Bodyweight Training Program

KiwiTricker said:
I don't own bands (although if I did, I would have no issue using them), and generally see a faster improvement from clients doing negatives rather than machine-based work.
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Fair enough. I would have thought it'd be the other way, but what the fuck do I know.

Nothing. I know nothing.
 
I've recently taught my wife and my 6 year old boy to do pull-ups. I used an ad hoc mixture of jumping to get momentum, negatives and assisted pull-ups (I hold their ankle(s) behind them which allows them to push down to get the assist). Once you can do one you've solved it and the numbers rise if you just keep doing them.

My "theory" is that you need them to be training at pretty much max effort, which the momentum allows for at least some of the range of movement. Plus that manner of assisting allows you to reduce the assist by feel down to the minimum required. This is unlike how some people use the assisted pullup machines where they knock out sets of 10 and gradually reduce the assist - I've seen people at the gym do this for months and never get to the point of doing a proper pullup. If you're gonna use the machine then I think you need to set it so you can JUST knock one out, then rest and try another.

We've got a bar indoors so every day they had a go at one or two. After a week or so they could both do one. I think this frequency helped a lot and might be more effective than less frequent but more intense sessions.
 
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Fighting Sprite said:
Fair enough. I would have thought it'd be the other way, but what the fuck do I know.

Nothing. I know nothing.
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I've noticed the biggest improvements with my clients who came to me unable to do any pull ups by training them with a few sets of negatives, then a few sets of overhand flex hangs, then underhand flex hangs, and finally deadhangs.

Along with a metric shit ton of body rows, for those who can't do pull ups, these are a godsend.

Also, I dont rate the assisted pull up machines at all. There is an element of stability and core strength involved in a proper pull up, these machines don't replicate that at all, and I believe you'll get a lot more out of an inverted body row.
 
I'm replying to this thread JUST to talk about the iron gym.


Back when the prozac ballooned me up and I was 230 lbs, I did the iron gym in a door way that was at least 70 years old (house was passed to great aunt after friend's passing, then bought by parents). It held me up and it never even budged. I don't know if you planned on getting it because I'm not about to read 9 pages, but you better do it - and you better do it soon.


Seriously.


I mean it.
 
Simon, how do you recommend doing the body row? Any convenient piece of equipment I might have around home? If I end up doing it with a towel or rope, what is the preferred grip? I'm thinking of substituting the rows in the place of the band pulls, which don't seem to contribute to the motion of a pull-up as well.

Edit: And jd, barring the fact that you're some kind of Iron Gym shill, thanks for the recommendation. Based on the price, I'll probably just give the Iron Gym doorway bar a try.
 
Discipulus said:
Simon, how do you recommend doing the body row? Any convenient piece of equipment I might have around home? If I end up doing it with a towel or rope, what is the preferred grip? I'm thinking of substituting the rows in the place of the band pulls, which don't seem to contribute to the motion of a pull-up as well.

Edit: And jd, barring the fact that you're some kind of Iron Gym shill, thanks for the recommendation. Based on the price, I'll probably just give the Iron Gym doorway bar a try.
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Any low bar that is about hip height would be ideal, or parallel bars both work for ody rows. there will always be some to find, somewhere in every city. you'll probabl find a low enough bar at a local playground, just dont go and train there when its full of kids lol.

failing that, if your doorway pull up bar can be adjusted, set it at about hip height and do body rows in your door way.

trx or gymnastics rings, blast straps etc all work but are expensive compared to using an outdoor bar for free
 
Put a broomstick or other straight bar between two chairs. Ta-da! Ghetto set-up for inverted rows.
 
Discipulus said:
Edit: And jd, barring the fact that you're some kind of Iron Gym shill, thanks for the recommendation. Based on the price, I'll probably just give the Iron Gym doorway bar a try.
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It's just cheap and it worked :p
 
Discipulus said:
Simon, how do you recommend doing the body row? Any convenient piece of equipment I might have around home? If I end up doing it with a towel or rope, what is the preferred grip? I'm thinking of substituting the rows in the place of the band pulls, which don't seem to contribute to the motion of a pull-up as well.

Edit: And jd, barring the fact that you're some kind of Iron Gym shill, thanks for the recommendation. Based on the price, I'll probably just give the Iron Gym doorway bar a try.
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I missed your question on grips for body rows. Neutral grip with palms facing works fine, I'd imagine youd have to use this grip while using towels, if using a bar I suggest double overhand.

Are there any parallel dipping bars or pull up bars outdoors in your town/city?
 
Simon Boulter said:
I missed your question on grips for body rows. Neutral grip with palms facing works fine, I'd imagine youd have to use this grip while using towels, if using a bar I suggest double overhand.

Are there any parallel dipping bars or pull up bars outdoors in your town/city?
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There's a playground at the nearby Elementary school that probably has some. Unfortunately they recently got rid of the parallel bars they had. Those would have been ideal.

So is the overhand grip preferable to the palms facing grip? As in, if I were to throw some rings over my pull-up bar and do my rows that way, how should I hold the rings?
 
When I use rings or Trx etc for body rows, i rotate my hands so that I'm using a double overhand grip at the top of the movement when my arms are most bent, and move to a parallel neutral grip at the bottom of the movement when my arms are fully straight.

Reason being it just feels more comfortable and natural, my clients say the same.
There is nothing wrong with using a strictly parallel grip or strictly overhand grip though.

Like the pull up variations, double overhand grip body rows will be just a little bit more challenging than neutral grip body rows.
 
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