During a conversation in the comments section in one of my posts, the issue of mind control came up. I have been wanting to do a post on it for a long time, so here it is. I have attached a link to the conversation if anyone is interested- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/reps-and-sets-for-strength.html
Before we understand the vast tradition of mind control, it is important to understand the cultural and sociological background behind all of this. Almost all human culture can roughly divided into "civilized" and "un-civilized". The defining factors behind civilization is-
1. Settled society
2. Demarcation of duties
3. Plenty of food
4. Right to private property
5. Civilization likes to preserve itself using methods like patriarchy, government and religion.
Barbaric Cultures are defined by-
1. Constant movement
2. Tiny groups
3. Food has to be found and hunted
4. Strongest keeps the goods.
5. Ultimate freedom for everyone.
A good way to understand the differences between them is to understand their methods of measuring success. In any civilization, the person with the greater goods is more powerful. Thus by default a civilized society is a materialistic society. On the other hand, the most successful barbarian is the one who is successfully alive and well and is getting stronger. Strength is the measure of success- not just physical but emotional, spiritual and psychological. Ultimately a weakness in any one of these things could destroy you. Thus a barbarian is essentially self obsessed- self improvement is their prime concern.
From this rudimentary understanding it is easy to see why all real philosophical bodies of knowledge originate with either barbaric or ascetic cultures.
Therefore what we must understand is the all "philosophical" systems created in civilization are more sociological than spiritual. In essence almost every god or system of gods that exist in various civilized cultures are basically man's rationalization of the fear of the unknown. The primary purpose of these entities is to reward the good and punish the bad. Thus its easy to see that the primary purpose here is to bring order to society by having a higher law giving authority (and a more powerful) than the government.
In contrast almost all philosophical systems rooted in nomadic cultures are primarily obsessed with explaining the universe. This is better understood by the fact that there is no real god or gods the way Christians understand the concepts. For example, the Christian god is all powerful and supreme. On the other hand in Taoism there are almost a hundred thousand gods but not one of them means squat. All of them can even be killed by humans if you were strong enough. It is also an interesting insight into the strongest and the best will prevail philosophy- even being a god does not mean you stop learning and getting stronger, because someone out there will kill you. Another way of looking at it is that with enough hard work everyone can become a god. Even the greatest overseer of the universe (in Taoism), the Jade Emperor, is subject to the winds of change. For example when the legendary monkey king Sun Wukong attacks heaven the third time, he literally pees in his pants and runs to Gautama Buddha for help. And the monkey king was a simple mortal, who really worked his ass off.
The three philosophical systems that are relevant to us as training systems are the Original Vendantic tradition (Hinduism is an amalgamation of the vedas, the bhagwath gita and the bhakti movement- its a lot more Civilized if you know what I mean), Taoism and Bhuddism. The basic construct of all three is similar- the universe itself is the ultimate force, there is nothing behind it per say (Taosim has the Tao which is like the force from Star Wars, but in actuality it is not an energy field as much as a principle that governs the universe, which is again common to all three traditions). Therefore I will get into the examination of only one- the Vendantic Tradition. This is because I am the most well versed in this tradition.
First of all, the vedas were written by the Aryans before the came to India. It is a nomadic piece of work. Before we get into it, let us understand that we must give the vedas the respect they deserve (from a scientific point of view) as whatever the theories are and we don't know if they are true, the math works out. We do not know how they arrived at this figure, but the vedas date the (current) universe at 16.4 Billion years. Please keep in mind that this dating has an entire kalpa (stage) before the expansion of the universe (a.k.a the big bang), which we will get into. If you exclude that kalpa and count from the big bang, the age of the current universe according to the vedas is 13.5 billion years. Modern estimates place the universe as 13.77 billion years old, give or take 37 million years. Its obvious that the theory at least works out the math with extraordinary accuracy. Both Taoism and Buddhism give similar figures. Contrast this with the Old Testament, which dates the age of the universe as 12,000 years. Its almost mind boggling that the ancients were able to think in terms of such large numbers.
According to the vedas (and Taoism and Bhuddism), the Principle of the universe is Duality. Everything has a duality to it. It is the only principle of the universe, the only thing that is constant. In your actions it manifests as Karma (what goes around comes around). In mechanics its newton's laws. In physics its the conversion of energy to matter and matter to energy (E=MC Square). In physiology it is the negative feedback loop. In cosmology its the theory of a cyclical universe. The Vedic assertion is that this principle is all there really is and to truly understand and realize this is in fact to get Bodhisattva (Ultimate Understanding). To be the principle itself is to overcome all your "physical" limitations, that is Moksha. A lot people understand it as leaving your physical self, but this is not essential to the theory. What it means is that your abilities are beyond all limitations, as you have learnt how to apply the knowledge of your Bhodisattva, which of course is ultimate knowledge. You may or may not go beyond your physical self, depending on the path you have chosen to achieve moksha. Nirvana is to integrate with the universe because you have become one with yourself and the duality within you to a degree that you have created a singularity. Thus you are now truly one with the universe and this is the achievement of the understanding of the duality behind duality- the singularity.
All three traditions prescribe various ways one can reach the previous levels. All depend upon an understanding of duality, through some form of its practical application. It will suffice for us to examine one of the most acceptable ways of doing so- physical culture. In all three traditions there is a huge body of literature focusing on enlightenment through exercise. In simple terms, the body is also governed by duality. Thus to understand your body and to be one with your body, is to understand duality- which is enlightenment. To master your body you must master duality which is Moksha or your ascension to a god like status. Thus exercise is an intensely spiritual experience in all three traditions.
