HIT Rob

LOL, just more a fan of the natural physique and H.I.T methods Kora:) Last time i went to a seminar was in 98 to see Dorian Yates, despite being a really down to earth guy, the seminar revolved mostly around the topic of steroids, i really got my eyes opened that day, i knew they took drugs, but not to the degree that Dorian explained, but back then the big name bodybuilding magazines wanted to keep a lid on the whole drug thing because the IFBB were really pushing to get into the Olympic's. Anyway - Mr Priest was one of the first guys to speak out against the IFBB, so they banned him. Still, i don't think he cares, he seems happy doing his own thing. Rob

Hi Kora, Hey thanks for the info, not a huge fan, but it should be a fun day out:) Cheers Rob

Hi Kora, Hey thanks for the info, not a huge fan, but it should be a fun day out:) Cheers Rob

I would recommend Max Contraction Training (MCT) / Static holds... This way, your able to achieve high intensity muscular contractions, without having to move through positions of disadvantaged leverage, and friction is eliminated. This is how i worked around some of my injuries, in particular a bad knee injury i had, at the time i couldnt perform any full range leg movements due to the pain in the knee, so i began performing static holds on leg extension's and leg curls, holding the weight in the contracted position's, and on leg presses, holding the weight in the position of maximal motor arm, week by week i got stronger, and within several weeks i could once again perform full range leg presses (not that a full range of motion is the by all and end all). I've also used this technique on other bodyparts with good sucess, exercises that provide full resistance in the contracted position... Pec Deck or Cable Crossover Lateral Raise Machine & Rear Delt Machine Machine Shrugs Underhand Pulldowns Pullover Machine Calf Raise's or Calf Presses Inner and outer thigh machines Preacher Curl Machine Cable Kickbacks Ab Machine Low Back Machine Best of luck Rob

14-8-13 Legs... Leg Extension - one set to failure Immediately followed by... Seated Leg Press - one set to failure Leg Curl - one set to failure Standing Calf Raise - one high rep set to failure 19-8-13 Cable Crossover ( half reps, focusing on heavier contractions ) - one set to failure Seated Chest Press Machine ( 5 second rest pause between reps ) - one set to failure Lateral Raise Machine ( 5 second rest pause between reps) - one set to failure Weighted Negative only Dips - one set to negative failure Going with a high stress cycle or two, using partial reps, rest pause, and negative only work.

Love the new gym i'm at, however i just found out yesterday about a new H.I.T gym opening in just 5 minutes from my home, Its owned by the current Mr Northern Ireland John Martini, John himself is a hitter to the core, cant wait for it to open next month:)

Last nights workout... Warm-up - 2 sets moderately heavy low rep sets of exercise 2... 1. Stiff Arm Cable Pulldown - 1 set to failure immediately followed by 2. Seated Chest Supported Row - 1 set to failure 3. Bench Press Machine Shrugs - 1 set to failure 4. Preacher Curl Machine - 1 set to failure 5. prone Hypers - 1 weighted set to failure There was a 1-2 second hold in the contracted position of all the exercises... Workout was completed in just over 12 minutes... Really liking the effect of the pre-exhaustion, its a great low stress, high intensity technique ... On this 3 way split routine am currently using, each muscle is being targeted just once every 15-16 days days or so,

Hi Arvid I briefly used superslow training myself a few years ago, i experienced the same effect, little in the way of congestion build up within the muscles, i can only imagine this is due to fewer muscular contractions taken place. I personally agree with Mike Mentzer and Arthur Jones, as long as the movement is performed under control with smooth turnarounds, then there's no need for a specific cadence. Best wishes Rob P.S looken great:)

