Functional strenght. I much prefer to be underestimated and overachieve than visa versa. I also want to be able to deliver the strongest punch I can in the ring.
OKay this is in response to the questions from Z, JJ, and bombero. First, Z yes I think that ladders are very effective for Chinups and I am going to try them on Handstand pushups soon. I use a thick bar at the local park for chinups and added about 5 repitions to my Chins in about two weeks using ladders. Give them a shot.
Next, Here are my ratings for Furey: Combat conditioning book: Although not the greatest production, this book is full of the best bodyweight exercises that I have ever seen. I highly recommend it. The downside is that the descriptions are not very good and the pictures are average. However, his videos are very good and I would recommend them to anyone that is interested in bodyweight exercises. Again the production is not great. However, I learned that I was doing a few of the exercises incorrectly after viewing the videos and I never would have started doing handstand pushups off of two chairs if I did not see Matt do them on the video. Next, Combat Abs is an ojak book. However, a good part of the exercises are reduntant from combat conditioning. Regarding exercise tools such as the Power pushup2, Portable power jumper, and power wheel, I recommend all of them highly! Especially the portable power jumper and power wheel. You can do a variety of great ab, upperbody and leg exercises with the power wheel. The PPL is great for adding resistance to body squats and hindu pushups and is easy to use. The Power Pushup 2 is great for people who travel or for those who want to excel at pushups! After using the PP2 for a month your bodyweight pushups will go through the roof. The disadvantage is that the rubber resistance bands are a pain to take off and put on. Also, make sure you tell them to cut the cords to 8". Otherwise, it is too easy. I will discuss Pavel's products that I have used in another post.
I’ve been blessed with really good genetics for building muscle, but wasted it most of my life. After a weekend in an ICU for complications from Diabetes I decided I didn’t want to live that way anymore. So I started weightlifting for health reasons, but at the same time I was sick and tired of being a fat ass. That was two years ago. Now I’m in the best shape of my life. Appearance continues to be a real motivator for me. It’s great to look and feel good in your clothes. The amount of weight I can lift has never been important to me. That doesn’t mean that I don’t continually push myself to lift heavier weight, it simply means that I’m not impressed by the weight other people can lift nor am I embarrassed if I don’t lift a lot of weight. I just do my own thing, work to make gains while maintaining proper technique. At 41 looking great, feeling good, and remaining a competitive tennis player is enough for me.
Okay here are the pro’s and con’s pf Pavel’s products that I use:
Power To The people book: Pretty good book on strength training. Very straightforward and paractical. I would recommend this book to all beginners and those that want to get stronger and leaner without getting bigger. His program of deadlifts and side press is very basic for the advanced athlete and will get boring real fast.
His Beyond stretching book is pretty good. However, I would only get this if you are an athlete such as a martial artist etc
Kettlebell video: Awesome! Get this one right now. Pavel goes over several kettlbell exercises and the proper technique. He also goes over how to organize a training program. Excellent stuff here. Pavel also sells kettlebells in three different poundages. However, I think that it is much cheaper and paractical to get a kettlebell handel from ironhorse and put your own weight plates on it. Just make sure that the handel is smooth(No grip). Otherwise your hands will get rocked. The kettlebell handle costs about $60.00 and it can go as heavy as 110 with 10 10 lb plates. Pavel's kettlbell's come in three sizes: 36lbs, 55lbs, and 72lbs. Most serious lifters will quickly adapt to the 72lb one. Also, they are damn expensive. It costs about $300.00 to buy all three!
When I got started in HS I trained strictly for strength and explosive power. I developed both pretty well, but without paying attention to diet I blew up like a Macy’s Day Parade Balloon. In my old track photo I look kind of like the little brother from that movie “A Christmas Story” (you know, the Red Ryder BB gun movie) when they dressed him up in a snowsuit. “I can’t put my arms down!!” Lately, I’ve gotten back into iron and cleaned up my diet and am very pleased with the results. I still train for power, but the aesthetics are a nice side effect of proper diet.
This is an interesting post. For me, since I am just getting back into it, I’m training for looks, health. Also because I am trying to get into the military I have to be a certain weight. However, once I get in, and part of the reason I want to join, I will be training for functional strength 80%, looks 20% since I’ve always wanted to be a super hero.
Definitely appearance. I got the Adonis complex really bad man!
Thanks for the info Mike. I will pick up the CC video and probably the Power wheel and Power Jumper as well. I’ve been doing bridges the last few months and I touched my nose to the mat on only my fourth try ever. Felt good. So I’ve been curious about all of his exercises lately.
I think I’ll hold off on Pavel’s stuff. Furey’s stuff is more appealing becasue I’m a pro wrestler and so much of his stuff is coming from Karl Gotch, a true wrestling legend. It just speaks to me directly, know what I mean? Pavel is more on the martial art spectrum. I know Furey’s stuff can only help me be a better wrestler.
To answer your original question, right now I’m only interested in functional strength and losing weight-which is why I was so curious abour Furey’s stuff. Once I’m lean and in great shape, I’ll start doing some hypretrophy cycles to get bigger. Unfortunately in pro wrestling, looks are at least 75% of what you are based on. If anybody here watches WWF Tough Enough, Thur at 10 on mTV, you’ll see 12 out of the 13 contestants are in great shape. That’s reality! There’s wrestlers who suck donkey dick in the ring but they look great so…they have a job.
