Forum Changed

[administrator]

Hi everyone,

In case you're wondering what has happened and where for instance has the Today I Brag Thread went, or where's the Upper Body Sub Forum, based on everyone's suggestion we've consolidated the forums to make the site more organized and easier to look for what you need.

So if you're looking for: Terms & Definitions, Humor, Sayings & quotes,
Today I Brag Thread it's all in General Discussion.

If you're looking for flexibility/lower body/agility/ploymetrics etc. it's all in the Training Discussion Section.

All threads are still here, just moved.

Thank you!

[jovabr]

I think it's a pity to be honest. I liked it and I thought it was well-organized. I also fear this site will be getting a lot more recurring questions now.

Maybe I just need to be getting used to this now, but I'm all for the old organization of the forum. True, not everyone was posting in the right directory but that's not the reason for this change I hope?

[Col.Pickle]

I agree with the above poster. I am still a new member but when I first joined I thought it was very clear and organized... And there WILL be alot of recurring questions as topics will be shoved down on the list quicker since they have been conglomerated. I would be all for changing it back but hey I guess it IS your forum so :roll:

[Fatman]

Yeah, but IMHO the topics that got moved (like the Today I Brag and whatnot) didn't really make much sense in the first place. I'm not against such topics, but on the main page they do tend to clutter up the layout, then you have to scroll down and try to find stuff, etc.

And the Search function works identically as before, problem was nobody was ever using it. It's easier to ask a question (and clutter up things further) than to read a couple of posts and try to find out the answer yourself.

[jovabr]

I agree with you Fatman, but I don't think this change will inspire people to do a f***ing search. And I agree with you about threads such as the 'Today I Brag'-topic too. But I honestly believe the removal of this separate thread will not withhold people from posting their accomplishments on here. I know I'll want everyone to know when I first accomplish my one arm chin-up.

It can also be seen throughout the forum that people don't really title their threads well. And I find this difficult too sometimes, it might be easier to tell my whole story in the title to not confuse anyone. But that's not practical either.
My fear is that after a few month we'll find 10 posts simply titled '100 push-ups'. 9 of them will be from people who've accomplished the feat, 1 post will explain people how to train to accomplish the feat.

What if some people are interested in training their legs especially? They'll have to do a search for 'leg exercises', 'squats', 'lunges', and whatnot? And then they'll still have to go through every post to discard the useful ones from the less useful.

OK, there might be some good arguments for the change but I can't see them (all) and I certainly don't believe they weigh against the above.

Nevertheless, some 'getting used to' might be all I need but I do hope you've considered the above questions.

[capable]

I think it was better the way it was before. Just my humble opinion.

[administrator]

Thanks for the feedback, if you feel that the forum was better before, or you like it better the way that it is now, please post your opinions here.

[Little Jew]

Why did you do that for? I like to look for core exercises in core section. I like to look for upper body discussions for upper body section. It was so much better before. Why did you do it?

[mac_dre]

i think the old way is better. if you want upper body, look at upper body,ect. and one of the reasons people might not want to seach is because its confusion and most of the time you cant find what youre looking for.

[Fatman]

i think the old way is better. if you want upper body, look at upper body,ect. and one of the reasons people might not want to seach is because its confusion and most of the time you cant find what youre looking for.

I would disagree.

Most newbie training questions can be answered by the "20 level challenge". So you do a Search on "20 level challenge" and find it immediately. Besides that, there is a link on the home page. If you're looking for training advice, type "routine for beginners" (whaddya know... this takes you to "The perfect upper body routine for beginners"). Don't know what a burpee is? Go to 20-level challenge, then press Ctrl+F on your keyboard, type "burpee" and press Enter. There you have it. I don't see how that's confusing, or how it could be made simpler, apart from someone acting as your personal forum guide (and we don't have enough moderators for that).

This is not a free program generator / personal training site. You come looking for answers and place in an effort to get them.

[jovabr]

I would disagree.

