i will give anybody free physical and mental training advice on whatever problem they have to my knowledge.


if you have a problem(s) just tell them to me here and i will post a plan for you to follow,


gaining muscle mass and bodybuilding , martial arts/combat advice and dieting plans are what im best at though.


peace.

I seek to train myself to become better at punching, and speed. Can you suggest what to acquire towards this end. I wanted to get one of those bags that hangs which you then punch, but is that a good thing? Should I get the big fat bag instead?

How can I gain muscles, I worked out before and tried but never did get much results. I began using Whey protein and it helped, but only to a point, then I was kinda left the same way.

What mental training can I do to help my mind normalize, not wander or be forgetful.

for the punching, you will have to be shown how to do a single straight punch in correct form to start with,

yes get a heavy punchbag, it will simulate the real impact of hitting a real opponent with counter force, small light bags are useless dont waste your money on cheap crap that will break over a short time,

i dont know what you mean by "bags that hangs which you then punch, but is that a good thing? Should I get the big fat bag instead?"


do you mean a speedball? the small one that hangs? or by hangs do you mean regular punchbag? and the fat bag do you mean the hooking bag for boxing? the body bag?. dont get a speedball yet. (the small little things)


practice a single punch over and over before you attempt any combos, you need to focus on your form and footwork all the time, and drill good form into your muscle memory so it becomes natural, before you start anything slightly advanced.

eat alot!, have around 6-7 meals per day, 1 start with maybe some oatmeal in the morning like 400-450 grams, 2 have a snack of say tuna and 2-3 slices of granary bread, 3 lunch have a plate of spaghetti and minced beef in pasta sauce with some lowfat cheese ontop, 4 have 40 grams worth of protein in form of whey protein shake, and a few creatine caps before workout, 5 have the same again (caps n whey) for after workout, 6 have dinner like a load of skinless chicken or turkey with rice ,potatoes n veg. 7 before you sleep have a snack of protein bars or anouther whey shake with some granary bread.

the diet can vary, but the main thing in muscle buidling you have to do is intake ALOT of protein, aslong as you are gaining more muscle than bodyfat you are heading in the right direction to start with.

make sure when you workout you do alot of sets, and in the right posture and form, isolate each muscle group you are working out, and stop other muscles helping in assits, its all about correct form and isolation and seperation of each muscle,



break up a plan, like monday work your arms, tuesday your legs, wedesday your back, thursday your abs, friday your chest and shoulders, saturday all over blitz, sunday only stretch.


follow that religiously and dont miss any days or slack, you have to be consistent with the diet and training, or it wont pay off,


with the diet just aim to eat about 40 grams of protein in each meal, around 6-7 times per day, always eat as soon as you get up .

ant focus on your physical training with your mind, train hard for long periods of time never taking your focus off what you are doing, untill perfection,


your mind will train with your body.


peace.

also with the punchiing, try to punch straight and notice the impact it has on your wrist, and try to keep it straight on impact not letting it bend backwards, itget strong the more you train correctly. when hitting an opponent your knuckles have to hit perfectly dont hit with your fingers accidently or they can break

if you want to increase your knuckle density and hardness, use a shaolin technique wich is part of iron fist training, nail a thick newspaper to a very solid and well constructed brick wall, (they do fall down after awhile otherwise) and punch the newspaper 500 times with each hand per day, not as hard as you can but with some force, it will hep with punch form also,


ps, dont punch the nail it hurts if you dont hammer it all the way in.


peace.

Physical advice heh
well I was bored tuesday so I decided to run a marathon and I did with no previous training (actualy I only got to 25 km)now my knees hurt and I'm going climbing saturday and do some kayaking. Any advice on how to survive my weekend?

and with the diet thing, you can have all types of other foods just check the protein content, variety is important, you want all the essential amino acids for muscle building, carbs are ok just check they are good carbs, and not all from sugar, same with fat make sure its good fat and not all from saturated, protein is good for carbs when digesting, proteins slow down the rate at wich carbs are burnt, on there own carbs burn fast very fast, and protein burns slowly, but if you intake protein with your carbs it helps slow the burning proccess so they are released at a better rate into your body. and make sure you intake around 40 grams of protein with each meal around 6-7 times per day.

always eat breakfast, and take in protein just before you go to sleep, many people say dont eat before you go to bed, but in bodybuilding this is actualy wrong, your muscles do the most repair and rebuilding while you are sleeping, so they need the protein if you wish to get bigger.

peace.

