Zoned Out

I can't recall sweating more than I did on July 28, 2012. In case you're wondering, that was the last time I fought.

It wasn't fighting that made me the most nervous (but it did contribute), rather, stepping on the scale terrified me. Months leading up to the SuperFights, I struggled with my weight. Generally, I walk around at 185LBS; in training, I drop 3-4 lbs. When the weight limit is 185, 182LBS scares me...leading up to fight time, I was around 190LBS (give or take).

So day of, I step on the scale and I'm 3LBS over. "Shit...", was the first thing that came to mind. My head raised and I saw the slightly nervous look on a few faces, then the shocked look on Hu-Kaicho's face. Luckily for me, I was within 5LBS of my opponent...and he didn't have a problem with that. Fact is, I got lucky...reeeeeeeally lucky.

Something had to change. I'd officially reached the point where everything I did in the kitchen or at the table overrode what I was doing in the gym. I was faced with the fact that I now I had to get serious about diet or going to the gym was a waste of time.

I was kidding myself every time I ate. I had the following discussion with my wife one day a few months ago:

C: "I eat healthy..."
L: "You do not. You really don't eat as healthy as you think you do"
C: "You're on crack...I eat healthy!"

Problem with the above conversation is, I was eating a big pile of bacon at the time...which had been a daily ritual. Along with cheeseburgers and fries. At least there was no "pink goo" in my burgers.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. While checking out the Crossfit mainsite, I found a video with a title just compelling enough to make me want to take a look: "Preppin' for the week" by Chris Martirano. I wasn't sure what I would find in those videos; not sure if it was about stretching/body prep, program design...I seriously didn't know. I was slightly surprised (pleasantly) that it was regarding diet. I watched both part 1 and part 2.

As I watched the video, I was intriguied by what Chris referred to as "blocks" (in my defense, I didn't see not read the article linked above before hand). I took to research (read: I googled it). What I found was the concept of "blocks" relates to the Zone Diet, popularized in the 1990's by Dr. Barry Sears.

"The Zone Diet is a way of life that helps you lose fat and increases wellness by reducing cellular inflammation."

...that's all well, fine and good, BUT, in essence, the Zone Diet is a manner to achieve 40-30-30 protein-carb-fat balance in a meal and regulating insulin. Zone Diet measures success by the ability to feel satisfied for 4-5 hours after eating.

From this point forward, I'm going to refer to it as Zone Eating. It's not really dieting, rather, it is being smart about what you eat and how much of it you consume.

What is a block:
A block is essentially a measure of food. 7 grams of protein = 1 protein block; 9 grams of carbohydrates = 1 carb block. 1.5 grams of fat = 1 fat block (HEALTHY fats...).

When designing a meal, you want to combine equal parts of protein, carb and fat blocks. How many blocks one needs is determined by weight, body fat percentage and activity level. For example, @ 190LBS, ~11% body fat and a high activity level, I should eat 21 blocks of food per day. That's a lot more food than I realized!

As of this writing, I've been Zone Eating for almost 2 weeks. Below I'll lay out the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Ugly:
The single biggest change I've noticed is that I was not eating nearly enough. For my body type and activity level, I measure out to 21 blocks a day; I wasn't sniffing 12, or worse, I would get a majority of that in one meal. In order to meet this requirement, I've started eating a snack before working out...yes, I would workout on an empty stomach...I'm not a big breakfast person. Speaking of, this snack is not breakfast.

On a workout day, eating looks something like this:
Pre workout - 3 blocks
Breakfast - 5 blocks
Lunch - 5 blocks
Dinner - 5 blocks
Bedtime snack - 3 blocks

Non workout days are a little tougher:

Breakfast - 5 blocks
Lunch - 5 blocks
Snack - 3 blocks
Dinner - 5 blocks
Bedtime snack - 3 blocks


The Bad:
This isn't really a bad, as much as it is a tedious: everything needs to be measured...at least in the beginning. In reading more recent material on Zone and Dr. Sears, I've read Dr. Sears isn't really big on exact measuring, though, I will say eventually one can develop the eyeball method very close to exact. I do measure, and I measure for a few meals out...this is time consuming.

This is another bad that is moving to a good: Finding foods that are fresh and healthy that can be eaten before going bad. Week one, I bought foods I wouldn't ordinarily eat, which ended up being a waste. Then, I started buying foods that I do eat, but after a few days didn't taste as good. So, as I enter week three, I'm preparing some foods in advance, leaving most to be cooked when I need them or day of; meats are measured and frozen and I will thaw them as I need them.

The Good:
I feel pretty damn good. Through week one, I'd dropped almost 5LBS (a long weekend at work and lack of planning for that caused a slight fall off, but I'm close to reclaiming those loses). There is a noticeable performance increase in my workouts. My stomach is flat again. And best of all, I'm eating healthy! I haven't had a burger in a few weeks, BUT, I can have one if I chose --I just need to be smart about it.

I haven't eliminated much of anything while Zone Eating, I'm just being smart (and meticulous) about what I consume.