To understand how to do this, let us first examine an obvious way of "training" duality- to simply meditate on it. Ths practise is called Zazen by zen practitioners and is the conerstone of Zen Practice. In fact some say Zazen is Zen. You sit n a cross legged posture with your spine straight and you focus on your breathing. That is all. You hold the universal mudra in your hands as you do so. The idea is smple- breathing is in itself and in every way an expression of duality. If you keep paying attention to it, so much so that all other thoughs stop, you will begin to understand duality. Interestingly the purpose of Zazen is to NOT be dualistic. It goes back to the duality of duality, that is to understand it and be it, you must not be dualistic. Its difficult to explain unless you practice it, but can be roughly explained as "Being in the Moment".
Let us examine what happens when you are in the moment during your Zazen practice. You are aware of you breathing exactly as it is happening. Therefore, since your mind is not in the future nor in the past, you are not controlling your breathing, you are simply aware of it. But you are aware of both your breathing, your mind and what is called your larger mind. At this instant you are aware that you have inhaled and that you are going to exhale. Keep in mind you are not controlling your breathing, you are simply observing t. You know you are about to exhale, not because you are thinking ahead (for then you would be controlling it) but because your larger mind tells you so (through sheer instinct). This happens because your larger mind is aware of the duality behind breathing. But if you were to pay attention to that duality, you would no longer be in the moment, and you would once again not be dualistic. Thus the only way to be dualistic is to not be dualistic.
Another way of looking at it s that being in the moment enables you to see the future, through the medium of your larger mind. In martial arts, this manifests as being so much in the moment, that you can predict your opponents movements, just by observing him. Your response is also automatic and appropriate as your larger mind tells you what to do.
In the context of exercise, being in the moment enables you to know what the effects of what you are doing is going to be, which enables you to know what to do, in order to get the best results. The practice of exercise makes you familiar with the principle of duality, which in turn gives you an understanding of your body. This allows you to be more familiar with your body, which allows you to be in the moment during your exercise (and over time in your entire life), which once again facilitates the same. Over time, you will be duality and realize it, achieving Bodhisattva.
Thus the real realm of mind control from our point of view is to achieve such a degree of "being in the moment" (a.k.a focus) that we are able to train perfectly for our purposes. I use a simple progression to teach people how to get started (you can't call yourself a master until you have, you know, ascended).
First of all, no music no distraction during your workouts. Try your best to focus on both the movement of the joints and the contraction of the muscles as you exercise. Do this for 4-5 weeks after which you move on to step two.
Begin getting familiar with your body and learn how to be aware of every little thing in your body. I teach people to do this through the practice of the Wu Chi position. Any Tai Chi practitioner will show you this position or you could download (for free) and read The way of Energy by Master Lam. It gives a very good description of the basic standing meditations. Basically the objective in Wu Chi is to stand like a tree, absolutely immobile, standing in a natural and perfectly balanced position, with you mind "rooted" into the ground (you have to feel you have roots growing from under your feet into the ground, nourishing you). You don't have any thoughts because trees don't think. You just stand there being aware of your body, yourself, your breathing and your roots. In order to focus on the breathing properly you will have to learn to breathe through your stomachs, but most athletic people will find that they already do this. You will find that over time, this is actually an extremely active position- you will literally feel your cells growing, you energy growing, your blood flowing, your nerves firing, your breathing, your strengthening everything. After a while it becomes incredibly forceful. In addition this practice seems to increase hormonal recovery by leaps and bounds. I am not sure why, but I think it is because it creates an optimal environment for adrenal hormones to be produced and it relaxes the mind.
After you have practiced Wu Chi for at least a year, you may, if you like learn the 24 forms Tai Chi movements. This will teach you how to pay attention to your body during movement. Otherwise you could just directly start with using basic exercises with light weights (initially) and retaining this kind of awareness during your exercise. Over time you will be able to do it naturally and smoothly with even the heaviest weight.
The greatest champions in every field (not just sport) ultimately reach this stage in their work, whether they call it Wu Chi, being in the moment or duality or the mind body connection or french fries. Take a look at any video of Dimas lifting or Arnold posing or Jordan dunking and you can see it in their eyes that they have got it. And when you have something like Wu Chi, which have time and time again over centuries taught people how to reach this state, you must use it. Even the monkey king (who attacked heaven) was supposed to have trained 3 hours daily using Wu Chi. You may use Zazen instead. But you must be doing atleast one. Wu Chi and Zazen are like the Squats and deadlifts of the mind control world- if you want to be truly world class, there is no better way to get there. They are the basics. If you want to pursue Zazen, I recommend Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginners mind. Read as much as you can, but just start practice.
If anyone ever takes up Zazen or Wu Chi training and you ever want to discuss it, please comment below.
Friday 28 June 2013
Saturday 1 June 2013
Program For the Cubicle Miner
A friend of mine at work asked me for a program appropriate for him. As all the programs I have posted here before were for either intermediate or advanced Athletes, I thought this should be interesting to post.
First of all a little background. The guy is a former national Karate Champion and was strong at the time. At a weight of 140-150 pounds he had a 185 bench press, a solid 225 parallel squat and could do a good 15-18 overhand pull ups. However he has not trained for years and has for the last 4-5 years been working in a completely sedentary job which requires him to sit in a hunched position for 10-11 hours at a stretch 5-6 days a week. He has the typical problems of people of this time- kyphosys, an anterior pelvic tilt, a lot of excess fat. In addition to these problems he also is suffering for a nagging knee pain in his left knee, which after some amount of analysis and experimentation, we have traced to a hamstring quadriceps imbalance. Leg curls and even isometric hamstring contractions provided immediate relief.
