Hey Kids, Beat It!!

Had an outdoor training session today at a playground with muay thai/mma fighter Cliff Fua. We needed to use the monkey bars for some pull ups and suspended push ups so we gave some mean, dirty looks and kicked the little kids off the play structure and sent them home crying!! Naw, just kidding, I'm kidding!!! We're not THAT mean, and besides, this was in the morning so no one was at the park (only a couple dog walkers) hahaha!!

Today we did 100 pull ups (broken up into sets), 100+ suspended push ups, and 10 minutes of prowler sprints on thick grass. Oh, since Cliff is a heavyweight, 100 total pull ups are difficult for him, so he alternated between pull ups and inverted rows (see pics). It was a basic, but still kick ass, high quality 35 minute workout.

Now, I've got to put this out there, some people ask me about kettlebells, P90X, bosu balls, the perfect push up handles, etc., etc............basically the supposed latest and greatest training methods out on the market at this time. Most of these people can't even master the basics, the foundations, true "functional" exercises!!! I'm talking about push ups, pull ups, and squats using only your bodyweight. My good friend and muay thai trainer, Mark Tabuso has always said, those exercises (push ups, pull ups, squats) are must-have movements that have been around since the beginning of time. "If you can't control your own bodyweight, how in the hell are you going to control your opponents' weight in the ring," he says.

Those training methods have their place, but sometimes we tend to forget about the foundation, the basics of strength I guess because they're not "exciting" or "new". It's like jumping straight to calculus without understanding basic math!!! Bodyweight training (in addition to the weights) can take your physique to another level, now go crank out some pull ups!! Ok, kinda went off on a rant, but sometimes I feel we put the cart before the horse, so to speak!! Check out the pics:
Suspended push ups, great for upper body and core strength
Inverted row
Neutral grip pull ups, and NO my feet are not on the ground!!! Cliff can't take pictures!!! hahaha I really need to get a flip camcorder!!
Prowler sprints. No weight needed, the thick grass provided ample resistance!!!
The low handle is EVIL!!!