single leg vs both legs (exercises)?

Hello All,

I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
curls,
calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the benefits
of
doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?

Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?

TIA,
_Bigred




I'm protected by SpamBrave
http://www.spambrave.com/

Dnia 2007-01-30 _Bigred napisa³(a):
> Hello All,
>
> I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
> curls, calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
> benefits of doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?

Pretty small. With leg presses it works fine, because you can use the
other leg to spot your working limb, and you'll use less weight which
will spare your hips from being crushed into the pad.

> Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?

Try squats first. Exercises you use now have nothing to do with
reasons why some athletes do single leg exercises, so do not bother
with them until you do what most of them do. I mean, squat.

--
Andrzej Rosa

"_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org> schreef:

> My question would be what is the benefits of
> doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?

For development or strength?

None.

> Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?

No.

But thats up to you, i guess.

--
Pete

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
wrote:

>Hello All,
>
>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
>curls,
>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the benefits
>of
>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>
>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>
>TIA,
>_Bigred
>
>
>
>
>I'm protected by SpamBrave
>http://www.spambrave.com/

There are reasons to do single leg exercises.

The two long extensors of the toes, along with the tibialis, help to
prevent foot-slap following heel strike when running. They also help
to lift the foot for the next stride. They are vital to balance.
Flexion of the ankles and toes during calf and other one-leg exercises
strengthens these muscles.

Single leg extensions are fine for warm-ups and/or rehab when done
with light weights. You risk hurting your knee with heavy weights.

_The New Power Program: New Protocols for Maximum Strength_ by Dr.
Michael Colgan

One-legged deadlifts done barefoot with a barbell, two dumbbells or
two kettlebells will strengthen your ankle. A nice addition to a
deadlift routine

Do one-legged DB calf raises, not standing machine calf raises with
very heavy weights - unless you know how to protect yourself against
serious spinal compression

The negative accentuated foot extension in a leg press machine is good
for the calves. Lift with two feet; lower with one

The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front or
just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs. (I
can't do these.)

_Beyond Bodybuilding_ by Pavel

The one-legged squat is explained very thoroughly in a book by Pavel
Tsatsouline entitled _The Naked Warrior_

One can also do one-legged bodyweight calf raises and "squats" at home
using a chair

So, there are reasons for doing one-legged exercises, but I doubt that
most people will find these reasons compelling. Personally, I'd like
to be able to do pistol squats with a kettlebell and don't really care
about the other one-legged exercises I've named.

Rear and front squats and deadlifts (barbell and two legs, of course)
will get you where you want to go. Learn how to do these using good
form and technique and walk past all the machines you're now using.

"_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org> wrote in message
news:45bec5c5$0$4897$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Hello All,
>
> I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
> curls, calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
> benefits of doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>
> Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>
> TIA,
> _Bigred

Whether or not you should do something depends on your specific goals,
e.g., athletes in many sports can benefit from standing, one-legged
exercises but they are not staples of the bodybuilder's workout. I'm
not sure there is much to be gained from leg presses and extensions done
with only one leg, however.

The simplest one-legged exercise I have found is standing on one leg and
moving the other. As you get better at it, you can move the other leg
pretty vigorously - front to back or out to the side (think karate
kicks), side to side in the front, side to side behind you, figure 8's,
lift the upper leg and move only the lower, etc. The possibilities are
nearly endless. The work and the benefit is not primarily in the moving
leg but in stabilizing the leg you're standing on. I do a variety of
these are part of my joint health and warmup morning routine.

I go through phases of focusing on heavy one-legged work and don't do it
consistently. When I'm doing them, my exercise choices include
bodyweight and weighted one-legged squats (pistols), one-legged deadlfts
with two kettlebells, and standing one-legged, one-armed overhead
presses - all great exercises for general health and fitness purposes,
IMHO. And don't forget that there are many two-legged but asymmetrical
exercises that will help with strength and stability - various
lunge-position exercises including split squats, for example.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

"_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org> wrote in message
news:45bec5c5$0$4897$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Hello All,
>
> I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
> curls,
> calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the benefits
> of
> doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>
> Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>
> TIA,
> _Bigred
>
Single leg hopping on a swiss ball while pressing a kettlebell combines
stabilizers and plyometrics.

gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
> wrote:

>>Hello All,
>>
>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
>>curls,
>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the benefits
>>of
>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>
>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?

> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front or
> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs. (I
> can't do these.)

I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never take
elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up slowly
(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra strain :-)

I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to keep
up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop stairs.