In addition to all this he wants to coach students of his martial arts school, and for the purpose wants to be in respectable shape- enough for him to perform all the required kicks and movements pain free and with some power. He would also like to have nice biceps.
First of all we need to make a priority list of all the things that need to be taken care of-
1. Knee pain needs to be eliminated
2. Postural Issues need to be fixed.
3. Basic Ligament, tendon and bone strength.
4. Basic Full body Strength
5. Strength Flexibility- Active Flexibility and mobility
6. Weight Loss
7. Strength Speed (A.k.a power)
8. Speed Strength (a.k.a speed)
9. Cardiovascular fitness and general Endurance
Let us list the good things about this guy- he has a very good training background and uses excellent technique. In addition he competed in and is still very skilled at a high skill sport, which means his motor learning curve for advanced movements is pretty high. Both these things mean we can use high skill movements (like Olympic lifts) without any fear and easy coaching. Secondly he has access to a gym pretty much all day (except during work of course). Also there is a beautiful running park across the street with excellent pull up, dip and other calisthenic facilities.
To address each issue, we are going to have a LOT of posterior chain work for him. Posterior chain work fixes 90% of the most common postural issues and muscle imbalances in most sedentary people. In addition we will do leg curls and external rotations to help these issues. We will also include a lot of active flexibility work for the hip flexors, quads, and the internal rotators and their "assistant" muscles.
To build ligament and bone strength we will use dead-lift lockouts with an extended hold at the top, for 2 reps a week. Supporting feats in general build a lot of bone and connective tissue strength, but require enormous rest periods and lots and lots of recovery. In addition the routine will ensure that there is sufficient time for the connective tissues to repair and heal, and not let the typical problem of muscles getting stronger and bigger too fast happen. In addition full ROM movements will be used for high repetitions to train the tendons and assist in the building of active flexibility. In addition to all this such workouts, done properly and not to fatigue, will enhance the healing rate of the connective tissues.
For basic full body strength we will use the most basic of routines, centered around the most important lifts for a person in his position- Standing Military Barbell and dumbbell presses, Dead-lifts of various kinds, Rows of various kinds- One arm dumbbell rows, barbell rows, bent-over rows. Secondary work will be full ROM squats (body-weight only- will work up the pistol squat progression over time to build knee stability), push ups, pull ups and abdominal work. Tertiary work will be calves and biceps.
We will use a separate conditioning routine for weight loss, centered around the dumbbell snatch which will kill 4 birds with one stone- Supplementary lower back work, weight loss, Speed- Strength and general cardiovascular fitness. Skipping with a rope will also be used to add a hopping/ knee centric variable.
As he has not worked out for years and he is currently grossly overweight and was formerly strong, initially we can expect to build muscle and burn a lot of fat at the same time. For him I would expect this phase to last 9-12 months, after which we can worry about periodizing it.
For strength-speed or power. we are going to use the power clean and the jerk from behind the neck. The power clean is an obvious choice for developing the rate of force development and general explosiveness. The jerk from behind the neck is an excellent exercise that has been lost in the depths of strength training history and has been completely eclipsed by the jumping squat. It can be coached much more easily than the regular jerk, allows you to use much more weight than the ordinary jerk, builds reflexive power and is really really safe and low hassle, unlike the jumping squat. Here you basically do exactly what you would do in a regular jumping back squat, except you jerk the weight overhead when you jump. Because of this, there is no impact or trauma on the spine and there is no fear of injury. Plus it requires almost no setup beyond a rack. Resetting is also easier as you just lower the weight down till it is back in the back squat position and repeat.
We will remain true to the basic principles of beginner (or in this case pseudo beginner) programming.
1. One fitness quality (or related qualities) every session.
2. Do not train any one quality hard more than once a week, maximum training is 2 times a week if a light or medium session is desired.
3. Train a variety of qualities as it is not yet the time for specialization.
4. Keep the trainee on his toes (or at-least let him think that he is) in order to satisfy beginner enthusiasm, but do it in a way such that recovery is not compromised at all and no strength quality is over trained and general over training is also avoided. This also helps lose fat in a healthy fashion as it helps add a lot of activity without stressing the overall system.
5. Timely layoffs are critical (goes for advanced athletes as well).
6. Keep the progression simple and understandable.
7. Do not change the program for the first 9-12 months of training. This is the time to build proficiency in the basics, understand the body and build a base. Advanced periodization and change of routines to avoid staleness are an intermediate and advanced problem. A beginner should not get bored by any one routine in the first 9 months, and base building requires consistency initially. The periodic layoffs are more than sufficient in order to prevent staleness in the beginner.
8. Always stress perfect form and stability over weight.
9. Correct posture is critical. Strength and endurance in the postural muscles must be built from the very beginning as later the gap between the big muscles and these muscles only widens. The postural muscles need an early start.
10. Balanced routines are critical. Once again this is the time to build a base. Specialization can always be done later, but base building can only be done now.
Keeping all the above factors in mind I have designed the following program.
The weights given are completely hypothetical. We will know what weights to use only after the workouts begin. The fact is for heavy exercises (below 5 reps a set) the weight must not be a bitter struggle but heavy enough to make 2 more reps in perfect form impossible. For example if you can do no more than 4 reps with good form in the military press with 100 pounds (40 kgs), then this is the weight you will use for your 2 rep sets.
