Strength Training Q&A

photo of ilg, the day after a 10-mile, high altitude mountain run; getting male (gym) after being so female (running).

Hi there,
my name is christian, from Germany. A friend of mine showed me your “Total Body Transformation” program, and i want to start to do it soon. I am into strength training and cardio a long time, and meditation since a year or so. I find the whole programmappealing...

Read and Learn from this actual Q&A between a WF Warrior and Coach Ilg at:

www.WholisticFitness.com

the most centered, fit place on this plane(t) since 1982

3 Training Videos: 3 Minutes of Chi For Your Day...plus Conscious Parenting Training Video Clip...

wow, what a PROP Workout last night in the Practice Cave! packed Cave again and 'props' go to the Mother/Daughter Team from Philadelphia who showed up and got ilg-blasted at 7,000'! Champions, i tell you...champions. my only regret is that ilg can't share our Weekly High Altitude HP PROP Workouts with ALL of you!...

i get asked about how much 'screen time' Ananda and i allow our Dewa to have each day. on the average these days it's 35 minutes which includes computer screen time...

what i'm about to show you is actual training footage of the Norwegian Nordic Sprint Team of which Dewa seems to enjoy as part of Her 35 minutes of screen time followed immediately by a Top Secret Conscious Parenting clip by myself with Ananda and Dewachen...followed by another Norwegian Nordic Team training clip that will absolutely sever the head off of ANY rationalization we may still harbor about not having the facilities to train or how we can't train while traveling...

Enjoy and USE THE CHI from this 3-minute BLAST OF PRANIC EMPOWERMENT STRAIGHT FROM THIS PLANE(T)S MOST BRUTAL, HISTORIC, and POETICALLY POWERFUL SPORT

VIDEOS ONLY FOR DL SUBSCRIBERS; sorry...this is just tooooo powerful for the masses...

WOW! What a Chi Hit...

Dearest No-Bull Coach,

WOW! What a Chi Hit you and Ananda packed into your latest offering from beneath the Sacred Peak!

Though I was familiar with many of the techniques described from your other works seeing the whole continuum of them visually was invaluable.

I've been of late without an Iron Temple so have been playing with some of the bodyweight techniques contained in your books... One day I would love to see a WF Plyometric Bodyweight Strength Training DVD, featuring gunther hops, knee tuck jumps, your straight armed pull-up-mantles (!?!), and hey maybe some clapping handstand pushups? :)

My love to you, Ananda, and Dewachen!

Hum-Bull Yogi ct

*** Yogi CT, sounds like a GREAT idea for a new WF DVD! ilg will put it on the Things-To-Do List! THANK YOU!!!!! - Iron Mind, Velvet Heart, Pranic Body, Boundless Soul... long live the Iron Temple! head bowed, el coache

Namaste Iron Temple Warriors!

Don't Forget! If you want your Early Bird Discount on this world-exclusive DVD from the founder of Wholistic Fitness®...(and you know Coach will do you right)...you gotta email right now:
Steve{at}WholisticFitness{dot}com

just put "Iron Temple" in the Subject Line...

ilg in Telluride, filming a WF Strength Training DVD

Most Precious and Vital Sangha of Wholeness,

i'm taking my Can Do Clan up to Telluride again this weekend...again at the amazingly resplendent mountain adventure resort:

The Peaks

to film a new Tribal DVD:

"WF 'Iron Temple' Teachings"

This DVD will cover all the basic WF Strength Training Techniques which have, for over 25 years, transformed the gym into a yoga studio and zendo! I'll cover all the great hallmark WF Strength Training Techniques such as our Beloved
• "Staccato Technique"
•"3-Stage Technique"
• "Shivaya Technique"
and Recovery Techniques such as,
• "Kin-Hin"
and
• "Ku"

will be back by Tuesday to teach yoga.

if you feel as though this new DVD might be a worthwhile addition to
your Practice of Wholeness through personal fitness,
drop me an email with the Subject Line titled;
"Iron Temple DVD"
to
steve at wholisticfitness dot com

and i'll be sure to put you on an
advanced notice
email list for an early bird discount!

