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Other/Mixed Fun training methods

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Ah yes, I’ve seen this as I follow Thib’s work quite closely.

I just realized none of that answered the bodybuilding posing part.

Well, bodybuilding posing is just isometric holds.

And the positions held are things we *never* do in weightlifting.

So, like yoga poses that also never occur in weightlifting, it seems to fill in some gaps and help balance things out in a pre-hab way.

I'm often less sore after, just like yoga.

Conclusion:

Bodybuilding poses are just yoga for bros
 
I'm not sure how much necessary it is at all for training to be repetitive to be effective. the demands for specificity when it comes to weightlifting or powerlifting seem way overblown when we consider other sports. And I also question why intensity is not considered a part of the specificity.

From a barbell sports perspective (PL, WL) intensity sure seems part of specificity to me.
 
As I've gotten older, (I believe my) training has become more dialed in, focused, and boring but fun. For me, training can be the same thing everyday as long as it's something and as long as it's something, it's fun.

It's interesting because as you get older, you get busier with responsibilities and discretionary time can flat line. Family, job, house, an old aging body and nagging aches and pains - they all seem to conspire at times to make even a short workout a herculean feat. Now, when I have a stretch of days or even weeks that I can train and feel good, it's heaven.
 
My most fun workout is just to slowly work up to a max. It doesn’t have to be 1RM. I just choose a rep range (usually 10RM or higher now as I’m older and carry a lot of joint and tendon issues) and take my time building up to a max in, say, five to ten sets. It’s very satisfying
I like to do a similar thing actually. Sometimes, after doing multiple sets with a top weight of say 3 reps, the weight begins to feel lighter. After a brief rest, I’ll think what I can do for a top set, visualize it and then perform it. It’s very satisfying way to train
 
CrossFit is the most fun I’ve ever had working out. A quick spicy wod like Karen or testing 1RM with teammates is just plain fun. The camaraderie and competition is what makes it fun, I tried going to a GS gym years ago and while it had the team aspect I could never get into the attrition suffer fest of sport.
 
For me, the "fun" is any day where I walk out of the gym feeling like I proved that I'm better than last week in some way, even if only by a little. I think that's what makes working up to some kind of max or rep max fun.

It always seems like barbell cycles in particular go something like this:

Phase 1: starting off by scraping the rust off, improving very quickly week-to-week, wondering why everyone in the world doesn't do this because it's so awesome and fun

Phase 2: OK, now it's getting heavy, it's still fun but I wonder how long I can sustain this...

Phase 3: Grinding, putting in lots of hard work but not seeing that much return, get frustrated and/or hurt, walk away from the barbell and declare "I'm never touching that thing again!"

Phase 4: Do something else for a while, which is fun because you see some flavor of progress in that new area

Then eventually remember how much fun phase 1 was and try it again.

I would imagine a similar cycle probably plays out for a lot of people in any modality. The trick is learning how/when to skip over phase 3 - I'm certainly not awesome at doing so. Competitions certainly complicate the matter too - ideally you want to compete right as you're reaching the end of phase 2, before it becomes a grind. But not always easy to time it perfectly.
 
For me, the "fun" is any day where I walk out of the gym feeling like I proved that I'm better than last week in some way, even if only by a little. I think that's what makes working up to some kind of max or rep max fun.

It always seems like barbell cycles in particular go something like this:

Phase 1: starting off by scraping the rust off, improving very quickly week-to-week, wondering why everyone in the world doesn't do this because it's so awesome and fun

Phase 2: OK, now it's getting heavy, it's still fun but I wonder how long I can sustain this...

Phase 3: Grinding, putting in lots of hard work but not seeing that much return, get frustrated and/or hurt, walk away from the barbell and declare "I'm never touching that thing again!"

Phase 4: Do something else for a while, which is fun because you see some flavor of progress in that new area

Then eventually remember how much fun phase 1 was and try it again.

I would imagine a similar cycle probably plays out for a lot of people in any modality. The trick is learning how/when to skip over phase 3 - I'm certainly not awesome at doing so. Competitions certainly complicate the matter too - ideally you want to compete right as you're reaching the end of phase 2, before it becomes a grind. But not always easy to time it perfectly.

Two Dan John principles that I love (but often struggle to follow):

1. Don't worry about your 1RM (or whatever form of maximum effort fits the activity). Try to nudge up your 80% of maximum over time.
2. "Train today like you plan to set a new personal record tomorrow. Then train the same way tomorrow."
 
