BEYOND STRONG: Shaf's Corner

Session 3. DL

Weight: 261 WU: Agile8(A8) DL: 135x5, 25x5, 315x3 405x3 425x2 445x5 (RPE@8/8.5) SSB Squats-Times 155x3:00 (12RPM) rest 2:00 155x3:00 (12RPM) -HR after this was around 160 bpm. I was almost crying the last 30 seconds because of my calf cramping and struggling to control the panic breathing. Nice euphoric feeling after that. This is definitely heavy cardio. BTN presses. 3 sets. 1-index finger on ring. 2-pinky on ring. 3-thumb width from smooth. -these were done to help build flexiblity behind the neck for regular squatting My triceps cramped up on the last set. Starting time: 10:00 PM Ending time: 10:35 PM Kind of flew through it.

Convict Conditioning by Paul 'Coach' Wade

A bit of background on this review.  It was originally posted in the IGx (irongarmx.com forum) reviews section, and it references a specific IGx post regarding this product.  I will attempt to provide links, and then was posted on the Draper Iron Online community in the review section.

First off, it's a large book. ~300 pages of information including a thorough index. I purchased this book because I've always had a significant interest in bodyweight training and conditioning and my last purchase from Dragon Door, Pavel's "Power to the People: Professsional" was excellent.

As I read this book, I got this vague feeling that the author was not who he said he was. I subsequently read on the Dragon Door forum that "Paul Wade" was a pseudonym, and that the author wished to keep his real identity private due to his previous incarceration in several US prisons.

There is language used in this book that indicates the author (or an editor) is from the UK. Little things like using "basin" for "sink" and stuff like that. But in the book, the author claims to have been incarcerated at the age of 22 in 1979, going to San Quentin, and later to Angola and then Marion, and had spent 23 years as a criminal, 19 of them incarcerated. A bit of a disconnect then, the author using some UK terminology.

To further support this, the websiteConvict Conditioning is registered in the UK. There are already bits and pieces of this website up, which you can view in the  in the IGx training forum (NOT SAFE FOR WORK) IGx Convict Conditioning Thread by Smet  Notably, the ad copy is up, the "Cellmates" section, with links of interest to visitors to Convict Conditioning, and interestingly enough, a consultation page, where a testimonial is already up, despite the consultation service not being live at this time, given the website's still under construction, and that the book just came out a little while ago.

There is also a blurb for "Convict Conditioning 2: Advanced Prison training Tactics", a sequel. Remember, at the time of this writing, the book as only been out for 2 weeks or so, despite proofs being sent to people back in April or May of 2009 (Craig Ballentyne mentioned the timeframe in his blurb for the book)

The author lists some of his accomplishments:

1. A dozen one armed handstand push ups WITHOUT support. To me this means he balanced on one hand in the middle of a room and did 12 one armed handstand push ups. Like he said, this feat cannot be duplicated by even olympic level gymnasts.
2. Won the inmate run push-up/pull-up competition for 6 years in a row at Angola.
3. Won the 1987 California Institutional Powerlifting Championship without ever having touched a weight.

Pretty impressive, but the anonymity of the author and the lack of records for any of those events tends to cast a bit of a shadow on them, particularly the 12 one armed, non-supported handstand push ups.

The first part of this books spends quite a bit of time selling you on bodyweight training or "old school calisthenics". It uses pictures of old time strongmen, most of whom, incidentally, built their muscle with weights and some gymnastics and handbalancing movements, but mostly weights. This hard-sell of calisthenics includes the tired, time-worn insistence that barbell and dumbbell training will invariably cause injury, while calisthenics will build you a muscular, injury-free body. It also revisits the concept of "functional training" without ever giving you any kind of solid scientific background about how calisthenics are less injury-causing and more functional than weight training.

One thing that bugged me a bit was the glamorization of the convict and of prison. The attempts to portray the convict as a modified archtype of "noble savage" does not reflect the realities of the American penal system. There is a big dose of "prison chic" that initially bugged me, so I just had to take it as a bit of tongue-in-cheek.

According to the author, there are six basic benefits of bodyweight training

1. It requires very little equipment
2. It develops useful, functional, athletic abilities
3. It maximizes strength
4. It offers lifetime protection and strength for the joints
5. It quicky perfects the physique (ironically using a picture of John Grimek here)
6. It normalizes and regulates bodyfat levels

As you can see, #2, #3, and #5 can easily be contested. #1 is absolute truth, #4 is questionable (see the rash if injuries pull ups and chin ups cause many crossfitters), and #6 has a good bit of truth in it.