Until Tuesday,
enjoy the DL Archives,
the WF SanghaLounge
(i just placed an important SUNRIDER Herb and MAP amino acid update in there),
and
may your Practice of Wholeness be
steadfast, fun, and focused!

head bowed...
your tribal chief ilg

photo; ilg enjoying a hallmark 'WF Iron Temple' movement;
Malasana Concentration Curls.
note; DO NOT ATTEMPT to mimic this movement without
deep judiciousness...biceps tendons very vulnerable if you are not
WF trained in this movement!

Two Lifelong World Class Workouts You Can't Get ANYwhere Else!

Thanks! Cranked the Torso Workout tonight, what a great workout! Thanks again for your wonderful teachings!

--Bryan--
Colorado

HP PROP® The TORSO WORKOUT® ONLY $10!!! created, used, and sworn by; steve ilg and legions of WF Warriors the world over! RIPPED, POWERFUL, FUNCTIONAL ABS STRAIGHT AHEAD! Intent: physical - A superior, no weight workout to utterly demolish the midsection and neurally infuse the torso rotation musculature. spiritual - stirs and rouses the energetics associated with the first three chakras to help awaken and condition the nadic system to handle upcoming amplitudes of pranic empowerment. Frequency: Beginners; once per seven days. Intermediates; twice per seven days on non-consecutive days. Advanced; 3x weekly on non-consecutive days; maturity length of 3 weeks before a mandatory two-week recovery phase. Dharma Weaponry Needed: * 3 Form Power Blocks (can be purchased at; www.YogaPro.com) * 1 HP Yoga Prop Workout DVD (sold separately; see below) REMEMBER; No Shipping or Handling Fees on any Pay-Per-PDF!

get going right here for only $10:
HP YOGA®: TORSO WORKOUT PDF


uh oh...
don't tell me!!?!?!!?
you STILL don't have the HP PROP WORKOUT DVD?
yikes!


A WORLD EXCLUSIVE WORKOUT FROM A WORLD CLASS ATHLETE! "Who needs a gym?" Utterly unique, extremely intelligent blend of vinyasa (powerful flow) yoga with Western Sport Performance Training! NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT! Created, developed, and used by Coach Ilg in preparation for his unprecedented appearance in Five World Championships in four physiologically diverse sports! HP Prop Workouts® are the epitome of American Asana! Divided into 3 sections for your sweating pleasure; Intro, The Full Workout, and Ab's Only. Produced by Wayne Williams. 1 hour and 20 minutes of Inner Weaponary Development for Sweating Out Stress and Rising HIGHER, baby! "Ain't so baadd!!!...you CAN do it!" - Coach Ilg
get it right here, right now:

The Infamous HP YOGA® PROP WORKOUT DVD


"The difference between insanity and genius lies in success..."
- unknown

Now,
get IN THERE
and SWEAT Noble Warrior!!!!!!!


photo 1; still footage from Wayne William's masterful production of the HP Yoga® PROP WORKOUT DVD.
photo 2 by Ananda; ilg in his private zendo, field testing another HP PROP sequence for his next class...note the his inclusion of YogaToes® to deepen the nadic influence of this multi-dimensional, functional fitness workout.

IRON

i was hanging out in the WF SanghaLounge last night reading all the fantastic new contributions, and this was posted in our "Strength Cave" by WF Devotee and Sunrider Warrior, CT. don't miss all the inspiring, informative, and fun stuff in the WF SanghaLounge; the Tribal Chill Out and support for our worldwide community of WF friends, family, and warriors...it really is touching how beautiful and wise is our Sangha! i bow to ALL of you and am humbled by your wisdom...this piece by HR is absolutely exquisite...enjoy and may your workouts be inspired this week!
- coach ilg



READ THE ARTICLE ON TODAY's DIRECT LINES!!!

Adding Things To The Proven Practice...

