As part of my goal to master the handstand push up, I am currently at step two in convict conditioning  - Crow Stands.

Crow Stands help improve your arm and shoulder strength, and your balance. I am using the grease the groove training for this exercise. The are key part of the progression towards the handstand pushup because you support your body entirely on your arms. This convict conditioning training video below shows it in action.

It took me a few times to get the hang of this balance wise, but greasing the groove has helped.

The way to master this technique is with finger strength to stop you tipping forwards. If you start to fall forwards you have to press hard into the ground.

If you are interested in doing bodyweight exercises to build strength and muscle, then check out my convict conditioning review

Grease The Groove or greasing the groove  is method of training devised by Pavel Tsatsouline. Pavel has a grease the groove chapter in his book The Naked Warrior.

I have recently started to use this type of training since buying convict conditioning and it’s certainly helping me improve the bodyweight exercises I am doing.

Pavel Greasing The Groove

How To Grease The Groove

So if you have not heard about greasing the groove before  you are probably wondering what it is, so allow me to explain.

To quote Pavel

Your grandmother used to tell you: to get good at something, you must do it often, do it a lot, and do it to the exclusion of other things

Specificity + frequent practice = success. It is so obvious, most people don’t get it.

I had a radical thought: if you want to get good at chin-ups, why not try to do… a lot of chin-ups?

Greasing The Groove - Pull Up Bar

Right,I am going to make a coffee, time to grease the groove

If you have an interest in bodyweight exercises, I recently added a  Convict Conditioning Review in the Bodyweight Exercises category. There are a number of options out there if you are interested in bodyweight training, but Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning is arguably the best known.

Bodyweight Workouts - Are You Strong Enough ?

The convict conditioning  book cover states

The Convict Conditioning bodyweight training book by Paul Wade has become a Dragon Door top seller. So what makes it so special ?. I am now using  Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning as part of my own bodyweight training.

You Can Have a read of my detailed convict conditioning book review to see if it’s right for you.

I will be making regular post updates to log my own convict conditioning progress.

Convict Conditioning Is A 3oo Page Book, and it’s a big book.  This is no pdf ebook. If you are into bodyweight training, then the convict conditioning book may just be your bodyweight training bible. I am not here to judge the title or marketing of this book, what I will say is Paul Wade  presents information on progressive and productive exercise in a way that make this book stand out.

What follows  is my personal Convict Conditioning Book Review. However  If you’re really impatient and want to get started on your own, you can get the Convict Conditioning Book here.

Bodyweight Workouts - Are You Strong Enough ?

Convict Conditioning  Body Weight Training And Saving The Gym Fees

Regular readers here will know that I am not one for the gym. My strength training workouts have been by using my own bodywieght  for over 2 years. I like the idea of getting my strength workout done quickly anywhere. These days the nearest decent gym to me is a good 20 minutes drive, and that is if there is no traffic, so in the time it would take me to drive there and back, I can have a workout done. I have learnt you don’t need a gym to do an effective workout, and I certainly don’t miss the the monthly fees.

I know some people think you won’t be able to build muscle unless you are lifting weight in a gym, but that isn’t the case at all. If you want to build muscle , you just need the right programme. Convict Conditioning can be that programme.

I have used bodyweight workouts for 2 years, and in that time have purchased different books on subject. My first goal was to just get some level of fitness. You know the usual press ups  and stuff, now I want to be able to do more of the challenging bodyweight workouts. I want to progress, and that is why I bought  convict conditioning.  Well that and the challenge they put on the  Buy Convict Conditioning Sales Page

Convict Conditioning – How Do YOU Stack up Against the 6 Ultimate Measures of a TRUE Man?

Well in my case right now that answer is err, no comment. But hey I like a challenge.

So this is the big step up for me. I’m looking to progress to the premier league of bodyweight training. So what do the convict conditioning book contain ?

Convict Conditioning Book PART I: Preliminaries (Chapters 1 – 4)

This first section of the book gets you acquainted with bodyweight training, and explains it’s history. Were talking here about learning about bodyweight training that gives you the skill and the strength to perform the most difficult of bodyweight exercises. If you want to be able to do a pullup with one arm or perform multiple handstand pushups, or even bend over backwards and touch the floor, then the key to achieving success, according to Paul Wade is understanding how to perform bodyweight calisthenics progressively.

Convict Conditioning Book PART 2: The Big Six: Power Moves (Chapters 5 – 10)

Convict Conditioning Book Part 3 —Self-Coaching

In the third  section of his book, Paul Wade provides the principles and guidelines that will allow  you to make Convict Conditioning  work for you. He helps you to structure a productive training program that is based on your requirements This final part of the book is  basically a section devoted to self coaching. It helps you get the best out of the book.

Convict Conditioning Progressions

From reading the book I now realise the key to success is the progressions. In the same way as my weight loss journey took more than a few weeks, then I also know improving my strength and performing these exercises will take time too, but I now have the road map.

Convict Conditioning Book Review Summary

I said at the start of this review, that the convict conditioning book is a bible on bodyweight training, and it really is. If this type of exercise appeals to you, then this is the book you need, but you don’t have to take my word for it,dragon door website had 285 reviews when I last checked, so I am not alone in thinking this is the book you need.

I will of course keep you posted on my own body weight exercise mission, but in the meantime,  Go And Buy Convict Conditioning And Cancel that Gym Membership.