Scott Hi Scott, Sorry i know this post was to Redsox, but i watched the video myself.. The individual Danny Daltan, indeed is in decent shape for a man of he's age, he doesn't overtraining which is also a good. (i know you mentioned this) but it disputes me when he talks about how over a 2 year period he lost a considerable amount of weight (including healthy weight) switching to a raw food diet, to the point were his family were becoming concerned for his well being, he states himself, he couldn't even look at himself in the mirror it got that ugly, a registered dietitian would called that an eating disorder. He states that this was due to his body detoxifying, i would disagree with that, whether he realizes it or not, modern man's/homo sapiens digestive system has not evolved to have the capacity to digest huge quantities of raw foods, It shows this in the video i posted in early in this thread. Now, he has rebuilt hes body, and looks like hes in good shape, i suspect his body has possibly began to adapt to this extreme change of lifestyle, but imo, the average trainee / person does not need to put the body through such an ordeal to become healthier. I must point out, i am not against having some raw foods in one's diet, its perfectly healthy, but there are also plenty of perfectly good healthy nutritious food's, raw foodist's are missing out on simply because those food's need to be cooked. I fear there's more to it than just cooking food for the raw foodist, many off them talk about being "at one with nature" or "more spiritual", i have no issues with this, whatever makes them happy, they're doing me no harm, but i wont mistake what their saying as real information. Rob, I certainly respect what you're saying but disagree with your comment that it's not "real" information. There are plenty of people out there aside from Danny who not only follow but thrive on a raw vegan diet and there are numerous cases where people have successfully overcome chronic disease due to this way of eating. Certainly it isn't the only way, but to say it's not real is false as people do it daily. Perhaps it doesn't line up with your personal beliefs yes, but to say it isn't real information is a stretch. Plenty of people consume large amounts of raw food on a daily basis and seem to process and digest it just fine. I know many people don't have the same success - I think due to individual's own unique biochemistry would have a greater affect on how they process foods whether they be cooked or raw. Oh, and registered dietitians? Considering some still recommend the classic "food pyramid" I'll try not to mistake what they all say as "real information" either! Please don't take this post as argumentative, just sharing my thoughts on the topic! Best, Scott Not a all mate, no worries:) Sorry Scott, i should have been more specific when i said "real info", i'm not talking about the raw food diet itself, i'm talking about when raw foodist being talking about being "more spiritual", and being "at one with nature" from following such an eating plan. Indeed there are scientist and raw foodist's who will disagree with my opinion, and visa versa, which is fine, however some of the points i made are not subjective. As to how some individuals digestive system can tolerate such eating habits is beyond me, just as how my grandfather was able to smoke 20-30 cigarettes a day from the age of 15 to the age of 98 and not get cancer or have a stroke or heart attack..lol Best Rob

Hi Dave, Great stuff, i love your intense abbreviated training style, awesome stuff, will follow:) Best wishes Rob

Hi Ross, It gets better, it costs just £5 per week, half the price of the commercial gym:) Here's a gentleman that's been training in it for 40 years, his name is Eric Dowie, there was a documentary on the BBC last year about him going to Venice California to compete at the age of 70. Inspirational man

Changed gyms today, i had been training in a busy commercial gym, i was sick of the loud crap music, the poser's, the cheesy fake tanned trainers, waiting around on machines etc, so i join this real old school gym in my home town. The equipment was hand made in the 60s, but is still very functional, there's no music, the only thing you can hear in iron being lifted, no waiting around, no posers, it appears there are still some real gyms about:) Back to my 3 way split... Today's workout... 1. Pec Deck - static hold to failure Supersetted with 2. Seated Chest Press Machine - one set to failure one minute rest... 3. Standing Military Press machine - one set to failure one minute rest... 4. Triceps Press-Down - one set to failure

Contrary to popular belief, a full range of motion is not entirely necessary, Partial reps and static holds can and have been extreme productive for many (including myself), as they allow for MAXIMAL muscular contractions, while at the same time, saving your joints and connective tissues as your not moving through positions of disadvantaged leverage.

