|
|
The more we can tune into what we are doing, get the feel of the movement, the more we will get out of our training.
Control of our body-weight or some outside object comes from manipulating many factors.
 I'm not counting rep speed here... At times a thought of:
“In this movement I need to step one two throw” can help, such as initially learning a sequence of moves,
but the point is to move from one point to the other and feel the flow of the movement, whatever it happens to be.
Changes of direction should not be exclamation points, they should be V’s with a tight curve at the bottom or point of change of direction.
Though at times the point of change of direction may have a faster or slower or sharper or more gradual or flatter turn-around.
Smooth comes from learning to feel what’s going on in the movement and then going with it and amplifying and controlling it rather than counting rep cadence.
 or here...lift, move! Feel it! Like comparing a dancer that dances versus one that counts his steps.
Maybe initially count but then quickly get away from that and feel it. I think in one session with a client or when teaching ourselves a new move, we can get away from counting our rep speed fast.
We need to ask:
Which one will be smoother, (whether they are moving fast or slow)?
Which one will have better balance and control throughout the entire exercise or movement?
The person counting their rep speed or the person who has learned to feel the movement and control it by spatial awareness, balance, force input and manipulation, leverage, etc ?
Of course, pause reps have their place for certain applications, but that is another story.
 Running as if I'm chasing dinner... The more the general trainee who is looking to merely “get in shape, lose weight” (as they themselves say) , can learn to feel what is going on with their body while exercising, really getting into the moves, the more feedback they will get from their environment, their training.
They will learn when to root or plant themselves, when to move fast and touch and go, when to glide or when to move slower.
We should guide them in this learning process by helping them get into the movement, not by counting rep speed.
I’d much rather see a guy learn to control a weight, for example in bench pressing or dead lifting, by focusing on doing the move correctly and feeling the load and forces as he does it and learning how various inputs from him: speed, minute adjustments, muscular tension, breathing, etc can change the exercise rather than relying on counting rep speed to try to teach that.
This gives them a greater sense of control and input as to how things affect their body.
And that can help them as they develop that awareness and apply that to other habits in life:
Like what they eat and how they live and sleep and how those things impact their recovery, their strength or endurance, the composition of their body, their overall quality of life.
It’s all about balance and control and moving smoothly through a movement, a rep, a set, a routine, a job, a life.
Smoothness creates stability and control. This gives confidence in a exercise or movement. Rep speed counting does not.
Rep speed or cadence counting: what happens if it gets thrown off somehow, like from fatigue or a slight loss of balance or loss of focus?
 Side bends...think I'm counting rep speed? We, the coach or trainer will not always be there for them or even be 100% focused on every inch of a movement during a rep. Injuries happen fast, many times.
Feeling the movement itself, when fatigue sets in or as one maybe losses control of the bar, for instance, I think the person who is focused on feeling the action of his body in the movement, feeling the object they are lifting, will adapt and complete the movement safely or bail out if needed without injury, versus the rep speed counter who isn’t aware of what is about to happen because he’s focused on:
“Up, one thousand one one thousand twelve, pause one thousand one, down one thousand one one thousand two, pause one thousand one, up one thousand one one thousand…man this is getting hard, where was I? oh yeah two thousand one or was that two?…down one thousand…what rep was I on?”
as they perform the next few reps in some sort of mentally induced counting rep cadence stupor.
We don’t ask a trainee how their rep speed was after they completed a set of movements.
We ask how it felt to them.
BINGO!
How it FELT.
Did you feel strong? In control? Did it feel too heavy? Too light? Did you feel you were losing your balance?
Do we think they will be able to tell us much if they are counting their rep speed or we are counting it outloud for them? Do we think they will focus on the movement if they are counting or they hear us counting?
Better to say:
“Try doing that a little faster or slower.”
“Try slowing down that initial pull off the floor a little more. Try to squeeze it off the floor”
“Pop it up once it reaches here…”
“Slow down a little”
“Faster”
“Stay tight”
“Loosen up”
Or:
“Man, that didn’t feel right to me. I need to drop with my feet a little closer as I catch the bar.”
Not:
“Well, it looks like to me in the first second of that pushup you were going too fast but in the second second of your pushup you slowed way down. Try to keep both seconds the same speed.”
“You’re counting too fast. Count like this…”
“Well, maybe if I shave a half second off my rep count as I pull the bar up I can drop under it better.”
We seek their input so we can adjust the movement, to make it safer, more effective and get them stronger, faster, etc.
They/we can’t provide that input if we are focused on counting rep speeds.
As a coach or trainer will we notice form flaws as readily if we are counting rep speed? Try switching from counting rep speed outloud for the client and then suddenly saying:
“Drop it!” or “Let the kettlebell go!” or “Stop that push-up!” on a rep going bad or getting too out-off balance.
Do we really need to count rep speed? The rep or movement either felt strong, controlled, balanced or it did not.
I think counting rep speed is a crutch for us when we are not sure what to focus on when teaching movements.
Imagine a dance instructor who teaches students to dance not only by counting the steps but also the speed of each step.
Now the student has to think about each step but also think about:
“Is my step too slow, too fast?”
Just teach them the steps.
The steps make up the movement.
Each movement or exercise has various steps to it and also has a rhythm to it, a flow of movement from each individual step. Once all the steps of that movement are being performed correctly, then we can begin to change the speed of that movement.
So once the rhythm or cadence of a particular exercise is learned, we can speed it up or slow it down.
Better to teach proper form, on a push-up for example, and then when we or our client can do it properly, make adjustments in the speed of each rep to create differing variables to get the results we are seeking from performing that movement at that speed.
Such as:
A Plank, pausing at various points of a push-up, a push-up done slow, a push-up done fast, a clapping pushup. Various speeds creating various results to our body. All based off a basic posture held during varying degrees of zero to explosive speeds.
