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Bodyweight Health Routine

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Philippe Geoffrion

Level 7 Valued Member
Hello StrongFirst!

I'm writing in the bodyweight forum for the first time to inquire about a routine for someone looking to step away from the barbell for a bit. I've trained with the barbell for as long as I can recall and after quite some time, I've felt the toll of this. As a powerlifting enthusiast, most of my training has centered around this but I seek a change that will help "reset" my body and allow overall systematic recovery to occur. I'm seeking ideas to create a callisthenic based program similar to that of yoga or tai chi to accomplish this. The main goals of this program are to
1) Deload the spine and joints
2) Restore harmony of movement
3) Enhance flow and energy of the body
$) Strengthen joints and create balance and postural optimization

Now, I am not seeking a strength program to increase my pushup reps or to raise my pistol squat repetitions. This program is for basic health of movement. I have become rather tight and stiff in my powerlifting training, and I wish to create something to keep me moving well for years to come, that I can use in between vicious strength cycles to revive my beaten down body. I have a few ideas. I very much like Max Shank's 5 minutes of Flow and will probably use that is a starting point. After that, I am thinking moves like Bridges, Renegade Lunges and Yoga Pushups. Does anyone have something along these lines they can recommend or a program or resources for similar situations? I'm thinking Pavel's "Super Joints" might be a good resource to look into as well. Please share any experience or knowledge on the subject! Thank you!
 
I took some time away from weights + BJJ a while back because i was getting too beat up and did a light 4 weeks of Original Strength resets. It recharged my body and perhaps more importantly the psychological aspect - I felt a lot more enthusiasm coming back to strength training and grappling after.

Now I just use the OS resets for warmups and cooldowns but at the start if you are feeling a bit beat, I strongly suggest just doing OS resets for a while.
 
Instead of doing something “like yoga or tai chi, why not pick one or both and just do the practice? They are well conceived and have stood the test of time. Try practicing them the way they were intended and see where it takes you. I know some others have taken breaks from intense training with internal practices to good effect.

You could add a couple moves to round things out a bit, like a good pull, which yoga asana lacks.
 
Instead of doing something “like yoga or tai chi, why not pick one or both and just do the practice? They are well conceived and have stood the test of time. Try practicing them the way they were intended and see where it takes you. I know some others have taken breaks from intense training with internal practices to good effect.

You could add a couple moves to round things out a bit, like a good pull, which yoga asana lacks.

Good question. I'm not very knowledgeable about either to be honest but I am hoping to perform movements on my own time (most of them here are based on classes with schedules while mine is very erratic with work) so I was hoping to absorb ideas from both. Alas, you are right that the best way to learn is with someone more knowledgeable. Thanks all for the input. All great ideas and resources!
 
Instead of doing something “like yoga or tai chi, why not pick one or both and just do the practice? They are well conceived and have stood the test of time. Try practicing them the way they were intended and see where it takes you. I know some others have taken breaks from intense training with internal practices to good effect.

You could add a couple moves to round things out a bit, like a good pull, which yoga asana lacks.

+1 for picking an established system rather than designing something from the ground up.

Sounds like some yoga, crawling, OS, and maybe some simple and sinister are all good options. I’ve never used Indian clubs but I do swing a mace from time to time. Seems to help loosen up my creaky shoulders and back.
 
Good question. I'm not very knowledgeable about either to be honest but I am hoping to perform movements on my own time (most of them here are based on classes with schedules while mine is very erratic with work) so I was hoping to absorb ideas from both. Alas, you are right that the best way to learn is with someone more knowledgeable. Thanks all for the input. All great ideas and resources!

YouTube kino yoga. Hers were the only yoga videos I could do without wanting to barf from hearing cliche phrases. The first few months of yoga for me relied heavily on her content. She comes up with pretty rounded practices that have both a strength and flexibility component - she’s legit. I’ve only ever done a handful of yoga classes but did yoga 6 days per week for 2 years, most of it self practice either freestyle or ashtanga primary series.
 
I'm writing in the bodyweight forum for the first time to inquire about a routine for someone looking to step away from the barbell for a bit. I've trained with the barbell for as long as I can recall and after quite some time, I've felt the toll of this. As a powerlifting enthusiast, most of my training has centered around this but I seek a change that will help "reset" my body and allow overall systematic recovery to occur.