Most newbie training questions can be answered by the "20 level challenge". So you do a Search on "20 level challenge" and find it immediately. Besides that, there is a link on the home page. If you're looking for training advice, type "routine for beginners" (whaddya know... this takes you to "The perfect upper body routine for beginners"). Don't know what a burpee is? Go to 20-level challenge, then press Ctrl+F on your keyboard, type "burpee" and press Enter. There you have it. I don't see how that's confusing, or how it could be made simpler, apart from someone acting as your personal forum guide (and we don't have enough moderators for that).

This is not a free program generator / personal training site. You come looking for answers and place in an effort to get them.

You are right but you presuppose the person looking for a specific exercise already knows where to find it. What if you get a newbie to this site asking himself what a burpee is? I don't think he'll just go to the 20-level challenge, press Control+F and type "burpee". Most of these exercises they'll find anyway, and even on the old forum they'd have to do a search but most people will get on this forum with specific questions, such as:
-How can I train my pecs with bodyweight only?
-What's a good routine to get bigger and train cardio? (burpee routine, what's a burpee?)
-I want my abs to show more? (He or she has to go through a lot of posts to find out fat loss is the way to go --> What's an easy way to lose fat? Can't I really just focus on my abs?)
...

The above questions might not exactly be good examples but those are questions you might expect to be asked on here. If there is a separate forum for the core it would at least be asked there, but the stickys would most likely prevent that from happening.

Maybe you decided separate forums would give the wrong impression because most bodyweight exercises are compound movements one way or another (at least much more than when you'd be pumping iron). But they do focus on specific muscle groups in the end.

Ah, I don't know ... , it's just that to me the recent change is a step back. And your argument given above, Fatman, to me, doesn't feel like an argument in favor of the change.

I will find what I look for anyways, I'm only afraid I'll have to go through more posts then I have to do now. And about the next statement:
This is not a free program generator / personal training site. You come looking for answers and place in an effort to get them.
I have honestly no idea if the old forum meant more work to you guys or if it'll be the other way around. I don't know if you were more vulnerable to hackers or whatever, or if replacing a thread takes a lot of time...
I just want to ask this: If it wouldn't be an effort for you, moderators and owners of the forum, and it could spare us, happy members and users of the forum, some effort, wouldn't that be a WIN-WIN situation?

[Fatman]

I just want to ask this: If it wouldn't be an effort for you, moderators and owners of the forum, and it could spare us, happy members and users of the forum, some effort, wouldn't that be a WIN-WIN situation?

You're ABSOLUTELY correct!

However, the old layout was obviously not effective, because every day there would be at least 3 posts of "new to exercise, need help with everything, can I get a program that combines fat loss and muscle gain, oh and bigger arms and pecs please!"

So what is this Ultimate Layout that would provide the users with available quick-access advice? We don't know. However, the old layout obviously didn't answer this need. Yes, some users preferred the old type of layout. As with everything else in life, it'll always remain impossible to make something that works equally well for EVERYONE. Right now the admins are experimenting with this type of layout; hopefully there will be a period in the future where all users' demands will be equally well met.

Right now, I clicked "Bodyweight Culture Training Programs", and right there, stickied, are all training topics a newb could possibly ask for. Chest, back, arms, shoulders, one-armed pushups, 20-level challenge training (with chart designed by juggledex included)... the chart alone should answer 95% of newbie questions. If someone is looking for the definition of a burpee, or any other exercise that's more than obvious from the 20-level challenge (find where it says "burpee", then click on the link - why is that confusing or difficult?).

The method I prefer for browsing is clicking on the New Posts link. This is where I find all new posts made since my last visit, as well as all that remain unread up until my current visit. In this manner I can view all updates and see what's going on.

I understand that you are among the users who think the old layout was better. When BWC switched layouts from the old board sometime last year, I thought the new system was retarded too. Then I realized it's like 250% better. I'm hoping you'll have the same experience.

[jovabr]

However, the old layout was obviously not effective, because every day there would be at least 3 posts of "new to exercise, need help with everything, can I get a program that combines fat loss and muscle gain, oh and bigger arms and pecs please!"

So what is this Ultimate Layout that would provide the users with available quick-access advice? We don't know. However, the old layout obviously didn't answer this need. Yes, some users preferred the old type of layout. As with everything else in life, it'll always remain impossible to make something that works equally well for EVERYONE. Right now the admins are experimenting with this type of layout; hopefully there will be a period in the future where all users' demands will be equally well met.

