Monday...Prime Time!!!

I built up my neck muscles wrestling and playing football in high school with the first generation of water helmets. Sprinting with a ten pound dome seems to do wonders.

I hate the neck harness. I tried the Nautilus 4 Way machine for a year or so and grew boobs.

I know that neck work…like grip work…has a glorious past. But, I just don’t do them.

[quote]bikemike wrote:
Hey, Dan, what’s your opinion of those head harness things to build your neck muscles? My apologies if you’ve already discussed this in the past.

Thanks.[/quote]

Traps? Sets of three doing snatches and cleans. Five days a week…two hours a day. I had girls stare at me in class trying to figure out what was wrong with my t-shirt…

[quote]bigpump23 wrote:
DJ

  1. your newsletter is really awesome

  2. What frequency,exercises, set/rep ranges have you seen trap hypertrohpy develop best in?[/quote]

BPC,

Reread this…you wrote it:

"I actually don’t row either but do a lot of pullups? "

So, do you?

[quote]Danny John wrote:
Traps? Sets of three doing snatches and cleans. Five days a week…two hours a day. I had girls stare at me in class trying to figure out what was wrong with my t-shirt…

bigpump23 wrote:
DJ

  1. your newsletter is really awesome

  2. What frequency,exercises, set/rep ranges have you seen trap hypertrohpy develop best in?

[/quote]

seriously DJ 5 days a week?

DJ,

Sorry if you’ve answered this in the past, but I was wondering what your thoughts are with regards to the “reverse hyper”. I think I once ran across a post of yours at crossfit where you said you were going to try them out, but I never read how that went.

In addition, how would you compare them with regular hypers? I know by your newsletter and book that Mr. Notmeyer prescribed regular hyperextensions (many if my memory serves). Do you still feel this is the best advice for low back work, or has the reverse hyper (or something else) replaced them?

Thanks.

[quote]Danny John wrote:
BPC,

Reread this…you wrote it:

"I actually don’t row either but do a lot of pullups? "

So, do you?[/quote]

Dan,

I meant to say "I actually don’t row either but I do a lot of pullups. Some people feel that you should do both but since I do power cleans/power snatches and deadlifts I feel that I get enough pulling in a different plane than pullups.
Comments/thoughts?

Yea, I have done them. Better? Worse? You know the drill…

I like these kettlebell or dumbbell or coreblaster swings just as much as all the rest and it seems to be easier on the gym set up. Reverse hypers are fine, hypers are fine, swings are fine. They are part of the “means” to the end…salad stuff, not the entree…

[quote]TunaGill wrote:
DJ,

Sorry if you’ve answered this in the past, but I was wondering what your thoughts are with regards to the “reverse hyper”. I think I once ran across a post of yours at crossfit where you said you were going to try them out, but I never read how that went.

In addition, how would you compare them with regular hypers? I know by your newsletter and book that Mr. Notmeyer prescribed regular hyperextensions (many if my memory serves). Do you still feel this is the best advice for low back work, or has the reverse hyper (or something else) replaced them?

Thanks.[/quote]

When I was doing lots and lots and lots of cleans and snatches each week, I didn’t need pullups. I needed rest…

[quote]BPC wrote:
Danny John wrote:
BPC,

Reread this…you wrote it:

"I actually don’t row either but do a lot of pullups? "

So, do you?

Dan,

I meant to say "I actually don’t row either but I do a lot of pullups. Some people feel that you should do both but since I do power cleans/power snatches and deadlifts I feel that I get enough pulling in a different plane than pullups.
Comments/thoughts?

[/quote]

[quote]Danny John wrote:
When I was doing lots and lots and lots of cleans and snatches each week, I didn’t need pullups. I needed rest…

BPC wrote:
Danny John wrote:
BPC,

Reread this…you wrote it:

"I actually don’t row either but do a lot of pullups? "

So, do you?

Dan,

I meant to say "I actually don’t row either but I do a lot of pullups. Some people feel that you should do both but since I do power cleans/power snatches and deadlifts I feel that I get enough pulling in a different plane than pullups.
Comments/thoughts?

