Comments for Legendary Strength Blog http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog The Ultimate in Strength and Athleticism Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:24:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 Comment on My First Experience with Z-Health by Dan Cenidoza http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/my-first-experience-with-z-health/#comment-38 Dan Cenidoza Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:14:12 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/my-first-experience-with-z-health/#comment-38 Logan, Thank you for the post. I've been interested in Z Health for some time but have yet to get around to really learning it. Glad to hear from you that it has potential. -Dan Logan,

Thank you for the post. I’ve been interested in Z Health for some time but have yet to get around to really learning it. Glad to hear from you that it has potential.

-Dan

]]> Comment on Kettlebells and Arm Wrestling by Logan http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/kettlebells-and-arm-wrestling/#comment-35 Logan Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:26:57 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/kettlebells-and-arm-wrestling/#comment-35 Yeah Mike. I didn't mean to say that kettlebells couldn't help or that arm wrestlers only need strong arms. They do need full body strength because arm wrestling is a full body sport, just the weak link tends to be the arm and hand. The drills you mentioned could be very helpful. Plus just holding a kettlebell in the rack and generating tension could undoubtedly help the starting position. Logan Yeah Mike. I didn’t mean to say that kettlebells couldn’t help or that arm wrestlers only need strong arms. They do need full body strength because arm wrestling is a full body sport, just the weak link tends to be the arm and hand.

The drills you mentioned could be very helpful. Plus just holding a kettlebell in the rack and generating tension could undoubtedly help the starting position.

Logan

]]> Comment on Kettlebells and Arm Wrestling by Mike Capper http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/kettlebells-and-arm-wrestling/#comment-34 Mike Capper Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:21:28 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/kettlebells-and-arm-wrestling/#comment-34 Hi Logan I would have thought the Bottoms up press (BUP) would be a good movement for arm wrestlers. Also from what I know about Arm wrestlers they need all over strength not just arm strength, similar to steel bending, so any core work, stuff that strengthens the shoulders would all be good, so I'm thinking a routine based around some heavy grinds such as Get Ups Bottoms Up Press, Other presses with different grips would work - Cheers Mike Capper RKC www.kettlebellsnz.com Cheers Mikework Hi Logan
I would have thought the Bottoms up press (BUP) would be a good movement for arm wrestlers. Also from what I know about Arm wrestlers they need all over strength not just arm strength, similar to steel bending, so any core work, stuff that strengthens the shoulders would all be good, so I’m thinking a routine based around some heavy grinds such as Get Ups Bottoms Up Press, Other presses with different grips would work - Cheers Mike Capper RKC www.kettlebellsnz.com
Cheers Mikework

]]> Comment on What is Functional Strength? by Mick http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-32 Mick Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:12:20 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-32 Many people have made excellent points, but in my opinion, this is getting needlessly complicated. Functional strength is, quite simply, strength which, regardless of how it is obtained, is readily usable in real world scenarios, meaning outside the gym. To illustrate: I have a friend who can bench press 280 pounds (not that it's relevant, but he weighs in at 240)... an impressive feat, to be sure. However, he was recently unable to retrieve his wife's cat from a tree, because he was unable to do the single pull-up or chin-up that would have enabled him to climb the tree. Similarly, I have an acquaintance who can crack off 40 pull-ups on demand, yet for some reason, is unable to give his 7 year old daughter a piggyback ride, and he has no known injuries. Now what if he one day *needed* to grab his daughter and carry her, possibly at a run? The adrenaline surge may allow him to do so, but it may not. To once again use the benchpress as an example, since so many view it as a hallmark of strength (I think the deadlift, snatch, or overhead press would be a better hallmark), ask yourself the question: how many times, in the real world, will one be called upon to lie on one's back, on an even surface, and press a perfectly balanced weight above one's chest? Furthermore, how often will this perfectly balanced weight be securely mounted to a bar, allowing a stable grip, with minimum weight shift during the movement? Not very often. someone who can benchpress a 200 lb sandbag, or a barrel filled nearly full with 200 lbs of water, perhaps even lying on an uneven surface (meaning the ground) would have more functional strength than someone who could only accomplish this feet with an evenly balanced 200 lb barbell. I am also confident they would be stronger if they were to lift a barbell. This point was excellently addressed in the 'Batman Begins' film, when Michael Caine as 'Alfred' shouts, "What good are all those push-ups if you can't lift a bloody log!?" I'll sum up as I began: Functional strength is strength which, regardless of how it was obtained, has a substantial carryover to real world demands, whatever those may be. Many people have made excellent points, but in my opinion, this is getting needlessly complicated.

