Ab wheel

[miles]

As I said, I don't do randori feeling cold... I just start off being warm most of the time... You're upping the blood-flow around your body by doing that exercise, mine is already up enough that I can get straight in when I get to it, 100% without having to specifically 'warm-up'.. I am warm, as if I have warmed up... I'm as warm as anyone who has warmed up, I have as much blood flow as anyone who has warmed up. I check my movement, I naturally move around the mat a bit, you know, but I don't need to push myself in order to become warm. Other people need to get themselved pumped up before they can take 100%/jerking type actions and pushing themselves without getting injured; I don't need to do that as I already have the blood-flow... Other people go in dead and have to wake up their body and mind, and transition to Judo mode before they can start, but I am already there... there is little transition for me. What is your diet..?

Many people feel they even need to warm up before running, jumping and what not, and they do, and I would too, if I was cold in the first place... But I'm not, I'm not cold, I am warm, because I have warmed up, but I was never cold, so I haven't had to push my body to make myself warm.. how do you not understand? I am warmed up just moving around as I normally do, without having to 'warm up'. My body is doing stuff, and I have blood-flow... I do not arrive dead to the mat and kick-start my engine. My engine is already running, I just engage the clutch.

[pelham32]

A barbell deadlift isn't that natural, functional yes. It trains your body and muscle groups in a functional synergistic manner, but natural  I don't think so. Going to the core element of natural would be to do what sully is describing as what he does. But I think that functional exercises like the ab wheel could add a lot of merit to someone wanting to stay purely natural. Afterall , it may not be natural but your abs were designed to move that way and it does create adaptations, as well as a extrememly strong functional core.

[KD]

A barbell deadlift isn't that natural, functional yes. It trains your body and muscle groups in a functional synergistic manner, but natural  I don't think so. Going to the core element of natural would be to do what sully is describing as what he does. But I think that functional exercises like the ab wheel could add a lot of merit to someone wanting to stay purely natural. Afterall , it may not be natural but your abs were designed to move that way and it does create adaptations, as well as a extrememly strong functional core.

Great post. Weight training/strength training etc.. whatever horrid name one can come up for it is about what works. The exceptions - and what doesn't work - are things that are either dangerous, or just purely inefficient. If something is the most efficient and safe, it far trumps what is natural. If someone is purely focused on natural movements, like Erwan Le Corre, or Sully here, I think that is great, but if someone else has modest fitness goals I don't see why there is any reason to eschew others man-made techniques, particularly if it gets them moving and working and happy. I would say the ab-wheel falls in the category of being a relatively unnecessary piece of equipment but one that might be useful for a specific goal.

As for the deadlift, technically that is just a lift to below your waist, but I would agree with djr that some similar movements would be requirements in nature. As a caveat, even though its been attempted to be argued otherwise, I don't see how periodic lifting of natural objects would compare to regular intense spurts with increasing weight in compound lifts...but hey I guess that is to be determined by the individual.

as for warm ups, they are pretty dam necessary when doing serious weight training IMO and has nothing to do with body temp (perhaps heart-rate) but actually opening up your muscles gradually to prepare for serious activity. Of course the standard reason is to avoid injury, but there are actual productive reasons as well for doing both dynamic and weighted warm ups.

[Sully]

as for warm ups, they are pretty dam necessary when doing serious weight training IMO

Yeah, that's what I believe too. But I can climb a tree with no warm up, and have no problem. Not the same for pull ups. It's obviously because pull ups are just stressing the arms. As climbing a tree evens out the stress load, at least if you do it without thought of just using your arms like a pull up of course.

[pelham32]

If you want a purely natural workout , besides doing what sully does you could also volunteer moving furniture. You will be lifting and holding from all sorts of angles. It's also common for pretty much all furniture movers to have loads of functional strength and a great strength to body weight ratio.

[Sully]

Ahh yeah, some movers are super strong, incredibly strong. Moving items of many size through many angles is great

But oftentimes movers end up getting pushed too hard, or work when tired. Which often leads to injuries.

[greywolve]

naaw you dont have to warmup for pullups , i never do and never had any problems. even weight training its not essential but probably best.

[wodgina]

Never thought about just dropping heavy things Sully.

[KD]

I used to work a number of different intense moving gigs. I never actually insured myself but I would have to agree that the potential to do so is quite high. What I alluded to earlier there was a discussion awhile back proposing these kinds of jobs (or natural activities in the paleo era) would yield better results than modern strength training. My results from moving everything from 400 lb concrete counter-tops to pump jacked crates was that it gave me very little muscle definition and moderate strength increase. Part of the issue is most of the day you are sitting on your ass, and the movements are not necessarily targeting weak spots but relying on whatever you can use to lift the thing. Unless you are going to stack weights inside the fridge or whatever you are carrying up the steps, eventually you'd be at a plateau in comparison to serious trainers.

[pelham32]

I used to work a number of different intense moving gigs. I never actually insured myself but I would have to agree that the potential to do so is quite high. What I alluded to earlier there was a discussion awhile back proposing these kinds of jobs (or natural activities in the paleo era) would yield better results than modern strength training. My results from moving everything from 400 lb concrete counter-tops to pump jacked crates was that it gave me very little muscle definition and moderate strength increase. Part of the issue is most of the day you are sitting on your ass, and the movements are not necessarily targeting weak spots but relying on whatever you can use to lift the thing. Unless you are going to stack weights inside the fridge or whatever you are carrying up the steps, eventually you'd be at a plateau in comparison to serious trainers.

Nice info, your right when you have to use alot of strength to do something your body will use it's strongest prime movers, which for most people are tight overactive quads. I agree your body will adapt to it, what i was refering to was i think movers get impressive forearm size and hand/ grip strength probaly close to rock climbers, if they really work all day. Serious trainers yeah have the advantage in that regard cuz serious training is all they think about besides your family or religious beliefs training is your job and life.. Everything ties in nutrition mindset, smart programming and willingness to keep pusing. Their attitude towards always working on their weaknesses makes great trainers who develop great functional bodies.   My favorite example Bruce Lee or Arnold Swartzenegger