"High Intensity" or "Heavy Duty" training

[dwid]

"Pushups and pullups can work wonders."

Yep. And:

Parallel bar dips are, I think, the king of upper body exercises. Many parks have parallel bars, or you can often use the equipment in playgrounds to do them, as well as chinups. You just have to chase the little kids and their mothers away.




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several parks I have been to, including the one by my house have an old school workout station with pull up bars benches, some that are on an incline with a guide of how to exercises where you can do pretty much everything you speak of and then some, and its away from where the kids play.

 

[werewolf]

several parks I have been to, including the one by my house have an old school workout station with pull up bars benches, some that are on an incline with a guide of how to exercises where you can do pretty much everything you speak of and then some, and its away from where the kids play.

I think that "old school" might be the key words there. The fancy new parks I've been seeing them build don't have useful exercise equipment which would be relatively very inexpensive to install, namely chinup bars and parallel chinup bars, which I prefer, or else hanging rings which are the best, and parallel bars for dips, and maybe a flat metal mesh bench for situps. That's all you need really. No goofy "exercise stations" that nobody ever uses are necessary, though I think they've stopped building those too. Probably their lawyers told them not to because they might get sued if someone gets hurt. Sometimes you find parks with those things but they're not built right. The bars might be too thick, or too close together. They should be consulting me instead of their lawyers.

 

[werewolf]

Here's one company that's making ideal outdoor fitness equipment for parks, and I agree with what they're saying in their ad too. With all the fat slobs waddling around what was once the USA how about installing some fitness equipment in the parks? I saw a film of Brazil, Rio, by the beach, and I saw that they had free fitness equipment there. Once when I was still living in NYC I got pissed off at the new useless junk they had cluttered up the park with and I called the parks dept. and left a message, and some girl actually returned my call, but she sounded like typical civil service retard and said, duh, we'll get back to you or something. She didn't know a chinup from a jelly donut.

http://www.mensfitness.com/gear/wor...training-equipment-makes-your-park-a-free-gym

Outdoor-Fitness boasts more then 50 products that are available for purchase. With equipment ranging from lat pull down and leg press machines to ellipticals and stationary bikes, this equipment is not to be confused with the lone pull up bar in your local park. Outdoor-Fitness has already seen great success and has sold thousands of pieces of equipment to parks and communities internationally. Outdoor-Fitness hopes that the United States will follow the lead from other, slimmer countries. They hope that by having their machines in local parks people who cannot afford a gym membership have access to fitness equipment...

 

[Parrot]

The guy who invented HIT Arthur Jones has a good website http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/ . He also invented most of the machines you see in a gym today. Later in life he said Chin ups and dips will give you nearly the same size muscles in the upper body as doing weights.

 

[Awake in America]

The guy who invented HIT Arthur Jones has a good website http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/ . He also invented most of the machines you see in a gym today. Later in life he said Chin ups and dips will give you nearly the same size muscles in the upper body as doing weights.

The equipment used for training isn't as important as how you train. I just added dips into my routine; first time I've done them in about 20 years. They are like squats for the upper body! Down on a 4 count, up on a four count. My chest, arms, and shoulders were screaming.

I'm now spending less than an hour in the gym each week, and making good progress.

 

[werewolf]

The equipment used for training isn't as important as how you train. I just added dips into my routine; first time I've done them in about 20 years. They are like squats for the upper body! Down on a 4 count, up on a four count. My chest, arms, and shoulders were screaming.

I'm now spending less than an hour in the gym each week, and making good progress.

I ain't the kinda guy who says I told ya so, but I told ya so. Dips are the king of upper body exercises.

I saw some neat PORTABLE dipping bars on a youtube video. I'd like to get them because not only are they portable - they are like a pole on a stand with a hand grip on top - but they are fully adjustable for width. But I don't know where to get them, nor do I know how to make them.

When I lived in Manhattan I used to use a nice makeshift dip station that I made by putting two steel crates that I liberated from someplace on top of two strong chairs with a little block of wood topping it off.

I keep switching exercises around. My latest addition is slow negative chins. Also I've discovered a new and great way for me to jog so I can go much farther without getting tired. I'm real enthusiastic about that one.

 

[Awake in America]

I ain't the kinda guy who says I told ya so, but I told ya so. Dips are the king of upper body exercises.

I am headed to the gym right now, and dips are on the agenda. I'm still getting the hang of them, but they are amazing for the arms and chest. I'm probably a few weeks away from feeling comfortable about adding weight.

