Where to start...
My brain has been running over time on me today - random thoughts on many subjects...headphones for my ipod shuffle, squats, adductors, glute medius, variety in training, box squats, how much wood a wood chuck could....you get the idea.
Really it is too much to put into blogs quite yet so I will have to sort through my brain and get things in a usable and understandable format. I did make a decision on the headphones though. ;)
Joined the forum at michaelboyle.biz today - looking forward to poking around on there and learning from Boyle and the other coaches that frequent the board.
Also ordered Starting Strength and Practical Programming by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgor - these have been highly rated and said to be essential text for coaches and trainers. I will post reviews when I have them and have read them.
One liner for the day: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
I see this acted out pretty much everyday on the forums and the gym. In an effort to be "functional" or to add "variety" people perform exercises that are questionable at best - dangerous at worst. Is a given exercise helping you achieve your goal or phrased another way - is a given exercise improving a movement pattern in your goal activity? If it is - by all means - continue. If it is for variety - re-evaluate your exercise and define your goals and get specific to the movement patterns associated with those goals.
On a slightly different note - regarding powerlifting training - I am really liking establishing my raw base. When people go too soon to gear they miss out on developing this base and have to back track at a certain point. IMO.
Lift raw until you hit a true sticking point - then look for other methods to improve. And a slow down in progress is not a sticking point. Marty Gallahger has written very well on this subject. His "Purposefully Primitive" approach is right in line with my thinking. (Go ahead Rif - fire away) ;)
c'mon brett, why wouldn't I agree with that?I've never argued that simple basics, heavy load and basic waves wouldnt work.just that they wouldnt work forever :))
ReplyDeleteand yes, martys approach has worked for many and yet many have come up to a brick wall with these same approaches.
and I've always liked raw before gear-even after gear. remember Nicks cycles starts with a raw 5x5 cycle before going to box squats and THEN free squats with gear.
hell I just wish I could squat ANYWAY anymore/
I thought about recently purchasing those same 2 books. Great minds think alike--or at least ours do. I'll hear Mark Rippetoe speak this weekend at Wake Forrest. I'll let you know how it goes.
ReplyDeleteNice squatting, by the way.
Rif,
ReplyDeleteNot trying to get in your kitchen man - just poking a little fun ;)
My main point was saving those "other" things until needed -like at the brick wall. BTW - I am toying with the idea of getting the standard blast shirt and the z-suit from Inzer for some overload.
Geoff - I am looking forward to reading them - and if we are the proverbial "great minds" then we are in trouble!! ;)
Let me know how the talk at Wake Forrest goes - Tell Ethan I said hello.
uh oh.here comes the dark side. I know you were playing brother, no worries :))
ReplyDeleteand I was just thinking of suggesting getting some light gear for you for just that purpose: overload.Just be careful; VERY addicting stuff!there something about lifting more with less pain and effort that makes one want more...
blast shirt hurts like a sum bitch though, nasty nasty shirt.
oh yeah, a single ply denim one size too loose, would be much better choice imo. Frantz still sells them. stock one size up. no pec slicing either.
ReplyDeleteRif,
ReplyDeleteI tried on a Rage shirt one of the guys had - I was bruised just from trying it on! The standard blast shirt from inzer ($38) - is that the nasty one you are referring to?
For my bench it may just be what I need - Squats - we will see where I end up at the end of this cycle.
Give you a call later.
yes those blast shirts are NASTY, tear up your pec and armpits and give you shit for support or "pop". the denim is much more confortable lots more support and way easier to get on.
ReplyDeletethe rage is a serious piece of bench sirt.
imo you need close grip board press more but that just me :)