Arky Chu Gong: Chateau morning exercise regime

[beetlemaniac]

Exactly. You need something extra for that. And even for flexibility and strength, each person has to listen to their body. Some of our exercises can be rough. I have had to back down on a few, just doing les repetitions or less stretching when my neck acts up, for example.

Great to hear that it has been helping you!

It's great but I do tend to over do it at times. Depending on the day I'm sometimes able to do better and sometimes it can feel really hard on the body. I really hope I'll be able to find some balance with regard to them! I went for a run in the morning today before the exercises and it did feel a little bit like I was torturing myself (!) but it felt really good afterwards! Let's see how it goes tomorrow I guess! One day at a time. Thank you for the reply Chu!

Keyhole showed me this exercise routine recently that may be a nice addition to Arky Chu Gong and support cardiovascular health. It really gets your heart pumping and increases breathing rate and apparently helps "dump nitric oxide" and increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, plus it takes around 3 minutes... bonus

I was seriously surprised at how difficult it was for me to do, and I didn't even use the weights! Mercola recommends to do it 3x p/d, preferably around 2-3 hours apart. I have noticed some muscle soreness in my legs and arms after the workout, so it feels like it's doing something

Hi Jenn!

Those exercises are really great, I now have an idea of the benefits of so-called "dumping nitric oxide". I can actually feel it as a pumping up of my muscles as the body feels a more expanded and alive. I tried it first without weights, then with holding two books and it worked pretty well. It is quite strenuous especially when I have to fight against gravity with my arms, which are none too developed. I think I have to eat a bit more to develop more muscle. Thank you for the video!

I'm also wondering about BDNF and what's the best way to fully utilize it when it's produced through exercise. I assume that the workout just acts as a mild cognitive enhancer on top of the endorphin induced mood enhancement. I think I need to focus less mood enhancement and more on cognitive development. I seem to be more motivated towards feeling good rather than learning and knowledge gaining, but heart and mind do go hand in hand - so a balance is required presumably!

 

[Jenn]

I'm also wondering about BDNF and what's the best way to fully utilize it when it's produced through exercise.

In terms of "fully utilizing it" I'm not sure how to answer that question, I guess it's up to you really . If, on one particular day you feel sharper or that you are thinking more clearly then you could try and read/ do things that you find a little challenging to "exercise the grey matter".

I don't want to get too off-topic here, but I recently read an article by Dr Rhonda Patrick where she mentions BDNF as a by-product of sauna and exercise. You may find it interesting:

Enhanced neurogenesis
Heat stress and exercise increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF,[56] a protein that acts on neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems, to promote the growth of new neurons. BDNF modulates neuronal plasticity and ameliorates anxiety and depression from early-life stressful events.[57] It is active in the hippocampus, cortex, cerebellum, and basal forebrain – areas involved in learning, long term memory, and executive function. BDNF is also produced in exercising muscle tissue, where it plays a role in muscle repair and the growth of new muscle cells.[58]

There's also this fascinating article : How Exercise Reprograms the Brain, which lists the benefits as:

• BDNF is thought to promote brain health, and higher levels of it correlate with improved cognitive performance in mice and humans
• It can also spur neurogenesis, speed new-neuron maturation, promote brain vascularization, and even increase the volume of the hippocampus in humans.
• Exercise leads to the secretion of molecules by muscle and fat cells that affect levels of growth factors in the brain, influencing the shape and function of the hippocampus by accelerating new neuron growth and increasing the volume of the brain region.
• The findings suggest that the acetylation induced by the combination of running and stress helped the animals better cope with subsequent stress.
• patients who walked on a treadmill three times per week for eight weeks increased the numbers of dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia- important for movement, learning, and emotion
• Several studies show that physical activity can counter the elevated risk of developing the disease [alzheimer's I believe] among individuals carrying the APOE-ε4 allele—the most common gene variant linked with late onset of the disease.

I'm sure there are many more articles on SOTT and research papers that explain the benefits of exercise, so I will leave it there.

 

[jhonny]

Keyhole showed me this exercise routine recently that may be a nice addition to Arky Chu Gong and support cardiovascular health. It really gets your heart pumping and increases breathing rate and apparently helps "dump nitric oxide" and increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, plus it takes around 3 minutes... bonus

I was seriously surprised at how difficult it was for me to do, and I didn't even use the weights! Mercola recommends to do it 3x p/d, preferably around 2-3 hours apart. I have noticed some muscle soreness in my legs and arms after the workout, so it feels like it's doing something

Thanks for sharing this, Jenn!

