^ How much did you pay for that one? Link?

(10-24-2016 10:21 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  ^ How much did you pay for that one? Link?

Go on to Amazon or Walmart and search for Power Tower.
The one I have is a Red/Black Weider and I think I paid a little over $100 for it.
Totally worth it though, I use it practically 7 days a week.
I'm kind of a bodyweight exercise fanatic, I love it !

(10-23-2016 05:19 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

(10-23-2016 04:01 PM)kbell Wrote:  I tried doing the back bridge, but my unrepaired shoulder did not like it. I used a big balance ball to stretch over it and that seemed to work without shoulder pain.

aeroktar, what's the name of that pullup? Would love to get that down.

I'm not sure of the name, I remember reading an article about it a while ago but I cant find it now, I just call it a row pullup because it focuses on a rowing motion.

Heres another video where Chris Jones talks about maximum engagement of the lats during pullups (starting at 1:10)




This would be a good place to start, just focus on the lean back and pull the bar towards your chest opposed to pulling straight up and focusing on clearing the bar with your chin.

It's a sort of front lever row. It would definitely be a good strength and mass builder. However, you need quite a lot of strength to do those. I can knock out nearly 30 dead hang chins, but at 6'1 with long, and reasonably muscular legs, I can't do full lever rows with good form. You can make it easier by tucking your knees, and maintaining a hollow back. This is still pretty hard and requires good strength in all of the muscles of the back and core.

That video above is how I've always done my chin ups - chest up, a slight lean back, and hit the bar at mid chest with the shoulders really pulled back. I also pause for a second or so at both the top and bottom. This kind of form brings the other muscles of the back into the movement much more as opposed to mainly the lats (medial traps, rhomboids, rear delts, etc.). I've never understood the obsession with lats - they must be one of the easiest areas to target and get to grow relative to the rest of the body for most people, and it's usually the other muscles of the back that are lacking in most trainees. Also never understood the idea that lats give you width - I mean they may do under the arm pit, but your shoulders are still in the same place which is what really decides width.

(10-23-2016 11:32 AM)RichieP Wrote:  BB - weighted chins (palm facing) are IMO the best bicep builders, bar none. Absolutely smash the rest of your upper back too. I'd say this is the king of upper body exercise.

I like pistols alot but don't like them holding weight. I think it's too easy to slip off balance and put your knee in a bad position. For now I'm going for 20+ rep sets which gives me a while to progress. Maybe a weighted vest would be good for pistols.

I definitely like these more than heavy barbell back squats which really just felt like they were breaking me long-term, not sustainable for 30-50 years at any rate.

I'm currently only doing pistols for my leg work while I'm waiting for my lower back to completely heal. My legs are looking and feeling great, and one thing that's surprised me is that my hamstrings have actually improved. It's often said that pistols don't work the hamstrings well because of how the knee has to travel more forwards with pistols like on a front squat in order to maintain balance, and also because it's not possible to keep a neutral spine at the very bottom because of the straight leg, which supposedly takes the hamstrings out as they're not on stretch at the bottom. However this hasn't been my experience at all and I'm pretty sure my hamstrings have actually improved (I'm guessing this is maybe because the range of motion is so big at the knee joint when going to the very bottom of the movement).

(10-24-2016 02:18 PM)Kieran Wrote:  My legs are looking and feeling great, and one thing that's surprised me is that my hamstrings have actually improved.

[...]

However this hasn't been my experience at all and I'm pretty sure my hamstrings have actually improved (I'm guessing this is maybe because the range of motion is so big at the knee joint when going to the very bottom of the movement).

What does this mean, more precisely?

Well it's hard to say whether they've improved strength wise as I'm not deadlifting or doing RDLs currently, but they've definitely grown as I'm seeing more of a curve out when viewed from the side (actually had a girl at work compliment me on this when wearing some slim jeans). I'm also much stronger coming from a dead stop at the very bottom of the movement, maybe due to the fact that I'm pausing at the bottom, maybe because I wasn't training the very end of the range of motions with squats previously, because at that point where the hamstrings are touching the calves I can't quite keep a neutral spine (my squats are still well below parallel). I figure it's fine to go that deep unweighted though.

Of course, another possibility is that I've simply been doing more volume with pistols than I was when I was squatting and deadlifting, and that's the reason for the growth.

and of course box jump

I'm going to be without a gym from this week until January. I've done a lot of bodyweight training, but unlike with weights, I don't have a feel (at least not yet) for when I've exercised enough and should stop the workout.

