Kyrinov
Level 5 Valued Member
Samuel,
You nailed it man. I still can't help but gush over the experience of plugging this programming into my overall training. It works for me because I'm not a powerlifter/bodybuilder/strength athlete and don't ever intend on being one. I always saw what I did as a martial artist/movement quality guy as separate from the strength training world because of exactly the mentality that has led to that (rather narrow) critique of the PM: namely that you've just got to be doing huge volume and wear your joints, nervous system, muscles out in order to "do" strength. No thanks, I've got lots of things that need that energy and need my joints, muscles and connective tissues to be pretty relaxed in order to work. I can't refine perfect motor programs if I've got inflamed joints and connective tissues or muscles that are too tired to pump out their calcium ions again. The greatest revelation that Pavel introduced to my life was "that's okay, you can take it easy and still get stronger!" While I'm gushing, I gotta say that the last bit of skepticism I had about one of the claims often made - that I could improve flexibility through proper strength training, faded away yesterday when I did some straight high kicks in a mirror and realized that despite not practicing them much lately I can kick WAY higher than before. Then got into splits and despite doing no real flexibility work at all the last little while, I was WAY lower than even when I was stretching regularly. Part of that might be related to some of the changes in my MA training in general but damn if this stuff doesn't just keep on giving. I meant to just start training a bit for my paramedic program to be more competitive for employment and now not only am I improving in leaps in bounds in all my skill sets but I'm getting new inspiration for how to train less but improve more and I'm coming up with new modalities and having more fun while doing it. So do I expect to become a 260 lb elite powerlifter through the PM? No, but if that was my goal, I would be powerlifting, not doing the "Program Minimum." Am I challenged by it? Yes. Do I see a ratio between the amount of work I put in and the results I get out of it? Hell yes. The best part of all is that rather than compromise my sensitivity, range of motion and relaxation response, this training is augmenting it! Gushing done.
As a final note, one of the things I appreciate most on this board is the tone and level of discussion. The internet can be a bit of a silly childish place, I'd say even more so when you're dealing with athletic/strength/martial arts discussions where a whole lot of ego, posturing and just general nonsense prevails. This place is so refreshing in that the calibre of discussion remains excellent. Even when it dips down a little bit, it still remains extraordinarily classy by the standards of the internet in general. Hats off to the guys who keep it going and I hope to meet you all in person some day in the next couple of years.
You nailed it man. I still can't help but gush over the experience of plugging this programming into my overall training. It works for me because I'm not a powerlifter/bodybuilder/strength athlete and don't ever intend on being one. I always saw what I did as a martial artist/movement quality guy as separate from the strength training world because of exactly the mentality that has led to that (rather narrow) critique of the PM: namely that you've just got to be doing huge volume and wear your joints, nervous system, muscles out in order to "do" strength. No thanks, I've got lots of things that need that energy and need my joints, muscles and connective tissues to be pretty relaxed in order to work. I can't refine perfect motor programs if I've got inflamed joints and connective tissues or muscles that are too tired to pump out their calcium ions again. The greatest revelation that Pavel introduced to my life was "that's okay, you can take it easy and still get stronger!" While I'm gushing, I gotta say that the last bit of skepticism I had about one of the claims often made - that I could improve flexibility through proper strength training, faded away yesterday when I did some straight high kicks in a mirror and realized that despite not practicing them much lately I can kick WAY higher than before. Then got into splits and despite doing no real flexibility work at all the last little while, I was WAY lower than even when I was stretching regularly. Part of that might be related to some of the changes in my MA training in general but damn if this stuff doesn't just keep on giving. I meant to just start training a bit for my paramedic program to be more competitive for employment and now not only am I improving in leaps in bounds in all my skill sets but I'm getting new inspiration for how to train less but improve more and I'm coming up with new modalities and having more fun while doing it. So do I expect to become a 260 lb elite powerlifter through the PM? No, but if that was my goal, I would be powerlifting, not doing the "Program Minimum." Am I challenged by it? Yes. Do I see a ratio between the amount of work I put in and the results I get out of it? Hell yes. The best part of all is that rather than compromise my sensitivity, range of motion and relaxation response, this training is augmenting it! Gushing done.
As a final note, one of the things I appreciate most on this board is the tone and level of discussion. The internet can be a bit of a silly childish place, I'd say even more so when you're dealing with athletic/strength/martial arts discussions where a whole lot of ego, posturing and just general nonsense prevails. This place is so refreshing in that the calibre of discussion remains excellent. Even when it dips down a little bit, it still remains extraordinarily classy by the standards of the internet in general. Hats off to the guys who keep it going and I hope to meet you all in person some day in the next couple of years.