Today's t-mag article

[Urban]

It's an interview with dave tate. And while I don't like the idea of hypertrophy for aesthetics (as t-mag seems to be pushing since it turned into a BBing thinktank), it's a good half of an interview nonetheless. You should all check it out:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=880036
Some revolutionary ideas included:
- 80% of your results comes from 20% of your actions [I seem to recal mentioning this a while back.]
- Hard work is your most important gym asset [not calf raises]

I'm looking forward to part 2 tomorrow.

 

[PariahCarey]

Good read, thanks. I like how he says "everyone wants to major in the minor shit."

 

[Wrecking Ball]

Good read but nothing that shouldn't be common knowledge on this board already. I am looking forward to tomorrow's though, Tate's a funny guy.

 

[graedy]

I found the part very interesting where he talks about the effort abodybuilder puts into one rep compared to a powerlifter. I kinda noticed this as well. If you train with low reps for along time and then switch to ti higher reps it is ahrder to rep out in the beginning (and the oterh way arround).

 

[fat_wilhelm]

"Compare a calf raise to a bent-over row. Which one is the pussy going to choose?"

True that.

 

[Mojorisin99]

good stuff thanx

 

[datadog]

"Compare a calf raise to a bent-over row. Which one is the pussy going to choose?"

True that.

// Disclaimer - We do bent-over rows on Pull day. I love them now and intend to get strong at them.

So, my workout partner goes skiing for the first time this year over the weekend. He reports that this time he wasn't sore much, as oppossed to most years when he can barely walk afterwards. Since he doesn't do anything outside the gym, we conclude it's doing the Sherdog PL split that has helped. However, his calves are really sore. So he concludes that our workout is lacking good calf work. They have a calf raise machine, to which I told him he's... a pussy (and to think, or language is so varied). Anywise, so he whined till we added some calf work in (heavy bar standing). So, does that make him a pussy-want-to-be, or is it a pass since its for a semi-legitimate reason (and he's been doing the bent over rows with me)?

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

For what it's worth, I went snowboarding for the first time ever a couple of weeks ago, and my calves didn't hurt at all, even after repeatedly running all the way up to the hill (it took me a long time to learn how to use one of those pull-lifts with a snowboard).

Pretty much everything else hurt, though.

I'm assuming that martial arts played a role here (weight on the toes, not heels, jumping, bouncing, kicking, etc.)

 

[fat_wilhelm]

// Disclaimer - We do bent-over rows on Pull day. I love them now and intend to get strong at them.

So, my workout partner goes skiing for the first time this year over the weekend. He reports that this time he wasn't sore much, as oppossed to most years when he can barely walk afterwards. Since he doesn't do anything outside the gym, we conclude it's doing the Sherdog PL split that has helped. However, his calves are really sore. So he concludes that our workout is lacking good calf work. They have a calf raise machine, to which I told him he's... a pussy (and to think, or language is so varied). Anywise, so he whined till we added some calf work in (heavy bar standing). So, does that make him a pussy-want-to-be, or is it a pass since its for a semi-legitimate reason (and he's been doing the bent over rows with me)?

I train my calves, too, and biceps, for that matter. As long as you're still doing the good stuff, you're good to go.

 

[Waxwingslain]

"Regardless of what anyone says, if you're 6' 2" and weigh 165 pounds, you might pull okay but you're not going to squat worth a shit."

Carnal actually posted much the same thing the other day. My squat is abysmal and my body type is probably the reason why.

 

[SmashiusClay]

// Disclaimer - We do bent-over rows on Pull day. I love them now and intend to get strong at them.

So, my workout partner goes skiing for the first time this year over the weekend. He reports that this time he wasn't sore much, as oppossed to most years when he can barely walk afterwards. Since he doesn't do anything outside the gym, we conclude it's doing the Sherdog PL split that has helped. However, his calves are really sore. So he concludes that our workout is lacking good calf work. They have a calf raise machine, to which I told him he's... a pussy (and to think, or language is so varied). Anywise, so he whined till we added some calf work in (heavy bar standing). So, does that make him a pussy-want-to-be, or is it a pass since its for a semi-legitimate reason (and he's been doing the bent over rows with me)?

Train with a skipping rope, will have a much greater effect on your calfs than anything else I've found (especially if you work on one leg hopping) its also great for your footwork an a good warm up exercise.

"Regardless of what anyone says, if you're 6' 2" and weigh 165 pounds, you might pull okay but you're not going to squat worth a shit."

Carnal actually posted much the same thing the other day. My squat is abysmal and my body type is probably the reason why.

I read that and realised that while it may well be true, as a martial artist I have to look to fit into the weight category where I will fight best and can't move up in weight just because it will give me a much better squat, because I'll still end up having a smaller bone structure and weaker chin than the other guys in my category, my squat may suck but I'd still rather make it as good as i can at my current weight.

 

[Waxwingslain]

I read that and realised that while it may well be true, as a martial artist I have to look to fit into the weight category where I will fight best and can't move up in weight just because it will give me a much better squat

I think you're right to do so. Im hovering on the edge of medio-pesado at the moment in BJJ. Im not that serious about competing so I will keep trying to gain weight (I could probably cut if I had to anyway). I'm still a beginning lifter so I guess I have room for improvement on my squat. Im certainly not going to give up squatting.

 

[Lard-ass]

"It makes me sick to see how most people train today."

 

[SmashiusClay]

I think you're right to do so. Im hovering on the edge of medio-pesado at the moment in BJJ. Im not that serious about competing so I will keep trying to gain weight (I could probably cut if I had to anyway). I'm still a beginning lifter so I guess I have room for improvement on my squat. Im certainly not going to give up squatting.

"medio-pesado"- gesundheit, seriously though I have'nt got a clue what that means, I guess its a weight category, after a bit you'll find a weight category that you seem to sit in nicely, for me thats 170lb for mma as its pretty much a standard, almost everyone adopts the UFC categories. Unfortunately this leaves me between categories for Judo so I'm thinking about cutting down to 73kgs(160lb) for competition this year.

I certainly was not suggesting that you stop squatting, I have a suspicion that sort of talk might get you lynched around here, just that you can't take a PLing view and decide to go up in weight because it'll help your squat. For me the lifting assists my martial arts, so I do everything to make me a better fighter and one of those things is that I think I should be stronger.

 

[Madmick]

Man, why does he have to pick on calf raises? Why no kickbacks?

First, calf raises are useful. Second, don't tell me you all haven't had a day-after when you couldn't walk because you got excited on the calf raise.

Maybe I'm just a pussy about my calves, but fuck, high reps on the calf raiss burns like nothing else.

 

[Urban]

I prefer dragging my sled or sprinting up a hill for my calves. And I can't say I've ever been excited about calf raises or found any evidence to suggest they're useful.