If I'm doing weights, the fatigue from 3-5 sets feels "constructive". If I'm doing BW, I feel tired from the exercises but I don't really feel like they are making me stronger. Maybe it's a mental thing.

I do enjoy the variety and flexibility that this kind of training allows, specially if allied with simple pieces of equipment. My last few workouts:

1.
4 supersets using 45lbs sandbag: 20 squats/5 chin ups/5 dips
2 supersets: 10 air squats/6 chin ups/6 dips

2.
4 supersets: 20x53lbs KB swings/12 australian rows/12 pushups/12 leg raises

3.
4 supersets: 20 squats with 45lbs sandbag/12 one arm rows with 45lbs sandbag/12 divebomber pushups

I'm doing the New Blood program, and finding that vertical pulls are too easy but horizontal pulls are too hard. I'm unable to do a rep. I've tried different heights of the bar and can't do it. Last time, I even hurt my lower back trying.

Can anyone suggest an exercise that's somewhere between vertical and horizontal pulls in difficulty? Thanks.

(01-15-2017 09:59 PM)Jean Valjean Wrote:  I'm doing the New Blood program, and finding that vertical pulls are too easy but horizontal pulls are too hard. I'm unable to do a rep. I've tried different heights of the bar and can't do it. Last time, I even hurt my lower back trying.

Can anyone suggest an exercise that's somewhere between vertical and horizontal pulls in difficulty? Thanks.

Are you trying to row from regular barbell placed on a rack? Or using some sort of hanging equipment like rings, TRX?

Instead of changing bar height, you could switch up foot placement.

If you're hands and shoulders are in a vertical line with whatever you're pulling from, that's way harder than if you place your feet a bit in front of your pulling station (this way your body should be more vertical to the ground). The further back you can walk, the easier it gets.

It's the same principle as a wall pushup versus regular pushup.

You could also experiment with bending your legs, if you aren't doing that already (straight legs make the exercise harder).

Another reason could be your pulling technique - arms too wide open, pulling with the biceps rather than lat first and biceps at the end, or gripping the bar too close to your shoulder at the top position (which would make for almost a reverse grip curl).

I really like this guy, check out his website and YouTube channel - quality information on rowing and BW training in general:
http://www.vahvafitness.com/how-to-do-inverted-rows/

(01-16-2017 08:29 AM)Ringo Wrote:  

(01-15-2017 09:59 PM)Jean Valjean Wrote:  I'm doing the New Blood program, and finding that vertical pulls are too easy but horizontal pulls are too hard. I'm unable to do a rep. I've tried different heights of the bar and can't do it. Last time, I even hurt my lower back trying.

Can anyone suggest an exercise that's somewhere between vertical and horizontal pulls in difficulty? Thanks.

Are you trying to row from regular barbell placed on a rack? Or using some sort of hanging equipment like rings, TRX?

Instead of changing bar height, you could switch up foot placement.

If you're hands and shoulders are in a vertical line with whatever you're pulling from, that's way harder than if you place your feet a bit in front of your pulling station (this way your body should be more vertical to the ground). The further back you can walk, the easier it gets.

It's the same principle as a wall pushup versus regular pushup.

You could also experiment with bending your legs, if you aren't doing that already (straight legs make the exercise harder).

Another reason could be your pulling technique - arms too wide open, pulling with the biceps rather than lat first and biceps at the end, or gripping the bar too close to your shoulder at the top position (which would make for almost a reverse grip curl).

I really like this guy, check out his website and YouTube channel - quality information on rowing and BW training in general:
http://www.vahvafitness.com/how-to-do-inverted-rows/

It's a regular barbell on a rack. I've been positioning myself so that the bar is above my chest (rather than above my shoulders). I'm tall, so my legs extend past the end of the bench, and I'm pivoting at my calves rather than my feet.

So if my bend my legs, what should that look like? What kind of angle would I use? Or does the setup I'm describing suck, and I need something else? Thanks.

(01-15-2017 09:59 PM)Jean Valjean Wrote:  I'm doing the New Blood program, and finding that vertical pulls are too easy but horizontal pulls are too hard. I'm unable to do a rep. I've tried different heights of the bar and can't do it. Last time, I even hurt my lower back trying.

Can anyone suggest an exercise that's somewhere between vertical and horizontal pulls in difficulty? Thanks.

Paul Wade had a "Super FAQ" a while back asking about the horizontal pulls. The 3 x 30 is too much, I believe he lowered it to 2 x 20 or something along those lines.