Just bringing up a possibility that perhaps the "reset" your body needs is a change to your programming, not your exercise.
 
Just bringing up a possibility that perhaps the "reset" your body needs is a change to your programming, not your exercise.

I feel the need to footstomp Anna’s thought.

There is a wide abyss between using the the barbell to train for powerlifting, and using it to train for strength. The latter can be healthier than the former. In fact, many individuals erroneously strength train by “powerlifting”.
 
Good question. I'm not very knowledgeable about either to be honest but I am hoping to perform movements on my own time (most of them here are based on classes with schedules while mine is very erratic with work) so I was hoping to absorb ideas from both. Alas, you are right that the best way to learn is with someone more knowledgeable. Thanks all for the input. All great ideas and resources!
Yoga isn’t too technical at the beginning, and it easily lends itself to home practice. It’s very helpful to work with a teacher for a bit to learn the alignment, but once you’ve learned some basic asanas, it’s up to you to practice them on your own, ideally daily. So even with an erratic schedule, if you can work in a class once or twice a week, even with different teachers, you can fill in with home practice. At home, use a sequence from a book or video, and just keep doing that same thing over and over.

Tai Chi is really technical. You definitely need a teacher for this. Its complexity though is where the beauty lies. Qigong is somewhat different. Everything is internal. It helps to have a teacher, but really it is you just tuning in and turning inward. The physical aspect is secondary, and unlike yoga, no real risk. You could easily experiment with books nd videos on your own without risk.
 
I would recommend frequently mobility snacks throughout the day.
  1. Joint Circles
  2. Bar Hanging both passive and active
  3. Crawling/rolling
  4. Static Holds (The Trifecta) from Convict Conditioning 2
    1. Bridge
    2. L-Sit
    3. Seated Twist
  5. Daily Mobility Goblet Squats
  6. Spend more time on the floor
  7. Walk often and do some breath work
The easiest way to achieve all of these is to make it integral into your daily lifestyle. Also, sometimes just setting a timer for 5 - 10 minutes and freestyle moving is a great time.
 
Spend more time on the floor.

That’s a good one. Katy Bowman is a big proponent of that, keeping no real furniture in her house except big floor pillows. Steve I’ll said the same thing, noting his flexibility was best when he was a climbing bum, living out of his truck.

To elaborate on yoga, a drawback of the way it is often taught is the frequent change of sequencing. Each teacher has a style, and they tend not to do the same thing all the time. This keeps the student’s focus on the teacher, wondering what’s next, instead of focusing inward on what’s happening in their body and mind. It’s almost like a form of entertainment.

But you can use classes to learn the basics of alignment and the principle asanas. Then find a sequence you like, memorize it and practice it over and over.

An analogy would be if you went to the gym, and every time you had no idea exactly what exercises, sets, reps, or load you’d use, or what order. How could work on steady improvement? It could be fun as an occasional break for variety and fun, but it’s not real practice.
 
As a powerlifting enthusiast, most of my training has centered around this but I seek a change that will help "reset" my body and allow overall systematic recovery to occur. I'm seeking ideas to create a callisthenic based program similar to that of yoga or tai chi to accomplish this. The main goals of this program are to
1) Deload the spine and joints
2) Restore harmony of movement
3) Enhance flow and energy of the body
$) Strengthen joints and create balance and postural optimization

Hi Philippe,
my vote would be to do a cool down recovery jog after your strength session. Rub your body a bit dry change into a dry shirt go out the gym walk a bit progressively faster as it takes a bit for the system to catch up with the energy demand then start running easily, nose breathing only, focusing on mid to forefoot strike, easy arm swing good posture with gazing mor in front of you. A hr monitor is a tremendous tool to not over pace. the aerobic system takes some time to come around and digests some messy stuff that comes along with intense anaerobic weight work. 20min - 40min does it. A great recovery pace is around 130bpm. You will strengthen your lower body joints in ways that strength work not yield.

With running you do bodyweight stuff, its an ultimate reset, you would not need to join classes and it works like a Charme when done relaxed and easily. Using it just as a recovery tool.

a good option is to do a bit of bar hanging just some skinning the cat stuff between the strength and aerobic recovery run. It can be simple, easy and effective like that.
 
