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Large Sarge | 12-27-2006 09:58 AM
Exercising w/out weights http://www.cbass.com/Furey.htm Matt Furey�s Royal Court of Bodyweight Exercises After receiving quite a number of emails from people telling me about their positive experiences with Matt Furey�s system of bodyweight exercises, I decided to order his book and video and check it out for myself. Guess what? They�re right. I believe his calisthenics have value. His "Royal Court" of three bodyweight exercises is demanding � and fun. I�m not prepared to say that his system is better than a combination of weight training and high-intensity aerobics for producing functional strength and endurance, as he suggests, but it definitely deserves a place in a well rounded training program, at least occasionally. I can even see doing his bodyweight exercises exclusively when you need a change of pace, as we all do from time to time, or when traveling. It only took two sessions with Furey�s Hindu Squats and the Hindu Pushups to convince me that he�s onto something worthwhile. I�m less certain about the third exercise, the Back Bridge, which he calls the KING of the Royal Court, but it probably has merit as well. I have an irregularity in my cervical spine due to an unfortunate accident when I was a child � my father backed out of the garage and ran over me � which causes me to approach neck bridging with extreme caution. More about that later. I don�t know Matt Furey personally � I never heard of him until recently � but I like what I see. He strikes me as a regular guy who�s not trying to put anything over on anyone. He�s found a system that works for him � and his students � and wants to share it. Plus, he�s a collegiate national wrestling champion (NCAA 2, 1985) and world Kung Fu Shuai-Chiao champion (Beijing, 1997). (I wrestled in high school. It�s one of the hardest things I ever did. So, I respect wrestlers.) Furey calls the Royal Court "the three most important exercises for developing the entire body." Let�s look at them one by one. Hindu Squats Hindu Squats, says Furey, "lay the foundation for strength and endurance." You�re not doing what he calls "Combat Conditioning" (the name of his book published in February 2000) without the Hindu Squat, says Furey. This high repetition, rhythmic version of bodyweight squats develops the hips, thighs, calves, and lower back � and lung power. Like all of the Combat Conditioning exercises, photos are worth a 1000 words (see below), but the Hindu Squat is basically a deep, upright squat done on the toes with an assist from the arms; the arms come down and behind the body as you lower yourself, and then swing up as you rise. It feels wonderful once you get the groove and the rhythm. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HSquat1.jpg Begin with your hands pulled in tight to the chest. (Photos by Carol Bass) http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HSquat2.jpg Bring your hands down and lower your body. Keep hands behind your back for balance. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HSquat3.jpg Come up on toes at the bottom. Keep your body upright and your arms down. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HSquat4.jpg Swing the arms forward and push off your toes. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HSquat5.jpg As you rise, the arms continue up to chest level. When you�re upright, pull your hands in to the chest and begin again. Matt recommends doing as many nonstop repetitions as possible. In the beginning, depending on your condition, he says, you�ll probably be able to do 25 to 50 � I did 60 with no problem in my second workout. Matt says 100 reps is good � and "when you can do 500 straight Hindu Squats, you�re on your way to greatness." Believe it or not, Furey�s mentor, Karl Gotch, once did 9001 nonstop Hindu Squats. It took him four and a half hours, according to Furey, whose personal record is 2000. I'm impressed. Hindu Pushups Hindu Pushups follows the squats. Furey says Hindu Pushups, like Hindu Squats, have been used by Indian wrestlers for centuries to build upper body strength and endurance. The difference between this exercise and regular pushups is that it involves an arching movement -- Furey says it's like an ocean wave -- that stretches and strengthens the hips, shoulders and back. The starting position is with legs spread wide and butt up in the air. From there, bend your elbows as in a regular pushup, bringing your back down in a circular arc, straighten your arms and end up with your chest up and your hips almost touching the ground. Like the Hindu Squat, the Hindu Pushup has a nice rhythm. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HPushup1.jpg Start with your feet wide apart, butt up and head looking back at heels. The legs remain straight throughout the exercise. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HPushup2.jpg Lower your hips and bend your arms. http://www.cbass.com/IMAGES/HPushup3.jpg Finish with head up and back arched. Your hips should almost touch the floor. Now, keep your arms straight and push back to the starting position. Again, do as many repetition as you can. "If you can bench press 400 pounds, I�ll bet dollars to donuts," says Furey, " that you�ll struggle with 25 straight Hindu Pushups." That seems like a bit of an exaggeration, because I did 25 without any trouble. But Furey tells me it isn�t so much a matter of strength as a lack of "strength/endurance or the necessary flexibility in the spine, shoulders and hips." In any event, it�s a challenging movement.I like it. It feels good. I was surprised to find myself sore the next morning, especially in the traps and upper back; my lower back also complained a little as a result of the arching motion. Not what you would expect from pushups. Back Bridge The wrestler�s neck bridge, Furey calls it the Back Bridge, is controversial. Many people think it�s dangerous, that it compresses the cervical spine. Furey says the exact opposite is true, that the Back Bridge stretches the spine and strengthens the neck, back, thighs, hips and buttocks like nothing else. As I said, he calls it the KING of the Royal Court. The key, says Furey, is proper performance. He acknowledges, of course, that people who have a pre-existing neck injury or neck problems of any kind should consult their doctor and proceed with extreme caution. If you try this exercise, be very careful. Take your time and feel your way along. If you experience discomfort, stop immediately. Most people bridge on the top of the head. Furey says that�s wrong. "The proper method of doing a Back Bridge requires you to place all the weight on your forehead, not on the top of your head," says Furey. He says to arch your entire back and relax your shoulders and neck until your nose touches the mat. Ouch! Most people, of course, can�t do that at first. Take your time, he says. "Don�t force it. Eventually it�ll come." Before you start, be sure to study the pictures and read Furey�s instructions carefully. Furey's obviously very flexible and has a strong neck. I tried the Bridge with Hand Support, as he suggests in the book. I found it helpful to grab the bottom of a cabinet to stabilize myself � my bad left shoulder wouldn�t go back otherwise. From this position I was able to arch my body and rock back on my head without difficulty � it actually felt pretty good � but I did not feel comfortable rotating back on my forehead or trying to touch my nose to the floor. Again, proceed with extreme caution. Take your time. Ease into the position. Furey says to rock back and forth 10 or 20 times. I did 10 bridges to start and my neck felt okay the next day; it didn�t complain. Again, don�t force it. With practice, he says you should be able to hold a perfect bridge for three minutes or more. Matt says that Karl Gotch, his coach, once held a bridge for 47 minutes!

