Cross-training Resources

[SmellsLikeBogu]

should be easy enough to make your own

[mark]

Just at Dunhams, a cut-rate sporting goods store. Just about everything they had was on sale. Kinda run down in a dying strip mall, y'know? But I can't imagine that they would run much more expensive at any decent sporting good store. Dunhams even had a wide selection of brands and a nice variety of materials, weights, etc.

Hoping it was at a sporting goods chain. I guess I will just keep on looking. Thanks!

[Charlie]

What do you guys think of the Tabata method?

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....4-046-training

[JCM]

What do you guys think of the Tabata method?

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....4-046-training

Sounds too extreme to me. Anything where you pass out has inherent dangers. Like heart attacks, etc...

[mark]

What do you guys think of the Tabata method?

It looks like something you should gradually work up to. I will give it a try. Thanks!

You have to give reputation to someone else before you give it to Charlie again!

[Charlie]

The MMA (mixed martial arts) crowd I run with seems to be big into this. Let us know how you make out, Mark! I may try it first with no weight/very low weight and see how I like it.

[Kuma]

I just did this with no weight (haven't done squats in a while). Phew! Man I can feel it! I couldn't lower myself into the chair here to type this. I did keep up 12 reps per set, though. I think for now, trying to keep this up three times a week--with a day off in between to rebuild what I just tore apart-- will do me just fine. When I no longer feel like a walrus, I'll try it out with weights. Those thrusters sound awesome, since I need to work my shoulders out more, and pushing up as quickly as possible has got to be good for my kendo.

Thanks for turning me on to this, Charlie.

[doraemon]

Did this 2 days ago with no wieght squatting down well below 90 degrees each time to get full ROM. Still cant walk up stairs very well! Awsome warm up.

[Charlie]

Lordy, I haven't tried it yet. But check it out, resumed my running with the fair weather. Found an outdoor track I like to run on (indoors seems to be good, too). And I have been having some GREAT runs. I'm up to 3 mile runs no problem, running a mile in 9-10 minutes. On the track, you don't have to worry about where to put your feet, traffic, surface, etc. so you can just work on your stride, get into your tunes, and haul ass.

[mark]

Did this 2 days ago with no wieght squatting down well below 90 degrees each time to get full ROM. Still cant walk up stairs very well! Awsome warm up.

I thought violently going below 90 degrees will screw up your knees?

[Charlie]

You'd have to ask a squat master but I always thought "ass to grass" meant as long as form is right get your butt as low as you can.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I thought violently going below 90 degrees will screw up your knees?

Common misunderstanding. The point of highest stress on the knees is around the 90 degree mark. You are also strongest from there up. When people go for max weight and a 90 degree squat (if they get that far, most people I see are doing a power curtsy), that's actually quite stressful to the knees. If you go a little too far, it's risky.

It's better if you reduce the weight and go lower. Taking a lower weight through a full range of motion is a better exercise, and less risky. It also turns out that it is building strength too, so that if you want to go for the 90 degree squat you will be able to lift heavier than before, even though you have been using lower weights.

Of course with any squat exercise good technique is key. It's not a risk-free exercise. Also, I wouldn't do it violently - smooth down, explode up is what I use.

Charlie, "ass to grass" ideally means your thighs are hitting your calves.

[Kuma]

Speaking of messed up knees (we were speaking of that, weren't we?), I recently mentioned to a friend with knee trouble that I had gotten some great exercise advice from some people who really seemed quite knowledgeable on the subject (you in particular, Neil). She has been trying to get back into shape for a while, but has been finding it quite difficult to do any sort of exercise that doesn't exacerbate her knee problems.

So what kind of exercise would you folks recommend for someone who has difficulty even biking at the moment? Something that might strengthen the knees without too much stress would be ideal.

[mark]

Common misunderstanding. The point of highest stress on the knees is around the 90 degree mark. You are also strongest from there up. When people go for max weight and a 90 degree squat (if they get that far, most people I see are doing a power curtsy), that's actually quite stressful to the knees. If you go a little too far, it's risky.

It's better if you reduce the weight and go lower. Taking a lower weight through a full range of motion is a better exercise, and less risky. It also turns out that it is building strength too, so that if you want to go for the 90 degree squat you will be able to lift heavier than before, even though you have been using lower weights.

Of course with any squat exercise good technique is key. It's not a risk-free exercise. Also, I wouldn't do it violently - smooth down, explode up is what I use.

Thanks for the info Neil, I guess my knowledge is out of date
My reading of the Tabata method is that you go both down and up as fast as you can... wouldn't going down low and fast overextend downwards literally to the grass?

[Neil Gendzwill]

Kuma, if she has trouble biking is it because of bad knees or simply because she's so far out of shape? If knees, maybe she can try an elliptical trainer which is pretty gentle on the knees and doesn't require such a range of motion. If she's just really out of shape, maybe something like aquasize?

Also, I'm no fitness expert - I strongly urge anyone who's serious to read some of the resources posted up at the top and learn for themselves. Most of what I say here is a result of my reading and trying stuff out with a sample size of me, so take it all with a box of salt.

Mark, I'd never go down fast with any significant weight, but maybe my fast is not your fast - depends on how confident you are in your technique. I'm not all that familiar with Tabata intervals, although I've heard them mentioned in conjunction with things like hindu squats. Great exercise for kendo, it's essentially down into sonkyo and back up again, bodyweight only. In that case you are going quite quickly.