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Messages - Joe Brock

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1
General Fitness / Re: 5 x week strength training
« on: May 06, 2013, 06:55:49 AM »
I think that it is totally dependent upon what your goals are.  If you're talking about using a steady state cardio program, then it's less than perfect...but has worked for lots of people over time.  It's really been blown to pieces by HIIT programs, which are also only useful if they fit your personal goals.

That's the secret to everything, honestly.  Does it improve what you're wanting to get better at?  If your goal is marathon running, then I'd imagine that steady state is exactly what you should be working on.  On the other hand, if your goal is to be powerful in quick bursts, then it's probably not the best choice.

2
General Fitness / Re: Calisthenics vs. Wieghts
« on: May 05, 2013, 04:21:16 AM »
I've been gone a long time. Since when was things like this said on the fitness forum?

Weights (such as weighted squats and deadlifts) translate very, very well over to things such as parkour. It's not just a matter of helping you lift things, it gives your body more strength and power to go through movements more smoothly, safely and explosively.

Well, I stop by about once every two months and realize that the quality of advice has really dropped since a few years ago.  Thanks for fighting the good fight Kyle.  You're totally right, there is no bodyweight equivalent for squats and deadlifts.

I try to prefer the ones that work.  Nobody exactly "prefers" squatting.  It sucks if you're doing it right.  You're generally doing it right when you feel like you're going to puke in your own mouth while doing it.  Nobody in their right mind would "prefer" nosebleed heavy squatting, but it's how you get a drastically stronger posterior chain.

3
General Fitness / Re: 5 x week strength training
« on: May 05, 2013, 04:14:51 AM »
Well, there's a reason that almost all strength routines revolve around 2-3 day a week schedules.  In more advanced raw weightlifting programs, they use 6 days a week, but they're phased between strength and rehab work.  You simply cannot make huge gains in strength without rest of some sort.  That's why most parkour bw-strength systems use the 3-day strength, 3 day skill setup.

Feel free to do whatever you want, but know that these things are laid out like they are for a reason.

4
General Fitness / Re: S.O.M.E Conditioning!
« on: April 08, 2013, 12:02:03 AM »
I would strongly suggest using the search function to check for HIIT training in these forums.  I know that I've been present for no less than 20 threads where this exact discussion has taken place before.

5
General Fitness / Re: Balancing upper and lower abs
« on: March 27, 2013, 04:47:42 AM »
The reason your lower abs seem like they are smaller is that they have a layer of fluff over them.  You can only see the uppers because of how the male body carries excess fat.

Edit: Please don't think that I mean that you should be losing fat, though.  If you're capable of being 5'11" @ #160 with 15% BF, then you NEED mass too.  #136 of LBM isn't much for a guy that's almost 6' tall.

6
General Fitness / Re: How much is too much? - Weight and height
« on: March 22, 2013, 05:20:07 AM »
What you got against guru's brah.

4-eva mirin' your godlike status, oh great Guru-san.

I KNEW that I should have chased aesthetics instead of growing a huge bush of chest hair and trying to lift the world.  BB'ers get all of the love.

(Serious postscript:  Kyle is a good person to listen to, as he's as much of an expert as any on how to lose weight and stay fit.  I have nothing but respect for the guy.)

7
General Fitness / Re: How much is too much? - Weight and height
« on: March 21, 2013, 09:05:11 PM »
I've personally found that around 9-11% is a pretty decent balance for performance.  Some people do well at less, but as you increase bodyfat above 15%, it seems far easier to simply keep getting fatter.  Age plays a factor in how you carry excess bodyfat, and there isn't a "magical ratio."

Kyle is a guru now?

8
Diet / Re: Weight loss from diet
« on: March 21, 2013, 08:58:16 PM »
You have to eat at a caloric deficit to lose weight.

Calories out > Calories in = lose weight.

Slowly taper down the calories until you start to see changes.  Drastic changes are a bad idea, and eating WAY too little will actually slow down the process.

9
General Fitness / Re: Addding weight to Pulls, Dips and GHR
« on: March 04, 2013, 03:17:52 AM »
1. If you're benching correctly, for strength and not bodybuilding, then it's also a triceps-heavy movement.  You can do whichever you prefer, though.  They both have major carry-over to the other.

2. Deadlift is amazing for posterior chain strength.  GHR's are pretty decent, but they'd be a secondary choice in my humble opinion.

3. Honestly, some sprint training isn't a bad thing at all, but realize that it can majorly be influenced by the squatting and deadlifting days.  I don't see why you would have an issue using some sprints on the days that you DON'T squat, or to even try something like hill sprints after leg days.  I'd have to think about this one as far as a "perfect world" schedule is concerned.  Then again, the planets are seldom aligned to work perfectly with our needs.  You'll have to prioritize on which one you want more, and make that the one you use as an indicator for progress.

10
General Fitness / Re: Workout Advise/ Worried about overtraining
« on: February 28, 2013, 06:02:24 AM »
http://startingstrength.com/
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program

No, you keep it the same.  The concept is to be able to make all reps quick and clean.  If you have questions, these are great places to look.  Most questions have already been answered in more detail than I can remember from the book.

11
General Fitness / Re: Workout Advise/ Worried about overtraining
« on: February 26, 2013, 10:01:11 PM »
It really depends on where your lifts are in relation to your weight as to how you should treat recovery.  You should be able to not really consider how you "feel" going into a set as long as the lifts are being met.  If you start hitting some 5,5,3 rep sets, then it's probably time to try microloading (much smaller weight increases) or deload and work back up.

