[lordofthesithuk]

Hi All,
just been reading my old 'Bullworker' manual, and they recommend that isometrics should be done for 6 or 7 seconds at only 60% effort. In John's book, 'Isometric power Revolution' longer contraction times are explored, such as Steve Justa's 'aerobic isometrics of up too 2 minutes. All at relatively low intensity (although it will seem tough at the business end of two minutes).

Been looking over 'Ultimate Pushups', and there, you only approach maximum reps once per week too for a 'frame of reference' for workout percentages. But Dr Moorehouse advises against working at full intensity. Yet there are many examples of athletes who have followed these protocols and experienced fantastic results.

Then, if you read the Charles Atlas course, especially in the opening chapter, he encourages his pupils too 'train but not strain'.In one chapter Mr Atlas advises:
"Perform every exercise until you are good and tired, then stop. Never go
as far as to exhaust yourself....While it is very necessary to put VIM and SNAP into each and every movement, I earnestly
request you NOT to strain or make any effort to force your development. There is an infallible
method to determine when you have performed an exercise a sufficient number of times. It is to
continue UNTIL THE MUSCLES ARE FATIGUED. You must not go to the point of exhaustion.
If you persist in going beyond this feeling of tiredness you are then straining.
This means you are tearing down muscular tissue, and NOT building it up. Exercise almost to the
point of fatigue is highly beneficial - beyond that point it is actual injury.
As soon as your muscles tire, stop the exercise immediately"

Clearly Atlas understood the need to work within the limits of ones own recovery ability. Obviously he was ahead of his time in understanding what gave progress, and what did not!
This advice is really sound for the natural trainer, and can be applied too all natural methods.

[Greg Newton]

Hey Tony,

Two of the worst things that ever happened to physical culture were the attitude of "No Pain No Gain," and the idea of shortcut fitness. I enjoy watching the movie Pumping Iron with Arnold and Franco in their heyday. But watching the pre-competition training of those bobybuilders in the Venice Beach gym is not something to duplicate. The guys from that movie have not aged well, except for Robbie Robinson, and some like Denny Gable and Mike Mentzer died fairly young.

The whole of idea of shortcut training is another thing that has hurt physical fitness. The Morehouse program has you training under your maximum for sets. You are working with the body as opposed to killing the body.

The whole idea of tearing the body down and then it coming back stronger is bogus; the so called "Overload" principle. Instead, you work within your body's capabilities and you save some in the tank. Then you feel good and feel strong for other activities besides training.

Greg