Pulled out an old workout

[gman 0]

This is a workout that I used a few years ago (The last time I was really in shape). If I remember correctly, it was a real ball buster.

All exercises are done with the same weight on the same bar with no plate changes.

1) Clean grip snatch X8

2) Front squat X8

3) Power curl X8

4) Back Squat X8

5) Push Press X8

6) Knee-up crunch X20

This equals one circuit.

There is no rest between exercises, just between circuits.. In theory you would never have to put down the bar. You rest between circuits until your heart rate drops down ideally to about 120ish, but I just let it drop until I am no longer seeing stars. I used to do 10 circuits. I think I may start out with only five. I also use a thick 2" bar for more emphasis on the grip and I only use about 95#.

The squats go all the way down (A$$ to Grass). Snatches do not have to go all the way down ie: power snatch is fine. Power curls are where it is okay to cheat, just get the weight up to about your chin or even your nose.

If anyone tries it, let me know what you think.

[mnitishin 0]

cant wait, ill try it out and let you know how it works for me.

[lee92 2]

This is a workout that I used a few years ago (The last time I was really in shape). If I remember correctly, it was a real ball buster.

All exercises are done with the same weight on the same bar with no plate changes.

1) Clean grip snatch X8

2) Front squat X8

3) Power curl X8

4) Back Squat X8

5) Push Press X8

6) Knee-up crunch X20

This equals one circuit.

There is no rest between exercises, just between circuits.. In theory you would never have to put down the bar. You rest between circuits until your heart rate drops down ideally to about 120ish, but I just let it drop until I am no longer seeing stars. I used to do 10 circuits. I think I may start out with only five. I also use a thick 2" bar for more emphasis on the grip and I only use about 95#.

The squats go all the way down (A$$ to Grass). Snatches do not have to go all the way down ie: power snatch is fine. Power curls are where it is okay to cheat, just get the weight up to about your chin or even your nose.

If anyone tries it, let me know what you think.

i don't see what the specific benefits of this workout would be, other than to just tire you out. obviously you're gonna be stronger with certain motions in certain areas, so to pick one weight for all exercises would either be a chore for some exercises and a breeze for others...just wouldn't get the full benefits. i can squat around 300lbs, but theres no way i could curl that weight.

[gman 0]

That's kind of the beauty of it. It is a total body workout. There is no "specific" advantage. It works your whole body as a unit. As far as the curls go, you are supposed to cheat on these. They are not strict curls. You lower the bar to about your knees, and then use your hips, traps, and back to curl the whole thing up to your nose or even your forehead. It is a bit of a dinosaur routine which is why it may seem kind of strange.

[cause4alarm 7]

1) Clean grip snatch X8

2) Front squat X8

3) Power curl X8

4) Back Squat X8

5) Push Press X8

6) Knee-up crunch X20

Mind giving a brief explanation of the exercises here?

[gman 0]

Sure, or as my Grandfather from Boston used to say "Shoahh"...

1) Normal snatch has your pinkies on the rings of the bar or wider still if you can handle it. Some of the big boys have their mits all the way out to the collars. It is a very wide grip. Clean grip is a little over shoulder width apart. Makes it easier on your shoulders and you can use more muscle and rely less on perfect technique. Basically you are doing a clean except that you pop the weight all the way up and drop under a little quicker before standing up.

2)Front squat is where you hold the bar on your collar bones and front deltoids. You want to really have the bar deep in your throat. Keep your back very straight, you will know if you cheat because the bar will fall off in front of you.

3) Power curl could almost be thought of as a hang clean with a curl grip. Think about flipping over a big tire or a small import car. Drop the bar to about your knees and bend your knees. Then use your legs to get momentum, then your back, then your traps and then your biceps bring the bar up to your nose or forehead.. It is the ultimate "cheater curl".

4) Back squat is a back squat. On this squat as well as the front squat, set your feet a little wider than shoulder width and point your toes slightly out. Squat down in a controlled fashion until your calves and halmstrings won't let you go deeper. Do not bounce, just stand up smoothly.

5) Push press is just an overhead press. Take the bar from your collar bones and push it overhead. The push part implies that it is okay to use your legs to get it up. You do not have to be strict in the motion.

6)Knee-up crunch probably has a hundred names I just cold not think of what else to call it. You do not use the weight on this. It is a great opportunity to rest as you will be lying on the ground. The name just means that instead of a classic crunch where you just mover your upper body up, you also bring your knees towards your elbows. Keep you hands off your head and neck. For added leverage, hold your hands above your head if you need the extra weight.

Hope this helps.

[gman 0]

cant wait, ill try it out and let you know how it works for me.

Did you try it? What did you think?

[dix0r 0]

there's no way i'd make it through that :]

i just started doing cross fit type exercises. my second workout was thursday...

3 rounds of:

21 burpees

21 hard to explain squat things

21 squat thrusts

21 squat cleans

this was with 2 x 25 pound dumbbells...sounds easy right?

i only made it through 2 rounds, and 3 days later, i can hardly move.

[gman 0]

there's no way i'd make it through that :]

i just started doing cross fit type exercises. my second workout was thursday...

3 rounds of:

21 burpees

21 hard to explain squat things

21 squat thrusts

21 squat cleans

this was with 2 x 25 pound dumbbells...sounds easy right?

i only made it through 2 rounds, and 3 days later, i can hardly move.

Cross fit is awesome!!! And no that does not sound easy. Just remember to do that workout again and don't let it beat you.

Good luck.

[Trooper 8]

Squats, front squats, snatches, and explosive curls all in a circuit designed to make you tired. Sounds like injuries waiting to happen.

[gman 0]

Squats, front squats, snatches, and explosive curls all in a circuit designed to make you tired. Sounds like injuries waiting to happen.

