Royce
12-07-2008, 11:01 AM
DVRs, isometrics and power flexing provide an elegant means of training. I have utilized this triad for a number of years and this wonderful form of exercise is tremendously effective for most people.
For me, it is absolutely the best way to train. After some thirty five years of weight training, I abandoned weights, which had served me well up until that point, in order to pursue self resistance.
Although I consider DVRs to be the most important of the three protocols, isometrics and power flexing work synergistically with DVRs. You might say that “the sum is greater than the parts”—to paraphrase and old saying.
One of my avocations is teaching Qi Gong—primarily the hard style. And it is from the traditional Kung Fu tension exercises that the late, great John McSweeney developed the Tiger Moves, which are DVRs. But among the original Kung Fu exercises, such as the Iron Wire exercises, there are, in addition to DVRs, isometrics and power flexing.
When power flexing is done with INTENTION, what one is really doing is isometrics sans apparatus. These various exercises can be done in the traditional manner practiced by Ku Fu practitioners—that is, they can be choreographed. Or one can choose a more contemporary approach such as I have developed for some of my students.
Here is an article from the past than nicely lays out the program I teach to my students.
Here is my post from a year or so ago:
Although I have posted about power flexing in the past, I think it is important to continue the dialogue about this wonderful method of training.
In my Qi Gong classes, I’m starting to introduce a modified form of Iron Wire Kung Fu. Unfortunately, it can’t be easily described with words.
Iron Wire is a blend of DVRs, isometric and power flexing.
I will be talking more about that in the near future. I have posted some clips on Larry Wick’s side of the house. Check them out!
Some of you folks don’t participate in sports or other vigorous activities, and you are looking for a supplemental protocol to add to your HIT program.
Well………………I’m testing the idea of using light power flexing on off days. I don’t need it, since I walk or do Qi Gong on off days. But for those of you who pretty much sit at a desk all day, light power flexing might be just the ticket. So far it has worked extremely well for a number of my local students.
Rather than suggest a strict power flexing regimen to combine with HIT, my feeling is that this light flexing should be done intuitively. If you are doing HIT, this supplemental flexing is going to have to be very carefully done. It will be VERY easy to start doing too much on off days.
So we have two approaches for a HIT practitioner who wants to power flex: Heavy flexing and light flexing. You can use power flexing as part of a HIT routine or as a supplemental fill in on your off days. I want to be careful here. It’s not my intention to turn a good HIT program into a volume program.
I hope this isn’t becoming too confusing. Time will tell, I guess.
What follows is a post from the past. It’s a discussion about adding HEAVY duty power flexing. In this version, it isn’t a supplemental protocol.
It is VERY HEAVY POWER FLEXING for the serious HIT practitioner.
===============================================
Flex for power!
I’m very impressed with power flexing and I have been using the protocol, along with isometrics, for a supplemental form of exercise.
Have a look at the following site:
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Spalding/Muscle%20Building/mb-1-1-a.htm
You will have to scroll down the page to see the information about flexing, which was written by Luther Gulick.
Below is the way in which I’m utilizing the method.
UPPER BODY, SUPPLIMENTAL PROGRAM FOR HIT TRAINEES.
Since I don’t have a way to illustrate these exercises, there will, by necessity, be a lot of verbage. I apologize for that.
This plan is only for advanced men and women and should immediately follow their regular scheduled HIT/DVR exercises—which is to say that they are done on the same day.
One of the very good flexes is the CRAB or the so-called “most muscular pose.” (If some of you are uncertain about this pose, I will try to find a picture of someone doing it.)
I do three five second flexes in this position.
Next I emulate arm curls in three positions: beginning, middle and completion. Each flex at each of these three positions lasts between five and eight seconds.
When assuming each of these curl positions, I imagine that I am trying to curl an impossibly heavy weight. That mental imagery is immensely important, so please don’t neglect to employ it. We must never forget that a huge amount of this kind of training is mental.
These flex curls are then followed by some triceps exercises. I use isometrics for a triceps pushdown. If you are exercising your right arm, you resist with your left or vice versa.
Three positions are used: beginning, middle and lockout. I use maximum tension for five to eight seconds at each position.
Next come the flex military press. Once again, you will use three positions. Imagine that you are pressing a barbell from the shoulders to an overhead position. Flex with every ounce of strength for five to eight seconds at each of the three positions.
Now follow with a bent over row. Like all of the rest, this will be done at three arm positions: beginning, middle and lockout. Let me reiterate that you must imagine that you are at a “sticking” point with an unimaginably heavy weight. FLEX!!!!!!