I googled "portable dip station" and there's a good bit from which to choose. Adjustable width would be a great feature. One size does not fit all.

 

[werewolf]

I can't find it with the google search. Here's the video where I saw it - starts at 1:30. I just emailed them - BodyweightCulture.com - and asked them if they can tell me where to get those dipping bars he's using.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V8RCMMgmLaQ

 

[Parrot]

You can do dips on your kitchen worktops, were they meet in the corner. They are like Gironda V dips. Reverse ones as well.

 

[werewolf]

You can do dips on your kitchen worktops, were they meet in the corner. They are like Gironda V dips. Reverse ones as well.

I've also done them on fences where the fences meet at a right angle. I never got a response from above re those dip poles. Anyway I've switched to pushups on my pushup bars for now because my shoulder had been giving me a bit of trouble and dips may not have been the best thing for healing that. The main reason that my shoulder was giving me some trouble was because I was bragging about my shoulders being bomb proof. That will do it every time.

 

[Carolina Speed]

I am headed to the gym right now, and dips are on the agenda. I'm still getting the hang of them, but they are amazing for the arms and chest. I'm probably a few weeks away from feeling comfortable about adding weight.

I googled "portable dip station" and there's a good bit from which to choose. Adjustable width would be a great feature. One size does not fit all.

Dips are a great exercise. We did them during weightlifting class when I was in high school in the 1980's. Our football coach would give us t-shirts with the number of dips we could do, as an incentive, beginning with 20 then 30, 40, etc. The most I did was in the 70's. I don't think I ever got to 80.

When I got older and was traveling for my job, I would turn 2 chairs outward in my hotel room and do dips using the backs of the chairs!

I've been lifting since I was 12 years old, but have backed off a little lately due to a shoulder injury.

 

[Awake in America]

http://baye.com/bodyweight-hit-discussion-demo/

http://baye.com/qa-bodyweight-training/

Here's a couple of links that deal with High Intensity Training using bodyweight exercises. Very interesting stuff. The slow cadence reduces the chance of injury. Slow dips are a bitch! Slow chins are not a pleasant thought, either. Slow squats with bodyweight are also far more challenging than many would think.

 

[Awake in America]

High Intensity Training 100 day update. I have put on 11 lbs. of muscle (211 to 222), and increased strength across the board. The most amazing results have been on the chest exercises, where I have added weight or reps every single time. 4 plates added to the pecdeck, with slow reps. I am working out less than twice per week (averaging twice every 9 days), and the workouts take about 25 minutes to complete, including warmup.

The gains have slowed down only slightly. I am not able to add to every single exercise in every workout anymore. Whatever is last is usually going to just equal the previous effort, so I rotate the order. Whatever was worst gets to be first, while I'm fresh. Everyone told me that this would only work for 60 days, then they said 90 days. Maybe it's 120. Regardless, when the gains stop, I am going to try my first experiment with creatine, but I see no point right now, as I continue to progress. I can't imagine how well this would work if I actually followed a decent diet.

Despite the progress, I still lack burst, hip swivel, explosiveness, muscle definition (actually, for an older guy ...), wrist flickability, and a room brightening smile. I remain a gym rat, crafty, deceptively fast, a disciplined route runner, and my motor never stops.

 

[Carolina Speed]

High Intensity Training 100 day update. I have put on 11 lbs. of muscle (211 to 222), and increased strength across the board. The most amazing results have been on the chest exercises, where I have added weight or reps every single time. 4 plates added to the pecdeck, with slow reps. I am working out less than twice per week (averaging twice every 9 days), and the workouts take about 25 minutes to complete, including warmup.

The gains have slowed down only slightly. I am not able to add to every single exercise in every workout anymore. Whatever is last is usually going to just equal the previous effort, so I rotate the order. Whatever was worst gets to be first, while I'm fresh. Everyone told me that this would only work for 60 days, then they said 90 days. Maybe it's 120. Regardless, when the gains stop, I am going to try my first experiment with creatine, but I see no point right now, as I continue to progress. I can't imagine how well this would work if I actually followed a decent diet.

Despite the progress, I still lack burst, hip swivel, explosiveness, muscle definition (actually, for an older guy ...), wrist flickability, and a room brightening smile. I remain a gym rat, crafty, deceptively fast, a disciplined route runner, and my motor never stops.

