September 27, 2022 Also been talking with my previous Xingyiquan Shifu, who will hopefully have a class in November, and hopefully my knees and hips can take it. This has brought me to a thought I have associated with Xingyiquan from a few schools I've been in.... shut up and train. Which translates to, if I have time to sit here and post, I have time to train. Not that I post on any forum all that much these days, but it might get less to rare to not at all before the year is out
I was catching up on your log and wanted to just say congrats on coming back to class! It's great you can do it a and enjoy it. But then I read the last post. Sorry to hear about that You don't have much luck with joints, do you?
I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but if you want to keep lifting try Dan John's Easy Strength routine. This has been great for me this year, and really enjoyable to do. You can google it or search on youtube where he has posted detailed seminars on it, but it has changed over time so do your research. Essentially, it's workout 5 days a week for 8 weeks doing the following; Push eg bench press, overhead press Pull eg pull ups or just hang from a bar Deadlift of whatever kind works for you Ab wheel Loaded Carry eg suitcase carries, farmer's walks, etc or kettlebell swings. You work with a weight that feels light so you never struggle, and do around 10 reps, eg 2sets of 5, 3 sets of 3 etc. You work out 5 days a week, never miss a workout, never miss a rep, and keep going for 40 workouts. You can use kettlebells, barbells, whatever you have at home. As an example, I walk into my garage and; Hang from a bar for a minute or so. That's my first pull set. The bar is an off cut on some B&Q hooks screwed to the joists. I do 2 sets of 5 overhead press. I like OHP, fewer shoulder niggles then Bench Press. I do 2 sets of 5 deadlift. I like deadlifts, I just do a classic deadlift but put some goblet squats in as a warm up to get my old joints moving first. I do 2 sets of 5 (just realised I do 8 for some reason) on the Ab Wheel. I spent £5 on an Ab Wheel from Amazon, best £5 I ever spent. I hang for another minute or so for my second pull set and to reset my shoulders. I amble round my garden carrying a weight or two getting harassed by my cats. Now, remember that the weights are light, I never struggle, it's all really chilled, so it's a really quick workout. I can get it done in 15 - 20 minutes, and I'm recovered ready for tomorrow. I bookend the hangs so the last one helps me loosen my shoulders after the press and deadlift, maybe I should do the last hang after the carries, but they feel ok. I think this is a great programme for the older lifter. You don't struggle or put your joints in danger, but after 8 weeks you've done 40 workouts and that consistency pays off. Hope that helps An Easy Strength Workout Example - YouTube
all part of getting old and arthritic..... best thing to do is just keep moving...or as Dori said from Finding Nemo....just keep swimming
October 03, 2022 Taijiquan applications class was great..... but if you will allow the use of a Japanese term, the shifu know me and decided that I was the uke tonight.... yes it hurt, especially the qinna bits, but it was awesome.
Read this again, did some research and watched the video, I think I will give this try. Also made me remember a bit of a workout I did when I was much younger, a lot of weightlifters called the trinity, sometimes the holy trinity. Military press, bench press, dead lift. But this was all low rep and heavy and would be the end of me these days if ai tried it. But I liked it way back when woolly mammoths roamed the earth, so I will give this version you gave me a try, just need to get a ab wheel. thank you
Need to correct one thing of the above post. It was not a military press, per say. It was a standing, single arm, overhead press using a barbell
That's great, I'll be interested to see how you get on with it. Dan John has a weekly podcast on Youtube that is worth a watch too, and often touches on Easy Strength.
