1. Re: HIT Digest, digest #54 Bart Van Hoyweghen <bvh@acse.be>
2. Re: Functional Strength Brad Collins <bcollins@hotmail.com>
3. GVT and chins Lyle McDonald <lylemcd@onr.com>
4. Re: Machines FlexWriter <FlexWriter@aol.com>
5. Re: Program FlexWriter <FlexWriter@aol.com>
6. Re: To Strap or Not to Strap FlexWriter <FlexWriter@aol.com>
7. formulas? Brent Waldrop <brentw@DNS1.famvid.com>
8. Machines,skills and free weights Teri Pokere <T.Pokere@mailbox.uq.edu.au>
-------------------- 1 --------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 14:34:04 +0100
From: "Bart Van Hoyweghen" <bvh@acse.be>
Subject: Re: HIT Digest, digest #54
>I doing a full body workout 3 times a week.
Doing 3 times a week a full body workout could be to much for building
muscle. Personally I do a split program, legs on the first day, chest and
triceps on the second, back and biceps on the third. In between each
workday , I rest for 1 to 2 days, so I get the whole body done each 7 to 9
days. Each 3 months (aprox. ) I lay of one week.
>>
>>Along with the above advice, if it applies, I would suggest you look
>>first at your diet. Do you consume adequate calories? Perhaps by
>>eating more you may see progress. Adequate macronutrient intake?
>>Making adjustments to one's diet often allows them to make substantial
>>gains.
>This is another issue, I do want to get big, but I want that to be muscle,
>not fat.
>>I have actually decreased my caloric intake, in order to get rid of my pot
>belly (I have lost 11 pounds so far) I believe that if I increase my
caloric
>intake I will gain fat, not muscle, and that's not the volume I want.
>I am also running for 15 minutes 3 times a week in order to burn calories.
You can not loose fat and at the same time build muscle. Also, running can
tax your recovery. Up to 6 months ago I was running 35 minutes, 3 times a
week. I was working out nice and progressing. However, the last 6 months
my weight increased from 90 KG to 97 KG (I stopped running). These 7 KG are
not all muscle, but if I can keep this rate for another 6 months I will have
gained 14 KG. Then I will concentrate for 3 months on loosing fat. If I
loose half of the weight gained, I will still have gained 7 KG of muscle in
a year, which will not be bad at all.
Bart
-------------------- 2 --------------------
Date: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 06:01:20 PST
From: "Brad Collins" <bcollins@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Functional Strength
James wrote:
>weights. I'm not saying that machine strength cannot carry over to
real
>life activities, but I am claiming that free weights are superior for
this
>purpose.
How do you know this to be true? I certainly hope there weren't studies
performed where one group trained on machines versus free weights and
then the "test" was with free weights?
I train exculsively with free weights, but there is no way I know for
certain that they are "superior" to machines.
There are lots of strength coaches and others using the word Specificity
and STRRRRRRRREEETCHHHHING it.
The idea of a significant amount of carry over of SPECIFIC movements to
others in the weight room is utter nonsense in my opinion. And more
ridiculous when saying there is carry over of "weight training" to sport
specific movements.
Brad
______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
-------------------- 3 --------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:21:42 -0600 (CST)
From: lylemcd@onr.com (Lyle McDonald)
Subject: GVT and chins
>Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 10:31:55 -0500 (EST)
>From: Brian Bucher <babucher@mtu.edu>
>Subject: German Volume Training, pinch grip, chins/pullups
>
>
>*German Volume Training*
>
>(In Digest #49 Lyle wrote about using the 10x10 system with a client.)
>
>Lyle,
>
>Assuming one has a shoulder problem, do you think that the better road to
>take is using something like the 10x10 system, or to just take it easy
>until it heals. Let's also assume that a person does not care whether they
>feel like they've worked hard, and are only interested in long-term results
>(not only lbm, but safety as well).
>That is, would he have been better off taking it easy?
It would depend on the severity of the shoulder problem to be sure. This
particular client's wasn't that bad, just needed a little muscular
rebalancing. With other clients, I have often avoided ANY direct chest
work while working on back musculature/rear delts. I would probably say
that taking some time off would be the better choice but, again, it would
really depend on the situation.
>In your response, it _seems_ that the only reason you used the 10x10
>system instead of backing off was that it would satisfy him, and not that
>it was necessarily more productive. Is this what you meant?
I can see how that was implied but no, it wasn't what I meant. I think
10X10 is a good system, definitely a change to break a plateau. IN this
specific case, this was my rationale for using it but I've suggested it's
use in other cases as well.
>*Shoulder/arm action for chins and pullups*
>
>Did anyone have any thoughts on whether the different paths the upper
>arm takes between chins and pull-ups makes a _practical_ difference?
Depends on what you're discussing. There may be little difference in lat
development (the lat fibers do have different lines of pull and I think
there *might* be a bit of differential development between upper and lower
lats but the difference is neglible for anyone but a competitive
bodybuilder). The major difference will be in the involvement of scapular
muscles and biceps. With undergrip, biceps have a better line of pull and
there will be more involvement of scapular retractors dynamically. With
overhand grip, biceps have less line of pull, there will be greater
contribution of the brachialis/brachioradialis and the scapular muscles
will be working as stabliizers (and by internally rotating the scapulae).
I think you can probably make a larger inroad into the lats with an
undergrip (since biceps will ultimately be the point of failure). This can
be gotten around by following any set of chin/pull-ups with several reps of
hanging shrugs, where you just depress your shoulders without bending your
elbows.
Lyle McDonald, CSCS
"If a mime falls in an empty forest, does he make a sound?"
