Sunday 20.10.13 Kali in the park, about 3 hours in the end! Beginner’s session, double stick sinawali 4 count (heaven) including some non-scripted footwork - stay at long range while I move towards them, away from them, circle etc, or run up and down next to each other all whilst maintaining the pattern... Meh, make the complicated simple and the simple becomes automatic, or something like that. Practice the sinawali cross over with single stick mid range tip up blocking (abecedario) – Angle 1 (RH [stick] forehand block, LH backhand check, RH backhand hit) == sinawali 4 count strikes 1, 2, 3. Angle 2 (RH backhand block, LH forehand check, RH forehand hit) == sinawali 4 count 3, 4, 1. Simples. Sinawali 4 count empty hand basic application to straight punch (parry, check, backhand, forehand). Add this in to (basic) hubad, take it in turns to get the timing and break the rhythm of your opponent. Go back to the double stick patterns with (hopefully!) a deeper understanding of the non-obvious purposes of the patterns… Monday 21.10.13 AM 30 minutes yoga upon waking (I’m so zen, but need to be a bit more disciplined about doing this on a regular basis) PM gym time 15 minute walk (in the rain) Warm up ATG Front Squat (controlled decent, momentary pause at the bottom, safety bars at third pin), between 30 and 90s rest between sets for that post-tetanic potentiation shizzle. 1x7 @bar, 1x3 @50kg, 1x3 @55, 1x3 @60 1, 2, 3 @62.5 1, 2, 3 @65 1, 2, 3 @67.5 (felt good) 1, 2, 3 @70 (also felt good, but didn’t want to push it too much) 8, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5 @57.5 (feel the buuuuuuuurn!) Pull ups 4, 4, 3, 2 (I'm still rubbish at these) Dimel deadlift / Romanian deadlift (squeeze those glutes) 3x10 / 3x5 @60kg Clean + OHP 1x 1+5 @bar 1x 1+7 @25kg 1x 1+5 @30kg 3x 1+5 @35kg (last rep was a push press, so gathered my thoughts and did one more good rep) Kroc rows 1x15 @22kg DBs es 3x15 @28kg DBs es Walk home (in the rain) Stretch, drink milk, eat eggs, felt like a pretty good workout...
is there a rest between 1, 2, and 3? (have you got a link for this wave training, I see he has a few vids on TNation)
Yeah, same rest as between all the other sets, I think he said the effect lasts 3-5 minutes, so I've been trying to keep my rest to 2 minutes or below. Linky link: http://www.t-nation.com/training/wave-ladders-for-maximum-strength
Okay maybe i'm being a dummy...But that's just the old 'Go Up Through the Gears' dressed up as fancypantscience I feel like lifting something hefty now. Just call me party-pooper :hat:
Yeah it could well be very similar, though I thought one of the aims is to get to the heavier sets without as many reps (and associated fatigue) beforehand... I think I'll keep on it for a few weeks with the deadlift and front squats and see how it goes. Meh, I was probably just suckered in by the fancypantscience So, my workouts are 'emerging' as follows, I tend to get one of each of these in per week: Workout A Deadlift for strength + (maybe) backoff Dips (25-30 reps total) Split squat/lunges (volume) *Bench press (mix strength/volume, not too sure) *Pendlay rows (for strength) *Cable wood chops/pallof press (maybe) Workout B Front squat for strength + (maybe) backoff Pull ups (25-30 reps) Dimel/Romanian deadlifts (volume) *Clean + multiple OH press/push press (low volume) *Kroc/renegade rows (volume) *KB swings to high pull *these are time/energy/interest dependent Now I write them down they seem a bit 'jack of all trades, master of none', but I'm trying to combine strength work in the front squats and deads and cover the remaining primal movements with a mixture of strength and volume whilst keeping it interesting (for me) and trying to work on my imbalances. In addition to these I'm getting in 1 expander session and 1 gripper session per week (each about 20 mins), alternating 30 mins yoga and 'core' workout (planks etc) on weekday mornings, vacuum breathing in the car, 3x kali per week and the occasional long walk. Any thoughts on that lot? I probably need to eat more.
