"Becoming a Supple Leopard" already rated 90+ times?

[cline]

Hey guys.  Just fyi - the mwod website redesign is done and it's really good.

 

Also, BASL has a facebook page now.

 

And just a shout out b/c I love him:  Glen Cordoza did the co-writing on the book.  Part of it's awesome.  He's also working with Tony Blauer now.

[Hermione Gainser]

time to weigh in!!!

 

Yes, advance copies of the book were distributed.  I held one in my hot little hands about 2 weeks ago. 

 

The book is co-written by Glen Cordoza - who is equally awesome.  He also worked on Brian Mackenzie's book. 

 

Glen and Kelly are really proud of this book!  They worked really hard on it.

 

Can I post my pics with Kelly here?  Ha ha ha  He's so smart (honestly) and does a really great job distilling information for use by advanced athletes and novices.  I was in a workshop with him and people there who never work out were blown away.  Athletes were blown away.  it was great.

 

Everett's books are amazing as well and I love Catalyst Athletics. 

 

and Yeah, Rip's grumpy.  I just finished a seminar with him too.  He has a very different approach to the world. 

 

I have to tell you I had very different experiences with both Kelly and Rip.  Both are super smart but I had very different experiences.

 

 

Hey guys.  Just fyi - the mwod website redesign is done and it's really good.

 

Also, BASL has a facebook page now.

 

And just a shout out b/c I love him:  Glen Cordoza did the co-writing on the book.  Part of it's awesome.  He's also working with Tony Blauer now.

 

How are you so in with Kstar?!?!?!  And did you touch his abs? It's one of my life goals. 

 

Just loaded the mwod site.. and it's pretty awesome.  Boyf and I were just talking about how necessary a rejiggering of the site is.  So.. yeah, excited.

 

Boyf also says he's got something for me that's been on back order... and I suspect that maybe it's this book.  I'll know tomorrow!

[jdanger]

And then there's this,

 

My dynamic start is pretty much exactly like Diane's and while I understand all the reasoning behind it, it also sort of evolved naturally. I used a static start (as most beginners should for a while) then a few different dynamics before going to this setup (without every seeing this vid, having just found it today).

 

Deadlift is obviously a different movement and the tunnel stuff is probably worth considering but I think the point is that everyone's different and different things will work for different people (as evidenced by all the different, successful setups there are) and what each individual has to do is explore the options and find out what works for them. This is where some of the art comes in. We might be able to explain why certain setups work better for certain body types but at the end of the day how it feels to the lifter is the most important thing. Focusing on the feeling is big in the Chinese system and it makes sense. While there are parameters that need to be within certain ranges to express optimal technique, within the wiggle room a lifter needs to find that optimal feeling and develop that. 

[KingZora]

Any word on the eBook version of this?  I noticed it is upon on iTunes, but I was really hoping for a Kindle version.

[bigm141414]

Ugh, Diane and Kstar are so damn flexible. I wish I could setup like that. 

[jdanger]

Speaking of flexible and this tunnel thing one of the best examples I can think of is Kelly Charniga, who's been conditioned pretty much from birth to be a superstar Weightlifter by her dad, Bud, who's basically a legend. They're local to me so I have the pleasure of watching her lift from time to time and it's always a pleasure. There's no video that I can find that shows her full setup but here's her receiving position:

 

 

Safe to say that's about as good as ATG gets and what the videos don't show is that in her setup she sits on the bar and pushes her knees/shins forward and basically gets into this exact position (only the feet are a little closer for the pull) before starting her dynamic start. Bud teaches people to do this and it's where I got the idea originally.

[bigm141414]

1) daaaaaaamn. I knew I started my obsession with weights too late in life. I want the last 20 years sitting on my duff back. 

 

2) Interesting. I need to try this dynamic setup next time I go in (which should be in about 2 hours ) 

[cline]

How are you so in with Kstar?!?!?!  And did you touch his abs? It's one of my life goals. 

 

Just loaded the mwod site.. and it's pretty awesome.  Boyf and I were just talking about how necessary a rejiggering of the site is.  So.. yeah, excited.

 

Boyf also says he's got something for me that's been on back order... and I suspect that maybe it's this book.  I'll know tomorrow!

 

Ha ha ha I went to Primal Con.  I also am "friends" (LOL) with some folks who know him well.  btw, he's training someone for the Leadville race now.  Fascinating.

 

I got to work with him some and he told me to have surgery on my knee.  I respect him so much.  That's where we learned about the redesign of the website (it hadn't launched yet).

 

Yes. I touched his abs.  I have the pic.  Am looking for it.  He is as wonderful in real life as he is in all our fantasies.  And he's smart and funny and kind and crass and smart and smart and everything. 

