08-29-10 01:15 PM - Post#643465    

I would love to hear others who are in search of this and how you are accomplishing it. Dan talks of it often and I know it ranks high with Tommy Kono.

Any "this is what I've been doing" scenarios would be much appreciated.

Thanks

08-29-10 02:01 PM - Post#643469    

Since Coyote Point,I've embraced the concept of extensive warm-up/preparation followed by a brief intense workout.

When training on my own, the KB workouts are one of the following: clean/press/front squat complex, snatch, two-hand swing.

Between the warm-up and workouts, I cover all the basic KB moves.

Mark it Zero.

Less is More
08-29-10 02:43 PM - Post#643473    

More is not always more, and less is not always more. You have to find the balance.

The balance is found by asking yourself the gains from adding 'more' (and potential losses) and the loss from subtracting (and potential gains). This is in relation to your goals. Journaling can help too, because you can see the trends from when you change things up.


People often add too much when they are impatient. They fall into the traps outlined in the Keys to Mastery book.

Another common thing that happens is they read something on some site that says 'your workout is missing __________' Great. But is it? People will add that to their workouts, and then add another thing, and then another thing. Results grind to a halt, injuries happen. If you are going to add something, then you have to re-evaluate your entire programmatic cycle.

Right now, I run, do yoga, meditate, and kettlebell work. I'm fairly wholistic (read: Ilg'ish). Kettlebell is very improv. Swings, presses, snatches, goblet squats. I also do some random things like I'll do some pushups or bear crawls, crab walks, whatever just thrown in here and there to keep my body used to moving through different things. But when I do these, I'm more likely to take it easy on something else. I'll be going back to the gym soon now that my back and chest are healed up to do more heavy lifting, which will mean less kettlebell work. It is working for my goals, which are tame compared to some here. My workouts can definitely use some improvement so don't take too much from it.

Scott

Edited by SB on 08-29-10 03:01 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

08-29-10 04:12 PM - Post#643476    

I have noticed the gym where I go has an area for training with KB and trainers are there...
It is very commercial, sort of a special location, you want to train KB you pay a trainer first...Hmmm

I have seen some very enthusiastic in the spot for a few days and then you don't see them again for some time, come back with wraps on knees elbow and wrist hmm injury seems high???

They have high stepping blocks just what should not be done I read here about that for stepping???

Talking to one there he mentioned Reg Park as his ideal looking in days of old...
I mentioned yes, he was Arnolds favorite, and from South Africa...He mentioned he was not black...LOL

Won't do much with them...

Regards

"I live, I lift, I ache, I am." - "I don't mean to be rude, but...junk is for jerks" "No pain, no gain' isn’t a nursery rhyme, and 'only the strong survive" ...Etc... Had to put in this quote... Current Quote "Eat better, train harder, be tougher, think surer and rest morer." ~ Draper Dave Draper **** Age 73 Semper Fi... GAB

08-29-10 06:26 PM - Post#643484    

Right now I am the epitomy of less is more, I am doing nothing. Following the helpful advice of a few here I have decided to take a month off. After two weeks I've had time to reflect and realized that I hadn't taken any serious time off in the last five years, the last year of which has been spent almost solely on strength training. In two more weeks I will start to "rebuild myself with complexes" three days per week up to Thanksgiving, then after that a month of Alexander Faleev's 5x5. After that...who knows. Right now I am really enjoying not doing anything.

"Alright men, they're in front of us, behind us, to our left, and to our right...they can't get away this time!" -Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller (USMC)

Re: Less is More
08-29-10 07:15 PM - Post#643489    

• Mark Blakemore Said:

Since taking the FMS and finding I have many problems I am focused on doing corrective exercises which are LESS from a lifting standpoint, take an hour to do, but are building me MORE.

I still do about 10 minutes max of lifting M,W,F, and drag a sled Saturdays. I'm feeling very good.

Re: Less is More
08-29-10 07:22 PM - Post#643490    

• Vicki Said:

i knew you were doing this Vicki and was hoping you would respond. i take it this is not leaving you with any regrets? like you're missing out on something.

08-29-10 07:24 PM - Post#643491    

• DanMartin Said:

Dan, is the extensive warmup in the sticky above or do you guys follow the juan diego warm up?

Re: Less is More
08-29-10 07:48 PM - Post#643492    

• Mark Blakemore Said:

No regrets at all.

I'm going to end up in better condition and able to build more and become stronger without getting injured. As you know, sometimes taking one step back allows you to take two steps forward.

As ccrow has said many times, "Finding a weakness is finding gold." I'm very excited that I have found so much weakness because it means I have all this room to improve and I haven't nearly reached my potential.

08-29-10 07:58 PM - Post#643494    

Two things: Get Tommy Kono's new book. At best, I am the guy who sits in the stands cheering when he writes.

Second, this is the second time this week we have discussed this, in a way. My sense of "I hate medium" and "Less is More" are probably the same thing. Dump all the "stuff." Like Stu McGill said, most of us should pull more sleds and do less squats (now, I think it was all the other stuff, too, but my recall is fuzzy on this one).