Hence the light weight... You don't go to failure on any of these. This is not a beginner's workout by any means. It is also not the be all/ end all workout. Do your heavy squats, heavy overhead presses, low rep/set cleans and sanbag work on other days of the week, but throw this in once or twice a week and see how your fitness improves.

[Trooper 8]

Squats, front squats, snatches, and explosive curls all in a circuit designed to make you tired.  Sounds like injuries waiting to happen.

Hence the light weight... You don't go to failure on any of these. This is not a beginner's workout by any means. It is also not the be all/ end all workout. Do your heavy squats, heavy overhead presses, low rep/set cleans and sanbag work on other days of the week, but throw this in once or twice a week and see how your fitness improves.

Do sled pulling on those days of the week instead and you will greatly improve your GPP with very little chance of injury. Even with light weight, explosive movements in a fatigued state can lead to injury.

[gman 0]

Sled pulling is a great exercise. The workout we are talking about in this thread is derived from one the East German Javelin team does/did. They are professional athletes and as such they are capable of doing this type of workout. It may indeed be too rough for casual athletes.

[TBLfan 25]

the way you describe some of those exercises aren't very safe. It's better for you if you target specific muscles then work out the opposing muscle groups.

The only one that I'd really recommend doing is crunches, but you also need to do cherrypickers for the "lovehandles" and leg lifts for the hip flexors.

[gman 0]

the way you describe some of those exercises aren't very safe. It's better for you if you target specific muscles then work out the opposing muscle groups.

The only one that I'd really recommend doing is crunches, but you also need to do cherrypickers for the "lovehandles" and leg lifts for the hip flexors.

The only one that I can see that could be even remotely construed as unsafe are the "dynamic curls". In actuality they are very safe. If a person is fit and knows how to perform the lifts, then I just cannot see the danger. But again, this is a pretty advanced routine. I may be taking alot for granted.

Many, if not most, untrained people would tell you that putting 300 or 400 pounds on a bar and squatting is tremendously dangerous and a foolish thing to do and are very unsafe. If you know how to do squats, and you work up from an empty bar to the heavy weight, squats are no more dangerous than any other exercise.

The way I describe the crunches actually does work the hip flexors as your are moving your legs as well. Your obliques (lovehandles), get a workout stabilizing your snatches, front/back squats/ curls and overhead presses.

Check out this site. This fellowis a thrower, but has tremendous insight to what it takes to train a truely athletic body.

http://www.danjohn.org/

Here is a quick link to his archived newsletters. If you have the time and inclination you can spend not only hours but weeks digesting all the information in these newsletters. Alot of it is specific to hammer and discuss throwing, but every one has something on strength training.

http://www.danjohn.org/getup.html

[TBLfan 25]

#3 and #4 can be quiet dangerous. #4s problem lies in "Squat down in a controlled fashion until your calves and halmstrings won't let you go deeper." You don't want to do that because you can hyperextend your knees. You want to go to a 90 degree knee bend, hold it and slowly stand up.

And #3 is just all around dangerous.

But whatever works for you.

[Trooper 8]

#3 and #4 can be quiet dangerous. #4s problem lies in "Squat down in a controlled fashion until your calves and halmstrings won't let you go deeper." You don't want to do that because you can hyperextend your knees. You want to go to a 90 degree knee bend, hold it and slowly stand up.

And #3 is just all around dangerous.

But whatever works for you.

That could mean until your calves and hamstrings touch, not until they form a lever and blow your knees apart. Research has shown that your knee joint is actually the most unstable at 90 degrees. Hyperextending a joint happens when it straightens beyond where it is supposed to, not in flexion.

And as for standing up slowly, that's for bodybuilders, if you want to build strength and power, you should apply as much force as possible to the bar.

[gman 0]

#3 and #4 can be quiet dangerous. #4s problem lies in "Squat down in a controlled fashion until your calves and halmstrings won't let you go deeper." You don't want to do that because you can hyperextend your knees. You want to go to a 90 degree knee bend, hold it and slowly stand up.

And #3 is just all around dangerous.

But whatever works for you.

I am not saying that you lever your knees until they blow up. You just want to do a full squat, not a partial. If you start slowly and let your body adapt, they are not dangerous at all. Partial squats only came into existence because people were so obsessed with piling a ton of weight on the bar that they sacrificed good full squat technique for weight. Look at the old time squatters. They did full squats. Look up Paul Anderson for example. Look at the olympic lifters, not power lifters. Also not the super heavies butthe weight class lifters. THey have bodies and overall physiques that anyone would be happy to own. They do full squats, front and back. But mostly front.

[TBLfan 25]

#3 and #4 can be quiet dangerous. #4s problem lies in "Squat down in a controlled fashion until your calves and halmstrings won't let you go deeper." You don't want to do that because you can hyperextend your knees. You want to go to a 90 degree knee bend, hold it and slowly stand up.

And #3 is just all around dangerous.

But whatever works for you.

That could mean until your calves and hamstrings touch, not until they form a lever and blow your knees apart. Research has shown that your knee joint is actually the most unstable at 90 degrees. Hyperextending a joint happens when it straightens beyond where it is supposed to, not in flexion.

And as for standing up slowly, that's for bodybuilders, if you want to build strength and power, you should apply as much force as possible to the bar.

theres a point just below that 90 degrees that is somewhat transitional(switching muscle groups) and that can cause your knee to buckle which can cause a hyperextension or dislocation.

[gman 0]

theres a point just below that 90 degrees that is somewhat transitional(switching muscle groups) and that can cause your knee to buckle which can cause a hyperextension or dislocation.

That is why you use lighter weight until you strenghten that "hole". Your legs actually respond surprisingly quickly this way, and you will be amazed how quickly you increase the weight. This is a good way to get rid of any weak spots in your squat.