Large Sarge | 12-27-2006 10:03 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights now that you have the pictures, and other stuff, you can do them w/out buying the books/ DVD's I recommend these, good to do everyday, and will not injure you or wreck your joints.

des00s | 12-27-2006 10:42 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights You should never go below parallel when doing squats its bad for your knees.

lhslancers | 12-27-2006 07:03 PM
Re: Exercising w/out weights Exercising with no weight other than your own body? Soloflex and similar machines don't qualify. However if ya want to get in decent shape watch your intake and ride a stationary bike 10 miles a day. Get hold of a Health Rider or Cardiofit. Ride that 15 minutes a day. Do about 500-800 half situps and reverse half sits. Ever heard of the Wonderwheel? Great little inexpensive wheel with a bar running through the middle. One of the best moves for back triceps and upper and lower abs going. Now if you can still do all that and a full day's work and still please the ladies you are a helluva man. Just do it. :beer: Have fun.

extremist | 12-28-2006 03:41 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights Why exercise without weights? They don't depend on gas or electricity, and will be just as accessible when SHTF. If you have none in your compound and can't get to a gym, there are always logs, sections of concrete, etc.

thorgrim | 12-28-2006 09:16 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights I don't buy that don't go below parallel crap on squats. I always go below parallel. Ass to the grass. You have to be controlled though, and warm up properly first. Also listen to your body, it will tell you if you are working the muscle or actually causing damage to joints or tendons.

graspAU | 12-28-2006 09:37 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights Consistency in working out and diet payoff. I like using free weights. I listen to my body and understand from the evidence of wrecked bodies that moderation is key in working out.

