truth in action

        It's funny how it starts as just a little mental twitch, somewhere around the base of your skull, then races outwards and slowly builds up before it roars to the surface.  That's when you know you've been out of the gym too long (and really it's only been, what 2 weeks?  Wow, usually I don't get to that point for another week).  Somewhat light workout this morning, but i'm still recovering from the week and I need to save some up for tonight.  A little shoulder and back madness tonight, this was a good upper body start to the week.

        Very interested to see how adopting some bodybuilding type stuff is going to supplement Kaju, i feel like some of the tech from bodybuilding could help.  The squeezing on some of the arm stuff might help with the isos during grappling and holds, at least that's the theory?  Dunno, we'll see.  Martin Rooney said it best, if you want what others don't have, you have to do what others don't do, so it'll be interesting to take a different direction to supplemental lifting for fights.  With all due respect to Chuck The Truck, I know animals don't life weights, and they're strong, but I'm only so much animal.  Fuck my big brain, you'll never convince me it was a good adaptation, esp considering the state of humanity today.


These guys have the right idea

        The benches at the 24 make me a little nervous, but I feel like doing more takeoffs from a half position might help.  Getting the work sets up was easy enough, I think we can work with this:

• Bench Press: 185 5x5
• EZ Curl: 60 4x8
• EZ French: 50 4x8
• A1. Dumbbell Curl: 25 4x6
• A2. OHX: 110 4x6
• B1. EZ Reverse Curl: 30 4x8
• B2. Pushdown: 70 4x8
• C1. Hammer Curl: 20 4x12
• C2. Unilateral Reverse Pushdown: 30 4x12

        Today, the mind truly controlled the body.  Mind Controls The Body.  As such, we must first deal in mind control.

Today's TrainingTune: Echo Chamber - Negative Format

forever's a lie

        I have been somewhat amazed at my own resilience this week, not to give myself props or anything, but i've done a retarded amount of cardio, the likes of which i haven't done in a while.  From my impromptu run, to a 90 minute grappling session, to a circuit based fight cardio class, I think i've covered everything.  Frighteningly enough, I'm not even that sore, it's more just like a dull little tweak here and there to remind me I did stuff.  Did cramp up a little last night at rather importune times that resulted in me having to tap TWICE, sheesh, but hopefully that'll be a rare occasion.  No bear pictures today, but here's an awesome image of my mat burns again, for those of you who missed it:

        Fight cardio felt REALLY good, I'm really excited to see what happens once we've been training a bit and the workouts get a little harder.  As much as I'm not a fan of constant puke inducing workouts, I think one every so often you need to have one just to give you an idea of what your level is.  Last night was pretty easy, although I'll admit I didn't push myself quite as hard as I probably could've.  Ah well, I have 2 opportunities every week for fight cardio PRs, so we'll see what happens.  These change every session as you might expect...

• A1. Jump Rope: 2x3min
• A2. Shadow Boxing: 2x1min
• B1. Bag Punches: 3x1min
• B2. Bag Kicks: 3x1min
• B3. Bag GnP: 3x1min
• B4. Medball Negative BW Squats: 3x1min
• B5. Kettlebell Turkish Getup: 0/20/35 3x1min
• B6. Ab Turtles: 3x1min
• BW I^2 Squats 8x20s/10s

        One of the things I feel like I've been blessed with in the last few years is amazing places to train, and Tribull feels like another one of those.  Looking forward to making it a long term thing, idiot producers not throwing any wrenches into my plans...

Today's TrainingTune: 30/30-150 - Stone Sour

And Now, a Post by Someone Who Isn't Seth Gibson(tm)

First time back at the gym this year. Nice to see that my muscles haven't fallen off due to my non-adherence to strict brotocol during my week in Texas. Now that I'm away from all the delicious tex-mex, I can get back to my life of brotien shakes, 6+ meals a day, and spending hours in the curl rack.

On a slightly more serious note, I do feel kinda like a bitch after today. I just didn't have it in me to go through my Deadlift set. Possibly a consequence of diet, but that's just too bad. Probably also a consequence of not enough rest time between sets on my other lifts, and that's something I need to correct by waking the fuck up when my alarm goes off. Ah well, they can't all be 1000 point days.

On a final note, I saw something that scared me. Some kid was getting a session in with one of Corpogym's personal trainers, and was doing smith machine squats. The kid had his legs out in front of him and was leaning into the bar to balance himself as he squatted! And the trainer was cool with this! Man, I always heard trainers weren't necessarily good, but god damn. I'm not a doctor or nothing, but that sounds like it'd fuck you up when you actually start lifting actual weight (guy was only lifting like 75 lbs). What's the etiquette for that? Do I step in and say something? Do I leave a business card with the url for Starting Strength wiki in the kid's locker? Do I mind my own business?