-------------------- 4 --------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:15:48 EST
From: FlexWriter <FlexWriter@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Machines
In a message dated 12/3/97 7:28:16 PM, David wrote:
<<I've been doing weight training for about 3 months. I do one set of each exercise to failure. Because I train by myself, I train with machines, that way I can go all the way to failure without fear of being hopelessly trapped under a barbell. Because I train with machines, I can only increment the weight in 10 pound increments. I've been noticing that for quite a long time, I reach failure using the same amount of weight at the same number of repetitions, no matter how hard I try I can't perform another repetition in good form. What this has caused is that I am able to maintain my current physical condition, but I am not able to improve it.
Any suggestions out there on how to improve my physical condition?>>
You don't have to limit yourself to 10 pound progressions. You know the pin
you use to select your weight on a machine? Use another one to pin in place a
5 pound or 2 1/2 pound plate. Pin it up near the top of the stack, so that
the bottom of the plate doesn't hit the top of the "resting"stack and fall off
during the descent.
Alternatively, you could purchase magnetized 2 1/2 pound weights called
PlateMates and attach them to the stack. There's an ad for them in Ironman
magazine.
Consider also that if you're not improving, you could be overtraining. A week
off might be in order. Then resume training on an abbreviated workout,
minimizing sets and gym time and maximizing effort and rest days. That should
get you growing again.
-------------------- 5 --------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:15:51 EST
From: FlexWriter <FlexWriter@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Program
In a message dated 12/3/97 7:28:16 PM, you wrote:
<<I want to get on a HIT program. I can train 5 days a week. Any tip for a
training routine?
Aakash
>>
Don't train 5 days a week. Train once every 3 or 4 days doing a basic
exercise for each body part to failure for one or two sets after warming up.
Aim for 8-12 reps. Try to do more reps or weight or both every time you
workput -- don't be satisfied to repeat your previous performance. Eat well
and sleep alot.
-------------------- 6 --------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:15:55 EST
From: FlexWriter <FlexWriter@aol.com>
Subject: Re: To Strap or Not to Strap
In a message dated 12/3/97 7:28:16 PM, James Krieger wrote:
<<While straps will allow you to use more weight, which may result in better
overload of the primary target muscles for an exercise, they do not allow
for a corresponding increase in grip strength. If grip strength is a limiting
factor in an exercise, then this is an
indication that grip strength needs to be trained and is all the more
reason why one should not use straps during lifting.>>
James, I've found many of your posts, plus your guest editorial in the latest
Muscle Mag, right on, but I take issue with you here. It makes no sense to
let a weak grip limit your strength in heavy back work. I say train the grip
separately until it catches up. And, in fact, if your back is really strong
your grip may never catch up.
I've got a decent grip and forearms, but no way can I do 12 reps with 600
pounds on power rack deadlifts without straps, or 260 pound reverse-grip
pulldowns, or 130 pound dumbell rows. On the other hand, I do stiff-legged
deadlifts without straps because I don't need them. I get a double-whammy
from this exercise -- grip and hamstring stimulation.
>>Some people also acquire
wrist pain while using straps.>>
That's because they're positioning the straps too low on the wrist.
-------------------- 7 --------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 15:38:28 -0600
From: "Brent Waldrop" <brentw@DNS1.famvid.com>
Subject: formulas?
Hi everyone. I am making a web page with some javascript stuff on it for my users. Does anyone know the common formulas to calculate body fat for males and females and the formula for calculating your one rep max...if anyone knows it would be highly appreciated if you would email them to me.
Thanks in advance.
Brent Waldrop
****************************************************************************
*
Brent Waldrop, R.T. (R) (ARRT)
brentw@warpnet.net, brentwa@geocities.com, waldrop@uis.edu
Weightlifting is not a hobby, it is a passion!
()))-----()))
\0/
|
/ \
-------------------- 8 --------------------
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 15:01:28 +1000
From: Teri Pokere <T.Pokere@mailbox.uq.edu.au>
Subject: Machines,skills and free weights
Hi Guys,
I just want to make some comments on the value of machines (Medx,
Nautilus and Hammer) vs free weights. Firstly in their favour they
match strength curves in that they are designing to "feel" heavy in all
positions of the exercise. If we were to take the biceps curl (free
weights) for example we could see from our own experimentation that it
neither feels heavy either at the fully extended or contracted
position. This means the machines offer the benefit of making the
exercise intense over the whole exercise.
The benefits of utilising the stabiliser muscles is for most exercises negligible in my estimation. They are used mainly for balancing and in most instances are not worked intensely. Now they may be if you bend quite forward in the squat but the reason one would bend forward is that it is easier to correct balance by shifting the weight backwards. If one was quite skilful in balancing, the torso could remain almost upright through the entire squat and therefore receive little stimulation. Balancing is a skill that is non-transferrable and only gets in the way of proper exercise. We have all had the experience of worrying about whether the weight is balanced correctly (safely) and this can lead to stopping the exercise shy of failure, because no one wants the barbell to kiss their foreheads to the floor. Remember that for most of us we can throw say 2x further with our dominant arm not because it is 2x as strong but because we are skilled in doing so. It doesn't help to combine the strength and skill elements, keep them separate and the results will be so much better. If real life dictates one squats for a living then ignore this advice <grin>. Skills are for the most part non transferable and we wouldn't expect a top squash player to beat a top tennis player in a game of tennis or vice versa.
This is not to say that free weights have no worth as they definitely do
and I'm training with them now as this poor student <sob> needs more
funds to train at the "MedX" gym. Just be aware of the limitations of
free weights and try to utilise them in a rational, safe and effective
manner.
Cya
Teri
PS I think that Andrew Baye will have the second instalment out soon
about the machines v free weights and of course Arthur Jones has many
informative things to say about this which can all be found on the
Cyberpump site. It sometimes has some useful stuff on it I've heard
<grin>.