You forgot DAT upside AA, you just don't have it!:biggrin1:

Good stuff AA. Stay with it. Admittedly, I have backed off my weight training big time and have lost weight, which I like, but have lost strength, but at this point in my life, I don't really care.

I've rediscovered my love for golf, so I'm starting to play more lately, while getting into the gym once or twice a week.

 

[scroat]

High Intensity Training 100 day update. I have put on 11 lbs. of muscle (211 to 222), and increased strength across the board. The most amazing results have been on the chest exercises, where I have added weight or reps every single time. 4 plates added to the pecdeck, with slow reps. I am working out less than twice per week (averaging twice every 9 days), and the workouts take about 25 minutes to complete, including warmup.

The gains have slowed down only slightly. I am not able to add to every single exercise in every workout anymore. Whatever is last is usually going to just equal the previous effort, so I rotate the order. Whatever was worst gets to be first, while I'm fresh. Everyone told me that this would only work for 60 days, then they said 90 days. Maybe it's 120. Regardless, when the gains stop, I am going to try my first experiment with creatine, but I see no point right now, as I continue to progress. I can't imagine how well this would work if I actually followed a decent diet.

Despite the progress, I still lack burst, hip swivel, explosiveness, muscle definition (actually, for an older guy ...), wrist flickability, and a room brightening smile. I remain a gym rat, crafty, deceptively fast, a disciplined route runner, and my motor never stops.

Haha that last paragraph is excellent. Once you know their lingo it really does become hysterical how often its used. It can't be a coincidence.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

IMHO, the best "body weight" exercises are pushups, pullups, dips, burpees & squat thrusts. These days, I usually stick to free weights, machines (HammerStrength, etc.) and cardio (treadmill & bike). I like to incorporate mountain hikes & hill sprints in for cardio as well. I'll probably add biking in the spring, & possibly swimming in the summer.

 

[Awake in America]

120 or so days into my High Intensity Training experiment. Since it's Gluttony Day, why not talk about gaining weight?!

My starting weight was 211 at home, 213 on the gym scales. I'm now 225 on the gym scales. I wish I had taken some upper arm and upper leg measurements at the beginning. Workouts are twice every 9 or 10 days, 7 total sets to failure, 25 minutes, the full body is worked, but the exercises and emphasis are different. I am still adding either weight or reps in 6 of the 7 exercises every single workout, sometimes all 7. I do not have high hopes for tomorrow's workout.

The goal is to eclipse 235 by adding mostly muscle, then start cutting fat. When the gains stop, I will go on a creatine cycle for the first time, mostly just to see how and what it does. This is an amazing way to lift. It involves a bit of a leap of faith, due to the relative infrequency and brevity of the workouts. Less than an hour per week. It works, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

 

[werewolf]

IMHO, the best "body weight" exercises are pushups, pullups, dips, burpees & squat thrusts. These days, I usually stick to free weights, machines (HammerStrength, etc.) and cardio (treadmill & bike). I like to incorporate mountain hikes & hill sprints in for cardio as well. I'll probably add biking in the spring, & possibly swimming in the summer.

That's my style too.

 

[werewolf]

120 or so days into my High Intensity Training experiment. Since it's Gluttony Day, why not talk about gaining weight?!

My starting weight was 211 at home, 213 on the gym scales. I'm now 225 on the gym scales. I wish I had taken some upper arm and upper leg measurements at the beginning. Workouts are twice every 9 or 10 days, 7 total sets to failure, 25 minutes, the full body is worked, but the exercises and emphasis are different. I am still adding either weight or reps in 6 of the 7 exercises every single workout, sometimes all 7. I do not have high hopes for tomorrow's workout.

The goal is to eclipse 235 by adding mostly muscle, then start cutting fat. When the gains stop, I will go on a creatine cycle for the first time, mostly just to see how and what it does. This is an amazing way to lift. It involves a bit of a leap of faith, due to the relative infrequency and brevity of the workouts. Less than an hour per week. It works, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

Sounds like you're in the same general weight range as me, tho I'm going in the opposite direction, in my trimming down mode, hoping to get below 200. Yep, less is more, tho I tend to work out more frequently than you do, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if I'd do better with less, just that I feel stale if I don't do something almost every day. Do you do just one set per exercise? Do you vary them as I do? What's a creatine cycle? I've never used the stuff. Why don't you have high hopes for tomorrow's workout? are you feeling tired - or perhaps that was a typo.