Endurance, strength, explosiveness? Adjust the speed, leverage, weight or load, etc, accordingly, depending on the movement.
As Miyagi said in one of the Karate Kid movies:
“Move faster.”
And we don’t need to count the rep speed to do that. Let the client feel the changes on their body from making subtle changes in speed of movement by verbally giving them cues, not counts.
Or have them do a set and vary the rep speed as they see fit during that set and note how each rep feels.
Or do a few reps super slow, rest, try a set slightly faster, etc.
Get their input after each set. You might ask:
“How did it feel? Did you notice this _____ happening at that speed?”
The most athletically inclined people, and those who seem to pick things up quickly when learning new exercises or movements are those who put themselves into the move and feel it.
Don’t stutter step through learning movements strung together.
If it must be broken down a section at a time, like in the TGU, as each section is learned, make those two sections flow together before going on to the next section.
Seek to teach seamlessness in movements.
 learning to fly... The more we, or those we teach, learn to feel movements and exercises, the more we can pick up new movements safer, faster and with better results.
Watch a good dancer, gymnast, sprinter etc, learn martial arts or the kettlebell swing versus some guy who counts his rep speed all the time to make sure he gets whatever he thinks that rep speed is going to give him.
We should teach those we train to feel and move rather than count.
Tune them in to the music of training and movement, not to the amount of frequency waves in a particular beat.
Teach them to run, to jump, to fly.
Give them wings, not a calculator.
Well, I’m not talking about putting someone to death!
I’m talking about how fast we perform a particular exercise or movement. In this case, we are talking about how fast to perform one repetition, whether it is a single rep or a series of single reps strung together in a multiple rep set.
Does that make sense?
Every rep in a set should be performed as if it is a single rep all by itself.
By doing this we can stay focused on performing safe, high quality reps, rather than performing multiple sloppy reps that get us injured.
Now what about that rep speed?
Well, it depends on the exercise or movement. It depends on the goal or reason for performing the movement and whether it is safe to perform a faster or slower rep speed in that movement.
But we are not going to get into all that now.
We are going to focus on reps done with high tension.
These reps are normally done at slower speeds. But how slow?
This is one area where many people get confused and have questions. I usually just tell people to “Lift the weight!”
So, let’s look at an example. Let us do a one arm press overhead. It doesn’t matter for this discussion whether we are using a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell.
When lifting with high tension techniques, should you lift it so slow that you are shaking all over and it takes you 5 seconds or more to complete the pressing of the weight overhead?
Should you lift so slow that your run out of breath or feel light headed before you lock out your arm overhead?
No. That is counter-productive.
Doing one rep like this with a very light weight or no weight at all can be used to help a person determine if they are tensing all the muscles , but doing reps like this for every rep and set will fry your nervous system and exhaust you quickly without much benefit.
So how fast should you do a press with high tension techniques or how fast should you do a push-up or pull-up when following the Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade?
Some people like to count the time it takes to do a rep. Say in the push-up they may count “one thousand one, one thousand two” to slow their rep speed down so they feel they are hitting the muscles more.
But I think there is a better way than counting rep speed for clients or for ourselves when practicing high tension repetitions.
Rather than thinking I have to count _____ amount of seconds lifting, a second or two for the pause and then a blank amount of seconds to lower/raise back to the starting position to do another rep, here’s a different thought:
Why not instead of focusing on counting, actually focus on feeling what is going on with our body?
Focusing on counting rep speed takes the mind away from the task and tension can be easily lost.
Instead, focus on how the load or weight feels in your body.
If doing a pushup and using it to create strength (not explosive strength like in clapping or plyometric pushups) we should focus on the weight of our body, how to distribute that tension and load throughout our body. Feel the forces generated and the load throughout the entire range of motion.
Make sense?
In other words, if my goal is using push-ups to build strength, if I do them too fast, the momentum of the rep will carry me through the hardest part of the movement, and thus, will not build strength very well in the weakest part of the movement.
If I perform a movement too fast (for strength building purposes) I will hardly feel the resistance of the weight during much of the movement. In a sense I am outrunning my muscular tension.
Performing reps at higher rates of speed can actually make things easier. That is why guys in a contest of pusups or presses for max reps will many times pump them out as fast as they can:
“Oh I can do 50 push-ups, can you?” as they rip them off.
But slow them up a little and the 50 sloppy push-ups suddenly drops down to maybe 20 or so good solid reps.
Conversely, if I slow them down too much, the person begins to shake from the exertion of trying to move the load too slowly and they will probably only get 5 reps or so.
If we perform a movement too slow, we will begin to lose tension during that rep due to (let’s just make this simple) muscular exhaustion and we may get injured. In a sense we are not keeping up with our muscular tension, we are stepping into the realms of performing an isometric contraction wherein there is no movement.
So I want to use a rep speed that allows me to feel the weight of my own body through the entire range of the movement.
If I can feel the load of my body or the load of some other object I am lifting during the entire range of movement required to complete the rep, then I can use that as a gauge of whether I am using enough tension or not.
Certainly I want to create tension even before I accept the load in many cases.
But, using the object or the mass of my own body once I am doing my reps, really feeling that, I can use that perceived resistance to load up even more tension into my body and thus create a stronger more controled movement.
Thus, the lift is safer to perform and it is loading my muscles, ligaments and tendons through the entire range of motion and thus will help me achieve the goal of getting stronger.
So, lift at a speed where you can feel that load or weight at any point of the movement. This enables us to focus on using the muscles more, keeping the tension high or adding to it if need be. Plus it will build strength throughout the entire range of movement.
So what speed is that?
It will vary.
A light weight will then be lifted at a slower pace in order to feel the weight or resistance it’s mass provides during every inch of the lift. When we just lift our arm overhead, we would have to move it pretty slow to feel its weight.
