Of course, as i always stress there is no perfect training system! Bodyweight calisthenics ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people but there are still some drawbacks. In my eyes one of the biggest disadvantages to bodyweight exercise is that you can only progress so far with your lower body maximum strength development. Eventually most bodyweight exercises will only provide your lower body with a strength endurance challenge, not a maximal strength challenge. For most people this is not a problem, the maximal strength provided by one legged bodyweight squatting/jumping variations is more than enough to enjoy a strong, healthy life. Also remember you can always incorporate the use of a weighted vest to increase the resistance. However if you were a serious athlete or were interested in maximizing the strength and/or size potential in your lower body you would probably need to look at other forms of training (barbells, trap bars, kettlebells etc.)
“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save & preserve it.”
Plato 427-347 BC
“The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in the man's determination”
Tommy Lasorda
Gymless Training Blog
Are there any disadvantages to bodyweight exercise?
Alistair Ramsay - Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Recommended Article - A Metabolic Paradigm Shift
Alistair Ramsay - Thursday, May 19, 2011
Another great piece from Primal Blueprint author Mark Sisson. For the vast majority this mindset shift holds the key to removing the unwanted pounds and building a leaner, healthier body. Definintely worth spending a few minutes reading and absorbing....
Recommended Article - The Diet That Shook Up Tennis
Alistair Ramsay - Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I saw this article courtesy of Tim Ferris and thought it was worth sharing. Could giving up gluten really be the key to Novak Djokovic's blazing start to the 2011 tennis season? See for yourself by following the link below.
The Diet That Shook Up Tennis
It is funny how many people report great things happening to their body when they ditch this troublesome protein from their diet. Robb Wolf has some great information on the topic in his book the Paleo Solution.
Passion vs Chore
Alistair Ramsay - Thursday, May 12, 2011
Do you look at exercise as a passion or a chore?
“A passion - a strong fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything”
“A chore - a hard or unpleasant task”
Its not hard to see which outlook is going to result in the greater long term results and improvements in any given exercise program.
How do you create a passion for exercise? Well to be honest I don’t think there is a magic answer to this question but finding a mode of exercise that you actually enjoy doing is a great start. Once absorbed in an activity you will likely relish the challenge of seeking performance improvements and becoming the best you can be in that practice. This is when all the good things start to happen.
This is a powerful role reversal and it all begins with finding something you enjoy doing.....
“A passion - a strong fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything”
“A chore - a hard or unpleasant task”
Its not hard to see which outlook is going to result in the greater long term results and improvements in any given exercise program.
How do you create a passion for exercise? Well to be honest I don’t think there is a magic answer to this question but finding a mode of exercise that you actually enjoy doing is a great start. Once absorbed in an activity you will likely relish the challenge of seeking performance improvements and becoming the best you can be in that practice. This is when all the good things start to happen.
- Suddenly turning up to train is no longer an issue
- You thrive on seeking improvements in your performance
- Progress leads to more motivation which leads to more progress
- You enter a self sustaining cycle where regular exercise is a fixture in your life
This is a powerful role reversal and it all begins with finding something you enjoy doing.....
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The Perfect Muscle Up
Alistair Ramsay - Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I remember how pleased I was when I hit my first muscle up. Now, having watched this video I realise I am still very much in kindergarten. Incredible display! The muscle up in question is the first move in the routine (the rest of it is not bad either!) Enjoy and be inspired, i'm off to train.....
Wondering what to read next....
Alistair Ramsay - Saturday, May 07, 2011
….you could do a lot worse than Gary Taubes latest book ‘Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It’
I finished reading this book over the bank holiday weekend and was very impressed, immediately adding it to my recommended books list. In the past I had read the Diet Delusion aka Good Calories Bad Calories, a great book, but unless you had a particular interest in nutritional science you would find it very hard going to work through. In WWGF, Taubes makes the same ideas available to a wider audience.
This is not a diet book per se, rather a look at the way the body metabolises and utilises different fuels. In doing so Taubes explains why some foods are more likely to end up being stored as fat (hint...sugars and refined carbs!)
Here are a few of the questions and ideas addressed in WWGF.....