In Principle, yes. A goodly system. You may want to alternate your Squats variations and Deads for funnery. IF you stick to this kind of routine beyond say 4 months. Also I'm being pernickety. Unless you're a powerlifter then personally I wouldn't bother doing Deads twice a week (Hefty in sesh 1, Lighty-Tecnical in Sesh 2). I tend to just see Deads as a reason to pick up something fairly hefty. And just go up through the gears reps and sets wise. I'm not competing so my form doesn't need to be grrrreat. I'd do more rows instead of the romanians. Or alternate. One week do more of the dremels/ roms and the next go without them completely and do more Barbell Row etc. Up to you of course. You may find you'll need to space out your weights and grip sessions a bit more when you get to lifting etc heavier. Or shorten your weights sessions to 35 mins a pop x 2 a week. That way you'll not be plagued by the dreaded metabolites. Yep. Just to keep that lot going you'll probably need to increase your calorific intake by at least 10%. Meanwhile IF you want to put on weight... Take your bodyweight in lbs and times it by 20. I.E If you weigh 150 lbs x 20 = 3000 calories per day. At that clip you'll put on about 1 lb per week. As long as you: - 'Eat Clean' - No sugar and 'useless' carbs (that box of crispy cremes will need to go...) - Get your extra calories from a quality 33/43/23 (protein, carbs and fat) - Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes etc are good weight gainers - I also like to make my Big shake in the AM, which is better than commercial weight-gainers I'm not looking to gain weight. I just want something filling, nutritious etc in the morning. But the shake's about 800 to 1000 cals. Good Luck
Cool, thanks for the tips man, I was thinking of using the Dimels/RDL for upping the '**** drive' part of regular deads (although this would be covered by hefty KB swings), I suppose I could swap these in and out with barbell rows, maybe high pulls or shrugs on sesh 2? (although I never done shrugs before like) Time/progress wise, after messing around with various bits and pieces since May I thought I had better pick something and stick with it for a bit, so I'll be looking to keep this up for a good few months to see what gainzz occur before considering swapping some of the main things over. I see; there have been a few occasions where I have felt like I was only 90% as strong as last time (such as today (Thursday), after grippers on Tuesday), so I'm finding it a bit tricky to guage CNS recovery. With DOMS there's something really obvious which is telling you 'wait a bit longer', is there an equivalent for CNS judgement? Or is it just gaining experience of those times when you pick that thing up that was easy last time, and if it's harder than it should be, you need more rest? Also: noob question, but what's "the dreaded metabolites"? 177 x 20 = 3,540, I'm probably eating c3,000 so that could well explain why I'm the same weight as 6 months ago. Although, I'm not hugely keen on putting on mass, provided I continue to get stronger. Meh, see how it goes innit? Damn. That's my bourbon biscuit addiction out of the window. I've seen your big shake recipe - it looks pretty special, and I'm quite keen to try it as soon as we obtain a blender... Maybe that can happen this weekend, Lakeland anyone?
Tuesday 22.10.13 Gripper Alternate hands between sets, left hand first 2x3 full closes @100lb spring up, spring down 1, 2, 3 full closes @150lb spring up, spring down 1, 2, 3 full close attempts @200lb (I’m only about 5mm away from spring up closes on the RH!) 3x3 assist close (both hands) + 5s hold + 5s negative @200lb, spring up 3x1 attempts @250lb spring up (handles just past parallel on RH, not quite to parallel on LH) 2x3 assist close + 5s hold + 5s neg @200, spring down 3x5 @150 spring up and spring down exploding death star stretch Wednesday 23.10.13 AM core workout (plank variations, swiss ball malarkey, stretching and deep breathing), vacuum breathing in the car on the way to work. PM no kali partner, so 40 minutes carenza (double stick running sets and ‘free’ moving and hitting, managed not to break anything in the house) and about 45 minutes working on updating my notes. Thursday 24.10.13 AM Yoga, deep breathing (farmer burns) and vacuum breathing etc PM gym 13 minute walk Warm up Deadlift 1x7 @bar, 1x3@ 65kg, 1x3 @77.5, 1x3 @87.5 1, 2, 3 @92.5 1, 2, 3 @97.5 1, 2, 3 @100 (all good so far) 1, 2, 3 @102.5 (the set of 3 was a bit of a grind, so didn’t push it, not ready to move it all up yet) These took about 30 minutes to do as I needed quite a bit more rest between the lower sets, maybes I hadn't recovered from Tuesday griptime. Pah. Circuit Styleee *Front split squat – 1x8 @bar, 4x10 @40kg es *Full dips – 5,5,5,5 *Straight arm dips – 10,10,10,10 Pendlay Rows 1x6 @40, 1x6 @45 5x5 @50 (was only going to do 3x5, but I realised when I got to the second set it probably could have been a bit heavier, so decided to do 5 sets) WGBP 1x6 @40 (form/energy level check) 3x10 @50 Upward cable wood chop 3x15 @35kg es (remember the 2x mechanical advantage so it’s only really 17.5) Walk home, stretch, eat, although the chicken I had intended to cook was starting to turn so had to resort to the backup frozen plaice fillets (with the brown rice) instead. Acceptable, but disappointing because of a) waste and b) not as tasty (the sauce I was going to do really doesn’t suit the fish – maybe I’m just too picky sometimes)