Conclusion:
By no means is this a comprehensive, end-all-be-all on the Zone Diet, but I hope my outline of the first two weeks is encouraging enough for you to at least take a second thought about what you eat day to day. One thing I forgot to mention ---Zone Eating (Zoning? Channel your inner Charlie Sheen - ZONING!), can be tweaked. Lower body fat percentages may need to adjust the fat intake; I am actually consuming 2x the recommendation (either olives, peanuts, almond or EVOO).

Into Paleo? Paleo can be done within the Zone Diet - Paleo foods in Zone portions. It can be done. All in all,  the amount of work involved is TOTALLY worth it. And honestly, if you look at the recommended portions for most food, it falls within the Zone recommendations.


Hope this helps. Remember --bodies are not built in the gym, they're built in the kitchen.
OSU!
-Hangtime

...and how do YOU know?

Over the months of June and July, the dojo did a lot to prepare for the Superfights tournament in Oxford, AL. Lots of fitness and padwork, footwork and combinations...we even did a few sessions on how to warm up. It was a big picture and finer details stretch of time, to say the least. But there was one aspect of preparation that befuddled me, which brings me to the topic of this post.

I was describing for the class, warm up techniques and preparation leading into the tournament, when I stumbled upon one aspect of preparation that goes largely unattended to, and even when attention is given, it may not be the best attention or advice available. Let's start big picture.

You've got a tournament coming up. You've been training hard inside and outside the dojo. It's nearly time to put all of that hard work to good use. "Go Time" is two weeks away.

Question for you: What's your approach? Do you:
A). Bust your butt for the next two weeks, and show up tournament day ready to rock?
B). Finish out this week, and shut it down to get ready for the big event?
C). Split the difference; 7 or 8 days of solid work and reduce the workload for the next 3-4?

The answer - "I dunno".

Yup, that's right. I don't know. Chances are, neither do you. But here's the beauty of the situation: You can find out. Yes, yes you can. First, let's explore the scenarios above.

Bust your butt for the next two weeks, and show up tournament day ready to rock
The worst plan of the three, but that's not to say it couldn't work. How do you feel after several days of hard, strenuous workouts? Personally, I feel like a 6 foot pile of poo, that's not to say that you, Mr. Reader, are not the epitome of fitness. If you're not, you don't want to go with plan A. Keep reading.

Finish out this week, and shut it down to get ready for the big event
I used to be in this category, largely at the behest of my instructor. I have moved away from this approach over the years, which I'll discuss in more detail below. Sensei's reasoning for completely shutting me down was to avoid injury. When I say shut down, I mean SHUT DOWN. I had very strict instructions not to lift, no running, take it easy. Very much "come-to-the-dojo-but-when-you-get-here-don't-do-anything-to-exert-yourself"; it drove me crazy. The advantage, again, is avoiding injury. If you're the type that can take some time off and still perform near peak, this might be where you want to hang your hat...if not, keep reading.

Split the difference; 7 or 8 days of solid work and reduce the workload for the next 3-4
This is the Hangtime way to go; I finish out the week, then gradually reduce the workload ending two (sometimes three) days before an event. The advantage to this method is your event is treated like any other workout. Two days rest between your last decent workout and your event. For me, this is optimum.

So, how do you find out what works? The same way you make anything else work --you train it!

"Wait...you train rest times?" -- You betcha! Here's my approach:

The World Yoshukai Calendar has 2 camps, 4 tournaments and 1 black belt test. Of the four tournaments, two of them include fighting, which is a large motivator in my training --I guess you could say I train my physical fitness for these events. For the sake of discussion, we will also include my shodan, nidan and sandan testings as well (I train the same for tournaments and testings).

So, since 2007, I have had 38 opportunities to experiment with what tapering method works the best for me. Of the 38, 12 were "live" runs, the other 26 were tests. That's a lot of practice...good, solid reps. For each camp & tournament, I marked an 8 week run to the event. So, starting 8 weeks out was prep time. A few times, I've even gone down to six weeks a few times and two weeks once due to injury. Each lead in was different -- weight was different, cardio varied year to year, etc. Each time, I set a few goals and worked toward them in the allotted time.

So for each camp, the goal would be to make weight as if I were fighting. Moreover, the goal was to be in fighting shape. Winter Camp makes for a long day (brutally long, in my opinion), but I didn't want to miss a minute of it. Sand, sun, wind, water, tug o' war, running on the beach, sumo, you name it, I wanted to do it. If I missed my mark on where I wanted to be, I went back to the drawing board for the next event. If that worked, then I took that method and improved on it for the next event. So on and so forth. If you don't have a good memory about these things, you might want to grab your notebook.

So, what does this mean to you? Well, I hope that by this point in the article, you've taken stock of your approach and how you prepare for your event. Unless you're one of those people who can role out of bed and run a half-marathon or fight without any prior training, proper tapering is an important aspect of training...just as important as the work itself. Experiment and find out what methods work best for you.

OSU!
CM

4/11/2012 Early AM Session

Not the best session, but a good workout nonetheless. Shoulder issues have crept back, which made today's session a little harder to deal with.

Warm Up:
10 x 10LB DB External rotations
Shoulder mobilization exercises


Workout: Bagwork 4: "Ten good ones". The premise is ten of the best reps you can muster; if it's crap, toss it out, it doesn't count. Only the ten best.

