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Dangers18

Dangers18

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Hey
Ive been playing cricket for about 4 years now and ive always opened the batting and usually opened the bowling, until now im playing in a grade of cricket where my bowling isnt up to scratch, and ive never really felt flexible enough or fit enough, i want to be known as someone in my team whos lightning in the field and quick between wickets. I have been doing powerlifting for 6 months now and ive realised as im starting to bulk up, my flexibility is going down, i want to cut off the weights a fair bit and start training more towards a cricketing physique, i go to the gym regularly so what should i change my routine to? instead of deadlitfs, squats ext..

Weight- 92kgs
height- 6ft
 
Hi Dangers and welcome.

How old are you?
Where do you live?
What other sport/activities do you enjoy?

I would be interested to know why you decided on powerlifting?

It is possible to continue with powerlifting but Brian would be the guy for you; he is a competitive powerlifter but also fairly flexible. I specialise in weightlifting... Olympic Lifts but I would really need to know a lot more before I could be any real use to you.

However, there are quite a few threads on this forum for general fitness advice with core strength, although cardio work is not covered that well.
 
Im 20, Live in tasmania, Australia and i play aussie rules foorball and basketball.
I started powerlifting to mainly just get strong and i liked the sport, my house mate got me into it and when i told him i dont want to get bulky and unflexible he said 'your hardly big at all, just stretch and keep up the cardio, bowling has nothing to do with fitness just technique' and started pulling up articles on how powerlifting will improve bowling and batting. he knows nothing about cricket so i just take his advice with a grain of salt.
I have bumped up my cardio, 2km in 10mins 3 times a week plus ill try and fit in 30-45mins on the exercise bike before cricket on a saturday morning, im probably at 16% body fat, and i want to get down from 92kgs to 80kgs.
If i wanted to be anyone in cricket, it'd be shane watson. a good bowler and opening batsmen, he too was like me, into weight lifting, then was advised to drop the weights and focus more on being athletic and flexible, and it turned his cricket around.
 
Dangers18 said:
... just stretch and keep up the cardio, bowling has nothing to do with fitness just technique'...
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That is a common misconception and very outdated. Bowling is very much to do with technique but without the fitness where is the stamina and power?

Dangers18 said:
...im probably at 16% body fat, and i want to get down from 92kgs to 80kgs...
Click to expand...

Personally, I would like to see you no lower than 18% body fat for a year or two more but I understand the desire of young guys for that definition... especially the 8-pack! :D

I agree, unless you are competing, 92kgs is a bit too much, although I would narrow your target a little to about 84kgs.

Dangers18 said:
... If i wanted to be anyone in cricket, it'd be shane watson. a good bowler and opening batsmen, he too was like me, into weight lifting, then was advised to drop the weights and focus more on being athletic and flexible, and it turned his cricket around.
Click to expand...

Powerlifting and weightlifting are two totally different sports. Unless you are a competitive powerlifter I would always recommend weightlifting. However, unless you are a competitive weightlifter, I would never 'pump to the max'; that's just ego stuff and not at all functional.

To know how to help you, I would need to know your current programme. In the meantime, take a look at Brian's blog: http://www.pitchvision.com/node/6056, you may decide you can accommodate both powerlifting and cricket. ;)
 
Hi Dangers18, Thought I'd put my two cents in. Like you I enjoy powerlifting. I'am 5ft 6 and weigh about 85-87kgish body fat around about mid teens. Similar to you I bat top order and opent the bowling and also like to run around the field.

I have been tinkering around over the last few years on how to combine powerlifitng with cricket. And have finally stumbled upon a program which is very effective. It is called 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. I would recommend you check it out. It's a highly adaptable program which includes all your basic lifts from squats, deadlifts, presses etc and also sprints. I have been using this for about 5 months now and have gradually gotten stronger and fitter...My weight has floated around about the same... maybe a little higher.. I did a Powerlifting meet in December and weighed in at 89kg...which was mainly due to me eating a S**T load of food.

We have just started netting again after christmas so I am hoping all this strength work will transmute over the next few weeks into better performances.