We will use a simple double progression method of progression. Every workout will be recorded in a notebook. All reps are given in rep ranges for example- 5 sets of 3-5 reps. This means we will begin with performing 3 reps a set. Whenever he feels capable we will add reps to the exercise. It is not necessary to do so in all sets. For instance if workout one is 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 workout 2 could be 3, 4, 4, 3, 3. Even if one rep is added overall, it will be counted as progress. When he is able to complete all 5 sets using 5 reps, he will increase the weight of the exercise by 5 kgs for upper body exercises, 2.5 kgs for the one arm upper body exercises, and 5 Kgs for lower body exercises as well (we will use narrower rep ranges). He will now start over with the new weight, once again perming 5 sets of 3 reps and will work up to 5 sets of 5 reps once again and repeat.
In every workout, he has to improve only in one exercise. If for example a workout contains the military press, one arm dumbbell row and the dead-lift, even if he adds just one rep to one set of one exercise, he has beaten his previous entry for the same workout in the log book. What is important is that at-least this much has to happen every successive workout. He may (and probably will) try to do much more than this, but in general we will try to be conservative in the rate of progress. However this minimum progress is critical.
For the calisthenic/ body-weight exercises, when he reaches the weight increase standard for that exercise, he will progress to the next harder variation of the exercise given in my progressions. I have attached the link for my progressions for each body-weight exercise upon its first mention. Of course the rep ranges for these exercises will be quite broad.
Every 5th week, he will only do the Thursday and Friday sessions. The rest of the time he will try to rest as much as possible and try to not even think about exercise. This is his periodic layoff. 4 weeks of effort one total rest week.
Monday-
Morning/Evening (any One session)- Flexibility Training
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
Perform the 6 Flexibility exercises given in the post above. Progress according to the instructions given.
Tuesday-
Morning- Basic Strength and Connective Tissue Strength (Heavy Day)
Warm Up
Shoulder stretching (dislocates) with a bar or stick- 20 reps
Barbell Clean and Military Press (real strict- see post http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/02/shoulders.html)- 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 30kg first set, 35kg second set. 1 min breaks
One arm Bench supported Dumbbell Row to the lower abdomen. 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 15kg first set and 20 kg second set. 1 min breaks.
Work Sets-
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between exercises.
5 sets of 3-4 reps- Barbell Clean and Military Press 40Kgs
5 sets of 3-5 reps- One arm Bench supported Dumbbell Row to the lower abdomen 22.5Kgs
Dead-lift Warm Up-
2 sets of 4 reps of conventional dead-lifts. 2 min breaks First set 65kg, second 75kg.
Dead-lift Work Sets
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between variations.
3 sets of 2-4 reps- Conventional Dead-lifts 85 Kgs (overhand grip at-least initially- we will switch to alternate when an overhand grip is no longer possible. This goes for both variations)
3 sets of 2-4 reps- Sumo Dead-lifts 85 Kgs
Connective Tissue Dead-lift
The barbell will be elevated by either placing it on a bench or by placing the ends of the plates on more plates, or ideally a power rack. It has to be elevated enough such that the bar is 2 inches above the knee when standing straight next to it. This way when the barbell is dead-lifted from this position, it only has to be moved 2-3 inchs to lockout.
Lockout hold for 20 - 40 seconds. (when you hit 40 seconds, increase weight). 90 Kgs Conventional Style.
Secondary Strength Exercises-
2 min Break between sets
2 sets of 8-30 body-weight squats- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-squat.html
1 set of 5- 25 Push ups- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-push-up.html
1 set of 3-15 Pull Ups (plus a set of "prep work" if required see post)- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-pull-up.html
2 sets of 10-25 roman chair sit ups. Weight will be added by holding a dumbbell with both hands. If he is not strong enough for roman chair sit ups, incline sit-ups will be substituted until he is doing 45 degree sit ups.
Tertiary Strength Exercises-
This is to be done after a good 20-30 min break after eating the post workout meal. These are optional and need to be done only if he has the time and excess energy.
1 min 30 second Breaks
3 sets of 8-14 reps Standing barbell bicep Curls- Military Style with no cheating at all. 25 Kgs
3 sets of 10-20 reps Standing Calf Raises off a block.
Evening- Strength Speed/ Power- Heavy
Warm Up-
Power Cleans- 3 sets of 3 reps with a light weight say 25 Kgs, 30 kg and 30 Kg.
Work Sets
3 Min Breaks
3 sets of 2 reps Power Cleans- Say 35 Kgs
3 sets of 2 reps Behind the Neck Jerks- Say 40 Kgs
Wednesday
Morning- Fixing Postural Issues and Pain Prevention
Warm Up-
Light Bent over Dumbbell Rows-
2 sets of 8 reps - 10 Kg dumbbells.
Work Sets
External Rotations (weight increases will be 2 kgs when progression time comes)-
Lying Side External Rotation with Dumbbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Seated External Rotation to the front of the body with dumbbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Cuban Press (standing external rotation) with barbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 8 Kgs
Leg Curl Warm Up-
2 sets of 8 reps- say 2 slabs on the machine
Work Sets
3 sets of 6-10 reps Leg Curls. Say 4 slabs.
Evening- Fatloss, Cardio, Speed Strength
Warm Up-
One arm Dumbbell Snatch
1 min breaks
2 sets of 8 per arm say a 10 kg dumbbell
Work Sets-
One arm Dumbbell snatch (progress by 2 kgs when the time comes)
1 min breaks
8 sets of 7-12 reps per arm. 14 kgs
8 sets of 50 reps Skipping
Cool Down-
2 mins slow skipping
Thursday
Morning- Tendon Strength, Connective Tissue Recovery, Full ROM training and mobility.
