Callisthenics/bodyweight exercises

[Sway]

Hi chaps,

Few weeks ago asked for advice training with heavy duty resistance bands to bulk up a bit and put myself in a good position for racing a stand up paddle board (big surfboard thing with a long single ended paddle, using the core to drive it through the water).

Glad to say, the advice was really appreciated, and even only a few weeks in, my twice weekly session of deads and squats, with rows and shoulder presses alternating each session is starting to have an impact, and I'm getting used to the soreness and actually starting to enjoy it!

Resistance has moved up, other half is being bloody helpful in ensuring I'm maintaining correct form, and she's noticed the beginnings of increased size/tone in my shoulders, lats, thighs and glutes.

It was also recommended I did some callisthenics once a week, but this is the bit I'm struggling with. So far, I've only really been doing planks (90 seconds with a minute being rock solid - much improved from when I started) and some pushups.

For my weights sessions, I'm doing 3 sets of 6, slowly controlled and holding form. Moving up a resistance once I'm feeling comfortable.

Would like thoughts regarding a structure for a callisthenics routine. I just seem to be playing around at the moment, and would rather a session I can feel confident in.

Only movement I'm sure I can't do is anything requiring a pullup bar - I work away all week, and would be looking to do the session in my hotel room...

I'm 6', now 62kg (bloody hell, added 2kg in 4 weeks, happy with that) and very lean. Aiming for strong core, good shoulders/back and powerful thighs/arse. Can take light resistance bands with me if there's benefit to things like resisted pushups etc., but want to be confident of when to move up a level.

Do sets/reps work with bodyweight movements?

Cheers

Sam

[Hoofy]

I'm really getting into cali/gym work now. From watching videos of people who have "beast skills" and gymnast coaches (who publish WODs), they do use sets and reps for training.

You need to decide what muscles you want to train as there are hundreds of bodyweight exercises and multiple ways of making them tougher.

For instance, with push ups, you could just do the 50 push up challenge or you could focus on doing different types: wide, narrow, standard, superman, pseudo planche push ups.

As for pull ups in the hotel, if you can't use their gym, then doing it under a sturdy table is one option. Or use an open door - put a towel over the top. May fk up the hinges!

My current routine (which is adapting as I get stronger so it's a constant challenge) is similar to this:
3x8 tucked planche holds
3x6 V sits to tucked planche dips (done between two chairs)
3x6 pseudo planche push ups
3x15 wide push ups
3x15 narrow push ups
3x8 semi-tucked front lever rows
3x8 wide grip pull ups + 15kg
3x8 head banger pull ups
3x6 front lever raises to rows

The motto of my training is "Who needs central heating?"

IANAPT, though.

[Ordinary_Chap]

If you work away all week and have access to hotel gyms, is there a reason why you won't use them?

And blimey 6' @ 62kg is very light indeed.

I'm just trying to figure out if these exercises are the most effective when you have access to equipment.

[Hoofy]

Aye. I'd use the hotel gym if available unless you have specific goals eg wanting to be able to do certain moves.

[Sway]

Yep, built like a racing snake! Eat shedloads too, much to friends chagrin.

As for hotel gyms, because of their inconsistency in terms of equipment (many just having cardio machines) , a general level of discomfort using generic machines instead of free weights (as you've noted, I'm not a normal shape!) , the complete lack of any form of gym etiquette (far, far worse than in a subscriber gym) and also timing.

Ultimately, I'm an antisocial git. Plus massively bought into the benefits of appropriate resistance bands instead of weights, may just be hype but essentially I'm working muscle fibre against muscle fibre.

Happy with my resistance bands at home (training when I get home on a Thursday evening and again watching Top Gear on a Sunday) and wouldn't have thought adding more heavy resistance ssessions would be advisable? - suppose I could use the hotel gym for a cali session as then I'm only relying on them having a mat... If they have pull up bar/dip station then all the better, if not I can rig something up in the room.

[Hoofy]

If there's a lat pull down machine, just pop the pin into the heaviest setting and do pull ups on that.

[Sway]

Hoofy said:

If there's a lat pull down machine, just pop the pin into the heaviest setting and do pull ups on that.

Now that suddenly gives that machine a use. Up til now, due to my scrawny legs, even on the lowest setting the leg pads don't hold me to the seat, leading to me just pulling myself up until I hit the pads, then due to the angle pain swiftly ensues...

[jaedba2604]

Sway said:

Hoofy said:

If there's a lat pull down machine, just pop the pin into the heaviest setting and do pull ups on that.

Now that suddenly gives that machine a use. Up til now, due to my scrawny legs, even on the lowest setting the leg pads don't hold me to the seat, leading to me just pulling myself up until I hit the pads, then due to the angle pain swiftly ensues...

take a couple of pillows out of your room...I find the lat pull down machine useful for adding a few more reps at a slightly lower weight than my bodyweight.

[Ordinary_Chap]

Its all about what works for you and if you're getting results then great!

