Topic: Some questions.

[Spencer B]

Firstly, I just stumbled across this vid and the only thing missing from it is OAP's. Really... It's insane. The guy does FL's, Planche PU's, and at the end some side levers.

http://www.noob.us/entertainment/insane-feats-of-strength/

I  just gotta ask, does this look fake, 'cause it doesn't to me. Anyways onto the real questions

Thinking about Chris's comment here...

Your cycles should change and be varied with different workouts and goals -- every 4-8 weeks.  This is something that is often overlooked so DO MAKE SURE YOU REALIZE THAT!!!

I realize I have kept or tried to keep the same routine for almost 6 months straight... And I wondered why I was getting bored with it and I wasn't making any progress, so I recently decided to switch it up.

I will be keeping the 2 push, 2 pull, 2 post. chain, and since I don't have adequate access to weights; 2 core exercises. And I was wondering a few things... I'm looking into training the FL and planche more dynamically but I'm a little limited in how to do that.

Also, I've recently discovered an affinity for power based exercises, and was wondering... Would there be significant gains from a regimen that focuses a LOT on power?

Concerning the posterior chain, I find myself concerned about what I'll do here... as it stands I'm not too terribly comfortable with my pistol form, and box jumps simply don't feel like they are stressing enough to cause gains. Although I have found that I love natural leg curls... But will they be enough?

And now finally, the core... Honestly I'm not sure which would be most beneficial here... L-Sits I know are good, but what length should I shoot for? What else should I try? I've never really had to mess around with these before...

Once I get a greater idea of how this is going to be organized I'll finish up my goals list.

[Dan Elric]

Firstly, I just stumbled across this vid and the only thing missing from it is OAP's. Really... It's insane. The guy does FL's, Planche PU's, and at the end some side levers.

http://www.noob.us/entertainment/insane-feats-of-strength/

I  just gotta ask, does this look fake, 'cause it doesn't to me. Anyways onto the real questions

That's Hannibal, or so that's his handle.  Guy is a beast.  That video was posted a while back on youtube.  So yes, it is real.

[Charles Moreland]

1. Yes. Especially if you are transitioning from an intensive strength building phase.

2. Yes. What does your box jump routine look like currently? Will you also be Oly lifting?

3. Core is actually satisfied by Oly lifting. Your core will become exceedingly strong by lifting heavy objects above your head. If you want additional work, look into all the levers, active pikes, or body levers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJ80DDIeNE

[Spencer B]

1. Yes. Especially if you are transitioning from an intensive strength building phase.

2. Yes. What does your box jump routine look like currently? Will you also be Oly lifting?

3. Core is actually satisfied by Oly lifting. Your core will become exceedingly strong by lifting heavy objects above your head. If you want additional work, look into all the levers, active pikes, or body levers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJ80DDIeNE

Well the first 8 months of my training were pretty much solely on strength and I made some pretty decent gains, but not so much in the power area...

I don't have access to enough weights to perform squats or deadlifts... Maybe overhead press, but if I make any significant gains with that, I would SOS on weights again... (I have only 140 pounds)

Well, I tried 3 sets of 5 box jumps, but I don't think that's gonna' help me any... And like I said, I'm not comfortable with my pistol form... Get some weird soreness around my knee from doing them and it gets me worried. What about the natural leg curls?

I know core is satisfied by oly lifting and if I had a chance, I would still be doing mostly oly lifting, but I don't have adequate access to weights so that's why I'm switching to mostly BW conditioning... (Might keep OHP, I have enough weight for that, at least for now)

[Chris Salvato]

4-6 weeks - 8 weeks at most -- and remember to take a week off between cycles to recover fully!

I'm looking into training the FL and planche more dynamically but I'm a little limited in how to do that.

How are you limited?  Pseudo-planche pushups train planches dynamically and are pretty asy to work up to and get started on if you can do regular pushups.  You can't do tuck FL pullups?

Also, I've recently discovered an affinity for power based exercises, and was wondering... Would there be significant gains from a regimen that focuses a LOT on power?

Yes significant gains from a power/plyos cycle is a certainty.  If you do it for a cycle you should notice significant increases on your other movements on which you had hit a plateau.

Basically you can do any of your movements as explosively as possible or plyometrically.  Which movements in particular were you looking to make more powerful and explosive?  All of them?  What does "all of them" entail?

Concerning the posterior chain, I find myself concerned about what I'll do here... as it stands I'm not too terribly comfortable with my pistol form, and box jumps simply don't feel like they are stressing enough to cause gains. Although I have found that I love natural leg curls... But will they be enough?

