PiotrTheGreat

First off: apologies for another "Tell me what style to take" post, especially considering that I posted something similiar just under a year ago That said, I'd like some help choosing a style. I'm a tall dude (6' 5") and I'm on the heavier side at present (275 lbs, or thereabouts), and for the last three months, I've been training just to get my strength up and my weight down. Now, in terms of what I'm looking for in a style: I'd like something...interesting. I've looked into Kali, Penchak Silat, Jeet Kune Do, and UFC-style MMA and...well, I love all of them. I love Kali's weapon training, same with Silat (not to mention the fast, distracting movements), but I also love the adaptability and various focuses of JKD and MMA. On top of that, I've been having a little trouble finding a reputable school in the Chicagoland area (MMA dojos run aplenty, but their quality varies depending on who you ask, and JKD, Kali, and Silat dojos are rare, quality ones rarer still). So, if you fine, well-traveled and intelligent folks would be so kind as to answer one of these questions: 1. Are there any other styles you think I should look into? 2. Are there any schools you know of in the area that might work for the purpose of learning one of the above styles? Thank you in advance

Phoenix, I made changes to the first post. Please read and respond accordingly

Hello all! So, I've been on the Nerd Fitness forums a while now, and I was hoping to get a little help from all you fine folks here in the martial arts forums. See, I've got a goal. That goal being to be a healer-helper-asskicker hybrid. I'm on my way towards the first (ran through an EMT course and am currently waiting on national registry test results), and I have an idea for the latter two. It's the "asskicking" that I come to you for help with. I've looked over certain martial arts styles for a while now, and while I'm not gonna ask that annoying question of "Which one is the best one" (since the answer varies person-to-person and depends on skill level), but I am going to ask for some suggestions. My biggest caveats are such (UPDATED): I enjoy the idea of stuff like Tai-Chi (which I consider a martial art) and Aikido, but how effective would these styles actually be in live combat, especially in comparison to some other styles such as Krav Maga?I live in Chicago, and so I have both a plethora of options, and a lack of them. As far as I've seen, there are three schools that teach their own blend of MMA, and countless Hapkido, Karate, and Taekwondo places. Other than that, variety is hard to find, and I feel like quality is even harder.I've done a little light research on the subject, and I'm considering military CQC training (and it's available, albeit a couple states over). But what's your opinion on it? Are there other styles that could easily counter a CQC practitioner, or are there deficiencies in the style itself? Also, what's your opinion on American military training in general?In addition to all this, I'm also going to be learning parkour and freerunning as I lop off more fat and put on more muscle, which I already know is going to limit some of the power I can put out.I'm a tall dude (6' 4"), and I realize that there are some styles that would make better use of my extended reach than others. At the same time, I also know that I can't rely solely on reach, especially if overextension happens. So, with all this in mind, the overarching question I have is this: what would you recommend for a style to learn? Something where I can utilize any part of my body as a weapon (a la Muai Thai), but has quick dispatch potential (a la Wing Chun) with a certain...permanence (a la Krav Maga) I know this is really specific, but any legitimate answers or opinions are appreciated. Thanks for your time, and I wish you the best in your own endeavors NOTE: I also plan on doing a soft style (Tai Chi and/or Yoga) for the purposes of flexibility and general wellness. Also, please do not assume I'm a complete idiot asking for "results in two weeks or less!" I know it takes time to get good, let alone great, at martial arts, and I'm willing to put in both time and work towards making that happen. I ask only for suggestions for styles so that I might begin

First off, thanks for a great source to the Beginning Body Weight poster. As far as physique goes, It's just a personal preference. I want to have fun with it, but at the same time I'd like to look good doing it. It may be strictly vanity speaking, but that's just where I am right now

Wow, it's been a while since I've been on here Okay, so, second verse same as the first: I've got questions, and I look to you educated, wonderfully helpful people for answers. First off, a little update for those following along. I'm still doing Stronglifts to get myself to a place where I can do more bodyweight work, however I restarted the program once I felt that my form was suffering under the weight. I'm still not sure if I want to continue with it, considering that I don't know if my form is good or not, and because I don't really get a good gauge on whether or not I'm actually gaining or losing muscle. Diet's still in the shitter (pardon my French), which is probably my biggest problem at the moment, or so everyone with any basis for strength gain is telling me, but I'm still not entirely sure where to start with un-screwing it. I'm dependant on my mother and the food she brings, which is oftentimes less than optimal for my purposes, but I'll keep trying to get that particular field taken care of soon (still looking for recipes and/or studies as to "good" diet. I've subscribed to the idea that the MacDougal Diet is a good one, but I'd love to hear contrasting opinions) Other than that, I've got a gym buddy who's doing my restarted Stronglifts with me, but we both want to do parkour, and I'm starting to lose my faith that Stronglifts is the best method to work us up to highly functional bodies. Now that we've got the backstory out of the way, onto the questions. 1. In my experience, traceurs are incredibly skinny folk (not in a bad way, it's lean muscle), but the near runner-esq physique isn't really something that I'm striving for. To that end, I ask what you would recommend, if anything, for both building aesthetically pleasing muscle while at the same time working on the endurance and strenght necessary for parkour (and fighting, and glowsticking...) 2. I realize that the Beginner Body Weight Workout created by Steve is a favorite go-to for the bodyweight community, but considering that Stronglifts has either been a cakewalk or kicked my ass, I'd like to get a bodyweight routine going that's a little...beefier than what's outlined in the BBWW. So, I ask, what exercises or routines would you recommend for someone who wants to build up to traceur strength and stamina from a point where they can't even do a push-up or pull-up? (Also, I'm fine with building up from lesser movements [knee push-ups, for instance, leading up to full push-ups], but I still want something that'll give me a kick in the ass without potentially killing me under crushing weight) Unfortunately, that's all the questions I can think of for the time being, but if anything comes up, I'll update as needed. Please keep in mind when answering these and rendering help: I do have access to a gym, and therefore SOME equipment (chin-up bars, battle ropes, etc.), so feel free to suggest anything a little more weight-oriented, as long as you think it'll help some. Other than that, I thank you for reading and for your answers, and wish you all the best in your own endeavors