Thus, too light a weight will not build strength. Again, this is dependent upon the person. That is why a patient undergoing rehab lifts weights that an average persons 5 yers old child can pick up. Using lighter weights or using angles with body-weight (such as the vertical pull in Step One in CC for progressing to pull-ups) that are easier to do, can be used to get joints and muscles ready for harder work down the road. Vertical pulls do not build much strength, but they may help a person rehab their shoulder or elbow, for example, to the point where later they can begin doing regular pullups.
With this thought of feeling the load or resistance in mind, a much heavier weight can be moved faster, but still at a pace where we can feel it’s mass at every inch along the way.
A very heavy weight will necessitate more tension throughout the lift to move it and will require an attempt to move it faster, even if it appears to be moving slow. And you will feel it’s resistance every inch along the way to lockout.
Practicing high tension techniques with lighter loads can ready our mind and body for the tension needed to lift a heavier load.
So the actual perceived feel of the load on our body can be used to dictate how fast we perform the exercise.
Too Slow and we get exhausted too soon to benefit from the rep or reps.
Too fast and we are using momentum too much to really build strength.
Using that feedback loop of how the weight feels to us can help us create and keep tension in the right parts of our body during the entire range of the exercise.
So, in doing push-ups or horizontal rows as outlined in CC, too fast a rep speed won’t bring the goods. We won’t get as strong as fast.
Too slow and we will have a very difficult time making progress and meeting the rep goals. We will “gas-out” before we can perform enough reps to benefit from the lift.
So, if you can feel the load or resistance throughout the entire range of movement of a particular exercise, your rep speed is good.
This holds true for dead-lifts, push-ups, pull-ups, overhead presses, etc. These are all grinding type exercises that are usually performed with high tension techniques and slower rep speeds.
The heavier the perceived resistance or weight of the load, the faster we can try to move it or ourselves, as long as the resistance is felt during every inch of the lift.
We have to remember, we are not talking about Olympic lifting as in the clean and jerk or snatches. We are not talking about plyometric training or ballistic training with kettlebells, as in the swing.
If I attempt a one arm push-up and go too slow, I will probalby not do a complete rep or only be able to do one or two reps.
If my rep speed is good and my technique and tension are solid throughout the entire range of movement, then I will do more reps and/or sets and get stronger faster. I will be able to feel the load better and put myself into that load, blending my body’s tension with the perceived weight of the load I am moving and become stronger even during the movement.
That is partly why when you are in the lowering phase of a movement, if you lower too fast, you lose the tension and “feel” of the weight. You lost your connection with that load. Then when you begin to rise or lift the weight you find it harder.
Using the right rep speed on the lowering phase can help you load more tension in your body and fire the rep back up (while still feeling it’s resistance the whole way) with much better strength and control.
Have you ever lifted something where you could feel the weight but you moved it easily with control and power and seemed to get stronger as you moved it?
Have you ever lifted something and partway through felt yourself feel or get weaker, perhaps losing the lift or barely completing it?
It was because of many things, like tension, your state of mind, etc.
But it can also have been brought about by our speed of completing the movement.
Match the speed to the load.
So, stop counting and start “feeling” the load or resistance of the movement.
Get into the movement, get into the tension and feel the rep speed.
It is very much like “seeing” an arrow to the target.
Get your mind and senses into the movement.
If you are struggling with this, try a few reps and or sets blindfolded or simply close your eyes.
Feel the load.
Feel your rep speed against that load.
Now do it with your eyes open.
Your rep speed will take care of itself and you might just find you are hitting your rep and set goals easier and building strength at the same time.
A few thoughts on Convict Conditioning (CC) and horizontal rows:
For those of you who have Paul Wade’s excellent book, there may be a few thoughts here that can help you if you are struggling with the horizontal pulls or rows, plus some other things to think about.
If you don’t have this book and want to get into training with bodyweight, this is an excellent book to start off with.
So, continuing with our title:
Jumping from Step 1: vertical pulls (p. 122 in CC) on a door frame to:
Step 2: horizontal rows on p.124 (let’s call them horizontal pulls = HzP) is a massive jump.
Let’s break it down and see why:
I weigh 226lbs. The following is based on me, standing on a scale in the different positions of the exercises and may work out differently for you:
Vertical pull on door frame/stub wall:
My weight, with my arms extended leaning back, is 216 with my heels on the scale.
Body pulled up to near vertical (arms bent) chest to door/wall (as demoed in bottom pic p.123 in CC), scale reads 220.
So at the bottom position it is only 10 lbs of bodyweight or resistance I am pulling. At the top it drops off to only 6 lbs. of resistance. That is why the vertical pull is so easy.
Now for the horizontal pulls (HzP’s):
At the bottom position, arms fully extended my scale repeatedly showed a weight of 50lbs. So I am starting off trying to pull 176lbs of body weight (226-50 = 176) from the bottom. I used the same angle as he did in the picture in CC p. 125
At the top of the HzP the scale repeatedly reads 50 lbs, plus or minus a few pounds; so I am supporting 176lbs with my arms fully bent and fully straightened.
Conclusion:
Going from vertical pull with only a resistance equivalent to about 10 lbs. to a HzP, where the weight is 176lbs, is an increase of 166lbs for me, all in one shot.
How many people can go from an nearly up-right bent-over row with a 10lb barbell to a much flatter- bent-over row with a 166lb. barbell?
Not gonna happen! I don’t care how many 10 pounds of resistance vertical pulls I do; it is not going to make me strong enough to pull 176 pounds the first time in a HzP.
So, guessing others may get a similar reading on the scale, if you weigh 150, transitioning from the vertical pull to the HzP will increase the weight you have to pull by about 90 lbs. Not as much as a heavier man, but still a huge jump.
