Comments for MTB Strength Training Systems Inner Circle

Comment on February 2010 Time Crunched Cardio by bikejames

bikejames — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:26:22 +0000

Two different thought processes there. After a workout when I am crunched for time I have about 5 minutes to get some cardio in if I want to stay within an hour for my workout. These workouts just make the most out of the time I have.

If I am doing a dedicated conditioning workout I will still use Tabatas but will lean more to the longer intervals because most people don’t go hard enough during the 20 seconds to get the intended effect.

Is the Time Crunched Cardio the best workout option? No, but it is better than nothing and does give a decent effect. If you want rest 2-3 minutes and hit the circuit again if you have more time and want to kick it up a notch.

Hope this helps…

Comment on February 2010 Time Crunched Cardio by Simon Boyce

Simon Boyce — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:01:42 +0000

James – do you really think 4 minutes of this exercise does anything? I thought I read somewhere that you’d kind of gone off the whole Tabata thing because it only works if you’re really killing yourself for the 20″.

Comment on Newest Exercise Video Demos by Bonsak Schieldrop

Bonsak Schieldrop — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:23:34 +0000

This is great! Have been using to the old Ning archive to look up exercises until now. Thanks.

Bonsak

Comment on January 2010 Workout of the Month by bikejames

bikejames — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:37:39 +0000

Sure, you can you use bands if that is what you have.

Comment on January 2010 Workout of the Month by Simon Boyce

Simon Boyce — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:59:54 +0000

James: I don’t have DBs in the right weights for the the front raise. Is it cool to use bands? I don’t want to switch to one of the overhead options cos I want to stay away from the overhead stuff until my shoulder is fully healed.

Comment on January 2010 Workout of the Month by Ryan Roggow

Ryan Roggow — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:53:11 +0000

The video answered my question... sorry.@Ryan Roggow

Comment on January 2010 Workout of the Month by Ryan Roggow

Ryan Roggow — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:12:45 +0000

For work out A Strength Circuit you have it listed 8reps X 10min / 2 X 8reps… does this mean we are targeting 2 rounds with 8 reps for each exercise in the 10 min workout? Is the “2 X 8 reps” the target number of rounds for the Circuit? (just a bit confused)
Thanks!

Comment on Worlds Fastest Warm Up Drill by bikejames

bikejames — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:30:08 +0000

I agree with their take on it but I think that they are trying to get more “activation” than stretch out of it. Both ways are fine, I just like to get deeper and get a bit more hip flexor stretch out of the move.

Comment on Worlds Fastest Warm Up Drill by Simon Boyce

Simon Boyce — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:49:02 +0000

James on the core performance site (Verstegen’s site) they do the worlds greatest stretch a bit differently, and they make a big deal about keeping the back leg straight to engage the glute. What do you make of that?

Comment on November Metabolic Conditioning Circuits by bikejames

bikejames — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:28:37 +0000

@ Simon – I have to say that I am leaning towards Mike’s take on this. Here is why:

1) I’ve tweaked my back pretty bad in the past doing heavy deadlifts and it seems that whenever I start to go heavy again things just don’t feel as good. I think that a lot of people who have never had back issues just don’t get what it is like to try and lift heavy once you do, or how all that heavy lifting can lead to it. I can do single leg deadlifts with 150+ pounds and feel great but 300+ pound deadlifts just start to make me feel “old”.

2) I think that Mike’s point about the low back being the limiting factor in two leg squats and deadlifts is that the vast majority of lower body movements in real life and sport are single legged and the back is set up to handle those types of loads better than it is the amount we expose it to through two legged versions. If you think about it, two legged deadlifts and squats under heavy load are not something that happens much in real life.

While this example is bit extreme, it is like getting mad at your arms for not being good at walking with. Sure, you can do it and even get good at it through practice, they just will never be super efficient at it. They are not made to walk on, no matter how much you train them to do so. Same with the low back – it is not made to handle the extreme loads that you can put on it with two legs.

So, since the low back is set up better for the loads you can put on it with 1 leg then that is the best way to train your lower body. I don’t think that anyone can deny that two leg squats and deadlifts fatigue the low back more than the legs and if the point is to train the legs then we are missing the point. That is not to say you don’t want to practice deadlifts and squats and have a reasonable amount of strength in the movements, I just think that for pure strength work the 1 leg versions work better on several levels.

I’m with Mike when he says that 2 leg squats and deadlifts are done more out of tradition than pure results. They are a carryover from powerlifting and while they have a place, they tend to get overemphasized.