Form, injury, and unsuitable references

     I gotta admit, exercises such as squats, olympic lifts and deadlifts look more hardcore and dangerous than sports such as football and basketball. They appear like a ticking bomb to a cracked spine or a slipped disc. And then there are evidences to support the contention that they are dangerous on Youtube that show jacked guys getting pinned by a loaded barbell while benching or an olympian's shoulders get dislocated while the barbell is at mid air. Then the average guy goes "shit man if it is possible for an experienced lifter it hell be more possible for me".

    Martin Rooney puts it best in one of his articles and i quote,"Reading is bad for the eyes, door handles are caked with germs, and pesticides are sprayed on virtually every stitch of produce at the grocery store. Are you going to stop reading, opening doors, and eating vegetables?". These show that there is an inherent risk in everything you do. I consider those who choose to lift weights are smart enough to understand this and therefore they will learn the proper execution of every lift. Bret Contreras wrote an article on this whole paranoia about risky and bad exercises and it is one of my favourite articles.

    The next question that is logically asked is how do i learn proper form? Where do i learn proper form? Obviously there are tons of established, well known, bible ranked books that you can refer to. You cannot go wrong with "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe. This book details everything you need to know about form and it also explains if you have granny form. Or any book that contains training programs will give you a brief direction of how the exercise is executed.

                                         You gotta be this awesome to deadlift with this form
                                        
    However, I do understand that you need a more live and moving visual assistance. This is where most of us will resort to Youtube (assuming we already ruled out has been pakciks and skinny bastards doing twists at the gym). The problem i have with this is that some videos are not suitable for technique learning. For example, never copy a deadlift form of a powerlifter. They have trained long enough to round their upper backs while maintaining the arch of their lower back. Another example is a video i watched Arnold doing bent over rows. Instead of maintaining that arch al the time, he lowers the barbell way lower than usual while rounding his back. He was lucky not to slip a disc.

     There are proper videos on Youtube showing techniques on exercises. Choose wisely. With constant practice and experience you are all set. I have been lifting for a few years and my form is still improving.

It is simple, but not as simple as you think

     For some, it may be getting 17 inch guns. For some, it may be being at a shredded single digit bodyfat. For some, it may be being better at their sport. Generally, at a certain degree everyone wants to achieve the ones listed above because well..if you have achieved even some of them you are feakin awesome. However, i do understand if you are more inclined towards only one of them. For example, my ultimate goal is to squat and deadlift 2.5xbodyweight without comprimising too much hypertrophy and fat loss. This is somewhat similar to Jim Wendler's principle as he describes his goal is not train for fat loss, not train for hypertrophy or whatever, but  "train to be awesome".

    However, achieveing the goal is the tricky part. Well, not triky, just not black and white. Alot of factors come into play such as training experience, genetics, training program, etc. For example, an intermediate or advanced lifter that wants to increase an inch to his arms can always try one of John Romaniello's body specialization program and have great success. I personally have tried his back specialization program and now I am just a few steps behind Dorian yates (ok, i am exagerating). However, a bodypart specialization program would not be suitable for a beginner lifter who canot squat or deadlift his bodyweight to save his life. He just doesn't have a strong foundation yet. So yes, beginners, doing endless bicep curls will not make you Arnold. And then people will ask, what amounts to a beginner?intermedieate?advanced? The answers are never black and white and will always depend on the circumstances.

 

                                             No amount of curls can turn this guy into Arnold

                                                 Countless people have benefited from his
                                                               specialization program

    That is why i think the first step towards training is do your own reading first. Do not go to the gym and expect the mindless has-been pakciks or skinny bastards doing endless planks and broomstick twists to teach you. Not that you want to. Once you already have the foundation (an appreciable level of muscle mass, a decent level of strength, knowing how to maintain a good form), venture to your own path. Pick a good program, follow, and have faith in it. And no half assing allowed.

The "best" training method?

      A lot of coaches are preaching their methods as being the ultimate way and absolute way to build muscle. Some claim that full body training is the best way, some claim bodypart splits are the best way, some claim high volume training is the best way, some claim low volume, high frequency training is the best. And they bring in studies proving their methods an anecdotal eveidence of their own clients showing before and after photos.

                                              Arnold was a big believer in bodypart splits,
                                       High Frequency Training (HFT),and was jacked

                                       Casey Viator, an advocate of low volume, less frequent
                                             High Intensity Training (HIT), but also jacked.