As Many Rounds as Possible (I have 10 rounds listed on the card)
Mawashi geri
Jab (W)
Cross (W)
Jab + Mawashi Geri
Jab + Mawashi Geri

The first couple of rounds were a good way to start the warm up (I know better next time --marked with a "W" for warm up). After two circuits, I dropped the single jab and cross; I felt it was a better usage of time to focus on the combinations than the single technique; I will leave them in for warm up next time.

I finished 4 circuits. Doesn't sound like much, but that's four rounds of max power/effort of ten solid reps. Not terrible, in my humble opinion, and it leaves a lot of room for improvement. That said, the shoulder played a big role in limiting the number of rounds.

50 Double Unders
Abs:
10 x 10 LB Leg Raises (bench)
10 x 30LB Knee raises (cable)
10 x 20 LB Leg Raises (bench)
10 x 30LB Knee raises (cable)

Finisher: 100 Double Unders. Stalled around 50; the next ten left a lot to be desired, but I got it back on track around #63. The last 10 were not fun either.

Stretched and called it a day.
OSU!

4/10/2012 Early AM Session

My alarm went off this morning...and I shut it off. Felt like I took a five minute buffer, it was actually 45 minutes. Good thing I get up early

Warm up:
5 x 25LB DB Halos
10x 10LB External Rotations
Burgener Warm up
5 x 25LB DB Halos

Workout:
Ross E's ICT #5
5 rounds:
10 Burpees
10 Chinnies
10 Squats
10 Pushups

I did not set the world on fire doing these, lol. Good circuit, got the lungs going pretty good. Despite not going at blazing fast speed, I finished fairly quickly, so I moved onto the next card as a finisher...

Ross E's EIT#4:
As many as possibly in 15 min:
Sprint 50M
Bear Crawl 25M
Crab walk 25M

I didn't have the space, so I adapted to the basketball court in the gym, so instead of 50M, simply point A to point B. I managed 6 reps before my wrists started giving me fits. I did learn, however, that the bear crawls and crab walks made a great time buffer. After 7 minutes, I stopped torturing my wrists and did sprints.

In 15 minutes - 16 total trips down and back; 6 included crawls/walks, the other 9 were straight up sprint up and back. Or simply: 15 minutes of sucktitude.


Quick stretch and called it a day.
OSU!

2012 First Quarter Review

Previously, on Yoshukai Strong...

That said, here are my goals for 2012:

1. Keep training focused by dividing the session into strict, time-based segments, by the end of January.
2. Increase leg press working rate to 800LBS (2 rep minimum) by February 1, 2012
3. Work toward 3 times bodyweight deadlift 1RM (1 rep max), based on average weight (180LBS) by Feb 4, 2012
4. Complete sandan test on Feb 10, 2012...preferably in one piece.
5. 100 consecutive double unders by May, 1 2012
6. Perform 100LB DB  Bench Press by Feb 1, 2012
7. Perform 225LB Bench Press 1RM by April 1, 2012
8. Perform 400LB Squat by June 1, 2012
9. Maintain ability to perform all achieved goals through end of 2012

First quarter 2012 is in the books. I want to take a look at the goals I set for the year and reevaluate. Looking at some of them...I wonder what I was smoking when I came up with these.



Goal 1: Keep training focused by dividing the session into strict, time-based segments, by the end of January.
The card system I'm using now goes a long way in helping keep sessions going. Having a plan is a good thing. There are some of the planned workouts that simply run long. In fact, I have two coming up: "52 pickup" and "Crossfit Angie" :-/

Goal 2: Increase leg press working rate to 800LBS (2 rep minimum) by February 1, 2012
I haven't met this goal yet, but, I could. I need to prioritize it and do leg presses before I'm too beat to complete them. I have flirted with the low 700's since the beginning of the year...I have no doubts I can do this, I just need to do it (even if only for the sake of saying I did).

Goal 3: Work toward 3 times bodyweight deadlift 1RM (1 rep max), based on average weight (180LBS) by Feb 4, 2012
Lofty goals aren't a bad thing, but unrealistic goals are.  My current PB is 350LBS, which is less than half of my current bodyweight (188LBS) - 2.5 times BW sounds a lot more reasonable....by end of the year.

Goal 4: Complete sandan test on Feb 10, 2012...preferably in one piece.
Nearly lost an eye, but I made it :)

Goal 5: Perform 100LB DB  Bench Press by Feb 1, 2012
Done, and... (1/19)

Goal 6: Perform 225LB Bench Press 1RM by April 1, 2012
Done! (230 on 3/8)

No time to rest, however. Still plenty of mileage left to burn up and more goals left to accomplish.

How are you doing with your goals for the year? Do you work on them daily?? If not, it's not too late, get back on the wagon!

OSU!

4/5/2012 Early AM Session

Warm up:
Mobilization stretches
Bergener Warm up

Today's torture was 5x5 Max Strength.
Push Press (155) [PB Match]
Romanian Deadlift (275) [PB]
Double Arm Row (185)
Leg Press (630)

Now here's the downside; I lost all of the numbers for this session (*sigh* Technology, gotta love it), but I do recall some of the max weights

That said, I didn't reach 5 sets on the leg press, I was pooped. It looks like I wasn't tracking the two arm row, so the 185 makes a PB by default as a baseline. Not bad for a session where the point was just to make it through...