Asking a beginning trainee to make this transition is way too much.
Here is how I would change things:
I would suggest doing vertical pulls, using adjustable gymnastic rings hooked on an overhead support, tree limb, etc, so a person could gradually lower the rings closer to the floor incrementally over a period of time. Paul Wade makes a point of this on page 124 right at the bottom of that page, but many people miss this.
He actually suggests using a higher object to pull from so you are at a less extreme angle and then when you can do 30 reps, try the much lower position. There is no transitional stage between the high pulling object and the much lower object. This may still be too hard, too big a jump for many people.
Thus, I think gradually working your way down from vertical pulling will work faster and smoother for many people.
Try working from the vertical pull down to the HzP over a progressively more inclined position from vertical. Thus the weight transfer will be more gradual, more akin to adding 5lb or 10 lb plates to a bar as you get stronger.
So, work up to a couple sets of 10 at a higher height, maybe with the rings or bar set at chest height, for example. Then gradually lower the rings or bar about 4-6 inches lower than it was before and gradually build back up to a couple sets of 10 reps. At each incline level it may take you several weeks to get your reps and drop to the next lowering of the rings.
Work your way down to the lowest position you can, with your back nearly touching the floor in the straight arm position. Then from that position work up your sets and reps as Paul outlines in his book.
Once you get to where you can do HzP’s with your body almost touching the floor at the bottom position, I would keep doing these. Excellent counter-point to the push-up and much easier on the back than standard bent rows with a barbell.
Now this next point is important:
Even when a person can do vertical pulls on a bar or rings (pull-ups and chin-ups) I would still do the HzP’s just because they do impact your body differently than pull-ups do. It is a perfect antagonistic exercise for the push-up.
The next step up in intensity for the HzP would be adding weight to your body, such as wearing a weight vest, or day pack with weight added and slung on the front of your body so it is on your chest. That is, if you want to use more than just bodyweight.
This would balance out harder pushups done with a weight vest, or clapping pushups or push-ups done with a stretch band going from one hand over the back to the other hand.
As you progress to one arm push-ups you could actually start working your way from vertical pulls back down to HzP’s using just one arm. You would need to keep the body squared up, locked flat like a plank, shoulders and back parallel to the floor as you did these. Eventually you would work down to your body being almost horizontal to the floor, pulling with one arm. Your entire torso, legs, glutes, etc, will take a major hit here as you try to keep your body flat like a plank as you do this one arm HzP.
Again, doing one arm horizontal pulls will stress your body differently than the stress your body deals with in a one-arm or one-arm-one-leg push-up.
Of course, alternate arms in the one arm HzP’s, just as you do in the one arm push-up.
Now for the Pull-ups:
I think the adjustable rings could be used to progress the pull-ups by having the trainee start with a lower pull-up position. Squat down until the arms (with hands grabbing the rings) are fully extended overhead. Then jump as you pull hard at the same time. Only jump enough to help yourself complete the pull-up. You should have the rings set so your arms are straight when you are in about a ¼ squat position, or slightly lower.
Once pulled up to the top, lower back down under control, don’t just drop down. Be sure to keep the shoulders tight and sucked in at all times, especially at the bottom. Be sure you understand what that means as pictured on page 117 of Paul Wade’s book.
Not too many sets or reps starting off, until you build up to it, or you will get very sore and cause elbow problems. Maybe start off with a couple of sets of 3 reps and build up to several sets of 10 reps. This should take you several weeks or months, depending on where you are at physically.
Remember:
In all bodyweight exercises, the less body-fat you carry the easier the exercises will be and the faster progress you will make.
Gradually, over time, adjust the height of the rings so they are progressively higher. Thus your ability to jump gets progressively shortened, until you only have an inch or so to squat down to jump. Thus, more and more load is being transferred to the arms over time, with less help or momentum from the jump.
Choose a set and rep scheme that will get you to a set of 5 good strong strict pull-ups without any help from your legs, no swinging or kicking and kipping to complete the reps. Then, to make further progress from there:
Get a copy of Pavel Tsatsouline’s excellent “The Fighter Pullup” program. You can even use this program for your push-ups.
That is just one way to skin this cat.
If you do not have access to rings and are doing pull-ups off a ledge or tree limb, etc, you can place nearly anything under you to get you closer to the bar so you can jump a little from there.
Remember:
Your hands should already be grabbing the bar as you squat down a little to jump.
You could actually just set up several boxes or platforms or step aerobic blocks or stacks of short 2” by 6” planks under your feet to change the height you jump from.
Remove a plank, etc, after you can pull from that height strongly for a couple sets of 5 reps. Gradually reducing how much depth you have to jump reduces the amount of leg drive you can use to complete the pull-up. And it gets the arms use to supporting and pulling your bodyweight.
Certainly you could jump up and grab a higher bar, so the momentum of your jump helped you reach the bar, grab it and complete the pull-up. But asking a new trainee to jump and grab a bar all at one time and start pulling as soon as they grab the bar is a little tough.
They worry about missing the bar and falling down on their knees. Better to have them closer to the bar, so they can grab it first and jump up a little from there. This eliminates the worry of missing the grab of the bar and falling on the knees. They can focus on what they need to do rather than focusing on a mental picture of missing the grab of the bar and hurting their knees.
As you work your pull-up from each height, gradually try to use less and less leg drive. You could even forgo the planks under your feet and just try to use less jumping momentum as you get stronger, if your bar is at a height where you can reach it while still standing in a semi-squat position.
However you do it, if you use something under your feet, be sure it is stable, so when you lower yourself back to the object, you can jump a little from it without losing your footing.
Some people have actually used stretch bands and placed a bent knee in them, with the other end attached to their pull-up bar. As they get stronger, they use lighter and lighter strength stretch bands, until they can do several strict pull-ups without them. This is how my wife worked up to a strict pull-up.
