Advice: Off-Ice Workouts

[rwhesjed]

Has anyone followed the book "Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program"? I saw it today in the bookstore and it gets good reviews on Amazon. I'm going to get it from the library and try it out.

Mark Verstegen the author of the book is one of the smartest and most respected guys in the sports performance industry. Its a great book.

 

[Stickchecked]

Mark Verstegen the author of the book is one of the smartest and most respected guys in the sports performance industry. Its a great book.

Sweet, we're picking it up from the library today.

 

[denace]

bodyweight

Does anybody know some usefull bodyweight exercizes ? What I've found so far is this:

single leg squats
chin ups
push ups
planking
sit ups

thats all I can come up with. I need 2 or 3 extra exercizes to complete my routine.

 

[Stickchecked]

Does anybody know some usefull bodyweight exercizes ? What I've found so far is this:

single leg squats
chin ups
push ups
planking
sit ups

thats all I can come up with. I need 2 or 3 extra exercizes to complete my routine.

Lunges
Knee raises for hip flexors

 

[Ozz]

Pistols over single-leg squats. Major balance and strength necessary to flow through them properly.

You can also do burpees with a big jump at the end.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

Sweet, we're picking it up from the library today.

Peter Twists book is excellent.

Hockey specific.

Complete Conditioning For Hockey.

 

[Jarick]

Does anybody know some usefull bodyweight exercizes ? What I've found so far is this:

single leg squats
chin ups
push ups
planking
sit ups

thats all I can come up with. I need 2 or 3 extra exercizes to complete my routine.

Here's an interesting article about the most fundamental exercises. There are LOTS of well-respected trainers on that list. Very interesting responses. I'm a big fan of Dan John and Eric Cressey on that list.

I would say if there were 5-6 exercises you could do with just bodyweight and maybe a lighter dumbbell or medicine ball:

Bodyweight squats / lunges - knee hinge exercise
Good mornings/single leg deadlifts - hip hinge exercise
Wall pushes/table pushups/pushups - upper body push/plank
Body rows/pullups - upper body pull
Medicine ball chop/lift - core anti-rotation
Carry something heavy for a while - grip, strength, endurance

 

[denace]

Here's an interesting article about the most fundamental exercises. There are LOTS of well-respected trainers on that list. Very interesting responses. I'm a big fan of Dan John and Eric Cressey on that list.

I would say if there were 5-6 exercises you could do with just bodyweight and maybe a lighter dumbbell or medicine ball:

Bodyweight squats / lunges - knee hinge exercise
Good mornings/single leg deadlifts - hip hinge exercise
Wall pushes/table pushups/pushups - upper body push/plank
Body rows/pullups - upper body pull
Medicine ball chop/lift - core anti-rotation
Carry something heavy for a while - grip, strength, endurance

thanks everyone ! I was working out like a bodybuilder instead of a hockeyplayer..I used to be sore for a week after leg training. I'll look into this Jarick, thanks

 

[Jarick]

I picked up Peter Twists conditioning book last month, finally got around to flipping through it last night.

I honestly don't think I'd recommend it.

It was written back in the early/mid 1990's and it seems we've come a long way since then. Nothing really new in it if you're remotely familiar with weightlifting, exercise, and nutrition.

 

[Stickchecked]

I picked up Peter Twists conditioning book last month, finally got around to flipping through it last night.

I honestly don't think I'd recommend it.

It was written back in the early/mid 1990's and it seems we've come a long way since then. Nothing really new in it if you're remotely familiar with weightlifting, exercise, and nutrition.

I had the same impression from googling him.

Going back to a previous post, I've read mot of the Core Performance book by Mark Verstegen and I'm really excited to get started with the program. It's exactly what I was looking for: Exercises focused more on whole body movements and mobility and less on pure muscle building or straight cardio.

 

[Jarick]

I had the same impression from googling him.

Going back to a previous post, I've read mot of the Core Performance book by Mark Verstegen and I'm really excited to get started with the program. It's exactly what I was looking for: Exercises focused more on whole body movements and mobility and less on pure muscle building or straight cardio.

That sounds pretty good. What are the main exercises? I just get this bad mental image of a guy doing crunches on a ball, like most people assume the abdominal muscles alone are the core.