Finisher:
2 min 7/5 burst on the heavy bag
30 Double unders
1 min 7/5 burst on the heavy bag
30 Double unders
1 min 7/5 burst on the heavy bag
30 Double unders

Abs:
20 x 45LB Seated Russian Twists
20 x 45LB Seated Russian Twists
45LB Seated Russian Twists to failure (26)

Stretch then end scene.

OSU!

Managing Expectation, Part I

I'm going to have to tread lightly...very lightly...with this topic, but it's one that I feel needs to be addressed. Before I get started, let me state, I love karate. After all, it's both an individual and a team sport; a karate-ka can learn a plethora about themselves in this sport. Physical boundaries can be expanded, the impossible can be made possible. Over the years, I've seen children and adults experience tons of progress and growth.

Specifically, I love Yoshukai Karate; if I didn't, I wouldn't dedicate the time I do to this style. Nothing is perfect, but I feel like there is a ton of good in Yoshukai Karate.

But let's be honest: in the grander scheme of things, on the surface anyway, that all accounts for a hill of beans.

"Are you serious, Hangtime...you don't possibly believe that...do you?" Yes, yes I do. And besides, you read it on the internet, so it must be true. ;-)

Let me explain: You've been doing this karate stuff for several years, you're a brown belt and it looks good on you...black would look even better. But let me ask you a question: how do you feel about sparring?

...not a big fan, that's OK, your kata is phenomenal. That must make you amongst the the top...five, ten baddest people on the planet...right? Nope, not even close.

OK - let's try another scenario: You fight like a beast in the dojo. It's lonely at the top...in fact, it's just you and Sensei...and the clock is ticking for him. You'll catch him before the next rank test...you're well on your way to dojo domination. To boot, your kata is impeccable. If Chuck Norris existed in iambic pentameter, he would be you...pure poetry in motion. You are king of the jungle, a young lion in his prime...rawwwrrr!

Amazing...I'm with ya. You're nothing to balk at. But...what happens if an argument or confrontation happens 3 feet away from you? Do you soil your pants? Step back into a fighting stance with your hands waaaaaaaaay too low to actually stop anything? I know, you immediately step back into zenkutsudachi and kiyah, right?!

Any of the above and boy, are you in trouble.

I say all of that (and I jipped you about 5 more scenarios, I figure by now you get the point) to say this; the expectations you have with your karate needs to be served with a heaping helping of reality and perspective. Without it, you're toast.

Let me explain: In Yoshukai karate, like many others, we have kata, kumite (Japanese style and point sparring), weapons & self defense. It's hard to focus on any one thing, with such a broad range, but if you're mastering one, you're neglecting a lot of material. Overall, that point is neither here nor there for the purposes of this post, but it's true. And I'll be you a dollar that you had never thought of that.

Sometimes, it seems as though there is a false sense of bravado obtained by your everyday, casual karate-ka. Being a "casual everyday karate-ka" is not a problem, the false sense of bravado is. Doing good kata does not make you the baddest person on the planet. And here's something that may shock you: being a good fighter does not make you the baddest person on the planet either (and let's go ahead and include how you swing a nunchuka and/or bo).

Kata Konnections

Pay very close attention to this next statement: kata != fighting. Yep, I said it, and you cannot convince me otherwise. I'll take another step over that sacred line and say: "The only effectiveness kata has in fighting is the cardio...and that's only if you do them one after another after another as hard as you can". Yep...I said it.

Some, SOME, karate-ka take the time to bunkai kata; there's problem number one; SOME. Not very many, at that.Even those of us that could pull something out of their tokus for the moves of some kata, surely don't believe that most of it would work in a self defense situation...or at least I hope. Let's draw some analogies: I call the "base" bunkai the potatoes. I am a french fry guy, so my potatoes will be fries, but I digress. They're good; they make a great side dish or even a great snack, but not a good main course. Sometimes, I'll take the snack, but it's just that --a snack. Dive deeper young Padawan, there's meat behind those potatoes. How can the lesson behind that bunkai be applied. Think about it...try it out; how does it work out for you? Not well? What did you learn, though? How does that work for you? Better? Enjoy your steak.

I'm not suggesting that kata doesn't have it's merits, I am merely imploring you, the reader, to put it in its proper place. It is a way to develop coordination, drill concepts applicable to both fighting and self defense, develop strength and stamina (if done right...)...it could even be used to get you onto ESPN screaming like a banshee! OK, let's leave that last one out, shall we? :-D

Why Are You Really Here?

Many people take karate for the self defense benefit...but...are no where to be found on sparring night.

...really?!? REALLY!!?!

So, help me understand; you come to the dojo in hopes that you will be prepared in the unlikely event that someone attacks you on the street...but you don't want to condition yourself for what might happen to you...because...it...hurts...

Errr. Riddle me this, Batman, on the street is your expectation that you will end any conflict swiftly, with one blow, without breaking a sweat. Hmm. Upon what experience are you basing this expectation? Your bench press must be awe inspiring...and you must spend a fortune in heavy bags. Seriously, you need to be in the dojo, learning how to hit and be hit, feeling the pressure of not being the second coming of Bruce Lee, learning how to manage the adrenaline rush you WILL FEEL if you find yourself remotely close to a self defense situation.