Are you trying to gain muscle or just improve your core?

Lee

[Sway]

Ordinary_Chap said:

Its all about what works for you and if you're getting results then great!

Are you trying to gain muscle or just improve your core?

Lee

Both of course!

Core strength will be vital for racing long distances - essentially the sport is a permanent state of imbalance, so a strong core is necessary to allow the distance. Equally, the vast majority of the power in the stroke comes from the core, so strength equals speed.

I'd also like more muscle mass for two reasons - aesthetics and sprinting. Getting away well at the start is important to prevent getting caught up in the pack, and if it comes down to a sprint finish sheer strength and power are going to be the order of the day.

Not looking for quick fixes - looking at the long run. Doing the triple exercise heavy loads twice a week that you guys rrecommended is having a noticeable effect, across my whole body (which you pointed out in my last thread...).

You and Hoofy also recommended cali to support the weights, hence this thread as I just didn't feel confident my approach was correct.

[Sway]

http://www.sam-ross.co.uk/sup/techniques/

Here's a video a mate made to show the technique, and give you an idea of the sport.

[Hoofy]

Sounds too much like hard work to me.

[Sway]

Hoofy said:

Sounds too much like hard work to me.

As a teenager I used to do marathon kayak racing. Far harder work, and without the benefit of standing up so you can enjoy the view.

Without derailing the thread, do a YouTube search for surfsup to see why it can also be a bloody good laugh.

Nothing better than gliding along a canal/river in the early morning, or paddling out through beachbreak to turn around and carve into a nice wave, without spending half the time lying in the water and having to battle back out...

[Halb]

BW exercises.
Have a frontal/sagital plane movement.
A horizontal/vertical push/pull.
And some transverse movements, add a little explosiveness and you've got a full work-out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_plane
http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2012/04/integrating-...

[Sway]

Hoofy, tried a few of the movements I wasn't familiar with from your routine - let's just say that I need to start much slower, and the film will be appearing on You've been framed!

Halb - thanks for those links, if I'm honest I kind of see the principles in there, but it's not making much sense to me.

Anyone got any thoughts to Mark Lauren's You are your own gym approach? Just downloaded an app he's done onto my samsung. 4different levels of workouts, based on 4days over 10 weeks. Thinking I may take the 'power' workouts and do them twice a week, with the strength side coming from the twice weekly band workouts.

Thoughts?

[Hoofy]

Sway said:

Hoofy, tried a few of the movements I wasn't familiar with from your routine - let's just say that I need to start much slower, and the film will be appearing on You've been framed!

I didn't mean for you to try that routine. I was merely giving an example of what's possible. You can injure yourself if you haven't trained up to some of the stuff I listed (front levers, planches) - they require a good deal of supporting strength in muscles that aren't normally activated to the required degree of force in other lifting training routines. For example, front lever requires you to lift your body up in a straight line which engages the abs and intercostals plus a component of downward pushing force with straight arms (notably different to doing pull ups) and overall core strength. A year ago, I stupidly tried a full front lever without training up to it and injured my back (wtf??) for a good month; I can only guess that the upward force of the upper body is fighting the downward force of gravity in the lower body so essentially I was tearing myself in half! It began with the thought, "How difficult can it be? I see teenagers doing it on YouTube."

For most of the advanced bodyweight workouts there are often intermediate and beginner versions to get your body used to it.

I've heard some good things about YAYOG!

Edited by Hoofy on Sunday 3rd March 17:11

[Hoofy]

Oh, with Halb's links, basically, think about the directions your body can move in - a 3D world. So:
-something that takes effort to move your body forwards and backwards (horizontal rows and variations of push ups),
-something to move your body upwards and downwards (squats and shoulder presses/handstand push ups),
-something to move your body sideways (I guess something like oblique crunches, side planks, human flags... KIDDING WITH THE LAST ONE!)

I've often wondered about the benefits of side pushups. Make a side plank and do one handed push ups. I guess it would hit the shoulders. I tried it once and managed to lower myself. Then decided I wasn't going anywhere else.

Edited by Hoofy on Sunday 3rd March 17:21

[LimaDelta]

Sway said:

Anyone got any thoughts to Mark Lauren's You are your own gym approach? Just downloaded an app he's done onto my samsung. 4different levels of workouts, based on 4days over 10 weeks. Thinking I may take the 'power' workouts and do them twice a week, with the strength side coming from the twice weekly band workouts.

Thoughts?

Half way through the basic level YAYOG program and so far so good! Had to cut back on my running to make time for the workouts, but really enjoying it and can feel (and see) the benefit. Could have maybe started with the intermediate level as some of the exercises seem a bit easy (though you can tweak them to suit), but wanted to make sure I had a good foundation to work from without causing unnecessary pain or injury.

The key I think is consistency, and as his workouts are short, and you can do them pretty much anywhere with a chair, door and table, you have no excuse for missing a session.