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Bodyweight Monkish training

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Rafael

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I'm a Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition. The monastery I live in is a piece of forest with huts. No money, no Internet, very little possessions. Right now I'm visiting my parents in Brazil, so we can talk.

I'm interested in physical training, though. It's useful there. We walk a lot, work a lot and sit cross-legged a huge lot. It's not hard to meet monks with bad backs and similar problems.

I've just happened to know S&S one year before going to Thailand to ordain, in 2015. It was not possible, of course, to take my kettlebell with me, so I stuck with bodyweight training. In the first 1½ year I've got busy adapting to the new lifestyle, getting (and getting rid of) some tropical jungle diseases and breaking my arm, so I got little training. After that, I resumed training. Strength workouts, followed by stretching.

I took Convict Conditioning over the Naked Warrior because I could take care of the back and torso, but later on I couldn't help but endorse the views in this post. Also, I've read many of you stressing how BW training offers no alternative to swinging/deadlifting. I think back training is important.

I respect a lot Pavel's work, and feel more confident with his stuff than with everything else I've met. If I was a layman, I would just go to Rio de Janeiro and get some SF courses. That not being the case, would you suggest me any suitable training? (I know I'm asking for free advice, and I'm sorry for that.)

I'll point some of my doubts out:

  • What's the best way to take care of your back in a BW-only scenario?
  • Should I try to get some makeshift weights?
  • In NW, Pavel recommends training straight for the pistol and the OA pushup, unilaterally from the beginning. In your opinion, is there any benefit in increasing bilateral squats/pushups first?
  • What about horizontal rows? Should I get better in it before actual pullups?
If it helps: I'm a skinny man (1,84m, 65kg), got interested in strength only after my 30s (now I'm 38).

Thank you very much, gents and ladies out there.
 
Rafael,
Welcome.

To address your bodyweight questions...

  • There are many ways to 'take care of your back' Planks, bridging, and much of the stuff in Super Joints & Relax Into Stretch will be good for your back. Single Leg Deadlift a sack of rice.
  • Weights while helpful are not necessary for strength. There are plenty of strong bodyweight practitioners out there. But you can easily improvise weights with common objects. Even ones found in monasteries.
  • In NW Pavel provides numerous regressions for both pistols and OAPU. I don't believe his intent is for all people to jump in the deep end immediately.
  • Horizontal rows are good exercises. So are pull-ups. Although many people advocate the row prior to pull-ups.... they are different exercises.
Again welcome, and have fun on both your journies. (Although I guess they are the same)
 
Welcome @Rafael

Both those programs are a good starting point for bodyweight training. I'd say choose the one that appeals to you the most and fits in with your lifestyle the best and stick to it until you feel you've got the most out of it. Once a week training (CC) works for some but two or three times a week works better for a lot of people. Maybe you could add some other gymnastics moves on the days when you are not training the CC progressions but just approach them as mindful practice rather than working out.

Bent arm holds in a pushup position and early planche progressions on alternate days should go well with CC until you get to the point where you're starting HSPU's. When you first start with HSPU's or HeSPU's you have to be careful of too much additional work until your joints and tendons are conditioned enough to take any extra work.

If the progressions are too easy or too hard just choose something that's a challenge & work on it until you're ready to progress.

Long hours of sitting probably aren't ideal for most people, so maybe a bit mobility work could benefit you. Face the wall squats and commando rocking really help to loosen things up and counteract a lot of the imbalances that come from sitting, so they could help you in that respect.
 
I think Naked Warrior + Trifecta Stretch daily would suit your needs best!

Trifecta Stretch:
 
Hello,

First off, welcome !

Rafael said:
What's the best way to take care of your back in a BW-only scenario?
Click to expand...
As mentioned, the Trifecta is one of the most efficient (and minimalist) solution. If you add some split work (front + side) you are good to go. I also enjoy the "baby squat" stance.

Rafael said:
I'll point some of my doubts out: Should I try to get some makeshift weights?
Click to expand...
To get variety, it can be interesting. However, this is not compulsory at all to get very strong

Rafael said:
In NW, Pavel recommends training straight for the pistol and the OA pushup, unilaterally from the beginning. In your opinion, is there any benefit in increasing bilateral squats/pushups first?
Click to expand...
There are plenty of possibilities to progres towards the pistol, OAP / OAOL PU.

IMO, standard bilateral reps can be extremely interesting to get strength before moving to harder variation. They can build some serious endurance. Below are some threads about progression:
Programme for progressing OAPU and Pistols
One arm pushup programme
Pistol tutorial
OAOLPU progression method?
Increasing reps on OAPU

Rafael said:
What about horizontal rows? Should I get better in it before actual pullups?
Click to expand...
If you can not do a strict pull up yet, there can be an interesting transition. Otherwise, the pull up is a nice add-on to TNW because it prevents arm muscle imbalance (work on agonist / antagonist muscle: biceps / triceps (or push / pull))

Below are the article regarding OAP / OAOL PU program and technique
A 6-Week Program to Master the OA/OAOL Push-up
One Good Rep: How to Perform the Perfect Pistol

Then, maybe this is a little out of the original post but...
The Anytime, Anywhere Bodyweight-Only Strength Program

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
i took about 3 months off pullups to focus on rows and came back at them stronger than ever. of course I was doing swings as well.. so you have to count for that, but yes rows (eventually done horizontally) will build up your back like nothing else, especially if pullups are currently a 1-5 rep range exercise for you atm

NW becomes much more cerebral as you get further into the program (actually achieving the OAPU, for instance) and really does work, though it takes lots of time and practice. I think its a great intro into skill building in calisthenics. contrary to what people will tout, the OAPU and Pistol are really on the easier (and much safer) side of the spectrum when it comes to calisthenic movements,

this does not mean they don't have a lot of return. specifically the OAPU. the OAPU is an amazing exercise that feels great on the joints compared to a lot of other calisthenic movements

to quote @pet' , GTG works, its just very subtle, so sometimes you don't think its working

for what its worth I think Convict conditioning does have value for a person with a lot of patience (not me), and the trifecta has a place for just about everybody

all this being said....