Some of these methods may work better for you than using the jackknife pull-up p.126-127 in CC.
Thus, pull-ups are a vertical pull and handstand push-ups are a vertical press. They compliment each other nicely.
So, for the purpose of this article: work up to full push-ups + HzP’s.
Then:
Then work on progressing to one arm push-ups and one arm HzP’s, but keep doing the regular push-ups and HzP’s with two arms as warm-ups or just too really push your numbers up, if that is your goal.
We need to remember:
Paul Wade developed this program within the confines of very limited equipment, plenty of time to train and even more importantly, plenty of time to recover. Things are more than a little different outside the “walls” for most people.
Never be afraid to modify things for your own body. You know you better than anyone else. So, just because you read something about how to progress in a given program from some expert does not mean it will absolutely be the best way for absolutely everybody without question. Be willing to tweak things a little to find what works best for you. Use your brain. Think. Examine. Experiment. Record the results and refer back to those results over the months and years so you really know what works for you.
Some guys thrive and progress very well on high reps, high volume. Others will do better with much lower reps and sets. Others will do even better on very low reps and many more sets.
Some people can make huge jumps in intensity or changes in body leverage, whereas others need things to be much more gradual. There are many, many reasons for this. It is not always contingent on just busting your gut on something. Age, injuries, old injuries, body type, ligament/tendon attachments, work, family, stress, diet, etc. impact things way more then some want to admit.
That is why, at times, one guy gets stronger/bigger or stronger/faster, way quicker than the next guy, even at times when he does not work as smart or hard as the guy seemingly lagging behind.
This is a fact of life that you need to accept otherwise you will become highly disappointed when things don’t work out as well for you as they did for someone else in your training life. This is true even with Paul Wades excellent book: “Convict Conditioning”.
First, are you doing things exactly as outlined?
Follow the program first, to the letter.
Did you honestly give it your best focused shot for a long enough period of time using the proper technique?
Second, how is everything else in your life?
Stress levels, recovery time/methods, work load, eating habits, etc.
Then, if that is all in order and things are not going as desired, ask:
“If after a reasonable amount of time this information in this book/DVD is not helping me as much as I was lead to believe (or mislead myself to believe I could achieve in blank amount of time), how can I adapt or change it to work better for ME?”
This might be just one small tweak here or there that can give you much faster results. But be aware:
when training: patient persistent practice is king.
TAO
Think, Adapt and Overcome,
Walter
“How do you stay motivated?”
“How do you deal with training alone? I just can’t do that.”
“I need people pushing me to train, otherwise, I couldn’t do it.”
“I don’t have that sort of motivation. If I don’t have someone to train with, I just won’t do it.”
I pretty much have heard it all when it comes to training alone and why I do it and how others think I’m either crazy, special or some freak of nature.
 yes that's a pooper scooper next to me... I have trained with others over the years. It does have a few good points. You can almost always find a spotter. Finding someone more knowledgeable than you can teach you a lot about training. Finding someone to train with who is stronger or faster can spur you on to better progress. There are times when a person needs this.
But, from what I have observed over the years, it is far better to train the majority of the time alone. Once you learn the ropes, so to speak, it’s good to fly on your own. The baby bird can’t rely on the mom to feed them all the time, can they? They need to learn to fly and fend for themselves. Same with us. Occasionally training with someone else at that point becomes even more productive and fun. I’ll talk about that more in just a bit.
Certainly a training partner can help push you and provide some motivation.
But if you always rely on the other person for that, you will never develop the ability to motivate yourself. When the training partner moves on, most people slow up or stop making progress or simply quit training. 
Also, some training partners are the kiss of death. They always show up late, they talk to much rather than train, they whine about how heavy something is and sap your motivation to put in a hard training day. They stay too long, drawing out the intense 30 minute workout you planned on doing until it takes 2 hours to get it done. The list goes on and on.
Now there are ways to fix these problems and get things on track with a training partner, but I am not going to discuss that here at this time. I outline a bunch of ideas for dealing with that (and other things) in my digital program on Mastering The Bent Press in the ending pages.
I’m going to tell you why I prefer to train alone. Now, don’t get me wrong. I do at times train with my wife or with others. And don’t mix up the thought of training someone as being the same as training with them. Those are two separate things.
Training alone has many benefits. When I talk about training alone, I am not talking about training in some chrome-fern covered gym. You can train alone in a gym, but the very fact that there are people all around you in the gym, even though technically you are not training with someone as a partner, sort of eliminates the “alone” part of the equation.
Most people today have a hard time dealing with time spent alone. That is why some people go to a gym, to be around other people training, to hear the talk. Too many people have an addiction to needing noise in the background all the time. Or some other sort of stimulation while they are training. If they train alone, it is usually in their house with the TV or radio on. Or perhaps they are cranking a CD or texting in between sets or Internet surfing, playing with a Blackberry or some similar thing. So they are not really “alone”.
Let me tell you some of the benefits of training alone.
You get to train:
when you want
where you want
with what you want
however you want.
Pretty cool, huh!
None of this:
“I don’t want to train there. I want to train at my gym or my house”
“I can’t be there at 6, I can train at 8, tomorrow.”
“Sorry I’m late again, I was texting my co-worker about American Idol.”
“I don’t want to lift that!”
“I don’t want to lift too heavy. It will bulk me up”, says the 5’9″ man who weighs 150 pounds soaking wet with a full backpack and boots on. He could stand a little “bulking up”.
“Did you know that if you take________ and ______ you can get better workouts and I almost ran some dog over on my way to work my boss is an idiot and he said I’m getting too fat from lifting do you think we could do curls instead of deadlifts today I’m thirsty already do you have any sugary Gatorade I need it for the energy I can’t believe…” as you try to train.
