Thinking outside the box

[big4life]

We all know that there are the core lifts that everyone should do, but do you ever step outside the box and try non conventional lifts or programs to supplement your routine?

I have been experimenting with gambetta's functional fitness approach, as a supplement to my regular workout routine. It focusses on strength, agility, flexibility, endurance, and speed. I don't follow the entire program, I just cherry pick the ideas that will help me with flexibilty and endurance, the two areas I want to improve on with this program.


What type of training do you do when you think outside the box that we usually associate with fitness?

 

[super_rice]

I think a big part of training is that people forget about all the other aspects of their physical well being. Weightlifters sometimes forget that sometimes it's not all technique, you still have to be strong; powerlifters may forget about flexibility and athleticism; and bodybuilders may forget to lift p).



This lesson became clear to me when I had taken up oly weightlifting full time. I stopped playing most of the competitive sports that defined me (volleyball, baseball, hockey) and concentrated a bit too much on WL. Doing so hit my cardiovascular system hard and became apparent when I'd get winded playing 15 minutes of basketball. Now, I have picked up hockey again on my off days, and included a lot of stretching, and GPP type stuff that has benefitted my work capacity and speed/explosiveness more than straight lifting could have.

Long winded, but just remember that all aspects of your body contribute to the final product.

 

[theprofessor]

I think a big part of training is that people forget about all the other aspects of their physical well being. Weightlifters sometimes forget that sometimes it's not all technique, you still have to be strong; powerlifters may forget about flexibility and athleticism; and bodybuilders may forget to lift p).



This lesson became clear to me when I had taken up oly weightlifting full time. I stopped playing most of the competitive sports that defined me (volleyball, baseball, hockey) and concentrated a bit too much on WL. Doing so hit my cardiovascular system hard and became apparent when I'd get winded playing 15 minutes of basketball. Now, I have picked up hockey again on my off days, and included a lot of stretching, and GPP type stuff that has benefitted my work capacity and speed/explosiveness more than straight lifting could have.

Long winded, but just remember that all aspects of your body contribute to the final product.

 

[blut wump]

One thing to bear in mind is that you can't expect to make good progress in too many things at once. You have to choose a small number of aspects of your training to concentrate on improving significantly and everything else either gets some maintenance work or gets neglected until its turn comes around.

As a newbie you can improve across the board as your fitness levels seem to soar but newbie gains quickly fizzle out and then it gets harder not to have to specialize. The thinner you spread yourself then the less will be the gains in any one aspect. At the same time, you can't allow too many aspects to atrophy.

 

[KillahBee]

I was doing Core Performance for a while and still make it a point to incorporate a lot of bodyweight core and flexibility work into my training.

also used some strongman training in the past (sleds, farmers walk, etc), which was the most fun I have ever had

 

[big4life]

I was doing Core Performance for a while and still make it a point to incorporate a lot of bodyweight core and flexibility work into my training.

also used some strongman training in the past (sleds, farmers walk, etc), which was the most fun I have ever had

I want to get back into doing strongman type lifting, hopefully by the middle of the summer. I like the break it gives me from being in the gym.

 

[fortunatesun]

Lately I've been doing Litvinov's workout. He was a (Lithuianian?) hammer thrower that would do a set of 5 front squats @ over 400lbs. and then run 400 meters immediately afterwards. It's been adapted in various forms.

Unlike Litvinov, I do mine just once a week.I started one day when I was just doing light squats with an easy pace. Each week I up the intensity. Running is something I usually hate doing, but this has been painless and fun. For some reason, after taking an amount of weight down deep, hauling your bodyweight seems a breeze. I usually need some extra nap time afterwards, but my beat-up middle aged legs actually feel more energetic the next day than with the normal workout.

 

[Chambewy20]

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/gym.htm

I drag sled becuz chicks think its hawt....

Yeah right, I'm just a chubby powerlifter wannabe.... but I'm okay with it.