October 10, 2022 I tried Dan John last Saturday and discovered a few things. One I don't have an ab wheel, but I'm going to get one. However I am not sure how well my wrist with the tendonitis will handle it. Also can't hang, arthritic shoulder and wrist tendonitis were an issue. But I did t rounds and I liked it But after thinking about it, here is what I did today, It is a little longer, but I followed the same idea. Did 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps. But did it in a circuit. 1 set, 8 to 10 reps in 3 rounds. Also I have one of these I did hang, but my forearms were on the pads. I also have a bowflex and a total gym, all light weight. I did have to go lighter with the bowflex than I expected. When I tried the first round, my shoulders hurt, made it a bit lighter and things were fine Warm up This is a combination of a few different sifu's warmups, then Yoga standing postures. Also, today, thanks to the taiji applications class I've been going to, I did Baguazhang tea cups and something I remembered, I think called turning dragon 1) Hang 2) Pull down - Bowflex 3) Chin up (kinda) pull down - bowflex 4) pull/row - total gym 5) seated chest press - total gym 6) goblet squats 7) crunches - 20 8) lay on stomach - reverse crunch - 10 9) farmers carry - two laps around my basement (this is roughly 192 feet - I have a large basement) Did this 3 times, I liked it, and I did not use heavy weights, but I can tell I did something, my muscles are a little tight. I will be getting an ab wheel this week and see if my wrist and shoulders can take it. I have one concern, my right hip is a bit sore. That is the one they want to replace. If it still hurts like this tomorrow, or gets to be chronic, I will have to stop something. Time will tell Also did Traditional Yang style long form and I am looking at things a bit different due to the applications class and I am remembering a few things too. Thanks @Mitch for telling me about this
Glad it worked out for you! Go easy with the ab wheel at first, don't try to reach too far forward. I got one with 2 wheels which makes it more stable, it cost me about £8 from Amazon.
October 11, 2022 Did the same routine as 10/10/22 but I only did 2 rounds. Then did total gym seated surfer (16 reps) and the a PT exercise for Rhomboids (2 sets of 10). I will go easy, I'm not even sure I can stay on my knees like that. Ever since the knee replacement kneeling is not fun. I was looking at Ab wheels on Amazon and I was thinking the ones that have 2 wheels would be more stable, thanks.
October 12, 2022 Did the same routine last night, but upped the weight just a little, felt great. Also 3 days in a row and and no joint pain, but I feel like I have worked muscles, and I actually feel pretty good Have to get back to taijiquan regularly, have not done any since I started this. Have been doing the Baguazhang tea cup exercise and the rolling dragon exercise, but no taijiquan. Will start again tomorrow.
October 15, 2022 Did the routine on October 13 and 14 too Today I worked on the Yang Long form and I am about to go to my basement guan and work on some silk reeling, another taiji form and a few other things
October 18, 2022 October 16, 2022 - a whole lot of taijiquan October 17, 2022 - Dan John's Easy Strength routine and taijiquan applications and push hands class Also might just double down on Xingyiquan soon. now it is 2 shifus have a class next month. One local, who I already knew about and another, I just found out yesterday, is going to have an online class.... the local is Hebei style the online is Wudang. Similar enough to do both. Remember I said "might" double down. I am going to do the local, the online I might do. He is a very talented teacher and very good at xingyiquan, probably the best teacher I have had, but I'm still not 100% sure
October 18,2022 #2 Went to orthopedic urgent care about the wrist. Bone spur in wrist minor arthritis in thumb. Have to wear a heavy duty brace that also immobilizes the thumb. See specialist in 2 weeks. Have to figure out how to adjust the Dan john workout. So far I have been able to handle the taiji applications class, which was awesome last night by the way. Only 3 more classes left. Xingyi with Hebei shifu is suppose to start November 7... Wudang November 6
He talks about wrist injuries here Working around a Wrist Injury - YouTube You might not want to squat with a bar, but you could bodyweight squat, put a weight in a rucksack and squat, even hug a weighted bag and squat. So there are lots of squat variations to play about with.
Thanks. watched that, I shall try what he recommends. I was able to do most of what I was doing, but I cannot do the bow flex stuff. And surprisingly the crunches and reverse crunches are a problem. Not doing them, but getting on and off the floor with this right knee that hates kneeling and the right hand in a brace.
For both variations and working around certain physical limitations in squatting there are a few nearly forgotten tried and true methods and the equipment for them. Such as ----- The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban: The Magic Circle and its Uses - Peary Rader Just pointing the equipment out-not the 20 rep squat routine in the article! There was also a belt system at the hip crest to suspend the barbell between one's legs but don't recall the name of it. I believe it was developed for those with low back problems. Or maybe for people who wanted a belt system but didn't want to practice Karate. A dear friend who passed several years back was a fanatical and quite (quite!) knowledgeable weight trainer who loved massive poundage work. In spite of his love for that sort of training he said higher reps were safer on joints for most of us as we age.So instead of doing 8-10 reps we should hit 10-12,or even a little more. Adjust poundage accordingly.
