 'sticking points in lifts' etc). These aid skill in lifting but are not necessarily cultivating more strength.

A lot of folk confuse strength and muscle and lifting. Really you can only exert maximal force over a peak moment as an occasional thing.

For example how many times in your lifetime could you flip a car?

The answer is probably once or twice when your life...Or the life of your baby depended on it.

So peak strength is brief. Everything else is just more work at sub-maximal levels (strength endurance).

That's why once you've hit your heaviest lift/ resistance in your training session - Your strength lessens after that. It's up to you whether you want to continue after that. Depending on your purpose.

Your Central Nervous System will adapt to you lifting etc huge loads. But it needs time to get used to the idea. If you try and do too much you get weaker not stronger.

Now as far as muscle-building is concerned... This is a different kettle of fish.

You can be completely yoked huge leggy huge guns and not be as strong as someone who's as lean as a penny.

This can be difficult for a lot of folk to get their head around. Our culture tends to equate muscle size with strength. This is not necessarily the case.

(Muscle Density is more important for strength because uber-dense muscle can contract more efficiently).

Now most bodybuilders train the way they do (High Volume, Relatively High Duration and Frequency) because they're looking to achieve Overload (and that's really hard work).

Most powerlifters, strongman athletes etc though tend to stop near their current maximal output. And are usually less overtly muscled (particularly with regards to sarcoplasm - muscle fluid). Particularly in the limited weight classes. Compare a 75 kg powerlifter with a 75 kg bodybuilder.

Generally to train for maximal strength you can either:

A) Train Often and Little with Relatively Heavy Loads - See the way the old time strongmen (Saxon, Sandow, Inch, Goerner, Maxick etc) trained. 4 or 5 times a week but their sessions were approx 25 to 35 minutes including warmup and cooldown ('Ready to Battle a Kingdom').

B) Train Less Often but with Really Heavy Loads. And then rest, completely heal and come back and make more progress.

You'll find it extremely difficult to get significantly stronger if you're trying to train for strength say 3, 4 sessions per week.

Getting a good balance of Intensity vs Duration vs Frequency is one of the hardest things you can do. And requires its own kind of discipline.

Significant Strength requires Significant Rest.

Your strength lasts a long time. People who do really heavy static contraction and short-range 'power-factor' style training only train about twice or once a month. Or less.

They're exerting their current maximum strength (in their strongest strength phase and in their strongest range of motion). So they realise you can only do that occasionally. Their Central Nervous System gets momentarily fried. And then takes xxx amount of time to reset.

 

NOX is Nitric Oxide (laughing Gas basically). I bang down a few tabs on really hot days. So I can train with a tad more 'scuuuush' (otherwise I'd be really hard pushed to get anything much done). Rest of the time I don't bother.

I was kinda suggesting the same thing a few times. Just that I don't like to push it with people in this regard. As you know you have to suss this out for yourself. Depending on feel.

Occasionally I take a couple weeks off completely. I just stretch and do martials. But no weights. You really feel fresh and fully rested. And you get nicely healed too.

If you can handle x 3 x 1.20 weights seshs per week and xx amount of Judo then good on you.

An hour max of weights though is more generally more beneficial. But can be a tad frustrating. As you can't get all the cool lifts and presses you wanted to do done (welcome to my world...).

Next week I was thinking I might do some of the lifts etc that I really miss doing. Like Standing Curl and Press. And a Barbell Hack Squat - Not done these for eons.

And maybe for the comedy value - Zercher Squats. Again it comes down to doing your priority lifts and then doing some fun stuff if you've the time.

How much benefit do you think Box Squats have? What do you reckon they add to your Squat? Is it the ability to power out from a dead stop? Or is it more a technique thing?

I've only done them a few times. And only then because my very occasional training partner kept nagging me to do some.

I tend to rotate my Rows. And I do have a penchant for Seated Rows and DB rows at the mo. I haven't done any Pendlays or BBell rows for at least 6 months. Hmm I'll put a reminder in for when I do my next pure 'back' session.

I could factor in the Pendlays after Deads maybe - Hogging the Squat Rack again :hat:

Good Luck

 

NOX and Laughing gas are not the same.