Enough blabbering. Lifts!

Foam Rolling:

• 5:00 mins

Barbell Box Squat:

• 45# x 5
• 45# x 5
• 95# x 5
• 115# x 5
• 135# x 3
• 155# x 2
• 190# x 5
• 170# x 7
• 150# x 10

Man, 150 never felt so tough. Feels good to squat again, and it's nice not not feel pain at my top set.

Barbell Bench Press:

• 45# x 5
• 45# x 5
• 55# x 5
• 65# x 5
• 75# x 3
• 85# x 2
• 105# x 8
• 95# x 9
• 85# x 10

And this is where I didn't enough rest in between sets. Hitting 105#x8 felt so goddamned good that I just wanted to keep going. I'm not sure if RPT is right for this lift because it's so low. Either way, I'm happy with it, and I'm gonna add weight to this one next time. Yay progress!

Barbell Deadlift:

• 95# x 5
• 95# x 5
• 135# x 5
• 165# x 3

I know right! My best lift! And I totally bitched out of it! By the time I got to DL, I just wasn't feelin' it. I was tired and had no focus and bla bla bla excuses excuses.  I wish Seth were here, he could punch me for wussing out or something.

resurrected

        Short and sweet post today, not a lifting day, but it was my first day training Kajukenbo at Tribull MMA, which is cool.  Really good class, i feel like it covered all the things I wanted to get an idea of.  Did some self-defense, some fight cardio, some padwork, pretty much everything but sparring.  I'm sure we'll get some of that at some point.  At this point i'm about 90 percent that i'll be putting Capoeira on hold for a bit, given that there are two pretty decent looking BJJ academies within walking distance to my apartment that have complementary schedules.  Should be interesting.  Also, I appreciate Tribull's training soundtrack, this shit's gonna rock...

        You know, It always feels good to get back to training martial arts, esp given my focus on full contact and practical styles the last year or so.  I hold traditional martial arts in quite high esteem, I won't lie, but at the same time I'm really enjoying styles that just get straight to the point.  Just going over the self-defense stuff in class today really makes you appreciate the practical application of martial arts so much more.  I dunno, I feel like physically and mentally I'm a big more geared towards these sorts of things as it is.  A bit looser, but at the same time more straight ahead.  Like a bear.


TriBear Kajukenbo?
        I start working again tomorrow, not sure how I feel about that, man, really I need to get my shit in gear and get this other thing I'm working on this year off the ground so I can spend less time in front of a computer and more time in front of...well, something that's not a computer.  I know, i know, i keep alluding to something, but I can't really let it out just yet, I need to get a bit further down the road, then we'll let the bear out of the cave.

Today's TrainingTune: I Stand Alone - Godsmack

i am become death

        I'm realizing alot of truths recently, today's truth realization is that of bodypart splits and why Leg Day is awesome.  First of all, Leg Day sucks, and today was light!!  Heavy Leg Days are going to kill me, but the truth is, I only have to do it one day a week, and I really felt it just in my lower body.  For as hard as this split is going to be when I add real weight, my upper body is ready to go for the next 3 sessions.  Maybe them bodybuilders is onto sumfin...hrmmm...

        I will be brief today because I'm tired, need to go eat, and internet manz is coming to hook me up soon, which will also be awesome.  Another truth I'm realizing, over 45 minute sessions is not a bad thing.  This session topped out at about 80 minutes including warmup, but some of that came from rest.  I'm keeping my rest periods to between 60 and 75 seconds, which is at most about 30 seconds longer than I've been resting.  Those 30 seconds go away REAL fast by the end of the session.  Overall, lovin it, like this guy and his salmon:



        I sorta want to add sled drags or farmer's walks to Leg Day just to be total masochistic psycho, but sadly, that seems to be one of the limiters of Active vs Super Sport, the lack of warehouselike floor space...altho...the weight room IS still pretty big.  This might bear some experimentation...

• Squat: 225x5/245x5/275x5/275x5/185x8
• Romanian: 185 4x6
• Toes-to-Bar: 4x5
• Front Squat: 135 4x8
• Donkey Calf Raise: 80 4x12
• Dragon Flag: 4x12
• Hack Squat: 135 4x8
• Standing Calf Raise: 80 4x12
• Hanging Leg Raise: 4x12

        Honestly, i can't wait to start adding weight to this.  For some reason, the idea of having to drag myself home after leg day sounds like too much fun...

