5/15/2018

I think I am going to stay with a very similar template for the time being.

Slow Controlled Pull-ups 5 x 6 tri-setted with feet elevated Rotating Push-up Handles wide - 5 x 18 and FMT Neck bend back and forward

One Leg Row Tri-setted with FMT Flies and Shrugs 10, 8, and 6

Finished with some Tan Jon Ho Hup exercises

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 KJV

Prayers for Michael and his family...

5/8/2018

4:00 am

Restless night - thunder storm - get up and train. I've been training in the afternoons here lately, but I have a busy day today and went ahead and knocked out neck self resistance and some push-ups and pull-ups. Yesterday i got to workout outside with a countdown circuit of half squats, sit-ups and leg raises.

Rather than go into details, I'll relate what is going good and what is not going good. Training has been regular, but life has not been so. A lot of stress of at work. I yearn for the days I can work a job, do a good job, and go home. My work consumes me 24/7.

On the exercise front dips proved to be a disapointment as I started having rotator cuff issues soon after. Another thing I had to do was change back to doing the rotating push-up handles starting with palms facing the body instead of parallel to the body. That also seems to be a more rotator cuff friendly way to do them. Pull-ups I have settled into a 12-14 inch grip, do them slow, and seem to be getting a lot out of them with no injuries.

On the lower body side I started doing sit-ups with bent legs without having them hooked under something. So far this seems to be the most productive and injury free form of sit-up to do. The Partial rep/Full rep half squats seem to be working very well. It is keeping the blood in the muscles of the quadriceps and building the middle and lower area.

Overall I have been pleased with results and what fitness I have been able to sustain. I want to start making more time for unarmed self-defense practice and kata. We'll see how the next few weeks go.

Hi Mike - they're out of the Swoboda course. You stand upright and bring the arms up in a high angle fly under tension. I like the way it hits the upper and outer chest.

You know Greg sometimes it can be fun and sometimes it stinks. But I tell myself it's a part of life suck it up, Lol. Question, the overhead chest flies, are they the Gironda flies?

4/20/2018

6:00 am

I ran a chainsaw yesterday afternoon to cut down and cut up some trees, so I was a little beat up this morning. Much respect to Michael and his work as an arborist.

Pull-ups 3 x 6 supersetted with feet elevated, wide pushups on rotating handles 3 x 15

Chins 3 x 6 supersetted with pushups on rotating handles 3 x 15

One Leg Rows supersetted with overhead chest flies - 10, 8 and 6

Belt rows (DVR) supersetted with cable crossovers (DVR) 10, 8 and 6

29:36 minutes

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1st Corinthians 15:58 KJV

14/19/2018

5:15 am

Countdown routine - Sit-ups 24 to 2, Leg Raises 24-2, and Free Squats with whole rep and a half rep, 2-24

156 sit-ups, 156 leg raises and 314 squats total

32:48 minutes

Calf Raises 3x25, supersetted with Hamstring/Back/Hip self-resistance exercise 12, 10 and 8

Total - 38 minutes

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 1st Corinthians 16:13

4/15/2018

7:00 am

Finally back to recording workouts! Still on the Charles Atlas track, I have made a few changes in the exercises or done a few things different.

Push-ups using rotating push-up handles 6x15 with three feet on a chair and three feet on the ground. First three sets

Supersetted with Pull-ups - slow, controlled, dead hang, 8, 6, 5, 5, 5, and 5. Three sets palm foward and three palms away.

Standing chest fly overhead superseted with doorway rows - 10, 8 and 6

Standing chest fly done low supersetted with one leg row - 10, 8, and 6 each side

30:54 minutes

Shoulders

One arm press with belt, front deltoid raise, side deltoid raise, and cross body pulldown, 10, 8 and 6 each side.

8 minutes

3/20/2018

6:oo am

I haven't recorded workouts, but I have been going steady. It has been a busy time. I helped my son-in-law and a buddy of mine pull a transmission out of a PT Cruiser and change a flywheel Friday night. That was a chore - LOL. I had to take a couple of advil early the next morning, but I went ahead and did my chest and back routine, and felt fine for the rest of the day. That is what it is all about. Being strong and fit for unexpected daily tasks.

Sit-ups x 25, Leg Raises x 25, and Standing vacuums x 10 for four tri-sets - 14 minutes

Three Circuits - Moderately tensioned free squats 3 x 35, Hip/back/hamstrings self-resistance, Leg Extension, Leg Curl, and Inner Thigh Squeeze - the others done 10, 8 and 6

14 minutes

Toe Press against a belt - 4 x 15 each side - in between sets I did some eye training

8 minutes

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1

Good luck on the competition! Nice workouts too. I'm the same as Greg with self resistance. But this morning I realized for my neck exercises I wasn't doing this. So I tried it this morning without resistance both ways. Much better for me just as the other body parts.

