20 days to a fitter and healthier you

That setup is perfect. All I want is a squat rack.

One exercise, and I'm outta there hahaha. Really though

------------

I was talking to my most well versed ridiculously fit friend the other day about what fitness means, and realized the answer is variable. For him all he wants is explosive power, and for his needs as a jiu jitsu instructor it made total sense. For me all I give a shit about at all is endurance.

Think it's been that way since before MTB even. Way back in our early twenties, my childhood buddy became a champion boxer and needed someone reliable to beat up (literally, I didn't stand a chance of getting a shot in) in the ring so I went along with him for a few years. I have burned into my memory the helplessness of being so exhausted you can't even raise your hands to protect your face.

I made a decision then that for me endurance>all. That fear of running out of rope has stayed with me ever since.

Posted by: Hepcat

That setup is perfect. All I want is a squat rack.

One exercise, and I'm outta there hahaha. Really though

------------

I was talking to my most well versed ridiculously fit friend the other day about what fitness means, and realized the answer is variable. For him all he wants is explosive power, and for his needs as a jiu jitsu instructor it made total sense. For me all I give a shit about at all is endurance.

Think it's been that way since before MTB even. Way back in our early twenties, my childhood buddy became a champion boxer and needed someone reliable to beat up (literally, I didn't stand a chance of getting a shot in) in the ring so I went along with him for a few years. I have burned into my memory the helplessness of being so exhausted you can't even raise your hands to protect your face.

I made a decision then that for me endurance>all. That fear of running out of rope has stayed with me ever since.

If you can get a copy of Natural Born Heroes interesting read on exercise. Reality is before the 1970's fitness facilities where more like boxing gyms and such.  It was during the 1970's thanks to the likes of Joe Weider, Arthur Jones, and such that gyms became what they area now.  Organized rows of equipment and way too many treadmills and such.  You know the whole gotta have huge biceps and such  with the posing in front of mirrors thing. Some would say the Crossfit Box kinda became the new version of what existed prior to the Planet Fitness and their ilk nowdays.  

Mind you...big reason I train at home now aside from restrictions is safety. Reality is since was hit by that driver and left to die have PTSI, Anxiety, and Depression as well as even three years on wariness around people. So knowing that people in a gym can be idiots and be inattentive. Train at home to reduce the wariness and distraction of being paranoid that someone is going to be to inattentive.  That for me increases the chances of injury.  Because reality is gym was at prior to getting hit had members  who power lifted, MMA, Veterans, and such so knowing it was full of others mentally fucked up from bad things happening made going back to it easier. Sadly gym closed November 2019.

Posted by: Mic

Posted by: Endurimil

LOL , reading and laughing at how fast it went to essentially my view of fitness is better than your view.  Reality is some out there this program will work great for and others not so much. The "best" program is the one that works for you.

Interesting, I never read or understood the thread like you apparently did, tbh.

Might have. And am probably jaded after two years of   dealing with "experts" on physio and training who have spent more time telling me what I can't do then bitching about why my leg strength hasn't increased. Yet everytime try to discuss ways to work around the "issues" they claim prevents me from doing exercises needed to meet requirements get no real answers.  Hell tell me need to deadlift...ok great yet when ask how do I do so with out breaking fingers when they catch on my brace. Got a blank stare and a no idea.  Thankfully Youtube exists and IG where found better answers then available at the "required " place to get answers from because you know "Do as your told and ask no questions." LOL

Here's another option if the thought of doing 500 kb swings a day seems a bit daunting. Try this for just 20 minutes per day, 2-3 days per week.

https://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/kettlebells012010.pdf

Following a basic warm-up, subjects did 15 seconds of one-armed snatches, first with their dominant hand, then after a 15-second rest period, they performed another 15 seconds of snatches with the other hand. The workout continued like that, with intervals of 15 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest, for 20 minutes, followed by a five-minute cool-down. Throughout the workout, researchers monitored each subject’s HR at 60-second intervals, followed by a blood lactate test which was taken immediately following completion of the workout. During the 20-minute workout, the average calorie burn was 272 calories, not counting additional calorie burn due to the substantial anaerobic effort. “We estimated oxygen consumption and how many calories they were burning aerobically, and it was 13.6 calories per minute. But we also measured the blood lactate, so anaerobically they were burning another 6.6 calories per minute,” explains Porcari. “So they were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace. The only other thing I could find that burns that many calories is crosscountry skiing up hill at a fast pace.” Researchers credit the brisk calorie burning to the fact that the kettlebell snatch workout is a total-body movement that is also done very quickly due to the interval-training format. “We knew it would be extremely intense,” says Schnettler. “It’s a quick workout, and you do get a big bang for your buck in a very short amount of time.”

Posted by: Endurimil

Posted by: Mic

Posted by: Endurimil

LOL , reading and laughing at how fast it went to essentially my view of fitness is better than your view.  Reality is some out there this program will work great for and others not so much. The "best" program is the one that works for you.

Interesting, I never read or understood the thread like you apparently did, tbh.

Might have. And am probably jaded after two years of   dealing with "experts" on physio and training who have spent more time telling me what I can't do then bitching about why my leg strength hasn't increased. Yet everytime try to discuss ways to work around the "issues" they claim prevents me from doing exercises needed to meet requirements get no real answers.  Hell tell me need to deadlift...ok great yet when ask how do I do so with out breaking fingers when they catch on my brace. Got a blank stare and a no idea.  Thankfully Youtube exists and IG where found better answers then available at the "required " place to get answers from because you know "Do as your told and ask no questions." LOL

Totally understandable, no worries. There are some out there who claim to be experts and professionals, but quite a staggering amount has little to no experience and/or understanding. So far I have been lucky to have come across people who really knew their stuff, first with my knee, then with the lower back issue and now with my shoulder, bummer is....I need to improve not in willingness to do more work but in the patience department.