Nitric oxide (NOx) is NO or NO2

Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is N2O

 

I guess any of these - http://www.bodyactive-online.co.uk/epoint/nitricoxide_supplements.asp

Box Squats are okay when training on your own and you really can't feel the difference between nearly and parallel, though the slight pelvic tilt when sitting back does break up the motion and I don't think it's a good idea to get into a reset position from the bottom when it gets heavy. I used to put up a rubber band to touch at what I felt to be the correct depth, even that gets tricky. With a solid low bar back squat there is only a slight movement of the knees forward, the motion for me is sitting back while trying to keep the body up. I try to make every squat movement the same but well it doesn't always work out that way. Anyway, I guess if nothing else Box Squats encourage the repetition of the same movement on each rep

 

Thank You for the clarification.

I did wonder why I didn't find any of it at all funny.

I mean surely when I'm squatting a hefty load I should be giggling my head off Instead of grunting like a complete numpty :hat:

Now I know!

 

Ah I see! And thanks.

I've only done them a few times. Last week I saw a bunch of guys doing them at the gym. They were a bit Kamikaze with their form for my liking. I liked the dead stop though.

I tend to plough my own groove when it comes to training. But I'm always willing to experiment for an effect of some kind.

It's whether Box Squats would add anything poundage wise to my squat (?). Or whether they're more for training technique.

I do a lot of paused squats. And I vary the speed from slow to fast - particularly out of the hole.

 

I'm probably going to keep Box Squats in for Repetition method days to try work on keeping my chest up going into 80kg. Last night was Max effort, finished on 91.5kg for a triple, and I think only one of the three would have been competition legal. I think I could have done more but at that weight couldn't tell if I needed to go a couple of inches lower. I could really do with vidayoing some of them but it's pretty dark in the current gym

 

Do you do Good Mornings at all Haru? I find they keep me honest.

I know you know this anyway. Possibly worth a reminder that having a really strong back will always keep your chest up in the Squat.

Bucking that bar back is a skill in itself when it starts to get really hefty.

I did get a text off an occasional training partner today (once every 2 months or so training partner) saying: "Hey d'you fancy doing Box Squats this weekend?" - Hmm well I did have other stuff planned but we'll see.

What's your bodyweight at the mo Princess?

 

Elbow Jut Takedowns and Other Intense Action...

Monday 8th July 2013

Gripwork

Thought I'd use my 'dice with gluten-death' last week - And following 'recover from poisoning' moment to change the day I did my gripper work.

I want a short intense session here. No more than 15 minutes max. Heavy grip work can easily wreck your CNS. So short high-intensity and then stop...Is often the best route to take.

Why? Because Everything gets worked. My calves feel it, Hamstrings get a bashing etc. Just from one little Gripper...

250 lb Gripper

x 6 x 6 x 6 (The Gripper of The Beast!)

x 5
x 4 (With 5 second static close)
x 4 (ditto)
x 3 (with a 10 second static hold on the last 2 reps)

Nothing above 250 lb gripper until I can absolute crushgripclose it fully for every rep in the range.

I'm 85% there now. Only some of the warmup reps are partials. Really I should get a lighter Gripper to warmup with...

Tuesday 9th July 2013

Silat

Big and Fast Leggy warmup was a shredder. Particularly our breakdancing like leg switcheroos just above Ground Level. Fun.

And the nad squidging 'Sepok' (A squatting leg-crossover posture). Which I don't have the hip flexibility to do yet (working on it).

I have to say my concentration ranged from 'no clue' to 'hmmm okay' yesterday. I'll be glad when we're training more than once a week. As 'brain like a sieve' here forgets most of what should be now obvious - BOO!

Technicals we worked on elbow jut stops and pivot steps against a jab roundhouse kick combination. Flowing though. Not stop-start.

So you intercept with a vertical elbow jut/ loose salute an are still moving away and around the incoming roundhouse kick.

At first just the elbow jut and pivoting out of the way. Using a step called 'Four Corners' ('L' step position with your lea leg and straight braced rear leg).