 

[Awake in America]

Sounds like you're in the same general weight range as me, tho I'm going in the opposite direction, in my trimming down mode, hoping to get below 200. Yep, less is more, tho I tend to work out more frequently than you do, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if I'd do better with less, just that I feel stale if I don't do something almost every day. Do you do just one set per exercise? Do you vary them as I do? What's a creatine cycle? I've never used the stuff. Why don't you have high hopes for tomorrow's workout? are you feeling tired - or perhaps that was a typo.

I do just one slow set for each exercise, to failure, then I push against failure for a few seconds. The rep range is 5-8 reps for upper-body, 10-15 for lower. I take about 2 minutes between exercises. When I start to cut fat, I'll shorten that down to more like a minute or less. I'm still very winded throughout. I don't vary the exercises, just the order. That said, I will probably switch them up when I hit a plateau. I'm a big believer in not changing anything while progress is being made.

The lifting frequency is all I can handle at that high level of intensity. I can go a little more frequently if I'm sleeping well and eating well. I try to do active things between workouts, like hiking, playing touch football with my kids, etc... The infrequency of the workouts is easily the biggest leap of faith in this routine.

From what I understand, creatine should be used for limited periods of time. It seems to work quite well, and if unpleasant side effects (upset stomach, mostly) happen, they happen pretty early, so I'll drop it if it doesn't agree with me. If and when I stop gaining, I'll go on it just to see. I'm trying to add as much muscle, naturally, as possible right now. Mainly, it's just to see what is possible in my mid 40s.

My expectations for that workout were low because it was the day after Thanksgiving. I knew I would eat and drink way too much. Still, it wasn't a bad day. I progressed on 6 out of 7 exercises, but I was talking with dead relatives by the end of it. I went home and sacked out on the couch for over two hours.

 

[werewolf]

I do just one slow set for each exercise, to failure,

How do you mean, slow up and slow down, like ultraslows or something?

then I push against failure for a few seconds.

With the weight held statically - in any particular position? Just as far as you can move it?

The rep range is 5-8 reps for upper-body, 10-15 for lower. I take about 2 minutes between exercises. When I start to cut fat, I'll shorten that down to more like a minute or less. I'm still very winded throughout. I don't vary the exercises, just the order. That said, I will probably switch them up when I hit a plateau. I'm a big believer in not changing anything while progress is being made.

The lifting frequency is all I can handle at that high level of intensity. I can go a little more frequently if I'm sleeping well and eating well. I try to do active things between workouts, like hiking, playing touch football with my kids, etc... The infrequency of the workouts is easily the biggest leap of faith in this routine.

From what I understand, creatine should be used for limited periods of time. It seems to work quite well, and if unpleasant side effects (upset stomach, mostly) happen, they happen pretty early, so I'll drop it if it doesn't agree with me. If and when I stop gaining, I'll go on it just to see. I'm trying to add as much muscle, naturally, as possible right now. Mainly, it's just to see what is possible in my mid 40s.

My expectations for that workout were low because it was the day after Thanksgiving. I knew I would eat and drink way too much. Still, it wasn't a bad day. I progressed on 6 out of 7 exercises, but I was talking with dead relatives by the end of it. I went home and sacked out on the couch for over two hours.

The dead relatives part may have had something to do with the drinking too much part. Lots of times when I feel the crummiest I wind up unexpectedly having the best workouts - but not always, like yesterday I managed to run all of one whole minute...

Some say never workout to failure like you do...and I do (not talking about extreme failure, of course, like if my life depended on doing a few more reps, just normal failure), but then I've had about a million athletic injuries too, so don't look at me. The funny thing is I rarely get injured doing real life stuff - of which I've been involved in some pretty rough businesses - or sports, likewise, but I generally manage to injure myself preparing for those things, that is exercising.

 

[Awake in America]

How do you mean, slow up and slow down, like ultraslows or something?



With the weight held statically - in any particular position? Just as far as you can move it?




The dead relatives part may have had something to do with the drinking too much part. Lots of times when I feel the crummiest I wind up unexpectedly having the best workouts - but not always, like yesterday I managed to run all of one whole minute...

Some say never workout to failure like you do...and I do (not talking about extreme failure, of course, like if my life depended on doing a few more reps, just normal failure), but then I've had about a million athletic injuries too, so don't look at me. The funny thing is I rarely get injured doing real life stuff - of which I've been involved in some pretty rough businesses - or sports, likewise, but I generally manage to injure myself preparing for those things, that is exercising.