--
Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
wrote:

>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
>> wrote:
>
>>>Hello All,
>>>
>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses, leg
>>>curls,
>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the benefits
>>>of
>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>
>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>
>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front or
>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs. (I
>> can't do these.)
>
>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never take
>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up slowly
>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra strain :-)
>
>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to keep
>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop stairs.

Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?

Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?

And can you give us an update on The Intelligent Knowledge Based
Balloon project? http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml

<gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
newsg65s21ifoes5sv1kc1nvqph0daosuldhk@4ax.com...
> On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
>>> wrote:
>>
>>>>Hello All,
>>>>
>>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses,
>>>>leg
>>>>curls,
>>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
>>>>benefits
>>>>of
>>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>>
>>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>>
>>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front
>>> or
>>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs.
>>> (I
>>> can't do these.)
>>
>>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never take
>>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up slowly
>>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra strain
>>:-)
>>
>>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to keep
>>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop stairs.
>
> Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
> where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
>
> Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?

http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm - picture right at the
top of the article.

Pavel's book and DVD, "Naked Warrior" http://www.kbnj.com/nw.htm focus
on the pistol and the one-armed pushup - great book, great exercises
both.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com


> And can you give us an update on The Intelligent Knowledge Based
> Balloon project? http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml

On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 22:03:32 -0500, "Steve Freides"
<steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:

>
><gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
>newsg65s21ifoes5sv1kc1nvqph0daosuldhk@4ax.com.. .
>> On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>>Hello All,
>>>>>
>>>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses,
>>>>>leg
>>>>>curls,
>>>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
>>>>>benefits
>>>>>of
>>>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>>>
>>>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>>>
>>>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front
>>>> or
>>>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs.
>>>> (I
>>>> can't do these.)
>>>
>>>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>>>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>>>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never take
>>>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>>>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up slowly
>>>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>>>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra strain
>>>:-)
>>>
>>>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to keep
>>>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>>>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop stairs.
>>
>> Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
>> where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
>>
>> Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?
>
>http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm - picture right at the
>top of the article.
>
>Pavel's book and DVD, "Naked Warrior" http://www.kbnj.com/nw.htm focus
>on the pistol and the one-armed pushup - great book, great exercises
>both.
>
>-S-
>http://www.kbnj.com

Thank you Steve.

I want to know whether Chris' one-legged squat is the one you're
referring to.

There are other exercises that are called a one-legged squat. I do
one involving holding one foot to my butt and using my other hand for
balance on the top of a chair's back rest. By rising on my toe
instead of keeping my heel on the ground, this exercise becomes a
one-legged calf raise. And there are other exercises described as
one-legged squats.

Needless to say, what I do is not nearly as challenging as Pavel's
pistol squat.
>
>
>> And can you give us an update on The Intelligent Knowledge Based
>> Balloon project? http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml
>

gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 22:03:32 -0500, "Steve Freides"
> <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:

>><gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
>>newsg65s21ifoes5sv1kc1nvqph0daosuldhk@4ax.com. ..
>>> On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>>Hello All,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses,
>>>>>>leg
>>>>>>curls,
>>>>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
>>>>>>benefits
>>>>>>of
>>>>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>>>>
>>>>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front
>>>>> or
>>>>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs.
>>>>> (I
>>>>> can't do these.)
>>>>
>>>>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>>>>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>>>>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never take
>>>>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>>>>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up slowly
>>>>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>>>>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra strain
>>>>:-)
>>>>
>>>>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to keep
>>>>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>>>>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop stairs.
>>>
>>> Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
>>> where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
>>>
>>> Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?
>>
>>http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm - picture right at the
>>top of the article.
>>
>>Pavel's book and DVD, "Naked Warrior" http://www.kbnj.com/nw.htm focus
>>on the pistol and the one-armed pushup - great book, great exercises
>>both.

> Thank you Steve.

> I want to know whether Chris' one-legged squat is the one you're
> referring to.

Yes, just as in the pictures Steve posted. It's a common party trick
in rock climbing circles, which I was once on the fringes of. It's as
much balance and control as strength.

>>> And can you give us an update on The Intelligent Knowledge Based
>>> Balloon project? http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml

That was proposed a long time ago. A few such devices have since then
been built, not alas by me or my students, although some initial
feasibility experiments were done some years ago in Edinburgh's robot
labs which led to the conclusion "we need a nigger balloon". They
work well in large museum halls.