Functional strength is, quite simply, strength which, regardless of how it is obtained, is readily usable in real world scenarios, meaning outside the gym.

To illustrate:

I have a friend who can bench press 280 pounds (not that it’s relevant, but he weighs in at 240)… an impressive feat, to be sure. However, he was recently unable to retrieve his wife’s cat from a tree, because he was unable to do the single pull-up or chin-up that would have enabled him to climb the tree.

Similarly, I have an acquaintance who can crack off 40 pull-ups on demand, yet for some reason, is unable to give his 7 year old daughter a piggyback ride, and he has no known injuries. Now what if he one day *needed* to grab his daughter and carry her, possibly at a run? The adrenaline surge may allow him to do so, but it may not.

To once again use the benchpress as an example, since so many view it as a hallmark of strength (I think the deadlift, snatch, or overhead press would be a better hallmark), ask yourself the question: how many times, in the real world, will one be called upon to lie on one’s back, on an even surface, and press a perfectly balanced weight above one’s chest? Furthermore, how often will this perfectly balanced weight be securely mounted to a bar, allowing a stable grip, with minimum weight shift during the movement? Not very often. someone who can benchpress a 200 lb sandbag, or a barrel filled nearly full with 200 lbs of water, perhaps even lying on an uneven surface (meaning the ground) would have more functional strength than someone who could only accomplish this feet with an evenly balanced 200 lb barbell. I am also confident they would be stronger if they were to lift a barbell.

This point was excellently addressed in the ‘Batman Begins’ film, when Michael Caine as ‘Alfred’ shouts, “What good are all those push-ups if you can’t lift a bloody log!?”

I’ll sum up as I began:

Functional strength is strength which, regardless of how it was obtained, has a substantial carryover to real world demands, whatever those may be.

]]> Comment on What is Functional Strength? by aaron http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-31 aaron Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:46:56 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-31 Hello logan, lol the three movements of powerlifting has always been the basic movements of functional training. give me any client today to train and after the rehab phase for postural problems and corrections, the first lift ill put them to do will be the deadlift. following that will of course be the squat and bench. looking to put on serious mass? what can beat the squat program at its game? furthermore, tons of information available today on strength training are but commercial nonsense meant to hoodwink money out of common folks who are clueless about such things. olympic throwers and powerlifters though massive, are able to compete with track athletes and give them a run for their money, speeds for their 100m dashes are but slightly slower than world class sprinters. being able to squat 2x bodyweight is probably a stat that speaks volumes of the athlete's bw to strength ratio, so this aint a question i guess, just a matter of perception. Yours in strength too, aaron Hello logan,

lol the three movements of powerlifting has always been the basic movements of
functional training. give me any client today to train and after the rehab phase for
postural
problems and corrections, the first lift ill put them to do will be the deadlift.
following that will of course be the squat and bench. looking to put on serious
mass? what can beat the
squat program at its game? furthermore, tons of information available today on strength
training are but commercial nonsense meant to hoodwink money out of common folks who
are clueless about such things. olympic throwers and powerlifters though
massive, are able to compete with track athletes and give them a run for their
money, speeds for their 100m dashes are but slightly slower than world class
sprinters. being able to squat 2x bodyweight is probably a stat that speaks volumes
of the athlete’s bw to strength ratio, so
this aint a question i guess, just a matter of perception.

Yours in strength too,
aaron

]]> Comment on More on Odd Object Lifting by Rob Russell http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/more-on-odd-object-lifting/#comment-30 Rob Russell Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:32:04 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/more-on-odd-object-lifting/#comment-30 Great piece of metal Logan, almost looks like it was manufactured for guys like ourselves! WOuld love to get hold of one of those boys! Have you tried swinging it? Throwing it? Or maybe just carrying it for distance would be a superb conditioning exercise. Cheers R Great piece of metal Logan, almost looks like it was manufactured for guys like ourselves!
WOuld love to get hold of one of those boys!

Have you tried swinging it? Throwing it? Or maybe just carrying it for distance would be a superb conditioning exercise.
Cheers
R

]]> Comment on What is Functional Strength? by Rob Russell http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-29 Rob Russell Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:27:37 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-29 In my opinion there are many ways to become explosive, large and flexible. Many college athletes arrive at this point simply because of the varieties of training forms they are exposed to. As college athlete myself in the 90's I seemed invincible and almost injury proof. I spent all week and all weekend training hard, with all the above exercises. However, bench and squat do make you strong and can make you very explosive if done in the correct manner. Although they will not make you powerful alone they can make up part of the jigsaw. Add to this sprints, plyo's, olympic lifts and circuit training and you will be somewhere close. Cheers Rob In my opinion there are many ways to become explosive, large and flexible. Many college athletes arrive at this point simply because of the varieties of training forms they are exposed to. As college athlete myself in the 90’s I seemed invincible and almost injury proof. I spent all week and all weekend training hard, with all the above exercises. However, bench and squat do make you strong and can make you very explosive if done in the correct manner. Although they will not make you powerful alone they can make up part of the jigsaw. Add to this sprints, plyo’s, olympic lifts and circuit training and you will be somewhere close.
Cheers Rob