The notion that sparring hurts is valid; it does. It certainly isn't ticklish. But that pain doesn't change; your reaction and coping mechanisms do. Skip out on sparring night at your own risk...I'll be you TEN dollars your Plan A reduces greatly if you aren't equipped mentally for being hit.

The Great Self Defense Debate
OK, green belt. You've made it to the big time...first line! Good stuff. This next test should be easy...right? I mean, you only have one new weapon/kata and a few self defense techniques to demonstrate. That's cake!

Punch, side step, chudan tsuki, stomp the foot and end with an ax kick...cake, I say!

Hold on, one second. Think back to the last time you punched full force someone the size of your partner, I mean, really swung for the fences. How'd that work out for you? Did they continue to stand there, waiting for your next technique or did the double over in pain? If you said the former, you might want to go back to the drawing board.

I often tell students self defense needs to be quick, violent and explosive --if your self defense for testing is slow, tentative and gentle...you might want to go back to the drawing board. By no means am I suggesting you hurt your partner, absolutely not, but you should be convinced (and be honest!), "Man, that's going to really hurt". The litmus test: Does your partner cringe when you execute? If they don't, they're either really trusting or not the least bit afraid you're going to hurt them if you make contact; my money is on the latter.

Oh, and one more thing: are you actually going to remember that? What are you going to do if you do not? ...yep, thought so, you hadn't thought of that.


So Why Waste Time?
Here's where I bring all of this back home. I'm not saying karate is bad; in fact, if I've done my job correctly, you're brain is running 100MPH...as it should be ALWAYS after you leave the dojo or while you're training.

If you're mailing it in, you're not doing yourself any favors...in fact, if you're mailing it in, you're at even more of a disadvantage than someone who is disillusioned. You've got some serious homework to do. I mean, you don't really even have a clue what you're doing and how bad a situation may get for you.

How does this change...where do I start? Ask questions. Find the meat and enjoy both the meat and the potatoes! Talk about what you're doing with your instructor, think about what you're doing (and ask how it applies, how is it useful) and most importantly, be realistic about what you're doing!! Never assume what you're doing is enough, chances are it's not. Stamina, strength training, technique...especially technique...can always improve, but these are the tools, you are the house! Put the pieces of your training, your karate toolkit, in order --each tool has a specific use and purpose. If you think kata, kumite and self defense (for testing) is all you need, you're sorely mistaken! Remember, meat and potatoes.

More on managing expectations later...stay tuned for Part 2.
OSU!

3/29/2012 Evening Session

It's been a very long time since I've done 2 workouts in one day...I just reminded myself why. Tonight's torture was ICT #4...but not just any ICT #4, ICT #4 - IN THE DOJO!

ICT #4:
Part 1: x 5
10 Burpees
20 Lunges
30 Squats

Part 2: x 5
10 Pullups
20 Pushups
10 High pulls (resistance bands)

I didn't bother to keep track of time. Why remind myself of how long it took to torture myself (and Miss M)?

Finisher: Kata
Tensho (tonfa) x 3
Yosei no Sai x 2

Stick a fork in me for today, I'm done!
OSU!

3/29/2012 Early AM Session

Ultimate-XC: 60 minutes, as many rounds as possible:
1 mile run
Tabata row

Warm up:
10 x 45LBS Cleans
8 x 75LBS Cleans
Light jog around the basketball court
Dynamic stretching

Ultimate-XC:
2 times through.
Mile 1 - 10:17
Mile 2 - 9:02 (mostly interval)

At the start of round three, I was drained. I attribute that to getting better with Tabata Rows...well, that's the story I'm going with. I haven't run at all since the Rock N' Roll Savannah in November, so I am pleased with the times as well.

Ab Work:
10 x 10LB Knee to chest
10 x 10LB leg raises (bench)
10 x 15LB hanging Knee to chest
8 x 10LB(each leg) alternating knee to chest
8 x 10LB(each leg) alternating knee to chest

Finisher:
Tabata Standing Russian Twist; one side per interval

Stretched and called it a day. I'll probably spend the rest of my day dragging my carcass around the office!
OSU!

3/28/2012 Early AM Session

Today's workout is Bagwork 5...at least in part. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about my breathing issues, so I cut it down from five "fights" to two.
Warm up:
Untimed bag work

Workout -Bagwork:
3m-2m-1m - 5s/7s Burst Rounds
3m-2m-1m - 7s/5s Burst Rounds

I should have had 3 regular 3m-2m-1m after this, but I was huffing and puffing...felt good, but I decided not to push it.

Ab Work:
Cable Woodchoppers: 10 x 30LBS, 10 x 60LBS, 10 x 90LBS,
Standing Cable Crunch: 10x150LBS, 10x160LBS, 10x170LBS
Hanging Leg Raises: 10x20LBS, 8 x 30LBS, 8 x 50LBS

Stretch, cool down and called it a day.
OSU!

