Displaying items by tag: bodyweight training

There's a very good reason the old timers despite their weightlifting prowress and other feats of strength NEVER ignored bodyweight training - they knew to do so would be nigh foolish. 

It doesnt matter which end of the spectrum you're talking about either - could be Charles Atlas with his isometrics - John Grimek with hiis feats of strength - or (my personal favorite) the mighty DOUG HEPBURN! doing handstand pushups on a log and dipping bar in addition to his other work. 

I've written about this before and Doug said it himself - the HANDSTAND pushups were what built his prodigous pushing ability. 

It was not weights that built the weight lifting prowress - it was his bodyweight training routine, and yesterday, lifting them heavy boxes which a while back seemed impossible to even budge - I was struck - HARD by the truism of what I'm saying again. 

History has proven me right as well. Scores of people that are weak in the gym do bodyweight work exclusively for a while - then they come back to the gym - and voila - "miraculously" all their lifts go up - they're far stronger than before. 

The reverse? 

Not a chance. 

You could be a big strong lad lifting boxes all day long, but if you've got a belly, NOTHING will make them pull-ups easier to perform! 

Same thing for pushups. 

Nothing quite beats one arm pushups, archer pushups, and some of the advanced pushups I've written about (and will put in Pushup Central - Volume Two when I get TIME - which is of the essence right now. With all the great reviews we're snowed under - and keep them coming guys!! - and with everything else going on, Rolls Royce Publications Inc is one busy place (cave hehe) to be in right NOW). 

So much to teach, so many books still to come... All in "dew" time, eh. 

In the flow, and here is what I wrote to Terrence Miller, who along with his immense appreciation of Zero to HERO! - and Gumption Galore! - so much so that he's using the tips in his OWN Coaching classes! - loves training on HILLS! 

He's in CO - lots of snow to shovel too. Hehe. 

And he's going to be narrating Advanced Hill Training for us and the next natural step, and book #2 in that series - the almighty 68 exercises KING of all books - Animal Kingdom Workouts!

OK- Battletank Shoulders vies for that King position as well, but there is something SO special about animal movements. 

As I wrote to him  (actually, this is what I sent EVERYONE interested in the narration, since we've recieved so many auditions for it already) .. 

This is one of our most popular books - Animal kingdom workouts! Animal movements are some of the best fitness movements you can do - and they can be done ANYWHERE - and they will bring the average Gym goer to their knees in a jiffy as well (and therefore exponentially increase levels of health, strength and fitness very quickly if done regularly!). The best narrator for this project should be on board with what should be common knowledge i.e. the SIMPLEST of things work the best - and that nothing, I repeat, nothing trumps bodyweight exercises done right. Sure, there are other workouts that COMPLEMENT bodyweight exercises, but nothing TRUMPS bodyweight - period. 

And it doesn't, my friend - doesnt! 

And remember, this is an advanced course, so you'd be well advised to get good at the 0 Excuses Fitness System FIRST before you jump on this one. 

Aright, thats it for now. 

Back soon. 

Best

Rahul Mookerjee

I wrote last night about how it's usually the "bodyweight exercise experts" that have done plenty of other training (and continue to along with their bodyweight stuff) before coming to the conclusion, after years of work, observance of the body and it's internal processes -and how bodyweight exercises AFFECTS the entire body from the inside out - how old time strongmen trained - and so forth - that there is no better overall form of training than the bodyweight training I promote so much. 

And will continue to for as long as I am on this "earthly plane". 

As Charles Mitchell in particular once rightly said. 

There is no better time to promote the type of training you do - your body is your own gym!

Perhaps it was apt that a medly of dreams last night ended up with someone giving me a "bear hug" - and then running away - or "sprinting away" in the quadruped position. 

INSTANTLY upon waking up, I knew I was going to write about this to you (sans the shaking ass, hehe). 

"Marc the African Silverback Gorilla's infatuation with the bear crawl " was what first came to mind, but he loves pushups! 

"I do 'em close grip, 30 at a time" was what he once told me. 

Being the boxer he is, a superb one at that, I'm sure he does!

The bear crawl, perhaps not so much - so the title of this email being what it is.

Anyway, it's bodyweight guys that have usually done it all - those that are master of their crafts that is. 

Not so much the boobybuilders the other way, though a lot of them come to their senses eventually. 

Bodyweight stuff really shows the "gym sorts" that weights ain't what its all about - especially not the regimented curls, pushes etc that move through ONE Plane of motion and one alone. 

That tax "one certain muscle a certain way" but not the body as a whole which is how it was supposed to move, and be trained. 

Hell, even the so called isolationist moves I teach in the elementary section of Corrugated Core for one tax the whole body - or core!

And there is no better exercise to introduce to the weight trainees than the bear crawl to start off with (overall body exercise). 

You could argue "dips" maybe - and have their upper arms shaking like maple leaves in a Toronto gale in the UP position of the exercise (a stellar one) as opposed to "down" which most cannot do anyway. 

Not without ripping a muscle or two out ... 

Or, climbing stairs which makes people's legs literally quiver the next day - going down. 

For some, thats the only exercise they get cardio wise!

But the bear crawl is a superb movement, my friend, and it's simple enough to do - yet is advanced enough to KICK your ass - regardless of the sort of shape you're in now. 

In great shape already? 

Great, try some of the advanced bear crawls I teach you in Animal Kingdom Workouts - or the Noah's Ark workout - or any of the other superb workouts in that book. 

Starting out? 

Go for Advanced Hill Training, where I cover the basic version of the bear crawl, albeit done up hill. 

It's easy to get into - just get into the quadruped position, and you're done!

But to actually DO, thats quite another thing. 

I'm not kidding you when I say this simple movement has gone many a strongman into great and better shape- but has whipped his butt FIRST - within 20 seconds flat. 

Dont believe me? 

Try doing the bear crawl properly (elementary version) at your house for 20 seconds - if you can last that long - and then tell me how you feel. 

If you're not breathing up a storm. 

If your whole body isn't burning from head to toe - especially the back of your body (back, shoulders, hamstrings) - and of course the CORE. 

The bear crawl, my friend, is just ONE of the superb movements I cover in Animal Kingdom Workouts. 

There are 68 in all, and 10 great workouts to follow as well. 

I dont care if your goal is to build muscle, or burn fat, or just get in better shape overall, or strengthen your upper body, or a combo of all the above, or some. 

THIS course is the one you need - it will truly fulfil all those goals i.e. help YOU do so and more. 

Get your hands on this course right now if you haven't already - its a mammoth, yet so understated course, but will serve you well your whole life. 

Best, 

Rahul Mookerjee