I would be intersted to see how you plan your sessions and If I can be of any help then give us a shout.
 
thanks for the tips guys,
Ill look at that routine by wendler and run it past my powerlifting companion, looks good though.
I definitely am going to look into sprinting thats for sure.
Bumped up the cardio, ran 3.2kms in 15 mins and 15 mins on the bike yesterday. felt good.
Also eating lean meats, right now porterhouse steak, eggs and salad are cooking ;)
Changed my run up to 20 paces now, a bit longer, but felt alot more comfortable and i personally think ive picked up a few kms :)
Gunna keep working at it though.
thanks ill let you know how i go :)
 
Did anyone see the documentary on BBC2 here in the UK "The Truth about Fitness". If you're in the UK I think you may be able to see it on I-Player (BBC) still other than that you might get a sense of what it was about here...

28 February 2012 Last updated at 01:21


Can three minutes of exercise a week help make you fit?


Comments (323)

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A few relatively short bursts of intense exercise, amounting to only a few minutes a week, can deliver many of the health and fitness benefits of hours of conventional exercise, according to new research, says Dr Michael Mosley. But how much benefit you get from either may well depend on your genes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17177251 Some interesting stuff. The thing I liked which does seem really obvious and it's something David Hinchcliffe has mentioned before is your diet in relation to how you look, there's a bloke at the start, I think he's a runner and he starts talking about six packs and makes the point that with a little effort most blokes would have a six pack of some sort, but it's obscured by fat and he goes on to say that he's only got x amounts of body fat and it seems that it's almost entirely down to diet.

I've come away from the program on the tele now thinking I've got to look at fat reduction in my diet, so that's what I'm going to be looking at over the next few months. The thought that the fat that I eat might be getting stored internally (Therefore not obvious) was a bit disconcerting.
 
Another question, does anyone in the UK know where I'd be able to get good quality Thera-bands or similar. I'm looking for something for doing stretches for the shoulders pulling the band behind the back of the head. The other question that arises is, with this exercise does the band have to give, could you pull something across the shoulders like a towel and get the same benefit?
 
If you want to strengthen your RC, you could not do any better than the exercises David Buckley gave you.

You can use bands but they are not ideal. RC muscles are instigators, by the time you get any significant resistance the superficial muscles have taken over the load.

You can use the towel, which will make the contraction isometric.
 
Liz Ward said:
If you want to strengthen your RC, you could not do any better than the exercises David Buckley gave you.

You can use bands but they are not ideal. RC muscles are instigators, by the time you get any significant resistance the superficial muscles have taken over the load.

You can use the towel, which will make the contraction isometric.
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Interestingly my son Ben you met at the Core Cambridge do is currently engaged in a competition with me to do the most pull-ups. I've not done them for years due to a hernia behind my belly button, but at the minute because of all the 'Planks' and press-ups I'm doing, I'm keeping up with him. It's early days yet and we're both only managing 5, but he's definitely up for beating his Dad! I think what I'll do as to not over do it is, let him beat me tomorrow with 6 if he can do it and let him stick at that rate otherwise if I keep pushing him, it may be too much too soon? But it does seem as though he was inspired by the do at the Essex ground!
 
I am really pleased to hear that Ben was 'inspired'. Long may it last!

Don't worry about him overdoing the pull-ups; as long as he keeps good form and braces his core, he will be fine.

I did not answer your original questions about the TV programme purely because any attempt will cause just as much confusion but I would like to say:

1. There is no one size fits all; and
2. Fat does not make you fat.

With respect to 2, you are a role model. Your boys are required to be no less than 20% body fat for health and this will disguise any 6/8-pack. You will end up reverting to "do what I say, not what I do"! Or worse, encourage them to jeopardise their well being.

Slightly off topic but along the lines of confusion, if you have time read http://www.sportsscientists.com/2012/03/10000-hours-vs-training-debate-no.html. I would be interested in your thoughts.

From another angle, I would also be interested in Tony's thoughts too.
 
Liz Ward said:
...From another angle, I would also be interested in Tony's thoughts too.
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Personally, 3x20 seconds sounds a long time on a bike!