We are now ready to focus on the deltoids. We want to use isometrics here. Put both hands between your knees. You will use your legs for resistance and as has been our habit, you will use three positions. Simultaneously push outward against your knees with both arms. You should feel powerful tension in both deltoids. Do this in three positions. As always, do this at maximum tension for five to eight seconds in each of the three positions.
Our next exercise is a isometric for the chest. Hold your arm out in front of you with your hands together. At that extended position, press your hands together for five to eight seconds. Next, with your arms still in front of you, curl them to an intermediate position and press your hands together for five to eight. And then finish the exercise with your hands at the chest position.
And is the last exercise: the forearm flex. With your hands partly clenched imagine you are trying to crush a brick. Do three flexes that last from five to eight seconds.
Once again, let me say that this is an EXTRME program that is designed to shock your muscles into gaining size and strength. It is designed to be a supplemental rather than a stand alone program. It is not for the beginner. I suggest at least a year of DVR/HIT training before embarking upon this supplemental program which is designed to be added to you regular, upper body DVR/HIT exercises. And they are to be done on the same day.
The supplemental exercises should not be done more than once a week, if that.
Even advanced men may want to limit themselves to doing these exercises to every other week.
That’s it folks:
If you have the strength to lift a fork immediately after doing these exercises, you aren’t working hard enough.
I will discuss working the lower body with supplemental exercises at a later date.
Summation:
Crab flex: three repetitions of five to eight seconds.
Biceps: Do arm curl flexes. Use three positions. Perform five to eight second flexes for each position. (On some days, you might want to substitute a three position isometric contraction.)
Triceps: Do triceps “push downs.” Execute three isometric positions for five to eight seconds per position.
Shoulders: Do a flex military press at three positions for five to eight seconds per position.
Back: Do a flex bent over row in three positions for five to eight seconds per position.
Forearm flexes: With your hands partly clenched imagine you are trying to crush a brick. Do three flexes that last from five to eight seconds.
Deltoids:
Put both hands between your knees. You will use your legs for resistance and as has been our habit, you will use three positions. Simultaneously push outward against your knees with both arms. You should feel powerful tension in both deltoids. Do this in three positions.
Hold your arm out in front of you with your hands together. At that extended position, press your hands together for five to eight seconds. Next, with your arms still in front of you, curl them to an intermediate position and press your hands together for five to eight. And then finish the exercise with your hands at the chest position.
For me, it is absolutely the best way to train. After some thirty five years of weight training, I abandoned weights, which had served me well up until that point, in order to pursue self resistance.
Although I consider DVRs to be the most important of the three protocols, isometrics and power flexing work synergistically with DVRs. You might say that “the sum is greater than the parts”—to paraphrase and old saying.
One of my avocations is teaching Qi Gong—primarily the hard style. And it is from the traditional Kung Fu tension exercises that the late, great John McSweeney developed the Tiger Moves, which are DVRs. But among the original Kung Fu exercises, such as the Iron Wire exercises, there are, in addition to DVRs, isometrics and power flexing.
When power flexing is done with INTENTION, what one is really doing is isometrics sans apparatus. These various exercises can be done in the traditional manner practiced by Ku Fu practitioners—that is, they can be choreographed. Or one can choose a more contemporary approach such as I have developed for some of my students.
Here is an article from the past than nicely lays out the program I teach to my students.
Here is my post from a year or so ago:
Although I have posted about power flexing in the past, I think it is important to continue the dialogue about this wonderful method of training.
In my Qi Gong classes, I’m starting to introduce a modified form of Iron Wire Kung Fu. Unfortunately, it can’t be easily described with words.
Iron Wire is a blend of DVRs, isometric and power flexing.
I will be talking more about that in the near future. I have posted some clips on Larry Wick’s side of the house. Check them out!
Some of you folks don’t participate in sports or other vigorous activities, and you are looking for a supplemental protocol to add to your HIT program.
Well………………I’m testing the idea of using light power flexing on off days. I don’t need it, since I walk or do Qi Gong on off days. But for those of you who pretty much sit at a desk all day, light power flexing might be just the ticket. So far it has worked extremely well for a number of my local students.
Rather than suggest a strict power flexing regimen to combine with HIT, my feeling is that this light flexing should be done intuitively. If you are doing HIT, this supplemental flexing is going to have to be very carefully done. It will be VERY easy to start doing too much on off days.
So we have two approaches for a HIT practitioner who wants to power flex: Heavy flexing and light flexing. You can use power flexing as part of a HIT routine or as a supplemental fill in on your off days. I want to be careful here. It’s not my intention to turn a good HIT program into a volume program.