Warm Up
Hospital Dead-lift (it is a round back dead-lift performed from a deficit with no unlocking of the knees)
It must be performed slowly with a good pause at the end points with absolutely no bounce.
2 sets of 10. Say first set 20kg, second 25kg. 2 min breaks
Work Sets
2 min breaks
2 sets of 10-35. Hospital Dead-lifts 30kg
2 sets of 10-35. Cross bench Dumbbell Pull Overs with absolutely full ROM. 10 Kgs
2 Sets of 10-35. Bottom Half Lying Leg raises off a bench such that the legs are off the bench and the upper body is on the bench. Lower the legs until there is a good stretch in the hip flexors and raise up only until the legs are parallel to the ground. Bend the knees to make the exercise easier in order to get the required reps. Straighten the legs progressively in order to increase the difficulty.
2 sets of 20-40. Dips until the mid chest is level with the parallel bars. perform slowly and with pauses at the end points. Place your legs on the ground or platform directly as if standing to assist if you are not strong enough. It will be easier than traditional bench dips and a lot healthier on the joints. Weight can be added using a belt.
2 sets of 15-40 per side. Side bends with dumbbells. bend over to one side until the dumbbell is level with the knees. 10Kgs each dumbbell
2 sets of 25-50 per side. Heel Elevated heels touching squat. Use the lat pulley to provide tailored assistance. Say 4 slabs on the machine.
2 sets of 30-60. Calf raises off a block.
Evening- Rest
Friday-
Morning- Basic Strength and Connective Tissue Strength (Light Day)
Warm Up
Shoulder stretching (dislocates) with a bar or stick- 20 reps
Dumbbell Clean and Military Press- 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight (HALF OF WHAT WAS USED ON TUESDAY- THIS GOES FOR ALL EXERCISES TODAY)- say 15kg (7.5 per dumbbell) first set, 20kg second set. 1 min breaks
Bent Over Barbell Row to the lower abdomen. 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 20kg first set and 30 kg second set. 1 min breaks.
Work Sets-
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between exercises.
5 sets of 3-4 reps- Dumbbell Clean and Military Press 12.5Kgs per bell.
5 sets of 3-5 reps- Bent over Barbell Row to the lower abdomen 35 Kgs
Dead-lift Warm Up-
2 sets of 4 reps of conventional dead-lifts. 2 min breaks First set 45kg, second 55kg.
Dead-lift Work Sets
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will perform the variations in a series.
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Conventional Dead-lifts 70 Kgs
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Sumo Dead-lifts 70 Kgs
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Snatch grip Deadlifts 70 Kgs
Connective Tissue Dead-lift
The barbell will be elevated by either placing it on a bench or by placing the ends of the plates on more plates, or ideally a power rack. It has to be elevated enough such that the bar is 2 inches above the knee when standing straight next to it. This way when the barbell is dead-lifted from this position, it only has to be moved 2-3 inches to lockout.
Lockout hold for 20 - 40 seconds. (when you hit 40 seconds, increase weight). 80 Kgs Conventional Style.
Secondary Strength Exercises-
2 min Break between sets
He will Perform Exactly half the Number of Reps he Performed on Tuesday
2 sets of body-weight squats
1 set of Push ups
1 set of Pull Ups (plus a set of "prep work" if required)-
2 sets of Roman chair sit ups/ Incline board sit ups
Tertiary Strength Exercises-
This is to be done after a good 20-30 min break after eating the post workout meal. These are optional and need to be done only if he has the time and excess energy.
He will perform less sets today than Tuesday, but use the same weight and reps.
1 min 30 second Breaks
2 sets of 8-14 reps Standing barbell bicep Curls- Military Style with no cheating at all. 25 Kgs
2 sets of 10-20 reps Standing Calf Raises off a block.
Evening- Fixing Postural Issues and Pain Prevention
Lesser Sets will be performed today
Warm Up-
Light Bent over Dumbbell Rows-
2 sets of 8 reps - 10 Kg dumbbells.
Work Sets
External Rotations (weight increases will be 2 kgs when progression time comes)-
Lying Side External Rotation with Dumbbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Seated External Rotation to the front of the body with dumbbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Cuban Press (standing external rotation) with barbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 8 Kgs
Leg Curl Warm Up-
2 sets of 8 reps- say 2 slabs on the machine
Work Sets
2 sets of 6-10 reps Leg Curls. Say 4 slabs.
Saturday
Morning/Evening (any One session)- Flexibility Training
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
Perform the 6 Flexibility exercises given in the post above. Progress according to the instructions given.
Sunday
Morning/Evening (any One Session)- Fatloss, Cardio, Speed Strength
Warm Up
Jog 400m
Work Sets
Sprint 400m
4 mins break
Sprint 300m
3 min break
Sprint 200m
2 min Break
Sprint 100m
1 min Break
Jog 500m
First of all a little background. The guy is a former national Karate Champion and was strong at the time. At a weight of 140-150 pounds he had a 185 bench press, a solid 225 parallel squat and could do a good 15-18 overhand pull ups. However he has not trained for years and has for the last 4-5 years been working in a completely sedentary job which requires him to sit in a hunched position for 10-11 hours at a stretch 5-6 days a week. He has the typical problems of people of this time- kyphosys, an anterior pelvic tilt, a lot of excess fat. In addition to these problems he also is suffering for a nagging knee pain in his left knee, which after some amount of analysis and experimentation, we have traced to a hamstring quadriceps imbalance. Leg curls and even isometric hamstring contractions provided immediate relief.
