Blink2000's Progress Journal

[blink2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blink2000]

Thanks aidan784!

about doing the newbie routine: i think it might give me a little more flaccid girth, which would help with hanging -- that's really my biggest motivation. i do think my tunica is already permanently thicker (slightly), so i'm not sure what kind of results i could get with manual stretching. i don't think i'm very good at jelqing or conditioned very well for jelqs...

after such a long decon break, there isn't a better time for me to try a newbie routine again; i guess that's why i'm thinking of doing it. it would definitely be depressing if i tried it and gained nothing at all... i guess that's why it's not a black and white thing for me.

[bgstick18 PEGym Editor Find all posts View Profile Close bgstick18]

I think after all the hanging you've done man, you wouldnt see a whole heck of a lot with manuel stretching. Hanging is like the masters degree in the "lengthening dept" of PE. Go from manuel to hanging, not from hanging to manuel, just dont think your weeny would respond!

[wind chill Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wind chill]

I think after all the hanging you've done man, you wouldnt see a whole heck of a lot with manuel stretching. Hanging is like the masters degree in the "lengthening dept" of PE. Go from manuel to hanging, not from hanging to manuel, just dont think your weeny would respond!

I don't think anyone has tried this i.e. going from hanging to manual

[aidan784 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close aidan784]

Actually at Thunder's, I think you saw and commented on the poll Blink, there were quite a few guys that didn't gain with hanging and went to manual stretching routines.
When you've been PE'ing upwards of 5 years like some of the guys over there and with sufficient breaks, manual routines can be useful even after long periods of hanging.
I suppose maybe my suggestion to keep hanging was because you always said it appealed to you because it allowed you to gauge how much force you were using. It seemed you'd found exactly the method for you, some guys never do that. But experimenting is never a bad thing.
I think because you, like me, see this as very long term then you can afford to experiment a little for maybe a couple of months to see if you enjoy manual routines.
By the way, I never properly thanked you for bringing convict conditioning to the attention of the forum. I've started it, albeit ridiculously slowly, but there's no rush. If in 2 years or so I actually AM doing 1 arm pullups then I'll owe you a good ol' cup of erection tea

[crayrobs1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close crayrobs1]

Blink, you've clocked a ton of hours doing PE. I would assume you know your body well by now. Go with your gut.

[blink2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blink2000]

By the way, I never properly thanked you for bringing convict conditioning to the attention of the forum. I've started it, albeit ridiculously slowly, but there's no rush. If in 2 years or so I actually AM doing 1 arm pullups then I'll owe you a good ol' cup of erection tea

vulcan is also doing the convict conditioning program. he actually lost 10lbs doing it! (and he was already in good shape). i tried it but i think it was too difficult at my weight of 225lbs (combining it with P90x might be what hurt my shoulder--very foolish, i know).

i think if i get down to 190lbs or 200lbs, convict conditioning will be a lot easier and safer for me. i'm thinking i'll do some powerlifting and maybe sprinting until i get down to 200lbs (i'm eating a pretty 'clean' diet too, so the pounds are still coming off--although they come off very slowly). i'm going to try either rippetoe's 3x5 or stronglift.com's 5x5 (based off bill starr's ideas). once i rebuild my strength and get more lean, i can probably make better progress with convict conditioning...

i do think it would be awesome to a "6 man"--
1 arm pullup
1 arm pushup (perfect form though!--straight body, feet together, etc)
1 arm handstand pushup - this seems like a fantasy, but i suppose it's possible after many years of hard work
backbends: this seems more like a flexibility / balance thing than raw strength--i do like how he addresses spinal strength...
leg raises: once i'm light i would try and do the kind where i raise my shins right to the bar
pistol squats: i'm slowly getting used to the idea of deep squats--i think these would really work the hip flexors, improve flexibility, and guarantee a decent base of strength, and probably help release some natural hgh/ testosterone for the other movements

i do love the idea that i could have a job that forces me to do a lot of traveling, yet maintain a solid level of fitness (due to convict conditioning). i wonder if its possible for someone to do a 1 arm handstand pushup at the age of 60 (assuming they achieved that level of strength earlier in life, i wonder if it would be possible to maintain it).

back to PE & hanging-- i have a month to think about things... i was partly thinking of doing the JP90 just so i could help newer guys that keep asking about it. i agree that it might make sense to just stick with hanging, since that is really what i know (i'm not nearly as knowledgeable on things like manual routines). however, if i ever get a job that forces me to travel, i have thought it would be very useful if i had memorized a good manual routine...

[aidan784 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close aidan784]

I actually looked into Rippetoe's starting strength after you posted about it but after starting reading convict conditioning I was convinced otherwise, at least for the time being.
I do think he writes well and he convincingly talks about the benefits or calisthenics. The way he talks about functional strength as opposed to more showing off is very appealing, and makes sense given the nature of how he came up with the book ie. In prisons.
For me all of the 'master steps' look really daunting but it is great to know how to work to that point. He does put A LOT of emphasis on spine and back condition which does seem very important.

I think by this point with all the responses you've posted to new guys about beginner routines you've probably got a few memorized! Well anyway it will be interesting which way you decide to go.

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

Apparently it is very important to descend very slowly & under control when doing the deep squats. I have started to get used to them now & so I did a few sets where I properly paused for a second or two at the bottom before pushing up - made for a good progression.

[blink2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blink2000]

Apparently it is very important to descend very slowly & under control when doing the deep squats. I have started to get used to them now & so I did a few sets where I properly paused for a second or two at the bottom before pushing up - made for a good progression.

as soon as my arm is healed enough so i can move it off to the side, i'll start working on my hip flexibility--i want to be able to do perfect technique deep squats. currently my hips or ankles (or both) are not flexible enough. right now my gimp arm is in the way when i try to stretch things out...

i also want to be able to do pistol squats--it seems like a good exercise--and it's something i don't need a gym to practice... i think that's possibly the #1 reason i like convict conditioning... no gym or equipment required!

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

On dragondoor.com there is a forum full of people doing it, I nearly joined up - but I really only have time for one forum & PEGym is it!

[blink2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blink2000]

On dragondoor.com there is a forum full of people doing it, I nearly joined up - but I really only have time for one forum & PEGym is it!

That's really interesting... I may have to take a look at that sometime.

[blink2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blink2000]

My arm seems to really be healing. This is great.

I'll be back to PE before long...

[blink2000 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close blink2000]

Still no PE yet. My shoulder is not healed either... I still have 3x more weeks in a sling. I have been trying to wrap my head around a way to safely start doing PE before that, but for now, nothing comes to mind (I could have used an extender maybe, but it would be too difficult to learn a new device with just 1 hand, so I decided not to do it).

[crayrobs1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close crayrobs1]

blink, what about pumping if an extender is out of the picture? Just something to keep your penis conditioned for PE while you're recovering. Pumping takes little effort and only one good hand/arm to control it all.
Hoping you recover soon!

[bgstick18 PEGym Editor Find all posts View Profile Close bgstick18]

Speedy recovery bud! I'd go with what Craybos said! Pumping is the shit! Great way to maintain while in the healing process.