I've thought of posting this in Jarno's strength training thread, but after his last post I decided to create a thread of its own. There is a big difference between training for looks exclusively (bodybuilding), strength exclusively (powerlifting), general athletic capability, etc. as he pointed out.
This thread is for any kind of resistance training, or a kind which doesn't really fit into any other category, such as I deem my own training to be. Experiences, site links, goals, anything related.
In descending order from most to least important reasons I train are:
1) Health 2) Increased performance in physical activities/fitness 3) Aesthetics 4) I like to do it
My resistance training routine is as follows: 5 exercises of 5 sets of X reps (depending on exercise) Exercises:
Wide hand pushups - chest (30kg weighted) Close hand pushups - triceps (30kg weighted) Pullups Shoulder exercise Deadlift
It's weird like that cause I don't go to a gym so I improvise with what I have.
As for nutrition, nothing special. I eat 5 eggs a day, scrambled eggs alone get disgusting after a while, but with onions I haven't gotten bored of them yet, onions add an excellent flavor and make them softer, or so it seems. Lots of meat, fish, sometimes milk, yoghurt, salad, etc. etc. I also use cheaper varieties of whey when they're on a discount, because the protein/money ratio is the best of all foods.
Jarno
Gender : Posts : 2281 Join date : 2015-08-27 Age : 32 Location : Finland
My story is that I met this one Spanish (Basque) dude years ago online, and we shared our thoughts, then I don't remember how we started talking about strength training, but that was the first time I heard about Olympic lifting and he told me all about that strength is not only about muscle, more about nervous system and speed. I never knew before that there was other training methods besides bodybuilding/calisthenics types. Because most of the gym goers start when they see manlet midgets like Jay Cutler etc, but I got excited when this guy showed me videos of Clarence Kennedy. And he told me that muscles disappear faster than strength, so to keep your muscle definition you have to constantly workout, but strength is a bit more "permanent".
I was going to start "home training", but he humbled me and forced me to go to a gym and gain weight, made me a starting strength and eating program, 3 different programs for few months each. I gained 30 kg bodyweight in 10 months, got my deadlift max (belted, only beltless nowadays) to 120 kg in first 6 months and squat to 110 kg maybe in first 7 months. Then I did Oly lifts for maybe 1,5 years and got my C & J to 80 and snatch to 60 (70 kg snatch is harder to achieve than 100 kg bench), I also surpassed this guy who taught me everything because he had to take some time off from training, but now he probably still trains with a professional. I just went back to basic 3 lifts.
So my priorities was always strength, I didn't honestly care about aesthetics, but nowadays I got more muscle so now I can just look at the mirror and decide what to improve next next.
This looks like a good program for beginners, but it also has plenty of good general advice and I like the systematic manner in which the content is ordered.
1) Go download 'Practical Programming for Strength Training' by Mark Rippetoe and 'Power to the People' by Pavel Tsatsouline. PTTP is short and sweet and immediately practical PPST is long and comprehensive.
2) Stronglifts is a decent programme, so are Madcow, IceCreamFitness (Jason Blaha) 5x5. You are at the Novice stage so pick a novice program. The vast majority of people never leave the Novice stage even when they train for years mostly because they program poorly or train inconsistently.
3) Go to the gym. Strength training is all about progressive overload and 99% of home gyms simply don't cut the mustard. Not enough equipment, not enough weight. not enough space etc. Because of my genetics I can do pushups and pullups only and still be around 190lbs at around 10% body fat, but having recently returned to a gym, thinking I was still as strong as I had been about 2 years earlier, I was quickly reminded that nothing beats lifting heavy weights (I had a home barbell with about 60kg of weight). What you are doing is much better than nothing, but don't cheat yourself. Your body is literally the most worthwhile investment you can make.
4) In strength training a load is calculated as a percentage of your one rep max/1RM for that given exercise. 5 reps is a scheme that a lot of programs employ because it is strength based (70+% of 1RM) lifting but it also facilitates size gains (myofibrilar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). Doing 5x5 with a weight when you do not know your one rep max (i.e. you do not know what percentage of your max the weight you are lifting actually is and therefore cannot be certain you are in the strength training range) is arbitrary and non-productive, especially if you do not have enough weight to progressively add weight to the bar each session for a given exercise.