There is more myth and hype in the explanations of those benefits than I care to get into, but it's similar to the stuff before it, where the book sells you on bodyweight training (I will now refer to this as BWT)

The book offers you progressions on six different exercises, called "The Big Six". These include the pushup, the pullup, the squat, bridging, the leg raise, and handstand push ups.

The progressions are where the book really gets into detail. Each of the exercises has ten progressions, with the first ones being so easy that almost anyone should be able to do them. I found some of the initial exercise choices to be curious, for example, the "shoulderstand squat". This is where you lay on your back, push your body up into a shoulderstand, reminiscent of a yoga pose, and then lower your legs so your knees approach your chin. If you are fat and out of shape, then the shoulderstand squat is going to be difficult for you to do because of that. I can see where if you were injured, the completely unloaded nature of this movement might help you regain range of motion.

Each step has guidelines on when to go to the next step. There is some unique use of props like a basketball and baseball to help you with limiting depth of movement and improving on the quality of the movements.

In my opinion, the progressions are the greatest strength of this book. I got several ideas on how to train very weak and detrained individuals to reach the point where push ups and pull ups are possible for them to do.

The training guidelines, or, how to put it all together, is a section that I find weak. For beginners, he recommends 2-3 worksets of the push ups and leg raise variations on Monday, and the pull up and squat variations on Friday. In my opinion this is kind of low volume.. He also describes the "grease the groove" technique, but insists some "fellow prison athlete" told him about it, and calls it "consolidation training".

In fact, there's a significant number of the RKC's Hardstyle techniques listed in here.

He recommends a deliberate pacing for repetitions. 2 seconds down, 1 second pause, 2 seconds up specifically for the push up, and deliberate speeds similar to this for the other movements, with the recommendation to occasionally do the movements explosively.

The recommendation to start slowly is appreciated, although his example is a bit over the top regarding this. All exercise should be started slowly, both to build skill, but also to allow the slower adapting connective tissue to acclimatize to the new stimuli. There are somewhat gentle reminders that consistency and quality is the key to successful physical training in any endeavor.

So, to summarize

Pros:
-entertaining and interesting read
-good progressions, including the use of cheap and unique props.
-good explanation of exercises
-good, if basic, tips on how to keep your workouts on track

Cons:
-unsubstantiated claims by the anonymous author
-excessive hard selling of BWT by running down weight training
-unnecessary criticism of bodybuilders, yet the fact that you can build muscle using BWT is a theme through out the book.
-glamorizing convicts, prison chic.

Overall I don't regret this purchase. I have a bit of an issue with the excessive marketing of this product, but that is a particular quirk of mine and it's a book that I will keep in my library. I did learn a few things from it, which makes it a worthwhile purchase for me. I have to admit that I will probably purchase the sequel as well.

A brief note: This book was ordered on December 8th and was received on December 10th using regular shipping. It arrived damaged. I emailed Dragondoor's customer service and they said that they are sending me a replacement copy. I was very pleased with both the speed at which the order arrived and the resolution of the problem I had with damaged materials.  I received the new copy of the book on December 16th, so the DD customer service is doing a great job this holiday season.

reboot

Reboot on the DL.

264#

Agile8 warm up

4" Deficit DL with wide grip (wider grip keeps the arms and legs out of each other's way)
135x5, x10, x15 - that set of 15 just kind of sucked. Lower back is pumped as fuck.
225x5 - next set will need straps.
315x5
335x5
355x5 - worse than cardio

- thinking I might just stay down at 335 for 3x5 the next session. The 355 seemed a bit less "tight" than the 335.

1A DB Row:
110x12/12
110x10/10

BB curls supersetted with:
45x10, 95x10, 95x6 (biceps cramped up)

Hanging Knee ups:
5, 5, 6

1 min R/1 min L/30s rest
kb swings
kb swings + cleans
kb snatches

6 min of work total.

Stretches.

~1:10 to complete

The Twofold Path: 220 Raw Elite, Session 1

I've set some high goals for myself.  I decided, after my buddy Chuck Miller mentioned it, that I wasn't done powerlifting, and that it'd be pretty cool to both drop down into the 220 weight class and to total a raw elite according to the 100% Raw PL fed guidelines.  That would be 1551.

This takes care of two longstanding goals I've basically gotten nowhere with.

1.  To deadlift 600+ lbs.
2.  To lose some fat.

I don't think I'll attempt this unti the summer of 2010, so I've got a long time to plan and to put thing in place.  To start it off, I'm going to try out the Surovetskey deadlift program with a few mods of my own, mainly I am going to pull from a deficit the first DL session of the week.

Session1

Bodyweight:  263

Warm up:  Defranco Agile 8.

Deficit DLs: 4.25" deficit: (no belt but wearing Tommy Kono Waist Band -TKWB)
135x5
225x5
315x5
315x5
315x5
315x5
315x5

~ 2-3m rest in between sets.

