Isolated vs. complex exercises

[Guest guest]

I've read a lot lately of the advantages of skipping the isolated

exercises (for a muscle or muscle group at the time) and go for

complex exercises instead. Where you make your body go through moves

rather than seated exrecises.

Would it be possible to make an attemp at BFL (som something BFL'ish)

but using such exrecises instead on weight days?

Any idéas on how to go about it?

Could I pick exercises for UB and LB days and then somehow come up

with a scheme on reps and sets etc.?

Any idéas would be appreciated. My first aim here is to be fitter and

stonger since I'm not in very good shape and my week upper body is

causing me lots of aches and pain. And the full BFL program just seem

a little to much.

[Guest guest]

You have a couple of options. One is to just do BFL but choose standing or

compound movements whenever possible.

Like:

chest - bench presses followed by push-ups (or kneeling push-ups) as the

high-point

back - dumbbell or cable rows followed by pull-ups (or assisted pull-ups, or

lat pull-downs, or resistance band pulls) as the high-point

shoulder - dumbbell push-press followed by shoulder press push-ups (or

lateral raises) as the high-point

biceps - standing cable curls (requires a little more legs and core than

dumbbells) followed by chin-ups (or assisted chin-ups, or reverse-grip lat

pull-downs) as the high point

triceps - cable press-downs using a rope attachment (again with the core),

or close-grip push-ups, or bench dips as the high point

quads - squats followed by walking lunges

hamstrings - deadlifts followed by stability ball leg curls

You're still doing BFL, you're just choosing exercises that have you

standing and moving and stabilizing over exercises that have you sitting and

isolating on a machine. As a beginner, you can use as little weight as you

need to, but if the BFL six sets for each exercise are still totally,

totally beyond your fitness level, you could start with 3 sets. Maybe do a

set of 12, a set of 8 and then switch exercises and do 12 of those.

Another option would be to start with something like the Turbulence Training

4-Week Body Weight Workout. It also has 3 days of strength training and 3

days of interval cardio. It alternates strength days in the same pattern as

BFL, but you have Workout A and Workout B instead of Upper and Lower. You

could do something like that with BFL nutrition and you would be improving

your strength and stamina while dropping body fat. It has a beginner,

intermediate, and advanced version and it's free:

http://skwigg.tripod.com/TurbulenceTraining4WeekBWW.pdf

Hope that gives you some ideas.

On Jan 14, 2008 10:16 AM, ladycathy2b <no_reply > wrote:

> I've read a lot lately of the advantages of skipping the isolated

> exercises (for a muscle or muscle group at the time) and go for

> complex exercises instead. Where you make your body go through moves

> rather than seated exrecises.

>

> Would it be possible to make an attemp at BFL (som something BFL'ish)

> but using such exrecises instead on weight days?

>

> Any idéas on how to go about it?

>

> Could I pick exercises for UB and LB days and then somehow come up

> with a scheme on reps and sets etc.?

>

> Any idéas would be appreciated. My first aim here is to be fitter and

> stonger since I'm not in very good shape and my week upper body is

> causing me lots of aches and pain. And the full BFL program just seem

> a little to much.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

This is my second week and I'm still on 3lb. weights. I'm doing all

of the reps and not changing weight. I'm really out of shape also

and it's all I can do right now. Next week I'll go up a pound or

so. I think it's really the reps that do the most good and not so

much how much weight you use. You will get benefits without killing

yourself.

>

> I've read a lot lately of the advantages of skipping the isolated

> exercises (for a muscle or muscle group at the time) and go for

> complex exercises instead. Where you make your body go through

moves

> rather than seated exrecises.

>

> Would it be possible to make an attemp at BFL (som something

BFL'ish)

> but using such exrecises instead on weight days?

>

> Any idéas on how to go about it?

>

> Could I pick exercises for UB and LB days and then somehow come up

> with a scheme on reps and sets etc.?

>

> Any idéas would be appreciated. My first aim here is to be fitter

and

> stonger since I'm not in very good shape and my week upper body is

> causing me lots of aches and pain. And the full BFL program just

seem

> a little to much.

>

>

>