I run about 5 miles a day and started competing in 10k races this summer. However I am looking for something that can help tone/define the upper body. I don't really want to gain mass, just have the upper and lower halves of my body on an approximately equivalent level of fitness. I briefly thought about boxing but lessons are expensive as shit around here, as much fun as that would be. Would you guys have any suggestions?
I haven't read throughout all the 13 pages of posts so forgive me. I have the P90X and love all the aspects of it except for the Ab Ripper X. I learned that I can split screen my TV using Picture in Picture, have P90X on one side, and whatever else playing on the other so I don't have to listen to the music or that motherfucker that never stops talking. I need a basic ab workout. I've looked at some random stuff online, but does anyone recommend a basic ad workout I can do at home that I can eventually get to the level of Ab Ripper X?
I've never seen anyone or know of anyone who can do Ab Ripper top to bottom. Shit is hard man. It doesn't ever get easier either. You can just do more. "Just get out of your head about it man. Just keep pushing play, keep pushing play" Sorry. I couldn't resist quoting that douche.
Its the most ridiculous and difficult ab routine from the P90X series. If you want when I get home, I'll shoot you the torrent for it or upload it so you can check it out. Great workout. Just hard to do start to finish.
I thought doing a strict ab workout was nowhere near as effective as focusing on dead lifts, squats, benches...essentially Mike's Beginner Program. Am I wrong about that? Is it beneficial to do a bunch of ab work in addition to whatever cardio and weight program you're doing?
If you only have time to do one or the other, I'd suggest something like Mikes's Beginner Program every time. For people who already have a decent fitness base, its fine to throw in ab work as a supplement. Depending on your goals, throwing in some core work can definitely be a big plus.
I can get to the second part which is the bicycle, then you're supposed to reverse it. 5 seconds into the reversal I start crying, sucking my thumb and looking for a blanket. It's not even funny. I have hardwood floors, even with a mat its hard as hell and uncomfortable as hell.
I just watched the entire thing (never seen it & really didn't know I was doing p90x) and my trainer makes me do about half of this usually once a week. The reverse bicycle is fucking torture. We do the in & out crunches, the bicycle, the reverse bicycle, the Fifer Scissors and the Mason Twist. We also do the P90X Banana Roll and I love love these... I do two sets of three rolls 3 times a week.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.firepowertraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/CrossFitBodyweightWorkoutResourcev2.0.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.firepowertraining.com/wp-con ... cev2.0.pdf</a> I've already linked this list to a few people, so I figured I'd post it up here. Its a bodyweight workout guide, requiring minimal or no gear, and its organized quite well. There are some tough workouts in there.
This is a Goal Orientation issue. Why are you working out? Do you want to lose weight? Get stronger? Gain Endurance? Develop your core to provide additional spine support in your old age? For reducing excess bodyfat - A strict ab workout isn't a great way to spend your time. You can't focus weight loss - all you do is increase your calorie consumption, and you increase your calorie consumption more, with less time and less effort doing something like Mike's Beginner Program than you would doing a ludicrous ab focused work out. If you want to get stronger, MBP or WS4SB is awesome. If you want to gain endurance - maybe slogging away on cardio machines is actually a good idea. If you want to develop your core to provide spine support in your old age - then a heavy core work out can be hugely beneficial. If you already have a relatively low body fat percentage, working your core can be beneficial for the beach body thing. For pure beach aesthetics, if you already have a low body fat percentage - working out the way infomercials recommend can actually be a good plan. The strength you gain won't be terribly functional, and you won't dramatically reduce your body fat percentage - but hey - you might look a bit better in a spray tan and speedo.
I believe they are referring to this: <a class="postlink" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4935925244422339089&hl=en&emb=1#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... =en&emb=1#</a> I find it impossible to complete unless I can take 4-5 one-minute breaks, but I'm an office monkey who can only manage to exercise 2-3 times per week.
I'm assuming by "ab" you mean core. It depends on what your "ab workout" would consist of and your current weightlifting form. With weights, the majority of people let their global stabilizers dominate and neglect the local stabilizers/core. That's why we see a lot of athletes with bulging discs, neck pain, SI dysfunction, shoulder impingements, torn rotator cuffs, etc, etc. People can get away with solely recruiting superficial muscles a little bit when they're younger; but, that's definitely not long-lasting or healthy. So, for those people weights are pretty ineffective in core-strengthening and actually leading to injuries over time. If you have good body awareness and feel a strong connection with your transversus and pelvic floor, weights are fine. Almost any exercise/activity can strengthen your core, depending on how you do it and your intention. Personally, I like giving my clients exercises where they are forced to fire local stabilizers and use their core. That's what we give pro athletes who come in, and even they struggle. Most people (non-pro) are hot messes and can't even connect with those muscles let alone engage them while weightlifting, running, swimming, etc. I don't like P90X's core program. I bet 99% of people at home are using rectus abdominis, hip flexors, and a lot of momentum to get through those. If the goal is to feel the "burn", they've got it: it's their rectus pouching out and their hip flexors tightening.
What she said is correct. Most people label everything these days as a "core" workout when in reality, it's just an ab exercise, and a pretty shitty on at that. The best way to truly develop your "core" is to do exercises on your feet that incorporate movement. Side planks and such are a fun exercise if you want to feel better about yourself, I suppose, but they're isometric and are shitty to base a core workout on. Personally, I think front squats are the best core exercise. Period. Even at lighter weights, a properly performed front squat will work your core like no other. Start out with just the bar and perform them properly, going down until your hamstrings touch your calves, and you will develop a rock solid core in a matter of months. Another great exercise to develop true core strength is the yoke. Most people don't have one of these exact implements, but you can easily chain a couple of plates to the ends of the bar and do some runs with that. The amount of core strength required to do this is above an beyond anything I've ever done. This is me taking 650 lbs for a light jog.
I use a lot of equipment and props. Most people can't afford $75/hr training or the equipment, so I would invest in a Swiss Ball, BOSU, foam roller and wobble board. There are hundreds of exercises you can do with those relatively small props. I'm a big fan of uneven/unstable surfaces, ie standing on one leg on a wobble board/flat surface BOSU while you throw a ball against a plyo-board (or another person if you don't have access to a plyo). Someone continuously taps the board, making it even harder to balance. You'd be amazed at how much your core has to work to prevent you from losing balance. Or there are dozens of exercises laying down length-wise on a foam roller with your legs in tabletop. Start with exercises that challenge lumbopelvic stability (which comes from your core). Everything builds from there. Also, if you have no back issues, you want to work your spine in as many ways as possible: flexion, extension, neutral, lateral flexion, and rotation. Do exercises where you're articulating up and down your spine. Last note: most people want to rush everything. Slow it all down to at least half the tempo. It's much more challenging that way. You can fake a lot of things speeding through it. You can't fake or cheat if everything is done very deliberately and clearly with intention.
I was just reading through...and I can't help but chuckle at the fact that you guys think ab ripper X is insanely difficult. It is hard, but not nearly the hardest ab exercise I have ever attempted. I am a little shrimp in total body mass (160lbs at 6 ft 3in) and the only exercise I get it running and doing ab ripper X three times a week. If you do more than three times it stops hurting, and is a lot of fun. The fifer scissors are the worst part, but after that everything is not that bad. 15 mins three times a week for 4 weeks and your abs look great. Meanwhile, I don't think I could put up 130 once on a bench. Wheee.
Most effective core exercise I've ever done was when I was playing rugby. We had a small hill (20 feet?) at the back of the pitch, and after practice we'd pair off and do hills with our teammate on our back, alternating each time, until we dropped. Simple, and no gear required.