I'm combining Arky Chu Gong routine with this Nitric Oxide Dump, doing the former each 2 days and the latter with dumbbells the days in between. I'm doing so because lately I have been doing some reading about NO (Nitric Oxide) and It's very important role in cardiovascular health.

I bumped into Nathan Bryan's website; he is one of the most recognized researchers in this field of NO (Nitric Oxide)

Home - Dr. Nathan Bryan - Molecular medicine and nitric oxide biochemistry

Dr. Bryan was the first to describe nitrite and nitrate as indispensable nutrients required for optimal cardiovascular health. He was the first to demonstrate and discover an endocrine function of nitric oxide via the formation of S-nitrosoglutathione and inorganic nitrite.

drnathansbryan.com

There are 2 short videos which are very informative and technical (not too much). Also, some recommendations to boost, and what affects the production of NO, like:
-Use of PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors)
-Exercise.
-Diet
-Use of Antiseptic mouthwash.
-Oral hygiene.
-Age affects proper functioning of NOS (Nitric Oxide Synthase).

It is not my intention to derail this thread, but I considered this important since there isn't a thread about this subject.

 

[jhonny]

-Age affects proper functioning of NOS (Nitric Oxide Synthase)

A little mistake, the proper is:

-Aging decreases NO production, and bad habits affect proper functioning of NOS

 

[Korzik18]

Thank you very much!! Arky Chu Gong is a wonderful complex! What I have long wanted. In recent years, I have clearly lacked physical activity. I worked hard in the garden and vegetable garden оnce or twice a week. After reading the book by Norman Doidge (The brain's way of healing), I began to engage in intense walking so that my pulse was over 105. But I did not have enough free time for a walk of 30-60 minutes 2-3 times a week.
A long time ago before EE I did Sun Salutation and a few yoga stretches. Now I am motivated to learn more about Qigong too. Now I am charged with ideas and determination.
Yesterday I did my first practice (today my muscles hurt a lot). Flexibility and balance are not so bad, unlike strength .... My hands are weaker than chicken wings. Only 1 push-up time !!!! As a child, I always asked my older sister to help me open something difficult, bring me something. And I thought that 5 years will pass, I will grow up and become as strong. By the way, my sister milked 2 cows 1-2 times a day, and I only drove away the flies. There will be progress for me if I do at least 2 push-ups

 

[Basque Seeker]

Thanks for sharing!! It looks like a great workout! I will definitely try it!

One quick question that I didn't find in the thread (nor I can find the answer in the video since my screen is not big enough to watch it properly ). Is belly breathing the one prefferred for all exercises or is there any set of them for which "chest" breathing would be "better"?

Personally I try to avoid "chest" breathing in general because of the reasons explained on the EE program, but at the same time the few yoga postures that I was taught were all done by breathing with the chest -at least those were taught to me that way, but of course I could have been misguided-.

Any advice on that maybe? Thank you!

 

[Niall]

Thanks for sharing!! It looks like a great workout! I will definitely try it!

One quick question that I didn't find in the thread (nor I can find the answer in the video since my screen is not big enough to watch it properly ). Is belly breathing the one prefferred for all exercises or is there any set of them for which "chest" breathing would be "better"?

Personally I try to avoid "chest" breathing in general because of the reasons explained on the EE program, but at the same time the few yoga postures that I was taught were all done by breathing with the chest -at least those were taught to me that way, but of course I could have been misguided-.

Any advice on that maybe? Thank you!

When doing these or any other exercises, I breathe as needs dictate at the time. I think that attempting to 'consciously breathe a certain way' while exercizing interferes with the body's innate demand for oxygen. Let it decide!

For what it's worth, I tend to belly breathe when I'm relaxed, in my 'default state', and I think that became learned behavior after practicing EE for several years. But when it comes to intensive exercise (including, at times, the above set of exercises), I take great big gasping 'chest' breaths if I need to.

 

[mrtn]

During the Qi Gong part I tend to breathe more into the belly, but for the other exercises I need more volume. As @Niall said, it comes natural.

 

[Tuulikki]

This looks like a good way to start the day. Except those days when I get up at 5am for work. I work full time but only use certain muscle groups - mainly those in the arms and legs. Love walking lots but not in snow, which we have at the moment. I would like to get to the point where exercise is a natural part of the day instead of something special to be fitted in and worried about (and resented). Regarding the nitric oxide dump - never heard of that but the short time period of the exercise looks appealing. One thing I have never been able to use are dumbells. I always seem to get some form of trapped nerve after a few days. I have never been able to work out what I am doing wrong with this.

 

[Persephone]

One thing I have never been able to use are dumbells. I always seem to get some form of trapped nerve after a few days. I have never been able to work out what I am doing wrong with this.

