MY IDEAS ABOUT LIFTING AND ATHLETICISM
hlss- I feel like you’re on the right track with what you’re doing now. Like I said over in your log, I would keep the jogs to the gym in your routine for a little more cardio. I like to mix things like power cleans, DB snatches, KB swings, weighted burpees, box jumps, and jump ropes into my routine to keep me feeling “athletic.” If I cant go run around with my little cousins at birthday parties or jump on the trampoline with them without hurting myself of being out of breath/sweating like a pig then whats the point of lifting all those weights? I hate to use the word “functional” but its kind of appropriate here. grabs my flame retardant shield and prepares for the onslaught
If you watch the training vids that they’re putting out now of the Indigo guys CT has them doing “active rest” periods where they are actually still lifting during their “rest” time. I never really heard of “active rest” before that but I’ve been doing it for a while. I think doing things like that will keep you from turning into a fat blob and will also help you keep some of your athleticism/explosiveness while gaining weight.
I play in a flag football league that has games every saturday. thats a couple hours of sprinting, cutting, blocking, jumping every week. I also get out during the week and throw routes one or two times. I usually like to play basketball 1-2 times a week whenever I can. On top of all of that I’m lifting 5 days a week and doing “cardio” 3-4 days a week too. I am hoping to get into the fire academy so I do some stair running with my weight vest and other things like that as well to stay fit and help out with that job description. I think the overtraining thing is kinda BS and I KNOW FOR A FACT that your body can handle a lot more than you think it can.
With the amount of training I did when I was in the military and going through the selection process, I did so much stuff it was ridiculous. We would literally be PTing 10+ hours a day! you’d do open ocean swims of 1-3 miles, run 6-8 miles and do more pushups, pull ups, flutter kicks and 8 count body builders than you could even count EVERY SINGLE DAY. Never was I “overtrained”… my body just adapted.
I think that the key to staying athletic is doing what WhiteFlash said… dont sacrifice all of your outside activities for the sake of gaining weight. If you like to play basketball then keep playing. If you’re into swimming or volleyball or baseball then you should keep doing those things. Your body will gain weight and adapt to playing those sports if you keep doing them. If you take a year off from swinging a golf club to put on 40lbs your swing is going to suck balls when you finally pick up a club again. However, if you continue playing golf while you gain weight your body will adjust and adapt to the extra size/weight.
As far as staying limber goes, I also thing your on the right track with the Agile 8 stuff. Thats very good for your lowerbody and should help keep you flexible while you’re putting on size. I would also look into the Corrective Complexes article from last week. They had lots of good warm up stuff for upperbody as well as lower body. I would do some of that to help keep you lose and ready to rock.
If you have something that you like to do, dont sacrifice it completely for the gym… Its not worth it. if your goal is to be the next Arnold, Cutler or Ronnie… then yeah maybe you eat, sleep, breath, live in the gym but if not? I say its not worth it. You’ll be a lot more happy in life if you do the things that you enjoy ALONG with weight training.
Sorry for the rant guys. thats just my outlook on training.
I dont think that (actualy I know that I dont) eat 2200 cals a day. I have openly admitted to my love of sweets and adult beverages so when I find myself indulging on those I’m probably way over that lol… But that was just a “normal” day where I didnt eat out and didnt happen to have any junk. Keep following along and dont be a stranger!