In addition to all this he wants to coach students of his martial arts school, and for the purpose wants to be in respectable shape- enough for him to perform all the required kicks and movements pain free and with some power. He would also like to have nice biceps.
First of all we need to make a priority list of all the things that need to be taken care of-
1. Knee pain needs to be eliminated
2. Postural Issues need to be fixed.
3. Basic Ligament, tendon and bone strength.
4. Basic Full body Strength
5. Strength Flexibility- Active Flexibility and mobility
6. Weight Loss
7. Strength Speed (A.k.a power)
8. Speed Strength (a.k.a speed)
9. Cardiovascular fitness and general Endurance
Let us list the good things about this guy- he has a very good training background and uses excellent technique. In addition he competed in and is still very skilled at a high skill sport, which means his motor learning curve for advanced movements is pretty high. Both these things mean we can use high skill movements (like Olympic lifts) without any fear and easy coaching. Secondly he has access to a gym pretty much all day (except during work of course). Also there is a beautiful running park across the street with excellent pull up, dip and other calisthenic facilities.
To address each issue, we are going to have a LOT of posterior chain work for him. Posterior chain work fixes 90% of the most common postural issues and muscle imbalances in most sedentary people. In addition we will do leg curls and external rotations to help these issues. We will also include a lot of active flexibility work for the hip flexors, quads, and the internal rotators and their "assistant" muscles.
To build ligament and bone strength we will use dead-lift lockouts with an extended hold at the top, for 2 reps a week. Supporting feats in general build a lot of bone and connective tissue strength, but require enormous rest periods and lots and lots of recovery. In addition the routine will ensure that there is sufficient time for the connective tissues to repair and heal, and not let the typical problem of muscles getting stronger and bigger too fast happen. In addition full ROM movements will be used for high repetitions to train the tendons and assist in the building of active flexibility. In addition to all this such workouts, done properly and not to fatigue, will enhance the healing rate of the connective tissues.
For basic full body strength we will use the most basic of routines, centered around the most important lifts for a person in his position- Standing Military Barbell and dumbbell presses, Dead-lifts of various kinds, Rows of various kinds- One arm dumbbell rows, barbell rows, bent-over rows. Secondary work will be full ROM squats (body-weight only- will work up the pistol squat progression over time to build knee stability), push ups, pull ups and abdominal work. Tertiary work will be calves and biceps.
We will use a separate conditioning routine for weight loss, centered around the dumbbell snatch which will kill 4 birds with one stone- Supplementary lower back work, weight loss, Speed- Strength and general cardiovascular fitness. Skipping with a rope will also be used to add a hopping/ knee centric variable.
As he has not worked out for years and he is currently grossly overweight and was formerly strong, initially we can expect to build muscle and burn a lot of fat at the same time. For him I would expect this phase to last 9-12 months, after which we can worry about periodizing it.
For strength-speed or power. we are going to use the power clean and the jerk from behind the neck. The power clean is an obvious choice for developing the rate of force development and general explosiveness. The jerk from behind the neck is an excellent exercise that has been lost in the depths of strength training history and has been completely eclipsed by the jumping squat. It can be coached much more easily than the regular jerk, allows you to use much more weight than the ordinary jerk, builds reflexive power and is really really safe and low hassle, unlike the jumping squat. Here you basically do exactly what you would do in a regular jumping back squat, except you jerk the weight overhead when you jump. Because of this, there is no impact or trauma on the spine and there is no fear of injury. Plus it requires almost no setup beyond a rack. Resetting is also easier as you just lower the weight down till it is back in the back squat position and repeat.
We will remain true to the basic principles of beginner (or in this case pseudo beginner) programming.
1. One fitness quality (or related qualities) every session.
2. Do not train any one quality hard more than once a week, maximum training is 2 times a week if a light or medium session is desired.
3. Train a variety of qualities as it is not yet the time for specialization.
4. Keep the trainee on his toes (or at-least let him think that he is) in order to satisfy beginner enthusiasm, but do it in a way such that recovery is not compromised at all and no strength quality is over trained and general over training is also avoided. This also helps lose fat in a healthy fashion as it helps add a lot of activity without stressing the overall system.
5. Timely layoffs are critical (goes for advanced athletes as well).
6. Keep the progression simple and understandable.
7. Do not change the program for the first 9-12 months of training. This is the time to build proficiency in the basics, understand the body and build a base. Advanced periodization and change of routines to avoid staleness are an intermediate and advanced problem. A beginner should not get bored by any one routine in the first 9 months, and base building requires consistency initially. The periodic layoffs are more than sufficient in order to prevent staleness in the beginner.
8. Always stress perfect form and stability over weight.
9. Correct posture is critical. Strength and endurance in the postural muscles must be built from the very beginning as later the gap between the big muscles and these muscles only widens. The postural muscles need an early start.
10. Balanced routines are critical. Once again this is the time to build a base. Specialization can always be done later, but base building can only be done now.
Keeping all the above factors in mind I have designed the following program.
The weights given are completely hypothetical. We will know what weights to use only after the workouts begin. The fact is for heavy exercises (below 5 reps a set) the weight must not be a bitter struggle but heavy enough to make 2 more reps in perfect form impossible. For example if you can do no more than 4 reps with good form in the military press with 100 pounds (40 kgs), then this is the weight you will use for your 2 rep sets.