Large Sarge | 12-28-2006 09:59 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights Quote:
Originally Posted by thorgrim (Post 456784) I don't buy that don't go below parallel crap on squats. I always go below parallel. Ass to the grass. You have to be controlled though, and warm up properly first. Also listen to your body, it will tell you if you are working the muscle or actually causing damage to joints or tendons.
I go below parallel also, but to each his own Diet & consistency are important

softserve320 | 12-28-2006 11:38 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights I've had his book 'Combat Conditioning' for about a year 1/2 and find that integrating it with my yoga to be perfect for me. People underestimate what can be accomplished with their own body weight. The Hindu pushups work the core upper body and can be as intense as any routine. If you don't think so, challenge yourself by seeing how many you can do. It's great for those who need to build up their upper body strength. I'll add that in an extreme survival type situation, the ability to pull and/or lift your own body weight up is more than crucial. About going below parallel with the squats. We have been conditioned to make sure parallel is where to stop for two reasons. For one, it is regulation depth in powerlifting and two, it is unsafe when squating more than your body weight. When squating nothing more than your own weight, your joints should be strong enough to handle a controlled motion from standing to a full squat with your butt to the floor which is the full rage of motion. When doing the Hindu squats if any pain or uncomfortable resistance is felt at the knees and/or hips than accommodate the motion to your comfort level while gradually increasing the reps and depth of the squat to tolerance. Doing as many of the Hindu squats and pushups as your body will allow will give you a good sense of how challenging these really are. There is no equipment that is neccessary for an intense workout which is misinformation. If after doing as many of the squats and pushups as you can and you want more of a challenge, than keep adding another excercise from the combat conditioning routine, there are plenty to choose from. :smile: :rose:

REV127 | 01-01-2007 09:45 PM
Re: Exercising w/out weights I don't care for many weight machines simply because I think they're really made for body builders... they miss a lot of stabilizer muscles, the range of motion in most machines doesn't really correspond to much you'd do either in martial arts or practical day to day work, etc. They can also encourage you to push yourself a little too hard as I found out early in 2006 when I tried doing an overhead press of 175lbs on a machine they had at the apartment I was staying in. I was extra foolish and arched my back. I got the weight up but threw something out of whack that caused me a great deal of discomfort till this passed December. As it stands I'm just now starting to seriously work out again and I'm going to be sticking to dumbbells and body weight resistance exercises from here on out. I have much respect for the common pushup.

Infidel | 01-01-2007 10:53 PM
Re: Exercising w/out weights http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html I like Hindu Squats.

thorgrim | 01-01-2007 11:33 PM
Re: Exercising w/out weights Rev is right about machines not being that good, that is why I work out at home. I use both free weights and body weight exercises. Basically I try to do exercises that will translate into the most real strength and fitness. I like the Hindu squats a bit but they are best for endurance. My favorite body weight exercise for legs are called Pistols and I think they are a Russian exercise. Basically they are a one legged squat. Found a link here that gives a good explanation of the exercise. http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm

thorgrim | 01-01-2007 11:35 PM
Re: Exercising w/out weights What? I can't belive we posted the same thing at the same time lol.

thorgrim | 01-02-2007 12:03 AM
Re: Exercising w/out weights For Back I like the good old fashioned Dead Lift. Clean and Jerk and Bent Rows are good too. I also have been experimenting with an exercise I call the Farmers Run. My neighbors must think I'm nuts when they see me running around the block with a 50lb dumbbell in each hand. It works the traps, grip, a lot of stabilizers and your cardio for sure. If you try it, start out light and build up. If you go faster than a walk you sort of have to smooth out your stride or you could drop a dumbbell from the bouncing. For chest and shoulders I do several variations of the pushup including the Hindu Pushup and One Arm pushup. Also do some side and rear lateral raises as well as some rotator cuff exercises to keep my shoulders pain free. Legs, I do the Pistols and Jumping Lunges. I also do lots of stretching to keep everything loose, and some ab work. I throw in some odd ball stuff once in awhile to keep my muscles guessing but that is the basics of what I do. Have fun. :rolleyes:

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