5 Exercises Everyone Should Be Able To Perform – Part 1 &

[standAPART]

Click here to see this article (http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/vbarticles.php?do=article&articleid=11)

[koltz]

I stopped reading after you mentioned what you tell to 95% of your clients , I had some idiot gym keeper say the same to me.

Three leg exercises one abdominal and one upper body.

Any particular reason why so much lower body?
Just wondering.

[plancheismine]

get rid of step up and add in pull up.
(i didn't read the article :) )

I would do the horizontal row instead of the pull up, it's easier.

[plancheismine]

I would do the horizontal row instead of the pull up, it's easier.
but not as hard. :-D pull ps are more fun

[standAPART]

I love the pull-up exercise and actually mentioned in the article that I would have liked to add that in as #6. However, the article is intended for general population clients and although pull-ups are a great bodyweight exercise, the reality is not many people can perform them.

As for the lowerbody exercises...I think it is pertinet that we understand that most low back pain (not all but most) generates from the lack of mobility in the hips. With lack of mobility in the hips, the low back becomes a haven for compensations (as well as weakness). So, I think it is important to keep hips and legs "fresh" and "hot" because we can most people do more on their legs than anything else. The ENEMY of any lowerbody exercise program is the seated position. General population people (office workers, desk workers, drivers, managers, etc) must combat this position to avoid injury. Mobilizing the hips and working the legs is the primary step for that.

Thanks for reading the article and I am happy to be collaborating with the guys from BWC very soon.

[Phanatic]

I'm pretty much GPC (17 years old, and the only exercise I do is my submission wrestling class), but I can perform pullups. I am looking to get general strength and fitness, i.e overall strength and fitness, so if I do this and some cardio, could that be considered a full workout for a noobie like me?

[jimi]

i think everybody needs to read it again. the g.p.c from a 16 yr old to a 60 yr old can do these in one room with NO equipment and still maintain his strength and flexability. yes i would like to put in pull-ups but that is using equipment

[juggledex]

Nice write-up, standAPART.

You’ve done a good job consolidating down to these five basic exercises. Being a bit of a nerd for editing, I’d like to see if you could crunch it down into a single page version for the short attention span reader.

I agree about pull ups, and I wish there was a way to get everyone able to do at least just one. Understandably, the requirement of equipment does get in the way, and at the same time, they are incredibly difficult for a lot of people.

Step-up is a good inclusion. While my initial reaction was against it, I recall how steps can put a lot of stress on some, and this exercise is a great place for them to begin (again). I’m reminded most of my stepdad, who’s in real bad shape. The few steps getting inside the house almost kill him.

I’ll be sure to check out more of your articles and blog in time.

(sorry if this is an old thread that just got bumped, I'm new here)

[HOV]

Great article. Having been through a crippling lower back injury, I fully understand how most human mobility and power originates at the hips. A tight posterior chain will put a lot of stress on the lumbar spine and cause serious dysfunction.

Part of my healing process was to strengthen my abdominals, stretch the heck out of my posterios chain, and then strengthen everything from the waist down. I've been doing a lot of cleans, squats, and deadlifts to get that done, and my body feels completely transformed. I no longer have to worry about my back "going out".

I think you hit the nail on the head with the exercises you listed. A GPC can stay healthy and active by doing those regularly.

[standAPART]

Thanks HOV,
Thats why all my clients are transformed into machines! :)

[MainFrameSoldier]

I love the pull-up exercise and actually mentioned in the article that I would have liked to add that in as #6. However, the article is intended for general population clients and although pull-ups are a great bodyweight exercise, the reality is not many people can perform them.

As for the lowerbody exercises...I think it is pertinet that we understand that most low back pain (not all but most) generates from the lack of mobility in the hips. With lack of mobility in the hips, the low back becomes a haven for compensations (as well as weakness). So, I think it is important to keep hips and legs "fresh" and "hot" because we can most people do more on their legs than anything else. The ENEMY of any lowerbody exercise program is the seated position. General population people (office workers, desk workers, drivers, managers, etc) must combat this position to avoid injury. Mobilizing the hips and working the legs is the primary step for that.