Physical advice heh
well I was bored tuesday so I decided to run a marathon and I did with no previous training (actualy I only got to 25 km)now my knees hurt and I'm going climbing saturday and do some kayaking. Any advice on how to survive my weekend?

intake alot of calcium and rest before you go, eat alot of stable foods protein intake is essential for your muscles to heal and get there strength back,


make sure you take it easy at climbing if your knees hurt alot and try to conserve some energy for the weekend get alot of sleep.


also 3 creatine capsules before you go climbing and 3 after with alot of water couldent hurt.



ps, 25 km is good.

peace.

oh yeah and next time you do a marathon train for it and stretch alot before and after :) stretch now aswell actualy if you havent done so before you cramp up.


oh yeah and if your knees are realy bad maybe you shouldent go atall, it could be dangerous, (but then it wont be fun, i would probably still go)
peace.

Dear EFOC:

I would like to know of a really nice way to trim my oblique area? I currently run 6 times a week (around 4-5 miles), so it's skinny-izing itself slowly on it's own, but I would love to know a few things I could do to seriously tone it up?

these are very good for obliques,

http://muscul.az.free.fr/uk/ah21.htm


peace.

This is a great thread. Nice work, EFoC. Wonderful service.

no problem :) my pleasure.


peace

I will give anybody free physical and mental training advice on whatever problem they have to my knowledge.


Heres a question: If you could only strengthen ONE muscle through exercise, which one would it be and why?

Is there any way to lengthen the hamstrings using gravity alone?

How can I be as cool as Bruce Lee?

Practice YOGA

Over the past few months I haven't been working out very often. You can still see my top 2 abs, but I have a bit of a gut now. So...how do I fix that in less than an hour a day in the least amount of time possible. I know it's better to stretch after a workout, but can you advise me on what are the best stretches(yes; all of them). What are the best ways to improve strength, speed, and endurance with freeweights, a jumprope, and a heavy bag?

Heres a question: If you could only strengthen ONE muscle through exercise, which one would it be and why?

my dick, because all of the other muscles work together and if im going to be weak and without all over strength then i might aswell have a great sex life.


peace.

Is there any way to lengthen the hamstrings using gravity alone?

gravity alone? im not sure about this one good question i have a few ideas involving a pull up bar and some heavy weights and some straps, but im not sure if its safe.


peace.

How can I be as cool as Bruce Lee?



you cant be because he is dead, and we all know that when you die famous, you become alot cooler than when you was alive,


peace.

Over the past few months I haven't been working out very often. You can still see my top 2 abs, but I have a bit of a gut now. So...how do I fix that in less than an hour a day in the least amount of time possible. I know it's better to stretch after a workout, but can you advise me on what are the best stretches(yes; all of them). What are the best ways to improve strength, speed, and endurance with freeweights, a jumprope, and a heavy bag?

with the stretching do it before the workout aswell as after it, hold a stretch for betweeen 12-18 seconds, for your abs i find simple stretches the most effective, stand up straight put your hands behind your back and lean backwards as far as you can while still bieng quite comfortable, do alot of roman sit ups and crunches afterwards, reps of 10-20 sets of 6-8 every day, this shouldent take long atall,


the jumprope, put some small wrist and ankle weights on your wrists and ankles, and use the jumprope just as you did before with the weights on and you will gain speed and endurance over time, but if you ever put these weights on during workouts, dont lock your joints with them on it can be bad for them,

same with the punchbag, you can put wrist weights on while punching it but again never lock your elbow joints outwards at the end of a punch with the weights on, if you punch with the weights on (i have dont for ages) you will gain alot of speed, but you must always remember to never lock your joints while punching with them on, it can be very bad, leave a slight bend in your arm at the finish up of each strike,

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/images/dynamic_stretches_abs.gif


that is a very very good stretch to do before and after crunches, sit ups and roman sit ups, also side bends are very helpfull with your abs n obliques inner and outer,


peace.

oh and what type of strength are you trying to gain with the freeweights? bi's? delts? pecs? etc,


with the freeweights if you are not advanced i advise using the machines to build the muscle memory for correct technique and form before using freeweights religiously.

Can you post a picture of you flipping out and karate chopping bricks with your face?

This is exactly what I am looking for. I am trying to develop a full body physioemotional plan for the health of sound mind and body. This includes being at an ideal weight with ideal muscle mass eating ideal foods. Even toned body. Lots of flexibility. Lots of energy throughout the day. Clear alert peaceful/active mind. Thorough breathing. Ideal cardiovascular circulation. Good digestion. Excellent balance. Strong bones. Ability to control yourself from cravings and emotional attatchments.

What should I do to achieve this maximum potential? I will do anything, and give up anything that is bad for me because a healthy body is more important to me than all those loser activities like eating junk, watching tv, etc.

