Total Physique Online

This is my first post in a long while. Anyone who reads this web site with any regularity knows of the trials and tribulations of my homeless situation, not to mention my hospitalization with a partially blocked small bowel which nearly killed me. Yup. Life has put yours truly through the ringer and back again. So, the site has suffered in so far as I have not had the metal (or mental) energy to add new content to it.

You will notice the Pay Pal button to the left. I added that to the site a few weeks ago in hopes that I might be able to generate some financial support to keep the site going, but since everyone loves a free lunch, the Pay Pal button has generated about as much excitement as a bible in a Texas whore house.

Anyway, I wanted to add something new to the site and I wanted to add something different. I decided to add an ancient conditioning program that is simpler than a cup of hot tea with one cube of sugar in it: Ten and One’s.

I picked this program up in the late 70’s when I watched Ric Flair, The Nature Boy himself, challenge all comers to this interesting calisthenics program that is by far the toughest program I have ever tried of it’s kind. And it goes like this:

The idea is to alternate sets of pushups with sets of free standing body-weight squats, making sure that the combined number of reps between the two sets always adds up to 11.

So, for example, you begin by doing 10 pushups, immediately followed by 1 deep knee bend squat, for a total of 11 reps. Then, you stand back up and immediately perform 9 pushups, followed by 2 deep knee bends. Again, 9+2=11. Then 8 pushups followed by 3 squats. 8+3=11. Continue this way until you end up with 1 pushup, followed by 10 squats. Then, if you have not vapor-locked or passed out, immediately reverse the order by performing 2 pushups and 9 squats, 3 pushups and 8 squats, 4 pushups and 7 squats, and so on and so on, until you finish right where you started: with 10 pushups and 1 squat.

This program improves cardiovascular conditioning as well as strength conditioning. The chest, serratus, legs, shoulder and knee joints as well as the abs and lower back all get stimulation. Even the triceps get blown up. Mind you, this will blow your lungs out as well. If you have COPD, watch it! This program will tax you in ways you never imagined. So, take it EASY.

Go slow.

I tried this for the first time in 8 years tonight and I had to take a break half way through. I was sucking wind where there was no wind. I used up all the oxygen in the room apparently. Boy was that humbling and disheartening. Yet, I was encouraged because this is precisely what my lungs needed.

At the risk of repeating myself, if, like me, you have COPD (or even if you don’t), do not be discouraged if Ten and One’s are too intense at first. I don’t want anyone dying on me and then writing me with their complaints….errr…….umm…..well you know what I mean.

If this program seems too tough at first, then instead of doing Ten and One’s, try Ten and Five’s. This will essentially cuts the program in half in terms of volume, thus reducing intensity.

As always, check with your doctor first to get his or her OK.