5) Pullups, Pushups and Dips are exercises you should do every week even when weight training.
6) The Deadlift is the ultimate test of strength, true. But the squat is a superior exercise because it can be trained more frequently. The squat also has a much higher carryover to deadlift gains than vice versa which means that frequent squatting will improve your deadlift (in the vast majority of cases). Squat barefoot unless you want to splash on Oly Weightlifting shoes and use a 'high-bar' position. Make sure your hip crease goes beneath the top of your knee joint (if you can squat 'ass to grass' without massive 'buttwink' then do so) but anything below parallel is a squat and anything above is not!
7) Doing regular cardio will not only benefit your overall health but it will decrease your need for recovery time and increase your overall work capacity. I am pretty handy with a skipping rope which I believe to be the best cardio tool available because it is so versatile and because it also improves coordination (when you learn some simple skills). Many gym broz do not recognize this fact and suffer for it.
8.) Define your goals clearly. It is possible to do everything at once but progress is slower (though this is often the best way to do things...) than if you focus on one area and master it (be it fat-loss, cardio, strength or size). Accurately assessing your situation will point you in the right direction.
9) If you are unable of unwilling to find a gym then there are advanced calisthenic and plyometric progressions which are second only to barbell weight training. But N.B., a lot of the people you see offering technique advice for these bodyweight training style are a) also on drugs like most fitness spokesmen or b) training their legs in a gym (calisthenics is much more effective for upper than lower body)
10) I once filled a swiss ball with water and used it to do strongman exercises. Odd shaped and/or moving objects are great tools to use for gaining functional strength. I would do it again if I had the time and space.
11) Male and female fertility both have short lifespans in nature and female beauty is the equivalent to male strength in my opinion. But even in our current environment, a solid foundation in the principles and practice of strength development is something that will increase your longevity as well as your vitality.
12) Punch a heavybag if you have the opportunity. Always land with the knuckles.
I just noticed this was what I started with [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Read it carefully, I highly recommend it. Though I mostly left out the chin-ups and dips, but you might have strength to do them if you have done a lot chin-ups, I left them out because I just wanted to gain weight.
He said to me
Quote :
Eating when youre not hungry is as hard as the hardest training you've done
For me the hardest part always was the eating and preparing the food, if you wanna be serious you should regularly eat 6 times a day, start up with a big breakfast. I started eating maybe a week or two weeks before I went to a gym for the first time. Protein shakes makes it easier.
I ate every morning for over 10 months 5-6 strips of bacon, 4 pieces of bread, 5 raw egg yolks + orange juice or squeezed lemon + honey, a fruit, an avocado. Baked potatos are fine also, but I didn't bother.
Though I am not really the one to give nutritional advices, because I don't watch how much calories I burn. First time next month when I get the heart rate monitor. I had the Blaha physique for maybe first 2 years.
This is a little off topic but, have you seen [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]?!?!?!
Supposedly Blaha's gf, the one in his videos and for whom he dyed his beard multiple colours, is an ex-prostitute/stripper who used to fuck NBA guys and was once arrested for trying to sell coke to an undercover cop!!! And she possibly has 2 children....
Then there is this:
Wow. And to boot I have never seen such a detailed exposure of a person's life online. The joke of it is I am sure the campaign was started by people who are being negatively affected by his CORRECT position on 'fake naturals' and PEDs in athletics... but what they found... wow
Jarno
Gender : Posts : 2281 Join date : 2015-08-27 Age : 32 Location : Finland
Great site for BW training, tons of youtube videos aswell that explains alot.
The guy is really approachable and seem to live his philosophy, his followers are very dedicated aswell on FB, it looks like.
Anyone doing BW should take a look. Nothing to buy or register emails etc. just read and listen to him for free if you wish. I have not bought his book, but I got the Convict Conditioning book he bases his program off of - it got nice explanations and pictures for helping with progression.