Posted by: syncro

Here's another option if the thought of doing 500 kb swings a day seems a bit daunting. Try this for just 20 minutes per day, 2-3 days per week.

https://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/kettlebells012010.pdf

Following a basic warm-up, subjects did 15 seconds of one-armed snatches, first with their dominant hand, then after a 15-second rest period, they performed another 15 seconds of snatches with the other hand. The workout continued like that, with intervals of 15 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest, for 20 minutes, followed by a five-minute cool-down. Throughout the workout, researchers monitored each subject’s HR at 60-second intervals, followed by a blood lactate test which was taken immediately following completion of the workout. During the 20-minute workout, the average calorie burn was 272 calories, not counting additional calorie burn due to the substantial anaerobic effort. “We estimated oxygen consumption and how many calories they were burning aerobically, and it was 13.6 calories per minute. But we also measured the blood lactate, so anaerobically they were burning another 6.6 calories per minute,” explains Porcari. “So they were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace. The only other thing I could find that burns that many calories is crosscountry skiing up hill at a fast pace.” Researchers credit the brisk calorie burning to the fact that the kettlebell snatch workout is a total-body movement that is also done very quickly due to the interval-training format. “We knew it would be extremely intense,” says Schnettler. “It’s a quick workout, and you do get a big bang for your buck in a very short amount of time.”

That is a lot of snatches with awful little rest. Tried some swings with a mere 15 seconds rest yesterday and I could not keep it up.....at the moment. Oh well, slowly and steadily and surely step by step. Onwards and upwards, the trick is to keep the perspective and mental attitude positive and constructive and not stop practising and working, along with a long-term outlook, at least for me.

Posted by: Mic

Posted by: syncro

Here's another option if the thought of doing 500 kb swings a day seems a bit daunting. Try this for just 20 minutes per day, 2-3 days per week.

https://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/kettlebells012010.pdf

Following a basic warm-up, subjects did 15 seconds of one-armed snatches, first with their dominant hand, then after a 15-second rest period, they performed another 15 seconds of snatches with the other hand. The workout continued like that, with intervals of 15 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest, for 20 minutes, followed by a five-minute cool-down. Throughout the workout, researchers monitored each subject’s HR at 60-second intervals, followed by a blood lactate test which was taken immediately following completion of the workout. During the 20-minute workout, the average calorie burn was 272 calories, not counting additional calorie burn due to the substantial anaerobic effort. “We estimated oxygen consumption and how many calories they were burning aerobically, and it was 13.6 calories per minute. But we also measured the blood lactate, so anaerobically they were burning another 6.6 calories per minute,” explains Porcari. “So they were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace. The only other thing I could find that burns that many calories is crosscountry skiing up hill at a fast pace.” Researchers credit the brisk calorie burning to the fact that the kettlebell snatch workout is a total-body movement that is also done very quickly due to the interval-training format. “We knew it would be extremely intense,” says Schnettler. “It’s a quick workout, and you do get a big bang for your buck in a very short amount of time.”

That is a lot of snatches with awful little rest. Tried some swings with a mere 15 seconds rest yesterday and I could not keep it up.....at the moment. Oh well, slowly and steadily and surely step by step. Onwards and upwards, the trick is to keep the perspective and mental attitude positive and constructive and not stop practising and working, along with a long-term outlook, at least for me.

Yeah, it's a pretty vigorous program, but I think programs that offer big bang-for-buck are the way to go for most people. I see it as something that would be great with a lighter bell, especially for a beginner. The article gives a method on choosing the right weight, but imho using a lighter weight is fine too as setting up the routine and going through the movement is valuable as well. It's great to have a goal of building strength and lifting heavy, but just doing the movement with light weight is beneficial too. Even a simple 15min calisthenics routine every morning would offer big benefits for most people.

Posted by: syncro

Yeah, it's a pretty vigorous program, but I think programs that offer big bang-for-buck are the way to go for most people. I see it as something that would be great with a lighter bell, especially for a beginner. The article gives a method on choosing the right weight, but imho using a lighter weight is fine too as setting up the routine and going through the movement is valuable as well. It's great to have a goal of building strength and lifting heavy, but just doing the movement with light weight is beneficial too. Even a simple 15min calisthenics routine every morning would offer big benefits for most people.

Very true about lighter weight and it's benefits. Reality is seen alot of lifters who would be better off lifting lighter weights instead if heavy all the time. 

Interesting observation...back in the 1990's and late 1980's recall lots of mentioning of lifting heavy for short blocks of the year and going lighter weights the rest of the year. Recall Bob Hindley who you know with his crew at Fitness Quest would spend 75% of their training time lifting heavy but lots of basically their version  of greasing the groove. Aka form form and so on.

Posted by: Hepcat

That setup is perfect. All I want is a squat rack.

One exercise, and I'm outta there hahaha. Really though

------------

I was talking to my most well versed ridiculously fit friend the other day about what fitness means, and realized the answer is variable. For him all he wants is explosive power, and for his needs as a jiu jitsu instructor it made total sense. For me all I give a shit about at all is endurance.

Think it's been that way since before MTB even. Way back in our early twenties, my childhood buddy became a champion boxer and needed someone reliable to beat up (literally, I didn't stand a chance of getting a shot in) in the ring so I went along with him for a few years. I have burned into my memory the helplessness of being so exhausted you can't even raise your hands to protect your face.

I made a decision then that for me endurance>all. That fear of running out of rope has stayed with me ever since.

Funny that there was no home gym build and train at home thread in the last two years.