Hi Mate, I could talk all day, but i'll come to the key points... First off - KEEP A TRAINING JOURNAL There is a cause and effect relationship with exercise, REMEMBER this - exercise is merely the stimulus. The body produces the adaptive response ONLY when it has been given the sufficient time to recover and overcompensate. The stimulus needs to be intense enough to threaten your physiology for your body to produce an adaptive response, so, intense training is a must, and when your training intensely, you cant train for too long (just as you cant sprint for long distances), and since the body NEEDS sufficient time to produce an adaptive response, your training should be infrequent. How infrequent? This depends very much on the stress tolerance /recovery ability and experience of the individual. World class H.I.T trainers recommend beginners train 2 and at most 3 times per week, as you advance, your progress / or lack off progress will dictate how much or how little you need to train. As i have become much stronger over the last 22 years, the demands on my limited recovery ability have become much greater, I personally require 4-7 rest between workouts, any more than this, and i get a diminishing return for my efforts. Intense - Brief - Infrequent training.... As you become progressively stronger, the demands on your limited recovery ability become progressively greater, so as you become more advanced you will need to make some changes to keep progressing, adjustments may be anything from using slightly less volume or frequency, and / or using low stress high intensity techniques, such as pre-exhaustion. I would recommend your focus more on compound movements, as they give your the most bang for your buck, that said, Isolation movements do have their place. To learn more about H.I.T and exercise physiology, i STRONGLY recommend you read and listen to the work of Mike Mentzer. Here's some things you can mull over:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrESOnAJj44 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBfutc4Eg_M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUi-1-u2rVg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okdl-HK0Utw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rovfxzdC8s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3UAZ-p-MtA http://www.mikementzer.com/tips.html Best of luck Rob

Max Contraction (static) Leg workout... 1. Leg Extension (omega set) 110kgs x static holds to failure 2. Leverage style Leg Press 300kgs x static hold to failure 3. Lying Leg Curl Machine (omega set) 55kgs x static holds to failure 4. Standing Calf Raise Machine (omega set) 100kgs x static holds to failure Rest between exercises was kept to a minimum, just enough time to get set up. The static hold on the Leg Press was held in the position of maximum motor arm, the rest were held in the fully contracted position.

Hi Aloxis, Yes i've used this particular technique (in small doses) with good effect, it can be used in several different ways, however one must be careful when implementing it, salt it into your routine careful, its a high stress technique that can be lead to an overtrained state if your not careful. Best of luck

I've decided to pull the plug on the warrior diet i've been following, couple of things were wrong, firstly i was dropping weight far to fast, and secondly after shoveling in a few thousand calories in one sitting at night which wasn't an problem), the following morning i've been feeling sickish for the first few hours of the day. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained i suppose, i did like the theory and concept, but the application was a different story. I'm not given up on intermittent fasting all together, i'm switching to a lean gains style 8 hour feeding window, its a bit easier to follow (especially when your 245lbs). Today was.... 12pm a shit load of fruit 3pm Big ass bowl of whole wheat spicy Pasta (home made salsa with jalapenos) 5pm medium sized bag of mixed nuts 8pm Moroccan curry, with sweet potatoes, lentils, and chickpea's (the whole pot lol) Naughty afters - vegan cookies

Totally agree chum, Back in the early 80s when the fitness movement really took off, there was a focus put on what was called "total fitness", it was made up of several component's, Muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and body composition, at that time, Arthur Jones was still the owner of Nautilus, and his then focus was more on research than selling Nautilus machines (he had made his fortune by then), he had assembled a team of experts in physiology in Florida to help him conduct his research. One of the things that Jones set about to prove and did, is that you could improve all aspects of "total fitness" with a well designed strength training program. A will formulated strength training program (like yours) will... *Increase muscular strength and mass *Improve bone density *Improve cardiovascular function *Makes us more injury resistant *Improve joint mobility and flexibility *Ramp up the metabolism *Reduce blood pressure *Relief lower back pain *Help prevent loss of muscle as we get older *Improve blood sugar metabolism *Reduce stress levels *Improve athletic performance *help lower cholesterol *Improve gastrointestinal transition time *Reduce difficulty in preforming day-to-day tasks When it comes to Aerobic or steady state activity, it'll do only some of those things, but mostly it will be counterproductive, as well as that, contrary to popular belief it isn't a good method for fat loss, one pound of fat can fuel the body for up to 10 hours of steady state activity, the most important contribution exercise makes to a fat loss program, is the maintenance of lean muscle tissue, strength training is the only reputable method of maintaining muscle mass. Aerobic's of the other hand, can actually cause you to lose muscle. But, my main issue with steady state activity, is the damage / wear and tear element.