I personally think that 3 sets of 5 for deadlift and 5 sets of 3 for powercleans is a good starting point.  PCleans are very explosive if done right, so staying "fresh" really helps progress on them.

12
General Fitness / Re: Workout Advise/ Worried about overtraining
« on: February 26, 2013, 11:37:19 AM »
I don't think that you'll run into issues with overtraining here.  Normally, I'd recommend doing SS by the book and simply adding sets of pull-ups on the days that you bench.  If you've been lifting for two years and can still progress with that style of a template, then it's far more important for you to be consistent than to overthink the routine.

13
General Fitness / Re: Addding weight to Pulls, Dips and GHR
« on: February 24, 2013, 01:50:26 PM »
1.) Figure a 5RM by adding weight until you reach the actual point until 6 would be impossible while maintaining decent form (don't kip.)  Take your Bodyweight and whatever weight you're adding, and add them together.  Take this number, multiply it by the reps (5) and then again by 0.0333...and add your weight+the additional weight back to it.  This will give you a pretty close estimate on your 1RM.  That's really the best alternative I can offer rather than simply working up to an actual max.

2.)#5 a week is pretty aggressive for pull-ups, but it is feasible.  If you can't maintain progress, you may need to work into more complicated programming to make steady increases.  The other option is to add fractional weights.  #2.5 a week would work as well, if not better in the long run.

3.)It depends on your goals.  If you want a OAP/OAC, then I'd train them specifically.  They're a movement (as opposed to just an exercise) and will benefit from being trained as such.  The muscular coordination to perform them will come easier if you train for them specifically.  If you're just looking to increase pulling strength, then just adding weight works.  Eventually, both paths lead to the same destination, but training specifically towards a goal is a much faster route.

4.)If you're only doing negatives, then don't add weight until you can perform the entire movement well (and preferably for reps.)

I hope that helps. 

14
Diet / Re: I need a diet
« on: February 20, 2013, 02:54:56 PM »
Wow!!!  You have actually managed to Necro a thread that's over a year old.

Please check the dates before replying to a thread...especially if you don't have something of great significance to add.  :-\

15
Gorilla PK / Re: Saftey First
« on: February 17, 2013, 10:04:49 AM »
Don't forget your glutes, as those factor into your jump, I just forget how.

For clarity:  The reason that squats are preferred for training leg strength is the carry-over into the "glutes" (and actually the entire posterior chain.)  When you bend forward, the posterior chain is what brings you back to an upright posture.  Do it fast, and it becomes a jump.  Up to a point, there is a significant relationship between posterior chain/leg strength and jumping ability.

Best of luck in training.

16
Training Journals / Re: Breaking the Boundaries (Criticism Welcome)
« on: February 17, 2013, 09:53:58 AM »
When you say, "Lay-out" dips...these are like a suspended push-up?  I'm not sure I know what you mean with this terminology.

I imagine that you are suspending your feet and using dip bars, but I would love some clarification.  Also, interesting system you have to track your goals.  Why do you feel that your "diamond" goals are impossible?  Some (such as the pull-ups and dips) are not balanced when compared to the others (push-ups.)  I don't think that you should write them off as un-doable yet. ;)

Keep at it.

17
General Fitness / Re: Getting Rid of Skin Flab
« on: February 16, 2013, 10:00:02 AM »
For Parkour, strength is king.  Focus on sets with reps in the 4-6 range, and that you couldn't do more of.  Read the sticky for detailed info on programming for strength.

18
General Fitness / Re: Getting Rid of Skin Flab
« on: February 15, 2013, 10:33:45 PM »
If it's skin, then it isn't something that you can train.  This is an issue that a lot of people with lap-band surgery have suffered from.  The skin simply doesn't have the elasticity to recoil from such a drastic change.  If you have stretch marks caused by the initial gain in weight, then that's another tell-tale sign that the skin has been stretched and will have trouble returning to it's original tightness.

Some time will prove to be a help, and the longer that you maintain your current size, the more likely your skin is to begin fitting your frame again.  This can take years, because skin isn't rubber.  It doesn't just snap back.  I'm sorry to add that "core training" won't really help here beyond the fact that you could potentially build the abdominal region enough to add mass in the area and simply "filling up the loose suit."  It really depends on how large you were to start with.  Also, the younger you are, the better chances you have to see it improve over time on its own.

Now, if there is a little excess flab in the region, it's certainly not helping anything.  In that case, strive on to improve bodyfat % and be patient.

As far as the "training" is concerned, your routine is directed more at endurance than strength for sure.  On the other hand, there's not a metric for strength in the goal for a "flat stomach."  Are you chasing aesthetics, strength, or endurance?

19
I don't see anything wrong with training strength twice a week.  You're going to actually probably see that while trying to acquire new skills that twice a week is perfectly fine.  All I'd recommend is making sure that you maintain some form of progression on your lifts.  Your balance of push/pulls looks good to me.  See how it works out.  With your training outside of the gym not really being clearly quantified, it may be a bit much...but for your goals, the training looks about right.

20
General Fitness / Re: Weight lifting - cant increase weight, help!
« on: February 11, 2013, 09:30:18 PM »
Here: There's some bleed-over, and this will help make sense of it.  Also, no problem on the help.  I've been there, and know that finding the useful stuff among all of the hype is hard.

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