--
Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

On 2 Feb 2007 07:14:54 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
wrote:

>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>> On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 22:03:32 -0500, "Steve Freides"
>> <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:
>
>>><gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
>>>newsg65s21ifoes5sv1kc1nvqph0daosuldhk@4ax.com ...
>>>> On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>>>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred" <spam@reallysucks.org>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>>Hello All,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg presses,
>>>>>>>leg
>>>>>>>curls,
>>>>>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
>>>>>>>benefits
>>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>>>>>
>>>>>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in front
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your legs.
>>>>>> (I
>>>>>> can't do these.)
>>>>>
>>>>>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>>>>>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>>>>>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never take
>>>>>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>>>>>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up slowly
>>>>>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>>>>>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra strain
>>>>>:-)
>>>>>
>>>>>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to keep
>>>>>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>>>>>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop stairs.
>>>>
>>>> Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
>>>> where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
>>>>
>>>> Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?
>>>
>>>http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm - picture right at the
>>>top of the article.
>>>
>>>Pavel's book and DVD, "Naked Warrior" http://www.kbnj.com/nw.htm focus
>>>on the pistol and the one-armed pushup - great book, great exercises
>>>both.
>
>> Thank you Steve.
>
>> I want to know whether Chris' one-legged squat is the one you're
>> referring to.
>
>Yes, just as in the pictures Steve posted. It's a common party trick
>in rock climbing circles, which I was once on the fringes of. It's as
>much balance and control as strength.

I never tried to do the true pistol squat more than a dozen times. I
failed so badly that I knew I would have to dedicate a lot of time and
effort to mastering it. If and when this becomes a higher priority
for me, I'll do what it takes to succeed.

You say it's a party trick among rock climbers. It's not practiced
for training purposes?

>>>> And can you give us an update on The Intelligent Knowledge Based
>>>> Balloon project? http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml
>
>That was proposed a long time ago. A few such devices have since then
>been built, not alas by me or my students, although some initial
>feasibility experiments were done some years ago in Edinburgh's robot
>labs which led to the conclusion "we need a nigger balloon". They
>work well in large museum halls.

In the U.S. the word "nigger" is perceived as extremely offensive if
used by a white person in any context. I guess this is not the case
in your country or at least not among students and scientists in the
field of robotics (and perhaps in other specialized fields).

In news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com,
gedaloda@thisguy.com <gedaloda@thisguy.com> typed:

>
> In the U.S. the word "nigger" is perceived as extremely offensive if
> used by a white person in any context. I guess this is not the case
> in your country or at least not among students and scientists in the
> field of robotics (and perhaps in other specialized fields).

Check your keyboard. See that letter to the left of "N"; that's what he
meant to type. It's known as a typo; a rather unfortunate one in this case.

--
Bully
Protein bars: http://www.proteinbars.co.uk

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees
the opportunity in every difficulty." Sir Winston Churchill

<gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com...
> On 2 Feb 2007 07:14:54 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
> wrote:
>
>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>> On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 22:03:32 -0500, "Steve Freides"
>>> <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:
>>
>>>><gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
>>>>newsg65s21ifoes5sv1kc1nvqph0daosuldhk@4ax.co m...
>>>>> On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>>>>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred"
>>>>>>> <spam@reallysucks.org>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Hello All,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg
>>>>>>>>presses,
>>>>>>>>leg
>>>>>>>>curls,
>>>>>>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
>>>>>>>>benefits
>>>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in
>>>>>>> front
>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your
>>>>>>> legs.
>>>>>>> (I
>>>>>>> can't do these.)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>>>>>>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>>>>>>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never
>>>>>>take
>>>>>>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>>>>>>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up
>>>>>>slowly
>>>>>>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>>>>>>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra
>>>>>>strain
>>>>>>:-)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to
>>>>>>keep
>>>>>>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>>>>>>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop
>>>>>>stairs.
>>>>>
>>>>> Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
>>>>> where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
>>>>>
>>>>> Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?
>>>>
>>>>http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm - picture right at
>>>>the
>>>>top of the article.
>>>>
>>>>Pavel's book and DVD, "Naked Warrior" http://www.kbnj.com/nw.htm
>>>>focus
>>>>on the pistol and the one-armed pushup - great book, great exercises
>>>>both.
>>
>>> Thank you Steve.
>>
>>> I want to know whether Chris' one-legged squat is the one you're
>>> referring to.
>>
>>Yes, just as in the pictures Steve posted. It's a common party trick
>>in rock climbing circles, which I was once on the fringes of. It's as
>>much balance and control as strength.
>
> I never tried to do the true pistol squat more than a dozen times. I
> failed so badly that I knew I would have to dedicate a lot of time and
> effort to mastering it. If and when this becomes a higher priority
> for me, I'll do what it takes to succeed.