Hi Yeti, The only way to get at the cardiac or vascular system, is by preforming mechanical work with muscle, and the greater quality / intensity of mechanical work performed with muscle, the greater the cardiovascular benefit. Moreover, high intensity exercise is more cardio protective than steady state activity, intense muscular contractions milk venus blood back to the heart, which protects the myocardium while you workout. You don't get that same venus blood return with steady state activity. This being true, you'll actually find most strength athletes have stronger hearts and better anaerobic performance than most long distance runners, (if their smart trainees) they'll also have less wear and tear issues too. Just thinking out loud here:)

"Doctors have also done some good aswell" ......What an understatement Perhaps Doctor's wouldn't make mistakes if they weren't so overworked and weren't made to work a ridiculous amount of hours. As far as prescribing drugs is concerned, Doctors do what they feel is in the best interest of their patient's (as they are qualified to do so), btw, EVERYTHING is toxic, even too much water can be toxic, its the dosage that makes the difference. When it comes down to a matter of life and death, being seen by someone with the right credentials is just that, a matter of life and death, why take anything else for granted?

This afternoon's workout... 1. Seated Dip Machine 125kgs x 7 reps to failure + 2 forced reps with superslow negatives 2. Machine Pullover 90kgs x 5 reps to failure + static hold to failure 3. Hammer Strength Chest supported Row 120kgs 5 reps to failure (holding the weight in the contracted position for a second or two) 4. Standing Bi-Lateral D-B Curls 2 x 22.5kgs x 8 reps to failure Excellent workout, was super motivated today, really enjoyed the intensity, workout was completed in 12 minutes.

Hi Kenny, I would have't to agree with Lauren's comments... I've never set foot in a crossfit or gym jones set-up, watched some videos though, i feel the term "functional training" is very miss leading these days. That said, i do have many years of experience in High Intensity Training, am a advocate of training to failure, however as i get older (now 35) i'm now becoming more concerned with the damage / wear and tear element associated with exercise, there are ways and means of developing strength and size in the body, while at the same time, minimizing the potential for of damage. Am not just talking about using bad form or overtraining here (which are negative factors in themselves), am talking about years of moving through positions of disadvantaged leverage, and high impact training. These are elements i see with Crossfit and other such protocols, their effective protocols no doubt, however there are HUGE wear and tear issues associated with such protocol's, issues that will return to bite the practitioner on the ass in years to come. A great example was when a cardiologist by the Name of Dr Cooper published a best selling book called "Aerobic's" back in the 60's, he advocated that we should engage in lots of steady state activities such as running etc. Low and behold, in the years to come, physiotherapists were inundated like never before with thousands upon thousands of people that had taken the advice of that book. Cooper did not become known as the man who saved America's hearts, but rather, daubed - the man that destroyed America's knee's. To learn more about this i strongly recommend you listen to some John Littles work, John is the owner of Nautilus North Training facility in Canada, were he has overseen 60,000+ H.I.T workouts and has also conducted some very interesting independent research of his own. He is the founder of Max Contraction Training, the Max Pyramid Protocol, and co-author of the world wide best selling book body by science (as well as 30 other books). He work and was close friends with pioneers of H.I.T Mike Mentzer and Arthur Jones. The interview's below are two of the best i've heard in the last 22 years. In these interview's, John also talks about the fraud that goes on in exercise today, he talks about why he left a well paid job as an editor at flex magazine due to the corruption in what they were selling....makes for very interesting listening. http://www.highintensitynation.com/2011/01/high-intensity-interview-of-the-month-john-little/ http://www.lifeintherough.com/2008/07/30/john-little-interview/ Best Wishes Rob

Hi Kon, I think its fair to say, that if are bodies did not use what was/is made available to us, then we would never have made it as a species... Self experimentation is good Kon, i see you still keep some cooked quinoa in your diet, and why not, this is a very nutritious "superfood". I love it, I also consume raw foods, ie lots of fruit, nuts and seeds etc, but my body doesn't tolerate raw vegetables or salads, they run straight through me, i avoid salads, but lightly steam my veg (both fresh and frozen), my body handles veggies better that way. I also prefer to soak and cook dried beans and lentils, i cook my whole grains, wild rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal etc, all good foods:)