3/22/2012 Early AM Session

Today's torture: MS 5 1-10-1 swings and snatches...on very little sleep. The little guy had some trouble breathing last night and spent a good bit of the night agitated & pissed off.

----
I want to learn a little more about some of the Olympic lifts; before I started, I thought, "You know...I should do barbell snatches instead of dumbbell snatches..." And that I did.

Warm up:
A mix of hanging snatch, snatch balance, and ground up snatch @ 45LBS...

These were fun...kinda. I knew this workout would be a bear.

Workout:
1-10
2 hand DB Swing @ 60LBS
BB Snatch smorgasbord @ 75LBS

Most of the snatches were snatch balance, especially once I got over 5. Total sucktitude. I don't see how people do this with heavy weight (yet...I will...trust me, someday, I will understand)...

The snatches started to be too much. No way I was going to make it back down the ladder, even @ 45LBS

10-1
2 hand DB Swing @ 60LBS
95LB Cleans (hanging & power)

Even the cleans were a challenge. I was whooped about half way down, but I pushed through and kept going Osu-EN1

Even with the (at the time) unwelcomed disruption to talk about the Peyton Manning deal this was a scorcher...win!

Abs:
Hanging knee raises: 10x20LBS, 10x30LBS, 8x50LBS, 5x50LBS (failure), 10x20LBS (alternating legs), 8x20 (alternating legs; failure)

Good stretch & tons of water.
OSU!

3/21/2012 Early AM Session

Warm up:
Dynamic stretches

Today's Recipe: Ross Enemait's ICT 7

100 Burpees (10:58), bleck!
Rest 2 minutes...erm..."2" minutes
Tabata Squats (131)
Tabata Pushups (68)

Abs (all exercises on the bench):
10 x 10LB Leg raises
10 x 25LB, 15 x 25LB Knee up
10 x 10LB knee to chest

Quick stretch and end scene.

---
Those burpees were brutal. I could have done x number per minute, but I tried just "powering through" and it cost me some time. Next time, I know better.

OSU!

3/13/2012 Early AM Session

Before I got started, it occurred to me that on this day 5 years ago, I lost my nephew far, far too young. I was already pumped for this session, but thinking of him gave me a little extra. We weren't particularly close, but that matters not at all; he is my nephew, my sister's son. He was a very funny guy and by funny I mean you don't want to be caught in his crosshairs...he will make you laugh at yourself while ripping you a new one in the most brutal of ways. And that's what people loved about him. I miss hearing him "cut" on people, and the laughter that came out of it. I miss you, Dude...

Donald, this one was for you.

Warm up:
Circuit x 2:
8x15LB DB Windmills
10 x15LB DB External Rotations
10 x15LB DB Romanian Deadlifts

8 x 135LB Bench Press
5 pullups

Light stretching

Workout:
Crossfit Lynne -- Five Rounds max reps:
Bench Press @ body weight (185) 10, 5, 6, 3, 4
Pullups 9,9, 12 (kipping), 8 (kipping), 6

I am very impressed with myself on the bench press! A little over two years ago I hoisted 185 for the first time EVER. I was mired down @ 185 for 18 months before I moved past that and hit a 1RM of 215LBS. I spent most of 2010 and 2011 trying to perform 20 reps in 10 sets...10 reps in one set is huge for me.

The finish:
1-5 DB Swings (55LBS) & Snatch (35LBS)
Weighted leg raises: 10 x 10LBS, 10 x 20LBS, 10 x 20LBS

Good stretch and called it quits :)

OSU!

T Minus 14 Days

T minus 14 days until testing. I'm normally pretty good with keeping my composure, but something about testing...it makes me nervous. It's almost the same feeling I get leading up to fighting. And ironically, it's not the new material that has me freaked...ok, it does a little bit, but for the most part it's the older stuff. The things I should be able to do in my sleep...stuff like Nijusichi no Kata. I mean, everyone's prone to a mental lapse here and there; I had one during my nidan test doing a yellow belt kata. It happens and I know that. Little did I know as a kyu grade, testing every few months is an ideal situation.

That said, head first, all in and aim to do it once.


Last night at the dojo, we had a circuit training class centered around teaching the new students proper  punching and enforcing the finer points to the incumbent students...and slightly torturing them all. A very interesting fact came out of the class --at no point during the Norcross Dojo's existance has a circuit training  class ever been identical to another.

No, really! No two circuit training sessions have been the same in nearly two years. I think that's a very cool thing. That means our training has been pretty diversified. I do try to keep things interesting, but I had no idea I kept things THAT interesting. I guess it makes up for all the time I spend boring them to death talking. :D


OSU!
CM

1/25/2012 Early AM Session

Today's session kicked off at around 5:05am

Warm up:
Circuit x 2:
8x 15LB DB Windmills
8x15LB DB External Rotations
5x25LB Weight plate Halos

10x45LB Deep squat

Workout:

Deep wide leg squat --for this, I used 5 step risers and the goal was for my butt to touch the stack of risers. Feet were as wide as the squat cage.
8x 95LBS, 8x145LBS, 6x195LBS, 4x215LBS

DB Bench press -- mixed doubles and single arm: 10x 65LBS (d), 8x35LBS (s), 8x45LBS (s), 4x85LBS (d), 4x85LBS (d)

I will play with the singles more in the future. I am surprised that the lower weight wasn't as tough as I thought.