Natural leg curls are a great movement for increasing strength in the posterior chain....but in order to be more explosive you will need power work.

If you aren't feeling stressed by box jumps then you are doing them wrong...either that or you may want to find a different explosive exercise like vertical jumps, broad jumps or stair jumps to increase power.  Stick with 3 reps or less and keep it maximal intensity to get really stressed.  You can go as high as 5 or 7 sets on power work if the volume is as low as 1-3 reps.

And now finally, the core... Honestly I'm not sure which would be most beneficial here... L-Sits I know are good, but what length should I shoot for? What else should I try? I've never really had to mess around with these before...

L-sits, V-sits and the levers really blast your core.  I don't really think you will need core work -- but thats up to you.  Since it is much more functional, you may want to consider active flexibility work that hits your core and helps progress on things like HS presses and V-sits.

For active flexibility just sit on the ground in a piked position, put your hands next to your knees and lift your legs up so that you are essentially trying to bite your knees.  You can lean back a bit, but try to keep a straight back to really work the flexibility.  Hold this for 30-60 seconds total as part of your post-workout stretching.  You can do this same technique with legs straddled as far as they will go and your hands between your legs and lifting your feet straight up as if they are trying to go behind your head.

[Spencer B]

How are you limited?  Pseudo-planche pushups train planches dynamically and are pretty asy to work up to and get started on if you can do regular pushups.  You can't do tuck FL pullups?

Well I knew about pseudo planche pushups, but I meant I wasn't so sure about how to train the front lever this way. But

Yes significant gains from a power/plyos cycle is a certainty.  If you do it for a cycle you should notice significant increases on your other movements on which you had hit a plateau.

Basically you can do any of your movements as explosively as possible or plyometrically.  Which movements in particular were you looking to make more powerful and explosive?  All of them?  What does "all of them" entail?

I was wanting to work on clapping pullup progression and clapping pushup progression... But what would a good progression on clapping pushups be? Trying to clap on different parts of your body, working up to incline clapping pushups, one-arm clapping pushups, inclined one-arm clapping pushups?

Natural leg curls are a great movement for increasing strength in the posterior chain....but in order to be more explosive you will need power work.

If you aren't feeling stressed by box jumps then you are doing them wrong...either that or you may want to find a different explosive exercise like vertical jumps, broad jumps or stair jumps to increase power.  Stick with 3 reps or less and keep it maximal intensity to get really stressed.  You can go as high as 5 or 7 sets on power work if the volume is as low as 1-3 reps.

Well maybe I'm not box jumping high enough? I'm using an ~36 inch platform... Also I was thinking of having one strength exercise and one power exercise, or would that not be ideal?

L-sits, V-sits and the levers really blast your core.  I don't really think you will need core work -- but thats up to you.  Since it is much more functional, you may want to consider active flexibility work that hits your core and helps progress on things like HS presses and V-sits.

For active flexibility just sit on the ground in a piked position, put your hands next to your knees and lift your legs up so that you are essentially trying to bite your knees.  You can lean back a bit, but try to keep a straight back to really work the flexibility.  Hold this for 30-60 seconds total as part of your post-workout stretching.  You can do this same technique with legs straddled as far as they will go and your hands between your legs and lifting your feet straight up as if they are trying to go behind your head.

Why do you think I don't need core work, because of the levers? HS presses are something I've always failed at, so I guess getting some work in on them would be good. I can already hold a V-sit for a second on paralletes or something similar, but not on the ground...

And thanks for all the help so far guys.

[Steven Low]

1. Lever pullups progressoin

2. Yup slappers on different parts of the body, behind the back, double slappers/clappers, etc.

3. combo of strength/power works

4. Personally I dont do any core because bodyweight exercises and full body lifts hit them extensively. Also, if youre doing parkour stuff like kongs will hit them, and if youre in the gym things like back tucks and other movements will hit them as well

[Spencer B]

1. Lever pullups progressoin

2. Yup slappers on different parts of the body, behind the back, double slappers/clappers, etc.

3. combo of strength/power works

4. Personally I dont do any core because bodyweight exercises and full body lifts hit them extensively. Also, if youre doing parkour stuff like kongs will hit them, and if youre in the gym things like back tucks and other movements will hit them as well

1. Okay. Would stuff like yewskis fit in here too?

2. Is there any specific progression, or just try to make it harder each time?

3. Okay.

4. It gets complicated here... I don't have access to weights right now, the amount of time I actually spend doing parkour is minimal, and aside from time on my trampoline, I don't do many dynamic core based movement like flips...