3/15/2018

6:40 am

LOL - been up since 4:00 am working on contest details for the SC Skillsusa state competitions. Deadline today.

All of these exercises are self resistance and done each side

Neck - three circuits of 10, 8 and 6 reps

Neck Forward, Neck Bend to the Side, Neck Push to the Side, Neck Rotation, FRY Isometric

Arms - three circuits of 10, 8 and 6 reps

Curl, One Arm Press, Reverse Curl, Behind the Neck Side to Side Press, Hammer Curl, Triceps Pushdown, Concentration Curl, Knife Hand Extension

34 minutes total

I'm enjoying these workouts and can see slight changes to my proportions and overall shape.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1st John 1:9 KJV

Greg, thank you sir.

DD - I am actually doing them in sets rather than all 24 reps at once. I've done tension both ways at different times in the past, and I still use some tension on the reverse movement, but one of the advantages of relaxing somewhat on the reverse movement is to allow blood flow into the muscle. Because you are working one limb at a time so to speak, you don't get as much pump as with a two limb movement working the same set of muscles. By having some relaxation on the reverse, you get a little more blood pumped into the muscle than if you cranked down the tension both ways.

John Peterson's concept on the Milo or Hammer Curl was to go both ways so that you worked the triceps of the other arm on the reverse. There are certainly advantages to doing this, but it is hard to sustain the intensity both ways over the course of a self resistance set. Even with body weight exercises there are points of active rest where the main muscles being worked are not under as great a tension.

Greg, all of the above is interesting and valuable. I notice on the hammer curls which you're doing the 10/8/6 rep sequence for biceps and triceps you seem (could be I'm wrong; remember, old guy here) to avoid putting max stress on the tricep as you extend your arm. What if any are the pros and cons of doing the arm reps w/10/8/6/reps and full bicep and tricep tension on both up and down stroke? Or am I just not picking up on what you're doing correctly? Maybe its an issue of overstressing the force on the bicep? Stresswise 10/8/6 nonstop is, obviously 24 nonstop reps at max available tension. Thanks!

3/14/2018

6:00 am

Rotating Handle Push-ups - wide to narrow - 25, 25, 20 and 15 supersetted with dead hang, medium grip pull-ups and chins - 9, 7, 5 and 5

Circuits - Side to Side Pulldown, Amplified Arm Circles, Cross Body Pulldowns, Cross Body Pushdowns, One Leg Row, and Rope Pulldown - sets of 10, 8 and 6.

33 minutes

Finished with some vacuums and eye training exercises.

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Psalm 19:13 KJV

3/13/2018

6:00 am

Free Squats - moderate tension - 4 x 25 supersetted with sit-ups 4 x 25

Tri-set - Hip/Back/Hamstring 10, 8, and 6 - Seated Ab Vacuums 3 x 6 - One Leg Toe Press (against a belt) 3 x 15

Total time - 19:05 minutes

Had to expedite this morning.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:3 KJV

3/11/2018

8:30 am

Neck - Forward, Side, Turning and Rotating - 10, 8 and 6

Superset DT Curls with Overhead Press

Superset Hammer Curls with Behind the Head Press

Superset Reverse Curls with Triceps Pushdown

10, 8, and 6 reps each side

I added a Frank Rudolph Young neck isometric and another type of curl and pushdown. This pushed the time to 36 minutes today. I also did isometric stops on the last rep of every exercise.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thoudismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9 KJV

GB, yes thats the one except when I do it I use the rim of a sink to hold one too.

Steve,

There are 18 exercises in the Mike Marvel Dynaflex course. Exercise 4 is the only one that uses a chair and that exercise is for the back, traps, and lats. That exercise is shown on page 9. Do you think that might be the exercise you are referring to? Both of the upper leg exercise in the Dynaflex course are done lying down. Were you referring to a different exercise?

