Exercise Thread

[Andy_S]

Gents:

Yrs truly is looking at expanding/altering his training program. I work out at a classic bodybuilding gym: Lot's of barbells, dumbbells, mats, pull up bars, running machines, etc.... but no ball, kettleballs, no running space, and the place gets busy.(Note: Although I don't have kettleballs, have access to plenty of dumbells and bars of all weights.)

Currently, I do a combination of cardio, weight and bodyweight exercises, but am looking for challenging compound, full-body exercises, with focus on the core.

This workout is en example of the kind of stuff I am looking for: I already do about half of this work with considerable ease, so can take on more challenging material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne7bv88_kno

More clips, tips, vids, etc, will be appreciated. Open fire!

[Strange]

oh i like the wood chopper, that one good!!
i think it will add that extra slither to your snake

[RobP2]

Don't know if there's anything here that will be of use - there's another one on Modular Training too, let me know I can wing copies over to you



cheers
Rob

[Chris Fleming]

Man if I hear some "personal trainer" say "core" one more time I just may launch a barbell at him. All the funky exercises may have some benefit, but they aren't all that great. Doing curls or whatever circus trick on some ball isn't going to build functional strength. Overhead pressing will give your "core" damn near all the training it needs. Learn and do the side press and bent press, and also the clean and press. If no kettlebells dumb bells can be used and certainly the barbell.

But for that little extra emphasis, I love this lift:

[josh]

this is a great, challenging bodyweight exercise... i saw Tim Cartmell do this at a seminar and he could hold himself just barely off the ground with his arms almost fully extended - really impressive!

[Wanderingdragon]

The first clip and third clip are excellent ...for the development of future back problems

[somatai]

opening a can o worms.....why if you are training good ima do you even need this, i have never found more challenging or fruitful exercises as i do in my training.....i have looked at lots of other stuff, but in terms of core strength nothing touches lung yiao

[Chris Fleming]

A simple answer: I see benefit in it. I get that some don't. My teacher, for one, doesn't have need for this kind of thing or other things that I have in my training (such as iron palm, for instance). I don't require him to.

As for anything else, the related idea that weight training leads to injuries now and in the future needs to be put in the grave. Dan John has an excellent saying: "Squats don't hurt your knees. The way YOU squat hurts your knees".

[Ian]

Hi Derek,

What is lung yiao?

Andy,

Something that will work your core and tendons and make you stronger (while not adding any tension around the joints or too much cumbersome muscle mass to your frame) is

-take any compound bodyweight exercise
-do ONE rep extremely slowly (~1 minutes both ways) or just hold it at the halfway position (~2 minutes)

Make a set of 4 or so exercises. I do some kind of push, some kind of pull, a squat, a sit-up. Go through the set 3 times.

Try holding a pull-up or push-up at the halfway point for two minutes. It's an experience

[somatai]

it is dragon waist.......requires tremendous core strength/integration

[Ian]

do you have a clip of this? I have no idea what it looks like but it sounds interesting.

[somatai]

look at the clip i just posted of Peng doing long diao ban......sort of a must feel thing, but you can see it........Nei gung, inner development, dan tien....these are very real skills and in my opinion what makes these arts so fascinating, the training methods to awaken the inner body.

[Brady]

derek, do you see no help in the walkout exercise? I think things like that can be a nice compliment to stepping and standing. At the very least its a good test of connection developed by other methods.

[somatai]

no i think all that is good, it is just that it is not how i would develop the strength it is more something that becomes easy once one has developed the strength.....again i believe in variety, but good ima has the hardest and most productive training methods i have found.

[Formosa Neijia]

I do a combination of cardio, weight and bodyweight exercises, but am looking for challenging compound, full-body exercises, with focus on the core.

My top recommendation for you would be a gymnastics-inspired body weight program.


This book would be the place to start. It gives you a whole strength building program with all the progressions. Progressions are absolutely necessary because of the difficulty of the exercises.

The gymnastics builds incredible core strength, more than anything else I've ever seen. But also the stabilization work that you do builds the whole body in ways that you have to feel to believe.

Caution though, this stuff isn't for everyone. Doing L-sits and working up to planches, etc. is really difficult stuff. Also expect others to not understand your training because you don't train like them.

Here's the article that got Sommer famous:
http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/229/

Dave C.