High Pulls for more 'bum punch' sure... 2 things. 1) Did you pick up more this time than last? That could be you made a few rep gains at the same weights. Or you made weight-lifted gains (you went up). If not then your CNS is not recovered. It's that simple with strength-lifting. Did you do heftier than last time? That too. IF you can't at least replicate what you did last time. Then you need more rest. Do you remember the nurishment can crush test? Take a can you normally crush (when fully recovered) and try to do it when not. You'll find it really hard to exert full-force. That's your CNS telling you you're not ready yet. Think of them like sludge or rust in your bloodstream. They're part of the reason you can't lift as heavy as last time - Until they're gone. 'Waste' particles as a by-product of resistance activity. It's not so much that you want to put on weight. You'll just need the extra calories to recover quicker (all other things being reasonably equal). The reason you're encouraged to increase your calorific intake is so your body has excess to put towards healing and recoup. You'll not neccessarily gain weight (or much) but you will potentially heal quicker etc. I change it around a bit. I don't put the raw eggs in it now. As eggs are better (you digest more of their protein) when cooked. I got some goat's milk ice cream to add some extra creaminess - \yum. Godd Luck
More useful tips, thanks man Log o'clock (not that kind of log): Monday 28.10.13 Deadbug wall press 2x10 (I'm now sending my legs out almost straight without any lumbar hyperextention) Swiss ball ham curl +leg raise w 5s hold 2x10 (these are still hard) Swiss ball plank stir the pot 2x10 (circles get bigger, added a 'pop' to plank with hands on the ball, held for 20s - core burn) Planks - front 90s, side 45s es, front one arm out - 30s es Vacuum breathing in the car - 8 x 20s Kali - more brain melting double stick - mid range sumbrada drill (start with 5 count (aka 10 count), progress to any angle one for one with any response). Recap Lameco double stick laban laro, blend these within the sumbrada delivery system. Starts to look smooth, time to make it harder Left hand, left template 5 count sumbrada; turns out this is ‘easiest’ (ha!) with stick and knife in order to really programme the right hand as the non primary weapon hand (left hand hit with stick, right hand cut with knife - it sounds so simple!) Progress to left hand single stick (still mid range, sumbrada/one for one), then return to double stick but left template. This type of weapon set is the hardest, as with unequal weapons it’s “obvious” which hand should lead, but with equal length weapons it’s easy to accidentally return to right template/right lead. There is a purpose to all of this, which, to me, is instantaneous independent limb control. This is, of course, a sub-set of coordination, but a kind of coordination which allows you to move any limb (or your body), at any range, with any action type (power [stick] or fluidity [blade]), from any starting position, at any time (within the laws of physics and biomechanics). Thinking about this is why I sometimes can’t sleep at night :cry: There is a danger that that over-doing (or over emphasising) this type of training allows you to drift too far from ‘reality’ (whatever that is), so our next session will be timing footwork, cover, guntings, low line kicks and dumog against a ‘bad guy trying to punch you’ - basically a light version of scenario sparring against an “untrained boxer” (if there is such a thing!). Gripper Alternate hands between sets, left hand first 1x3 full closes @100lb spring up, spring down 1x3 full closes @150lb spring up, spring down 1, 2, 3 full close attempts @200lb (closer to full closure on the first rep) spring up 3x3 assist close (both hands) + 5s hold + 5s negative @200lb, spring up 3x1 attempts @250lb spring up (getting closer) 5x1 assist close + 5s hold (not managing to hold this one shut with one hand) + 5s neg @250, spring up 2x3 assist close + 5s hold + 5s neg @200, spring down I think my hands and mid forearms are getting a bit thicker...