I finished reading this book over the bank holiday weekend and was very impressed, immediately adding it to my recommended books list. In the past I had read the Diet Delusion aka Good Calories Bad Calories, a great book, but unless you had a particular interest in nutritional science you would find it very hard going to work through. In WWGF, Taubes makes the same ideas available to a wider audience.
This is not a diet book per se, rather a look at the way the body metabolises and utilises different fuels. In doing so Taubes explains why some foods are more likely to end up being stored as fat (hint...sugars and refined carbs!)
Here are a few of the questions and ideas addressed in WWGF.....
- The hormonal and enzymatic reactions responsible for fat storage and what foods trigger them
- Why one person can get fat and another stays lean when eating a very similar diet
- Why eating the wrong foods, drives hunger and overeating
- Why not all calories are created equal when it comes to fat gain/loss
- Flawed conventional wisdom on what we should be eating and how it came to be
- Why under-eating is a not a viable long term fat loss solution
More Amazing Feats From Willy Weldens
Alistair Ramsay - Thursday, May 05, 2011
Ok so granted most of us are not striving to achieve a glass bottle headstand on top of a perspex tower but it makes for hugely impressive viewing! Just goes to show what amazing feats the human body is capable of with enough practice and dedication.
Wise Words From Gary Taubes
Alistair Ramsay - Thursday, April 28, 2011
"A calorie of protein provides the same amount of energy to the body as a calorie of fat or carbohydrate. Lost in the distillation is the fact that the effects of these different nutrients on metabolism and hormone secretion are so radically different, as is the manner in which the body employs the nutrients, that the energetic equivalence of the calories themselves is largely irrelevant to why we gain weight"
Gary Taubes - The Diet Delusion
Gary Taubes - The Diet Delusion
Real Men Do Yoga
Alistair Ramsay - Tuesday, April 26, 2011
“No,
you won’t have to stand on your head. There will be no strange and
painful contortions here. No chanting, no incense, no gurus.......Yoga
is an amazing exercise system with 5,000 years of road testing behind
it”
The above extract is taken from an entertaining book called Real Men Do Yoga authored by John Capouya which I read last week. The book is an honest and refreshing insight into the physical benefits any man can derive from practising yoga on a regular basis.
The above extract is taken from an entertaining book called Real Men Do Yoga authored by John Capouya which I read last week. The book is an honest and refreshing insight into the physical benefits any man can derive from practising yoga on a regular basis.
An
obvious underlying message to the book is that practising yoga is not
just for the girls. The book is littered with testimonials from elite
male athletes including star NFL Running Backs, Receivers and Lineman,
Major League Baseball Pitchers, WWF Wrestlers, ATP Tennis Players and
Pro Tour Golfers who have all used yoga to great effect within their own
training programs. All these testimonials from high level athletes are
woven together with other success stories from regular guys holding down
regular jobs and still deriving great benefit from practising yoga.
As
I mention regularly on this blog, yoga has been a real game-changer in
my own training. After lifting a lot of weights through school and
university (without ever spending a second thinking about mobility) I
ended up with very limited flexibility. I was strong, but I could not
move. Over the last few years I have spent a great deal of time
addressing these flaws through dynamic joint mobility work and regular
yoga and the results have been very postive. Whilst still no yogi, my
flexibility and movement is vastly improved as is my balance and body
control. The carry-over to my strength training and sprint workouts has
been superb. More efficient movement, quicker recovery and fewer
injuries!
If
yoga sounds like something you could be interested in you could do a
lot worse than start with this book. It is perfect for the beginner,
easy to read with clear advice, instructions and illustrations (no yoga jargon or sanskrit names). The book also includes chapters on injury prevention and contains several sample workout routines of varying difficulty. It definitely has my
recommendation.
Recommended Article - How To Breathe Correctly
Alistair Ramsay - Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A nice piece by Mark Sisson....are you breathing correctly? Take the simple tests and find out......
Recent Posts
- Enjoyment - Consistency - Progression
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- Explosive Bodyweight Exercise Video...
- Getting The Right Exercise Dose
- You Don't Need Money Or Fancy Equipment
- Bigger Muscles vs Stronger Muscles
- The Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation
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