VRT - Do People Think You're Crazy?

The following is from the Transformetrics Forum (www.transformetrics.com) regarding VRT. Here's an interesting exchange:

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Do you think people will think you're crazy?

The reason I ask is that I frequent another forum that is mostly women and in the "weight and resistance training" section they are always making fun of women/trainers/programs that use light dumbbells. So , I popped up one day and said that I got my arms from 2.5 lb dumbbells (I hold them while I do my dvrs/vrt). I'm not sure if they believe me. They did agree that my arms look good and whatever I'm doing, it must be working, but I still wonder if they think I'm crazy ????? Meanwhile, they're talking about lifting heavy and going to their Crossfit classes.

Anyone else come across non-believers?I guess it doesn't really matter.We know it works--right??

Donna

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Hey Donna,

You're talking to a veteran of skeptical people. When I first started publicizing my written course back in '83, I can't tell you what a pack of Doubting Thomases I came across. When I'd stop and show them what VRT was all about, they'd actually "get it," and give it a try. Then I'd hear "Holy cow! I'm getting a pump! And I feel a burn in my muscle! I thought it sounded a little crazy at first, but now I get what you're talking about!"

This kind of exercise, like the DVR, requires a little explanation, or else people will think you're talking about an imaginary exercise, which of course will do nothing. Steer them towards this forum. If they buy one of John's books or buy my VRT package, they'll see the light and be delighted with the results.

Only my zeal kept this going, because some friends of mine and a cousin or two thought I had a screw loose. Only when they saw my results and knew I wasn't kidding that it didn't come from weights, made them understand. VRT & DVR require a short instruction, and the pupil to actually TRY it, rather than just hear about it and pass a quick judgement. They must try it to 'get' it!!

--Greg Mangan

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Hey Greg and Donna,

Interesting insights. One thing I'll throw in, is that for these methods to work, it takes a strong mental ability and focus to not only visualize what you are doing, but to contract the muscles as well. That takes time. I've shown this style of exercise to a lot of people. A few get it; more don't. The ones who don't fall into two categories - those who have no interest in exercise period, and those who don't have the patience to "think" into what they are doing.

I also have to say that I don't condemn anyone who doesn't get it. I have had success with VRT movements, but I am still, after a couple of years, still learning to focus into the muscles I am contracting. You guys keep fighting the good fight.

Greg Newton

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Quote: Originally Posted by Greg Newton:

"Hey Greg and Donna,
.....I also have to say that I don't condemn anyone who doesn't get it. I have had success with VRT movements, but I am still, after a couple of years, still learning to focus into the muscles I am contracting. You guys keep fighting the good fight.
Greg Newton"

Reply: Yes, I wish it wasn't so hard for some people, Greg. And thanks for the quote from St. Paul ("keep fighting the good fight.")

In my DVD and written course, I try to take the neophyte through the process of understanding it in a simple way. I still believe that the average person's imagination should kick in, and this should be as easy as pretending that you're flying an airplane. Almost like a child-like trust in your ability to imagine.

My son often plays with toy cars on our living room floor, and lays on the floor, pushing them around and making sounds like "b-rrrr-rrr-room" and sounds like that. Deep in all of us is a child-like ability to imagine, which every-day worries and concerns seem to drown out, almost completely. We often believe that those worries and concerns are they way we are supposed to think. But some find this simpler way of thinking and imagining to be too hard, and this has made exercise systems like this much less popular a method, then when one does not have to use their imagination at all during an exercise.

--Greg Mangan

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"...when one does not have to use their imagination at all during an exercise."

That's what I was stressing to them on the other forum that I wasn't just mindlessly throwing around a 2.5lb weight--what good would that do, but that I was using tension and imagining that it was a much heavier weight. I didn't get much response, other than it obviously works for me.

Oh well......

Donna

Suggestions to Prevent VRT Injuries

[Originally Posted by Hank_Z]

Hi Greg,

I posted earlier today on your site about having finally healed my rotator cuff tendinits. My plan is to do all of the VRT exercises on your DVD at high tension three days a week. I think that those exercises are the least likely to cause injury, and provide a lot of opportunity for strength gains. Although I like doing push-ups, I'm thinking that those are more likely to cause injury, so I'm planning to just do counter-top and wall push-ups for awhile.

Also, I'll continue doing stretching exercises for my shoulders six days a week.

Based on your knowledge and experience, do you recommend anything else to help prevent injuries? Do you, for example, recommend that I use significantly lighter tension on the VRTs the first couple of weeks or so? That might reduce the chance of aggravating the tendinitis, but it might not do much good in terms of exercise. (BTW, I'm almost 60 years of age.)

Thanks, Greg. I think your system is both safe, effective, and simple.Phil

Dear Hank, First of all, thanks for asking! At your age, I would be careful doing them all at high intensity training (HIT), and more likely consider doing some VRT's at a "significantly lighter tension" as you say.

At my age of 56 going on 57 in May, I'm right behind you. I do push-ups every morning, but sometimes hear an ever-present click in my elbows as I do them; I do one set of 25 full-range. However, on certain days I do counter-top push-ups, and this allows the clicking to stop.

I tend at my age to do more rapid but lower-intensity VRT exercises; I tend to do HIT style only for one set for the upper arms, and one set for the chest, because I appreciate the larger size they give me in those anatomical areas. But I have found very little tendinitis with VRT, no matter what the exercise is. Hope this helps.

Greg Mangan
VRT Man