Kata - Sochin, Bassai and Chinto.
I didn't have my weapons, but I also worked on/walked through Yoshu & Yoshu-dai (nunchakas) & Shounnokon (bo). Hard to believe I'm less than 21 days away from testing for sandan!

Standing Cable Crunch: 20 x 170LBS, 10x170LBS
Cable Chest Fly: 10x 40LBS, 10x60LBS, 8x60LBS --it has been years, literally, years since I've done this exercise.

Good stretch and called it a session. I managed to squeeze in 100 double arm swings as well (so far...).
6125/10,000

OSU!

1/19/2012 Early AM Session

Warm up:
Circuit x 3:
8 x 10LB DB windmill
8 x 10LB DB External Rotations
4 (each side) 25LB DB Halo

Workout:
Hanging out on the gym rings
3-3-2
Hanging L-sit into full inverted position, pull up (still inverted), pike down to hanging L-sit

That's tiring!

3 sets of ring dips: 4, 6, 8 --It really took me three sets to get into the flow of it.

By this point in the workout, I was feeling pretty strong. So I decided to let's go after it...let's get that elusive personal best. 100LB DB Bench Press.

...but first...

BB Push Press: 3x45LBS, 8x95LBS, 3x115LBS, 3x135LBS, 2x155LBS[PB].
I didn't realize it at the time, but 155LBS is a personal best. I also didn't realize it at the time, but I don't do these very much (gotta change that).

On the DB bench press: 5 x 65LBS, 3x90LBS, 2x100LBS [PB]
I am MOST proud of this PB, more than any other. The first recorded PB on this lift was on 1/13/2010 and the weight was 40LBS. It goes to show what a little hard work and persistence can accomplish. I remember dropping a BB across my chest with 100LBS on it in high school, I remember barely being able to do this lift with 20LB DB's. More importantly, I look forward to setting my sights on the top of the rack: 125LBS!

I took a lot of rest in order to get the DB BP PB, so I was a little short on time at this point....

30LBS x 1-10 Single arm Swings.
50 Double unders
50LBS x 1-10 Single arm Swings.
50 Double unders

I guess I was in a zone today (truth be told, I as well rested...), the double unders seemed easier than usual.

Seated Russian Twists: 15x45LBS,15x45LBS,15x45LBS
Knee-ups: 10x25LBS, 8x45LBS, 8x45LBS

Stretched and called it a day

5805/10,000

OSU!

1/24/2012 Early AM Session

OSU! Seems like I've been away for awhile...I 've been here, been training, but short on time --which explains the lack of posting. I'll try to get better at posting while I stretch as I have in the past.

Warm up:
3 Sets:
8 x 15LB DB Windmill
8 x 15LB DB External Rotations

Workout:
1-10 Ladders:
Pullups
Dips
25LB DB Thrusters
25LB KB Swings (Single Arm)
Pushups

Circuit x 4:
30 Double Unders
25LB KB Single Arm Swings (20, 15, 15, 15)

Good stretch and call it a day!

This workout was one heck of a cardio burn! If I had a little more time, I would have come back down the ladder. Believe me, going up is a good burn.

6025/10,000

OSU!
-CM

Training an Assistant

As an assistant instructor, I was fortunate. My Sensei took a lot of time teaching assistant instructors how to teach. Some of us got a long leash...a few had free reign (very few). I started assisting with classes sometime around 2005 and became a chief instructor in 2010. In all of that time, there was one teaching lesson I'd never learned: teaching someone else how to teach.

Last Thursday night, I took the opportunity to allow two second kyu's the opportunity to teach groups; let's be honest (and fair), they weren't groups, rather one-on-one lessons. Let's just say, it was a learning experience for all.


Who's on First?

Abbott: I say Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.

Costello: Are you the manager?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: You gonna be the coach too?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names?

Abbott: Well I should.

If you don't recognize the exchange above, it's from the famous Abbott and Costelloo "Who's on First" skit. It pretty well sums up the single most important lesson on teaching: make sure your teacher knows the material being taught. Simple, right? Sure, but the student-teacher is experiencing a flood of thigns going through their heads, especially new student-teachers.

"Where do I start, what do I say, err...um...was there a kiyah there? If the don't do this right, is Sensei going to maul me and feed me to the Kraken?"

Slow it down. First step is demonstrate. This will help the student-teacher gather their bearings and gives them an opportunity to iron out the miscommunication between their hands, their feet and their head.

How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time. I've yet to meet a single student who could absorb an entire kata first time through. Step number two is to break it down. Make the material more manageable.

One. Bite. At. A. Time.

That doesn't mean walk through the kata and explain the moves and expect the student to catch on, it means show them 1-3 moves (depending on what's going on during the counts, of course), then start over and tack on number 4. Then start over and tack on number five. You get the picture.

George of the Jungle:
I won't bust out the full on theme song, but I will say "WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!"

Everyone messes up, and if one pays close enough attention, "patterns of wrong" can be found. I tell my students all the time that I teach based on my own pet peeves. That is, I know what mistakes drive me nuts, so you won't repeat those mistakes; I've been told for years what I do nicely, right, well, etc, so as my student, you will do them in that manner.