The Naked Warrior Book has all the tips and tricks you need to master
the pistol. The article I linked to, by Steve Cotter, is also a fine
place to start, and you'll find articles by others on the Internet, too.
I recall one by Mike Mahler somewhere, maybe t-mag or bodybuilding.com.

> You say it's a party trick among rock climbers. It's not practiced
> for training purposes?

There are many good training exercises that also make fine party tricks.
I was seen doing the pistols on an NYC sidewalk after a few beers a few
weeks ago.

As has been mentioned already, there are many versions. NW talks about
the "airborn lunge" in which you just flex at the knee then try to get
that knee close to the ground. Holding the foot is another option. A
lot of people like one-legged squats on a table - you just let the other
leg hang instead of having to hold it out in front of you or bend it.
All are fine exercises.

If you decide to try a bodyweight pistol, the best way to start if
you're anywhere close to being able to do one is with a light weight
that you use for a counterbalance - hold the weight where you need,
usually at arms length in front of you, move it as needed during the
course of the movement. When I started working on bodyweight pistols, I
went out and bought some "Barbie" dumbbells, and did mine 4 lbs. in each
hand, then gradually worked the weights lower and lower. Another option
is holding the toe of the outstretched foot with one or both hands.

For weighted pistols, the groove is different and until the weight gets
heavy enough, many people find them easier, e.g., it's much easier for
me to do a pistol with a 16 kg kettlebell than bodyweight only. And you
can't beat a kettlebell for being the right shape for these.

Hope that helps some.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 09:36:25 -0500, "Steve Freides"
<steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:

><gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
>news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com.. .
>> On 2 Feb 2007 07:14:54 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>> On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 22:03:32 -0500, "Steve Freides"
>>>> <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>><gedaloda@thisguy.com> wrote in message
>>>>>newsg65s21ifoes5sv1kc1nvqph0daosuldhk@4ax.c om...
>>>>>> On 1 Feb 2007 16:13:02 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:12:52 -0600, "_Bigred"
>>>>>>>> <spam@reallysucks.org>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Hello All,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I currently do leg exercises that use both legs (i.e leg
>>>>>>>>>presses,
>>>>>>>>>leg
>>>>>>>>>curls,
>>>>>>>>>calve raises, leg extensions). My question would be what is the
>>>>>>>>>benefits
>>>>>>>>>of
>>>>>>>>>doing these or other exercises with one leg at a time?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Should I incorporate single leg exercises into my routine?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The one-legged squat or "pistol" squat with a weight held in
>>>>>>>> front
>>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>>> just bodyweight is supposedly a fine way to strengthen your
>>>>>>>> legs.
>>>>>>>> (I
>>>>>>>> can't do these.)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I've been doing a few of these every year for decades just to make
>>>>>>>sure I wasn't losing leg strength. So far so good at age 64 :-) I
>>>>>>>don't do any specific exercises for leg strength, except I never
>>>>>>>take
>>>>>>>elevators, I go up the stairs two or three at a time, depending on
>>>>>>>size of step. Sometimes I run up for cardio, sometimes I go up
>>>>>>>slowly
>>>>>>>(e.g. behind an old person) for muscular control and
>>>>>>>balance. Sometimes four bags of food shopping add some extra
>>>>>>>strain
>>>>>>>:-)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I do sometimes scramble up steep hills, but not often enough to
>>>>>>>keep
>>>>>>>up leg strength. I think it's the stairs that do it, often over a
>>>>>>>dozen flights a day, given office stairs, home stairs, shop
>>>>>>>stairs.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Are you the guy who stands in for Sylvester Stallone in the scene
>>>>>> where Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Seriously... how do you do the one-legged squat?
>>>>>
>>>>>http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm - picture right at
>>>>>the
>>>>>top of the article.
>>>>>
>>>>>Pavel's book and DVD, "Naked Warrior" http://www.kbnj.com/nw.htm
>>>>>focus
>>>>>on the pistol and the one-armed pushup - great book, great exercises
>>>>>both.
>>>
>>>> Thank you Steve.
>>>
>>>> I want to know whether Chris' one-legged squat is the one you're
>>>> referring to.
>>>
>>>Yes, just as in the pictures Steve posted. It's a common party trick
>>>in rock climbing circles, which I was once on the fringes of. It's as
>>>much balance and control as strength.
>>
>> I never tried to do the true pistol squat more than a dozen times. I
>> failed so badly that I knew I would have to dedicate a lot of time and
>> effort to mastering it. If and when this becomes a higher priority
>> for me, I'll do what it takes to succeed.
>
>The Naked Warrior Book has all the tips and tricks you need to master
>the pistol. The article I linked to, by Steve Cotter, is also a fine
>place to start, and you'll find articles by others on the Internet, too.
>I recall one by Mike Mahler somewhere, maybe t-mag or bodybuilding.com.