[Steven Low]

1. Yeah yewkis are pulling.... multiplane pulling "MPP" according to coach sommer

2. try to find ones that are more difficult. Doesn't really matter what honestly.

4. Well... you can always work in some L-sits and V-sits and such into your workouts.

[Spencer B]

1. Yeah yewkis are pulling.... multiplane pulling "MPP" according to coach sommer

2. try to find ones that are more difficult. Doesn't really matter what honestly.

4. Well... you can always work in some L-sits and V-sits and such into your workouts.

Cool, thanks for all of the help and advise everybody.

So onto goals. For any explosive movements, I assume trying to increase the distance is kind of the main purpose. And for FLPLU's  Pseudo PU's there is a progression so that gives me a goal. But what kind of goal could I shoot for for natural leg curls?

[Chris Salvato]

Set of 10 would be good.

[Spencer B]

Set of 10 would be good.

That's a goal!? 

Huh...

[Chris Salvato]

Set of 10 would be good.

That's a goal!? 

Huh...

If you can only do a set of 3 then a set of 10 is a goal

There is no progression to natural leg curls -- maybe 1 legged, but i would still make the goal be 10 regular ones, first.

[Spencer B]

Set of 10 would be good.

That's a goal!? 

Huh...

If you can only do a set of 3 then a set of 10 is a goal

There is no progression to natural leg curls -- maybe 1 legged, but i would still make the goal be 10 regular ones, first.

I did two sets of 5 with decent form and then about 2 1/2 more on the third set before my form broke down to crap. That was two days ago. My hamstring are still crying... But I think I could do at least seven in a row... Wait... Are you talking with absolutely no assist from hands... Like behind you back or something? 'Cause I might be able to get three like that...

[Chris Salvato]

Set of 10 would be good.

That's a goal!? 

Huh...

If you can only do a set of 3 then a set of 10 is a goal

There is no progression to natural leg curls -- maybe 1 legged, but i would still make the goal be 10 regular ones, first.

I did two sets of 5 with decent form and then about 2 1/2 more on the third set before my form broke down to crap. That was two days ago. My hamstring are still crying... But I think I could do at least seven in a row... Wait... Are you talking with absolutely no assist from hands... Like behind you back or something? 'Cause I might be able to get three like that...

I am talking no assist at all....do it with a smile and post the video up for shits, too

[Spencer B]

Set of 10 would be good.

That's a goal!? 

Huh...

If you can only do a set of 3 then a set of 10 is a goal

There is no progression to natural leg curls -- maybe 1 legged, but i would still make the goal be 10 regular ones, first.

I did two sets of 5 with decent form and then about 2 1/2 more on the third set before my form broke down to crap. That was two days ago. My hamstring are still crying... But I think I could do at least seven in a row... Wait... Are you talking with absolutely no assist from hands... Like behind your back or something? 'Cause I might be able to get three like that...

I am talking no assist at all....do it with a smile and post the video up for shits, too

Heh... Right... A video... Don't have a camera though... 

Anyways, one last question about NLC's... Should my chest touch the ground before coming back up, and couldn't you make it harder by holding your arms out in front of you, like in a superman pose?

[Chris Salvato]

Good point on the superman pose.  That would definitely make it harder...though I am not sure how MUCH harder.  I know just a little bit of weight on my toes makes a front lever really difficult but I am not sure how much harder it would be in superman for the NLC.

Touching your chest should be fine -- resting your chest would make it really really hard.  I would say to not rest the chest at first though you may want to build up to resting the chest...kind of like a deadstop squat vs. normal squat.

[Spencer B]

Good point on the superman pose.  That would definitely make it harder...though I am not sure how MUCH harder.  I know just a little bit of weight on my toes makes a front lever really difficult but I am not sure how much harder it would be in superman for the NLC.

Touching your chest should be fine -- resting your chest would make it really really hard.  I would say to not rest the chest at first though you may want to build up to resting the chest...kind of like a deadstop squat vs. normal squat.

See? There are progressions for NLC's! Superman style, and resting your chest, plus one-legged, equals plenty of progressions.

And another question... What about your base? Mine doesn't allow me to just hook my ankles, instead, I have to push up and against the base with the heel of my foot... I had to really tighten my calves to complete any given rep of any given set, so much so that my calves were sore the next day. But is there any foreseeable issues with having the base be like that?

[Dan Frank]

What are natural leg curls? I can't seem to find them anywhere.

[Chris Salvato]

What are natural leg curls? I can't seem to find them anywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44DAxF6bneY&feature=PlayList&p=235F05788C03FB2D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3