"asana or pranayama really require an empty stomach in order to be pranically receptive. 2, preferrably 3 hours or longer after eating is a mandatory time frame before practicing asana and/or pranayama. you'll want as clean, clear system as possible. - coach ilg"

photo: HP Yogini Susan (see DL Archives, October 2008) during a River Trip in the Grand Canyon greeting her day by an outdoor version of my Rock Vinyasa DVD routine




***


Steve,

thank you so much for yourTotal Body Transformation book . i have two questions though. first, can i add some extra exercises in the gym after your exercises? second if i have a glass of wine with dinner is it still effective to do a yoga routine?

thanks again,

jeremy p.





coach responds:

Namaste Jeremy P!
thank you for writing and for your Metta!

answer to #1: no. it is NOT wise to superimpose or add exercises to the programs in TBT. if each set is carried to Momentary Muscular Failure (MMF) as coached, then adding exercises upon pre-fatigued system is not suggested. remember, you are attempting to link together 3 consecutive months of training...if you start tweaking around the recipe, you risk ruining the proven Path.

having said that, if you do get all the way to the Frugal Realm, and still feel like the OVERALL WHOLISTIC TRAINING EFFECT from the previous three months did not invite strength into your weaker disciplines, then, it's time to...


READ THE ENTIRE TEACHING ON TODAY'S DIRECT LINES!


ps; anyone who consumes alcohol should DEFINITELY be on my Phase One of SUNRIDER Herbs to cleanse and support liver function as well as many other side effects from alcohol consumption and on the MAP Amino Acids. email me at steve(at)wholisticfitness.com for info on joining these two pivotal nutritional Practices of WF.

Death By Pull Ups...or Death to Connective Tissue?

With latisimus dorsi tendons once capable of 62 consecutive Pull Ups, i now spend countless hours in yoga postures attempting to undue the imbalance created by my Pull Up-specific strength from the 1980's when i was a sponsored climber. Always remember, the pursuit of Wholeness is far, far more difficult to attain than sport- or discipline-specificity. photo from TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION

note; photo may appear only for DL Subscribers

***

Steve,
i just tried this
"Death by Pull-Ups" workout i got from {a professional fitness training company - name withheld to protect their idiocy}: With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

The record is 27 rounds.

I got completed 6 rounds and crapped out in the 7th.


love,
Student H


***

Coach Responds:

H!
Listen closely:
that "Death By Pull-Ups" Workout is a recipe for Death To Connective Tissue Health...especially if a wise and very capable Pull Up base has not been attained. the ligaments and tendons fastening the vulnerable joint articulation of the elbow are easily tweaked, strained, and sprained by jumping into a 'numbers-obsessed' workout choreography like that. worse, from an energetic perspective, is the 'gluing effect' upon the scapular mobility which locks up Anahata Chakral energies from following such 'routines.'

Mastery of elegant, powerful Pull Up FORM is far more important, safe, and wise than obsessing on numbers
(oh i know...i hear you chortle knowing my history with Pull Ups...however, i was a sponsored rock climber back then;
basically, i was professional Pull Upper! dat's different).

if you really need to set your goals on a great Pull Up workout, WF offers many more wise options. Here's one that you can try after you have the capacity to do 3 sets of 10 Pull Ups in elegant form:


ROUTINE AVAILABLE ONLY FOR DL SUBSCRIBERS

IWT/IWCT = seeing spots...Divine Spots!

Master WF Student L'Gate displays Master Student form during Barbell Curls under my eye last year; look at the posture! look at the rooted feet! look at the steady skull! the Eye of the Tiger! the BREATH! there is NOTHING more beautiful to me on this planet than a focused Human Being cultivating their Higher Self through appreciation and development of their body! WF Rocks! L'Gate ROCKS! he wrote to me today, as i am late on his next program:

Coach,

Namaste! I went deep into The Winter Athlete yesterday and did your IWT / ICWT workout. Only the second time I've done that baby, and...holy high intensity! I actually saw yellow spots dancing before my eyes at one point, but pushed through.
Love,
Student L'Gate

this is truly a hallmark of a WF Master Student like L'Gate...even though he has studied Online with me for several years, if i am late in designing his next program, he simply returns to the "sacred scriptures"; the many books, cds, dvds, and DL Archives which make the non-formal study of this Path so cost-effective. That particular workout that L'Gate mentions above? KILLER! FUNCTIONAL! FUN! excuses, excuses from so many people about having 'no time' to train! the legion of programs like IWT/ICWT in the WF System require less than 25 minutes to crank out! check it out through your own sweat and spirit and tell me what you TAF!