Great question. I train for functional muscle, while keeping focus on power and overall look. I got caught up in “bodybuilding” for several months and when I came back to playing BasketBall, I felt tight. I was at 6’2" and 235, but big and strong. This is not the way I like it. I want to be at 6’2" 210 and keep my bench around 365, but be able to run up and down the court and be able to play. Not look like a muscle head with no athletic ability.
For those of you training for looks, do you not think that training for functional strength doesn’t help you look better? Most athletes are in good shape. Focusing on basic exercises seems to be the way to go. Not only will you get stronger and perform better, but you will build muscle as well. I really enjoyed the interview with John Davies, as his stance on training made a lot of sense to me and is what I’ve geared my training toward. I’m eager to begin Staley’s Convergent Phase Training as it will allow me to continue to get stronger while inducing hypertrophy as well. Which means, I’ll look better and perform better. I’d rather not be all show and no go!
hey Nate Dogg, do you still work out following the 5x5 protocol?
Larry, I did two months of 5x5 and just recently finished a month of Poliquin’s 6x2(4) method. I made some pretty good gains in strength. I’m also dieting at this time, so for me to keep getting stronger or at least maintain my strength is pretty impressive. I’m currently going for 1RM’s this week so I will be able to figure out what weights to use when I do Staley’s CPT program. I have next week off, and then I’ll begin his program, tailored to me!
I'm currently weighing 142-145lbs at 5'4" and about 10% bodyfat. My abs are beginning to come through nicely, and I'm losing the love handles. I still have a little more to lose, as I want to be around 6-8% bodyfat. Considering I've cut calories, I still did pretty good going for 1RM's yesterday. For deadlifts, I stopped at 295x1. For barbell rows 165x1 and overhead presses 120x1. I know I was good for a few more pounds on each lift, but I didn't want to push it too much. Especially since I'm a bit low on energy due to less calories. I'll max on weighted chins and close-grip benches tomorrow. Last week, I easily did six sets of four on the weighted chins with an additional 25lbs. I also did six sets of two with 170lbs in the close-grip bench. So I'm hoping to do about 175-180 on the close-grip benches tomorrow. For front squats, I've managed four sets of three with 175 followed by two sets of two with the same weight. I also follow each set of the front squats with a set of back squats with the same weight for six sets of four. I'm hoping to do about 185-190 for 1RM in the front squat this week. And I'm doing power cleans for four sets of five with 135. So I'm doing pretty good so far. :)
Looks like you are kicking some ass nate dogg! Keep up the good work. JJ your welcome for the advice and I am sure that you will be jacked up with the Furey products. I personally think that you could benefit from Pavel’s kettlbell training so pick up his KB video and book when you get a chance. I have been doing KB training for about two weeks now and can already see differences in my physique and how it carries over to combat sports.
I train for Rugby #1, strength #2, looks #3. The way I train, nicely accomidates all 3. Too much size hurts my game, so I like to stay between 205-215 at no more then 12% BF. Right now , I am presently out of season and am workin towards a 600 lb deadlift and 300 lb powerclean by season (November).
I train fir both as my job is inactive one day and the next day a client needs some emegency stock or I get some small order I have to prep myself. Unlike my head office I don’t have the luxury of having a secretary, shipper or reciever. I rent warehousing from a customer the past 3 years and they just ship the skids I have ready or that I set up myself. And it’s all steel products so figure out why I need to be functional. That and I enjoy the fact that I can carry all my groceries from my truck to my home in 1-2 trips lol.
Other than that who wouldn't want to look thier best as well.And feel good is important too.Not going to starve myself year round and feel like shit just so I can look good on the beach. I prefer a happy medium.
Mike: I really think the key word in your question is “Focus”. I want a strong, healthy, “tight and light” body for as long as I can. One that has strong muscles and bones and is free of the myriad of “silent killers” (eg high BP). However, my FOCUS is esthetic. What you will find, however, is that as you watch your diet and push the iron with the mind on the esthetic, the rest comes with the territory. No…I am not prepared for Ultimate Fighting, LaCrosse, Football, Baskeball or any specific athletic endeavor, but my body is strong.
Yo Mike, I just wrote to Furey and I am definitely going to pick up the CC video, Power Wheel and Power Jumper and the Farmer Burns course.
Matt said that you are “dead wrong” about there being a lot of crossover of abdominal exercises from CC to COmbat Abs. He claims there are over 40 exercises in COmbat Abs that can be found in no other of his products.
I also told him he has a lot of fans at t-mag, wouldn’t hurt to post here once in a while or do an article or interview
The combat abs book is good and if you are really into abs go for it. Glad that you are picking up his stuf and good luck with it
I re-joined the gym in January for appearance, and that is still my main focus. As my strength has gone up so has my speed and endurance for rugby, so it worked out for both. (And it sure is great to have someone a foot taller than me try to avoid getting tackled!!! grin)
Michelle, sounds like your training has resulted in a lot of functional strength as a side effect. What kind of training do you do to enhance your rugby ability? Sprints? olympic lifting? etc