I also watched the programme with interest, not so much from an exercise point of view but the whole internal fat and diabetic standpoint (lots of history in the family) so I will try to give it a go. I have been trying to drop a few pounds since Christmas as I am sick of the Wi-Fit making horrible blobby noises and showing me as a ball with legs! Dave, as you know I have no medical expertise but if you are worried given your 'butchers dog' physique, whatever hope is there for the rest of us?

Liz, really interesting article and I guess it will be no surprise to you that I agree with the author. I have never understood this 10,000 hours principle, or more acurately, I have never understood how people can use it across a mulitude of skills and environments - to me different skills are easier/harder to learn so this one size fits all seems a bit misleading and thats before we even consider what you do in those 10,000 hours (give me a short focussed training session above 2 hours of poor practice any day). I think it is in part a function of modern day life that there must be 'a solution', rather than accepting that things are complex and difficult and people can only work within their areas of expertise and will often need to draw in others to complement their skills
 
Well, as usual, totally perceptive Tony... on all points!

You are absolutely right in paying attention to the programme if you are interested in reducing the indicators for diabetes and internal fat levels. I cannot fault the suggestions and findings with this in mind. I guess bottom line, if you cannot do any more/set aside any more time this is an extremely valid option. However, this is not the panacea I know most will believe it is and in no way did Dr Mosley suggest it was.

A considerable number of us are walking around with pancreas/insulin issues that we do not know anything about. I cannot emphasise enough [and it is covered in this forum somewhere] the need to get tested. Even if the tests are clear, this regime cannot hurt. As both the programme and the article suggest, not all will benefit from any VO2 Max improvement. That does not mean that we cannot work on it in other ways!!

Other than that, it is not going to help much with sport.

I agree, the article is really interesting and the more I read it, the more interesting it becomes. I guess I can see both sides of the argument being both a psychologist and and physiologist and you are absolutely correct to mention areas of expertise. ;) However, the writer is measured and does suggest that it is a combination. The problem is, many studies are extremely one sided and you can manipulate any result to back up your hypothesise but this is just ego massaging. The damage is done when others, believing it makes sense, donate everything to it and it all becomes another Emperor's New Clothes!

3 x 20 seconds does sound a long time on the bike and it will be difficult... if not, you are doing it wrong! The problem is, most people do not know what they are capable of and unless observed and pushed, will not give it their all, therefore wasting their time.
 
Liz Ward said:
...I agree, the article is really interesting and the more I read it, the more interesting it becomes. I guess I can see both sides of the argument being both a psychologist and and physiologist and you are absolutely correct to mention areas of expertise. ;) However, the writer is measured and does suggest that it is a combination. The problem is, many studies are extremely one sided and you can manipulate any result to back up your hypothesise but this is just ego massaging. The damage is done when others, believing it makes sense, donate everything to it and it all becomes another Emperor's New Clothes!...
Click to expand...

Liz, as you know this is always my fear - partial knowledge in the wrong hands, something the internet is fantastic at. I don't have the time, or inclination, to do lots of reading around psychology and/or physiology publications but try to pick bits up as and where I can, that said I try to be very careful in how I then implement any of those bits and bobs. I also think there is a fair degree of common sense that needs to be applied, if you practice something you will get better at it, although that is as much down to how and what you practice rather than 'x hours will make you this good', thats the real trick from a coaches perspective
 
Common sense is an extremely under valued commodity... it is so precious and yet FREE!

I believe to improve, one must gain knowledge. We start from the moment we appear as a tiny embryo and are born with the best knowledge; watch a baby breathe or a toddler walk and sit... perfeck! Their desire to experiment is fantastic; without any preconceived notion of what the result would be. Of course, without enough knowledge, this could end very badly but we are programmed to gain knowledge and very brave people throughout the ages have left such a valuable legacy from their desire to experiment... and yes, deaths have occurred but as a species and as a civilisation, we would not be here right now without their sacrifices.

We should not disregard the past in our search for a 'better' future. Everything that has happened has enriched this precious commodity and we should all make the most of it; utilise it to its full potential.

It is good that we are thrown thought provoking ideas but common sense tells us to valuate... if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it is reasonable to assume it is a duck! If it sounds too good to be true, take my word for it... it is!

If we do not start to appreciate the importance of common sense, we are all doomed... all to end up following our sat navs down a lifeboat ramp into oblivion!!! :D
 
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