In the end there will always be people asking questions that have been answered a thousand times. There's no way around them. Most of the times you can't even be mad about it because it's the first time in their life they think about getting in shape and we're talking about pecs, quads, burpees and good mornings. It's very easy to get lost in that. Other times their understanding of the English language isn't that good, and that's not their fault either, but we keep on talking about complete ROMs, HIT workouts and HIIT workouts. You can't find that in a dictionary, and when you search on the internet you find a lot of conflicting info.

I have to keep myself from going on about this. I feel like the new layout discourages people from searching themselves. I also feel like I'm hijacking this thread and I don't even mean I'm taking away opportunities to say the truth because I don't know if I'm right or wrong. And because I don't want to hijack this thread I'll stop after this post.
This is one of the few online communities I take part in. I respect everyone that makes this possible for me and if they want to change their site I'll respect that. Hopefully I can enjoy the good you caused but if not, I'll close my eyes for the bad.

[Brane]

Yep, it is way more difficult to find an exercise that targets a particular area. Plus all those search queries are going to tax your server. It was better before.

[ltborthwick]

much prefer the old one i get the new forums all mixed up and don't know where everything goes.

[biff145]

Why would you think that changing the forum from it's WAY more organized old way to the cluttered crappy mess it is in now would be wny better? Maybe i'm just naive but it makes no sense to me to condense the forum because now you have to look 5 damn times as hard to find what your looking for makes NO freakin sense but hey who am i to say this man, i'm just the one who uses it day-to-day.

[jovabr]

I'm glad someone said it as frank as Biff145 did. Ever since it changed I just don't find the time anymore to really check out the forum. So I'd rather not waste my time anymore. I'm just here for the Nuggets of Gold.

Have you also noticed the number of online guests has dropped? Or is it just me.
Every forum on the net is trying to get more organized, why would this forum want to go in the other direction? Please, don't tell me this is just a site from people trying to be as alternative as they can! Because I believe there are really some good arguments to learn about bodyweight exercises, I just haven't heard any good argument the change a good, well-organized forum to a messy one like this one now.

My 5 cents ... (again! I know)

[cathal]

guys if you click on 'new posts' when you come online, all the threads that have been updated since your last visit pops up so nobody should have trouble checking out the forum

[Fatman]

Isn't everyone doing that anyway?

I would never get round to reading all the new stuff without the "New Posts" function. Or I would, but it'd take me several hours every day. Especially when I don't log in over the weekend...

Use "New Posts" to review... well, new posts, and "Search" to find stuff of interest, and you're set. I have used "Search" on a dial-up connection as well and it didn't take too long.

EDIT: if you have ANY queries that you can't find an answer to using the "Search" function, send me a personal message and I'll find the posts for you. I'm serious, I'll show you that it can be done.

ANYTHING AT ALL. Seriously, I'll answer it if not on the same day, then a day later. ANY and EVERY answer to any question can be found in like 10 threads, the rest is just repetition and rehashing.

[olinek]

I enjoy this one more. In fact I think it is very well laid out. It is more similar to Ross's forum which seems to work well. And it solves some good dilemmas such as whether to post questions regarding the front lever in upper body section or mid body section. harharhar :roll:

[biff145]

I know your the moderator Fatman so it is pretty likely that you would take the Administrators side, that however does not change my frame of mind on this issue. Plain and simple man the corporate fatcats are wrong and the people have spoken-There will be a revolution and it will be written in the blood of the Administration!!!

VIVA LA REVOLUCION'

[Dominator350]

im sittin this one out, if i got beef with the administration, this sure as hell ain't it.

[Fatman]

I know your the moderator Fatman so it is pretty likely that you would take the Administrators side, that however does not change my frame of mind on this issue. Plain and simple man the corporate fatcats are wrong and the people have spoken-There will be a revolution and it will be written in the blood of the Administration!!!

VIVA LA REVOLUCION'

I'm not taking the administrators' side. I mean, they're pleasant enough guys and all that, but it's not like they pay me a salary to do what I do. I'm a forum user much like anyone else. In fact, the idea for the layout change originated from the moderators, then it was discussed and accepted by the admins.

What I wrote still stands. Let us cut the bullshit out - you post what you'd like to find, and I'll send you the appropriate links. Then I'll instruct you on how to find what you're looking for. You win either way.

[biff145]

I'll accept that from a fine Moderator such as yourself.

[jovabr]

What I wrote still stands. Let us cut the bullshit out - you post what you'd like to find, and I'll send you the appropriate links. Then I'll instruct you on how to find what you're looking for. You win either way.

Ok, I'll bite. And I'm actually serious.

My legs are lagging behind, they always did. My calves are finally starting to show but they could be bigger and more beautiful. My quadriceps may be bigger also and my glutes too. Are the hamstrings muscles that can show?

Anyway, I'm looking for different types of squats, effectiveness of them, should I go with weight for them to grow? I want to keep them functional though.
I'm looking at deadlifts for my ass and for my testosterone level. I curious about the correlation between them, I've heard it's the number one excercise to boost your testosterone level, but how many times should I do them per week and sets of how much? (Maybe there's nothing about the correlation between T and deadlifts on this site... so I'll look for that elsewhere) How do the different types of deadlifts affect my muscles growth? What are the different types deadlifts anyway? (I'll go with weights for this excercise, the one legged deadlift just doesn't feel very effective to me)
The glute-ham raise? Is this a bad excercise for the knees?
I actually know how to train my calves, but should I still train them after I did squats or deadlifts? Maybe I should train them more often, I don't know. Also, I see all those cyclers with huge calves, I cycle a lot too, but I've never had huge calves! I've got flat feet, maybe that's the reason...

A lot of questions, I know... You might think I just invented this to prove a point, Fatman, but I didn't. I really want to know, I do think this will prove my point though. So, thanks in advance.

[olinek]

Ok, I'll bite. And I'm actually serious.

My legs are lagging behind, they always did. My calves are finally starting to show but they could be bigger and more beautiful. My quadriceps may be bigger also and my glutes too. Are the hamstrings muscles that can show?

Anyway, I'm looking for different types of squats, effectiveness of them, should I go with weight for them to grow? I want to keep them functional though.
I'm looking at deadlifts for my ass and for my testosterone level. I curious about the correlation between them, I've heard it's the number one excercise to boost your testosterone level, but how many times should I do them per week and sets of how much? (Maybe there's nothing about the correlation between T and deadlifts on this site... so I'll look for that elsewhere) How do the different types of deadlifts affect my muscles growth? What are the different types deadlifts anyway? (I'll go with weights for this excercise, the one legged deadlift just doesn't feel very effective to me)
The glute-ham raise? Is this a bad excercise for the knees?
I actually know how to train my calves, but should I still train them after I did squats or deadlifts? Maybe I should train them more often, I don't know. Also, I see all those cyclers with huge calves, I cycle a lot too, but I've never had huge calves! I've got flat feet, maybe that's the reason...

A lot of questions, I know... You might think I just invented this to prove a point, Fatman, but I didn't. I really want to know, I do think this will prove my point though. So, thanks in advance.

Lmao thats jokes. Almost all your questions pertain to weight lifting.. Now I ain't saying you can't ask questions about weights here (I do it myself) but chances are there are better forums to find info on weight lifting. (this is after all bodyweightculture.com)

[jovabr]

This is no exclusive forum as I recall. But I'm happy with all the information I can find here.

[Fatman]

My legs are lagging behind, they always did. My calves are finally starting to show but they could be bigger and more beautiful. My quadriceps may be bigger also and my glutes too. Are the hamstrings muscles that can show?

Calves are very difficult to train. Many top bodybuilding contenders have had sub-par calves (Arnold and Ronnie Coleman being the most famous examples). Some people just have a harder time building big and shapely calves.

Can they be built by bodyweight alone? Maybe, but it'll be difficult. Try doing one-leg calf raises with a dumbbell held in the same hand as the leg being worked. The key is INTENSITY. Do one set fo 20 per leg, change legs, do 20 reps, without a break go back to the first one, then continue alternating. Do three sets of 20 per leg, then use a heavier dumbbell.

Make sure you go on your big toe as you raise up - this will intensify the exercise.

Or check this link for a good BW tip:

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7256&highlight=nugget

Anyway, I'm looking for different types of squats, effectiveness of them, should I go with weight for them to grow? I want to keep them functional though.
I'm looking at deadlifts for my ass and for my testosterone level. I curious about the correlation between them, I've heard it's the number one excercise to boost your testosterone level, but how many times should I do them per week and sets of how much? (Maybe there's nothing about the correlation between T and deadlifts on this site... so I'll look for that elsewhere) How do the different types of deadlifts affect my muscles growth? What are the different types deadlifts anyway? (I'll go with weights for this excercise, the one legged deadlift just doesn't feel very effective to me)

Different types of squats:

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8256&highlight=squat+side-to-side&page=25

Post 248

About the squat:

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9759&highlight=squat

20-level challenge (why do people ignore this link?):

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8493&highlight=20+level+challenge+juggledex

No less than 17 different leg exercises.

The BW deadlift discussed:

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6834&highlight=glute+ham

Deadlifts for conditioning (circuits):

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9610&highlight=leg+exercise

Gaining weight (diet and exercise):

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6989&highlight=leg+exercise

Squats with weights are functional. just like squats without weights. Please let's not get into that discussion.

Deadlifts are good for testosterone release (squats might be better). Do one intense set once per week with a moderately heavy weight, lifting until you see red before your eyes. If you're going to specialize, do two such sessions per week plus some maintenance work on your other lifts. Once you get over 200 lbs for 15-20 deadlift reps (250 on your squats), you'll begin to see some decent development. Eat like a horse.

The glute-ham raise? Is this a bad excercise for the knees?

Don't think so. Try here:

http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7042&highlight=glute+ham+raise

This user makes good use of the GHR. No knee complaints so far.

I actually know how to train my calves, but should I still train them after I did squats or deadlifts? Maybe I should train them more often, I don't know. Also, I see all those cyclers with huge calves, I cycle a lot too, but I've never had huge calves! I've got flat feet, maybe that's the reason...

Yes. Train them after squats and deads.

Cyclers don't have huge calves. They are just mroe developed than the rest of their (usually) extremely skinny bodies. A 14" arm would look enormous on Lance Armstrong.

Since this is not really a question, I can't post a link.

A lot of questions, I know... You might think I just invented this to prove a point, Fatman, but I didn't. I really want to know, I do think this will prove my point though. So, thanks in advance.

You're welcome.

I don't know what the point was. The Search took me about 10 minutes, and I was posting entries into the acounting system at work while I was doing it (better check up on the daily journal to make sure :)).

The problem with your question (and probably the reason why you are finding this setup so frustrating is that you either a) don't really know what you want (size? strength? then there is this foggy "functional training" notion?), or b) you want the Ultimate Program for Everything. You want ME to tell you how YOU should train, a fail-safe training idea that will build your legs/arms/whatever to Herculean proportions, all you have to do is read what I wrote. It doesn't work that way.

Most people have to earn the right to a decently built body by spending years faithfully practicing the correct exercises, eating and sleeping right, making tons of mistakes and wasting time on unproductive routines, having the balls to say goodbye to the routines that don't work and try out the ones that do. In toher words, not expect some dude to feed you info over the internet, but take the responsibility for one's own results. In training and in life.

Take care!

[cheesedog]

I have found that sprints, especially hill sprints or weight vest sprints, are great calf builders. Try them a couple of times per week.

[jovabr]

The problem with your question (and probably the reason why you are finding this setup so frustrating is that you either a) don't really know what you want (size? strength? then there is this foggy "functional training" notion?), or b) you want the Ultimate Program for Everything. You want ME to tell you how YOU should train, a fail-safe training idea that will build your legs/arms/whatever to Herculean proportions, all you have to do is read what I wrote. It doesn't work that way.

Take care!

Yes, I do want the ultimate program for everything. I realise this is impossible, I might come close to it though. But for ME not to have to ask ANYONE I have to know my way around this forum or I should be able to have to be able to check a sub forum dedicated to lower body excercises.

One year ago if I wanted to change my workout in one area I just went to the concerned sub forum, got some ideas and I went on my way, now I have to plow through a lot more posts.

But, thank you again Fatman. You do make it look simple.