I own NW. That's not enuf? I have to read it too? And then apply
what I've read?
>
>> You say it's a party trick among rock climbers. It's not practiced
>> for training purposes?
>
>There are many good training exercises that also make fine party tricks.
>I was seen doing the pistols on an NYC sidewalk after a few beers a few
>weeks ago.

I look forward to seeing these posted on some usenet newsgroup.
>
>As has been mentioned already, there are many versions. NW talks about
>the "airborn lunge" in which you just flex at the knee then try to get
>that knee close to the ground. Holding the foot is another option. A
>lot of people like one-legged squats on a table - you just let the other
>leg hang instead of having to hold it out in front of you or bend it.
>All are fine exercises.

The airborne lunge would be a good place to start. I occasionally fo
the hold-the-foot maneuver. I'll pass on doing squats on the kitchen
table.
>
>If you decide to try a bodyweight pistol, the best way to start if
>you're anywhere close to being able to do one is with a light weight
>that you use for a counterbalance - hold the weight where you need,
>usually at arms length in front of you, move it as needed during the
>course of the movement. When I started working on bodyweight pistols, I
>went out and bought some "Barbie" dumbbells, and did mine 4 lbs. in each
>hand, then gradually worked the weights lower and lower. Another option
>is holding the toe of the outstretched foot with one or both hands.
>
>For weighted pistols, the groove is different and until the weight gets
>heavy enough, many people find them easier, e.g., it's much easier for
>me to do a pistol with a 16 kg kettlebell than bodyweight only. And you
>can't beat a kettlebell for being the right shape for these.
>
>Hope that helps some.
>
>-S-
>http://www.kbnj.com

Thanks for the tips.
>

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:28:18 -0000, "Bully" <bully19@proteinbars.co.ok>
wrote:

>In news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com,
>gedaloda@thisguy.com <gedaloda@thisguy.com> typed:
>
>>
>> In the U.S. the word "nigger" is perceived as extremely offensive if
>> used by a white person in any context. I guess this is not the case
>> in your country or at least not among students and scientists in the
>> field of robotics (and perhaps in other specialized fields).
>
>Check your keyboard. See that letter to the left of "N"; that's what he
>meant to type. It's known as a typo; a rather unfortunate one in this case.

A very plausible interpretation. Thank you for pointing this out to
me.

I thought that this offensive work might have some kind of non-human
referent. For example, " 'Nigger it up' has been used to refer to
excessively gaudy, non-functional decorations to automobiles to
attract attention."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigger

The Intelligent Knowledge Based Balloon..."lives in large stair wells
and commodious halls and just tries to stay out of trouble."
http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml

I would like to know what functions the IKBB would actually perform
while appearing to have no other purpose than to attract attention.

<gedaloda@thisguy.com> schreef:

> I thought that this offensive work might have some kind of non-human
> referent. For example, " 'Nigger it up' has been used to refer to
> excessively gaudy, non-functional decorations to automobiles to
> attract attention."

I believe thats known as "pimping."

We adopted that word in the Dutch language, just as "bling-bling."

--
Pete

gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:

>>In news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com,
>>gedaloda@thisguy.com <gedaloda@thisguy.com> typed:

The Intelligent Knowledge Based Balloon..."lives in large stair wells
and commodious halls and just tries to stay out of trouble."
http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml

> I would like to know what functions the IKBB would actually perform
> while appearing to have no other purpose than to attract attention.

Just wandering around and staying out of trouble is far from easy, and
quite how so many simple animals with small brains do it so
successfully while attempts to program robots to do it have failed so
badly is an ongoing serious research topic in robotics.