This is a powerful damager to any fool that tries to lamp you with a roundhouse. Similar in many ways to the Muay Chiaya techniques designed for the same purpose. Hence why ability went up about 47.537% then.

Building from that jut and pivot we then added a spinning back over the top elbow strike. Called a SOKKLAB in Thai.

The trick is to stay close and pivot around them. So you can lamp them with a choice up and over elbow without spinning like a top. From there we built in a few leg kicks to the standing leg of your adversary.

And then worked different possibilities such as using just the jut, pivot and sweep. Or the jut, pivot and meat hook trapezius catch when moving in a circle. Again really similar to Muay Chiaya etc.

I should of had a shave as I had my picture taken doing my best 'Movie Fu'. Oscar-winning performance there.

We finished with a bit of stance training. Particularly Jompok (Squat Stretch) and Kuda-Kuda (Horse Stance) for what seemed like an eon. And boy my legs etc feel it today.

One good thing is I was taking a Carnitine Complex before Silat. I figured I'd do that for the first 6 months. Just so I could push myself a bit more and burn a bit of fat. This though kept me awake at night afterwards.

Last night though (no Carnitine) I slept well and earlier - Not being so wired. I can cope with the Cardio and Strength Endurance elements of it much better now. I have then, adapted.

This AM (Wednesday 10th July 2013) I did some Handstand Presses and Holds.

x 20 Handstand Press (halfway for 5, two-thirds for 7, last 8 were all full range). Plus a 30 second handstand hold at 95% of lockout.

I'm making sure my shoulders get a little bit more direct vertical work. To aid my Standing Shoulder Press. And take it above and beyond my current 105 kg strict press.

My purpose is to get my Standing Shoulder Press back to 140 kgs for a Strict Set. Handstand Pushups help. So do Standing Overhead Cable Presses.

The trick with any Overhead is either do it 'little and often' (i.e 3 or 4 sets (2 warm up, 1 intermediary and 1 heavy) every other day)...

Or it in some form twice a week or so (Up to 6 sets - Going up to 85% of your 1RM)...

Or you can do it mega-heavy as a short-range Static Contraction/ Partial with (133% of your 1RM) Approx every 20 days...

This is where Muscle Voodoo gets a bit tricky. Intensity vs Duration vs Frequency

 

talking of crazy percentages this amused me 455% of his max

Not sure of my current weight, poss anywhere between 63-67kg. I've been doing GMs on Squat day 50kg though the current gym only has straight bars, and as we all know GMs are much better with a cambered bar

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNt0cQvPww8"]Mark Bell Deadlifts with CrossFitters - YouTube[/ame]

 

Lol. And the man doesn't even look up when he's deading...

Don't have a cambered bar at t'gym. Just maybe one bent a bit through time and effort...Damn I knew I was doing it wrong...:cry:

Thursday 11th July 2013 - Strand Pulling, Hefty Cables etc

35 minutes inc warmover.

Music Suicidal Tendencies self-titled first album (1983) followed by Bad Brains self-titled from 1982 (Both acknowledged Hardcore Punk Classics!)

Warmup with a 40 lb resistance Pilates style band. Shoulder Dislocations, Chest Expander moves etc. A pump for the Rotator Cuffs etc.

So my trusty Powerpushup2 is still going strong. 240 lbs of resistance is too little for some presses and absolutely shredding for some movements.

I began as usual with:

Chest Expander

Palms facing Grip

x 10
x 10

The trick to get max effect out of them is to lock right out and squeeze the shoulder blades together. It's too light for this motion. Hence why I use it as a warmup.

Side Shoulder Press

Palms facing out. Flip the expander over your head. Until it's across your upper back. It's too light for serious pressing. But still worth doing at 240 lbs.

x 12
x 10

Standing Flyes

x 12
x 11

This is across between a fly and a low cable pull. As you start in the Side Shoulder Press Position and then push up around and forward. So you end grips touching at face level. In front of your face. Surprisingly tough.

Power Push Up

Two ways of doing this. The first you can start from the same grip-flip you do with Side Shoulder Press. Your hands are inside the grips. Kneel. Extend the Powerpushup. And do pushups with 240 lbs of resistance.