I tell you I'd really like to train with you doing Dumog and what you're detailing here. Sounds great. Tell me Harry does the Dumog work by being 'blade aware' like the rest of the system? What I mean is you know how sometimes how grappling pushes all commonsense out of the window when it comes to blades? Well does the dumog stuff carry the same concepts as the escrima? Does it fit? Who do you learn off? You wanna stop that selfing. You'll go blind Good Luck
You'd be most welcome (just like anyone else who's reading) to come and train, although what I call dumog isn't necessarily the same as what another FMA man calls dumog (I say dumog, you say dumog) It can cover things (like the Vunak definition) as 'simple' as push/pull two-hands-on-one-limb manipulation, wrist control and forearm 'roll' down the bicep, with (perhaps) a little wrist and head control, but mainly from the 'outside'. It is often combined with the main CQC tools (headbutt, knee, elbow), and the odd foot sweep or trip. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6As1h54LKzc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6As1h54LKzc[/ame] It can also be used to cover all things wrestly/grapply, which might be applied in a sporting context. For us, Dumog is not a separate entity to any of the concepts/techniques, it is range specific, and usually is most effective from an empty hand standpoint (although you can (kind of) use some of the hooking ability of weapons to do the same thing, although the grip is certainly less secure). I tend to think of it in more the Vunak way, where it's a moment in time where you have the opportunity to off-balance your opponent slightly in order to facilitate your end goals (be that escape, striking, throw/submission/break, disarm, accessing your equaliser, whatever). Yes, and no . For me, the practitioner is 'blade aware', rather than ALL of the techniques/concepts/positions. The stuff that I train has techniques/positions/concepts which might appear 'blade aware' (e.g. maintain limb/wrist control, move to the outside so he can't stab with his other knife, etc), and other things which might seem like a less good idea in a blade environment. As long as you (or your system) ranks these positions/concepts/techniques (and you learn them/practice them) in order of "highest percentage success first" then all should be good in the hood as, this, for me, is where 'blade awareness' comes in to it - your own way of rating "high percentage" moves depends on the environment. E.g. 1) MMA sporting competition, compared to 2) 3 door staff vs group of troublemakers. 1) isn't going to even consider being hit by his opponent's mate, and 2) probably isn't going to start off with a straight double takedown; although the people in both scenarios may well know both of those concepts/positions/techniques, they rank them in different ways depending on the environment. Thing is, there isn't always the opportunity to do your "preferred move", so (in my mind) you always need a "back up" move or two, or three. These back up moves might not be optimally 'blade aware', but as long as you know that (and know how to get back to a more optimal position), they are better than nothing. We also do ground grappling with knives, either both with one drawn already, one with one drawn, both with one on your person which you can draw at any time (if you can). It's horrible, but if you can learn from every 'death', then it's worth doing in relatively safe environment of the gym/living room. Youtube... Ha! Don't think so. Matt Teasdale of Team Phoenix in Newcastle, he posts on here sometimes as ballistic. Pfft, got to control the beast somehow
Tuesday 29.10.13 AM woke up early 60 min yoga, noticed extra calmness at work today PM gym Front Squats - the squat rack was taken up by someone doing barbell rows with 25kg (bar + 2x2.5k plates) at the start of my workout, so I had to clean the bar for the first few warm up sets, I’m still working on this “clean” lark, and trying to drop directly into a front squat rather than power clean, stand there in rack position, the front squat. Takes timing, coordination and balance that I haven’t quite nailed yet; not the end of the world, provided I don't land on my back with a bar on my throat. (5 x hang clean + 2 @bar; 3 x clean + 2 fsq @40; 2 x clean + 2 fsq @50; 1 x clean + 3 fsq @55 (heaviest successful clean!); failed a clean at 60, by this time the rowers had finished; fsq from the powerrack: 3@60) 1, 2, 3 @62.5; 1, 2, 3 @65 (these were hard work); 1, 2, 3 @67.5; 1, 2, 3 @70 (with better focus, these were easy; weird. I think I have earned that extra 2.5k next time) Pull ups / Clean + OHP (superset) 4, 4, 3, 3, 3 / 5x (1+5) @35kg (all OHP were pretty easy at this weight, no grinding, time to move up here too!) Single leg barbell rows (more of a balance/core challenge to me than pure back strength, although any heavier and balance would have not been there) 3x10 @40kg es Wednesday 30.10.13 Deadbug wall press 3x10 (legs almost straight when lowered, no lower back squirming) Swiss ball ham curl +leg raise w 5s hold 3x10 Swiss ball plank stir the pot 4x10 (circles are getting bigger) Planks - front 120s, side 60s es, front one arm out - 30s es 8x20s vacuum stomach PM kali Empty hand, slightly silat-esque ideas tonight, including adhesion and ‘body-mechanical’ manipulations, rather than more ‘pain compliance’ manipulations which one might associated more with kali. I think it is great to have both - hit the body mechanic