I hope this isn’t becoming too confusing. Time will tell, I guess.
What follows is a post from the past. It’s a discussion about adding HEAVY duty power flexing. In this version, it isn’t a supplemental protocol.
It is VERY HEAVY POWER FLEXING for the serious HIT practitioner.
===============================================
Flex for power!
I’m very impressed with power flexing and I have been using the protocol, along with isometrics, for a supplemental form of exercise.
Have a look at the following site:
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Spalding/Muscle%20Building/mb-1-1-a.htm
You will have to scroll down the page to see the information about flexing, which was written by Luther Gulick.
Below is the way in which I’m utilizing the method.
UPPER BODY, SUPPLIMENTAL PROGRAM FOR HIT TRAINEES.
Since I don’t have a way to illustrate these exercises, there will, by necessity, be a lot of verbage. I apologize for that.
This plan is only for advanced men and women and should immediately follow their regular scheduled HIT/DVR exercises—which is to say that they are done on the same day.
One of the very good flexes is the CRAB or the so-called “most muscular pose.” (If some of you are uncertain about this pose, I will try to find a picture of someone doing it.)
I do three five second flexes in this position.
Next I emulate arm curls in three positions: beginning, middle and completion. Each flex at each of these three positions lasts between five and eight seconds.
When assuming each of these curl positions, I imagine that I am trying to curl an impossibly heavy weight. That mental imagery is immensely important, so please don’t neglect to employ it. We must never forget that a huge amount of this kind of training is mental.
These flex curls are then followed by some triceps exercises. I use isometrics for a triceps pushdown. If you are exercising your right arm, you resist with your left or vice versa.
Three positions are used: beginning, middle and lockout. I use maximum tension for five to eight seconds at each position.
Next come the flex military press. Once again, you will use three positions. Imagine that you are pressing a barbell from the shoulders to an overhead position. Flex with every ounce of strength for five to eight seconds at each of the three positions.
Now follow with a bent over row. Like all of the rest, this will be done at three arm positions: beginning, middle and lockout. Let me reiterate that you must imagine that you are at a “sticking” point with an unimaginably heavy weight. FLEX!!!!!!
We are now ready to focus on the deltoids. We want to use isometrics here. Put both hands between your knees. You will use your legs for resistance and as has been our habit, you will use three positions. Simultaneously push outward against your knees with both arms. You should feel powerful tension in both deltoids. Do this in three positions. As always, do this at maximum tension for five to eight seconds in each of the three positions.
Our next exercise is a isometric for the chest. Hold your arm out in front of you with your hands together. At that extended position, press your hands together for five to eight seconds. Next, with your arms still in front of you, curl them to an intermediate position and press your hands together for five to eight. And then finish the exercise with your hands at the chest position.
And is the last exercise: the forearm flex. With your hands partly clenched imagine you are trying to crush a brick. Do three flexes that last from five to eight seconds.
Once again, let me say that this is an EXTRME program that is designed to shock your muscles into gaining size and strength. It is designed to be a supplemental rather than a stand alone program. It is not for the beginner. I suggest at least a year of DVR/HIT training before embarking upon this supplemental program which is designed to be added to you regular, upper body DVR/HIT exercises. And they are to be done on the same day.
The supplemental exercises should not be done more than once a week, if that.
Even advanced men may want to limit themselves to doing these exercises to every other week.
That’s it folks:
If you have the strength to lift a fork immediately after doing these exercises, you aren’t working hard enough.
I will discuss working the lower body with supplemental exercises at a later date.
Summation:
Crab flex: three repetitions of five to eight seconds.
Biceps: Do arm curl flexes. Use three positions. Perform five to eight second flexes for each position. (On some days, you might want to substitute a three position isometric contraction.)
Triceps: Do triceps “push downs.” Execute three isometric positions for five to eight seconds per position.
Shoulders: Do a flex military press at three positions for five to eight seconds per position.
Back: Do a flex bent over row in three positions for five to eight seconds per position.
Forearm flexes: With your hands partly clenched imagine you are trying to crush a brick. Do three flexes that last from five to eight seconds.
Deltoids:
Put both hands between your knees. You will use your legs for resistance and as has been our habit, you will use three positions. Simultaneously push outward against your knees with both arms. You should feel powerful tension in both deltoids. Do this in three positions.
Hold your arm out in front of you with your hands together. At that extended position, press your hands together for five to eight seconds. Next, with your arms still in front of you, curl them to an intermediate position and press your hands together for five to eight. And then finish the exercise with your hands at the chest position.