“Is it OK if we listen to country music while we train?”
ARRRGGGH!!!
 bucket-o-fun So I train alone. Sing it like the George Thorogood song: “I Drink Alone”
“I train alone,
Yeeeaaaah, with nobody else,
Cause ya know when I train alone,
I prefer to train by myysellllff.”
Ok, here’s the deal.
Try to set your training environment up like this:
Train outside as much as you can. If you must train indoors, try to do it in a basement or garage or under a carport if it’s raining, too cold or snowing outside. You want a room that has the bare minimum of comforts and distractions. No music or TV, etc.
Really.
Try to get away from the noise. It will do you way more good than you realize.You will find a form of inner peace and quiet with just you, the training equipment and the noise of your own breathing and the sound of the equipment you are training with surrounding you. This may be hard for those who are use to having their heads bombarded with noise all day.
Doing the above will help you focus on the task at hand: training hard and smart.
If you train outside with no radio or CD blasting, away from other people, you might even hear the wind blowing in the leaves, trees and grass. You might pick up the sound of a bird or some insect. You’ll feel the touch of the wind, the heat of the sun. You will feel more connected to nature and relate to what you are trying to accomplish even more. You may even be forced out of your little comfortable personal bubble of noise and distractions everyone feels they need now-a-days just long enough to start relishing the time you have to train alone. With no man-made noise pounding your ears.
What’s that?
 boulder hopping Sounds a little primeval?
You betcha!
Training alone will:
Improve your fortitude, your perseverance, your ability to stick with something even though no one else is there to cheer you on. You will have to get tough with yourself to continue to get stronger and faster by yourself.
You may have to deal with hotter or colder or wetter weather than you are use to, in order to train outside. This will toughen you up. You will find that you can withstand the uncomfortable.
It will take self discipline to force yourself to continue training day after day and year after year. You will develop self motivation to do this. You won’t be dependent on others for motivation to lose weight, get stronger, etc. You will have to learn to supply that yourself.
You will learn self reliance as you learn how to create training programs, nutrition programs, how to train safely with no spotters, etc.
You will learn self reflection as you ponder how your routine is going, how to change things, how you feel when severely winded or tired or struggling to finish a hard training day.
Your imagination will improve as you think of new ways to try lifting and training with various items. You will learn how to manipulate objects safely and with strength and mobility.
Your workouts will become more focused. There will be less distractions.
You will gain self confidence and self respect as you change your mind and body composition through your efforts. You’ll come to realize you can handle things. You can train anywhere with anything. You are a force to be reckoned with. Others will pick up on this. They will sense this.
Anyone who trains alone for a length of time develops attributes that those who constantly surround themselves with noise and other people are lacking.
The ability to think, act and be in control and at peace and ease within oneself while in a situation all alone.
The weights heavy, the trail steep, slippery, the sandbags akward, the sledgehammer handle is rough, it’s starting to rain, the wind picks up and you hear it and feel it, you carry on, pushing from within as the rain dribbles down your neck cold and uncomfortable, pounding, lifting, fighting the weather and the trainig program you are doing.
The heat is intense, there’s sweat in your eye, your hands getting slippery as the kettlebell drags at your fingers or the rock threatens to fall from your arms, you’re covered with grit from your body-weight exercises, wrestling with a rock and flipping a tire in the dirt. You are about ready to drop the rock but hear a crow over head calling out a cry that spurs you on.
You drop the rock, stop sprinting, stop swinging that sledge hammer for a brief span as you hear your ragged breathing and your heart pounding in your chest and hear your feet crunch on the sandy ground as you walk about swinging your arms to loosen up for the next battle.
You don’t get that training in some gym with spandex clad people with Ipods on there hips and music blaring over the speakers and a water fountain nearby and 30 other people talking around you going through the motions of a mediocre exercise routine.
You don’t get this training on a carpet-covered floor with the TV on or the latest CD blasting so you can focus on anything but your training and how hard it is.
Learn. Train . Experiment with different objects and training routines. Body-weight, kettlebells, tires, rocks, etc. Become self sufficient in your training.
Learn to train alone outside as much as you can. Train with others when you can learn something from them or when you can help someone who is willing to learn. The unmotivated stay away from. They will suck your energy up.
Train alone the majority of the time. Learn something from someone who knows what they are doing and then go put it into practice by yourself. Seek to master it. Then go back for more. In time you will become the one others want to train with. This takes time. This develops patience, something that is severely lacking in this day and age. 
And then when you train with someone else on occasion, you will notice a few things. Or someone else may notice them.
You will be quieter, listening for training wisdom from the more knowledgeable and experienced guy you are training with. They will probably invite you to train with them again, realizing you train hard and smart but are humble enough to still want to learn.
When you train with others less knowledgeable and experienced than you, you will take on the roll of teaching, without even realizing it, and the one training with you will probably have the best training day of their life and want to train with you again.
Others will in all likely-hood be more inclined to give you respect and listen when you speak.
The qualities you develop while training alone become a part of you, the inner person and then others sense this self-confidence you have developed by going it alone in your training. You will become more patient, quiet, deliberate, better equipped to deal with life and the unexpected and uncomfortable.
Training alone outside is like a mental washing of the days noise from my mind. It’s not spiritual. Spiritual is something else. Too many people mistake the physical for the spiritual. Training is physical. Training is mental, but it’s not spiritual. Training outside, the focus is on something more basic than modern life. It’s the elimination of unwanted noise and distractions. It’s a simplifying of what I can train with compared to a gym equipped with every piece of training machine and equipment you can think of. It’s a stripping away of the trappings of modern life. It takes me closer to living and dealing with the land, the weather, the conditions present in the outside world without me manipulating my environment with artificial heat, shelter and comfort. 