You could try elevated horizontal pulls (so basically just google elevated body rows and you'll find them).

(01-16-2017 10:09 PM)Jean Valjean Wrote:  It's a regular barbell on a rack. I've been positioning myself so that the bar is above my chest (rather than above my shoulders). I'm tall, so my legs extend past the end of the bench, and I'm pivoting at my calves rather than my feet.

So if my bend my legs, what should that look like? What kind of angle would I use? Or does the setup I'm describing suck, and I need something else? Thanks.

If you are elevating your feet, that's already a notch harder than if your feet are at floor level.

You're having trouble, so work for easiest to hardest, instead of the other way around, until you find a setup that is just challenging enough.

Easiest would be legs bent, bar lower than chest level:




From then on, you can work on doing bar at chest level; then straight legs; then elevated; and so on.

Personally I've been using gymnastics rings for these kinds of movements - I feel a better squeeze and they are easier on the joints. Rings are a great tool. Super versatile, cheap and durable. You can get a set for <US$30 on Amazon.

I have this set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FMZ...UTF8&psc=1

I bet I know what your problem is...
Put the bar at sternum height. It's not going to be a horizontal row, but something between horizontal and vertical. The part that will touch the bar is your mid-chest.
Basically, I believe your problem is because your elbows, when pulling, are too far from your torso. Try pulling when your elbows are closer to your body - don't extend the elbows to the sides.

@Jean Valjean

You're not using the whole muscle chain doing the inverted rows, yours wrists, elbows and shoulders are locked due to the stillness of the setup (the bar) also if you're tall you could have an imbalance.

The best way I've found to get this exercice perfectly is as Ringo said : Get some rings and they'll help for the whole body: watch by yourself.

(03-14-2017 06:05 PM)blck Wrote:  

FitnessFAQs is one of the best fitness channels on YouTube. I love this guy, he's smart and very good at teaching and explaining. Plus, he's JACKED.





By the way, my current training (3x/week):

A
L sit hold 8x6s
Pseudo planche push up (rings) 3x3
Front lever tuck row (rings) 3x3
Triceps extensions (rings) 3x12
Pistol Squat 2x3, 1x2, 1x1

B
Crow stand hold (almost straight arms) 6x10s
Dips (rings) 4x3
L sit pull ups (rings) 4x3
Biceps curl (rings) 3x12
Trapezius dips (parallel bars) 3x15
Neck curls 1x30 each side

These kids are ripped.

Let's give some information here:

Doing the CC1 New Blood plan for about 6 months and a half. Finally, the results of my work begin to show.

(04-01-2017 01:56 AM)Zanardi Wrote:  Doing the CC1 New Blood plan for about 6 months and a half. Finally, the results of my work begin to show.

You've been doing New Blood, exactly how it's mapped out on the book, for 6 months? Just two workouts/week, etc?

Were you a fresh novice when you started?

I liked CC's progressions when I read it back in 2011 but for me their workout plans lacked intensity/volume for growth.

(04-01-2017 07:40 AM)Ringo Wrote:  You've been doing New Blood, exactly how it's mapped out on the book, for 6 months? Just two workouts/week, etc?

Exactly. The only thing I changed is that I do an easier variation of the horizontal pullup: the bar is not at hip level, but at sternum level.

(04-01-2017 07:40 AM)Ringo Wrote:  Were you a fresh novice when you started?

Yes. I heard about calisthenics last August, from Roosh's blog. After I returned from a one week trip in the Danube Delta, I began working out. On September 12th, to be more precise.

(04-01-2017 07:50 AM)Zanardi Wrote:  

(04-01-2017 07:40 AM)Ringo Wrote:  You've been doing New Blood, exactly how it's mapped out on the book, for 6 months? Just two workouts/week, etc?

Exactly. The only thing I changed is that I do an easier variation of the horizontal pullup: the bar is not at hip level, but at sternum level.

(04-01-2017 07:40 AM)Ringo Wrote:  Were you a fresh novice when you started?

Yes. I heard about calisthenics last August, from Roosh's blog. After I returned from a one week trip in the Danube Delta, I began working out. On September 12th, to be more precise.

That's cool, man. Congratulations on your dedication and results.

Are you sticking with the program or thinking about changing it up?

I had to go a week no gym just banged out pushups throughout the day every day (started around 20 a set got down to about 12 by the end of the week because of being worn out, weight 260. Shot for over 100 total a day.) Took 2 days rest and my bench had gone up back in the gym, pushups are good.