[cline]

Deadlift is obviously a different movement and the tunnel stuff is probably worth considering but I think the point is that everyone's different and different things will work for different people (as evidenced by all the different, successful setups there are) and what each individual has to do is explore the options and find out what works for them. This is where some of the art comes in. We might be able to explain why certain setups work better for certain body types but at the end of the day how it feels to the lifter is the most important thing. Focusing on the feeling is big in the Chinese system and it makes sense. While there are parameters that need to be within certain ranges to express optimal technique, within the wiggle room a lifter needs to find that optimal feeling and develop that. 

 

I've been doing a lot of work on the tunnel.  It's helping me a lot.  That and always saying "get organized".  LOL. 

[Hermione Gainser]

Ha ha ha I went to Primal Con.  I also am "friends" (LOL) with some folks who know him well.  btw, he's training someone for the Leadville race now.  Fascinating.

 

I got to work with him some and he told me to have surgery on my knee.  I respect him so much.  That's where we learned about the redesign of the website (it hadn't launched yet).

 

Yes. I touched his abs.  I have the pic.  Am looking for it.  He is as wonderful in real life as he is in all our fantasies.  And he's smart and funny and kind and crass and smart and smart and everything. 

 

I want everything you said here to be my life (well, minus the need for knee surgery).  And I want to be his best friend.

 

Yeah, we're going to need that pic (and "we" I mean me )

 

J, that dynamic set up stuff is fascinating. Very cool and also super crazy (in a good way).  Diane is bad ass.

 

I feel like I've never been ATG after looking at Kelly's picture. Sweet baby jesus.   Her legs are set up in an interesting way.  I'll go ahead and say I haven't noticed that degree of leg torque (is that what you'd call that?) in others (though that doesn't mean it's not there).  That is some crazy body movement.

[cline]

I've been seriously working leg torque.  Rip talks about it a lot too.  It's all in the leg torque.

 

I need to qualify the pic by saying I'm wearing (no kidding) 4 shirts and a name tag.  Nerd alert. Also, the orange bandanas were a part of a team "survivor" challenge we'd just completed.  Our team CRUSHED all primal con best times ever by about 45 mins!  Woot woot.  Then we got to play w KStarr.

 

Somewhere I have a picture of some time where KStarr was just working on me.  I'm just laying on the ground and he's messing w my feet and legs.

 

I wish he'd train me.  When I talked to him about my knee he said "have the surgery.  Trust me do it as soon as you can".  *sigh* boo.  I made a sad face.

So, without further ado.... me touching KStarr's abs:  http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/gallery/image/1646-20130413-115520/

[bigm141414]

You know, one day Kstarr will catch wise to our little game. 3 nerds so far have touched his abs. 

 

 

I really need to go to a seminar with him. 

[Hermione Gainser]

I've been seriously working leg torque.  Rip talks about it a lot too.  It's all in the leg torque.

 

I need to qualify the pic by saying I'm wearing (no kidding) 4 shirts and a name tag.  Nerd alert. Also, the orange bandanas were a part of a team "survivor" challenge we'd just completed.  Our team CRUSHED all primal con best times ever by about 45 mins!  Woot woot.  Then we got to play w KStarr.

 

Somewhere I have a picture of some time where KStarr was just working on me.  I'm just laying on the ground and he's messing w my feet and legs.

 

I wish he'd train me.  When I talked to him about my knee he said "have the surgery.  Trust me do it as soon as you can".  *sigh* boo.  I made a sad face.

So, without further ado.... me touching KStarr's abs:  http://nerdfitnessrebellion.com/index.php?/gallery/image/1646-20130413-115520/

 

Squeee! I can't even tell you how big I squeed at this. It was big. 

 

Me too. Seriously, I would kill to have him work on me or train me. Boyf was all, "you should ask Kstarr" regarding my latest bouts of injury. hahahaha yeah, I'm sure he doesn't get one gazillion fandom emails asking about injuries. all the lols. 

 

but yeah. Massive kstarr love.

 

You know, one day Kstarr will catch wise to our little game. 3 nerds so far have touched his abs. 

 

 

I really need to go to a seminar with him. 

 

And many, many more who want to join that club.

 

if you do, you need to touch them, too. for me.

[I-Jo]

I'm missing the obsession.

 

I wasn't thrilled when I read the book- but I'm looking for information NOT fully pertaining to weight lifting.  So the first sentence said squeeze your glutes to get your spine/pelvis in line I wasn't really thrilled. 

[cline]

You know, one day Kstarr will catch wise to our little game. 3 nerds so far have touched his abs. 

 

 

I really need to go to a seminar with him. 

I told him touching his abs was a thing on the internet. ..

[cline]

I'm missing the obsession.

 

I wasn't thrilled when I read the book- but I'm looking for information NOT fully pertaining to weight lifting.  So the first sentence said squeeze your glutes to get your spine/pelvis in line I wasn't really thrilled. 

That thrills me every day

[Hermione Gainser]

I told him touching his abs was a thing on the internet. ..

 

HA! What'd he say to that?

 

I'm missing the obsession.

 

I wasn't thrilled when I read the book- but I'm looking for information NOT fully pertaining to weight lifting.  So the first sentence said squeeze your glutes to get your spine/pelvis in line I wasn't really thrilled. 