Can you post a picture of you flipping out and karate chopping bricks with your face?

sure why not,


but can i be allowed to chop them with my hands? it might hurt my face a tad.

peace.

This is exactly what I am looking for. I am trying to develop a full body physioemotional plan for the health of sound mind and body. This includes being at an ideal weight with ideal muscle mass eating ideal foods. Even toned body. Lots of flexibility. Lots of energy throughout the day. Clear alert peaceful/active mind. Thorough breathing. Ideal cardiovascular circulation. Good digestion. Excellent balance. Strong bones. Ability to control yourself from cravings and emotional attatchments.

What should I do to achieve this maximum potential? I will do anything, and give up anything that is bad for me because a healthy body is more important to me than all those loser activities like eating junk, watching tv, etc.

wow,


i will need a bit of time for this one, sorry but you have asked alot :), i cannot just post a quick reply to this post i will need to take time and read up a little bit aswell,


for starters though i will say join a martial arts club/school, tell me what area you live in so i can locate a good teacher for you to start with, i need to know your height and weight, and bmi if possible, also your age and what sports you play,

i would maybe say from what i have read that yoga and taiji (taichi) would help you alot, but also for a more energetic style aswell i would reccomend muay thai or some grappling, like jujutsu or judo, maybe some MMA,

for what you are seeking it sounds pretty much like what i want out of fitness for myself, not to be too bulky and huge but have a nice decent amount of muscle, to be toned up and flexible, to have peace of mind alot of stamina and all round general health and fitness,

yeah you sound pretty much like me in that aspect, you dont have to give up all junk food 100% and become a super strict vegan either, aslong as you eat a healthy balanced diet with all the rda requirements and endulge a little now and then you will be fine, i would seriously advise you to take up martial arts possibly even 2-3 different types or styles, they are a great way to stay active burn fat stay in shape and also train your mind to be more at peace,

in my opinion martial arts is the ultimate body and mind fitness programe, especialy if you mix it up and learn more than 1 type, also its a culture lesson at the same time wich never hurts,


i will get back to you soon, do you know of any martial arts schools/teachers in your area that have a good rep?.


peace.

I have some other questions. How do I strengthen my neck, other than doing neck bridges? How do I strengthen each of my fingers individually? Besides calestetics, how do I strengthen my joints?

I have some other questions. How do I strengthen my neck, other than doing neck bridges? How do I strengthen each of my fingers individually? Besides calestetics, how do I strengthen my joints?

As far as strengthing you neck goes (without bridges)... most professional bodybuilders strengthen their necks indirectly... They do exercises like deadlifts and squats. These two are one of the hardest to do and they put a lot of strain on the whole body.

Of course, you could do what some people do and lay on your side on a bench, put a plate on your head. Proceed to lift the weight with your neck.

As far as strengthing you neck goes (without bridges)... most professional bodybuilders strengthen their necks indirectly... They do exercises like deadlifts and squats. These two are one of the hardest to do and they put a lot of strain on the whole body.

Of course, you could do what some people do and lay on your side on a bench, put a plate on your head. Proceed to lift the weight with your neck.



I think the technique is called cherri bombs or something cooler

I have some other questions. How do I strengthen my neck, other than doing neck bridges? How do I strengthen each of my fingers individually? Besides calestetics, how do I strengthen my joints?

ahhh the neck thing is dangerous from over the internet, i will get some detailed diagrams to show you and not say anything in my own words, i have had trouble with this in the past and nearly got my ass sued,


the fingers are easy, get a tiger grip enhancer, or they are sometimes called eagle claw grips, i will show u one, hold on its like a little frame with a ring for each finger and thumb attatched to little springs and you just close your fist, there awesome!. i use one myself,

and your joints, well calcium intake is my best bet, stretching and stance holding works for alot of people, horse stance improves my knee joints alot,


peace.

i do kinda what absane said, but i use weight attatchments and put them around a sweatband on my head, but yeah dont do that i am told......


also just lay on your bed with your head and neck hanging off the edge, and do head raises, on your front on your back and on your sides, thats pretty effective!, and safe aswell. no weights just your brain, (wich is quite heavy as you know).


peace.

also just lay on your bed with your head and neck hanging off the edge, and do head raises, on your front on your back and on your sides, thats pretty effective!, and safe aswell. no weights just your brain, (wich is quite heavy as you know).


peace.

Will a couch work? My bed's a sleeping bag atm.

sure why not,


but can i be allowed to chop them with my hands? it might hurt my face a tad.

peace.

Yeah, alright, but could you set them on fire first?