]]> Comment on What is Functional Strength? by J http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-28 J Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:41:39 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-28 Not so sure how bench press, and deadlifts really improve your 40. I understand forceful hip extension like those in RDL's are similar to the same hip extensions used in sprinting, but all in all training is specific. You want to up lower your 40, then you need to train the high powered sprinting muscles for doing just that. I'm all about ground based, and suspension based training, none of that machine nonsense. I think kettlebells are a useful tool, but dumbbells are cheaper, adjustable, more common, and to swear by either would be ignorant. A great bench, deadlift, and squat are impressive feats of strength, but don't have a whole lot of carryover, unless the athlete is detrained, or deconditioned from weight training. Stick with the moves the human body was designed to excel at, vary your tempo, and use the minimal amount of support that you can get away with to ensure overall body stability. J Not so sure how bench press, and deadlifts really improve your 40. I understand forceful hip extension like those in RDL’s are similar to the same hip extensions used in sprinting, but all in all training is specific. You want to up lower your 40, then you need to train the high powered sprinting muscles for doing just that. I’m all about ground based, and suspension based training, none of that machine nonsense. I think kettlebells are a useful tool, but dumbbells are cheaper, adjustable, more common, and to swear by either would be ignorant. A great bench, deadlift, and squat are impressive feats of strength, but don’t have a whole lot of carryover, unless the athlete is detrained, or deconditioned from weight training. Stick with the moves the human body was designed to excel at, vary your tempo, and use the minimal amount of support that you can get away with to ensure overall body stability. J

]]> Comment on What is Functional Strength? by Carter http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-27 Carter Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:41:14 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-27 Everything has it's place. Of course with numbers like that you would be strong. The thing with the squat, bench, and deadlift is the fixed positions. If you looked at each of the exercises you have positions you should be in throughout the movement to provide the most stable and joint friendly positions to complete the move with optimum power and more importantly, safety. Now the kettlebell, keg lifts, sandbags and so on create positions that we often do see in everyday life but some of us do. Our construction workers to even people working out in there yard are picking things up, dead weight, from the ground with a rounded back using there finger tips as the only means of grip. These are the positions if not strengthened can cause serious help problems. Your spine has to hold up to stress not only in an anatomically correct position but those that are not as well. This is what functional strength is, your body's ability to handle whatever life throws at it and come out the better. Hope this makes sense and helps answer the question. Train hard, Don't cheat yourself! Carter Everything has it’s place. Of course with numbers like that you would be strong. The thing with the squat, bench, and deadlift is the fixed positions. If you looked at each of the exercises you have positions you should be in throughout the movement to provide the most stable and joint friendly positions to complete the move with optimum power and more importantly, safety. Now the kettlebell, keg lifts, sandbags and so on create positions that we often do see in everyday life but some of us do. Our construction workers to even people working out in there yard are picking things up, dead weight, from the ground with a rounded back using there finger tips as the only means of grip. These are the positions if not strengthened can cause serious help problems. Your spine has to hold up to stress not only in an anatomically correct position but those that are not as well. This is what functional strength is, your body’s ability to handle whatever life throws at it and come out the better. Hope this makes sense and helps answer the question. Train hard, Don’t cheat yourself! Carter

]]> Comment on What is Functional Strength? by Ron http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-26 Ron Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:40:54 +0000 http://www.legendarystrength.com/blog/what-is-functional-strength/#comment-26 I agree with the letter you sent. Working out with weights can indeed improve your functional strength as well as your weight lifting strength. Of course you have to know what you are doing and pick the right exercises. I now do only body weight training. Mainly because I am 68 years old and think that body weight exercises have less potential to injure me. I have never been interested in it, but if you are in to body building traditional weight lifting is the only way. If you really want to compete at the high levels, steroids seem necessary. Not for me even I was young. Ron I agree with the letter you sent. Working out with weights can indeed improve your functional strength as well as your weight lifting strength. Of course you have to know what you are doing and pick the right exercises. I now do only body weight training. Mainly because I am 68 years old and think that body weight exercises have less potential to injure me. I have never been interested in it, but if you are in to body building traditional weight lifting is the only way. If you really want to compete at the high levels, steroids seem necessary. Not for me even I was young. Ron

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