That said: if you, as a student, do something particularly bad, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to not pass that on to the student you are teaching. If you do something well, by all means, PASS THAT on to your student. Use someone else point of reference on either side if need be...but be careful to not sound cocky, condescending, judgmental, arrogant or self-righteous --all of which are very unbecoming.

Don't just stand there:
Do something. Let the student watch you a few times, get all the way through the material being taught, review and then let the student try on their own. If your student can't practice outside of your company, you weren't effective.

Spot your prey from 10,000 feet...
swoop in and snag the ant, then come rest on the tree tops:
A very verbose analogous way of saying "move between both the big picture and the details...and back again". Nothing in karate is completely big picture, nor should everything rest in minutiae. It is a mix of both and both are important, but a student is not going to absorb everything in one (or even a dozen) lessons. Focus on the high points, whether it's big picture or detailed.

...and lastly...

There is no such thing as a stupid question
This one pains me, because I generally disagree, but in this context it's true. Well...almost: Don't ever ask a co-director what you should do to get ready for your black belt test. THAT is a dumb question, but that aside --there are no dumb questions in karate. If you are unsure, ask. It happens to everyone. Heck, I still ask and I've been known to do it in the middle of a lesson. No one remembers it all. No one.

I'll wrap the list up with these high level points, though as with most things, I could go on forever (and ever...). If you find yourself in the unenviable position of training a trainer, hopefully this will help. If you yourself have to learn to teach, I hope this can help. In fact, this may even help you, as the student, learn your material...in any case, "Watch out for that tree!"

OSU!
CM

10K Swing Challenge: Almost Half Way There

4485 out of 10,000. Wow, we're getting there. That said, I have been keeping up (for the most part) with my normal training. Unfortunately for me, I haven't been keeping up with the logs. That said, here are a few thoughts, feelings and training highlights over the past few days:

1. I could do a single arm swing and a double arm swing with the same weight and the single arm swing seems easier. 
2. I've noticed an increase of strength doing the last smidgen of a deadlift. My numbers are down (but that occurred before the 10K swing challenge...heck, that occurred before this blog's existence!). 
3. Last Saturday I was trying to lock out 275LBS and stalled; I had a decision to make
   A). Put it down
   B). Power through it.
   
   Typically, attempting B leads to A, however, I pressed through and locked out the lift...in fact, I squeezed out another rep. I attribute the increase to swinging through exhaustion; I've noticed that form has to be very crisp and the feeling of locking out the hips is largely the same in both exercises.
4. That said, deadlifting and swinging in the same workout isn't ideal. 
5. Learning the previous lesson twice is even less ideal :-(
6. Another personal best has fallen: Bodyweight + 110LB deadlift is the new mark (previous best was 105).
7. Deep-squatting seems to be easier since undertaking this challenge.
8. Swinging 85LBS on a t-handle is as hard as it sounds. I don't know what made me want to do 225 reps!
9. Single arm swings have really helped with my "sleep shoulder" issue. I've noticed that I am in a lot less pain after swinging (but the first 20 swings or so suck!).

So there you have it: a small little picture into the last week or so of training and my thoughts on the 10K swing, through  4400+ swings. The only cumbersome thing I can note is the callouses forming all over creation on my hands, though after a few swings, the pain tends to "blend into the background", so to speak.

Lindsay, I believe, is right around the 4000 mark up to this point. She tends to break her swings up into sets of 100, even swinging her t-handle on the days she works. Some nights we knock out our swings together...it's become a bonding experience for us! She came home from the gym today and mentioned that she's going to buy a kettlebell (she prefers it to the t-handle). I think my craziness is spreading!

OSU!
CM

12/30/2011 Early AM Session

OSU!

start time: 6:51

Warm up:


Circuit x 3:

DB Windmills	10 x 15LB	10 x 15LB	10 x 15LB
DB External rotations (forearm parallel)	10 x 15LB	10 x 15LB	10 x 15LB
DB External rotations (forearm perpendicular)	10 x 15LB	10 x 15LB	10 x 15LB

3 minutes on the exercise bike.
10 dynamic pullups (pullup, change grip at the apex of the pull, descend, pullup, rinse, repeat).
5 Skin the cats

Workout:
Circuit x 3:
5 Single arm DB Row
3 Skin the cats


Circuit x 3

Single arm DB Push Press:	10 x 45LB	8 x 45	8x60LB
10 double unders

Nagging shoulder issue caused some issues here...

Bag work: 5 - 1 minute rounds (20sec. rest)
Round 1: jab - cross - jab - cross - jab - cross - jab - cross - jab - cross - reset
Round 2: "Open sparring"
Round 3: jab - cross - knee, step, jab - cross - knee
Round 4: "Open sparring"
Round 5: footwork

Abs

Knee ups	10 x 10LB	10 x 25LB	10 x 25LB
Knee-to-chest	10 x 10LB	10 x 25LB	10 x 25LB

2 sets of 10 x 10LB "Captains Chair" Leg Raises.

Note: the weight for both the knee ups and knee2chest is weight per leg. I attached weight plates using a pair of Husky Hangalls (right).




Finish Time: 8:00