Absolute MUST Read: "Convict Conditioning"

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RyannayR
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Post by RyannayR »

I agree Rob but if you look close he does have a lot of muscle on a relatively small frame. 5'8 like 175 it looks like. I remember in the book it said something about bodybuilders being "all show and no go", so it appears this guy is all go.
Jacos5
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Post by Jacos5 »

How did you guys incorporate it into your bp run? I'm going to be running 2.0 soon and am thinking of just adding it after workout days. So it would be workout, cardio/convict conditioning, rest, repeat. You guys recommend any other style?
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

Jacos5 wrote:How did you guys incorporate it into your bp run? I'm going to be running 2.0 soon and am thinking of just adding it after workout days. So it would be workout, cardio/convict conditioning, rest, repeat. You guys recommend any other style?
Well, fact is he can do something I can't (yet...) so he must be doing something right. I'll get to those master steps soon enough, I'd just prefer to not dip below 2 bills and have people ask if I'm sick/feed me etc. to do so... :)

I'm kidding. Your bodyweight isn't important, your strength/health is...

I think your plan Jacos5 is a logical one, although I'll also say this: As you advance in these steps the CC workouts get a LOT harder. I do feel the 3day/week program is ideal to use with BP. Perhaps even less frequently if prioritizing BP/the weights.

At some point you need to make a choice of which to prioritize. That's NOT to say they're mutually exclusive. In fact, I think they're complimentary! I'm personally at the point where I'm happy with my overall size/power with the weights and am interested in greater flexibility/bringing my strength to bodyweight ratio up.

That means CC 3 days/week, with barbell/weight work once every 7 - 10 days. You read that right. Am I getting weaker/smaller? Hell no. I performed a 945lb top range rack pull Wed. and held it for 2, 5 second holds. My other lifts are increasing too (albeit at a somewhat slower pace). However, my joints have never felt better, my flexibility is MUCH improved and the CC work requires a LOT of ab/lower back etc. strength. That can only help...

Where it's really helped me is conditioning. Some of the required progression standards are in the 20-30 rep range. I don't think I've been over 8 reps in most exercises in 15 years!

They're killing me, but my body's starting to adapt... :)

A FINAL WORD ON WHY I POSTED THIS: I don't hear many complaints about BP, but one of them is "my body can't keep up with the strength gains, my elbows/shoulders/knees etc. are killing me - what should I do"?

I can only recommend Cissus so many times... :) It works, works well and works for many. However, CC holds a LOT more promise insofar as armor plating your joints, improving (not decreasing) your flexibility, strengthening muscle not hit by the weights and in particular - improving balance.

There isn't much that feels better than hitting PR's on a regular basis. Except hitting PR's regularly AND being one healthy, flexible and explosive athlete. My ideal is that you hit a new squat PR, let's say 500lbs.

Then you celebrate by doing some one arm chinups, pushups and a few bridges such that your fellow lifters say to themselves, "That shouldn't be possible...".

:-)

Guys like Big.Jaz, BigPelo etc. are playing with some absolutely absurd weights/training volumes. Consider CC as good insurance, to make sure you're still doing that 20 years from now....
pmartinez78
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Post by pmartinez78 »

Well, I've been doing them since Rob posted this thread and I have barely advanced to step 2 on all exercises except the Knee tucks. I've just added them at the end of my weight lifting session. Here's the split I'm currently doing. I do upper body cc exercises on upper body days and lower body cc exercises on lower body days.

Mon- upper body/cc/cardio
Tue- off
Wed- lower body/cc/cardio
Thur- off
Fri- upper body/cc/cardio
and so on....

At some point, I might change it because the exercises are getting harder but for now, I'll stick to this setup.
pmartinez78
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Post by pmartinez78 »

RobRegish wrote:

A FINAL WORD ON WHY I POSTED THIS: I don't hear many complaints about BP, but one of them is "my body can't keep up with the strength gains, my elbows/shoulders/knees etc. are killing me - what should I do"?

I can only recommend Cissus so many times... :) It works, works well and works for many. However, CC holds a LOT more promise insofar as armor plating your joints, improving (not decreasing) your flexibility, strengthening muscle not hit by the weights and in particular - improving balance.

There isn't much that feels better than hitting PR's on a regular basis. Except hitting PR's regularly AND being one healthy, flexible and explosive athlete. My ideal is that you hit a new squat PR, let's say 500lbs.

Then you celebrate by doing some one arm chinups, pushups and a few bridges such that your fellow lifters say to themselves, "That shouldn't be possible...".

:-)

Guys like Big.Jaz, BigPelo etc. are playing with some absolutely absurd weights/training volumes. Consider CC as good insurance, to make sure you're still doing that 20 years from now....

This is why I decided to start CC. As I started to get in to the heavy weights, I noticed I constantly had some kind of pain. It was usually my joint, lower back, and shoulders that started bothering me which forced be back off every time.
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

beefcake66 wrote:
RobRegish wrote:So assuming this guy can perform the master level exercises, does anyone else here think he looks somewhat "average"?

can't get 4000+ cals in the clink. :p
You know this from experience Ang?

:)
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bigpelo
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Post by bigpelo »

:idea: How about using convict conditioning as cruise workouts?
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

bigpelo wrote::idea: How about using convict conditioning as cruise workouts?
Likely not a good idea, as the CNS will lose touch with the barbell and the total tonnage will fall precipitously - leading to muscle loss.

