Draken50

I've never had any particular issue with soft styles. It just bugs the hell out of me when people don't know what the movements they're doing are for. For some arts, the exploration of Bunkai(practical application) of forms are a big part of growth, but I've never liked the.. "move like this, and I'll tell you what it's for later... much later," methodology some arts have.

Standing. 

I use two pillows, but mostly because I hate shopping. So two flattened pillows works better than 1 flat pillow, and almost as well as 1 good pillow.

Also if the pillow is too flat and I only have one, my head tilts back further and I snore.

Damn, maybe I should change my username to Loquacious.

I once worked with my students to try to get them to work on understanding the value of different weapons.

As was mentioned the knife is more dangerous with multiple attacks in rapid succession, but pretty much anyone in an art that practice sparring should immediately be taught, that if you're going to throw one attack you should be throwing at least 3. 

The training I went over with them involved a kali stick, tanto (single edged knife), and hanbo (three foot stick, heavier and a bit longer than the kali stick). I had them practice defending themselves from the different weapons. The initial conclusion that the knife was the most dangerous, then transitioned to to the kali stick as they practiced and appreciated the extra reach and ease with which they could strike the attacking arm. One student made use of a solid thrust to the attackers throat, and soon the hanbo was considered pretty useful as well. A bit slower but harder hitting with even more range. At which point I worked with a couple with the knife, closing quickly and stuffing their attacks with my free hand. So now the knife was king, at which point is switched to kali, and worked controlling the distance and the fight vs. knife.

My students then became confident that it was purely the skill of the practitioner. So I decided to move into a narrow hallway in the dojo. Kinfe vs. Hanbo... but without the room to really make use of a lot of the reach of the hanbo. Obviously, the knife has a big advantage. Add in a leather bomber jacket used to control the knife and the game changed again. I also showed how it can be used to block the vision of your opponent while you can strike through it.

Ultimately, it was a good class, and I feel like my students got the main point of it, which was that the person who wins is going to have the best combination of skills, mindset, and tools is going to be more likely to control the fight, and controlling the fight is the best way to come out uninjured. 

That's why I've always felt that the "What art is best for self defense" arguments are moot. The arts themselves are always going to have some kind of focus, but the ability to apply the tools of an art in a variety of situations tend to depend less on the art and more on the practitioner. Muay thai may not be a stick art, but if that fighter successfully gets in tight and works knees and elbows in a clinch, that stick isn't going to count for much, but if they stay back and try to work kicks and range, they're really going to give that stick fighter time and opportunity to "Defang the snake" and use the full worth of their weapon.

It likely is, and the back still does get worked in the deadlift, and in the squat as well.

Ultimately, you really want to be feeling deadlifts in the hamstrings and glutes. As long as you're keeping your back locked out you should be fine. If all else fails take video, post in the form check.

I don't have a gym in my area that I'm comfortable in, and I'm not sure how else to learn how to do a pull up.

Any advice?  Or what is the best way to go about getting to the point of being able to do one?

Be Uncomfortable.

You'll gradually get more comfortable.

It's crappy advice. It generally goes unheeded, and usually seems to come from a place of someone who doesn't understand, but ultimately... It's probably the best advice I've ever seen. If you're not going to be able to go to the gym, do other things that make you uncomfortable. Push yourself into doing things you're not comfortable doing on a daily basis. Turn the shower to cold, talk to a stranger ect.

What are your goals?

Can you swing the 300-500 pounds you should be able to deadilft? Do you care?

Are you planning on doing two days a week, or three, or four even?

If your goals are looks, what results better match what you want to look like? I've seen guys at the gym who do the kettle bell resistance endurance stuff, and they look lean and many have abs. I do just barbell and get comments on how I've become much stronger and solid looking. I haven't worked diet much so I don't really have definition, I'm just... bigger, and less jiggly.

I think most of it will boil down to adaptation.

There's been a fair number of people at my dojo that could take me in hand to hand point or continuous sparring. Those same people all learned pretty quickly that in weapon sparring I had a distinct advantage, as I train primarily in weapon arts.  

Generally the more able you are to adapt your fighting style to the circumstance you in, the more I feel you're likely to survive a "Life and Death" situation. I'm good with weapons, if I can get something in my hands, I'll fare a good bit better. The same is not always true. You can take a good hand to hand fighter and toss them a stout stick and they may have been better off empty handed if they start throwing one attack at a time or the like.

Running like hell is a good plan, but if the guy chases ,what do you do from there? BJJ is great on the ground, and many practitioners are going to be good at getting you there. But if all you've trained is BJJ and say Muay Thai for a ring, you may not have paid as much attention to fighting with or against weapons. An Adaptable fighter can still take the advantage, so it depends a lot on the mindset, the practitioner, and the opponent, not just the art. I'll take a muay thai fighter that's thought about how to fight with a chair/stool, and holding a chair/stoll, over a muay thai fighter holding a knife that's never given any thought to knife fighting.

Bill star recommended using straps for deadlift for anyone not doing olypic lifts in an article over on Starting Strength. Most people will say the same thing. Don't neglect your grip, but if grip strength is the limiting factor use them. 