I think this might be too large of a deficit for me to pull from. The arms and legs get in the way of each other. I'll wait until tomorrow, and see how I feel, to decide whether or not to continue
at this height, or even with the deficit DLs at all.

If I shift to more of a SLDL type movement, then the arms are fine, but I'm lacking leg drive. I'm not sure it really matters at this point. The SLDL type feels more comfortable, and the back feels like it's in the better position.  This was written kind of while I was training, so I ended up doing more of a SLDL style.  I lifted slowly and smoothly.

1A DB Row:

110x12/12
110x10/10

These suck after not doing them for a while.

Chins: Using green band
5, 5, 5

-not even going to comment. Chins are my biggest weakness. I don't think it's a bad idea to do chins after DLing for whatever small amount of spinal decompression it offers.

Arm and Ab work. (kb hammer curls + kb windmills, bb curls + hanging knee raises)

Whole workout was about 55 minutes long.  Done around 9 PM

Why YRG for lifters?

YRG = Yoga for Regular Guys (or Gals).  I've written about it before.  This is just a bit I wrote up for some people asking me about it. First off, why the hell should you do YRG? Flexibility work and non-impact cardio is the reason why I do it. If you follow the guidelines you will work up a very good sweat doing the longer programs, and your heart rate should fall right into the so-called "fat burning zone", often climbing higher when you first start. You also don't really need anything but water, a towel, and a place to lay down to do this stuff, so it's a nice option for a gym-free workout. I find the programs generally hit the areas that I need work on, flexiblity-wise. Old programs. The YRG book. Very good and inexpensive introduction with follow along pictures. This is almost just plain straight yoga with some calisthenics The first YRG "Strength" videos consisted of 3 programs. This is more of a flowing yoga, calisthenics with elements of dynamic resistance. DDP's patter in these are a bit raunchier, and the women tend to wear less clothing. 20 Minute - For most people this will get easy quickly. It is a nice little restorative session if you are sore from lifting, but most of the YRG programs will also do this. For the lifter, this does a good job of loosening up the shoulders, hips and lower back. This lets you get used to the deep lunge position that becomes a major part of the later programs. I have used this as a cool down for lifting sessions before. Fat Burner - This one starts to get harder. Longer duration holds of "broken table" or bird dog type movements can challenge the lower back of people not used to it. The longer duration slow push ups can also provide some challenge. Where most lifters will have trouble is during some of the reverse position yoga moves like reverse triangle, and reverse lunge triangle, because the shoulder girdle and hips are tight. This provides a much more thorough workout and flexibility program than the 20 minute session. The end of this workout stretches out the hips and piriformis pretty good. Fat Burner Plus - Longer duration holds. More focus on shoulder flexibilty with some of the "wrap and burn" positions. Longer duration push ups. Overall, this might be the hardest YRG workout available, with the exception of, maybe, the new "Double Black Diamond" The New Material. Page decided that the YRG material needed to be updated and decided he wanted to make an infomercial for it. The marketing for the new YRG Fitness System is quite hokey, but he really had some great testimonials for YRG with the transformation of Arthur Boorman from a grotequely fat, disabled cane-using veteran to a normal sized, strong, flexible person, so they took that and ran with it. Arthur's transformation is amazing. If you like shit like that, it's worth checking out just for inspiration. The new programs have some handy features. There is a timer in the corner of the screen that counts down, so you know how much longer you have to workout, and there are also reminders to check your heart rate monitor to keep in in the training zone. They are also significantly more "family-friendly", and normal people are used to film them, not models. Most of these will have Page performing a normal variation, with someone behind him performing an easier variant, and often someone else performing a hard variant. The YRG Fitness is a blend of yoga, some pilates type movements and there's some kind of Tai Bo stuff too. The YRG Fitness Basic Package: Diamond Dozen/Energy - this is useful in that it shows beginners the most common moves, and explains the who concept of 'dynamic resistance', which is basically flexing your muscles while doing the movements to raise the HR further and increase difficulty. Energy is a short workout, ~20 minutes long, that showcases the movements and introduces beginners to the program. Energy is a decent morning 'warm up' kind of sequence. Fat Burner - ~25 minutes long. This takes the place of the old Fat Burner. It's not as long, nor is it as hard. It relies on the use of a deep lunge to really ramp up the work and more broken table or bird dog work. You move more, so you tend to sweat more. You do see some different stuff than the old material. The Figure 4 or piriformis stretch reappears here. Below the Belt - ~30 min long. This is the next step up and for those who have a hard time in the squat, this will be more difficult than the Fat Burner. This uses a lot of quad, hip, and glute. There is a significant balancing portion of this. Broken airplane reappears here, which makes my glutes cramp up if I get after it. Diamond Cutter - ~50 min This is supposed to be one of DP's own workouts. This is not as hard as the old Fat Burner Plus, but is can provide a challenge. Longer push ups (10 seconds down, paused, up, paused, down) and more emphasis on the warrior poses. This is a faster pace than the old FB+ Red Hot Core - about 12 minutes long. Some challenging core work, and the people in the background are doing significantly harder variations than Page. Can be tacked onto the tail end of any other YRG workout in place of the "Going home" segment. Leg raises. If you need more core work, this will do the trick. The Extras: After you order the basic pack, you are offered some "extras". Strength Builder: ~35 minutes long. This is a very good mixture of moves designed to work on lower back, shoulder, hip and knee strength and flexiblity. This is really the spiritual replacement of the original Fat Burner. Stand Up: ~30 minutes. This is done entirely on your feet and it a whole lot of balancing. This is harder than it sounds, and does a good job of making you work up a sweat. Double Black Diamond ~70 minutes. This is the longest and supposedly hardest workout. Lots of movements that require previous practice and some that I had a very difficult time getting into. It's different enough from the old Fat Burner Plus that I had couldn't really tell which one was harder for me.

