ExRx.net

I just read an article about some Somali pirates who tried to attack a French Navy vessel after they mistook it for a comercial ship. I think somebody needs glasses.

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall the exact moment they realized their mistake. That must have been one heck of an "Oh S***" moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLl8rGhJvE&NR=1

Konstantinov doing 55 pull ups.

There's not many Powerlifters close to his weight that can do anywhere near that in pull ups. I like this guy more and more - not really because of that video, but just from keeping an eye on him the last year or 2. I like his training and he's strong as hell.

KPj

That is pretty impressive, but those are kipping pull-ups, so it's not quite as impressive as it sounds. However, I wish I could do 55 kipping pull-ups!

I didn't think there was much emphasis on the 'kip', but he deffinitly does it to an extent. However, it's just amazing to see a guy so big handle his bodyweight like he does. Normally when guys are that size/weight, Bodybuilders and Powerlifters alike, they can't do many pull ups or even weighted pull ups - especially the steriod using BB's, and the fat PL's. I've heard a few big guys say it's harder for them because they are so heavy, but.... Is it really? I wouldn't know, but, I can't help but think that if I kept doing pull ups like I do now, then if I put on whatever amount of mass, I would still be able to do them... I don't think going from 145 to 175 has made pull ups any harder at all for me. But I always train them hard so maybe that's the answer, or maybe going from 145 to 175 is a different ball game from 175-195 (and beyond)...

You may of checked other videos but if not, here's 6reps with 110lbs hanging from him! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXO6urbP ... annel_page

One thing i've took from Konstantinovs recently is the DL's starting from the top - but NOT an RDL. there's a video of that, too. He, starts from a sort of high rack pull them the stands are taken away by spotters, he then lowers it to the floor and continues to do another few reps. Obviously this is to get use of the stretch reflex via the eccentric phase at the start. I've not really got the equipment for that, but i'm trying to figure out a way.

There's a couple of quite strong guys in my gym who will say, "got a triple with XYZ the other night". What that actually means is, they done a near one rep max, horrible looking form, then bounced the weight off the floor for another 2 reps. To me, a triple is - 1 rep, re set, 1 rep, re set, 1 rep, finish. I've tried bouncing off the floor (after a discussion on here with Kenny Croxdale regarding stretch relfex - a while ago), but it just feels very fake, it helps a lot more than you would think. What Konstantinov has been doing is a nice middle ground - you're getting the eccentric phase but there's no need for a big bounce off the floor.

I may of went over board there lol, what can i say - it's been on my mind a lot.

KPj

I need to rant, and this seems like a nice place to do it.

I got asked the following question from my g/fs friend.

"what will tone my thighs best- walking, jogging, the stepper, or the cross trainer, because i've been doing them all and nothings working".

I'm starting to develop a real conscience for these people. It's one thing to say, "stop eating crap and binge drinking then!", and then criticise the use of the word 'tone', but, sometimes 'people that know better' can forget that 'other people', even though they try, really don't know any better. When they try and do somethign about it, they naturally turn to aerobic exercise because that's what they're told. When they diet, they either starv themselves, or try somekind of fad diet, or go on weight watchers or go to diet classes or something because that's what they're told.

This same girl has been doing exercise, all aerobic, AND, she's been attending diet classes. I think, a year+ ago, I would of scoffed at it, but I just feel sorry for her (and people like her). Think about it - doing exercise AND going to diet classes. What else can she do? She's made the effort to do something, and she's trying to learn about diet through these classes and follow the guidelines in these classes. What does she get told? Well, I don't know all the details, but I do know that Friday is a "non-eating day". WTF!!!!!! Plus all the aerobic crap. Her diet instructor or whatever the hell you call them should be shot. In my experience with these diet class people, it's normally someone who's went from about 350lbs to about 250lbs, and still look fat - smaller versions of their former selfs, and this is what makes them a pro. 100lbs of weight loss is impresive by any means, but 100lbs of weight loss when your, like 200lbs overweight, whilst impressive, only REALLY means your half way there. Great, you stopped eating takeaways ever night, stopped drinking so much every night, stopped eating countless amount sof crap and started having 3 square meals per day like your mother always told you to. Well done. Doesn't REALLY give you the right to take people under your bingo wings, does it? I'm sure there's good classes out there but these types are popping up a lot.