First off cup cake, my advise wasn't to you, secondly that advise was given to me by a Special forces survival expert, and thirdly, if you watch the research in the documentary i posted you'll see its blatantly true! user redsoxjss has already listed you researchers who proved otherwise, not to mention Dr. Edward Howell. I tend to trust these guys more than a 'survival expert' who has done no reasearch in this field. Ah, so you can use more than one or two words to make your point, how nice... As i mentioned to Redsox, there is good and bad research, but there are some theories that have more merit than others, there is evidence that suggest's we have been cooking for as long as 1.8 millions of years, we evolved as hunter gatherers, we developed to have smaller stomach's and largers relative to our size, as opposed to large raw plant feeding animals that have large stomachs (more than one in some cases, which is required for the consumption of large quantities of raw plant foods). We evolved as a species where food was not always so readily available as it is today, so for the best chance of survival, it would only be logical to preserve energy and not recklessly squander it. Cooking food was and is one way to preserve energy (which is why what a well schooled and experienced survival expert told me is relevant here), it only stands to reason. This has been ingrained into our geno over millions of years, and as the documentary i posted clearly show's, modern man / homo sapiens have not evolved the capacity to digest huge quantities of raw plant foods.

redsoxjss, I share your interest in the raw food approach. Actually right now I consume what many refer to as a "high raw" approach to nutrition. It's roughly 75% raw vegan, 20% cooked vegan, and 5% "free" foods which I do my best to keep plant-based as well. Eating out is the biggest issue for me, although I live in Atlanta and we have a few great vegan restaurants and even a couple that cater to raw vegan dishes. Also, a couple times a year I will go on 100% raw spurts and never have any issues. My energy is always good and I certainly haven't atrophied. There is a gentleman named Danny Dalton who is featured in a documentary on raw vegan bodybuilders - in fact there is a 10:00 clip available on YouTube if you search "Danny Dalton raw vegan muscle". He is in his 50's, and is very lean and muscular. I began following him on Facebook and purchased his e-book, essentially he eats 1 sometimes 2 meals a day, totally raw, 1/3 greens, 1/3 other vegetables and fruit, and 1/3 nuts and seeds. He claims initially when you eat totally raw the body detoxifies and you lose a lot of weight and with it some muscle, but he said he was able to rebuild muscle and stay lean following a raw approach. There are some others profiled on the documentary as well and is worth looking into if you are interested in the totally raw approach. It can certainly be done if that's the route you want to go, just look to those who currently do it for guidance. Good luck to you! Scott Hi Scott, Sorry i know this post was to Redsox, but i watched the video myself.. The individual Danny Daltan, indeed is in decent shape for a man of he's age, he doesn't overtraining which is also a good. (i know you mentioned this) but it disputes me when he talks about how over a 2 year period he lost a considerable amount of weight (including healthy weight) switching to a raw food diet, to the point were his family were becoming concerned for his well being, he states himself, he couldn't even look at himself in the mirror it got that ugly, a registered dietitian would called that an eating disorder. He states that this was due to his body detoxifying, i would disagree with that, whether he realizes it or not, modern man's/homo sapiens digestive system has not evolved to have the capacity to digest huge quantities of raw foods, It shows this in the video i posted in early in this thread. Now, he has rebuilt hes body, and looks like hes in good shape, i suspect his body has possibly began to adapt to this extreme change of lifestyle, but imo, the average trainee / person does not need to put the body through such an ordeal to become healthier. I must point out, i am not against having some raw foods in one's diet, its perfectly healthy, but there are also plenty of perfectly good healthy nutritious food's, raw foodist's are missing out on simply because those food's need to be cooked. I fear there's more to it than just cooking food for the raw foodist, many off them talk about being "at one with nature" or "more spiritual", i have no issues with this, whatever makes them happy, they're doing me no harm, but i wont mistake what their saying as real information.