Hi Tuulikki, I'm a dancer and not a weight lifiting specialist but I did some dumbells workouts in the past and I think some of the reasons for your nerve trapping problem could be :
1) the wrong weight of the dumbells (which should be different for the different body parts),
2) the speed and number of repetition,
3) wrong breathing
3) a wrong posture, wrong or compensating movements of the body parts that shouldn't work or keeping them too tense,
4) beginning a dumbells workout without warmup.
Maybe point 3 is what you should watch out in you case, but also point 1 and 4 as they are realted.
There are lots of videos on youtube on how use dumbells properly but they focus just on some aspects, didn't find an exhaustive one, but found a site which go into detail for every dumpbell exercise, maybe you cand find here some clues :
Best Dumbbell Exercises For Every Part Of The Body - Old School Labs
and also these :
3 Mistakes You're Making When Using Dumbbells
You're Probably Doing Dumbbell Rows Wrong

 

[Tuulikki]

Hi Tuulikki, I'm a dancer and not a weight lifiting specialist but I did some dumbells workouts in the past and I think some of the reasons for your nerve trapping problem could be :

Thanks for the info Persephone. I think I had just picked them up at the beginning of exercises and forgot about important points like warm ups etc. Too much, too quickly was probably the way I was doing the work. I will make a note of your points and read the links you suggested. Maybe I can get back to dumbells but in a more smart manner.

 

[Mililea]

Ok guys, I tried Arky Chu Gong last week. I felt like a 100 year old plum trying to climb Mount Everest. My husband was sitting next to me and laughing along with me. I was really scared because I actually considered myself to be reasonably athletic. In my youth I actively played volleyball and Indiaca, and in recent years I have been more inclined to endurance sports like running.

But these exercises have pushed me to my limits. While I failed so miserably I resolved to do it more often and what happened, for a week now my inner predator has been winning and making me stay in bed.... I keep working on it...

 

[Chu]

Ok guys, I tried Arky Chu Gong last week. I felt like a 100 year old plum trying to climb Mount Everest. My husband was sitting next to me and laughing along with me.

LOL! It looks quite simple, but it can take months until you are able to do everything comfortably. Don't worry! You're working a lot of core muscles, and that takes a bit of practice. Maybe try once or twice a week, and less repetitions? Especially the Tibetan rites can be quite tiring, for example. We took breaks this past year, and coming back to it fully is not so easy!

 

[Korzik18]

Ok guys, I tried Arky Chu Gong last week. I felt like a 100 year old plum trying to climb Mount Everest. My husband was sitting next to me and laughing along with me. I was really scared because I actually considered myself to be reasonably athletic. In my youth I actively played volleyball and Indiaca, and in recent years I have been more inclined to endurance sports like running.

But these exercises have pushed me to my limits. While I failed so miserably I resolved to do it more often and what happened, for a week now my inner predator has been winning and making me stay in bed.... I keep working on it...

My whole body also ached after the first Arky Chu Gong. This went on for about 4 days. When the muscles returned to normal, I did the routine again. I realized that I need to start gradually, although I want to do everything at once! I did other exercises or rest instead of the headstand and bridge. After the second session, the pain returned, but only in other muscles. After that, I no longer had any unpleasant sensations in my body, only joy and inspiration. The main thing is not to give up !!

@Mililea Use the Infrared Blanket after workouts, it will help get rid of lactic acid in the muscles and you will quickly get back to normal.

Especially the Tibetan rites can be quite tiring, for example.

By the way, I really like the Tibetan rites. I'm not a sporty person at all. Surprisingly, I can handle it. I love stretching, flexibility and and balance exercise. I try to do Arki-Chu Gong 2 times a week and HIIT on other days.
I train under the video, it's more fun! And Chu always counts for me
And admire the flexibility of Chu and Gaby !!!

 

[Mililea]

LOL! It looks quite simple, but it can take months until you are able to do everything comfortably. Don't worry! You're working a lot of core muscles, and that takes a bit of practice. Maybe try once or twice a week, and less repetitions? Especially the Tibetan rites can be quite tiring, for example. We took breaks this past year, and coming back to it fully is not so easy!

Thank you so much for your compassion. Yes, I also think that the goal of doing it every day is still a bit too high and only increases the frustration. At the moment I am still a bit indisposed, because I have my period, but immediately afterwards I start again with smaller goals.

My whole body also ached after the first Arky Chu Gong. This went on for about 4 days.

Same here

Use the Infrared Blanket after workouts, it will help get rid of lactic acid in the muscles and you will quickly get back to normal.

This is a wonderful idea. I just used it again yesterday to ease the pain during my period and it helped very, very well.