NW has a lot of advantages and disadvantages compared to other programs, but it would fit your needs and is quite an intense learning experience. just learning 2 moves over six months from that book was more "education" than any of the college courses I've been to, quite easily. so much bodily exploration and mental focus. eventually the moves become a bit engrained and take much less mental preparation to perform.. a true lesson in skill learning

another suggestion I would make is to look into the work of tim anderson of original strength. learning to "reset" your vestibular system (you'll find out what that means when you start crawling) is very valuable, especially when starting a new exercise program

(a NW secret: the OAPU is also a very potent vestibular reset, though pavel makes no mention of it i'm sure he knows)

also, try making yourself a sandbag and picking it up off the floor as many times as you can a couple times a week. works for johnny grube
 
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Sandbag or even easier, stone lifting can be a great supplement to bodyweight training. The round back lifting involved with taking either from the ground is a great way to add dynamic to lower back work. Once up and cradled you can approximate swings, pressing, cleaning etc. You can also do DL equivalent and bilateral/unilateral squats, floor press, use them for crusher-style pushups.

Being mindful of posture, balance, shoulder positioning while sitting is a good way to prevent back problems. I feel a bit presumptuous to be telling an ordained monk to be mindful, but your fellows are getting bad backs from something repetitive most likely, and poor posture is a killer.

My opinion - horizontal rows are very nearly as effective as pullups and from a functional standpoint might even be more directly applicable to real world mechanics. Once you make progress in the rows, the pullups will come easier and realistically can be thought of as a beginner progression if you cannot do many pullups to start.

Again, you can put a stone in a towel and do all manner of rows.

 
@North Coast Miller, my Thai fellows have always been flexible, sitting in the ground and squatting since their childhoods. Unlike Western monks, who usually did a great deal of yoga before being able to sit perfectly (not me--basic yoga classes were too advanced for me). So many Thais don't bother perfecting their postures, and that thing bites some of them in the end.

But to be fair, it's just that many of us are old. I believe that, overall, most of us live healthier lives after the brown robes.

As for now, thank you for all the answers; I'm taking note of them.
 
This thread is awesome! I find it interesting what advice we give when the requirements are minimal as in this thread vs some of the more complex requirements/constraints in other threads. Oddly, the end state is often the same regardless. Makes a guy wonder why we aren't all simply carrying rocks and logs around.

-Be more monkish!
 
Hello,

@Rafael
Without any "infrastructure" and without space neither, rubber band training can also be an idea. You can use different rubber bands. Some of them can lead to very tough lifts. Plus, it does not take space in the luggage ;) I often use them for deadlifts for instance

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
The Naked Warrior program, by the book, will certainly work in your situation. Add some pullups. Add some hanging leg raises, both bodyweight only movements that can be done on a tree branch. Dragon Flags require only a bench.

-S-
 
another thing mate. get a pair of rings!!!

(or at least consider getting a pair)

a suspension trainer (rings, trx, etc.) is very handy when you have not a lot of equipment
 
Really, @pet'? I could certainly try that. It could be good for my hip rotation as well; right hip here hates to turn outwards, and I can't cross legs for now.

By the way, @Jak Nieuwenhuis, no rings yet but I've been gripping two towels instead of a bar or branch. Now for horizontal rows, and, as my grip gets better, I plan to do vertical pullups with those towels. Has anybody been there?

@Steve Freides, how about programming those extra exercises along with classic NW? I mean, it feels strange GTGing pushups and not doing the same with horizontal pullups; I tend to do the same amount, same leverage, both ways. Right now I do pushups, hor. pulls, squats, leg raises (in the ground by now) and some bridging, along with stretching and the Trifecta twist.
 
Rafael said:
I'm a Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition.
Click to expand...
Man, I love how Strength is a universal language. This post made my night.

Rafael said:
What's the best way to take care of your back in a BW-only scenario?
Click to expand...
I'm not an expert at body weight training. But I will say that the QL Straddle and 90/90 stretches from S&S help my back stay fresh and strong. When I was a kid growing up in the middle of nowhere, I used to do pullups on a low tree branch. Since the branch had a big slant, I'd do one set with the right hand close to tree trunk, then one set with left hand close to tree trunk. It worked; I aced the school pullup test.

Rafael said:
Should I try to get some makeshift weights
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but why not look for "opportunities" to get in bouts of hard manual labor for your monastery?

Good luck on The Path!
 
Rafael said:
I plan to do vertical pullups with those towels. Has anybody been there?
Click to expand...

One of my pullup bars is in the doorway of my bedroom and it doubles as a towel rack, I do a towel pullup almost every time I walk under it.
 
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