I discovered that really pushing the Farmers Bars, Sleds and few other things were miles better than this and that and this. The Kettlebell for me is an analytical tool that goes out of its way, without surgery, to show me what I need to work on next. I'm going to do a lot more rolling, Kbelling, TRXing, walking and eating right until September 24. Then, I will decide what to do with my career. So, really, Less is More is absolutely true, but listen to the wisdom of it before ratcheting it into a cliche.

Daniel John Just handing down what I was handed down... Make a Difference. Live. Love. Laugh. Balance work, rest, play and pray (enjoy beauty and solitude) Sleep soundly. Drink Water. Eat veggies and protein. Walk. Wear your seat belt. Don’t smoke. Floss your teeth. Put weights overhead. Pick weights off the floor. Carry weights. Reread great books. Say thank you

Less is More
08-29-10 08:03 PM - Post#643495    

• Mark Blakemore Said:

Mark, the "Juan Diego" got me back on track. I followed it for about 8 months. When my mobility and strength improved, I moved to more "difficult" and "specific" stuff. What we do now at Coyote Point would have been a deal breaker a year ago.

Things keep going the way they are, I'll take a shot at becoming a RKC sometime next year.

Mark it Zero.

08-29-10 08:57 PM - Post#643502    

I have taken a lot of Mark Sisson's writings to heart and am following the template in his free e-book fairly closely (I do different strength exercises).

The program minimum, some of the books Mark Verstegen has put out in the last few yrs, and almost all of Dan's writings would, I think fit in here as well.

08-29-10 09:39 PM - Post#643510    

I'm embrassing Sisson's work as well.

Scott

Less is More
08-29-10 10:40 PM - Post#643521    

Last year I decided that I would not just do the throws at the World masters but lift as well (would have been one of one, and the lifting had a qualifer so it kept the bums out).

Went back to my old tiny little (world class) OL gym at Burwood Police boys club where I lifted back in 1971-1972 and with that much buzz that I could not sleep for hours when coming home my lifts jumped, my enthusiasm soared and I decided to throw hammer and discus as well as heavy weight, this was my time, and I intended to get the most of this one off chance.

Things went great for four months. Not only was I throwing twice a week, but did Ol twice and heavy throws lifting three times. If only I could have fitted in some more specific throws training I was sure I could really do well.

8 weeks out, off to physio, mid back twinge, two weeks later groin strain, and last but not least 10 days out was sick on back with flu for four days and spent the day before comp on my back in bed (not recommended did not help).

Now, had I burned out ..... hardly, I PBed in discus off just 100 training throws, had respectable heavy weight and PBed in hammer even though was 4 ms off what I threw in training two weeks before,....and that was off just 1/2 hour weights and one throw work out in last two weeks.

Well if I was still going so well why did I break down...

I am self employed and think the 7.30am start and 7.00pm finish (not on lifting throwing days - twice per week so not a slave) had much more to do with the crash than overdoing the training.

With that much training I needed lots of rest, working those hours in a high stress job was simply incompatible..

so this year, I am lifting a lot less, and throwing well, and feeling better......

and waiting for the days when I too can be a pro athlete and not worry about 9-5 (or 7-7 )

so in regards to the less is more, you got to consider what effect each of those lesses has.,

"We all overtrain" Pat Casey to George Frenn

Edited by Terry Gibbs on 08-29-10 10:43 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

08-29-10 11:09 PM - Post#643527    

More sled, less squat... interesting.

08-29-10 11:41 PM - Post#643530    

• IronMan25 Said:

You ROCK..

I am inspired, tonight instead of going home and catching up on some pulls etc that I missed yesterday because I wasted it competing, I will do...

nothing.....( I will just feel guilty instead)

"We all overtrain" Pat Casey to George Frenn

08-30-10 07:04 AM - Post#643546    

It's all about car pushing for reps...

08-30-10 08:27 AM - Post#643550    

I think this is the focal point for life long lifting...finding right tool to address goals/weaknesses, but weighing it against lifes other demands. I know how to deadlift, bench, squat, {put exercise of choice here} better and more, but at least with me and my knowledge base it starts becoming very time consuming, tiring, and begins to take away from other life demands, plus I notice more specifity less carryover to real life patterns. Right now I am pretty happy with strength no pains to speak of and I have energy to play with little ones. Great notes by all above...

08-30-10 09:23 AM - Post#643563    

I wish I had a sled and some weights at home to put on it. I'd definitely use it. That or a prowler.

Scott

08-30-10 06:43 PM - Post#643678    

• Terry Gibbs Said:

Like any new program, it takes some getting used to. Ease into doing nothing. For instance, you might even pretend you are going to work out, then change your mind. You can even go to the gym. Walk on the treadmill and flirt with the ladies instead of actually doing any work. But be very careful because this kind of workout becomes easy to overdo. Just look at most of your fellow gym rats. You'll be doing nothing on purpose, they are doing nothing and actually think they are doing something...and something hard even!

"Alright men, they're in front of us, behind us, to our left, and to our right...they can't get away this time!" -Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller (USMC)