The other way is to put it across your back. And only put your thumbs through. Slightly different emphasis. Either way it's a totally mullering exercise. Like being squooze thru a mangle. Every muscle gets work.

x 10
x 8
x 6 (+ Static Hold at 90% of Lockout for 10 secs)

Double Hand Bent Over Shoulder Row

Instead of doing a Double by standing on the belt portion of the expander...I just held it under my chest and pulled outwards. That's harder.

x 8

Archer's Pull

A Pushing (lead hand) and Pulling (up over and back with the rear hand)

Phenomenal movement. Really hard to do under control.

x 10 (each side)
x 8 (ditto + 5 second hold at near lockout)

I tell ya...Hefty Cable Resistance is really hardcore. No wonder the old time strongmen were mad keen on cables, strands and expanders. The work feels like double the intensity of similar bbell an dbell exercises.

 

Excellent choice on the music!!

 

Cheers. I used to be really into the hardcore and noise scene in south-east Wales. Used to put on gigs. Ran a Record Distribution. And ran a Record Label. I still have hundreds of obscure label vinyls.

As I want to keep my Cable Resistance sessions to less than 35 minutes...Some classic Hardcore Punk albums do the trick.

Next week? Tar Babies and Void? Early Government Issue? Black Flag's 'Damaged'?

I just realised that when people talk about Band Aparts they're basically talking about Strand Pulling exercises. So no wonder my shoulder and rotator cuff problems have disappeared (great).

Coolio.

 

an Indie Distro too? How cool is that. They're pretty hard to find online these days. I've bought a few things you won't find in no HMV...

though I'm not a fan of Black Flag, as someone with a bit of a speech impediment, my ells were one of several I had the fun taken out of, you try saying Black Flag with poor diction, doesn't stop Rollins being a cool dude. i was more a Dead Kennedys fan

 

Nice music choices Sokklab! For me it would need to be a little more metal, so Slayer: Reign In Blood (29:03, thrash), Nasum: Helvete (35:16, grindcore), Napalm Death: Scum (33:04, grindcore) - anything that's short, brutal and with decent pace to chivvy you on a bit works fire me!

It's pretty cool that you got to practice a delivery sequence for sok klab in your silat! How's the 'silat-esque' motion going?

I think things like sepok and spinning techniques go quite well together: start with the more Traditional sepok (legs really crossed over, a bit unsteady to start with, and could potentially look a bit flowery) in order to over exaggerate the 'unwinding' part. Then graduate to something that feels a bit more natural and less crossed over, but with the same hip spin. You've probably done the same idea in your Muay Chiaya already...

Yeah, I guess band pull aparts and stand pulling are probably the same thing! I'll keep an update of how my shoulders are going via my log. They seem pretty darn 'worked' this morning

 

SoKKlab - Aren't Cowboy Killers/Words of Warning from down that way? Not part of that crew were you?

I was actually gonna listen to Govt. Issue when I ran last night or Youth Brigade (DC)...ended up with TSOL. I am big fan of the old So Cal / Posh Boy scene (Adolescents, The Germs etc).

When you start your Youtube channel you can mix in some music reviews to your training experiences.

HRH Haru - I think all the distros went online. Small ones died out, big ones got bigger. I order a lot of my stuff direct from the band / label. I kinda feel I am supporting them directly and it's a bit like hitting a "thanks" button.

As for Black Flag...Forget Rollins, it's all about Dez Cadena (IMO).

And Harry. I used to do HIIT to Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror. Great for the sprints. then the walks/rest would be something a little chilled out, Fugazi.

Enough hijacking from me...but I love my punk, HC and noise....

 

It was all Mail Order and Direct Mail. Before t'internet was born. I started a label when I was 17-18.

Produced-Recorded the first proper I Refuse It split LP at Arkantide Studios, Islington, Londinium. When I was 18. The place was owned by Rick Butler and Bruce Foxton of the Jam. They sat in on some of the sessions. Pretty cool to be there with folk who's rekkids you'd listened to a lot as a kid.

Although when you're 18 you're not fazed by anything.:hat: