F.A.Q.
What?
- This webpage is devoted to bodyweight strength training, acrobatics, and gymnastic skills. It spawned from a previous blog where I wrote about my training and posted tutorials.
Why?
- I wanted to share what I've learned and help those with similar interests in strength. I called it "Beast Skills" because the page deals with those skills which seem impossible, or "beastly" - one arm chin-ups, handstand pushups, planches, etc. It's a catchy title that stuck.
Who?
- My name is Jim. I'm about 5'7" (~170 cm), around 170 lbs (~77 kg), and 26 years old. I've been involved in both bodyweight skills and weight training for around 10 years now. I feel that the two complement each other very well.
I was on a gymnastics exhibition group - Gymkana - for two years in college. We'd practice traditional and non-traditional gymnastics and then put on shows at local area schools to promote healthy living.
I'm a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and currently work as a personal trainer in Washington DC. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to schedule a training session.
Aren't these just gymnastic skills?
Many of the skills are done in traditional gymnastics, but I don't care to limit myself to gymnastic skills only. If I like a skill, I'll post something about it.
What skills should I work?
- Whatever you like. They're your goals. That said, try to work in a logical progression (elbow lever before one arm elbow lever, handstand before handstand pushups).
How many skills should I work?
As many as you can handle in your training routine. 3-4 on average seems to work, but you may want more or less.
How should I train <X skill>?
I generally find that skills requiring more balance than strength (e.g., handstand, headstand, elbow lever) respond well to frequent training while giving oneself adequate rest between repetitions. I feel they can also be worked for several consecutive days without adverse consequence.
For skills requiring quite a bit of strength (handstand pushups, the flag, the back lever, etc), some find that frequent sub-maximal training while staying as fresh as possible will work for them. This is often referred to as "greasing the groove" and would have a person doing a couple repetitions of an exercise several times throughout the day for several consecutive days. This may or may not work for you depending upon your schedule.
If you do all your training at one point in the day, I would suggest working these strength skills for a smaller number of repetitions and giving yourself adequate rest between each set to recover. This is the classic formula for strength building. You'll also want to alternate rest and training days to let your body recuperate.
Of course, combining skill training with any other sort of physical activity is going to change how you set up your workout.
Whatever you decide, record your training and make notes on your progress. Use this to evaluate your program and change things if necessary. For any training program, give it time to show results. Don't jump from one training routine to another to another. And don't hold off training while you try to find the perfect workout routine. Just get out there and start training!
What's your workout plan?
Check the training log!
What do you eat?
Lots of wholesome foods - fruits, vegetables, lean meats (chicken, beef, fish), eggs, nuts, cheese, whole grains, water, and green tea. I try to avoid foods that are heavily processed and that contain white flour or white sugar. I still eat junk food, but try to keep my diet clean most of the time.
What supplements do you take?
I currently take a multi-vitamin in the morning, fish oil supplements and BCAAs throughout the day, ZMA (Zinc and Magnesium) before bedtime, and Surge (a protein/carb blend) mixed with Creatine during workouts.
I have to repeat though, that supplements are nothing without a solid diet. Don't worry about the supplements until your diet is in order.
How long did it take you to get (X) skill?
I honestly can't recall for all my skills. Several days to several months to several years. And even when you "get" a skill, you can always work to make it stronger.
What equipment do you use?
Power Tower/ Pullup bar
For skills like the one arm chin, front lever, and back lever, a bar is essential for training. I picked up a door mounted pull up bar for $15 from a sporting goods store, then later bought a used power tower for $25 on Craigslist. The power tower is an old Gold's Gym version.
Be careful of weighted pull ups on a door mounted bar though - too much weight and the bar will come crashing down. If you need a beefier pull-up bar, check out Delta Fitness for a solid, wall-mounted one.
Power Tower (left) and door-mounted chin-up bar (right)
Rings
These are such a fantastic piece of equipment for a variety of exercises, and essential for skills like the iron cross and muscle-up. If you've never done exercises on the rings, then you're in for a big surprise - everything is harder to do. I got mine from Ringtraining.com. Since the original design pictured below, Tyler Hass has released several updated versions, all top quality.
Parallettes
These are designed to replicate gymnastic parallel bars to help you perform a number of different exercises. You can use PVC, metal, or wood and build some bars to any dimensions you want. Here's an easy online guide to making your own.
A fellow trainer, Tom Brose, also gave me the following instructions for building a great set of parallettes:
Supplies
One PVC pipe 10 feet, 1 1/2" diameter
Four elbow connectors
Four T-joint connectors
Eight end caps
PVC pipe glue
Construction
Cut the 10 foot pipe into the following sections:
Two 2 foot sections
Four 8 inch sections
Eight 5 inch sections
If you've done it right, there should be no leftover pipe
The 5 inch sections are the feet, the 8 inch sections are the vertical legs, and the 2 foot sections are the part where your hands go. Take a look at the picture and it's pretty easy to figure out where everything goes.
When gluing everything together, I recommend starting with the feet and legs first. They just make a "T" and require no adjustment. Glue the elbow connectors to the 2 foot sections next. You can then press the elbow connectors down against a hard floor to make sure they are lined up at the same angle. Finally, glue in the legs to the top and adjust quickly to get the legs lined up parallel before everything dries.
There you go, a nice set of parallettes that should work well for your training.
Weightlifting belt + chain + carabiner + weights
I never use a weightlifting belt for abdominal support, but I do find it useful for strapping weights to me for weighted dips and chin ups. Chain from a home improvement store, a carabiner from a rock climbing store, some weights, and you're all set. Where to find weights? A yard sale, newspaper ads, or a used sporting goods store - there is ALWAYS someone selling their weights.
If you're really loading on a lot of heavy weight, then I suggest investing a bit more for a quality dipping belt. I've used Ironmind's Dipping Belt with great success. I found the previously mentioned weight belt/chain combination to break when anything around 100 lbs was added. The Ironmind belt has comfortably held double that with no signs of stress. The difference is amazing. Again, highly recommended if you're moving heavy weights.
(Ironmind dipping belt, Belt being used for a 180 lb (81.6kg) dip)
Stretch Bands
I've got some surgical tubing and a physical therapy band in the picture above, but you can either buy some - Iron Woody Bands or cheap bands from Perform Better - or just pick up some old bicycle tubing from a bike shop. These bands can assist you with skills like pull ups, planches, and iron crosses.
Iron Cross Band Assist
Sledgehammer
Levering the sledgehammer around is an amazing exercise for your wrists. Here's the best page I've seen for sledgehammer exercises. That specific page describes the author's quest for bending steel bolts. The sledgehammer is cheap and the difficulty easily adjusts, simply by moving your hand along the handle.
Grippers
I'm not talking about the cheap foam grippers you may have squeezed before. These are heavy duty grippers and they are STRONG. When I first started working the one arm chin, I found my grip needed to be much stronger to hold myself on the bar. Enter the grippers. I recommend the grippers from Ironmind or Weightlifter's Warehouse. And of course, head over to The Gripboard for more grip training advice then I could possibly type here.
So do you only train bodyweight skills?
No, I also lift things.
(an easy 335 lbs.)
As I've said before, I feel that bodyweight training and weight training complement each other very well. I've gotten the impression that some people feel they have to choose between one or the other. Or that one is superior to the other. I hate to see a divide in two types of training that will both ultimately improve your body.
Take a look at classic strongman Eugene Sandow. Here was a guy who looked extremely powerful, could hoist a ton of weight, yet was agile enough to be able to backflip.
Can you develop a powerful body with only bodyweight exercises? Sure - Olympic gymnasts are the perfect and most oft-used example. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be afraid to combine training. I like deadlifting and I like handstands; both are fun and make me stronger.
So what are your best lifts then?
As of November 15th, 2007. My best lifts are as follows. Note that some might not have been updated for several months:
Back Squat: 375 lbs
Front Squat: 300 lbs
Deadlift: 500 lbs - trap Bar, 455 lbs - straight bar
Clean and Jerk - 250 lbs
Weighted Chin-up: +145 lbs
Weighted Dip: +180 lbs
Overhead Press: 205 lbs
One arm overhead dumbbell press - 105 lbs
Bench Press: 285 lbs
Have you ever tried rock climbing/ breakdancing/ parkour/ martial arts/ capoeira/etc, etc?
I've researched and tried them all, and have thoroughly enjoyed each and everyone. Like weight training or gymnastics, they all deal with control and mastery over oneself - mentally and physically. So despite what may seem like totally dissimilar interests, in the end they just become different paths to the same goal, so I'm not terribly distraught that I can't work on them all. In the end, there's only so many hours in the day!
Am I too fat and/or tall to do these things?
- Will having a certain body type help you get these skills faster? Yes. Should you give up because you don't have the body of an Olympic gymnast. Hell No.
Here's a picture of Bert Assirati.
This guy weighed 240 lbs (~109 kg) but was able to do three one arm chin-ups, as well as an iron cross. And as you can see by the picture, he was also quite an impressive acrobat!
And here is Jim Holloway.
This guy is a rock climbing legend, and at 6'6" (~198 cm) is a good foot taller than most gymnasts. Yet, he is recorded as having held a front lever for 20 seconds, possibly a minute.
What excuse can there be after seeing guys like this??
Are you going to start a forum for the site?
No. There are already many well-established forums online that will cover any training interest you have. Give these great ones a go:
http://www.bodyweighttraining.org/forum/
http://www.powerathletesmag.com/wforum/
Why does it take you so long to post tutorials?
Each tutorial take many, many hours of writing. So oftentimes they develop much slower than I would like. My current work and living situation has me away from my computer for more than 12 hours each day. It's very hard to come home late at night and focus on a very technical piece of writing. On the weekends, I am not sitting in front of my computer much at all.
The lack of updates frustrates me as much as it does you. I'll be moving and hope to rectify things. Thanks for your patience and understanding.