one, it doesn’t go, tweak/hit/break something, go back to the (or a different) body mechanic manipulation. Robert's your mum's creepy older brother. The main concept we were exploring involved starting on the ‘inside’ of your opponent’s arm (i.e. in front of them so they could reach you with both arms, rather than angled off ‘outside’ their arm so they would struggle to reach you with their ‘far away’ arm), and swinging it or bridging to the outside before following up in some manner. Gaining a controlling 'outside' position being the key to the whole thing. Once positioned on the outside, there are a few (loads) ideas of where to go from there, and multiple options along the lines of - if all of number 1) works, great, if not the last bit, try 2), if they do X in response to 2), then you do 3), if the positioning is a bit awkward for 2), try 4), if your balance is not good for 4), try 5), if you miss 5) then you either naturally fall in to 2) (one side) or 6) (t’other side). Magical. The starting ‘feed’ for this (when learning at first) is jab, cross, wide hook (haymaker type), with the aim of dealing with the jab (cover, block, slip, parry, scoop etc), hitting a limb destruction on the cross, and some form of simultaneous cover+hit on the ‘inside’ of the wide hook, then either swinging, cross hand scooping or bridging (just like hubad - what do you know, it does have application!) to move to the outside with wrist control, and directly moving in to an elbow wrench with either bicep (if the wrenching arm is below), or elbow (if the wrenching arm is above). After you get a bit smoother with the initial ‘feed’, you can isolate the hooking motion, (with your hands up in cover or fence type position) and try to ‘trigger’ your swing/bridge as soon as you feel the contact from the attackers limb on your forearm; when this gets a bit better, get the feeder to start pulling the hooking arm back (to their guard) as soon as they feel contact, sometimes you’ll miss, sometimes it’ll be sweet, and sometimes you’ll end up jamming their attempt to regain their cover after the hook so you can get a couple of 'distractions' in before gaining your position. It looks messy, but surely the real skill development occurs at the fringes of your current abilities? Once your ‘trigger and follow up’ gets a bit better, try it (as the receiver) with your eyes closed, opening them when you feel the first contact of the hooking limb. After a bit of this, get the feeder to shove some 16oz gloves on and swing at you a bit harder (keep your eyes open now, with the feeder still pulling their shots back to guard after making contact, but at about 50% pace), then tone down the power and allow them to throw any single attack of straight or hook (either side), then throw any 2-3 hit combo, then gradually ramp the power up, then try it with your eyes closed with slightly lower power (open your eyes on the first touch of the combo and deal with the rest - obviously the target/power of the first strike is for you to agree beforehand! Remember as feeder, it’s the other guy’s turn next, so treat your partner with the respect you would expect them to extend to you!) This drilling method is awesome, but humbling, as you tend to get tagged quite a lot, but each one of these is a lesson, right?
Thursday 31.10.13 Walk to gym (12 min) and warm up a bit (about 7 min) Deadlift (7@bar/hang, 3@67.5kg, 3@80, 3@90) 1, 2, 3 @95; 1, 2, 3 @100; 1, 2, 3 @102.5; 1, 2, 3 @105; 1, 2, 3 @107.5 no straps, double OH for all, 33 min in total inc warm up sets. The last wave felt pretty solid AND I managed to resist the temptation to keep going to failure, if I can do the same next time I've probably earned another starting step up. Circuit Clean to front split squat (barbell in front squat position) - 8@30kg es, 4x10@42.5kg es (these were hard) Full range dip - 5,5,5,5,4,1 (so close!) Straight arm dip - 10,10,10,10,10 /circuit Kroc rows - 15@24kg DB, 3x15@26kg DB Static Contraction Barbell Shrug This was probably not the optimum point in terms of grip fatigue, but I felt like trying it and the power rack was free... So, load up the bar on the third pin from the floor (just above my knees), pick it up (i.e. last portion of deadlift motion), shrug about 1 inch further up and hold on for dear life... I was purely guessing at the weight, and, turns out I could do 2 full range reps with 80kg (could possibly do more), then: SC Shrug: 7s @100kg, 7s @120kg, 5s @130kg (straps for the last one - stupid Kroc rows, where me grippers now!) Pretty fun! Afterwards one of the lads told me I should use dumbells "cos you get better neck activation" and do more reps. I thanked him and said I would think about it for next time :Angel: Pallof press - 2x30s @35kg es (cable machine, so 17.5kg resistance really) Accidentally spent about 1h30 in the gym, but a fair amount of that time was rest, loading and unloading, and I didn't feel even remotely close to exhausted, so it can't have been toooo long methinks. The question is (sokklab ), how long do I leave it before the next static contraction, is it any good mixing in with normal (full range) training, and how can I do the leg press one without a leg press - Zerchers? No lat pull down machine - weighted pull up hang? I've had a good read of Pete Sisco's website; he seems to advocate SCT only, with exponentially increasing rest periods (getting towards 45 days or more). It could well be the most efficient way, but I'm not sure I would continue to enjoy that...