Thanks for reading the article and I am happy to be collaborating with the guys from BWC very soon.

From most of my experience it seems as if Lower back pain directly reflects a weak core.

[onelasttime]

Weak core is a myth for the most part. Tight hip's, hamstrings and weakness in the hamstrings and glutes. You would not believe how many people can and do not properly activate their glutes dureing routine daily acctivites let alone while working out. I have not worked my ab's or core directly since 1990 and can and do routinely squat over 500lbs and deadlift over 650lbs.! I have no back pain at all never have. Sure their was a time I trained my ab's like mad but then one day I wised up. The Army has insane amount of back injuries that are work related but these same soldiers have great ab's with plenty of strength. In fact most athletes I have ran into with bad back's have had great ab's. The myth of core training as the be all cure all for bad back's or for back health is such a myth. The problem is that this lie has been shouted from the roof tops so many times and so loudly that almost everyone believes it with out question. In fact if someone is training and useing their body properly they should never have to do a single abdominal exercise!!!! The ab's when used properly work dureing most exercise's automaticly and if the athlete use's them to pressurize his trunk then his core is working even harder all the time. Heavy deadlifts worj the ab's more then any crunch could ever hope to! A properly done push-up also works the ab's and almost any exercise you can think of will. In fact I use 250lbs. of weight on standing tricep push-downs and my ab's are screaming by the time I hit rep six it is the limiting factor for me.After that what is a crunch even if weighted going to do for me?Nothing. So far I am the only person that talks about lack of proper glute activation being a leading cause of low back pain but other really smart trainers and athletes have seen the problem with tight hip flexors and tight hamstrings! Too much sitting is the main cause of this.

[Fatman]

Yes, but the lower back is also part of the "core".

And great abs have absolutely nothing to do with a strong core (or even abdominal strength). The fat people who compete in powerlifting have never even seen what their abs look like, but they still have f'ing strong abdominals and lift huge weights. The sissy male supermodels with superb six- and eight-packs rarely have any abdominal strength.

Glutes and hams are rarely used, that is true, even by top-class athletes. Pavel touches upon this topic in his books. Direct ab work is overrated - it won't give you a six-pack, and it won't make your abs stronger (unless it's the ONLY work you do for them), so why bother?

[onelasttime]

That is kind of my point. I would add that almost no one trains their back at all and if they do only sparingly. How often do we see people with a nice chest, arms, quads,ab's etc... only to see that they have no glutes, no hamstrings, and a back so smooth it would look great in a cocktail dress?!?!?! I get so tired of hearing people preach about the core or abdominals as a cure all for a bad back!! What about training the back what a novel idea??? Let's not even get started about posteior chain work etc.......I could rant about that for a long time!!LOL

In many ways "CORE" training and "strong abdominal's" are like the words "low fat" and "sugar free" they are buzz words that are trendy but mean next to nothing buy themselfs. In fact you could have a core as strong as could be but if you do not know how to put it to use what good is it? Another buzz word is "functional training" I can remember when that combination had some meaning but today it is almost meaningless the way it is tossed about.

In fact I could easily fill a large building full of people that have done all kinds of "core training" that either have developed bad backs inspite of it or had a problem before and still have it now. Their is no substitute for a proper evaluation with diagnostic movements/test's to sort out a persons problem then use specific exercise's to restore natural ballance to the body. I see all kinds of strange dysfunctional people everytime I go to Walmart from 12 years old to 60 years old that can barely move their body's through space. It is really is a mad house in the USA due to lack of exercise from cradle to grave in the USA.

[Fatman]

That is kind of my point. I would add that almost no one trains their back at all and if they do only sparingly. How often do we see people with a nice chest, arms, quads,ab's etc... only to see that they have no glutes, no hamstrings, and a back so smooth it would look great in a cocktail dress?!?!?!