 

[redbranch]

I picked up the Core Performance Essentials book on my iPad. I like the content, but the layout is not very well done overall. worth it for an out of shape guy like me for sure though

 

[denace]

I had the same impression from googling him.

Going back to a previous post, I've read mot of the Core Performance book by Mark Verstegen and I'm really excited to get started with the program. It's exactly what I was looking for: Exercises focused more on whole body movements and mobility and less on pure muscle building or straight cardio.

This is what I need...I really need to be more agile and less bulky(fat). One legged squats are nearly impossible for me at the moment, so I stick with pistons instead. Thanks for the tip.

Are there PDF's of Mark Verstegen's book available anywhere ? Can't seem to find it..

 

[Jarick]

Links to PDF's would be illegal as it's copyrighted.

 

[denace]

Links to PDF's would be illegal as it's copyrighted.

No, I want to buy it This book isn't available in Europe as far as I know, so buying the PDF will be cheaper

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Anyone else have a rope machine at their gym? great workout for almost every muscle group above the waist. Do about 45 seconds of pulls, rest for 30, 45, 30 etc. Surprising, gets the heart pumping pretty good. For some reason, it seems to be avoided at my gym lol. So many people seem so focused on the 20 minute circuit or whatever which I don't understand. 20 minute workouts do not get you in shape. I don't know who these gyms are trying to fool. Same thing with the infomercials.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

 

[Jarick]

Anyone else have a rope machine at their gym? great workout for almost every muscle group above the waist. Do about 45 seconds of pulls, rest for 30, 45, 30 etc. Surprising, gets the heart pumping pretty good. For some reason, it seems to be avoided at my gym lol. So many people seem so focused on the 20 minute circuit or whatever which I don't understand. 20 minute workouts do not get you in shape. I don't know who these gyms are trying to fool. Same thing with the infomercials.

What do you mean?

20 minutes of high intensity interval work like you are doing is a lot more effective than 45 minutes walking on a treadmill. Of course, you have to be able to walk on a treadmill before you can do the high intensity stuff.

 

[ean]

I like to do jump lunges. Basically you get down into a lunge and then jump out of it as you switch to the other leg.

 

[Stickchecked]

I like to do jump lunges. Basically you get down into a lunge and then jump out of it as you switch to the other leg.

That's one of the exercises in the "Elasticity" section of the Core Performance book. Basically, plyometric type stuff. I'm happy that they are all indoor/low ceiling friendly.

I'm eagerly awaiting my knee to heal up enough to dive into the book's program.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

What do you mean?

20 minutes of high intensity interval work like you are doing is a lot more effective than 45 minutes walking on a treadmill. Of course, you have to be able to walk on a treadmill before you can do the high intensity stuff.

I boxed for 5 years and much of the circuit training done at the brand name gyms is a waste of time. It will say do this or that workout for a few minutes and get a noticeably tighter stomach, or something to that effect. When in reality, that's far from the truth. To get in really good shape it takes dedication, a great diet and more hours than you can count at the gym. I just think a lot of people give up on the gym because they aren't seeing results soon enough, mostly because they aren't doing to proper training IMO. I had a few friends quit the gym recently because they weren't seeing results. What were they doing? the circuit training. I'm not trying to come off arrogant but I definitely have my theories to training that go back to my boxing days and I truly believe that some workouts, plenty actually, are a complete waste of time which could be spent doing another workout. Just my opinion.

 

[Caeldan]

Crossfit has many issues:

1. It is not periodized and has no structured progression. The exercises are seemingly issued at random and have no natural progression. How can you really track your progress?

Depends on the gym, find the right one and you'll see them using hybrid westside and wendler's cycles.
Also progress is measured with the benchmark wods and 1RM if you really want numbers.

2. It is not specific. Crossfit issues general-purpose exercises designed to train you at random. While you may be fitter, it is not the ideal solution for someone looking to train for improvement in a specific area.

Fine, it is a general full body functional movement workout. Which in itself has its own advantages as well.