Attracting attention is simply what you have to get sponsorship and
research funds to address the important but unattractive research
questions :-)

--
Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

On 3 Feb 2007 12:15:01 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
wrote:

>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>
>>>In news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com,
>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com <gedaloda@thisguy.com> typed:
>
> The Intelligent Knowledge Based Balloon..."lives in large stair wells
> and commodious halls and just tries to stay out of trouble."
> http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml
>
>> I would like to know what functions the IKBB would actually perform
>> while appearing to have no other purpose than to attract attention.
>
>Just wandering around and staying out of trouble is far from easy, and
>quite how so many simple animals with small brains do it so
>successfully while attempts to program robots to do it have failed so
>badly is an ongoing serious research topic in robotics.
>
>Attracting attention is simply what you have to get sponsorship and
>research funds to address the important but unattractive research
>questions :-)

How do simple animals with small brains wander around and stay out of
trouble? What kinds of simple animals are you referring to? What
kinds of trouble do they successfully negotiate? I don't expect you
to elaborate at length. A brief answer will suffice along with a few
urls.

gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
> On 3 Feb 2007 12:15:01 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
> wrote:

>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>
>>>>In news:3va6s21nrh9k3lgcmvrqmkvjrgr8cii0nu@4ax.com,
>>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com <gedaloda@thisguy.com> typed:
>>
>> The Intelligent Knowledge Based Balloon..."lives in large stair wells
>> and commodious halls and just tries to stay out of trouble."
>> http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/projects.shtml
>>
>>> I would like to know what functions the IKBB would actually perform
>>> while appearing to have no other purpose than to attract attention.
>>
>>Just wandering around and staying out of trouble is far from easy, and
>>quite how so many simple animals with small brains do it so
>>successfully while attempts to program robots to do it have failed so
>>badly is an ongoing serious research topic in robotics.
>>
>>Attracting attention is simply what you have to get sponsorship and
>>research funds to address the important but unattractive research
>>questions :-)

> How do simple animals with small brains wander around and stay out of
> trouble?

That's the research question.

> What kinds of simple animals are you referring to?

All of them. The ones that couldn't stay out of trouble are extinct
:-)

> What
> kinds of trouble do they successfully negotiate? I don't expect you
> to elaborate at length. A brief answer will suffice along with a few
> urls.

I'm not sure what kind of information you're looking for. Particular
research attention has been focussed on the navigation and locomotion
skills of flies, bees, ants (esp forest and desert), and cockroaches.

--
Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

On 5 Feb 2007 02:16:59 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
wrote:

>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>> On 3 Feb 2007 12:15:01 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>> wrote:

>Particular research attention has been focussed on the navigation and locomotion
>skills of flies, bees, ants (esp forest and desert), and cockroaches.

That answers the what kind of animals question in terms of the
research focus.

If you can, without spending more than a minute or two, direct me to
urls which describe "wandering about without getting into trouble"
behavior in connection with these kinds of animals, I'd be much
obliged. If not, I _may_ spend a little time trying to find
information on this topic. It is rather interesting.

gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
> On 5 Feb 2007 02:16:59 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
> wrote:

>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>> On 3 Feb 2007 12:15:01 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>>> wrote:

>>Particular research attention has been focussed on the navigation and locomotion
>>skills of flies, bees, ants (esp forest and desert), and cockroaches.

> That answers the what kind of animals question in terms of the
> research focus.

> If you can, without spending more than a minute or two, direct me to
> urls which describe "wandering about without getting into trouble"
> behavior in connection with these kinds of animals, I'd be much
> obliged. If not, I _may_ spend a little time trying to find
> information on this topic. It is rather interesting.

Suggest you start by googling "insect navigation" and "insect
ethology". Add "robot" to the search string if you're interested in
robotics research which has been inspired by insect behaviour.

--
Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

On 5 Feb 2007 16:45:28 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
wrote:

>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>> On 5 Feb 2007 02:16:59 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>> wrote:
>
>>>gedaloda@thisguy.com wrote:
>>>> On 3 Feb 2007 12:15:01 GMT, Chris Malcolm <cam@holyrood.ed.ac.uk>
>>>> wrote:
>
>>>Particular research attention has been focussed on the navigation and locomotion
>>>skills of flies, bees, ants (esp forest and desert), and cockroaches.
>
>> That answers the what kind of animals question in terms of the
>> research focus.
>
>> If you can, without spending more than a minute or two, direct me to
>> urls which describe "wandering about without getting into trouble"
>> behavior in connection with these kinds of animals, I'd be much
>> obliged. If not, I _may_ spend a little time trying to find
>> information on this topic. It is rather interesting.
>
>Suggest you start by googling "insect navigation" and "insect
>ethology". Add "robot" to the search string if you're interested in
>robotics research which has been inspired by insect behaviour.

Thanks