When you train outside you can’t stop the weather. You simply deal with it. You learn to deal with that which you cannot change. You learn that some things that you cannot change are not so bad if your outlook is right. You learn to ignore the uncomfortable and focus on what you want to accomplish and doing that, rather than fretting and complaining about what you can’t change that’s making you uncomfortable. You learn to accept that you can do way more than you thought in less than ideal conditions, that the unexpected or uncomfortable does not mean you are stuck with no way out.
Training alone outside as much as I can helps me get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Dealing with unchangeable conditions as they are, not as I wish they could be.
Training outside, alone with the ability to stop and go inside and seek comfort at any time is a test of mental and physical fortitude. Will I cave in and seek comfort just because it’s gotten colder or raining or getting hot? Will I quit because I’m getting sweaty and uncomfortable because dirt is sticking to my skin?
It’s sort of a test in a way. It makes me think of what the Navy SEALS go through during hell week, where they can quit at anytime by just going over and ringing a bell.
When the going gets tough am I going to go ring the bell?
So, for me, training outside all by myself toughens me up, physically and mentally.
If you are looking for the same
sing along with me:
“I train alone…”
Well, it’s that time of year and it happens:
No matter what you do sooner or later it will catch you.
You catch the common cold.
Or maybe I should say, it catches you.
So what to do?
Well, for one thing:
stop your training and exercising.
That can be tough, I know, because sometimes things are really starting to move along and you are suddenly making good progress and then:
Bam!
You feel yourself getting sick. The urge is to continue training. For the most part, all that will do is run your body down even more.
Look at it this way:
If you are in a serious competition or engaged in some other strenuous event, would you train right then? No, because your body is dealing with enough on that day.
Would you train right after the competition or event? No, because you just pushed yourself as hard as you could. You would probably take a day to a week off and then resume training at a lower rate of intensity and volume and build back up to a new peak. If you did train the day or two after it would most likely be some very easy movements with lighter weights or just light mobility work for example, for various reasons.
Do you think you would train as hard as you could the day or two before your competition? No, you would take it easy, let your body and mind rest up for the battle ahead.
Hopefully you are getting the point. You don’t train during a competition or too close to it because you need the energy to compete.
When you start getting sick or do get a cold, stop training. Get some rest and lots of it. The cold virus you are fighting is your competition!
I’ll list out some things I do when I get a cold. This does not mean you should do the same, it is merely my experiences with fighting the common cold. I am not a doctor or certified anything when it comes to diseases, viruses, etc. So use your own and your doctors best judgment.
However, I do recognize that we don’t usually run to a doctor at the first signs of a cold. We usually treat it ourselves. So the following may be of use to you.
First off, pay close attention to how you feel. Usually a person can tell if they are starting to get sick. You might feel more tired than normal and have a slightly elevated temperature (if your head and face feel hot and you feel unusually tired then take your temperature).
Many times I personally will start to get a slight sore throat or my nose may start running. You may find it harder than normal to accomplish tasks mentally and/or find you seem to get winded easier. You might even feel weaker while training.
These can all be signs of an on-coming cold. Start taking any preventive medicines or herbs, etc, immediately. Always keep some on hand at work or school or home.
Last thing you want is to feel a sore throat coming on and not have anything to treat it with until you get home 8 hours later. If home, it is a pain and also stressful to suddenly have to run out to get something to begin treating the cold.
Don’t ignore the symptoms and push on in your training.Taking herbal supplements early will not hurt even if you find you are not getting a cold. The herbs and extra rest will actually do you good.
This is somewhat different with cold medications containing various pharmaceutical drugs and alcohol. Taking them unnecessarily is not good.
With the cold virus, a good offense is the best defense. Try to boost your immunity by good health practices and a balanced view of life and training before you get sick.
Take an extra day or two off from training and then see how you feel. Your body may just need a break from training, and after a few days off you will feel roaring to go again. But if after the day or two off you still feel sluggish and tired, it could be a cold coming on.
If I catch it early enough I can usually prevent the cold from getting much worse. I think we all have experienced colds that last for several weeks or more. Not fun! Trying to train while dealing with that is not smart.
Many times when we feel the beginnings of a cold we fool ourselves and just push on in our training or even our work. Far better to take a day or two off, treat the symptoms and get back on our feet in a few days than push the issue and end up having to work for several weeks while we are sick.
Most businesses don’t seem to get this. They are only concerned with making money and view your staying home as putting a dent in their wallet, so they would rather have you come to work sick for 2-3 weeks (even though your productivity will be very low and more mistakes will be made and you expose everyone around you to the virus) than have you take a day or two off. Of course, most businesses are not too smart.
So, if you pay attention to how you feel and think you may be getting a cold, certain things can either prevent you from getting sicker or, if you do get sicker, keep the symptoms from getting as bad as they could. And you can still get over the cold quicker.
I’m not going to get into the hows and whys of what works and what doesn’t. I am merely outlining things I have used and that they did help me either not get sick (if I took them soon enough) or get over the cold in half to one-third of the time. Sometimes I have gotten over a cold in three days.
So, here are some things I will take:
Sambucus, Airborne, extra vitamin C, various teas from Trader Joes:
Green Tea Super Antioxidant, Ginger, Cold Season, Echinacea Immune Support (these are all teas made under the Yogi brand)
I use other herbal mixtures from my doctor, such as Dispel Invasion.
I put extra cayenne pepper on my food. I like it on my eggs and toast in the morning anyways.
Garlic and onions are good.
Drink plenty of water.
A Netti pot may help. You flush your nasal passages with it.
This next point is a little sticky to talk about, but many don’t want to go here. You know me, I’m game! So get your Kleenex out:
Sometimes I will use something like Sudafed to slow or stop post-nasal-drip. This can help prevent that nasty sore throat the next morning from the drainage down the back of your throat all night. I may use this for a day or two. Using it for too many days can cause the discharge to get worse.