[/quote]

Wow!

So are you saying that pullups are not necessary if one is doing a lot of cleans/snatches?

I’m working on my Olyp. Lifting and and can clean and jerk 175 lbs. But have no snack at all. The weight feels to far in front. I’ve tried widing my grip but am still missing the grove. Any help?

Dan,

Your newsletter places a lot of emphasis on staying back on your heels when performing the O-lifts and their derivatives. That makes alot of sense.

However, when looking at photos and video of O-lifters they are all up on their toes or even airborne during the second pull. Does this mean their technique is flawed, or is there some transition from heels to toes during that phase of the lift?

I am not an Oly lifter, but incorporate alot of O-type lifts into my training. How concerned should I be in making that transition, and getting airborne in the second pull?

Thanks.

We always warn people about what you see versus what is happening. The toe raise…I believe…is a reaction to the forces, not something you actively want to think about. The more I do heels only , the more I regret my former style…[quote]scottyz wrote:
Dan,

Your newsletter places a lot of emphasis on staying back on your heels when performing the O-lifts and their derivatives. That makes alot of sense.

However, when looking at photos and video of O-lifters they are all up on their toes or even airborne during the second pull. Does this mean their technique is flawed, or is there some transition from heels to toes during that phase of the lift?

I am not an Oly lifter, but incorporate alot of O-type lifts into my training. How concerned should I be in making that transition, and getting airborne in the second pull?

Thanks. [/quote]

Check my back issues of Get Up for some insights. Maybe my next DVD will be on lifting. I get this question daily…

Heels only…

[quote]ikeholtz wrote:
I’m working on my Olyp. Lifting and and can clean and jerk 175 lbs. But have no snack at all. The weight feels to far in front. I’ve tried widing my grip but am still missing the grove. Any help?[/quote]

DAN, on your rapid ascent program can the exercises be changed and is 5x5 ok to use on this program?

No, absolutely not. No way. Impossible. The program is so highly sensitive that the world would wobble on its axis and terrible things would happen…I shudder to think about it.

Sure, of course…what were you thinking of doing…

[quote]doinktheclown wrote:
DAN, on your rapid ascent program can the exercises be changed and is 5x5 ok to use on this program?[/quote]

Hey DJ -

I’ve been trying to do more compound lifts lately and more exercises standing up. Currently I’ve incorporated the standing military press and the power curl.

I’ve read that putting one foot slightly in front of the other will help you generate more power. Would you recommend this stance for these two exercises or should I just continue to stand with my feet parallel? Thanks.

I’ve done that…a long time ago…

I didn’t like it…it seemed to go against my basic instincts as a lifter. But, it might be worth a try. Give it an honest two week trial and see what happens. You will report back.

[quote]super saiyan wrote:
Hey DJ -

I’ve been trying to do more compound lifts lately and more exercises standing up. Currently I’ve incorporated the standing military press and the power curl.

I’ve read that putting one foot slightly in front of the other will help you generate more power. Would you recommend this stance for these two exercises or should I just continue to stand with my feet parallel? Thanks.[/quote]

any ideas on strength training frequency?
any point doing any workout over 6 reps if strength is your main goal?

seems Poliquin suggests dont train the lift again unless your going to improve ,others say train it several time but using different loads etc
your thoughts?

[quote]Danny John wrote:
No, absolutely not. No way. Impossible. The program is so highly sensitive that the world would wobble on its axis and terrible things would happen…I shudder to think about it.
[/quote]

Dan,
You make me laugh, sometimes very hard. Do you ever get the impression you are living the movie, “Groundhog Day”? I read each of your threads and it seems like you are answering the same questions over and over and over, sometimes even in the same thread.

By the way, I have been following your advice and just getting in the gym (garage/basement/back yard) and working hard, not thinking about things too much and I have been making good gains, having fun and looking forward to each workout - all things I have struggled with in the past. Oh, and my physique is responding too. Tried Front Squat Tabatas last Sat. night (oly bar only for the 1st time) and I loved it. I couldn’t remember if you go for 4 minutes or 8 minutes? (I went 4).
God bless you man and keep up the good work.

DB