We will use a simple double progression method of progression. Every workout will be recorded in a notebook. All reps are given in rep ranges for example- 5 sets of 3-5 reps. This means we will begin with performing 3 reps a set. Whenever he feels capable we will add reps to the exercise. It is not necessary to do so in all sets. For instance if workout one is 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 workout 2 could be 3, 4, 4, 3, 3. Even if one rep is added overall, it will be counted as progress. When he is able to complete all 5 sets using 5 reps, he will increase the weight of the exercise by 5 kgs for upper body exercises, 2.5 kgs for the one arm upper body exercises, and 5 Kgs for lower body exercises as well (we will use narrower rep ranges). He will now start over with the new weight, once again perming 5 sets of 3 reps and will work up to 5 sets of 5 reps once again and repeat.
In every workout, he has to improve only in one exercise. If for example a workout contains the military press, one arm dumbbell row and the dead-lift, even if he adds just one rep to one set of one exercise, he has beaten his previous entry for the same workout in the log book. What is important is that at-least this much has to happen every successive workout. He may (and probably will) try to do much more than this, but in general we will try to be conservative in the rate of progress. However this minimum progress is critical.
For the calisthenic/ body-weight exercises, when he reaches the weight increase standard for that exercise, he will progress to the next harder variation of the exercise given in my progressions. I have attached the link for my progressions for each body-weight exercise upon its first mention. Of course the rep ranges for these exercises will be quite broad.
Every 5th week, he will only do the Thursday and Friday sessions. The rest of the time he will try to rest as much as possible and try to not even think about exercise. This is his periodic layoff. 4 weeks of effort one total rest week.
Monday-
Morning/Evening (any One session)- Flexibility Training
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
Perform the 6 Flexibility exercises given in the post above. Progress according to the instructions given.
Tuesday-
Morning- Basic Strength and Connective Tissue Strength (Heavy Day)
Warm Up
Shoulder stretching (dislocates) with a bar or stick- 20 reps
Barbell Clean and Military Press (real strict- see post http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/02/shoulders.html)- 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 30kg first set, 35kg second set. 1 min breaks
One arm Bench supported Dumbbell Row to the lower abdomen. 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 15kg first set and 20 kg second set. 1 min breaks.
Work Sets-
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between exercises.
5 sets of 3-4 reps- Barbell Clean and Military Press 40Kgs
5 sets of 3-5 reps- One arm Bench supported Dumbbell Row to the lower abdomen 22.5Kgs
Dead-lift Warm Up-
2 sets of 4 reps of conventional dead-lifts. 2 min breaks First set 65kg, second 75kg.
Dead-lift Work Sets
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between variations.
3 sets of 2-4 reps- Conventional Dead-lifts 85 Kgs (overhand grip at-least initially- we will switch to alternate when an overhand grip is no longer possible. This goes for both variations)
3 sets of 2-4 reps- Sumo Dead-lifts 85 Kgs
Connective Tissue Dead-lift
The barbell will be elevated by either placing it on a bench or by placing the ends of the plates on more plates, or ideally a power rack. It has to be elevated enough such that the bar is 2 inches above the knee when standing straight next to it. This way when the barbell is dead-lifted from this position, it only has to be moved 2-3 inchs to lockout.
Lockout hold for 20 - 40 seconds. (when you hit 40 seconds, increase weight). 90 Kgs Conventional Style.
Secondary Strength Exercises-
2 min Break between sets
2 sets of 8-30 body-weight squats- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-squat.html
1 set of 5- 25 Push ups- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-push-up.html
1 set of 3-15 Pull Ups (plus a set of "prep work" if required see post)- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-pull-up.html
2 sets of 10-25 roman chair sit ups. Weight will be added by holding a dumbbell with both hands. If he is not strong enough for roman chair sit ups, incline sit-ups will be substituted until he is doing 45 degree sit ups.
Tertiary Strength Exercises-
This is to be done after a good 20-30 min break after eating the post workout meal. These are optional and need to be done only if he has the time and excess energy.
1 min 30 second Breaks
3 sets of 8-14 reps Standing barbell bicep Curls- Military Style with no cheating at all. 25 Kgs
3 sets of 10-20 reps Standing Calf Raises off a block.
Evening- Strength Speed/ Power- Heavy
Warm Up-
Power Cleans- 3 sets of 3 reps with a light weight say 25 Kgs, 30 kg and 30 Kg.
Work Sets
3 Min Breaks
3 sets of 2 reps Power Cleans- Say 35 Kgs
3 sets of 2 reps Behind the Neck Jerks- Say 40 Kgs
Wednesday
Morning- Fixing Postural Issues and Pain Prevention
Warm Up-
Light Bent over Dumbbell Rows-
2 sets of 8 reps - 10 Kg dumbbells.
Work Sets
External Rotations (weight increases will be 2 kgs when progression time comes)-
Lying Side External Rotation with Dumbbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Seated External Rotation to the front of the body with dumbbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Cuban Press (standing external rotation) with barbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 8 Kgs
Leg Curl Warm Up-
2 sets of 8 reps- say 2 slabs on the machine
Work Sets
3 sets of 6-10 reps Leg Curls. Say 4 slabs.
Evening- Fatloss, Cardio, Speed Strength
Warm Up-
One arm Dumbbell Snatch
1 min breaks
2 sets of 8 per arm say a 10 kg dumbbell
Work Sets-
One arm Dumbbell snatch (progress by 2 kgs when the time comes)
1 min breaks
8 sets of 7-12 reps per arm. 14 kgs
8 sets of 50 reps Skipping
Cool Down-
2 mins slow skipping
Thursday
Morning- Tendon Strength, Connective Tissue Recovery, Full ROM training and mobility.