MORE GREAT NEWS for you non-formal WF Students!
this very workout that L'Gate sees "spots" on will soon be available as a
Pay Per PDF!


enjoy the crankin' Ever Higher!

at least THIS PATH OF YOGA does NOT sidestep the "Metal Element" of the gym!

YEAH BABY LONG LIVE WF...the Choice of those sincerely focused on the GO(o)D Source!

Yogi Squat Concentration Curls; A Mind/Body Explosion of Concentrated, Deep Fiber Yoga

one of the first things ilg feels the need for after a hard endurance workout (which is predominately a 'yin' endeavor) is the deep fiber masculinity of Strength Training (which is predominately a 'yang' endeavor). This devotion to yin/yang balance (aka; Shakti/Shiva in yoga) is known as Wholistic Fitness. To cultivate too much of either yin or yang is known as "neurosis." photo of ilg, the day after a 10-mile, high altitude mountain run; getting male (gym) after being so female (running).


***
There is a reason why you've never seen such an exercise as the one ilg shares with you today...

The root of this reason lies within the same fertile summit snowfield from which all the other Wholistic Fitness® teachings flow; all the Strength Training Techniques, cardio teachings, High Performance Yoga, Nutritional Guidelines, meditation lessons, and lifestyle principles of which conventional fitness and yoga warriors have yet to learn. Nor will they, until they Awake and look waaaay up and finally, finally see the fiercely graceful Path of Ancient Yoga stylized for the Modern Warrior known as Wholistic Fitness, soaring its long, steep and directisma approach straight up the formidably beautiful face of the Highest of All Summits.

Udnerstand this:
Intensity is the Buddha of all WF's unique teachings and unmatched Yoga (union). It has been the intensity of my life that has strengthened the depth and width of the WF Conduit of the Divine.

Be Warned:
If you are too scared of regular battledancing with Intensity across ALL the capacities of your miraculous human potentiality, then, take a lesser Path. there are countless ones. you can find them by simply looking downstream, along the flow of mediocrity. ilg asks you, however, why be continuing to seek lower than your Highest Self?

Be Stoked:
This great exercise which is about to be shared is not about developing a killer set of arms that do not look like the spindle wisps of endurance athletes. It ain't about trying to get all big and bloaty like the current apish fighters and bodybuilders still mired in the lower chakral battles incapable of either great endurance or suppleness. This exercise is not about bashing the studio yogi scared stiff of getting sore and acidic from cross training.

Know This:
This exercise is about lifting Clarity from your addiction to Convention.

It's a spiritual springboard to ignite your inner rocket ship from the thickness of inculcated, afflicted, and un-liberated thought.

Make No Mistake, Warrior Yogi:
ilg now gifts upon you, Noble DL Reader, a superb Strength Training Movement which combines the graceful fierceness of a yoga posture well done, with that elegance of deep fiber strength which can only be found within the Metal Element of the Iron Temple.

you don't read Dharma like this anywhere else,
cuz there ain't no other Dharma
quite like
Wholistic Fitness Dharma.

let's party:

SUBSCRIBE TO DL TODAY
TO LEARN the unique; YOGI SQUAT CONCENTRATION CURL
and quit WASTING YOUR WORKOUTS!

Meet the "Ass Whomping Jump Squat" straight from the Horses...err, Mouth...

The Ass Whomping Jump Squat

ABS OF FIRE workout now available on PAY PER PDF!

WHOLISTIC FITNESS® SPECIALTY WORKOUTS: ABS ON FIRE WORKOUT FOR ULTRA POTENT CORE POWER one of my most often asked question throughout the past 25 years has remained; "Hey ilg, how do you keep your abs so ripped?"