So, at the end of the day, you're left with a girl who is obviously unhappy with herself and is obviously putting in the effort (doing what she's told) and is obviously getting no where. It's no wonder it's so hard to talk some sense into them, when they've been filled with so much crap already. Someone who's been lied to all their life generally has an issue trusting people. And overweight people who genuinely put in the effort but get told a lot of rubbish and don't get anywhere will generally doubt most other things they're told, eventually. There's also no denying that some overwight people are clearly searching for quick fixes and other things that mean they don't need to change their lifestyle, but you need to have sympathy for the people that do try, but just get led down the wrong path.

'Fat loss' was never really my thing, but i'm getting more and more interested in it. I think it's because, "lifting heavy things" can and should be part of the solution. But, there's also a big market for it, and, you can genuinely help a lot of people, and I don't actually think it's all that complicated - 'bodybuilding type' goals aside, which are obviously different ball games.

Encase anyone's interested and/or read this far, I replied "you're asking the wrong questions. Come down to our house on Friday for dinner and i'll educate you a little". I planned on cooking a nice meal from Precision Nutrition - all of which are very tastey, and are/can be eaten as part of a fat loss plan. I thought it would be a good way to provide an insight. This is when I found out Friday is a non-eating day - so she can't/won't have dinner with us. It's a crazy world we're living in.

* deep breath *

KPj

Having moved house i found a new gym to join last week, was in there for the first time last night.

i get into my workout, and after a warm up, i went to the power rack to get some squatting done, just as i got into my heavy sets, the "trainer" comes over (mid squat) and starts telling me about the supplements they sell and about these fantastic JUICE PLUS tablets,

I attempt to ignore him and continue to the end of my set, he continues to try and sell me on these things for the next 2 minutes and i politely decline, telling him i eat real food and don't really bother too much with supplements.

I then go to do my next set and he follows me to the bar standing right behind me and waffling on about how they're better than real fruit and veg blah blah blah, one more time I politely decline and atteempt to continue my set, unrack the bar, step back, and bam!!! he's right behind me, i stumble backwards, drop the bar and 200lbs comes rattling down onto his shin/toe.

He goes crazy, tells me i dropped it on him on purpose and i get banned from the gym!

It was a genuine accident..... but i couldn't help but get a strange sense of satisfaction watching him try not to cry!

I think i'm going to hell!

Go talk to the manager, but don't giggle when you do so.

To KPj:

On my wife's insistence I tried Weight Watchers, I did okay but it taught me nothing and gained the 6kg I lost back after I stopped. The Reason I stopped is because of a "Group Leader" like you mentioned. She was asking how people were going and one woman said "I haven't lost any weight for 2 months, I started lifting weights and I've gone down 2 dress sizes but I weight the same so I must be gaining muscle and losing fat, which feels great!" I sat back and though "that's great this woman is on the right track, forget the scales think about measurements, good for you!" thent he "Group Leader" chimes in with "No you can't turn fat into muscle!" So the lady says "But muscle weighs more than fat!" To which the "Group Leader" says "A kg is a kg so you haven't lost any weight!" So I say "But the size is different, 1 kg of Muscle is much smaller than 1kg of fat because of the density of the tissue!" After a confused look by the "Fearless Leader" she repeats "A kg is a kg!" So after realising how dumb WW was I walked out and got a Big Mac!

The ExRx forum has helped much more, I'm now eating a lot more real food and being a lot less lazy and I've dropped 12kg since March! My problem is that all the info on how to lose weight and be healthy is in my brain, I'm just pretty lazy! If all fat people could admit they're just a bit lazy and/or use food for comfort they could either get fit or at least start to be happy with themselves! I'm a happy person. I just want to get a bit thinner and fitter before I have kids so I can keep up with them and not be a crappy dad!

Oh and that Friday is a non-eating day, that's just f**ked up! You can thank the marketing industry for most of the diet related issues in todays society, unfortunately today's kids (and a lot of adults) believe TV more than their parents, then they grow up to be parents and pass on the misinformation! It's a sinister situation really!

