Mike Mahler - Combat Conditioning: Five Months Without Weights!

[webmaster]

Most of us are willing to try just about any new weight-training program that comes down the pipe. But would you be willing to try something so different that it doesn't even involve using weights? Learn how to make gains without weights!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler19.htm

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[RealDeal2099]

Interesting article, though I'm not sure excessively high-rep sets without additional weight are the best way the trigger hypertrophy. Maybe useful to shock lethargic muscles every once and a while, but I would not make this style of training a staple for bodybuilding.

>>Interesting article, though I'm not sure excessively high-rep sets without additional weight are the best way the trigger hypertrophy.

I think you missed the point. The bodyweight exercises are not meant to bulk you out or rip you up. Their meant to make you stronger, more agile, and have more endurance. They're meant to make you strong--instead of just looking strong--for functional activities (doing stuff). For example, my wife is a shredded body-builder, but can't kayak for more than ten minutes.

[edzo96]

I stumbled across this article a few months ago, checked out Matt's site, ordered the Combat Conditioning & Handstand Training programs and have been doing the Royal Court for 10 days. It has been absolutely awesome and any doubters should just try a back bridge because it works everything, feels great, and has a rush comparable if not greater than ascending in victory from a super-heavy set of squats. I find it inspiring that you, a serious iron-freak was willing to do nothing but this stuff for so long and didn't lose muscle. I was a super-skinny kid who packed on about 40 pounds over the last 3 years lifting weights. My one fear looking at this stuff is that it would cause my body to return to it's natural (puny) state. I am still lifting but am seriously considering throwing in 2 weeks to a month of just Combat Conditioning. Thanks for trying this out and reporting on this, it's something a lot of serious lifters need to hear.

I'm quite surprised to see this version of Matt's course in a free format.
A chiropractor I know uses this series with each of his patients who are able to do them... the way they can strengthen the body is short order is great.
As one muscle group is stimulated the rest tend to follow and the stablization of the entire pelvis lends greater support to the spine overall. When I did the bridge, my back cracked loudly. Feels great now!
Some have noticed increased vitality and ability in all sectors of their lives, including the bedroom! Awesome to feel so alive once more.
THANKS!!!

[FortifiedIron]

Excellent article.

Kc

I believe that the R&B artist Usher uses these typr of exercises and is renouned for having agreat body by the ladies.

[JoeHanrahan]

Sorry...Furey's exercises are nothing special. Wrestler's Bridge has been around forever, and his variations on squats and pushups are in the public domain. His claim to have been tutored by the great wrestling coach Karl Gotch has been refuted by Gotch himself.

Furey looks pretty fat in his recent photos, supposedly after devoting himself to "Combat Conditioning" and giving up weights. That picture of him in front of a waterfall was taken when he was training with weights.

If you want to excel at bodybuilding, weights are nonpariel. Period. All this Furey stuff is recycled Charles Atlas-type baloney, IMHO.

Sure, you can get into great shape with exercises that don't require weights. Is that really news to anyone? Try working yourself up to 100 fingertip pushups.

But Furey offers nothing new other than a new slant on making money (for himself).

Joe Hanrahan

Thanks for posting instructions on the royal court on your website. My son and I both started incorporating the royal court into our workouts. I'm in my early 50's and have already seen benefits in terms of strengthening my knees, back and neck, plus its good conditioning. Since I started the royal court I stopped with the weights, but still run, practice kata and bang on the heavy bag. I still do fingertip pushups, v-situps and other core strengthening exercises, and also feel that pull ups are a needed element in any combat or survival conditioning program. My son is advid mixed martial artist and weightlifter who still uses the weights but has seen real benefit from incorporating the royal court into his training. Again, thanks for incorporating these exercises into your website!

joe must own asporting good store
if you keep your form right these exercises will put it on fast and thick and true you will probally feel good all over. major leeloaded
ps.joe, dont hate!

[ksamurai]

Joe makes some good points... a friend forwarded some Combat Condition info to me a while back, at which point I did some online investigation of my own.

Apparently, Furey has been known to make some rather fraudulent claims, such as saying that his program will cause "spot reduction" of fat (for example, working abs to reduce belly fat specifically), and that fat can be "turned into" muscle. These are known myths, so Furey loses some credibility.

Additionally, there is nothing new being presented here. The exercises that he sells come from public domain... See **The Farmer Burns Workout**): http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competit...s/lesson01.htm

That being said, callisthenic conditioning certainly has it's place in my training regimen, particularly for "warming up" prior to the free-weight movements that comprise the majority of training, as well as cardio. For example, try warming up with some Hindu push-ups (aka, dive-bombers) on chest day, Hindu squats on leg day, wrestler's bridge on back day, etc.