I DO think it makes a LOT of sense to weave CC into Cruise, perhaps in a more aggressive/frequent fashion than Feast. Doing so will only benefit you, as I see it. I know it's still working wonders for me.
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ZeroBeast
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Post by ZeroBeast »

Well, I was almost 4 weeks into my first BP run, I re-injured my right shoulder shoveling my 120ft driveway. So, after a cortisone shot and assigned 4 weeks of P.T. I thought this is a good time to do some reading. Well I read this book and I like it a lot. Look into maybe reading C.C. 2.

I also just finished "You are your own gym" - that is another similar, but great book. This guy trains spec ops now and has written a book on the routines he does. He talks about nutrition more and eating every 2.5-3.5 hrs a day and getting the 1-1.5g of protein per lb of weight you are. In C.C. he basically disagrees and states to eat 3 solid meals a day.

Now, I enjoy both books and it's tough which one I want to start after my therapy is done. Just wasn't sure which one to start and see if there are any recommendations out there. tough cause one says this and the other says this...like a ping pong match - who do you believe more?! Be great to help my shoulder out and my wrist which I just had surgery on end of last year.

*also, even rob might answer this - since i still have a bunch of "formula" ingredients left over - does anyone who is doing these workouts still take take the formula pre/during/post workouts?

thanks!!
drtda
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Post by drtda »

I can't comment on the CC as I haven't read it yet, but I do have some thoughts on the nutrition aspect.

I'm in about my 4th week of doing IF(intermittant fasting) using the Leangains-type protocol. I'm beginning to think that the whole eating every 2-3 hours stuff that I've followed for years is just BS. The IF has been working well right now while still eating plenty of calories, and I think it will work even better when on a cut or recomp.

Rob will certainly chime in, but I think he believes that the timing of your protein, BCAAs, and calories is the most important aspect, not that you have to get them every few hours to be able to absorb or assimilate them.
mikej26
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Post by mikej26 »

I've read CC.1 & CC 2 as well as You are Your Own Gym and personally have found the first CC program to be the most useful of them all. This of course is just my opinion though.

As for the diet recommendations, I've been following a leangains/warrior/IF diet and have had nothing but good progress. My workouts aren't always at the.same time from day to day but I do still use the formula. I just vary the carb serving some depending on the demands of the particular training day and what I've eaten already come training time.

An ideal day would have me training right after work around 5:00pm. Prior to this I would have broken the fast around 1-2 oclock with high protein/low carb meal allowing me to not have any carbs until the formula with training. I have the rest of my carbs for the day in the meal following my training. If I do end up having carbs before my workout I usually have less in the formula and save the remaining carbs for my PWO meal where I'll be more likely to have regained sensitivity to glucose uptake and storage in muscle. Again, just my opinion on the matter.
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RobRegish
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Post by RobRegish »

ZeroBeast wrote:Well, I was almost 4 weeks into my first BP run, I re-injured my right shoulder shoveling my 120ft driveway. So, after a cortisone shot and assigned 4 weeks of P.T. I thought this is a good time to do some reading. Well I read this book and I like it a lot. Look into maybe reading C.C. 2.

I also just finished "You are your own gym" - that is another similar, but great book. This guy trains spec ops now and has written a book on the routines he does. He talks about nutrition more and eating every 2.5-3.5 hrs a day and getting the 1-1.5g of protein per lb of weight you are. In C.C. he basically disagrees and states to eat 3 solid meals a day.

Now, I enjoy both books and it's tough which one I want to start after my therapy is done. Just wasn't sure which one to start and see if there are any recommendations out there. tough cause one says this and the other says this...like a ping pong match - who do you believe more?! Be great to help my shoulder out and my wrist which I just had surgery on end of last year.

*also, even rob might answer this - since i still have a bunch of "formula" ingredients left over - does anyone who is doing these workouts still take take the formula pre/during/post workouts?

thanks!!
I can't speak to other protocols, but I'm in my 3rd month of CC and here's my take: These workouts don't deplete your muscle glycogen nearly as much as your "stock" BP workouts.

If you read the book closely, you'll see he says as much (in not so many words). Specifically, he says something to the effect that a lot of the "over-eating" associated with bodybuilding is the direct result of being "artificially depleted", after lifting weights. Bear in mind: Every pound of fat (or even water) you carry on a bodyweight routine works against you...

Further states that when you train using your own bodyweight your appetite will naturally come down. I've seen some signs of that, but would prefer to be on this for at least 6 months before forming an informed opinion...

Long way of saying you might not need "The Formula" if you're using CC, even if you have ecto leaning tendencies.... :)
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ZeroBeast
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Post by ZeroBeast »

thanks guys. I'm pretty much leaning towards C.C. as well. But, did a little research to see what else is out there. I really hope/think this will help my joints/tendons/ligaments/rotator cuff in my shoulder, so i'm pumped about that.

the tough thing is I bought all the stuff for the formula and I only had about 10 workouts in before my injury. I have quite a few KA pills and other ingredients (which i'm not that worried about) would anyone suggest using KA during this or no?

Depending on the success I have with this, it might not be until September when I get back into a gym and do BP again.
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ZeroBeast
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Post by ZeroBeast »

Bueller? :?: :lol:



Also, Those people that have stuck with this program for a month plus, how is it working out for you? Can you notice a difference in your body and image as well?
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