Will a couch work? My bed's a sleeping bag atm.

aslong as you can lay down straight anything is ok. (not the floor though). your head has to be in the air.


peace.

Yeah, alright, but could you set them on fire first?



sure why not, but wouldent that make the bricks easyer to break? im not sure.

how many bricks should i break? and am i allowed to use spacers?


peace.

i always damage my hands doing this kinda crap, but i will do it for you.

peace.

sorry i forgot to show you the device for individual finger strength enhancement.


http://atomicathletic.com/store/images/products/Eagle%20Claw%20Gripper%20_L.jpg


it is very effective, alot of martial artists use it especialy those who practice tiger style, and eagles claw,


eagles claw bieng a favorite of mine.


peace.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://atomicathletic.com/store/images/products/Eagle%2520Claw%2520Gripper%2520_L.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx%3Fproductid%3DIVGRIP&h=256&w=300&sz=53&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=WKHr9rz4SLVEGM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Diron%2Bclaw%2Bgrip%26svnum%3D10%26um% 3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff




wow thats a long link, hope it works for you guys.



"edit" ok apparently it didnt end up bieng the long link once it was posted false alarm dont be confused by my BS.

peace.

wow,


i will need a bit of time for this one, sorry but you have asked alot :), i cannot just post a quick reply to this post i will need to take time and read up a little bit aswell,


for starters though i will say join a martial arts club/school, tell me what area you live in so i can locate a good teacher for you to start with, i need to know your height and weight, and bmi if possible, also your age and what sports you play,

i would maybe say from what i have read that yoga and taiji (taichi) would help you alot, but also for a more energetic style aswell i would reccomend muay thai or some grappling, like jujutsu or judo, maybe some MMA,

for what you are seeking it sounds pretty much like what i want out of fitness for myself, not to be too bulky and huge but have a nice decent amount of muscle, to be toned up and flexible, to have peace of mind alot of stamina and all round general health and fitness,

yeah you sound pretty much like me in that aspect, you dont have to give up all junk food 100% and become a super strict vegan either, aslong as you eat a healthy balanced diet with all the rda requirements and endulge a little now and then you will be fine, i would seriously advise you to take up martial arts possibly even 2-3 different types or styles, they are a great way to stay active burn fat stay in shape and also train your mind to be more at peace,

in my opinion martial arts is the ultimate body and mind fitness programe, especialy if you mix it up and learn more than 1 type, also its a culture lesson at the same time wich never hurts,


i will get back to you soon, do you know of any martial arts schools/teachers in your area that have a good rep?.


peace.
I have been practicing a little yoga and tai chi. I have never done any exercise in my life other than lift up remote control for tv. I do dance, and that is about it. I recently joined a fitness center where they offer the yoga and tai chi. They also have a spinning class that I try to attend. There are weights and all kinds of things I don't know how to use. I have never played any sports seriously. I don't really want to anything in which I get hit or people might hit me. Ideally, I would like to do gymnastics. I'm 150lbs 5'8". Male.

lix, at the gym the instructors will teach you how to use all of the weights and machines, they should have made you take an induction before you even went into the weights room, 99% of gyms have a strict induction policy to teach newcomers how to train properly witht he basics, they should by law have to do it for insurance reasons,


ask them for an all over induction to the weights and machines, they will comply 100% free of charge, that does not count towards any type of personal fitness instruction wich they charge extra for,


the taiji and yoga are very good i dont know where i would be without my taiji training, but i also love my intense shaolin gong fu training just as much, they are like 2 sides to a coin, hard style and soft style. i value both equaly.


the dance and gymnastics are great all round for fitness, there was a proffessional gymnast who came into our shaolin temple, he had never fought in his life and was a complete stranger to martial combat and training, he was mocked by alot of the younger students, but me the older students and the monks could see what potential he had the second he started training with us, his form and balence were as near to perfect as you could get, within a few months he surpassed most students with his technique and form, now he is a very good fighter, one of the best actualy, he can nearly go toe 2 toe with me in a fight now,


they do not mock him anymore, gymnastics and dance are good keep at it, i am not a gymnast or dancer i have very little experience in either, but whatever training he done it sure works,


peace.

Where is your temple? Maybe I'll come visit.

tufnel park in london. i will go grab our link for you now :). its a very good place to learn shaolin, the best in the uk.


peace.

http://www.shaolintempleuk.org/index.html

What do you make of some these high level Aikido masters who can do stuff that looks like...magic?

I once saw a demo by a ninth dan Japanese master in his sixties. He basically couldnt be moved from a relaxed standing posture.

