Leg strength and explosiveness

[PunchDrunk]

what i dont understand is.. why do ppl do weights when they can just do burpees and alternate squats and **** like that..

Burpees and "**** like that" is for conditioning. Weights are to increase strength, so you can convert it to explosiveness through training more specific for that. That's the simple explanation even you should be able to understand...

[FeelTheA-Force]

Burpees and "**** like that" is for conditioning. Weights are to increase strength, so you can convert it to explosiveness through training more specific for that. That's the simple explanation even you should be able to understand...

yes, but even light weights slow u down.. if your "conditioned" well there is no need to do weights..

strenght is natural. and speed and timing = power.

[PunchDrunk]

yes, but even light weights slow u down.. if your "conditioned" well there is no need to do weights..

strenght is natural. and speed and timing = power.

What a load of crap. Weights don't slow you down, there's TONS of physiological evidence out there that say the opposite. It's like claiming the Earth is flat. Get your head out of your ass and read.

Strength is natural, yes. But so is speed. So is timing. So is endurance. All of those you need to train, and strength is another natural component of athleticism you need to train. You clearly don't have the practical experience to back up your talk, because you'd know better.

[Pork Chop]

PunchDrunk

Not to hijack but I had a few questions.
I tried out that routine i ran by you.
It didn't go so well, got sore as heck, and ended up taking 2 steps back.
I'd really rather not go to that gym to lift.

I know kettlebells are no magic beans, but do you think i'd be doing myself a lot of harm using them and a versaball (med ball w/ a rope) instead of that other routine?

I have 2 35lbers and a 70lber on the way.

I was thinking of including the following in my routine:

kbell swings
kbell clean & press
single leg dead
kbell push press/jerk/alternating press (not sure which)
bent row
kbell burpees

sledgehammers w/versaball
passes w/versaball
twists w/versaball
versaball situps

pullups & dips wherever i can

I was hoping to have a workout i could do on my own time, that wouldn't be a ton of exercises, that would be relatively short in duration but intense, and might be a little easier as far as soreness...

[PunchDrunk]

PunchDrunk

Not to hijack but I had a few questions.
I tried out that routine i ran by you.
It didn't go so well, got sore as heck, and ended up taking 2 steps back.
I'd really rather not go to that gym to lift.

I know kettlebells are no magic beans, but do you think i'd be doing myself a lot of harm using them and a versaball (med ball w/ a rope) instead of that other routine?

I have 2 35lbers and a 70lber on the way.

I was thinking of including the following in my routine:

kbell swings
kbell clean & press
single leg dead
kbell push press/jerk/alternating press (not sure which)
bent row
kbell burpees

sledgehammers w/versaball
passes w/versaball
twists w/versaball
versaball situps

pullups & dips wherever i can

I was hoping to have a workout i could do on my own time, that wouldn't be a ton of exercises, that would be relatively short in duration but intense, and might be a little easier as far as soreness...

Was soreness your only problem?

If so, you should have probably eased a little more into it, by going just light enough in each exercise that you're thinking "this is too easy, I'm a *****" to yourself. This should bedone, just to get your muscles accustomed to the exercises.

Sure, kettlebells are cool enough. I think you'll get sore as hell,using those as well, though. Ease into it, like i said, or just tough it out till you get accustomed to it. The soreness, in either of the above cases, should diminish go away gradually, within a few weeks. If not, you're probably overdoing it.

I know about soreness though. Since I'm currently going to school to become a journalist, and I'm head coach at the nr 1, most ambitious boxing club in my country, commuting a total of 5 hours every day, I don't have much time train myself anymore (nor do I have much time for the internet... ). So when I get a training session in here and there, I'm usually sore for a week afterwards, because I have a problem leaving my ego at the door. Training with elite athletes, I can't be showing them any weaknesses.

[PunchDrunk]

The cool thing about kettlebells, is that you don't need much of anything else to get a workout in. I don't have kettlebells, but I just did 10 reps for each arm, for 10 sets, with 45 seconds rest, with a 24kg (52 lbs) dumbell. That's a whole workout in itself, in about 15 minutes.