3/10/2018

7:30 am

Rotating Push-up Handles - wide to narrow - 25, 25, 20 and 15 supersetted with

Dead Hang Pull-ups - 10, 7, 5, and 4

Side to Side Pulldown supersetted with Amplified Arm Circles 10, 8 and 6

Cross Body Pulldown supersetted with Cross Body Push-downs 10, 8 and 6

One Leg Row supersetted with Rope Pulldowns 10, 8 and 6

35 minutes

I weighed 186.8 today. Height is still 5-10. I also broke out the caliphers and the tape measure. At this point and time arm, neck and calf are 15.5 inches. Chest is 46, waist is 34.5 and mid-thigh (not upper thigh) is 20 inches. I tried to be generously loose with the caliphers, but I still came out at almost 12% bodyfat. Take it for what it is worth. None of us will know what we really hold until they do an autopsy at death. Even if I added more, I am still in the lean catagory for my age group. I used the seven point Jackson/Pollard method. I did this to see where I was starting from. I am in week 2 of this training cycle.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2 KJV

3/9/2018

6:20 am

Tension Free Squats - 4 x 25 supersetted with sit-ups 4 x 25

Lunges 4 x 12 each side supersetted with 90 degree leg raises 4 x 25

19 minutes

F.R.Y. Squat supersetted with Hip, Hamstring and Lower Back self resistance 10, 8, and 6

4 minutes

Seated Ab Vacuum 5 x 3 supersetted with Toe Presses against a Belt 3 x 12 each side

4 minutes

27 minutes total

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 KJV

3/8/2018

5:21 am

Neck - Forward, Side, Turning and Rotating - 10, 8 and 6

Superset DT Curls with Overhead Press

Superset Hammer Curls with Behind the Head Press

Superset Reverse Curls with Triceps Pushdown

10, 8, and 6 reps each side

25 minutes

Eye Training

7 minutes

I didn't record the past three workouts. Yesterday was a rest day. The workouts are going great. They are time friendly and I am seeing results, which admittedly happens any time you change routines.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am not sure Steve. It has been awhile since I've looked at the Dynaflex course. I think I may have a video of it in back rehab video I did. I'll check and see.

the fry squat you mentioned thats similar to the chair squat in Dynaflex correct?

3/3/2018

7:00 am

Dead Hang Pull-ups - 14 inch grip - 8, 7, 6, and 5

supersetted with Rotating Handle Push-ups - 25, 25, 25 and 15 - on the pushups started out very wide and moved in to a close grip

Self Resistance Exercises

Side to Side Pulldowns supersetted with Cross Body Push Downs 10, 8, and 6

Cross Body Pull Downs supersetted with Amplified Arm Circles 10, 8 and 6

Rope Pulldowns supersetted with One Leg Rowing 10, 8, and 6

35 minutes - tough but enjoyable workout - felt good afterwards - probably because of all the deep breathing with the self resistance, a.k.a. FMT, a.k.a. DT, a.k.a. DSR - did some isometric stops on the last sets - the pullups and pushups took 13 minutes, the self resistance took 22.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 KJV

I don't have a picture or video of a FRY squat, but you take a fairly narrow stance, squat down, thrust your arms between the legs and grasp the hands. FRY showed this in a couple of his books where you squated to a chair or bench. Is it a builder? I use it to stretch out the lower spine and back. The Back/Hip/and Hamstrings is similiar. You clasp hands behind the legs and straighten the legs while lowering the head towards the knees.

9-2-2018

5:11 am

Free hand squats (medium tension) 4 X 25 supersetted with Sit-ups 4 X 25

11:27 minutes

Iron Mikes (classical lunges) 4 x 12 each side supersetted with 90 degree leg raises 4 x 25

9:08 minutes

FRY Squats - 10, 8, and 6 supersetted with Back/Hips/Hamstring 10, 8, and 6

3:47 minutes

Toe Presses with a belt 3 X 15 each side

3:09 minutes

A little over 30 minutes total

Self-Resistance and bodyweight exercise.

Just to check Greg, when You say DT You're talking about Dynamic tension? I'm taking this to be self resistance?

That was an interesting video. Thanks for posting Michael. That was from a couple of years ago. I'm leaner now in the waist, thicker and wider in the back, and more trim in the chest. The arms are also more muscular. At the time I did that video, I was still doing too many pushups - not necessarily a bad thing, but for me - too much middle and lower pectoral.

In your fifties improvement comes slow, but it can still come, so that video was encouraging to see. I spent the year prior to that video with little interest in training due to some traumatic family events, and I was trying to get back to training and a healthier lifestyle.

As for a DT video, let me get settled into a routine first. I haven't shot much in the way of exercise video here lately, but in the dead of winter the lighting isn't the best, the outdoors looks drab, and with no tan it is hard to show any muscularity.

I tried to find an all in one video that Greg did but I couldn't. Here are some of the exercises. I think You guys could get an idea from these. They are only the bicep exercises.

Yeah, it would be interesting to see. I like DT exercises and do them as an addition to my SR with a stick.

video?