So, are YOU in the Warrior Mode to finally draw the line in this lifetime and attain a highly, highly functional core?...from professional yoga capacity to record setting ultra distance fitness...to elite strength performance; you want some of this? okay, here's one of my most used personal core-development recipes!

Equipment needed: two Power Yoga blocks (wearing YogaToes® during this workout earns more Merit!)?Attitude needed: 110% positive?Benefits acquired: The Spiritual Seeds of Enlightenment?


just click here to get the Real Ab(solute) Way straight from coach:

ABS of FIRE PDF

OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT now as a Pay-Per-PDF!

As requested from WF Fans and Tribal Warriors worldwide...

everybody now has access to THE OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT
our latest inclusion in our popular Pay-Per-PDF section of the WF Tribal Catalog!

May your Strength feel Sacred for the rest of your days...here you go:


OFFICE WARRIOR WORKOUT!


REMEMBER; there is NO SHIPPING OR HANDLING FEES added to ANY Pay-Per-PDF purchases...so COLLECT THEM ALL!
World Class Training From A World Class Athlete! Get it Done Baby!

The HP Yoga PROP WORKOUT; the Mother of all workouts!

From Hakado Ru's Weekly Update to me:

"YOGA:
HP Prop DVD. Man, this just kicks my ass in so many ways...so many different ways...each and every time. There will be a major day of celebration in the Hak Household when I complete the entire 1:06 without stopping to catch my breath or rest a shakey limb that can give no more at that moment; and to do so elegantly."

The HP Yoga PROP WORKOUT; The Mother Workout That Is Half Strength Training and Half Asana
created by coach ilg for coach ilg and now available to YOU!

PROP TILL YOU DROP

order yours today and, well, go(o)d luck!

The EEE-GAD Workout; a WF ultra classic strength training routine

Friend,

I found this brilliant, incisive, simple:

"I had many work plans for today.
Then the day dawned."
{coach ilg in DL last week}

From time to time I am reminded of something called the Eee Gad workout. I have an Outdoor Athlete's Training Journal showing I did it a couple of times in October 95. Notes from my first experience with it suggest the leg intensive portion of it was "unpleasant", which I take to mean difficult. I didn't save my Master Sheet for some reason, and could not find it detailed in Total Body Transformation ... would you please remind me? I'd like to revisit it at some point as I am sure some of what we do now came from it (jumping squats, tuck jumps, static hold in squat position, heavy front squats). The more things change, plus c'est la meme chose.
Salute,
Mark



Most Noble Mark!
thank you for writing and EEE-Gad is as powerful as ever with dozens of WF Warriors the world over cranking out that bad boy of the Iron Temple each day! You can find EEE-Gad in THE OUTDOOR ATHLETE or THE WINTER ATHLETE or, for your utter convenience and support of the humble Temple, there is a handout of this tremendous routine in the Pay Per PDF section of the WF Tribal Catalog...just scroll down toward the bottom:

EEE-GAD! Workout!

Enjoy the Sweat and LIVE THE WF CHI!!!!!!

i bow to your Metta and Devotion to keep Rising Higher!

namaste,
coach ilg

photo 1; enduring the Bardo of Two Bench Triceps, one of the ending movements in the formidable yet fun; EEE-GAD Workout.

photo 2; "It ain't enough to be agile and supple, Oh Noble Yogis, you also gotta be STRONG!" Cranking some 'pulls' nowhere NEAR those damned Gravitron machines! At one point during my rock climbing era, i did 62 consecutive pull ups. Pat Adams beat me by 8 reps...oh well.

photos by Wayne Williams as they appear in TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION

Why Don't Monks Squat?

Why Don't Monks Squat?

great question.


Why Are So Many Studio Yogis Afraid To Squat?

great question.


FIND OUT ON TODAY'S
DIRECT LINES with photos and commentary from the King Of All Sports Squats; coach ilg!

The Chaturanga Challenge; Part 2

Cannot tell you how amazing is this Beloved Soul...

Do yourself and your Practice a nice, fat favor and read Teacher Ananda's
second installment of The Chaturanga Challenge; Part 2.