 

The obsession took me entirely by surprise.  No lie, after I watched the pain cave video I was like, "WTF is wrong with this weirdo?"  But I did realize I needed some mobility so I kept watching... next thing you know.. it's love (in a not entirely creepy way, i promise). 

 

Same thing happened with the paleomg blog. I was all.. "she's kind of annoying." and now I'm all, "omg, I want to be her best friend." 

[I-Jo]

That thrills me every day

yeah no.... mostly because you can't use your glutes to do glute squeezes if they are keeping your pelvis under- I almost SOLELY use my abs to do so.  All my dance is "glute based"  so what people kindly refer to as a "hip drop"  it's really a glute squeeze for me- it means I can walk and squeeze and do all sorts of shapes with my butt/hips and still walk- with different foot patterns- my pelvis is still "tucked" but I can walk and do differetn foot patterns with different timings.  Squeezing the butt just to keep the pelvis in line won't happen for me.  

 

Not saying he doesn't have other good points- and I'm still interested but yeah- I don't get the obsession. 

 

HA! What'd he say to that?

 

 

The obsession took me entirely by surprise.  No lie, after I watched the pain cave video I was like, "WTF is wrong with this weirdo?"  But I did realize I needed some mobility so I kept watching... next thing you know.. it's love (in a not entirely creepy way, i promise). 

 

Same thing happened with the paleomg blog. I was all.. "she's kind of annoying." and now I'm all, "omg, I want to be her best friend." 

yeah- I never got that.  And yeah I first thought they were both fucking weird.  Oh well- maybe I'll watch some more. 

[Raikas]

 

I wasn't thrilled when I read the book-

 

Heh, I thought I was the only one.

 

I appreciated that it made the info from the videos more organized, and there's certainly good stuff in it, but the fact that at least half the photos are of him wearing a baggy shirt makes them significantly less useful than they could be.  There are a few examples in there were the difference between good/bad or the progress of a movement is completely obsured by clothing.  I'd rather have no photos (or simple stick-figure illustrations) than a book full of photos that don't actually support the text.

[I-Jo]

well- To be fair... I haven't "READ" it- I skimmed a few pages and got distracted by drunk people.  I'd like to give it a more fair shake down- but what I read initially really wasn't striking a cord with me.  

 

But hey I could be wrong- it was a MUCH bigger book than I thought based on what I was reading. LOL

[Anivair]

He has you set your back and get tight before ever bending down to the bar. I feel like setting up , getting tight, and pulling the slack out of the bar is important to do once you're down there, but that's me.  He's under the impression that you can't set a neutral spine once your down there.

I think his reasoning is that it's easy to set yourself into stability while standing, but it's harder while squatting. 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I think his reasoning is that it's easy to set yourself into stability while standing, but it's harder while squatting.

He says in the video bigm linked that it's because if you engage everything while squatting down, part of what you use is your hip flexors, which means they don't allow you to reach full extension at the top and require you to hyper extend your back to get there.

[Raikas]

well- To be fair... I haven't "READ" it- I skimmed a few pages and got distracted by drunk people. 

 

Ha!  It is worth a second look, I'd say - the text bits (once he gets past the stories in the intro) are as good as people say.  I'm just baffled as to why he wouldn't have wanted the photo examples to be up to the same standard (or even close to the same standard).

[bigm141414]

Ha!  It is worth a second look, I'd say - the text bits (once he gets past the stories in the intro) are as good as people say.  I'm just baffled as to why he wouldn't have wanted the photo examples to be up to the same standard (or even close to the same standard).

 

 

Photos are one of the most updated things I have found in texts. If you take a look at the difference between SS Ed 1 and SS Ed 3 the pictures got vastly better. 

 

He probably thought the photo examples were great because he knows what to look for. I can imagine taht after some wide spread feedback he may change a few things for a second edition. 

[cline]

Yes - it's harder to get tight once you are down to the bar.  But that being said, I think there is honest wiggle room and I think he'd admit it.  The key is to always think about being tight and engaging properly BEFORE you do anything.  After working with him, I think about how I stand all the time.  All of us who worked with him do.  And that impacts everything I do right now.  And it crosses over into MacKenzie's performance/endurance stuff. 

 

Now for my "but that being said".  When I approach for my set up, I think about posture, I engage the core, set my feet etc.  But I do readjustments when I'm down and tighten the back before I take up the slack.  The key is you are "organized" before you lift.  I think when you do it becomes the appropriate routine for more experienced lifters.  And to be fair, most of the people reading his book are CFers and are doing things like my spousal unit:  speed deadlifts to improve hip pop in snatch (go with it.... whatever).  So those people, GET ORGANIZED.  (wow a rant and lifting discussion all in one!). 

 

I like the old SS pics.  Oh I liked those.... and the old vids.....

 

Interesting factoid - KStarr's co-author's wife was in some of Rip's early lifting vids.... LOL!  Oh and don't you dare mention "core" to Rip.  Just don't.