So don't be ashamed. When I hit a 2 plate press I intend to do it in this shirt.

Shame takes too much time away from awesome.

Better than nothing.

The problem with the smith machine is the combination of movement it restricts. Is the ability to move back and forth better? Of course, but stability side to side is still super important.

So, is it better than a smith machine? Probably. Is it better than free weights? No. If you ever make the transition from this machine to freeweights, you'll want to drop your squat weight and work it back up as you will not have had to deal with lateral instability.

I usually rock toast with peanut butter, banana and honey, and maybe a hard booiled egg or two.. I tend to do something like sushi for lunch. Tends to be a bit lighter, and I don't have problems with after taste or burps or anything. For dinner. Eat whatever the hell you want. You just spent the day competing. I usually go to BJ's for their double burger and strawberry lemonade.

AS they said, slow progression, use smaller increments ect. 

For your pelvis moving forward on OHP lock out your legs, torso, and squeeze your glutes. You'll have much more luck keeping that in better place while locking down abs and glutes.

My favorite phrase is: "Perfect is the enemy of Good."

The best way to have perfect at 225 is to have good form at 250 or higher.

It might also be time to use fractional plates and increase by 2.5 lbs. each time.

Squats are indeed what you need. 

Check Starting Strength. It works pretty well.

Every gym seems bro-y. Especially the university ones. Just make it clear your asking for help and wanting to do things correctly.

I know talking to people can be intimidating, but people in gyms tend to like to talk about working out.

Don't bother with knee pushups, they won't get you what you're wanting.

Work on incline pushups, and gradually lower the incline. If you can already do a regular pushup... just do them... a lot. All the time. If you're actually going to try for 150.

You will probably hurt, and what you want to to do will be hard.

Make sure you work on your diet, becuase that's how you'll loose weight, and it'll give you less to pushup.

I wish you luck, though you'd probably need far more time to reach your goals.

Cleo, 

I don't know what you're doing in terms of sets and reps, or what your history is. Honestly I'd simplify down to doing a starting strength type program:

A: 3x5Squat, 3x5 Overhead Press,1x5 Deadlift

B: 3x5 Squat, 3x5 Bench Press, 5X3 Power Clean or Power Snatch.

Then I'd add yoga in whenever you want. Unless you're doing some of the balancing on just your hands and all that kind of thing. I train 2 hours of martial arts 3 days a week, plus my 3 days a week of lifting. I don't think yoga will be too bad.

By the way. If that plan looks to simple... it's not, it works, and it works really really really well. And if it seems too easy, then just keep increasing the weight. Take a video of your deadlift form. And ask questions in the forum.

Locking out the back means putting it into "Extension" and holding it there. If you don't allow the hips to lower, you'll lose it because you'll round the upper back to get the bar to the floor.

If you have a history of over training to injury, that's all the more reason to have a simplified program with specific sets and reps that you do.

Weapon based martail arts tend to benefit greatly from strength training. The usual squats and and overhead press and the like tend to strengthen the majority of the muscles needed to improve footwork and the like.

With one big caveat. What you are practicing is skill based training. Lifting can make a fencer better, but not necessarily good. If you're still developing muscle and conditioning by fencing, it can be your primary method of development. As you get better, and your body and skills develop to the training. Then adding in basic strength training can improve what you are already doing. 

Often times, it's easier to get tired when learning that kind of thing, not necessarily because you don't have the proper strength, but because of issues with technique.

Every time I've seen someone take up squatting, their footwork and stances improve considerably though.

I started with the empty bar on press, and while I did 115 the first time on squat I had to learn better form and hung out at 185 for a while.

It takes time, but don't kill yourself trying to get big jumps and you'll get there faster than you'd expect.

Additionally, I don't care how useful a method may be if it can intrude on another persons lifting.

I find it's easier to squat if I'm not holding in a fart, but if there's a guy using the pulley station 3 feet behind the power rack I'm not gonna crop dust him. Though I will find an empty place to fart. It's really hard to maintain thoracic pressure when you get into the hole of a squat and rip one. Keeping the abs tight is harder when you start giggling like an 8 year old too.

If your form is not good then drop weight and work up in reasonable increments. 10 lbs at the most. Post form checks.

The actual numbers matter much less than whether they are going up or not, and whether your form is right.

As Knightwatch asked as well: What are you trying to do? What is the process you are trying to use to achieve results?

Short thread shorter, I'm probably just going to say "Buy the Starting Strength book, follow the program and sleep enough and eat enough and you'll get bigger and stronger. If you have doubts about form, video yourself and post form checks"

Good luck!

Your stalls are likely not being caused by walking, but by only getting 6 hours of sleep. Sleep more. Just like eating, sleeping is necessary to increase your numbers.

I juust finished Tokyo Vice. It's a good book, I really recommend it. Picked up a paperback of Dance of Dragons to read on lunch, and finishing off Musashi after that.

Been reading a lot of stuff from/about Japan, think I'd like to read something that's about takes place in Africa, or India next. Maybe China. If anybody has any recommendations I'd appreciate it.