hmmm…
wouldn’t lengthening and strengthening be somewhat contradictory pursuits?
I don’t know, myself.
just tossing the thought around…I would say that you would need to go through different periods of training where you would be doing one, then the other. Say, 6-8 weeks of strengthening then 6-8 weeks of lengthening. It just seems like trying to do both at the same time would not get you as great a gain in either.
oh, well…food for thought…off to shorten my tendons:)
Forearm rolls are great because you are in constant movement. They also work your hand muscles because of the shifting of the dole rod. They are easy to make and a lot of good gyms may have one sitting around.
Behind the Back Forearm Barbell curls are fun because you can get the extra boost from your calfs to curl up the weight when you hit failure. Lets you dig a little deeper.
I think the best bet is to combine weights with impact forearm training. You can even do it light on a post/pell or a small tree. Just keep it light at first and use common sense.
If I was forced to just pick one for conditioning though I would go with the weights as it gives you the increase in physical strength. Russian Kettlebell excersices use a combo of impact conditioning and lifting. They have a move called the flip where you use the handle to flip the round weighted ball onto the back of your forearm. Getting both impact and weight training.
Hey gang
great advice - I will try several of the methods you’ve posted.
But here’s what I’m after, and Sifu Abel thinks I’m crazy. I’m aware that many of my Italian breathern love using Louisville Sluggers in street fights. Well, I’m sure that other ethnicities use 'em as well, but what I’d seriously like to do is break an incoming baseball bat with my forearms - you know, just the thing to intimidate the “user” into thinking, “You know, this crazy N…r might not be worth ****ing with. After all, he just shattered a baseball bat with his bare arms.”
So outside of conditioning the Japanese way and DESTROYING my forearms with hard training, is my endeavor something that can only be achieved through Iron Body? Has anyone here been able to perform such a feat? And if so, how long did it take to achieve?
wouldn’t it be easier to use something of a higher density…like a crowbar?
and lead is real dense, too.
or even just not being there at all if possible.
I think though that, despite legends of feats such as that, the point of the conditioning is to lesten the effects of hard blows that you are deflecting. If you wanted to block the bat and break it you would have to train to do that specifically.
good luck in your endeavor.
As far as strengthening goes, brick holding works well too. Get two, five pound weights or bricks. I like the fat plastic weights because they train your actual grip more. Hold both arms in front of you, extended as muach as possible. Mentally sink the shoulders and elbows. (don’t tense) Your holding a weight in each hand with your fingers down. flex your wrist so that you pull the weights up, parallel to the ground. repeat about 100 times a day. Do it in a low horse stance for kicks. It’s good for your grip.
Re: Hey gang
Originally posted by African Tiger
you know, just the thing to intimidate the “user” into thinking, “You know, this crazy N…r might not be worth ****ing with. After all, he just shattered a baseball bat with his bare arms.”
That’s the funniest thing I’ve read in ages!
In a similar vein, a guy in a bar got stroppy with me one night and, after some verbal tennis, he swung a pool cue at me. He was holding the thin end and swung the fat end at my head. I didn’t really think about it and just blocked with my forearm. The cue snapped in half over my arm.
Cool as a cucumber, without even a wince, I said, “You sure you want to carry on with this, punk?”
He ran away like a little girl. As soon as he was out of sight I howled and frantically rubbed my throbbing forearm. I got a small bruise, but after a couple of minutes of intensive rubbing and swearing it was fine. Only the years of conditioning enabled that, I guess.
Nice one Serp
Gotta say, wanting to be able to break a baseball bat with your forearm is pretty ambitious. Unless you are able to make contact closer to the handle it would be pretty hard to break it at the thick end.
My advice would be to give up that particular idea
sometimes we have ‘brick night’.
I’ve made every one get a set of bricks, the concrete landscaping type vs. the red clay type that chip a lot.
We do a whole series of push ups with them:
flat
short edge up
long edge up
flat and explode up and clap them together, but softly so they don’t break (control).
and any thing else I can think of.
then we do stance training holding them out at arms length.
then forms, of course just using the gross arm movements, and slowly since the grip is starting to go at this point. Everyone has to do each form they know once through.
bricks are fun.
lol @ serpent.
In addition do the Horse stance while standing on 2 bricks (red ones are fine).
Beuaty Looks In Mirror
Front Stance with Body Slanted. There is a straight line from the head to the heel of the back foot. Ideally you should hold a forty five degree angle. Extend the back-leg side hand out, palm up, and make a hook hand with your fingers. Extend the lead leg side backward, palm up, make a hook hand. put the brick in each hand. curl the wrists up and down 100 times.
Yeah, that was some funny ****, Serpent. True 80’s action film dialogue!
Front Stance with Body Slanted. There is a straight line from the head to the heel of the back foot. Ideally you should hold a forty five degree angle. Extend the back-leg side hand out, palm up, and make a hook hand with your fingers. Extend the lead leg side backward, palm up, make a hook hand. put the brick in each hand. curl the wrists up and down 100 times.
cool and ouch at the same time.
Hey Oso, I dig your brick workout idea. Might try some of that stuff!
I’ll brick walk on the bagua circle sometimes, too.
dang, I should patent a brick for martial training.
just need to get a good marketer and I could be selling 37 cent bricks for 4.95.
Originally posted by African Tiger
Yeah, that was some funny ****, Serpent. True 80’s action film dialogue!
LOL. There’s never a camera running when you really need one, huh!
when you go to do the long end up pushup be carefull with your shoulders. If you try to touch your chest to the floor that’s about 8" further you have to go and can really stretch you out wrong if you aren’t carefull.
I think I lost a student or two the last time I started class this way.:rolleyes:
Originally posted by Oso
[B]I’ll brick walk on the bagua circle sometimes, too.
dang, I should patent a brick for martial training.
just need to get a good marketer and I could be selling 37 cent bricks for 4.95. [/B]
Just get a regular brick and dip it in a rubber coating (like those little dumbbells you can get) and then have a logo printed on the side. Voila, a 37c brick for at least $19.95.
If it works for TaeBo…
Brick training is the sh!t. Try doing limited sparring on them (one person attacks, the other defends, limited number of attacks). Great fun.
Do you hit the opponent with bricks?!
Brick training is the sh!t. Try doing limited sparring on them (one person attacks, the other defends, limited number of attacks). Great fun.
SEE, there’s already a demand.
Do you hit the opponent with bricks?!
Only in advanced sparring. But, you have to pick it up with your toes and toss it.
I have sparred on a balance beam. only limited by your ability to attack effectively on a 4" wide beam 3’ off the floor.
my natural balance sucz. I would usually just charge to the clinch and slam them on the floor as I went down.