From what i understand, this may also help those who get bronchitis avoid it, as the bronchitis comes from the discharge getting into the lungs. Less discharge, less chance of it getting in the lungs. If I feel it is headed that way I use the following products from China:
Sanshedan chuanbeiye
Pang chan wan
Pe min kan wan
These (if taken soon enough) help me get over bronchitis much faster and it does not get anywhere as near deep into my chest.
Again, this is what works for me.
If you have small boys in the house they will enjoy talking about this, though it is not a favorite dinner time topic:
Nasal discharge. Snot. Boogers.
I am no expert here (only on what comes out of my nose) but from what I could research:
The general consensus is that if the nose is running clear, you are good.
If it is running a lot, but clear, some extra rest and some other things may be all you need to get back on track. The extra running of the nose can be a signal of allergies or the start of a viral infection.
If it starts turning yellow and thickens, it is a sign your body is fighting the infection successfully and probably will turn clear again in a day or two. Keep up your regimen to help your body fight it.
If it starts really plugging your nose up, and you cannot blow it out and it starts turning green, you are losing the battle. Good time to seek out a doctor.
Contrary to what some may say, don’t swallow the stuff. It’s not good. If it was your body would just absorb it. It is similar to what comes out the other end: you dispose of it discreetly. Spit it out into a napkin, paper towel, Kleenex or onto the ground if in a socially (no one else around) acceptable situation. If at home use the toilet, garbage, whatever. Get it out of your body! Flu can come from swallowing the yuck from what I have found.
On blowing the nose:
Better to not honk as hard as you can. Blowing really hard can irritate the nasal passages even more. Blow the air out more gently in a stream lasting about 5-10 seconds. Alternate nostrils. This is where a netti-pot can really help, flushing the junk out.
Have a friend make you some homemade chicken soup with lots of garlic and onions.
Stay warm and rest a lot. Try your best to stay out of the cold if at all possible. Lay around. Get some sun if you can. If it’s cold outside where you live, try laying on a thick warm blanket with the sun shining through the window, bathing your body in it’s rays. This may make you sweat. Take a nice warm shower or bath after. Don’t get chilled.
Taking extra vitamin D can help.
Chlorophyll, B vitamins and extra zinc. Zinc lozenges.
ZMA or cal-mag-zinc tabs before going to bed at night can help you sleep.
Trader Joe’s Sleepytime or Chamomile tea can also relax you more.
Stay away from alcohol and caffeine.
Eat more calming, warm foods.
Soups are good.
Again, drink plenty of water.
Sometimes something like nettles can help.
I use a product called D-HIST (herbal supplement) for nasal allergies, which if they flare up can contribute to suppressing the immune system to the point where you catch a cold easier.
If feeling too cold, a heating pad can help, but don’t fall asleep with it on!
My wife has a large pad she heats in the microwave (about the only thing we use it for) which she uses to warm herself up with when she is not feeling well. She wraps it with a towel so it is not directly on her skin. The nice thing about it is you don’t have to worry about falling asleep with it. Just don’t get it too hot or it can burn you. Follow the manufactures directions.
Now, I have used all of these things at one time or another.
YOU, however, may be allergic to some things. That is YOUR responsibility to be aware of. It is YOUR responsibility to work with a knowledgeable doctor and find what works for you.
Do some research and try things that may help you recover faster.
Some people have had good results with water dousing (dumping a bucket of cold water over their body) or taking brief hot and cold contrast showers. But this can have a back-lash too. Best not to try this while dealing with a cold unless you have experimented with it while not sick. I know from speaking with some native peoples from China and Korea that cold water treatment is used by some doctors in those countries. But it is monitored by the doctor.
What you need to keep in mind is that while dealing with a cold your body is engaged in a battle with a virus. Do all you can to support that battle. Build up and support your immune system. Rest and try not to stress your mind and body.
Here is something most people do not even think about:
Watching high stress movies or reading an exciting book is also too much stimulus for the brain and body at that time. Better to relax with less stressful and relaxing movies or books. Same with video games. Even better to just sleep.
Many times the human body does not differentiate between a real event and a made up one. The stress, anxiety, suspense, excitment you feel during movies and games and books causes chemical reactions in the brain and the rest of your body.
Ever found yourself clenching your fist or making a small punching movement while watching an action movie? Maybe ducking or flinching a little? Holding your breath? Everyone does these things to some degree during suspenseful movies.
You can’t stop that, though you may control it to a degree. Too much of such stimulus competes with the bodies trying to fight off the viral infection. It wastes, depletes energy the body needs to fight the infection with.
So chill, relax.
View the cold as your competition. Do all you can to win it fast. And the fastest way to win is often the most relaxing way so your body can focus and devote all it’s energies on fighting off the invaders.
Look at it this way:
Your body is a microcosm, it’s own world. The viral infection is an invader from outer-space, the environment surrounding your body. You can’t remove your body from the external environment, but when invaders from that environment invade your space, your body, you can button down the hatches, shore up your defenses, so-to-speak, and fight them more effectively.
You may know of other things that can help. It is far better to actively help your body get over the cold much faster, than stubbornly push on thinking we are above getting sick or can perform well while sick and end up taking weeks to get better.
One thing I have experienced over the years is that if I rest, get over the cold completely and then resume training I usually end up feeling stronger a week or so after the cold is over. Whereas, if I tried to push things while sick, I got even sicker. Then recovery and strength recovery took sometimes a month to start feeling good and strong again.
Do you want to get on with your life and training in a week or so or do you want to be away from your training for 2-3 weeks or more while feeling miserable the whole time?
The results are in your hands.
|
