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Inspiration For The Heavyweights
I’m often asked about the benefits and possibilities for bodyweight style training with larger athletes. It is obviously more difficult to move more bodyweight, so certain exercises favor smaller builds. Easier performance by smaller individuals does not negate the benefits that can be experienced by larger athletes however.
Below is a video example of this concept. The man seen in the video weighs in at approximately 325 pounds. Many of the pushup and pull-up exercises are particularly impressive at his size.
And please note, I am not suggesting that bodyweight exercise is superior to free weights. The man seen above clearly makes use of both. The real message behind this video is that bodyweight exercise can be a useful and fun addition, even for the largest and most powerful athletes.
How you do what you do is often more important than what you do.
Ross
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I Think it is incredible to see. I’m a greeny compared to him with push-ups
I wonder how tall he is.
Another heavy but at the same time a very athletic man was Bert Assirati. His strength feats were:
- Could lay on his back on the floor, and pull over at arms length a 200lbs barbell, to set a British record 1938;
- Could squat 800lbs unofficial World record 1938;
- Could squat with one leg with a 200lbs barbell on his shoulders;
- Could squat continuously for half an hour while supporting 235 lbs;
- Could perform three one arm pull-ups 1938. At bodyweight of 240lbs;
- Could hold a one-hand stand when weighing 266lbs 1938;
- Could do a crucifix on the rings when weighing 266lbs 1938;
- Could do a military press of 160lbs with one arm 1938;
- Could perform a back somersault while holding a 56lb block weight in each hand;
# Could perform back somersaults, or flip-flaps, while weighing 266lbs;
# Long distance cyclist;
# Champion strand puller;
# Could carry a piano a long distance on his back;
# Could carry a telegraph pole a long distance on his back.
Holy camoly, I am such a wimp!
his forearms are great compared to his bones.
WHat do you mean bodyweight is better than freeweights!?!?!
haha just kidding, I saw that footnote.
Thanks for sharing ross!
Joe
Awesome! That stuff would be impressive if he only weighed 125lbs! How strong is this guy?!
Very impressive, especially for a man of his weight.
And there’s a lot of good ideas to incorporate into my routines. Great video!
[...] little motivation for 2010. Found this video over at Ross Training too fun not to share. 2010 is here…Time to bring it full [...]
I was impressed at how innovative he was with his different pushup types. All very explosive ones too. I’m going to have to incorporate some of those.
Great post!
I enjoy all of these types of videos. (e.g., the “street bodyweight training videos”, which also branch out into other areas, as seen in this video.)
In particular, I enjoy the fact that the guys who feature in them delight in “breaking” all the “rules” as described in conservative training circles.
Wow. That’s all I can say.
[...] the past week , we’ve seen a heavyweight on the bar and now a woman. Both are often assumed to be unable to perform reps on the pull-up [...]
Whats the point of doing heavy shrugs if you have to use straps. I’d like to see this guy shrug 4 plates without straps. Shrugs are a single joint exercise for the traps but real men do power cleans. Doing curls with your back is not direct bicep work. it’s not how much weight you use it’s how the functionality of the exercise translates to the real world. Nice try though.
The man in the video is clearly impressive. Not many people his size can move and perform the athletic feats that he is capable of performing with ease. He’s obviously found methods that work for him. His physical displays show this without question. At the end of the day, that is what truly matters.
Whats the point of doing heavy shrugs if you have to use straps. I’d like to see this guy shrug 4 plates without straps. Shrugs are a single joint exercise for the traps but real men do power cleans. Doing curls with your back is not direct bicep work. it’s not how much weight you use it’s how the functionality of the exercise translates to the real world. Nice try though.
The purpose of doing shrugs is to work the traps.
What difference does it make if he uses straps or not? He’s not doing shrugs to train his grip strength.
Sure those 225lbs were “cheat” curls. But considering the amount of weight he was using, the number of reps he did, and his form, do you think he would have any problems performing strict curls uses a typical teenager’s body weight?
Inspiring. It looks like NYC. No wonder so many great warriors come out of NYC with a work ethic like that. The home of Mike Tyson-need I say more?
Man that’s a bad cat. If he can run with stamina and strike well-he’d be a dynamite fighter especially, in the amateurs. Iv’e seen many amatuer tournaments won in the heavyweights by powerful cats like that. Motivational and with some smooth rhymes. Those rappers are good. Who are they?
It almost wouldn’t be a thread without a comment from the form police. But that misses an important aspect of the video: not only is he displaying amazing strength, he also looks like he’s playing having a lot of fun. I kind of laughed at some of those push-up variations (not because they weren’t impressive, but because they were crazy creative), and those shrugs didn’t strike me as being so much about exercising a lift as it was about “playing” with what looks to me like 675 lbs. He’s clearly comfortable around that level of weight, even if what he’s doing with it probably isn’t a recommended training technique.
Makes me think about how to bring a more positive, child-like attitude to my workouts.
Just curious–what does this guy do? I mean, he is a martial artist, powerlifter, or what? That shit is incredible. It’s barely human! LOL! Well done! Well done!!
[...] The video below speaks for itself. The individual seen within was featured on this blog once before (here). [...]
Great video, I like the playground exercise. Very inspirational for the kids to see grown ups doing hard exercise and having fun doing it, they learn best by watching. The best exercise is what you personally find challenging and at the end of the day the exerciser can feel what is making them work. Not only is this guys strength impressive but his flexibility is great for someone his size, I reckon he must be able to do the splits, or if he can’t he mustn’t be far off doing them. I gotta go now and do some push-ups.