Explosive Training Questions

shirazum2023
shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
First off thank you. This site has helped me a lot. (Still helping)
I have recently started my fitness journey. I have adrenal cortical carnicoma (cancer, 3 years top)
I have started lifting weight 5 times a week, followed by 20 min steady state cardio.
My goal is to be generally fit and get out of my 'you are a nerd' for this time. You know, the bucket list sort of things.
I have never participated in anything athletic except for those PE classes. But I am really enjoying this new workout sessions and getting and feeling stronger kind of vibe. Also clothes are fitting better.
So my question here is, I have been looking into some explosive training like athletic performances, HIIT and not that I have done them but would it be too much to incorporate an explosive training day while cutting out one steady state cardio session or should I just have a separate day dedicated to that explosive training session?
Thank you beforehand.

Replies

  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
    Can you provide more information about what your week looks like from workout to workout? Don't worry about listing every detail but just a general overview would be helpful.

    Also, how long have you been back it now? Explosive/power workouts can be very taxing on the nervous system and joints. HIIT workouts don't necessarily have to entail exercises that are hard on your joints but HIIT and explosive power workouts can be two different workouts as well. So it's more up to how prepared you are to handle these things and what the end goal is here.

    The difference between the two can be something as simple as bodyweight squats and bodyweight jump squats. You can do HIIT workouts without the latter but to be explosive, you'll need to actually perform explosive exercises at some point BUT I only recommend it after you've built up your muscles and joints (tendons and ligaments too) to handle it.



  • shirazum2023
    shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
    @MT1134 I am generally doing a push-pull-leg-off structure.

    Push includes : Push ups, Diamond Push ups, Bench Press, OHP, Shoulder Press, Lateral Raise
    Pull includes : Deadlift, Pull up Progressions, Bent Over Row, Single Arm Bent Over Rows, Lat Pull Downs (two kind of hand placement)
    Leg includes : Squat, Elevated Squats, Romanian Deadlifts with Dumbbells, Walking Lunges, Bulgarian Lunges, Hip Thurst, Glute Bridges.

    Followed by 20 minutes of steady state cardio like, walking 3-3.5 mph in 30% incline, or 30 min jump rope followed by farmers walk for 10 min and 10 min of walking.

    The other two days are my rest days. But I somehow manage to walk 10k steps.


    I have never worked out. This is my first time. It has been around 6 weeks. I haven’t felt weak or fatigued yet despite going through radiotherapies alongside.
  • Inspirationalwaterjug
    Inspirationalwaterjug Posts: 384 Member
    French contrast method. Would reccomend for some one without a solid lifting background and solid positioning and fundamentals
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    You're doing 20 minutes a day already of cardio and lifting five days, which is a lot. If you were to do HIIT (and I'd consult with your docs on it), I'd do it one day a week. Explosive training and HIIT are general terms. Real HIIT (and there's been many threads dedicated to that) is just cardio that pushes your HR up over 85 or to 90% of max. In order to really do HIIT, you have to first know your HR Max and only very well trained cardio athletes really have the ability to access/measure that. To give you an idea, I have to push very hard for 20 minutes to get near 90% of max.

    Explosive exercises don't have to be HIIT, necessarily. Jumping up on a Plyo Box is explosive, but it's not usually HIIT, does that make sense?

    If I were you, I'd simply pick one day a week to perhaps do intervals on your cardio, where you might push it hard for 20 or 30 seconds, as hard as you can, and then slow down for like a minute and repeat. You might add in ballistic movements for your weight lifting workout -- standing broad jumps, plyo box jumps, pushups where you try to lift off the ground, for instance. Jump squats, battle ropes. These are all ballistic things most can do.
  • shirazum2023
    shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
    @MT1134 Sorry I meant, 30 seconds of jump rope followed by farmers walk for 10-15 times.
  • shirazum2023
    shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
    @MikePfirrman I did understand the differences before but did not how to explain it. Thank you. This made me realize, I am more inclined to the explosive movements than HIIT cardio. I mean, for some reason despite not working out in life, I am relatively stronger as the gym guys stated. I mean I never worked out but I was able to do push ups and diamond push ups and ring hold and dips. Probably because of working in a farm at my grandparents for extra money when I was young?
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,605 Member
    Are you having your catecholamine levels monitored as part of your treatment? Just asking as explosive stuff can cause an adrenaline surge: the adrenaline payback when your levels aren’t normal can feel absolutely dreadful. I would ensure you have a good 24 hrs and maybe 48 hrs rest planned after anything explosive or really heavy and taxing on the CNS. (Voice of experience as boy did I get it wrong!)
  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
    shirazum2023 wrote: »
    @MT1134 Sorry I meant, 30 seconds of jump rope followed by farmers walk for 10-15 times.

    So without getting too far into the weeds here I would suggest either 1)replacing one of your strength training sessions with a more focused approach on explosive training or 2)perhaps you can cut the strength focus volume and add in some explosive work either prior to or after the strength.

    *I'm saying all of this without any consideration to your health. Please understand I'm not telling you what to do as your health amongst other considerations are outside of my scope.
  • shirazum2023
    shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
    @claireychn074 Oh boy I did not consider this AT ALL. Stupid me. Thanks millions. I think I will check on with the team before embarking on this explosive training idea. Again thank you so very much.

    @MT1134 This is a very good idea.

    @heybales That's what I was thinking of too honestly. Before or after a leg day would just be way too taxing.

    I think I will stick to what I am doing and incorporate one or two movements on one of the rest days slowly to see how I feel. I just want to be able to do one muscle up and a few burpees to push ups to knee tuck jumps once in my life. Will have to progress very slow to not get the hormones levels whacked. Haha. A lot of challenges but I guess I have time. Around 2 to 3 years. Hope I will make it.

    Thank you so much. You guys are amazeballs.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    Hats off to you. I have no advice over and above what people have already given. But keep at it, and enjoy it.

    Our UK Chief Medical Officer said "There is no situation, there is no age, there is no condition where exercise is not a good thing." And although they have said 2 to 3 years, you just never know. I've exercised myself out of a few conditions. Less serious than yours, but even so. Make sure you report back when you've done that muscle up.
  • djaxon1
    djaxon1 Posts: 82 Member
    You are very fit walking 20min @ 30 grade.
    Have you tried kettlebells ?

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