Jumping on the KFM Blog bandwagon

[Merryprankster]

Somehow it makes everything you do seem more real...and provides greater incentive to actually do it. Remember that I'm a competitive athlete, so no bodybuilding split routines! I don't have time for that stuff or recovery :D I've also got a bad (surgically repaired) shoulder, so I can't do some things (ie, clean and jerk). The old back injury precludes deads (my favorite lift!)

Sunday, I did my weightlifting routine. Nothing fancy. All lifts are 3x10 basics.

My bodyweight is coming down, but is 189 right now. I'll be 180-185 in the future as a maintanence weight. Should be another week or so.

Squat @ 235
Bench @ 190
T-Bar rows @ 90
Hammer Shoulder @ 110
Shrugs @ 120

This is a three times per week program to prepare me for week 6 of my cycle, which will include high pulls and power cleans.... I'll be testing for that at the end of the week to figure out where I should start. I'm expecting both high pulls and power cleans somewhere in the 160 range for starters. We'll see.

Monday I did a circuit routine, 3x6 minutes, 90% max heart rate during work periods. Sorry, I'm not going to give out specifics on this. Just hard interval training.

Should have gone to BJJ, but I've got a wife and yesterday being Valentine's and all....

This morning I did Yoga for 30 minutes. Without it, I don't get to do ANY of this stuff because of my back. I'll post more later, got school and stuff, but I'll hit the weights later

[Oso]

sweet, thanks for the look. I think it will be a good contrast to look at your training schedule as compared to the lifters.

[fa_jing]

What's wrong with your back?

[Merryprankster]

fa_jing,

I don't really know. Neither do the doctors :) Backs are funny things. The Chiropractor claims I have "the back of a 45 year old," but chiros are something of whack jobs (I mean that fondly). Just fix my back and shut up.

Didn't have time to make it to the gym today, so I just used the Apartment's fitness center, chest press machine, rowing machine (weighted, not cardio type), smith machine squats.

Impossible therefore, to comment on how much weight I was really doing, but followed the same 3x10 routine, using plenty of weight - enough to be nice and unhappy.

BJJ later....

[red5angel]

I hate backs, I'm thinking of having mine removed :mad:


I bet my workout looks alot like you'rs MP. Of course mine is more intense since I'm training to kill and you're just training to compete, oh and also to get chicks, me that is, not you.

[Merryprankster]

I had a spinectomy when I made O-3.

[red5angel]

lol!

[fa_jing]

Well I had a real bad back that I eventually rehabbed. Bad enough that I couldn't engage in sporting activities for a couple years (although I didn't know enough to rehab it properly back then ). I was told I had spinal curvature and a bulging disc by the Chiro. Now it's good enough that I'm deadlifting around 400 w/no belt. Are you able to do the squats deep? Cause those weights and reps don't sound like too bad of a back to me. What happens when you deadlift? How does Yoga make it feel? Do you do any twisting poses? I like those for the low back. Bending forward in a lotus pose and touching your nose to the ground is a good one too (careful w/knees). Actually I can't pull that off anymore myself since I've been slacking somewhat purposefully with certain stretches.

[Merryprankster]

fa_jing,

The squats are parallel or lower. None of that sissy half-squat ****.


When I deadlift, IF I injure it (not guarenteed) it feels like I pulled my back.

Yoga stretches everything out. The part that feels tightest feels like sort of a deep bone bruise when I'm doing it.

All I know is that it makes stuff better.

[Chief Fox]

welcome to the bandwagon. I've found my journal as well as everyone elses to be very motivational.

[Merryprankster]

Wow. Great practice tonight. Everything went really well, except I opened up the cut above my eye again. Not too bad.

But, I accomplished my goals for the night:

1. Aggressiveness against good opponents
2. Continual movement
3. Continuous offbalancing

[Vash]

3x10, eh? *****.

:eek:

:D

I'd be interested in seeing a detailed weight-training plan. I read ever'body's blogs. Always gives me some insight into training.

I should update mine - missing last week to today.

And do a 5x5 at least once. Please. For me. :o

[Merryprankster]

I'll assume that says ***** :)

3x10 is a good compromise between strength and endurance. I have to be able to do the things I do repeatedly, not just once. If I were training for shotput again, I'd be doing a lot of duples and triples.

BTW, I just got a juicer. Love it. Very expensive, and of course, you have to use a lot of veggies and fruit to make the juices, but the flavor is so superior. **** the "health" thing. It's just tasty! Can't wait to try it on peaches and strawberries.

[SevenStar]

a juicer is a wonderful thing

[Toby]

Merry, I got a manual juicer months ago. I peppered recipes all over this forum, unfortunately mostly amongst Blooming Lotus/Ego flamewars. Did you get an auger or centrifugal juicer? If the former, some tips: strawberries work, but not so well. Probably the same with peaches. The secret with pulpy fruits is to throw in some hard vegies to help them through. I keep a bag of carrots and a bag of celery in the fridge for that purpose. After a few strawberries put a few carrots through and it'll get rid of the wet mess. Watermelon rocks - lots of juice. Oranges are good too. Apples - need carrot or celery sometimes. Best tip? Ginger - vary the amount to vary the bite. I always use ginger.

