SGPT interviews Bar-Barian Rick Seedman

SGPT: Tell us about yourself?

RS: My name is Rick Seedman, I’m 28 years of age and I’m a Bar-barian.

SGPT: Do you have a background in sports?

RS: My background is mainly in martial arts. That was my original passion. I also participated in some team sports throughout school.

Now mostly kickboxing, rock climbing, snowboarding, parkour and of course Bar-barians!

Explosive Calisthenics By Paul “Coach” Wade
Superhuman Power, Maximum Speed and Agility, Plus Combat-Ready Reflexes—Using Bodyweight-Only Methods

SGPT: Tell us about the Bar-Barians.

RS: Well Bar-barians was founded by Zef and Jude in 2004. They were working out for many years before that, though that is when the name was created. The years to follow, they were in the lab coming up with new moves and training routines.

Zef posted some clips on his Zakaveli Youtube account using just a razor cell phone camera which had attracted many people to his style of training. Meet ups started taking place.

Requirements were created. The website went up. And the rest is history.

SGPT: How did you get involved?

RS: Well when I got involved with Bar-barians in ’07 it was just Zef and Jude, the two originals. I was the third member to come along. We were emailing for a while, so by the time we met up and worked out it seemed as if we already knew each other for years, as if we were long lost family or something. We clicked and connected immediately, and went from there.

SGPT: What are the requirements to be a Bar-Barian?

SGPT: Do you all meet at the same place to workout – or in different areas?

RS: There are a number of parks we workout at across the city. The main ones are Wingate, Lincoln Terrace and FDR, but the Bar-barians home is TSP.

SGPT: What are some of the workouts that the Bar-Barians and yourself do to improve pull-up strength?

RS: For strength I would use a technique I learned from one of the Bar-barians Eric Rauch. Its a one rep max pull-up, without the use of added weight. The form is completely strict and VERY very slow. From the dead hang, your body stays completely straight as you go up, almost as if you’re trying to keep your entire self back behind the bar, so when you pull-up (slow throughout the entire motion) you are continuously fighting the legs and waist from coming forward. It builds maximal strength and control.

RS: It takes hard work. To be a Bar-barian in anything in life takes hard work. Another aspect of great importance to understand are your goals as well your passion. It really comes down to what you’re trying to achieve and where your passion lies. That determines your direction and how much your really going to put into it. Understand your goals, work hard towards them and put your heart into it, and you’ll be amazed at the outcome.

SGPT: Do you do additional workout with free weights or machines to add to your pull-up power on the bar?

RS: I just do bodyweight training. I’ve done weights in the past, and they do have their merit, but my passion lies in bodyweight training. Also I feel as if I’ve kind of out grown the gimmicks in the form of expensive, fancy or unnecessary equipment. When you get to a certain level I feel it’s all gimmicks. Everything. None of it is really necessary. Same goes for nutritional/supplemental products in a very similar way.

We are stretching in between and throughout the workouts so towards the end we’re pretty toasted and don’t really do many stretches. Besides you’re not allowed to leave the park until you “buy your way out.”

SGPT: Have you ever had any injuries from working out? If so, what do you do now to prevent future injuries?

RS: I’ve actually had more injuries than I can count. I broke a lot of bones growing up because I was always climbing everything and doing crazy things. I’ve had some sport, competition and training injuries. I’ve kind of developed a high pain threshold to go along with the mental toughness learned from martial arts, fighting and from my personality. I’ve learned the hard way through experience. Now things are much different. I take very good care of my body. Luckily those old injuries as a kid have healed nicely. I have been injury-free for a while now, and am on the path of injury prevention, warming up and stretching thoroughly daily, and just playing it wiser overall.

RS: Well thank you for putting it that way. I do see Bar-barians as the leading innovators in bodyweight training. I don’t see any limitations. I see Bar-barians as the Worldwide Community that it is, continuing to expand across the globe.

SGPT: Thanks so much for the interview, Rick. Our readers will greatly appreciate your insight and thoughts.

RS: Great! Thank you for having me. Hope your readers find some things helpful and interesting. Look forward to speaking again.

—

Rick Seedman

Bar-barians EBWT

http://rickseedman.com/

http://bar-barians.com/

My vision for Bar-barians comes from the realization that this is about much more than just working out. We are all coming together worldwide with the same purpose and the same passion. It truly transcends any social position, race or physical trait. We’re relating to each other on an internal level. My goal is to uplift this entire world with Bar-barians. To raise peoples awareness of living through originality and inspiration and training. To sort of awaken their inner Bar-barian.

SGPT: Do you stretch before and after a bar session? If so, what do you do?

RS: I always get my body warm first. I then practice circular movements throughout the entire body, shoulder and wrist preparations, and stretches and warm ups utilizing the bars. For warm ups and preparations check out the International Bar-barians Metin and Daniel at the CalisthenicsCamp channel on Youtube.

SGPT: What advice would you give an up and coming athlete that aspired to be a Bar-Barian and improve their pull-ups and bar skills?

As far as endurance goes, the first basic structure learned is the Bar-barian Pyramids. 2,4,6,8,10,8,6,4,2 = 50. Other forms are 20 down. Where you do 20 first set, 19 second set 18 etc. Down to 1, which = 210

With a partner you can do a game called +1, in which I do 1 rep, you do 2, I do 3, you do 4 etc. Until one of us cannot complete the number given, and at that point we go back down until we return back to 1.

When you add the numbers up they come out to a good amount in a short period of time, which increases the muscles endurance.

SGPT: The Bar-Barians are at the cutting edge of bar workouts. What do you see in the future?

RS: The current physical requirements for Spring ’11 is 5 muscle ups, 45 dips, 25 pull-ups, 55 push ups and 5 muscle ups within 6 mins. Being a Bar-barian, it’s something you’re born with, it takes more than just physical abilities, it take heart, determination, modesty and the hunger to achieve all of your goals in every facet of life.

Questions from our athletes

Question: Coach Brad; what is a good ebook to start off with and learn more about street style bodyweight workouts?