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Body Weight Proponents - Thoughts?


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http://lightningspeedfitness.com/

http://mattfurey.com

 

I saw these body weight / calisthenics proponent sites. I personally love body weight exercises so I was just curious on your thoughts on these.

 

I have joined bodyweightculture.com and am hoping to put together a program around that and other influences such as BigB & Gorilla and others bodyweight proponents.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have issue with claims of proponents of bodyweight only exercise routines. Not everyone can develope the strength they need for particular sports with bodyweight only routines without some weight training including martial artists. Some people are naturally stronger than others and there is no one exercise routine fits ALL to point out the obvious.

 

Although I here gymnists are super strong.

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I've been doing almost exclusively bodyweight training for the last year with excellent results - better than I was expecting. I'm at the point now, where I'm going to introduce a little bit of weight training to help specific muscles. It's amazing just how much is achievable without any weights though. For what I do (kickbox) it's been good. I think that a lot of bodyweight exercises are more difficult than conventional weight lifting, and therefor it's difficult for many people to achieve good enough results. A weight vest is a good halfway between the two, and I might get one at some point.

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I've been doing almost exclusively bodyweight training for the last year with excellent results - better than I was expecting. I'm at the point now, where I'm going to introduce a little bit of weight training to help specific muscles. It's amazing just how much is achievable without any weights though. For what I do (kickbox) it's been good. I think that a lot of bodyweight exercises are more difficult than conventional weight lifting, and therefor it's difficult for many people to achieve good enough results. A weight vest is a good halfway between the two, and I might get one at some point.

 

BigBwii had a thing about making his own weight belt. I think I'm going to fish up the post about how it was made, since I have both a dip rack and a pull up bar.

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Rocks or heavy books in a backpack work for pull-ups, squats and stuff too. Even hiking with a weighted pack would build leg and core strength. But, yeah, if you find that post, put it here...

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i think doing body weight exercise definately build more endurance than the weight training routines that I am familiar with. They have always interested me. I think i might plan a routine as well.
Curcuit training with free weights, bodyweight exercises, plyometric exercises, calisthenics, and sprints will build muscle endurance and strength. Check out this website/forum http://www.crossfit.com/
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I unreservedly reccomend Ross Enamait's stuff at www.rosstraining.com.

 

Not meaning to start a flame war, but compare Furey's youtube video with Ross and decide who gets better results.

 

I own Never Gymless and love it, but Ross is not a bodyweight purist. He advocates using dumbbells, medicine balls, weighted vests, odd objects, sledgehammer training...

 

Good stuff.

 

Edit: Oops, I just realized that Ross' link was in the second post.

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  • 1 month later...

There are some good handbalancing exercises here that need quite a bit of strength, with preparatory techniques to reach them:

 

http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Hoffman/YorkHandBalance/yorkhb.htm

 

And you might get some ideas from these:

 

http://www.beastskills.com/

 

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/229/

 

http://beastskills.com/OneArmPull.htm

 

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode2/Workouts

 

I am going to incorporate some more bodyweight exercises into my sessions. I've always been able to do one-handed press ups and one-legged squats, but many people can't do them because of a lack of balance rather than a lack of strength. Or perhaps their stabalising muscles aren't strong enough because of too much two-limbed work.

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but many people can't do them because of a lack of balance rather than a lack of strength. Or perhaps their stabalising muscles aren't strong enough because of too much two-limbed work.

 

That's a good point. I sometimes do one-legged squats, but because of poor balance I can't do them with well enough form to get a good burn going. I feel like I get a better workout from long sets of two-legged BW squats, but that doesn't help my balance at all. I guess I've just got to keep at the 1-legged squats until they get easier.

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Try different positions - with the other leg straight out in front, or with it bent so the knee approaches the floor as the other leg squats.

 

Thanks, those are good suggestions. One thing I've tried that has helped in the past is doing them on a short tree stump. That make sup for my embarassing lack of flexibility.

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I've just seen a video of someone doing reverse press ups or 'push ups'. They look easy. I tried to do them and could hardly raise my shoulders off the floor. You probably couldn't get a knife blade between me and the floor when I tried to raise up.

 

I am going to practise them until I can do a few. I will strive and struggle until I can do them. I am determined to master them. Nothing will stop me from succeeding. Unless I get bored after a couple of weeks and stop trying.

 

The link to the video is half-way down this page (in the fourth post) at the end of the 'pressing' section.

 

http://www.frixo.com/sites/fitness/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=863&PN=1&TPN=1

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