      What does this mean? Does it mean your quest of achieving your goal physique is doomed just because you are not following the "best" method? This simply means....everything works! And there is no such thing as the holy grail method. Just make sure you pick a reputable program and have faith in it. As Chris Shugart pointed it in one of his articles, do not belong to any training cult, and if you do, you are a dork. Also, as Dan John stated in his top ten tips, everything works but nothing works forever. Why would you want to confine yourself to a single training principle as you have the chance to experiment with tons of them.
     
        BUT!!!! and that is a big but, this does not mean you should mash all methods into one program. Remember, more does not necessarily mean better. Take a training program and stick to it for 12 weeks at least. Jumping from one program to another doesnt allow you to progress, and that is the bridge to the results you have long been seeking for. You do not wanna be ADHD in anything and that includes training programs as well.

        Finding the best type of program for you takes self experimenting. If it delivers results and continues to delivers results, why bother changing it? I find that i make the best progress with the last two mentioned training splits. If your progress has stalled, try a new program.Whatever it is, stick to it for 12 weeks before changing it. Be patient and do not expect fictional progress

I feel sorry for you..NOT

       I train three times per week, and none of the training sessions last longer than an hour. I go to class at 9 and i usualy arrive home 12 hours later. I face traffic jams everyday in bloody setapak and Jalan Bangsar. I carry on the life of a busy undergrad law student, and i am sure it is more or less the same for other faculties and even an average working guy but still i can manage to train regularly. So why are you whining that you have no time to exercise at all.

                                                 Tempat market but it comes with a price

        I hear it all the time. If they would rephrase it and instead say something like "exercising is not my priority as I prioritize other stuff like going online and lying down and do nothing". Well, you still deserve a cold slap in the face but at least you have identified the problem.

        You will have time if you make it your priority. Heck, you do not need three hours a week. There are tons of express workout routines in your cleo that i am sure you skip while reading it as you are more interested in Q and A life (borrrringggg). Plus, while you are facebooking why not open a new tab and search "workout for the busy single mom" althoguh you may not be a single mom but you are nagging as if you are preoccupied like one. Make exercising your priority. The Health Ministry recommends physical activity three 20 minute sessions per week and do not tell me you cannot even comply with the health ministry's standards.

                                    These clowns are more awesome than all of you combined

         Making it your priority also means making it a habit. doing all out workout for one day thinking that it will compensate future missed workout sessions is like thinking eating 10,000 calories in a day can ward off hunger for one week. Also, you must be such a bore if you do not enjoy a good sweat. Build up your habit, even if it means starting with only three 10 minute sessions per week. From there slightly increase the duration to 12, 15, or 20 minutes as you go with each session.

         That wasnt rocket science was it? It is not like you have to deal with anyone else in order to exercise. You must be such a dissappointment if you cant control your ownself.

What do you consider normal eating?

    I would not consider myself the healthiest when it comes to nutrition. I do not count calories, i do not consume chicken breast and broccoli everyday, but i try to eat healthy when i can. Usually this is breakfast and maybe lunch or dinner. Even when i am eating "unhealthy", i still make sure i get adequate amounts of protein, vegetables, and fruit as carbs would not be a problem as rice is the staple food in our country.

   But to the majority of people, eating normal most of the time is eating unhealthy. Foods that are both high in fat and carbs, lack nutritional content which is the highway to added inches to your waistline, are the norm. Why the heck do you want to have nasi lemak everyday?or teh tarik for that matter. Why cant you stick to non calorie beverages? Does every component of your meal has to be sinfully satisfying?

                                          They belong on the rack. If you know what i mean


    I say this is childish. I say you are childish that you have to satisfy your cravings all the time. It is time to eat like an adult. It is time to behave like an adult. It is time to realise the importance of nutrition not only for aesthetic purposes only but for general health. As cliche as it sounds, you are what you eat. But how many of you can prove the saying wrong?none.

                                                    A clear causation of action and result

 

DIsclaimer for rant

     Probably one of the few things i can still remember in contract law when i was in first year is the importance of disclaimers and also probably i can still remember it because i stumble upon it everytime i read a training program or a fitness related book.

     And also probably it is more important for me because i am stating here that my posts will be opinion based and not advice based as i am not a certified trainer, strength coach, conditioning specialist, etc. However, this does not imply that i know squat about fitness. i have my share of knowledge in different nutrition principles and different schools of strength training and i even guinea pigged myself in various methods to find out what works best for me.

      This blog is also training for me to make the broscience of fitness as simple as possible for laymen to understand.

       And yeah, occasionally i will depart from the usual discussion and touch on movies, culinary, and other stuff that interests me.