seraphyne1's bodyweight plus program

[seraphyne1]

The reason why I call this the BWE plus program is that BWE is my basic but I like to add other implements like strands, sandbags, some db's for swings, renegade rows etc. i have no heavy weight set I can use and I do not like joining a gym (and I prefer to spend the money on something different than to pay 50 euro's a month for fee).

Today was very basic. I started this 2 workouts ago to get a small workout done in little time this busy week.

the workout:

- 4 rounds of (2 full barrel pec squeeze and 2 chest pulls)*
- pyramid 1-10-1 hindu squats
- pyramid 1-10-1 hindu pushups
- 4 rounds of (2 full barrel pec squeeze and 2 chest pulls)*
- grip work using the gripper
- back bridge

the pyramid was done non-stop. 1 hs followed by 1 hpu, than 2 hs, 2 hpu etc till 10 and than going back to 1, doing 100 reps each total.

* barrel pec squeeze is a so called dvr exercise and also known as tiger move 1 (it is developed by John mcSweeney), the movement is the same as the chest pull (a strand exercise). The movement goes like a lying double db fly but than standing. The way it is done is you tense all the muscles to the max and under great tension you move the arms as far back wards as possible and then reverse the movement. (starting position is arms straight in front of the chest).
After 2 reps I grab a strand and perfrom 2 chest pulls. This is repeated 4 times non stop.

This is a nice short workout to get something done and it does not take much time.:

Thanks for reading.

[CF-OC_gal]

Looks good!

What is a strand? Is it like a resistance band?

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by seraphyne1

This is a nice short workout to get something done and it does not take much time.:

gotta love those workouts!

welcome to online journaling. i look forward to reading about your workouts!

Hi seraphyne1,

Are you using maximum tension on the DVR? Are you maintaining b-direction tension or only the positive?

Have a great day!

[seraphyne1]

Here some replies:

Brat, strands is an older term for the apparatus also known as a chest expander or cable set. It has many names but strands is the so called old timers name.

Gymgirl: hope you keep enjoying them

Pierini; yes, I was using max tension in both directions and after 2 reps the arms start to feel empty already so that is a good reason to do the chest pull at that time as the movement is the same.

[seraphyne1]

Wanted to try a little bit different thing today.
equipment used:
- power pushup (ppu), a device from lifeline to add rubber resistance to the pushups
- 3 chairs (to perfrom atlas II pushups, these are pushups using 3 chairs, 1 for the feet and 2 for each hand, this way you get a deeper stretch at the bottom than floor pushups)
- sandbag (soorry I do not know how heavy it is as I have no scale, I guess somewhere between 35-40 kg)
- strands (aka chest expander)

the workout:

- 5 rounds of (2 full barrel pec squeeze and 2 chest pulls)
- 21 snatch-cathch-squat (sandbag) and 21 atlas II ppu pushups
- 21 back press and 21 atlas II pushups
- grip work
- 15 sandbag squat and 15 atlas II ppu pushups
- 15 back press and 15 atlas II pushups
- grip work
- 9 sandbag squat and 9 atlas II ppu pushups
- 9 front press and 9 atlas II pushups
- grip work
- 5 light chest pulls
- back bridge

further expanations:

for the main exercises (sb work, pushups and back press) I did them in nonstop cycles of 3 reps so
3 sb snatch-catch-squat followed by 3 atlas II ppu pushups and this is repeated 7 times nonstop
same goes for the back press.

(so the second round (15 reps) were 5 rounds of 3 reps and the last round 3 rounds of 3 reps).

In round 2 and 3, the snatch-catch-squat was replaced by the sandbag squat, but the first rep of each 3 rep round did start with the snatch-catch and squat. (so totaling 5 reps on the second and 3 reps on the third round).

front press is the same as the back press, except that it is performed in front of the body as opposed to the back side.

[CF-OC_gal]

Thanks for the clarification on the strands. That is not a term for them I remember hearing, but I do remember the rows of bungie cords and springs attached to a handle apparatus that almost every guy owned along with the spring grippers!

[seraphyne1]

Yip, but the one I use is not the cheap set you buy at your local wallmart (the one your granny presses a 100 times without effort) but the one with heavy resistance. Currently I am using the lifeline version. Another good one is sold by samson. Another set I am using is the bodylastics set. Both go from light to very heavy resistance.

The same with grippers, I use the heavygrips (similar to the coc and not the cheap plastic sets).

[.V.]