]]> http://retireddieter.com/convict-conditioning/feed 5 http://retireddieter.com/bodyweight-exercises-going-with-the-flow http://retireddieter.com/bodyweight-exercises-going-with-the-flow#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:50:28 +0000 Dave http://retireddieter.com/?p=525

So the start of a  new month, and I started a new bodyweight workout routine.  If you don’t already know, I am not a member of any gym, and bodyweight exercises are the main way I do resistance training.  So instead of spending money on a expensive gym membership for the new year, I decided to buy myself a new bodyweight workout book. Over the last year I have seen some very interesting stuff  using bodyweight exercises  from Adam Steer and I was impressed enough to try his and Ryan Murdock’s  Bodyweight Exercise Revolution. I am using that  they call the 4×7 wave. This means that the workout cycles every 4 days, and you do it straight for 28 days. I should point out here that you build up the intensity , it is not that you do hard workouts every day. 2 of the days are more recovery from the 4th days hard session. I bought the ebook a few weeks ago, so have have had plenty of time to go through everything, but only now am I putting it into effect. February seemed the logical time to try a 28 day workout routine, so that is what i am doing.  The book also comes with access to videos of the routines. When I first read through the book I did have some questions that I needed clearing up and Ryan Murdock was great at answering all I need to know. I will say Adam makes the exercises look easier than they are, but I am really looking forward to testing this out.

With the goal to get the abs showing by Easter Sunday I am looking for these Circular Strength Training routines ( CST)  to help me on that journey. Of course I will still be fasting for weight loss to ensure I keep losing body fat, but I also want to get more flexible and improve my fitness , and after trying these workouts recently ( though I have to say I tested them not using  the in  4×7 flow  that they suggest , I just went through the routines to see how they were) I know that they will deliver what I want.

The programme also has a video with Ryan showing you how to use Prasara Yoga  so adding this is where I expect to see my mobility improve.

If you want to see if  BodyWeight Exercise Revolution is for you then you can check it out here

I have spent far too long today looking at these guys website I had read a post on Rusty Moore’s blog all about the Bar- Barians and The Bar-Barian Ranking System .

Bar-Baron Requirements

“As far as the physical goes, anyone at any level is eligible to train with the us, but you must meet the prerequisites to be bestowed the title of the Bar-barians Bar-baron. Even Bill Gates could not wear the title of Bar-barian. It is something that cannot be bought or easily attained. Only through hardwork and dedication can one become a real Bar-barian. Physical requirments include:
1) 40 Dips
2) 20 Pull Ups
3) 50 Push Ups
4) 5 Muscle Ups
All of these done in 6 minutes or less”

Now as a guy who started this year 56lbs overweight, it won’t  be a big surprise I am not entering yet .

Now I can only dream of doing half the bodyweight exercises they do with a pull up bar, but I do have a new goal !.

The Bar-Barians were founded in 2004 and are based out of Brooklyn, New York.

I have included a video below of  Zeph who is one of the co founders of the Bar Barians, doing his thing, but you should check out their blog too  here they also have an active forum

These guys are in amazing shape, proof that you don’t need to go to a gym to get in shape. My tip is simple. Use Intermittent Fasting to lose body fat, and do bodyweight exercises to maintain muscle, maybe you will be the next Bar- Barian ? Want to get better at bodyweight exercises, check out convict conditioning

Not On My email list yet ? Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

5 bodyweight chest exercises from Craig Ballantyne at TurbulenceTraining

Though Craig is doing these body weight chest exercises in the gym, If you have the resistance straps you can do all these in a local park that has a climbing frame.  If you don’t have the straps the other 4 will still be good

Craig mentions that the decline push up is one of the hardest push ups to do.  You can do the decline push up easily at home, just use a chair in the same way Craig uses the bench in the video.

Check out Craig’s  full fat loss workout routines here

If you have followed my weight loss journey, you will know I am not one for going to the gym, or doing lots of  training.  I do body weight exercises 3 times per week, for about 20 minutes. I do like to walk but that is it. This video from Craig Ballantyne shows one routine I use. The only thing I add to this on Mondays and Fridays is some pull ups using a bar at the local park.

The Body Weight Exercise Routine is as follows

1) 60 Jumping Jacks
2) Spiderman Pushups 10-15
3) Walking Lunges 10-15 for each leg
4) Spiderman Climbs 20 total
5) Squat Hold on Wall 45 seconds
6) Plank Hold for 60 seconds
7) Burpees
8 ) Running High Knees in Place 25 per side

Rest One Minute and then do it 2 more times if you can !

This routine is taken from Craig’s Turbulence Training Course

I believe that weight loss is mainly about reducing calories, but I use body weight exercises to maintain muscle. If , like me you don’t want to spend hours in the gym but want a fast effective workout, then I suggest you take a look at Turbulence Training.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

Just because I have retired from dieting, does not mean I am going to sit around doing nothing for the rest of my days.. actually for the last 6 months I have indeed , done nothing. I do have a good excuse for the the first 4 months, as this was due to an ankle and shoulder injury i sustained playing tennis with my son in July. Saying that, I could have started training again in November, but I was out of the habbit, and just didn’t. Now with all the excuses out of the way I have started doing a bodyweight workout 3 times per week.  There is no need for a gym membership to get in shape, the best gym equipment out there, is the one we were born with. I will post more about bodyweight exercises and my bodyweight workout routine  in a future post.