Hey Cavepeople,
I just completed an intense, caveman leg workout. The people that I have discussed my philosophies with usually have similar questions about the style of training I use with my clients and recommend for those who follow the Caveman Lifestyle Program. Often, the discussion leads to exercise selection and the use of machines, and this goes for you too, Caveladies.
First and foremost, the caveman was excellent at making the most of what he had. Let’s face it, diesel engines and electricity were still hundreds of years away. HAD the caveman had access to these things, he would’ve used them, and might have even avoided his doom and extinction. As I mentioned in a previous post - we have many advantages over the first version of the caveman, so we are going to utilize what we have.
Today, my workout consisted of all free weight training. I did regular squats, stiff-leg dead lifts, hack squats and walking lunges with a dumbbell. Aside from having a squat rack for safety (again, an advantage of modern day common sense), I used no elaborate Hammer Strength or Cybex equipment.
Now, that isn’t to say that I’m anti-machine. The caveman had a machine - he called it the wheel. So there’s no need to re-invent the wheel. It is very important to understand the importance of free weight exercise for overall body development and the strengthening of every muscle.
Machines target specific muscle groups, removing the weaker muscle groups in a way of which they kind of “fill in” for those weaker groups. From an ease of use standpoint, a machine version of the squat is much easier to figure out than the standing, free-weight version. A machine bench press is much less intimidating than laying down under a weight wonder how you’re going to get the last one off of you if you run out of energy. But understand, since machine exercises often fill the role of the weaker muscles that should be stabilizing during an exercise, the strong muscles become stronger from the exercise, while the weaker muscles (that need to become stronger) are barely used, resulting in a greater strength imbalance.
The key to the Caveman Training Philosophy is training weaknesses and improving upon things that you aren’t good at. Our caveman ancestor’s didn’t survive - those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!
For the above reasons, it is imperative that you center your training routine around compound exercises, or exercises that use multiple muscle groups. The more muscle fibers that are recruited during the exercise, the more a) calories that are burned during the exercise and b) the more stimulus for an increase in lean body mass the body has.
Using machines to supplement free weight training is fine, as the current caveman legion isn’t going to take a total anti-machine stance. Cables and machines like leg press definitely play a role in overall physique development and body transformation, but it’s important to understand the word “supplement” (in addition to). The Caveman Training Approach revolves around free weight, compound exercises (variations of the barbell and dumbbell bench press, squats, dead lifts, rows, etc) and bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups, dips, etc.
Now, back to your caves.
Boyd Myers
boyd@the-personal-trainer.com
