Comments on: Engaging ATP-PC: The Primal Energy Pathway

By: Toolman

Toolman — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:24:46 +0000

The negative portion of an exercise (also called eccentric) is the part where you lower the weight back to your starting position. For example on bench press it is the portion where you lower the weight to your chest, as opposed the the positive/concentric part where you push the weight away from your chest.

BTW – You are MUCH stronger on the eccentric portion and many people have routines where they train only the eccentric portion and make great strength gains. An example: on a pullup using a step stool to jump to the top position and then very slowly lower yourself back down and repeat again.

By: Jess

Jess — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:27:22 +0000

Smurf, what are “negatives” ?..

Mark, you should write up a post sometime on the specifics of your body weight routines. My routines are (unintentionally) only bodyweight, so I’d love if you gave some ideas that posed some new challenges.

By: How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle | DodaPedia

How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle | DodaPedia — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:07:22 +0000

[...] If you want to get your CNS’ attention, pick up the intensity. Run some sprints or do some heavy lifting. When you do an exercise like the squat with a heavy weight, all hands are on deck. Your CNS [...]

By: How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle | Mark's Daily Apple

How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle | Mark's Daily Apple — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:20:06 +0000

By: LabRat

LabRat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:58:02 +0000

AHAHAHAHAHHAHA dude if you knew me outside a comment box on the interweb you’d know I am waaaaaay far away from being one of the cultish folks. I do take rest cycles both planned and whenever I judge I’m feeling a little too cumulatively tore up.

And yes, I do believe this is why I’ve never been injured beyond a mild muscle “tweak” that takes a few days of not doing feindish amounts of work with that muscle group to heal up.

Observing that it works much better for me than traditional bodybuilding ain’t the same as an indicator I’m swimming in the Kool-Aid.

By: Mike OD - Fitness Spotlight

Mike OD - Fitness Spotlight — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:46:20 +0000

Lately I like to use the 30-40 second set rule….and then increase weights progressively each workout (using an A/B workout day type of split). Could be 10 reps one week…increase the lbs next workout and then it could be 6 with pauses…continue 10% increases for a few weeks, then step back down the weights and go again. I’ve found more continual strength and muscle growth in that strategy alone (plus it’s fun and I enjoy it).

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:06:58 +0000

It’s called rest / pause training. The technique has been around in the bodybuilding world for decades.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:05:49 +0000

Mark,
Great stuff, as always.
I love hearing about expirimentation with Fitness. It’s often hard for athletes (or non-ahtletes) to take the leap of faith from where they are so comfortable (ala your departure from chronic cardio).

At the lowest level of approach, if you lift heavy often, and fuel appropriately, you will get stronger. The minutia is in the specific approach. Yep, Devany has written on similar approaches. Rippetoe (”starting strength”) allows more time for CNS recovery following near maximal loading efforts. In the end, it comes down to the desired outcome. I posted on your blog last week about CrossFit and the efficacy of any protocol that helps us do what we were genetically designed to do. My athletes range from elite Special Forces soldiers to 67 year old grandmas. They all reap the benefits of moving large weights (relative to their abilities…and this includes their body weight!) over varying distances quickly. Sometimes, we get lost in the approach. What I really like is that you quantified HOW YOU FELT after doing it. Sometimes, the numbers aren’t our best indicators of progress (ala your “scale” post). I’ll borrow a phrase from one of my Nutrition Mentors, Robb Wolf: “Ask yourself: how do you feel, how do you look, how do you perform?” So often I hear of people feeling like crap, looking like crap and performing like crap…but they stick with what they’re doing because a magazine, or their friend said it was the thing to do and they’ve been doing it for 15 years. Come to think of it, i just had a heated discussion with a Registered Dietician with the same dogmatic and stagnant approach–i feel for her clients. Leaping from our security into the unknown potential of “other ways” is difficult, but it often leads the most rewarding gains we’ll ever experience.
Keep up the remarkable work!!

Regards,
Jeremy

By: Pierre Debs

Pierre Debs — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:17:07 +0000

Running is not the only form of Endurance exercise. Rowing, biking and swimming are all much better than running. An yes, strength exercise must be incorporated.

I compete in several bike marathons every year, including stage races. I never have any problems.

In the off season, I lift 3x a week. During the biking season, only 1x per week, usually just powerclean/pushpresses (20 sets of 3 reps) some pullups and rings.

Cheers,
Pierre

By: Scott Kustes - Fitness Spotlight

Scott Kustes - Fitness Spotlight — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:05:36 +0000

The biggest problem with endurance exercise is that few people incorporate any kind of strength training to manage the imbalances that too much running causes. Also, few are actually running at a good clip. Most people just plod along at 10-12 minute miles for years on end, never actually improving.

Though marathons are an excessive amount of wear and tear on the body if undertaken too often.

Cheers
Scott Kustes
Fitness Spotlight.