[Merryprankster]

Centrifugal. This thing could juice sand.


On a GOD****** note, I think I managed to bruise or tear some cartilage in my ribs last night. Hurts like a mother****er.

[red5angel]

I can't get over the juicer thing. the only person I know who has every owned a juicer were my friends Yuppy parents in high school. :p

[Vash]

Originally posted by Merryprankster
On a GOD****** note, I think I managed to bruise or tear some cartilage in my ribs last night. Hurts like a mother****er.

That ain't no kind of good. Happened to me, but I also broke bone and tore muscles.

Was down for 15months, 8 days all told.

Hope you just bruised it.

[Merryprankster]

Practice tonight was group circuit. My ribs kept be from doing some of the exercises so I just doubled up on others. Fun times.

I tore open a blister using the heavy rope, so I've got some nu- skin on that. It hurts like hell.

[Merryprankster]

So, I didn't do much while I was in Canada, but I managed to keep my weight down, even going to a Brazilian Churrascaria.

But, my bruised rib is giving me hell. So, I had to use machines today, and back the weight off. It keeps my stabilizers (like the intercostals) from pulling on stuff.

I went butt to heel squats on the smith machine, 185 3 x 12.

Chest Press, something heavy for 3 x 10s
Lat row, something heavy for 3 x 10s
Shrugs, 100 3x20
Shoulders, something heavy for 3 x 10s.

Won't be able to go to grappler's quest to compete this weekend. Totally bummed out.

[Merryprankster]

Ok, today I did a 20 minute bike routine.

30 seconds pounding, HR around 165.
1 minute regular pedalling.

My legs were shot. I would like to have gotten more out of my heart, but my legs couldn't keep up.

Something to work towards perhaps :)

[Merryprankster]

30 minutes Yoga
Smith Machine Squats 185
Chest Press
Shoulder Press
Shrugs
T-Bar Row Machine


I hate machines, but with my injured rib, I got nothin....

Did a 1 hour spinning class today. It was ok....

[rubthebuddha]

careful mp, saying "smith machine" around here is likely to get you mugged. ;)

[Merryprankster]

rtb, I HATE machines, but with an injured rib, I can't risk doing anything I have to stabilize on my own. It's a bummer, but what are you going to do? I compensate as much as I can by going deeper and pausing to power out of the hole.


Last night, to get back on my daily schedule, I did 2 sets of each of the exercises in my last post. I had to miss Sunday, but I don't want to do conditioning and lifting the same day and I didn't want to miss.

I'm hoping the rib improves enough to allow me to go back to serious sparring next week. NAGA on the 12th....

[Merryprankster]

30 minutes of Yoga this morning.

Smith Machine Squats 235
Chest Press 195
Seated Row
Shrugs

Yawn.

BJJ practice, about 15 minutes of light sparring. My rib creaked so I just wrapped it up!

[Merryprankster]

3 x 400 repeats today @ 80 seconds.

VERY tiring. I'll be working to 4 x 400 next week, unless I'm told to do something else. It doesn't sound like much, but oh, it is, if you're just starting....

BJJ class, maybe 45 minutes of light sparring today.

[Merryprankster]

BJJ sparring about an hour.

[Chief Fox]

How's the rib?

[Merryprankster]

Getting better. It's as good as it's going to be. I have the Pan-Am's in one month and time's a wastin! I'm just going to suck it up.

I've been alternating Ice and Heat, plus anti inflammatories, and epsom salt baths too.

I'm going to stay on the machines unless it gets even better, but I'm going to throw a lot more weight on now. Since I do so much grappling, I'm not as concerned about my stabilizers. I suspect they will hold.

[Merryprankster]

I'm on two a days now for practice.

Monday was nothing, just so exhausted.


Yesterday was 4 8:30 rounds of sparring. Two browns, one world class, one round with a good purple and one round with a beast of a blue belt (40 lbs heavier, and much much stronger than me).

In the evening, I did 2 6 minute rounds, one with a good solid purple belt who has excellent passes so I always try to be working from guard with him, and the second a blue who is improving....on him, I try to attack attack attack - get the cardio and mindset in the right place.

Today was a 20 minute drilling session followed by a 30 minute sparring session.

This evening, I anticipate Judo randori for about ten minutes, then BJJ for an hour sparring and positional sparring at 2 to 5 minute intervals.

Might hit the weights this afternoon, time permitting...but I DO have errands to run.

[red5angel]

MP, when you say "sparring" are you talking about a mixed round or just BJJ? I'm used to grappling guys using "rolling" instead of sparring.

[Merryprankster]

Nah, rolling.

I figured it was just easier to understand this way :D

[Merryprankster]

Wednesday was 2 5-minute rounds of randori at Judo. One of these rounds was with Shin. Shin is a Korean fellow, who has his master's degree in Judo. He went to a Judo college. He went to a Judo High School. He was on the Korean national team, and the Olympic alternate in his weight class.