I only do one pure Static Contraction at the mo. And been slack about those too. Which is the Single Leg Leg Press from the safeties. My plan is to reintroduce them. And to do them once per 3 to 4 weeks in with normal Leg Presses. I used to do a lot more statics and partials. Particularly Leg Press and Deads. Sisco is a big fella. And strong. So he doesn't want or need to do anything to make himself bigger. He's training each 45 days with Static Contractions because he does Leg Presses with 1500 kgs. And Deads with 800 kgs. It takes you a much longer time to recoup after that effort - Though it's only 5 seconds a pop. For folks who want to feel they 'worked out' but trained in their strongest range of motion he's got a 'power factor' type system. That's all short range presses and pulls etc. Again in the strongest range of motion (I still use some of these particularly on the leg press). Static Contraction training is lowest rep possible. So you'll get stronger yes. But it's not for those who like to feel they 'worked out' at the gym. Nor will it build much in the way of noticeable muscle. For that it tends to take reps of some sort. Unless you're using HUGE weights (like Sisco) Most folks can't get their head around it anyway. I mean any kind of isometrics go against the 'mainstream malarkey about weights'. If you said to someone they'd get to the point where they'd workout each 45 days they'd think you were crazy. But it depends on how much weight you're dealing with. Deadlift 100 kgs - Recoup in a week. Deadlift 1000 kgs - recoup in a quarter. More you pick up etc the more rest you need. No matter whether you're 19 or 91. And no matter whether you're doing short-range pure strength work, partials or full-range. My feelings are to just stick to a couple and do them once a week. Until you can't do a heftier static. Then start doing them once each 10 days and repeat. Then lengthen out to once each 14 days or more. And do them in with normal weights seshs. That's the way I used to do them. Up to the point where I Leg Pressed 1080 kgs (yes I know it's only a partial :Angel Because they're isometrics where the weight is directly 'on you' or the force is applied to you - you'll need to use the most efficient methods. Hence you can rig up a Deadlift from the top safeties and hoik it for 5 secs - Small lift range. Low hassle. Easy set up. But doing a Pull Up with added weight and trying to get into the 'up' position and then trying to resist the neg on the way down is a bit more of a pain in the **** no? Particularly if you're suing say 100 kgs or more. Unless you got access to particularly strong stairboxes and a training partner to watch you don't fall. Good Luck.
Cheers bud, makes sense Sunday 3.11.13 Gripper, all full closes (or full close attempts ), done one set left hand, one set right. 2x3 @100lbs, spring up, spring down 1x3 @150, up and down 5x1 @200, spring up (soooo close on the RH!) 3x1 @250 (handles to parallel now) 3x3 assist close + 5s static hold + 5s negative @200, up 1x3 assist + hold + neg @200, down 1x1 + 14s hold @150 (this was as long as I could hold with the LH, then matched with the RH. Thought my head was going to explode :cry Monday 4.11.13 Brisk walk to gym and warm up Front squats, went up ‘one gear’ from last week, but I did 5 waves so effectively went up two steps, and didn’t even have to use my AK, I got to say it was a good day (7xbar, 3x52.5kg, 3x57.5, 3x62.5) 1,2,3 @65; 1,2,3 @67.5; 1,2,3 @70; 1,2,3 @72.5; 1,2,3 @75 (although I was starting to grind on the last two reps at 75, stick here for now) Pull ups / Full Clean + OHP superset 4,4,4,4,3 @bw / 5x (1+5) @37.5kg (last few were a grind and bit uneven on the way up although I resisted the temptation to push press, stick at this weight for OHP for a bit longer) Clean grip high pull (from floor) 1x5 @40kg, 1x5 @50kg, 3x5@55kg (these started well, but technique soon went south as I got towards the last set, enough bum punch, not enough shirt lift…) Upwards cable wood choppy thing 3x10 @40kg es (focussing on ‘explosive’ type movement, little bit of pushing with the feet as well as ‘pure’ twisting) Kali in the park Single stick mid range sumbrada – variations in counters and follow ups, and ‘tricks’ to break the flow and improve our timing. Got stopped, ‘person checked’ and moved along by the police. We were very polite, they were very polite and, after checking we weren’t criminals and telling us off a bit, asked about the martial art and seemed genuinely interested. Still told us that we shouldn’t really be doing it late at night in a public park, and that our training tools could be classed as offensive weapons. I didn’t really feel like arguing (that the stick is a tool and I am the weapon! Definitely not the other way around), so stayed polite and disappeared.:vanish: We found somewhere else which was lit and not the middle of a public park. The cops suggested that we train in our own gardens, but sticks are a bit noisy for residential areas, hence why we were in the park. Ah well. Anyway, at our new (outdoor, public, not park, not residential area) training place we continued with sumbrada, added punio sumbrada for giggles - now blending close range with mid range. No more cops turned up, no security guards, no ne’er-do-wells nor ghouls; this place will do for now.