Hello again! For those of you just tuning in, I'm a pudgy dude who's looking to get to a shape and a level of strength where I can engage in parkour. I'm looking through the forums here to get some knowledge for what I can do, but I feel like you fine folks can help me more directly with some questions. A little background: I hopped on the NerdFitness forums a couple weeks ago, and it was suggested to me that, due to my lack of strength, I get started on Stronglifts. Well, I've been doing it for just under two weeks (I know it's a short period of time, but bear with me here) and I have this funny feeling like it's not really gonna get any better. My major concerns are form and weight: some days, I can do the exercises with decent form and feel the fruits of my labor in that delightful burn in the muscles the exercise was meant to stimulate, but other days I don't. I don't know if it's a form problem or a weight problem, and I do plan on sticking with the program for at least another month, but I'm still looking towards something else that I could be doing. In that vein, what would you fine folks recommend in terms of good starting routines in bodyweight training for the purposes of parkour and fighting. Is there a difference in the type of training I should be doing for each pursuit, or are there just some general things that I need to keep in mind to help me work towards both of them? In addition, do you recommend I continue the Stronglifts 5x5 program, or would you recommend I move to something more conducive to my goals sooner rather than later? Lastly, stretching. I don't do a lot of it, and I barely know how to do it. Any resources to help along with that, or just general tips? As always, I thank you all for reading this far, and thank you again for your responses. My best to you and to your future endeavors!

Thanks I didn't know there were any people who taught parkour outside of the Aero community and through Jams, at least in Chicago

Right here! I'm at Belmont and Kimball

There's an XSport two blocks from my house that I'll be going to for this, so if anything, I might be able to get some help from one of their trainers. Otherwise, I'll grab a gym buddy, tape the form, and hit Form Check. I figure as long as you're bent over with neutral spine and lifting proper (pinching your shoulder blades at the top) you should be fine

I don't mind the speed. My test run felt a little...tame, but I figured that was just because I messed up on how much I was actually supposed to lift. Now that I know, I'm gonna go back, do it proper, and stick with it as recommended. Like I said, my biggest issue was form, since that's gonna be the biggest determining factor in what muscles help lift the weight I'm putting on. Also, I'm seeing the picture you're painting with using the bench as an assist. Interesting workaround If I keep having problems with form I'll definitely give that a try

Oh, that's not what I'm worried about. More than anything, I'm worried about the aforementioned form. Thanks for the clarification on the working weight sets, though

Apologies if the dramatic title got you worried, but now that I've got your attention, perhaps you'd be kind enough to help me with a little issue? See, I've never been on a diet. That might not be too bad, but what I mean is that "I've never really had a set pattern to food intake", be it in frequency of meals or what the meals consist of. As such, I may find myself eating nothing but four ham sandwiches for breakfast one day, and nothing else, while another day I'll have those same ham sandwiches, a quarter of a college cafeteia pizza, and a Five Guy's burger with large fries. There's no rhyme or reason to it! As such, I'm hoping for a little guidance in terms of food intake. I'm starting a 5x5 strength training routine to get my body to a more functional state, but I realize that hitting the weights is only half the battle, if that. I'm familiar with the idea of eating small meals over the course of the day, ideally a meal every 2-3 hours. That is not so much a problem. The content of these meals is. A few somethings to keep in mind if you feel you can contribute to helping me: I like the idea of vegetarianism and veganism. I like the idea of eating clean, sustainable food that provides as many or potentially more necessary nutrients than a typical omnivorous diet can provide. However, if you feel meat is essential in a diet such as this, by all means include it if it's "clean". Please Also, recipies would be nice as well. After all, you can't eat raw potatoes, and french fries aren't the most conducive to a proper diet from what I hear. As always, thank you for your time and patience, and I look forward to reading your (presumably) helpful replies