I don't go super slow, just 4 mississippis up, 4 down, with a hold for 2 if there's no lockout position. Strict form, NO momentum, no bouncing. Moving slower pretty much eliminates injury, since force is greatly reduced. Everyone else I see at the gym yanks the weight up as fast as possible, then pretty much drops it.

When the weight (or me on a bodyweight movement) stops moving against the resistance, I'll continue to struggle against it for a 5 count, just to make sure, then let it down as controlled as I can, which might not be much at that point. That amounts to a static hold for about 5, then a negative. Going to failure can be a problem if too many sets are done per workout, or the workouts are too frequent.

It's weird, but I can't tell beforehand if I'm going to have a good workout or not. I am constantly surprised by what happens when I actually get started. There have been times when my running and lifting have been better while feeling pretty awful. Go figure.

 

[Leonardfan]

Any recommendations for non-traditional core exercises. I have been dealing with a muscle strain in my lower abdominal for the past 2 or so months. I was trying to go through the pain and doing traditional sit ups, Crunches/leg raises - different variations but I have stopped over the last 3 or so weeks because I do not want to aggravate that injury.

I usually split my workouts up - I lift 3 days a week, do cardio/core 3 days a week. When I lift I try to stay keep my core tight - I do a combination of freeweights/bodyweight/machines. For Cardio I run 30 min/3.5 miles 3 times a week. Anyways if there are any recommendations you guys have I would really appreciate it.

 

[Awake in America]

Any recommendations for non-traditional core exercises. I have been dealing with a muscle strain in my lower abdominal for the past 2 or so months. I was trying to go through the pain and doing traditional sit ups, Crunches/leg raises - different variations but I have stopped over the last 3 or so weeks because I do not want to aggravate that injury.

I usually split my workouts up - I lift 3 days a week, do cardio/core 3 days a week. When I lift I try to stay keep my core tight - I do a combination of freeweights/bodyweight/machines. For Cardio I run 30 min/3.5 miles 3 times a week. Anyways if there are any recommendations you guys have I would really appreciate it.

I wish I had something to offer, apart from "let it heal". I pulled an ab muscle a few years back, and I kept aggravating it. Finally, I wised up and just avoided anything that could hurt it, which was everything but running. It took six weeks, but it was a great feeling to lift again without worrying about it. Despite feelings of staleness, you won't really lose any strength or muscle over just a few weeks. Just let it heal.

As far as your overall routine, that's not unlike what I had been doing before electing to try a bulking phase. I recommend cutting the lifting to twice a week, cut down to no more than 8 total sets per session, and take them to failure using slow, controlled reps. Don't worry about keeping your core tight. If you are using maximum effort, everything will contract like it needs to. Cardio does cut into your muscle building, but it also helps the fat level some, so that's a bit of a trade-off, and it just depends on your goals. Work out less often, but with greater intensity.

There are really only 7 movements that have to be done: press in the vertical plane, pull in the vertical plane, press in the horizontal plane, pull in the horizontal plane, leg press/squat, trunk extension, trunk curl. Everything else is window dressing (and there's nothing wrong with some window dressing, like calf raises, shrugs, curls, etc...). Those, done in any number of ways, hit pretty much everything. Free weights, machines, body-weight, are all fine if done with proper form. Controlled, strict form, go to failure, don't work out too often, or for too long. Less is more.

 

[dwid]

Lucky it took 6 weeks, its been over 6 months since I strained my left pec and it still gets aggravated just by doing every day things involving my left arm, it just starts tightening up.

Not sure what to do at this point, stuck still doing just core exercises and working on my legs, and it can even get aggravated then, like when on the fake squat machine where you just leg press, if I go to the resistance needed for my legs I might wind up grabbing onto the lower handles and it getting it aggravated.

maybe it was more than a strain, it hurt really bad at the time where I couldn't move my left arm without my chest having extreme pain. Still have to run sometimes without moving my left arm at all.

any suggestions for this? it didn't happen during weight lifting, it happened during football. I was playing semi pro and one of the linemen was hurt and they stuck me on there and I was only 240 at the time but like 16 percent body fat, dudes on the other side were bigger than you would think and ripped for semi pro, we played a lot of teams in Texas. Now Im down to less than 230. Several of the defenders kept rushing to my inside since I could better neutralize them when they tried to rush on the outside (was playing RT) one particular play I kind of held with my left arm and dude ran right through it and felt something tear, it had been sore before that.