Two very large volunteers from the audience were invited to try and lift him off the ground or push him off balance while he just stood there without resisting...and they couldnt do it???

Have you read the great book about Aikido's Founder Morihei Ueshiba by John Stevens?
Its called 'Invincible Warrior'...one of the best books on the martial arts ever written!

The closest you'll get to a human Yoda:

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/402/moriheiueshibaea1.jpg

no i have never read the book, but i have heard and seen many things simular to what you just mentioned,

many people give scientific explanations to explain things like this, like center of gravity, balence etc. but i have seen things wich are weird and i couldent seem to understand myself, and im a logical type of guy i think,

the moving thing i have heard of before, not from aikido though, but from chinese and thai origins, i have seen very big muscular powerful bodybuilder type guys not be able to throw much smaller guys, and there is one guy who can do a 1 finger hand stand, he is the only guy in the world who can still fo it, it is part of 1 finger zen training within shaolin, think he might of died recently,

but thats damn amazing to be able to actualy put your entire bodyweight on a single fingertip. many people thought he was a fake, but it is not its real, the chinese are very proud of him,


there are people who can do some very very impressive things, none of it is "magical" but it does surpass regular human ability thats for sure!.

to the regular guy these kind of people areway more advanced and evolved in my opinion,

peace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hai_Teng <--- thats the guy.

also have you seen shaolin monks perform their feats of power and strength? like when they get spears against the throat and push down with there necks until the wooden shaft breaks, and they are real spears before anyone says otherwise, sharp too, i have used one and tested its mettle before the feat was performed because even i was skeptical and i do shaolin myself.

also has anybody seen how high a shaolin monk can jump? seriously these guys would win in the olympics for high jump hands down for real.


peace.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/18/xin_58100118110089019208.jpg


also you cant hang a monk :) this training is serious and it is dangerous so dont try it yourself.

peace.

http://www.beggingtodiffer.com/archives/monk.jpg


also you cannot kick a shaolin monk in the balls, because they can retract there testicles all the way into there body for battle, and i am not lying its true,


sadly i cannot perform this feat nor do i wish to :)

also have you seen shaolin monks perform their feats of power and strength? like when they get spears against the throat and push down with there necks until the wooden shaft breaks, and they are real spears before anyone says otherwise, sharp too,
Ive seen the Wheel of Life documentary on the Shaolins. Some scientists really need to look into this.

It defies scientific explanation that human flesh can resist a sharp metal blade under that kind of pressure.

scientists already think they have proved it all as just "ordinary" human ability.

im not saying shaolin monks are "not human" or that they have magical ability. but they are not the same as regular people they are more evolved due to the training,

peace.

Great thread EmptyForceOfChi.

thanks :)

i dont know much compared to people here but what i do know i like to share .

peace.

(btw, great thread idea)
I play soccer a lot, and can kick with good accuracy and power. The problem is, I'm in 8th grade, next year I'm going up to senior high. I'll give you a bit of backround:
our JV team? sucks. our Senior High team? almost unbeatable. Us kids from the JV team watch them all the time, and they're amazing, they can kick 10x further and with perfect accuracy, and that's barely an exaggeration. I'd really like to have an exercise plan that could beef up my legs so I'm two steps ahead of the rest of the freshmen.

Basically I want to be really heavy and steroidal looking...how hard do I need to work out to look like that?

Wouldn't doing gymnastics be better than thai chi and yoga? As long as you incorporate the breathing and meditations, I think gymnastics would give you strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, etc better than the others right? Is there an artform that sort of incorporates all of these types of exercises in one?

Basically I want to be really heavy and steroidal looking...how hard do I need to work out to look like that?

Eat whey and shoot steriods...what are you retarded?

I don't know where to get steroids :D :D

I heard whey is very good.

Yeah but working out wise?

BTW EFOT your dick isn't a muscle. Try anatomy 101.

Wouldn't doing gymnastics be better than thai chi and yoga? As long as you incorporate the breathing and meditations, I think gymnastics would give you strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, etc better than the others right? Is there an artform that sort of incorporates all of these types of exercises in one?

Hm, I'm not an expert on gymnastics, but I think it is pretty different and all of them have their own benefits.

One thing that tai chi and yoga can help with more than gymnastics probably can is developing posture and postural muscles. Even though all of those involve balance, in gymnastics I *think* you use mostly phasic muscles to balance yourself rather than postural muscles.

I heard whey is very good.

Bodybuilders swear on it.

EDIT: Of course whey alone won't do you any good. You have to, you know, exercise and stuff.

Whey?

Sure, if you don't mind your heart popping like a zit.

Why do you say that?