General I'm usually getting 15-45 minutes yoga in each morning, which is pretty nice. If I'm pushed for time I'll usually do sun salutations - 2x slow (1-2 deep breaths in each position with some of the thoracic twists from down dog) and 2x flowing (breathing in for one movement, out for the next). If I have more time, I'll do another 4x flowing salutations, and a couple of times through standing (warrior) type poses, then (maybe) up to 30s relaxed stretching in forward bend, kneeling hip flexor stretch (with arm raise), and pigeon pose (glute/piriformis stretch). Breathing-wise, I try to integrate Farmer Burns/Valsalva (the abdominal part without the head pressure) with some of the yoga stretches, and tend to do 6-8x 20s tummy vacuums on the way to/from work in t'car. Feels like a pretty good setup for the day to me Anyway, tripple log (no straining, promise): Wed 6.11.13 Strand pulling I have an expander with up to 5x bands each of which apparently carries 20kg (196 Newtons actually) of tension at 2x natural length. I keep meaning to test this out, as they are made of bungee cord type material, meaning they hold some tension in their 'natural' length so it takes a little bit of 'pop' to get them moving. Also, I'm not sure that the response is entirely linear (it should be approximately linear, I'm just not sure), so unless you're doing a movement which doubles the length of the stretchy bit it's hard to actually judge how tough it is, except 'last time I did X, this time it was Y, Y>X'. I'm not moaning, just sayin :whistle: Front pull - straight arms, shoulder height, squeeze those shoulder blades together at lock out, hold for a bit, controlled return. 3x5 @40kg 2x1 @60kg (the starting part of the motion being the hardest) Back press - strands behind your should blades, push outwards in a straight line until elbows locked out; big breath at the start, watch your gurning face turn red in the mirror, controlled return. 2x5 @40kg 2x3 @60kg 5x3 +5s hold at near lockout on last rep @80kg (PR ) Pull down - strands overhead, arms straight, pull them down to parallel to the floor (like the first half of making a snow angel), controlled return. Palms can be in or out, in is easier (external shoulder rotation for the win), but a bit more risky grip-wise (you might twang yourself in the head as it's only really held by your thumb and fingertips at lockout), out is harder (internally rotated shoulders). 2x5 @40kg (in and out) 2x5 @60kg in, 1x5 @60kg out Upward row - stand in one handle with one foot, grab t'other hand with both hands, pull upwards. As you aren't moving an object with very much mass (the handle, compared to a conventional weight), you can't carry much momentum from hip drive, so trying to 'high pull' it doesn't really make a difference apart from destabilising your structure. 4x10 @60kg Shoulder press - anchor one handle with one hand at the top of one side of your ****/hip area, strands behind your back, single arm shoulder press with the other hand. 3x5 @60kg each side Curl - stand on one end, curl with the other, no cheating and leaning forward 3x15 @40kg es (poolside biceps for Christmas?) Thurs 7.11.13 Meant to go to the gym, accidentally went to the pub instead, ate steak and exercised my socialising muscles. Fri 8.11.13 Did go to the gym, although it was busy, and I only go there 37 minutes before closing time, someone was curling in the power rack, that "neck activation" guy was back doing DB shrugs. Nothing is the end of the world but the actual end of the world; keep calm and deadlift. Warm up a bit. Deadlift 2x3 @70kg, 2x3@90 (these were sharing a bar with someone OHP'ing, no probs, we helped each other with the change over), he'd finished his sets by the time I got to the 1,2,3 bit, so I was able to take the amount of rest I wanted/didn't want. 1,2,3 @100; 1,2,3 @105; 1,2,3 @107.5 (all reps felt good, but grip starting to go = mixed grip on last rep. No straps no belt) Static Contraction Shrug Did 130 last time, did 5s @145kg (double overhand, with straps). Watching myself in the mirror during this was not a pretty sight. Klokov press + OH squat (cheers Steve + Fishy for the inspiration and tips, keep the last press up there and squat deeeep) 1x(4+5) @bar only 3x(4+5) @30kg This is difficult and pretty horrible; thanks to the tips I didn't miss any of the presses, but at the bottom of my OH squat (ATG mind) I noticed an imbalance with my right knee wandering inwards a bit. Means I've identified something else to work on! Go home because the gym owner closed up shop/kicked me out. Sat 9.11.13 Back to gym as soon as it opens to 'finish' yesterday's work. Klokov press + OH squat I'm not addicted. 