[1_Punch_KO]

back to the previous post about the O-lifts...

punchdrunk, you may be one of a kind then to get good critiques of national team lifters. but with your form, could you keep yourself at perfect form while doing a 1RM??

i mightve skimmed through it and missed it but why are box squats bad? they work the whole lower body and the hips which is important in boxing.

and box squats dynamically, meaning 50-60 percent of 1RM and doing 8x3 fast reps.

not doing heavy max effort box squats

[yrrej]

You can't have explosiveness and big legs usually. Try doing explosive half squats with light weight. And try shadow boxing and fighting out of a low crouch to improve movement. Also some speedwork on the track might be helpful....

[Pork Chop]

I was just using the bar for the traditional weight exercises.
I went as light as i could possibly go.
I know i should've given it more time to acclimate, but the soreness is only part of the issue though.

The big problem is that i've gotta work 10 hour days and rush to 2 gyms in under 4 hours of free time.
The schedule's just too tight.
Getting home from boxing by 8~8:30, changing clothes, and having to finish a weight workout by 10 is just too much. I've found I can not reliably wake up to hit the gym in the AM, even going to bed by 10.

I figure with kettlebells, I can go jogging for a half hour at around 10, then go on my back porch and swing those things around for a good half hour, 45 min, take a shower and go to sleep.

I can also lug the versaball to the boxing gym and add a good 20 minutes at the end of my boxing workout for twists, sledgehammers, abs, and chest passes.

Should all fit into my schedule much easier.

Also, I don't really like the gym where i lift weights, but it's through work and cheap. I'd like to stay out of there if possible. hehe

EDIT: PS, In the past, kettlebells haven't made me sore, I don't know why.

[PunchDrunk]

back to the previous post about the O-lifts...

punchdrunk, you may be one of a kind then to get good critiques of national team lifters. but with your form, could you keep yourself at perfect form while doing a 1RM??

i mightve skimmed through it and missed it but why are box squats bad? they work the whole lower body and the hips which is important in boxing.

and box squats dynamically, meaning 50-60 percent of 1RM and doing 8x3 fast reps.

not doing heavy max effort box squats

I'm definitely not one of a kind, that's my whole point. If you have someone qualified to teach you the O-lifts, most athletes should be able to learn them in a few weeks, a couple months at most.

No, I probably couldn't keep myself at PERFECT form at 1RM, but you know what? neither can anyone else. If it's your true 1RM, even an olympic champion will be a little off his perfect form. I would never recommend training with your 1RM IN ANY EXERCISE anyway?

Why do box squats, when regular squats are better? Name ONE thing thatbox squats does for you that regular squats don't do.

I'll quote Poliquin again: "The problem I have with box squats is that their application is limited to powerlifting. The reason being is the goal of powerlifting is to lift the highest amount of weight for the shortest amount of distance within the rules. Essentially in the box squat, your shins don't travel forward. Now I don't know of any sport where the shins don't travel forward for propulsion. So the mechanics of the box squat aren't found in sport.

Do you think all the Westside people are up in arms yet and have me on their hit list? But it's the Bruce Lee principle again: use what is useful and reject what is not. Box squats are the only thing in the Westside system I don't agree with. They only have applications for powerlifting.

Also, any sort of restricted movement pattern tends to change soft tissue integrity. One thing you'll find with people who do a lot of box squats is that they're abnormally tight in the piriformis muscle, for example. In sports where you have to change direction a lot, the box squat will actually decrease your power because you won't be able to use those muscles efficiently.

Finally, most of the athletes I have are highly paid. There's a risk when doing box squats of the athlete bouncing on the box due to lack of concentration. The trauma that can result on the sacral vertebraes could be tremendous. There are just better alternatives. If you're a powerlifter, they're great. If you're any other type of athlete, stay away from the box squat."