Warm Up
Hospital Dead-lift (it is a round back dead-lift performed from a deficit with no unlocking of the knees)
It must be performed slowly with a good pause at the end points with absolutely no bounce.
2 sets of 10. Say first set 20kg, second 25kg. 2 min breaks
Work Sets
2 min breaks
2 sets of 10-35. Hospital Dead-lifts 30kg
2 sets of 10-35. Cross bench Dumbbell Pull Overs with absolutely full ROM. 10 Kgs
2 Sets of 10-35. Bottom Half Lying Leg raises off a bench such that the legs are off the bench and the upper body is on the bench. Lower the legs until there is a good stretch in the hip flexors and raise up only until the legs are parallel to the ground. Bend the knees to make the exercise easier in order to get the required reps. Straighten the legs progressively in order to increase the difficulty.
2 sets of 20-40. Dips until the mid chest is level with the parallel bars. perform slowly and with pauses at the end points. Place your legs on the ground or platform directly as if standing to assist if you are not strong enough. It will be easier than traditional bench dips and a lot healthier on the joints. Weight can be added using a belt.
2 sets of 15-40 per side. Side bends with dumbbells. bend over to one side until the dumbbell is level with the knees. 10Kgs each dumbbell
2 sets of 25-50 per side. Heel Elevated heels touching squat. Use the lat pulley to provide tailored assistance. Say 4 slabs on the machine.
2 sets of 30-60. Calf raises off a block.
Evening- Rest
Friday-
Morning- Basic Strength and Connective Tissue Strength (Light Day)
Warm Up
Shoulder stretching (dislocates) with a bar or stick- 20 reps
Dumbbell Clean and Military Press- 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight (HALF OF WHAT WAS USED ON TUESDAY- THIS GOES FOR ALL EXERCISES TODAY)- say 15kg (7.5 per dumbbell) first set, 20kg second set. 1 min breaks
Bent Over Barbell Row to the lower abdomen. 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 20kg first set and 30 kg second set. 1 min breaks.
Work Sets-
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between exercises.
5 sets of 3-4 reps- Dumbbell Clean and Military Press 12.5Kgs per bell.
5 sets of 3-5 reps- Bent over Barbell Row to the lower abdomen 35 Kgs
Dead-lift Warm Up-
2 sets of 4 reps of conventional dead-lifts. 2 min breaks First set 45kg, second 55kg.
Dead-lift Work Sets
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will perform the variations in a series.
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Conventional Dead-lifts 70 Kgs
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Sumo Dead-lifts 70 Kgs
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Snatch grip Deadlifts 70 Kgs
Connective Tissue Dead-lift
The barbell will be elevated by either placing it on a bench or by placing the ends of the plates on more plates, or ideally a power rack. It has to be elevated enough such that the bar is 2 inches above the knee when standing straight next to it. This way when the barbell is dead-lifted from this position, it only has to be moved 2-3 inches to lockout.
Lockout hold for 20 - 40 seconds. (when you hit 40 seconds, increase weight). 80 Kgs Conventional Style.
Secondary Strength Exercises-
2 min Break between sets
He will Perform Exactly half the Number of Reps he Performed on Tuesday
2 sets of body-weight squats
1 set of Push ups
1 set of Pull Ups (plus a set of "prep work" if required)-
2 sets of Roman chair sit ups/ Incline board sit ups
Tertiary Strength Exercises-
This is to be done after a good 20-30 min break after eating the post workout meal. These are optional and need to be done only if he has the time and excess energy.
He will perform less sets today than Tuesday, but use the same weight and reps.
1 min 30 second Breaks
2 sets of 8-14 reps Standing barbell bicep Curls- Military Style with no cheating at all. 25 Kgs
2 sets of 10-20 reps Standing Calf Raises off a block.
Evening- Fixing Postural Issues and Pain Prevention
Lesser Sets will be performed today
Warm Up-
Light Bent over Dumbbell Rows-
2 sets of 8 reps - 10 Kg dumbbells.
Work Sets
External Rotations (weight increases will be 2 kgs when progression time comes)-
Lying Side External Rotation with Dumbbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Seated External Rotation to the front of the body with dumbbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Cuban Press (standing external rotation) with barbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 8 Kgs
Leg Curl Warm Up-
2 sets of 8 reps- say 2 slabs on the machine
Work Sets
2 sets of 6-10 reps Leg Curls. Say 4 slabs.
Saturday
Morning/Evening (any One session)- Flexibility Training
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
Perform the 6 Flexibility exercises given in the post above. Progress according to the instructions given.
Sunday
Morning/Evening (any One Session)- Fatloss, Cardio, Speed Strength
Warm Up
Jog 400m
Work Sets
Sprint 400m
4 mins break
Sprint 300m
3 min break
Sprint 200m
2 min Break
Sprint 100m
1 min Break
Jog 500m
As you can see, I have concentrated a lot of the workload in the center of the week. While he is doing something everyday in order to satisfy his craving for hard work and activity, only 2 days- Tuesday and Wednesday are genuinely hard. All the other days are basically easy days that help in recovery and give him a chance and a solid reason to be physically active.
I would have split the two days much further apart, but he travels to his hometown every weekend and he does not have any equipment there. That is why Friday, Saturday and Sunday require little to no equipment.
Everybody who reads this, please tell me what you think of the program and how do you think it can be improved.
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