Iron Weight or Bodyweight?

***TaeBo_Master*** · Posted On: 5/04/2003 11:45pm

Well, I find that beyond solely gaining strength, bodyweight exercises also improve flexibility and stamina.... so I prefer them.

--A poor band player I was, but now I am crocodile king. --

**IndoChinese** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 12:25am

"the first is a method of a basic kick practice. three kicks are delivered with the same leg. they are done very slowly, and with dynamic tension and breathing. doing a front kick, side kick, and back kick without dropping the leg to the ground between kicks is a excellent drill for balance,flexibility,strength,and form practice."

what category is this wastrel. i believe it would be static active according to your description. but, i dont hold the kick out for a long time, although the movement is slow. would you consider this a negative excercise? i did not know most of the things you said about stretching.

according to one source i read(sorry cant remember the author) the type of stretch i describe is called a PNF stretch(sorry again, dont know what the acronym means). it was touted as the most beneficial stretch for flexibility and strengthening. i should add that i have been doing this excercise most of my life, and the info came later.

just wondering how that fits into the categorizations.

peace.

"Now why would you just stand there and watch him do that!?"
-teacher

**Deadpan Scientist** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 12:46am

handstand pushups are fun

**dburton** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 2:56am

When I was doing aikido we did handstand pushups and I had never had so much upper body strength (I have to get into those). But as far as body vs iron weight goes, when I was really into lifting, I ended my iron weight lifting with pyramid pull ups (1-8) and dips (4sets). This sounded freakin psycho when I was told to do it but after a while it became normal. I started with just the body workouts then slowly added weights. That was like 2 years ago and to this day I still maintain most of my strength and size by doing the body weights.

**The Wastrel** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 8:04am

Kuntao,
Consider how the weight of the leg is being supported thorugh the stretch. If it is transferred so that opposing leg muscles are supporting the leg, it relaxes those that are being stretched, but it also puts pressure on your lower spine. If the weight of the leg is still being supported through sheer momentum, as in an active stretch, then the muscles are relaxed for a different reason.

The one you describe *sounds* troublesome, but I don't really know. Try doing it and tell me whether you feel that difference in weight carriage.

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**Punisher** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 9:57am

Kuntao,

After consulting some of my references, probably the same ones Wastrel has, I agree that you might reconsider that particular exercise. I think what you are doing can have benefits in both balance and form, but really isn’t effective for functional flexibility or strength when it comes to martial arts. There are worse things you could be doing, and what you descirbed probably won't leave you with a warped spine, but you're probably aren’t getting all that much out of it either.

One of the things my instructor likes to see during testing time, is a static active stretch, specifically a fully extended sidekick held for about 5 seconds or so. He says he wants to see our muscle control.

The thing is that particular skill is just a trick, like being able to do the splits. It’s nice if you can do it, but in doesn’t really transfer to anything that you’ll use for any other purpose than performing that feat. Impressive? Yes. Functional? No.

Edited by - Punisher on May 05 2003 09:59:49

**MMA_Phil** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 10:41am

Can somebody explain to me how the hell it is possible to do a one armed handstand pushup?

**N8y5000** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 10:53am

against a wall for balance + previous ability to do at least 20 handstand pushups = very difficult to do 1 or two 'one handed handstand pushups'

**Chuck** · Posted On: 5/05/2003 12:00pm

OK, I know there is no "muscle" in the wrist joint, but is there a good exercise for that joint? Both my wrists have been injusred to the pint where it is difficult to do pushups or dips or chin ups. They just hurt too much. I have been resting them too much and am now feeling like I'm losing ground.