What isn't fun ? ? ? To me, everything is fun! If you cornered me, I'd probably enjoy snatching the most. However, I absolutely love to ruck. Sprinting (old man version!) is a load of fun! Thoroughly enjoy the Clean & Press; absolutely loved The Giant and spending "cybertime" with @John Grahill and @Geoff Neupert . Jerks are great, what a surprisingly compact and efficient movement!! Oh, the getup.....one of my favorite things to do is take my sweet time on a getup and explore all the positions. Juggling is a load of fun because in addition to the obvious, it forces me to focus and is second to none for refining the hip snap. Training with @Anna C is loads of fun because she is not only a terrific person and absolute locomotive, but she sees everything and always has a tiny little cue that causes the lightbulb to come on.

There, you have it. My most fun training method........I mean methods!!
 
What isn't fun ? ? ? To me, everything is fun! If you cornered me, I'd probably enjoy snatching the most. However, I absolutely love to ruck. Sprinting (old man version!) is a load of fun! Thoroughly enjoy the Clean & Press; absolutely loved The Giant and spending "cybertime" with @John Grahill and @Geoff Neupert . Jerks are great, what a surprisingly compact and efficient movement!! Oh, the getup.....one of my favorite things to do is take my sweet time on a getup and explore all the positions. Juggling is a load of fun because in addition to the obvious, it forces me to focus and is second to none for refining the hip snap. Training with @Anna C is loads of fun because she is not only a terrific person and absolute locomotive, but she sees everything and always has a tiny little cue that causes the lightbulb to come on.

There, you have it. My most fun training method........I mean methods!!
Brilliant !
 
I understand training serves a greater function than entertainment. However, shouldn’t it make you feel good overall? And if it does, isn’t it making you stronger?

I enjoy exploring variations. Pr’ing on random lifts. I almost locked out a 265 lbs One Arm deadlift today but the hook grip killed my thumb…almost halfway to Larry!
Most fun I've had in a gym is when I started strongman training. Nothing like just messing around with farmer walks, yolk carries, stones, and sandbags with some friends. IMO it really adds to that "in between strength" too when you add some variety.
 
CrossFit is the most fun I’ve ever had working out. A quick spicy wod like Karen or testing 1RM with teammates is just plain fun. The camaraderie and competition is what makes it fun, I tried going to a GS gym years ago and while it had the team aspect I could never get into the attrition suffer fest of sport.
Pardon me. What’s a GS gym?
 
For me, the "fun" is any day where I walk out of the gym feeling like I proved that I'm better than last week in some way, even if only by a little. I think that's what makes working up to some kind of max or rep max fun.

It always seems like barbell cycles in particular go something like this:

Phase 1: starting off by scraping the rust off, improving very quickly week-to-week, wondering why everyone in the world doesn't do this because it's so awesome and fun

Phase 2: OK, now it's getting heavy, it's still fun but I wonder how long I can sustain this...

Phase 3: Grinding, putting in lots of hard work but not seeing that much return, get frustrated and/or hurt, walk away from the barbell and declare "I'm never touching that thing again!"

Phase 4: Do something else for a while, which is fun because you see some flavor of progress in that new area

Then eventually remember how much fun phase 1 was and try it again.

I would imagine a similar cycle probably plays out for a lot of people in any modality. The trick is learning how/when to skip over phase 3 - I'm certainly not awesome at doing so. Competitions certainly complicate the matter too - ideally you want to compete right as you're reaching the end of phase 2, before it becomes a grind. But not always easy to time it perfectly.
This is why I like the Westside template of infinite varuarions…you can set Prs indefinitely….
 
@Philippe Geoffrion, we used to teach something similar to what you're describing at our SFG-II certification. Not exactly the same, but there are some similarities. @Brett Jones, could you add anything to my recollection? I'm recalling, I think, a Level II in perhaps 2014 at which I led a team, held outside of Philadelphia.

-S-
@Steve Freides
Can you give me a bit more detail on the "something similar"?
 
There were words like "freestyle" and "circus" used, if memory serves, training on and off throughout the day, maybe in breaks between clients. I'm pretty sure, if there's a Level II manual around from back then - maybe I have - that this was discussed in the manual, too. Also discussed was what's now called a "flow", again if memory serves, and moving from one movement smoothly into another.

-S-
 
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