Today's TrainingTune: Living Dead - C-Lekktor

storm will break the silence

         I have half a mind to just start whining about a laundry list of fucked up shit, most of it having to do with the fact that I'm still struggling a bit to figure out what my next few steps professionally should be, but I'm not sure I really feel like unburdening myself here, now.  I think i have resolution on that issue at a high level, i just need a plan now, so I guess it'd be less bitching and more thinking out loud, but I'm not sure that my thinking out loud is compelling reading.  Besides, I don't think i'd be saying anything new beyond what i've been talking about in that arena for the last couple of weeks, at least publicly.  The real plan needs to simmer a bit more before i start discussing that, methinks.  That and I'm sitting in a really nice coffee shop in San Jose on a fairly lovely Thursday early-afternoon and it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do, so brief moment of self-pity over, move along, nothing to see here.  Still hibernating, and spring is a long way off from here.


         I've been reading alot recently, as I've alluded to on a few occasions, I just finished The Education of A Bodybuilder, by the man himself, Arnie.  Now, there are a million reasons you should read this book, but I'm going to let you figure those out yourself by reading.  The one thing I will mention is that it's interesting to read the disconnect between what you see on the newsstands as the "workouts that made arnold great" and what the man himself says.  As most of you educated lifters know, it's pretty much what you expect, start with the basics.  Whatever your goal is, you'll never go wrong with squats, deadlifts, presses, and the like.

        That said, taking a cue from this excellent article by Dave Tate (as opposed to all the non-excellent articles by Dave Tate?  Yeah, no such thing), I'm going to incorporate some thoughts from Education of A Bodybuilder and Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding into my program.  The thing I realize is that, as often as it seems like I "change" programs, really all I'm doing at this point is tweaking.  I can hear the gasps from all the P90Xers and Crossfitters out there, i know, i'm not making sweeping changes and confusing my muscles, etc etc, trust me, it works.  Your muscles really aren't that smart, they get confused VERY easily.  Dumbbell presses just aren't sexy or marketable, oh yeah, and you might get "bulky".  Fuck off.

        I like the idea of what Arnold calls "Freehand" exercises, which are basically just a bunch of bodyweight sets.  I'm going to start my weeks with a split similar to what he mentions using when he started out training in Austria.  I did this split today, and I definitely realize the truth of it.  It's not only a great way to start a training week, it feels like it'll be a good deload set, as well as a goalkeeper, the idea of going from 5x20 to 2x50 to 1x100 to nx100, that sort of thing.  Definitely something to think about.

• Pushup: 5x20
• Dip: 10x5
• Inverted Row: 15,15,20
• Situp: 5x20
• Flat Knee to Chest: 2x25
• Bodyweight Squat: 2x25
• Bodyweight Donkey Calf: 2x25

        There are some sets I still need to toss into this split, namely Bent Broomstick Twists and Chinups, but those will come.  Recent stressors, most notably the move, have me on an odd sleeping pattern, so I'm doing what I can, but we'll figure it out.  All in all...is good.

Today's TrainingTune: Endzeit - Heaven Shall Burn

do you realize

        I have a love hate with landmines.  I hate that alot of gyms don't have landmines, but I love seeing the divots in the mats where people have set up for em anyway.  T-Bar rows are such a great exercise, it's a shame not to do them.  Nothing really special today, just getting back to lifting after a somewhat stressful but not terrible two weeks off, mainly due to the move.  Haven't been eating great, but we'll get back to that tomorrow too.  I finally have a working kitchen again (or i will by the end of the week), so no more having to get creative with microwaves.  Stir fry madness incoming!!  Coconut oil...mmmmmm.

        Must say I am a fan of this concept of the 24 Hour Fitness SuperSport Club.  These things are freakin warehouses, just with nicer gear.  Having space to do loaded carries is awesome.  I wonder if I'll be able to get some of those in by appropriating the climbing wall space at the pacific shores gym.  Guess there's only one way to find out...

        Life is doing weird things right now.  I think this image says it all...a little hibernation will do me some good I think.  That's what 2012 is going to be for me...hibernation.



        And yes, there will be deadlifting.

• Deadlift: 225 3x5, 275 3x3, 185 3x8
• DB Incline: 60 2x12, 50x10, 50x8
• TBar Row: 105 4x8
• A1. DB Bench: 50 4x12
• A2. Bent Lateral: 40 4x8
• B1. Pushdown: 140 4x12
• B2. DB Curl: 25 4x8
• Farmer's Walk: 45 4x70yds

         Training might take a bit of a turn, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fight capoeira into my schedule for the first time in a while, which troubles me a bit.  Maybe I can squeeze it in on weekends, but man, for some reason everyone in the southbay seems to be super averse to Tuesday and Thursday classes.  Oh well.  Definitely excited about doing BJJ again though.

Today's TrainingTune: Game Grid - Mangadrive