I would like to say that the obvious Dharma Wisdom and Metta that flows
so steadily and radiant from Ananda could be largely contributed to her
HP Yoga Teacher Training! However, i am the first to recognize a truly
Great Soul when i feel it. All this Path of WF did for Ananda is the same
as it is doing for you if you are letting it:
It is just tweaking your weakenesses into Wholenesses!

Enjoy and GREAT JOB, Ananda! Can barely wait till next Monday's new installment!

click here:
The Joyful Breath Free Blog

photo by www.kahtoola.com
after Joy's Second Place Finish in the USSSA Western Regional Snowshoe Race, 5k.

TBT Fan Mail; Supplements or Not? Plus; Student L'Gate Sneak Peak Private Intensive...

how do you create, maintain, and Serve endlessly to thousands a world class standard of multidisciplined body/mind/spirit fitness for a quarter of a century?

well, you start at the Cellular Level; in other words;
you better damn well watch what you eat,
honor what you eat,
and
embrace all challenges as a form of nutrition designed to make you stronger!

in this Path; we certainly have the most Accurate Nutritional Path available for you, a Path that has been proven to transform ANYONE because i have been coaching the same Nutritional Path for a quarter century. A Path that enables my faithful Students like Student L'Gate...


to come here to the Sacred Peak from NYC and absolutely step up to a FULL SERVING of Wholistic Fitness for two 12-hour days! more on that tomorrow in DL!

for now, i want to answer this basic "fan mail" letter for you because it is allWays important to revisit the Basics of the clean, Warrior Sharp and effective Path of WF Nutrition.

***
Hi coach Ilg. I have been reading your book Total Body Transformation, and I love it. I was wondering what your thought of Nutrilite all natural supplements like Double X? They are multi-vitamins. Do you think they would be a good thing to take or not. What is your advice? Thanks a lot!

Sincerely,

Fred C Jr.


Most Noble Fred,
thank you for your kind words!

in this Warrior Path, we don't really use any "supplements." We rely only upon two critical "nutritional weapons":

1) the "Secret Herbs" of SUNRIDER (for pranic field saturation, cell cleansing, cell empowerment, immunology, and overall regeneration)
and
2) BioBuilde® Amino Acids (for maintaining a Positive Nitrogen Balance to ensure lightening fast recovery and optimal training effect insurance).

i have been personally and professionally using SUNRIDER Herbs for 22 years and the BioBuilde® has been making a positive impact on myself and selected WF Students for nearly one year (it is a new product).

to gain access to still complimentary Guidance from me using either the SUNRIDER Herbs or the BioBuilde, you must use my
special links*.



head bowed to your Devoted Practice and THANKS FOR BEING A WF WARRIOR!!!

om so ti,

coach ilg


*interested Warriors need to email me directly to gain my ongoing complimentary Guidance (normally $150/hour consulting fee is lifted for anyone who is an active SUNRIDER or BIOBUILDE warrior under me).

photo 1) Cable Cross-Over Flyes; one of my go-to movements for etching out the pec's and creating powerful torso response for sport performance. taken two days ago during Day One of Student L'Gate's Private Intensive which included this fantastic Strength Training clinic and workout in the "Iron Temple." photo by Ananda who was also working in with us.

photo 2) Student L'Gate, during evening Brahmamahurti in "SABI Meadow" aka; Ilg's SnowShoe Interval Loop. this shot was taken before we climbed "Coyote Hill" and before we did Starlight Intervals in this meadow beneath an absolutely DIAMOND STARLIT night...the stars seemed to explode right over our head. photo by ilg

For less than some people pay for a bottle of wine; you can spend 1-2 Days with Coach and Ananda, exploring the world of Wholistic Fitness and our Love for your Highest Self and Transformation. Average rating of our Private Intensives; 5 out of 5 Stars. But who is counting stars when there are millions of them dancing before your eyes in one of the worlds most beautiful, pranically powerful and unpolluted areas of Mother Earth?

Why have not you booked your 2007 Private WF Intensive?

The Bod Makes A Blog...

WORK ON THE BOD AND THE GOD WILL FOLLOW