Shin was nice and didn't use me as a projectile. He was also cruel because he knows I have more experience than everybody else in the room at that time, and there is no comparison between my skills and theirs. However, he is as exponentially better than me than I am better than the other people in his room.

He made me attack him for 5 minutes.

Those of you who don't spar like this (and I'm not being insulting), do not understand what this means. I spent 5 minutes throwing myself at a wall, trying to desperately to get something out of it. I barely made a dent in him, I think, except for a surprise double leg attempt followed up with an O uchi Gari with a waist clinch (which he sprawled on like I wasn't there and longstepped out of with an amused look on his face, but at least he was going BACKWARDS for once!!!!) And when I say 5 minutes, I never stopped moving, never stopped attacking and gripfighting. This is exhausting.

He rewarded me by gently throwing me with Tai Otoshi at the end.


Yesterday was:

12 straight minutes of sparring with Todd Margolis (BJJ Black Belt, world class)

15 minutes of guard passing sparring drills (full out)

5 2-minute rounds, 1 minute rest of no-gi gripfighting (control the hooks) w/fit ins for takedowns.....with a left-handed opponent 40 lbs heavier than me.

6 1:30 rounds of balls out blasting sparring, 30 sec rest.

Home, ibuprofen, ice and heating pad.

Today, nothing. Tournament tomorrow.

[JadeMantis]

You look like your having some really good fun there MP. Shin sounds pretty awsome.
Good look with the tournament.

[Merryprankster]

Shin's a blast, and something about his teaching style "clicks" with me. I understand instinctively what he is doing, which is good because my Korean is non-existant and his English is shaky.

[red5angel]

I spent 5 minutes throwing myself at a wall,

I can understand this. A guy I train with about every two weeks, mostly just some basic boxing and kali, is about 6'2" and has about 40 to 50 lbs on me. He's one of those tanks, the guys who are large and it's mosty just solid muscle mass. The last workout we had, he would tell me what shot he was going to use, only one. He hit me almost everytime lol, and with a fist about the size of my head!

[fa_jing]

[QUOTE=Merryprankster] However, he is as exponentially better than me than I am better than the other people in his room.
QUOTE]

More better, Merryprankster. More better.


ps hey good luck kick some behind

[Merryprankster]

2nd in gi on Saturday. Tough loss on points to Dan Simmler, a very good Purple from Renzo (Matt Serra).

No gi was a nightmare. Popped one guys ankle (he FINALLY tapped, the mother****er). I did myself in, lost by armbar to some guy I had no business losing to, but I got myself in the wrong mindset from the beginning. Whatcha gonna do? Just pick up the pieces and move on. Incentive to correct mental aspects.

Saturday evening, my training consisted of five margaritas on the rocks, nachos and a nice, bloody steak.

Sunday, drove home.

Monday, nothing. Still tired and sore from the tournament.

Tuesday, BJJ in the afternoon. Nothing too strenuous, normal practice stuff.

Today, BJJ in the afternoon, normal practice stuff, light rolling w/another purple.

Weight is at 187.8 as of this morning.

Lifting has fallen off the table with 2-a-day's and only two weeks out from the Pan-Am's. I'm not going to get any stronger and I'm not going to lose much....Focus now is on mindset and "the little things."

[Pork Chop]

congrats bro.
Know u probably don't like comin in second; but that's a heckuva showing after your injury.
Sounds a lot better than my boxing exploits lately. heheh
Can't wait to hang out again.
If you, or any of the other dc folks wanna come buy Herndon on a Sunday morning, the post-workout Chipotle will be my treat.

[Merryprankster]

Last night, did some Judo for a bit, and then BJJ. Normalish classes, sparred kinda hard for about 20-30 minutes. Nothing blasting, but tough.

This afternoon, normal class stuff, then about 25-30 minutes with Mike Fowler (Top notch Brown Belt). He was taking it pretty easy on me, but *I* feel like I've been through the ringer. Pulled a trapezius. A little annoyed about that, but what are you going to do. Talked through a couple of technical mistakes that I'm hoping I can fix tonight.

[Merryprankster]

Friday was nothing.

Saturday was 30 minutes of Yoga, BJJ practice and about 20-25 minutes of "flow" type rolling, maybe 60-70 percent effort.

Sunday 30 minutes of Yoga, then the Capital Grappling classic. Had 3 matches, won them all and took first.

The mental training I am doing, the visualization and positive self talk, is all paying off. I never get tired, my techniques are cleaner and I'm always thinking about what to do to WIN, not just hold out.

I'm going to CrossFit after the Pan-Am's I think.

[Ford Prefect]

Good luck in the pan ams, MP. Let us know how crossfit is.

[Merryprankster]

Monday was a day off. I was starting to come down with something anyway.

Tuesday, I did BJJ in the morning, took the evening off.

Wednesday was a scheduling nightmare.

Thursday was BJJ in the afternoon. In the evening session, we went hard. 4 six minute rounds with 1:15 between them. 6 rounds of 30 sec on 30 sec off throwing.

Gotta figure out what to do tonight, if anything....picked up some cipro for the oncoming sinus infection. Fun fun!