In many ways "CORE" training and "strong abdominal's" are like the words "low fat" and "sugar free" they are buzz words that are trendy but mean next to nothing buy themselfs. In fact you could have a core as strong as could be but if you do not know how to put it to use what good is it? Another buzz word is "functional training" I can remember when that combination had some meaning but today it is almost meaningless the way it is tossed about.

Totally, I was agreeing with you.

LOL on the "cocktail dress back", hit it on the head. About 80% of dudes with a huge chest, shoulders and arms have the back development of someone who's never set foot in the gym, and 90% of the same group have the legs of a 12-year old girl. One would think that such a huge imbalance would bother these people, but it doesn't.

Ever since Crossfit came out, "functional training" has been struck off my vocabulary. If I ever type these words, they have to be in inverted commas.

[EvilOne]

You are both right. I think you have permission to used said words if you know the true meanings. Or are not exclusively trying to make ca$h. I as do other here TRAIN for function, not fashion. But I will say that my DIET is very fashion oriented.

[Patrick1968]

But I will say that my DIET is very fashion oriented.

Mine too - did you know brown is the new white so it's cool to eat brown rice, bread and pasta? And chocolate of course - the ultimate trendy brown food. I'm glad all those bright colours are out this year - man i was getting sick of all those yellow and orange vegetables. And dont get me started on patterns - I gave up looking for striped bananas - there's only so much I'll do in the name of fashonable food! :roll:

[onelasttime]

Love the "legs of a 12 year old girl" ROFLMAO!!!!XD That is so true...I used to call the guys with chest's the size of Arnold Swarzanegger and the legs of a 12 year old girl "pelicans" especily when they would hit a side chest pose!!LOL I guess the reason I am hard on people is because all the information is out their on how to put together a ballanced routine. I mean you do not even need weights to do it! I have seen some crazy insane builds done almost entirely with body weight aside from some deadlifts. DO not get me wrong like I said before if you have weights it only makes sense to use them but it is not like they are a must have. Look at what some prisoner's do in solatary confinement or in Max Secuirty like Pelican Bay etc..... I think it is all those year's around the Army that made me a form follows function type of person!!! I look to look good too but I can not imagine training in such a way that I would not be able to be as strong as I look. Nothing screams strong as an ox to the ladies and the mean like a nicely muscled up back!!! You can build a great back with nothing more then pull-up and chin-up variations. Now low back is a bit harder to do with out weights or some form of resistance like a sand bag etc... but it can be strong as can be with isometrics.

[EvilOne]

Yep the ladies love, back shoulders and arms

[speedy]

So if not many people can't do them don't add them? Are you a binary of the great MF?

Lack of mobility from the hips equals lower back pain? Try a weak core; the core integrates many areas, and the stronger the core results in less pain if any. You also use the term "You think" so I take it you don't know.

And you live in CT like me. This is just great. This reminds me of a shirt I saw in Bob's Discount Furniture: C.S.I Can't Stand Idiots.

Are you a MF follower? It's okay you can say it.

I love the pull-up exercise and actually mentioned in the article that I would have liked to add that in as #6. However, the article is intended for general population clients and although pull-ups are a great bodyweight exercise, the reality is not many people can perform them.

As for the lowerbody exercises...I think it is pertinet that we understand that most low back pain (not all but most) generates from the lack of mobility in the hips. With lack of mobility in the hips, the low back becomes a haven for compensations (as well as weakness). So, I think it is important to keep hips and legs "fresh" and "hot" because we can most people do more on their legs than anything else. The ENEMY of any lowerbody exercise program is the seated position. General population people (office workers, desk workers, drivers, managers, etc) must combat this position to avoid injury. Mobilizing the hips and working the legs is the primary step for that.

Thanks for reading the article and I am happy to be collaborating with the guys from BWC very soon.