so my torso is kinda gross; advice?

[Cormacaroni]

I love power cleans. Never do rows. Working on squat cleans but don't quite have the flexibility in my calves to do the full ass-to-ankles squat.  

Burpees - it took me a while to get used to just dropping straight to the ground. I can still only do them on a mat. But once you start doing them fast, there is practically NOTHING that will get your heart going faster.

Alright, we need a real thread on this for real men - who's with me?!

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Burpees?  What the hell are those?

Bread and butter: bench press, deadlift, squat

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I just looked in the mirror and I look like a really tall Ethiopian.

what do i do bore?

[Draft]

I just looked in the mirror and I look like a really tall Ethiopian.

what do i do bore?

Squat.

Eat.

Sleep.

Alright, we need a real thread on this for real men - who's with me?!

I would post in it from time to time.

[Cormacaroni]

ok, now we're into Green Shinobi territory. how many layers does this onion have?

sorry, I just mean it feels in bad taste, like next thing I know I'll be listening to 80s rock or something.

You sound like my little brother, whom I once caught deliberately rubbing his new trainers in the dirt so they'd look all grubby, like the ones the Strokes wear.

Ironically, it was having to stand next to his young and skinny ass in pictures that made me realize how out of shape I was a few years back. Now I weigh pretty much what he does, but I could still break him in half.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Squats are pretty crucial to getting a decent body.  Deadlifts as well.

After squats, if you can walk up and down a flight of stairs without discomfort, you did it wrong.

[Cormacaroni]

Burpees?  What the hell are those?

Bread and butter: bench press, deadlift, squat

There are these things called 'fitness' and 'conditioning' you see, very handy for most fields of human endeavour. Not necessarily detrimental to strength either.

[duckman2000]

ok, now we're into Green Shinobi territory. how many layers does this onion have?

sorry, I just mean it feels in bad taste, like next thing I know I'll be listening to 80s rock or something.

It sort of depends on what you do there. If you spend half an hour doing isolated bicep pumps and the next half hour checking out your freshly pumped isolated muscle in the mirror, then yeah, you might as well rock out to some 80s rock Winger.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Burpees?  What the hell are those?

Bread and butter: bench press, deadlift, squat

There are these things called 'fitness' and 'conditioning' you see, very handy for most fields of human endeavour. Not necessarily detrimental to strength either.

I'm only familiar with lifting weights, the treadmill, the sauna, and the steam room.  Never heard of burpees before.  Sry.

[duckman2000]

Sauna

[Mandark]

I think a guy having such ridiculous body image issues represents an act of cultural appropriation against women.  For shame.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

How so?

[Cormacaroni]

Burpees?  What the hell are those?

Bread and butter: bench press, deadlift, squat

There are these things called 'fitness' and 'conditioning' you see, very handy for most fields of human endeavour. Not necessarily detrimental to strength either.

I'm only familiar with lifting weights, the treadmill, the sauna, and the steam room.  Never heard of burpees before.  Sry.

Oh, you're genuinely curious rather than ignorant but derisory? OK, I shall let you into the big burpee secret.

You start standing up, then drop down into a push-up position. Do a push-up (chest to deck), then bring your legs up into a squat position (in one smooth movement, like a squat thrust). Then jump up as high as you can. Repeat.

If you like to deadlift, try the workout I posted above. Scale the weight to whatever you think you can handle for 25 reps, and go as hard as you can for time. You will learn a lot about burpees, and about yourself.

edit: here's a vid of the workout, showing burpees. Cause i care about YOU.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Oh, I've done those before I guess  .  During football practices, we called them "finishers"

Thanks for the video and explanation.

[Phoenix Dark]

what's the benefit of the burpees?

[Bocsius]

Relieves gas.

[Cormacaroni]

what's the benefit of the burpees?

This can only truly be learned by doing 50 of them inside 5 minutes. You will feel like your heart is going to leap out of your chest, and that all the air in the room has been sucked out by a giant vacuum cleaner.

They require very little strength, but the aerobic impact is huge. And they're far more explosive than running. Everyone needs to do more burpees.

[BlueTsunami]

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

[Tieno]

I run every day (except rest days) even when it's cold, raining or hot and do 100 push-ups every day. As the pushups become easier, I do them in a shorter time span or do bigger sets.
I don't know anything about actual strength training though, wish I did but don't want to go to a fitness center.

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

What you don't like? The people? The hard underground? The cars?
My run at home is part meadow, part public.

I don't care about running in public, I just imagine the lazy people being jealous of my iron will and determination.

[Tieno]

dp, fucking idiot I have no shame.

[Cormacaroni]

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

Yeah well, get back to me after you try 'em! You'll probably hate me by then

[Draft]

I run every day (except rest days) even when it's cold, raining or hot and do 100 push-ups every day. As the pushups become easier, I do them in a shorter time span or do bigger sets.
I don't know anything about actual strength training though, wish I did but don't want to go to a fitness center.

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

What you don't like? The people? The hard underground? The cars?
My run at home is part meadow, part public.

I don't care about running in public, I just imagine the lazy people being jealous of my iron will and determination.

If you can do 100 push ups at a clip, stop doing push ups.

Go down to your local used sports equipment store and get a pull up bar.

Start doing pull ups (or chin ups, doesn't matter, they are more or less the same exact exercise.)

Once you can do 15 at a clip, buy a 20 pound dumbbell, hold onto it with your legs, or tie it around your waste, and o as many pull ups as you can.

[BlueTsunami]

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

Yeah well, get back to me after you try 'em! You'll probably hate me by then

I did HIIT for a while, fucked my shit up . Its amazing though, even after you stopped them, they still impart this determination in you.

I need to get back in the gym but the whole unemployment has dampened my motivation. I'm going to try and build something around burpees, do calisthenics. I've just been a loaf for the past couple of months.