John

John - That's exactly the attitude that really gets to me. And I agree - the media is deffinitly largely responsible for all the crap going around. I also think the goverment is pretty ignorant aswell.

I actually know someone very well who lost 100lbs on weight watchers. But, sort of like the example i mentioned in my rant, he weighed ~365lbs before. He done it in just over a year. And, for the last 1 - 1.5 years, he's been spinning his wheels at 265-ish. Completely stalled. I think WW has excellent value in giving people an easy to understand method of getting control of their life. In certain populations, that alone has alot of value, but in my opinion, that's as far as the benefits go.

I remember having a debate in work about WW. I basically said I didn't think much of it at all, and I was getting things back like, "i've lost 20lbs on WW before". And, "BUT, BUT - they have 'slimmers of the year' and stuff'. I generally stear clear of bickering over this stuff now, so I kind of left it at that. Inside I was screaming, "oh yeah, 20 lbs?? Well if it's that good, why are you still atleast 30lbs overweight, and have been doing WW for about 3 years!!!!!"

Then, out of curiousity, I took home one of those point charts. I wrote down one of my meals - an omelette from precision nutrition. I counted up the points - 25. Then I checked my daily allowance of points - 25!!!!!!! (may have been 24, or 26, can't remember exactly)

I wreckon I eat about 150 weight watchers points a day!!! An egg was like, 4-5 points if I remember correctly. You seem to get penalised for protein and fat. One good thing is that most veggies have zero points - which makes people think that veggies have no calories lol. The whole points thing also created a unique loop hole - you can 'plan' a binge (be it food or alcohol), by 'saving up' your points. Essentially starving yourself. It just misses the point, really...

Anyway, that's more than I intended to say about WW, lol.

KPj

Yeah the whole mentality that it sets up is out of kilter! I can't preach too much, as I said I know what to do but I just don't do it, I'm too impulsive about food! That said I'm realistic about it! I know why I'm fat, I know how to get thinner and yeah I'm kinda doing stuff about it, but what it comes down to is I'm not blaming anyone or anything else for where I am today! As it is I'm at a stage like you're friend but to a lesser extent, at 6 feet tall I was 300lbs a few years ago and now I'm 240lbs, but I don't preach to people that I know any secrets to losing weight "cause I've done it", I ain't done crap, I just got to a lower level of Obesity!

I also agree about the government, Australia's is the same! Turn a blind eye to it, it'll go away, people need to think for themselves etc. is all they say! But what about 5, 10 or 20 years down the track when the public health system is over run with obesity related issues? Well more so than it is now I should say!

I started a "gym instructor" course this weekend (I need that to get into PT courses). Anyway.... I don't know where to start on this one.

First thing that will amuse everyone is the diet recommendations that I need to learn. FYI - this break down applies to EVERYONE, 'across the board', regardless of what you're training for...

30% fat, 15% protein, 55% carbs

I'll just type that again to make sure you read it

30% fat, 15% protein, 55% carbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's a few things that make me want to throw myself under a buss, but that's one of the biggest.

So, "you only need about one helping of meat per day".

Other random puke-in-my-mouth nonsense...

"NEVER!!!!! Stretch a muscle cold. ALWAYS warm the muscle up. It could snap if you stretch it cold". So, THAT's why physiotherapists spend half of your 20minute session putting you through a warm up on a treadmill before they treat you (treatment usually includes stretching). Note the sarcasm here. I've been to few physio's and not one has spent 5-10 minutes warming me up.

There was more, but I still can't see past the protein stuff. A while after it, he asked if we had any questions. To his credit, he said "don't read something in a text book or listen to me telling you something and just assume it's set in stone - always ask WHY". That's genuinely great advice. So I asked why more than half our intake should come from carbs, said I couldn't get my head round it, and it didn't make sense to me that a guy who runs about 30 miles per week and has an active day job should have the same breakdown as someone who only lifts heavy stuff 3 times per week and has a desk job. He does what most skinny fat cardio freaks say when I have this discussion, and put words in my mouth. He started talking about what would happen if your itnake ONLY came from protein, but I stopped him and said "I would never recommend NO carbs, just LOW carbs". Then he started banging on about kidney problems from loads of protein and all the other mythical nonsense you hear. I smell vegetarian.