More unusual workouts to keep track of. Interesting. I'll be watching. Good luck in all your efforts.

[seraphyne1]

Yesterday and this morning I had this nagging feeling again in my left knee and left elbow so I changed the plans. I planned to start using a crossfit like program (but than based on my equipment) again but I decided to use january for building up again. (also because in 2 weeks I probably go to a 3 week course and have no to little time to workout).

I only do a very basic workout and I could do more reps I stayed at the low side and slowly build up. eg for the hindu squats I used the ppj as the cable resistance makes me do the reps a bit slower and it has helped in the past to reduce the knee trouble spot. (in case you are wondering, the hindu squat is the only leg exercise I can do without trouble, as soon as I start another leg exercise (eg like last's sandbag squats) pain starts again). But I started at the lower rep range to get used to the cables in the neck again.

the routine:

- 5 rounds of 3 upper body dvr and 3 ppu atlas II pushups (feets raised higher this time)
- 15 hindu pushups
- 30 ppj hindu squats
- grip work
- back bridge

upper body dvr: I start to use and try them again lately, it seems it clicks better now with me than before. Upper body dvr is a name I gave the movement myself.
stand up and the starting position is like the military press but without weights. Now tense all the upper body muscles to the max and perform the movement like the military press. When at the top you start to reverse the movement but now start pulling down under great tension (like you are perfroming a pullup).
After 3 reps do immediate the 3 atlas PPU pushups and perfrom the whole cycle 5 times nonstop.

For the hindu pushups I did not want to go to the max but only use the same reps as the atlas pushups, but now in 1 set and like the hindu pushups, they will build up over the coming weeks. (if I stick to this and do not return to my original plan before, time will learn).

[seraphyne1]

My left elbow and my left knee are still bothering me so I had to take it easy today. Quite annoying as I had decided despite what I said in my last post to return to a crossfit like routine.
The atlas II pushups are bothering the elbow also at the moment so I returned to last year when I performed floor pushups with the ppu and my hands resting on dumbells. This way the elbows stay closer to the body and it worked. At the moment I feel nothing in the elbow so something to stick to. Also performed slower hindu pushups. (also only a few reps to see how my elbow holds and it is also to wake me up from yesterday's celebration, still have trouble waking up even it is late in the afternoon already ).

I first wanted to skip the legs completely but as the workout was so short already I decided to do a few slow reps. So the workout is a bit royal court like again. Maybe a good idea after all to stick to this for 1 month.

Also did the upper body dvr but after each rep I perfromed the tricep behind the neck extensions with the strands. Next time I am thinking of replacing it by the 1 arm strand overhead press.

the workout:

- 5 rounds of (3 upper body dvr/ strands and 3 ppu pushups)
- 20 hindu pushups
- 35 hindu squats
- grip work
- back bridge

the 5 rounds were done nonstop again. The dumbells I use are the rounded disc ones so performing pushups on them with the ppu you also need to work to prevent them rolling away. That is an added extra bonus.

[tim_mcf]

Great stabilizer work!

[seraphyne1]

I went back to look what I did in the past when elbow pain started and I noticed that when I used low reps it went away. As I liked the atlas II ppu pushups too much I decided to change everything a little bit again and did them in singles. (I am not using max resistance on the singles but I think about 70% as Steve Justa also recommended).

- 5 rounds of:
3 upper body DVR
3 x (1 overhead strand press and 1 ppu atlas II pushup)
- 10 chest pulls
- 10 lateral raises (strands)
- grip work

after 3 upper body dvr's I performed 1 left arm (weak arm) overhead press using strands, than the same with the right hand followed by 1 ppu atlas II pushup (the overhead presses and pushups were done 3 times). This total (3 dvr, 3 overhead presses per side and 3 pushups) were repeated 5 times nonstop.

[seraphyne1]

I have just performed an extra small workout to loosen up my back.

- pyramid 1-10-1 hindu squats
- pyramid 1-10-1 hindu pushups
- back bridge

[seraphyne1]

- 25 atlas II pushups
- 5 rounds of (2 upper body dvr and 2 cable lateral raises)
- 3 atlas II ppu pushups
- 5 rounds of (2 back presses and 2 front presses)
- 3 atlas II ppu pushups
- 5 rounds of (2 upper body dvr and 2 cable lateral raises)
- 3 atlas II ppu pushups
- 10 dvr curls
- total of 60 atlas II pushups and 12 triangle pushups

the 3 5 rounds sets were done nonstop.