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

What you don't like? The people? The hard underground? The cars?
My run at home is part meadow, part public.

I don't care about running in public, I just imagine the lazy people being jealous of my iron will and determination.

Mostly the hard road and the act of jogging out somewhere (rather keep the primary aerobic/anaerobic within my confines or in a gym).

[Tieno]

I run every day (except rest days) even when it's cold, raining or hot and do 100 push-ups every day. As the pushups become easier, I do them in a shorter time span or do bigger sets.
I don't know anything about actual strength training though, wish I did but don't want to go to a fitness center.

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

What you don't like? The people? The hard underground? The cars?
My run at home is part meadow, part public.

I don't care about running in public, I just imagine the lazy people being jealous of my iron will and determination.

If you can do 100 push ups at a clip, stop doing push ups.

Go down to your local used sports equipment store and get a pull up bar.

Start doing pull ups (or chin ups, doesn't matter, they are more or less the same exact exercise.)

Once you can do 15 at a clip, buy a 20 pound dumbbell, hold onto it with your legs, or tie it around your waste, and o as many pull ups as you can.

100 pushups in one set? What kind of pushups are we talking about?

[Draft]

Just, you know, regular push ups. I can't do 100 at a clip, but it's not incredibly hard to train yourself to do it. Check out the 100 push up challenge:

http://hundredpushups.com/

[Tieno]

Just, you know, regular push ups. I can't do 100 at a clip, but it's not incredibly hard to train yourself to do it. Check out the 100 push up challenge:

http://hundredpushups.com/

I do them on one leg/foot, with the left leg/foot crossed behind and supported on the right.
But thanks, definately going to see into this. Sounds like a cool goal.

[Draft]

Just, you know, regular push ups. I can't do 100 at a clip, but it's not incredibly hard to train yourself to do it. Check out the 100 push up challenge:

http://hundredpushups.com/

I do them on one leg/foot, with the left leg/foot crossed behind and supported on the right.
But thanks, definately going to see into this. Sounds like a cool goal.

I don't think your leg/feet position has much to do with the effectiveness of a push up, as long as your knees aren't on the floor. I could be wrong about that. But my understanding is that how you place your hands is pretty much the only thing that matters.

I also cross a leg over the other when doing them.

[Tieno]

I thought it did. Regular push-ups (two feet on the ground) feel much easier. I first did them like that and when I switched to how I do them now I could feel it more in abs, chest and arms. I also find it harder to 'cheat' cause your lower body will stay straighter.

Edit: just did a test and I can do 40 regular push-ups in one set. Gonna do that 100 push-up program.

[Draft]

See, I guess I have the opposite opinion. One foot push ups feel more stable, so I find them easier to do.

[Tieno]

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

Yeah well, get back to me after you try 'em! You'll probably hate me by then

I did HIIT for a while, fucked my shit up . Its amazing though, even after you stopped them, they still impart this determination in you.

I need to get back in the gym but the whole unemployment has dampened my motivation. I'm going to try and build something around burpees, do calisthenics. I've just been a loaf for the past couple of months.

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

What you don't like? The people? The hard underground? The cars?
My run at home is part meadow, part public.

I don't care about running in public, I just imagine the lazy people being jealous of my iron will and determination.

Mostly the hard road and the act of jogging out somewhere (rather keep the primary aerobic/anaerobic within my confines or in a gym).

Well, you need good shoes for that. The thought of running in gym sounds incredibly boring. No change of scenery or underground, always at the same place. Bah.

[Cormacaroni]

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

Yeah well, get back to me after you try 'em! You'll probably hate me by then

I did HIIT for a while, fucked my shit up . Its amazing though, even after you stopped them, they still impart this determination in you.

I need to get back in the gym but the whole unemployment has dampened my motivation. I'm going to try and build something around burpees, do calisthenics. I've just been a loaf for the past couple of months.

Burpees sound awesome. I hate running, not because it intensive but because I hate running on the public streets.

What you don't like? The people? The hard underground? The cars?
My run at home is part meadow, part public.

I don't care about running in public, I just imagine the lazy people being jealous of my iron will and determination.

Mostly the hard road and the act of jogging out somewhere (rather keep the primary aerobic/anaerobic within my confines or in a gym).

Send me a PM with some more info about what you've done in the past and i'll send you some routines to try out. A lot of what i do it HIIT-based. Or just take a look at crossfit.com's archives 'til you find something that you think you can handle.

[Cormacaroni]

I thought it did. Regular push-ups (two feet on the ground) feel much easier. I first did them like that and when I switched to how I do them now I could feel it more in abs, chest and arms. I also find it harder to 'cheat' cause your lower body will stay straighter.

Edit: just did a test and I can do 40 regular push-ups in one set. Gonna do that 100 push-up program.

A good way to get there that you may not have heard of is Tabata push-ups. It works like this:

For 20 seconds, do as many push-ups as you can. Write the number down.
Rest for the next 10 seconds.

That's one interval. Do 8 intervals like that.

Studies have been done (by the eponymous Dr. Tabata) that suggest that this interval is optimal for metabolic conditioning. You get better and better at recovering during the 10 second interval as your capacity to deal with lactic acid etc rises. The key is to keep trying to squeeze out as many as you can even in the later rounds, although you'll probably be lucky to get 5 or 6 at that point. I've gone from 23 in the first 20 seconds to 5 in the last interval. Try it, it's a fun exercise in self-humiliation if nothing else.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I can do 20 consecutive pushups now.

In the summer I had to use my knees for support because I was too weak to do regular pushups.

[recursivelyenumerable]

I could do sets of 50 six years ago.  I wonder if I can even do 20 now 

[Tristam]

recursive: check your PM inbox plz.