Had to get that off my chest. You don't know how hard it is to sit biting your tongue in there. I'm making an effort to not be an a$$hole, too or act like I think I 'know it all'. It's quite difficult when I ask a question, tactfully, and get a stupid response and want to let loose. I've got be like, "ah... ok... hmmmm" then discreetly stab my thumbs in to my eye sockets to relieve some of the internal pain i'm feeling.

OK I'm done.

KPj

That guy needs to sit down and think about what he's doing! Sending unwitting people out into the world to spout unrealistic drivel! No wonder the weight problems in the developed world are so rampant!

On a nicer note, I'm not too sure about most dietitians but I've had a few chats with some of the younger one's at my work (a hospital cancer ward) and they're pretty switched on to what the body needs in certain circumstance. The first thing one said to me when I talked about doing Starting Strength was "You'll need to up your protein intake!", I was a little shocked to tell you the truth, but it was great! He mentioned "whey protein powder's are good but meat is better" and "as long as you're execising to forget about any foods that say "Light, Lite, Low Fat or Reduced Fat" and to eat real foods instaed of processed!" He did a few measurements and I told him how often and how much I lift, what other activities I do, how long I spend on my feet at work, what else I'd like to be doing and he's going to whip up a bit of balanced plan for me. He wants me to get in about 2500-3000 calories a day (about 500-1000 calories more than I though I'd need!) to be able to lose weight and still get reasonable strength gains! It's amazing the free advice you can get on night shift when the patients are behaving!

John

yeah... Some of the stuff was really bad, and outdated. A trainer friend of mine, who is a very nice guy but I don't think much of him as a trainer, well, he told me that if I get this guy i'll be lucky, because he's a 'walking encyclopedia'. I tend to agree, if he meant one that was published in the 16th Century.

The guy has a kind of smug attitude with certain things. The protein one was the biggest example - very smug, as in, his way or the high way. Yet, in some other things, he would say, "to pass the assessment you need to assume X Y and Z, but in the real world, it's a little different". He's always very clear that things aren't exact, apart from a few select issues, then he just becomes smug.

What's also bizarre is that this takes place in a propper bodybuilding gym, started by a guy who won Mr Scotland (several times I think). It started off completely 'underground' but then started to accommodate the mainstream more (but it's not completely mainstream). Some very impressive looking guys in there. I was desperate to go ask their take on the Tutors protein recommendations lol... "so, how do you think your phsyque would hold up with one helping of meat per day??". I think if some of those guys heard that, they would eat the tutor.

I almost feel like I spy in this class. What's kind of good is I can suss the crap he believes by asking certain questions. Whilst he was telling us that you can die if you don't cool down after an intense training session - seriously. He said he's never seen it (talking about heart flutters n stuff), but, "it happens with startling regularity". I asked what happened to your heart rate when doing a max lift, and he said, "it goes sky high, along with your blood pressure. That's why people who strength train burst blood vessels in their eyes and get nose bleeds" then he went on a rant which would be enough to put everyone off exerting any force ever, for anything, because you could die, you know. So from that, I can tell he's one of these guys that say you should NEVER hold your breath lifting heavy things and all that bla bla bla...


It's not all bad. It goes into more depth than I thought with anatomy which keeps me interested.

KPj

Oh, while i'm self medicating here by getting all this off my chest, I can't believe I forgot one things...

The CARDIO. JEEEEEEEEEEZ. So much cardio. I walked into the first class, a few minutes late, after having 4 hours sleep the night before and still in pain from training my legs, and had to hop straight on a bike and do intervals for 45 minutes. What the hell! I despise cardio. You should of seen the look of disgust on the tutors face, and confusion of the class mates when I said afterwards, "dammit, now I need to eat an extra meal today to make up for the calories I just burned there!!!". And no one there seems to believe that I don't do any cardio. Tell you what though, i'm much fitter than I thought I was. Must be the brief bouts of cardio i've done training my sister. Duno. But I handled it well.

Another classic one was talking about bone density. He mentioned how your bones react to increased stress on them by increasing density. So, naturally, ssomeone asked the best way to go about increasing bone density. He said, "impact sports, like running". I puked in my mouth when he said that one, too, but i bit my tongue.

KPj