weights and kung fu

[ged]

just a quick check...

if im trying to lose weight (not much, just tone up my stomach) and doing lots of cardio, i should avoid weights routines that lead to size, and concentrate more on strength routines? like that russian guy?

any suggestions? or names of topics thatve covered this would be good. thanks in advance for anyone that replies.

[IronFist]

Generally speaking, "weight routines that lead to size" will leave you sore. This means you may not be able to train MA properly, and might have trouble running or doing whatever other cardio you do. Strength training the way Pavel does it doesn't really leave you sore (except the first day or two if you're adapting to a new movement), so I find it compliments MA training. However, it doesn't burn many calories in and of itself. Perhaps kettlebells? Lots of people at Pavel's forum say kettlebells have caused them to lose a bunch of weight.

www.dragondoor.com is his site.

IronFist

[ged]

hehe, as reliable as always ironfist :) thanks for the site, im checking it out right now.

[ged]

ok, ive gone through that site a few times... there's a few things id appreciate clarification on.

http://www.dragondoor.com/pavel_routines.html

i like the idea of doing small workouts several times a week and not feeling sore... so ive started a kind of a cross between the bear and the PTP workouts.. im hoping that if i eat lots of the right foods and do lots of running, ill be able to lose some fat and maybe put on a little bit of muscle at the same time... if this doesnt work, at least ill gain some strength.

with regards to not training to failure - is this meant to be just 1 or 2 reps short of failure? or maybe only 5 reps of a weight that a max is 10 reps on?

im just doing the deadlift and benchpress at the moment... it says curl optional (im guessing because biceps arent targeted by either of those exercises). what about bent-over dumbbell rows? that would add in the upper back.. and deadlifts always seem to target my hamstrings and lower back more than my upper back.

lastly... so a cycle is 8-12 workouts. when this cycle is finished, what do you guys reccommend? stopping workouts altogether, changing to maybe a pushups program, etc? if so, how long before i start another cycle?

lastly.. those ab wheels... heh. best abs exercise ive ever done i think. im having trouble in the transition from knees to feet, but ill get there... isometrics seem to help.

thanks for anyone whos got some advice/comments on that.

[ged]

bump

[IronFist]

How can you combine bear and PTP?

with regards to not training to failure - is this meant to be just 1 or 2 reps short of failure? or maybe only 5 reps of a weight that a max is 10 reps on?

It depends on the exericise. Are you talking about Bear style or ladders or just things in general?

so a cycle is 8-12 workouts. when this cycle is finished, what do you guys reccommend? stopping workouts altogether, changing to maybe a pushups program, etc? if so, how long before i start another cycle?


8-16 workouts is the average, assuming you picked a good starting weight. For Bench and DL, the starting weight is a weight you can do 10 reps with, except you only do 5. After the cycle is over, take 2-4 days off and then start over with a starting weight 5-10 pounds heavier than the first cycle.

Does this help? Answer my questions and I can help you more.

IronFist

[ged]

thanks, that did help.

combining PTP and bear - sorry, should of been more specific..
i swap around bear and PTP depending on how long since ive last done the workout - it says bear - 2-4x a week, PTP 5x a week... so i might do bear one day, then if i work out the next day ill do PTP... but if i wait 2 days between workouts then ill do bear again (which leaves me much more sore). what do you think, that this is a bad idea? ive also been doing PTP for deadlifts some days, and for bench, the greater set numbers that it says for bear.

im interested about the theory behind taking a weight i can do 10 reps of and only doing 5 - ive been doing heavier weights than that (relatively). its a relief to learn that i can make gains using lighter weights though.

thanks for the info - its definitely appreciated. you're probably tired of telling countless people details about pavel - i know i would be.. if you are, any links to greater detail about these workouts would be appreciated. i could only find that one summary... i went looking for one of his books the other day in a sports store and a bookshop, but they didnt have any. ill keep my eyes open though.