Friday, February 4, 2011

RoTK Ballistic Block -- Why only one exercise?

I can't say enough how many joint movements the long cycle teaches. If you Facebook status your workout as "Long Cycle: 2 32kg x 5 x (2,4,6,8) in 42:00", many think you are only doing one exercise and you worked out for less than two hours. But look at all of the joint actions that it covers:

* Ankle plantarflexion and eccentric dorsiflexion,
* Knee extension and eccentric flexion,
* Hip extension and eccentric flexion,
* Core stabilization and force absorption,
* Grip,
* Elbow flexion, extension, force absorption,
* Shoulder flexion and eccentric extension,
* Shoulder lateral rotation and eccentric internal rotation,
* Shoulder joint stabilization and force absorption,
* Lumbar stabilization and force absorption, and
* Thoracic extension and stabilization and force absorption

Seriously, no joint is left uncovered! I reiterate that most of the size gaining effects of RoTK are elicited from systemic stress rather than localized muscle failure. Look at how many muscle actions you are hitting. If you don't know what systemic overload is, one week of the ballistic block will show you. The grind block (double military presses), is systemic overload of the "neural drive" variety. You are not limited by shoulder strength, but your ability to support your pressing weight. That weight is trying to fold you in half. Same idea, different mechanism. The two-week alternating blocks are a kind of periodization on a "critical factor" level.

I am hitting the 2, 4, 6, 8, 10s with the 32kgs in 5 days. Not looking forward to it.

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