16-Nov

16-Nov-09

Agile8
8 cycles of 20s on/10s off of 2 footed jump rope.  Hit 2.5-3 jumps per second.

SSB Squats:
155x10
245x5
335x5, 5, 5

Supersetted with 2KB snatches
16kgx10, 10, 10

*HR~160-170 after each superset.  Rested about 2 min in between.

Foot-elevated split squats:  12R/12L, 12R/12L

*These burned that last set

Inverted Row on Rings:  10, 10, 10

Band TKEs:  2x20, hyv band

Awesomeness. Early 90s

I'm pretty sure that was the Michigan Cup Rugby Tournament in 1992, when the Flint Rogues won their division.  We had a great season.

I weigh about 190 in that pic.

2A Jerks with 24s. SSB Squat

2h kb jerk:
5, 10, 10, 8, 9, 10, 5, 7, 9, 11, 5, 7, 9, 13, 8, 10, 20 (last set was an all out sprint set)

16474 lbs of work. ~30 minutes

My HR was ~150-160 after the big sets.

A lot of work. I feel jacked. I actually must have started to release some endorphins because 13 is higher than I went last time, and 20 is a good sprinting set for me.

Sweaty as hell.

SSB Squats: 155x10, 245x10, 335x8 @10 - last 2 reps were grinding.

At least I was warm for it.

After this I felt like a walking mountain. 

A Good Start.

Full body session.

Goal: Refamiliarize myself with PCs and overhead barbell pressing. Work on Squat form and comfort.

WU: Defranco's Agile 8 plus some upper body work.

Power clean + press
135x1/5
145x1/5
155x1/5 (@9)

*this is essentially going to start following the 531 template for the presses.  Pressing is weak as hell.

Power clean + push press
185x1/1
x10, on the minute. @7-8 or so via RPE
-I'm just going to walk this up ~10# a session or so.

Power clean:
205x1
215x1
225x1 - started to get a bit hard to get under it here. @9 for technique's sake.  Really need to practice and clean this up.

*note on all the PC stuff. I'm going to add bent rows after each set to see how that works, probably just do up to a medium difficulty repetition-wise. Still need upper back work.

Back Squat: PVC work in between sets to stretch out the shoulders and lats
135x5 - tight
135x10 - better
225x5
275x1
315x1
365x1 - this was by far the best feeling rep. I guess I need shitloads of warm ups for this. This popped up like it was nothing.

*I can actually see this slot morphing into the Langford FS/BS Couplet (2 reps front squats, 5 reps back squat)

Cool down/Joint mobility shit (TKEs, lat and pec stretching, cuff work)

GS work. SSB Squatting

Oct1, 09

General WU: Defranco's Agile 8

KB Snatch Density: 24kg. R then L. 90-120s rest when needed
5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 9, 7, 5, 7 (at this point I tore my palm, so fuck it)
(105 reps each hand)

KB Press: 16kgx15 (5 sets each hand, 60-90s rest)

SSB Squat: 155x5, 205x5, 245x5, 295x5, 335x5@9, 385x3@10

-That last set was pretty tough. Wasn't sure if I was going to have to push myself up. Overall, not super satisfying, but better than no squatting.

1H Swings: 40kg R/L
5, 10, 15

-as a note: HR~184 after the last set of swings.

Hanging Knee Raises: 4x8

Cool down shit: TKEs, Hip flexor stretches, pec stretches, quad stretches, ham stretches.