1x(5+5) @bar only 3x (5+5) @30kg These presses are a massive grind. Concentrating on squeezing glutes when at the bottom of the squat (rather than worrying about the weight above my head) helps the knee thing but doesn't make it go away, and when I do it bodyweight it's all fine. Hmm, keep practicing. [Circuit] Front split squat (bar in front squat position): 1x10 @30kg, 4x10 @42.5 (these were a grind) Full ROM Dip: 5,5,5,5,5,2,2,2 (these were a grind) Straight arm dip: 6x10 (these were not as much of a grind) [/circuit] Kroc DB rows Each set left hand first, right hand after. 1x7 @22kg, 1x18 @22, 1x16 @24, 1x16 @26, 1x17 @28, 1x16 @30, 1x12 @32 (grind) Cable Pallof press 2x30s @30kg Plank Front - 60s, side - 30s es, back - 60s Well and truly finished. Walk in to town with the Better Half, eat a large full breakfast (inc black pudding), go to butcher, buy bacon, steak and eggs, get home, cook and eat "Steakon and eggs with brown rice and peas". :woo: Apart from not as much martials as I had hoped for, a pretty good week all in all - Happy Saturday to all
Must learn to write shorter, less rambling posts (sometimes). Here goes... Quicklog: Monday 11.11.13 After a long day (got up early, drove for about 8 hours in total) walked to the gym, squat rack busy, so did squats at the end, expected lower performance than normal, actually impressed myself in the end (even if it impresses no one else... Although I don't really think that matters) Warm up including usual stuff plus: Klokov press + OH squats (controlling the depth on the OH squat seems to be the key to controlling the knee drift) 5+5, 6+6, 7+7 @bar only Superset *Pull ups wide grip, palms away - 4,4,4,4,4 (time to start at 5 next time!) *Clean + OHP - 5x(1+5) @37.5kg (up to 40 next time!) /superset High pull - 3@37.5, 3x5@55kg (up to 57.5 next time!) ATG Front squat (well, I say "ATG", it's as low as I can go without breaking form/lumbar extension; this is well below 'hips just below knees', but not quite 'ham strings to calves'. It means I can't 'bounce out of the hole' (as if I'd ever want to do that!!), but "meh") warm up sets (3@55, 3@60, 3@62.5) 1,2,3 @65; 1,2,3 @67.5; 1,2,3 @70; 1,2,3 @72.5; 1,2,3 @75 All completed, but form starting to crumble a bit on the last two reps @75, otherwise pretty good, step up the starting wave next time! Finisher: "Front squat 21s" (apparently I'm a T-Nation copycat) @42.5kg. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt24ItL3LAY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt24ItL3LAY[/ame] This hurt, but I think I could do 45 next time - another step ready to take! Brief enough?
Bah, long time, no log. I've been on holiday for a week, been ill for almost two (still am a bit - stupid cold/cough), and, since the last proper log, have done: 1) Deadlift workout before holiday, worked up to a 1,2,3 @112.5 (best since back injury setback (see what I did there?)) Felt pretty good. 2) Swam in the sea (20-60 mins) and yoga (30-60 mins) most days on holiday, took my expander and did 3 workouts (front pulls, back press, pull downs, deadlift and front squats etc) to keep my hand in a bit. 3) After holiday rested for a week then went to gym for a front squat workout, worked up to a 1,2,3 @72.5kg (wasn't feeling 100% and performance reflected that). Managed the pull ups and OHP'd a little heavier than normal, but didn't have the zing to do any rows so cut workout short. 4) (Best bit) Last weekend - awesome 2 day (10 hour total) seminar with Ron Balicki, covering Kali (Lameco and Inosanto/Lacosta), Jun Fan, Shoot Wrestling, Muay Thai and Maphilindo Silat. I was familiar with most of the material being a Balicki lineage student, but it was great to see Ron again (as I missed the Newcastle seminar earlier in the year) and pick up a few golden nuggets (tips) for improving stuff I already "know". Normally I try not to compare myself to others (only me yesterday/last year/last decade), but whenever I train with my instructor (Matt), my mind is blown by his movement, knowledge, understanding and ability. Seeing Matt train with Ron over the weekend, I could see a similar thing happening for him; Ron also showed us a couple of videos of him and Inosanto training some of the things he was showing us - and I noticed the same awe in Ron! It's great to have such inspiration! Anyway, go away, stupid cold, so I can get back to training (weights and MA) properly. edit: yes, the weekend seminar has probably prolonged the grip of this cold, but, as life is a balance, I thought it was worth it.