Just bringing up a possibility that perhaps the "reset" your body needs is a change to your programming, not your exercise.

It sure could be. In all honesty however, I also feel I am quite bored. I've done the same lifts for several years now, with really no break that extended past a week long. My training has been for powerlifting competition purposes, but I am also feeling there are so many other aspects of training I've neglected and am also interested in partaking in. This doesn't mean I'm going to dump the barbell forever mind you. I just am kind of feeling as I've progressed, there are other aspects I'd like to focus on for a bit. But thank you for your response.
 
This post has accrued quite a bit more then I'd expected but I am really glad to hear all of your opinions and thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts and knowledge with me!
 
Hi Philippe,
my vote would be to do a cool down recovery jog after your strength session. Rub your body a bit dry change into a dry shirt go out the gym walk a bit progressively faster as it takes a bit for the system to catch up with the energy demand then start running easily, nose breathing only, focusing on mid to forefoot strike, easy arm swing good posture with gazing mor in front of you. A hr monitor is a tremendous tool to not over pace. the aerobic system takes some time to come around and digests some messy stuff that comes along with intense anaerobic weight work. 20min - 40min does it. A great recovery pace is around 130bpm. You will strengthen your lower body joints in ways that strength work not yield.

With running you do bodyweight stuff, its an ultimate reset, you would not need to join classes and it works like a Charme when done relaxed and easily. Using it just as a recovery tool.

a good option is to do a bit of bar hanging just some skinning the cat stuff between the strength and aerobic recovery run. It can be simple, easy and effective like that.

Awesome, I like that very much! I definitely miss running as well.
 
Hello StrongFirst!

I'm writing in the bodyweight forum for the first time to inquire about a routine for someone looking to step away from the barbell for a bit. I've trained with the barbell for as long as I can recall and after quite some time, I've felt the toll of this. As a powerlifting enthusiast, most of my training has centered around this but I seek a change that will help "reset" my body and allow overall systematic recovery to occur. I'm seeking ideas to create a callisthenic based program similar to that of yoga or tai chi to accomplish this. The main goals of this program are to
1) Deload the spine and joints
2) Restore harmony of movement
3) Enhance flow and energy of the body
$) Strengthen joints and create balance and postural optimization

Now, I am not seeking a strength program to increase my pushup reps or to raise my pistol squat repetitions. This program is for basic health of movement. I have become rather tight and stiff in my powerlifting training, and I wish to create something to keep me moving well for years to come, that I can use in between vicious strength cycles to revive my beaten down body. I have a few ideas. I very much like Max Shank's 5 minutes of Flow and will probably use that is a starting point. After that, I am thinking moves like Bridges, Renegade Lunges and Yoga Pushups. Does anyone have something along these lines they can recommend or a program or resources for similar situations? I'm thinking Pavel's "Super Joints" might be a good resource to look into as well. Please share any experience or knowledge on the subject! Thank you!
Walk, walk, walk! This covers all four of your demands and does it in the most natural and correct way possible for a human being! We are mostly leg and so we are supposed to walk. Our bodies are designed for walking more than for lifting. If you can, add in some running but don't get obsessed with it - do it for a few minutes here and there, since it adds muscle and strength.

To me yoga and tai chi are great things but they're beating around the bush if all you want is to stay fit and healthy! Walking and a bit of running is what nature would have us do, so do them!

I'm thought to be strong by a lot of people who train judo with me, yet my main exercise off the mats for my entire life has been long walks! And yes, I do train with power lifters - I don't find them all that strong on the mats since their strength is limited to specific angles of motion.
 
I definitely miss running as well.
then I am sure you will benefit greatly. Make a great experience of harmony and synchronization of breathing, striding and posture out of it. Aerobic functioning is like magic.

Lately I use the rower after a volume weight session as an integral part. I keep my hr around 125bpm. My overall pace at this hr is much lower compared as I would be going without a weight session before, but that is just normal. The nice thing I always detect, is that my pace gets considerably faster to the end of the row. I see it as aerobic scavenging. Crucial is to go, run, row… at a low pace to be more aerobic.
 
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