Hi there! So, after my initial post in the newbie forum, someone referred me to the Stronglifts 5x5 Program, and I just returned from my gym having done what I will call a "test run", and I have a couple questions that I hope some of you fine (and, I pray, patient) people will be kind enough to answer. 1. I ran through both videos detailing how Stronglifts works, but a question occured to me as I was leaving the gym: Should I have done five sets of five lifts with my WORK WEIGHT or IN TOTAL? Even doing five sets of five with an empty barbell (even with it being my first day) I feel some burn, but it seems a little...light. Hence why I'm wondering if the warm-up sets count in the TOTAL five sets 2. This is a form question (and once I get someone to snap my form, I'll post that in Form Check): I feel that both my squat and barbell row forms are...off. In the case of squats: I've always had trouble keeping the weight on my heels (my weight shifts and I end up falling backward), and doing the workout today, I noticed another problem in the form of being (at least as I perceived) unable to go much further below parallel. In the case of barbell rows: I'm having trouble keeping my back from staying neutral. It'll round out at the lumbar region, and the only way I've been able to correct it is to just stand up in locked deadlift position and sink into the barbell row position with the weight, and even then I feel like I'm not bent forward enough. Any thoughts on what might help either of these form issues? I plan on continuing with 5x5 for the forseeable future (at least until I gain enough strength to be able to hop into bodyweight exercise proper), so I thank you for your time and any help you can render in answering either of these questions for me

So, I posted a couple questions regarding working out in the "New to Fitness" forum, but I figure I might as well come here and get a little help from you fine folks, since you seem to be geared towards what I eventually want to do. I want to learn parkour, and be a traceur. I'm currently terribly sedentary (something that will hopefully change as the summer starts hitting Chicago more), I'm overweight, and I'm weak (I can't do a pull-up or push-up, but I can apparently leg press 270 lbs). In the thread I started, it was recommended to me to look into a Stronglift 5x5 program to get my strength to a level where I can perform more body-weight exercises and further my goals, but I was wondering if you guys had any other suggestions or ideas Thank you for your time!

Apologies for what is most likely going to be a stream-of-consciousness mind dump in advance That said, hi. My name's Peter, I live in Chicago, and I'm looking to get into shape (as most people here are, I presume). Until a good half year plus ago, I was pretty good about going to the gym, but I have since lapsed in my time spent there. Had a buddy, did twice-a-week sessions of three to four hours (we switched off on the same machines and did multiple sets, hence the time), but after a while, life happened and I had to once again start hitting the gym on my own. Then I stopped. I'm still looking to get in shape, though, now more than every, perhaps, and in that spirit I've been doing a fair amount of research (by which I mean I've been watching Youtube videos). I still follow guys like Elliot Hulse and Scott Herman, but while their videos are great for form and theory, I feel that they don't realy provide me with the more specialized advice that the fine people of forums like these can provide. As such, a little light, pertinent background on my physiology and such: I'm 21 years old, 6' 4", somewhere around 260 lbs at present (I'll likely have pictures up somewhere in a couple days). I've been looking to lose weight, build highly functional strength and flexibility (I've always been a big fan of parkour, and would love to learn while I'm still young) and generally get into a shape that doesn't resemble a pear. I'm looking for workout routines to help me get to these goals (likely a lot of calisthetics and full range of motion stuff), as well as nutrition information to help my body run at it's finest. With all that out of the way, I have a couple questions for you guys, if you're still around after that exposition 1. Is it possible to lose weight AND gain muscle? I checked out the Muscle and Strength.com forums and the gist of the matter seemed to be that you had to do one or the other: bulk while building muscle, then cut to give it shape. I ask because, while I was still going to the gym regularly with my friend, we were doing what seemed like both (incrementally more weight, low reps, and the workout was capped with a High Intensity Interval Run or Bike). If it's not, which would you recommend a person start with? 2. In keeping with my goals, I'm looking for a workout routine. But before I can start on those proper, I need to overcome some limitations that I currently possess, namely my inability to do a pull-up or push-up (I'm fairly weak in the upper body). Any recommendations for exercises that might alleviate these limitations? 3. I realize that Nerd Fitness isn't exactly big on supplements, but are there still some that you would recommend? The other forum I checked as mentioned above gave a daily intake chart for everything from whey to nitric oxide to vitamins, but I feel like there may be ways around that. Or would you just recommend not worrying about that until much, much later? 3a. If you are pro-supplement: what is your opinion on vegan or vegetatian supplements? Do such supplements exist aside from creatine and whey? What would you recommend, if anything? 4. This is for much later in my progression: how can one maintain gains for a long period of time? I've heard Elliot Hulse expound on this by stating that gains tend to start waning after about two weeks of no stimulus, but is there a way to maintain them with minimal effort? If so, what is that minimum? To those who made it this far, thank you for your patience, and if you answer any of these questions, your insight. My best wishes to you and your continued success!