3. It is dangerous. A beginner cannot suddenly start doing olympic powerlifts and handstand pushups. A novice to intermediate Crossfitter probably can't do tabata olympic powerlifts (something that is in and of itself contradictory) until failure, then go for a 5 mile run the next day. The leg muscles will be fatigued and the legs will be more injury prome.

Every gym I know of typically has subs for any exercise that you can't do. So pike pushups from a plyo box instead of HSPU. Or scaling down weight on lifts to something manageable.
The fatigue thing is going to be up to you to listen to your own body. It is a group class after all with people attending at different rates.

4. IT IS DANGEROUS. On top of that, the typical mantra in Crossfit is to do as much as possible. The Crossfit mentality is that 20 bad squats in which you move a grand total of 4-5 inches is superior to 5 good squats where you go through the full range of motion with correct form. Repetitive use of poor form is a recipe for chronic injury.

Where do you hear this? I've never heard anything other than pushing form first. Several gyms I know where the coaches WILL cut your reps or otherwise force a sub if your form is crap in a metcon.

5. It is not for beginners. You can seriously hurt yourself doing some of the stuff Crossfit asks you to do, especially if you're not well-versed in the movements and lifts you're asked to do.

This is a repeat of 3 and same answer applies. Also there are typically fundamentals classes run for beginners to teach them the lifts. Additionally you will learn the progressions as part of workouts, and demonstrations are done.

Personally I'd say Crossfit is just a more intense version of p90x or Insanity where part of the benefit is getting out and having other people help motivate you through the workouts. As well as having access to some heavier equipment you might not be able to afford at home.

I definitely have seen improvement overall from doing it the last few months, and know others who are quite happy with their results as well, including absolute beginners.

That said, as with all workout programs... YMMV.
It is definitely mentally exhausting to push through some of the WODs. And as with all things, the coaching plays a large part of it. You can get terrible coaches, just like you can have terrible PTs, Massage Therapists or Chiropractors. All of which if they're good, you'll get benefit out of it -- if they're bad they could do some damage if you're not aware of your own body as well.
And for some the group vs solo workout can be the difference between actually pushing yourself hard enough to get gains.

 

[Guffaw]

I've always been a classic ectomorph so my off ice workouts are centered around building muscle. Skating 2-3 times per week is enough cardio for me and my job is physical so I don't need to burn a ton of calories in my workouts.

My routine is big compound movements. Squat, lunge, bench, shoulder press, pull-up, row. Once I build a nice strength base (im coming back from a few injuries) I'll incorporate some plyometrics and more balance work like one legged exercises.

I'm 40 so a religious stretching routine is necessary or I wouldn't be able to play. 15 min after every skate or workout.

I wish I knew what I know now at 18. I see it at the gym all the time. The skinny kid doing cable flys and curls for hours. Total waste of time.

 

[Clarkington III]

I boxed for 5 years and much of the circuit training done at the brand name gyms is a waste of time. It will say do this or that workout for a few minutes and get a noticeably tighter stomach, or something to that effect. When in reality, that's far from the truth. To get in really good shape it takes dedication, a great diet and more hours than you can count at the gym. I just think a lot of people give up on the gym because they aren't seeing results soon enough, mostly because they aren't doing to proper training IMO. I had a few friends quit the gym recently because they weren't seeing results. What were they doing? the circuit training. I'm not trying to come off arrogant but I definitely have my theories to training that go back to my boxing days and I truly believe that some workouts, plenty actually, are a complete waste of time which could be spent doing another workout. Just my opinion.

You almost got it right. It takes those things minus hours in the gym. Doing a 20 minute workout each day (20 minute HIIT for instance) will have that effect. You do not need to spend hours in the gym to see muscles you didn't know you had or only saw in magazines. To get muscles very large may take hours in the gym, but to get into great shape and build strength and endurance, it does not.

 

[Guffaw]

I picked up Peter Twists conditioning book last month, finally got around to flipping through it last night.

I honestly don't think I'd recommend it.

It was written back in the early/mid 1990's and it seems we've come a long way since then. Nothing really new in it if you're remotely familiar with weightlifting, exercise, and nutrition.

Really? It's not well written and kind of hard to follow, but I think there is some good information in there.

I really had to simplify the training though. It just gets so specific that if you did everything he says, training would be your full time job.