15%!

[rubthebuddha]

got measured today. 14.6% body fat. i didn't believe it, so someone else measured me and got around 15%.

four months ago, i was measured at 17 and i didn't believe it. i thought i had more fat on me now, but apparently not. i was figuring to be accept 19% as a baseline, but i calipered in at four percent lower than that -- i'm just all sorts of happy. the only thing i think i can blame this on were my sporadic tabata sets of squats/bridge variats (weight on feet and on neck, feet at different heights) and chain punch sprints -- they're the only thing i really did to drop weight.

base measurements:

height: 5'9½"
weight: 194 lbs. (lightly clothed and well fed/hydrated, so it wasn't a diluted weigh-in)
body fat: 28.5 lbs, or 15%
means about 166 pounds of me are goodness. i've switched up my program recently and am hoping to lose about 8-10 pounds of fat in the next 5-6 weeks. if i gain any muscle, that's gravy. i know 15 is more than some of you hosers, but progress is progress, and apparently i made some progress somewhere along the line.

[IronFist]

Congratulations. Just think dude, you're about 4.6% away from having visible abs

What are chain punch sprints?

[FooFighter]

Iron:

If I am not mistaken, Rubthebudhha is a student of Leung Ting's branch of wing chun gung fu. I maybe wrong but chain punch sprint is performing wing chun punches (three punches) while moving the horse foward. My only suggestion for Rub is to do three min intervals and rest 1 min between rounds. Doing 3-6 per workout should be enough if he applies proper effort and form.

[rubthebuddha]

iron -- chain punch sprints are basically doing one wing tsun/chun punch, then another, switching arms as you go and punching as fast as you can. i remember that you had a thread a while ago criticizing a wt site for saying it was better cardio than running, swimming, etc. -- you were correct, as chain punching, other than using the quads and adductors slightly for the stance, really only uses the triceps with good measure and lats with slight measure. this can't compete with something like running or swimming, as you use much hyoooger muscles to propel a larger amount of weight (moving the whole body vs. extending just the arms). but chain punch sprints are still good, and it's a ma-specific exercise that's handy. fast hands are always a good thing and the goal of this is mainly to train the hands to relax and fly.

foo -- my specific goals are hand speed/explosiveness. i'm not going to get that by going for three minutes straight, as any chance for really being explosive would have been shot by 30 seconds. i follow the basic tabata protocol -- 20 seconds true sprint, 10 seconds rest, for eight or more sets.

to make the sprints a little more entertaining, i usually don't do more than one or two sets in the basic kim yee ma/YGKYM. once my arms start to tire, i do the sets with turning, stepping, kicking, one leg held in kick chamber (fantastic for balance), etc. -- as my arms tire, i make it more difficult by adding the legs for both movement and coordination purposes. it winds up looking like shadowboxing with the hands punching the whole darn time.

like SAID dictates, if you want to do your ma explosively, practice it that way.

[rubthebuddha]

iron -- **** right about the 4.6% away. i already have the abs, and if i flex, i can see 'em. but, there's a bit of fluff in front of it. basically, i have the six pack and the pretzels to go with it.

[FooFighter]

Rub:

Good luck with your Chain Punch Sprint.

[rubthebuddha]

sanka. it's not the end-all-be-all. it's just a good drill that allows me to do one of the most important parts of martial arts -- hit faster and, thus, hit harder.

[Volcano Admim]

i hate you low fat people

[IronFist]

Dude, why don't you do the Tabata sprints as actual sprints, with full power running? It would be better for fat loss.

[Volcano Admim]

i hope my hate consumes your muscles, that Tabata guy, and finaly your skinny soul.

[rubthebuddha]

because i ****ing hate running, that's why. it's about as exciting and pleasant as plucking your own pubic hair.

besides, practicing my skills will have a direct impact on my skills. running will not. that, coupled with the fact that i can do these basic workouts anywhere with no shoes, etc. makes it easier to do consistently.

do a batch of tabata bw squats -- as many as you can in 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds rest, for eight sets or more, then tell me whether or not you're sucking air when you're done.

xebby -- get your ass back to the gym and stop your whining.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by rubthebuddha
because i ****ing hate running, that's why.

Now you understand why I don't like cardio.

it's about as exciting and pleasant as plucking your own pubic hair.

Who says that's not exciting? It's more effective than shaving cuz it prevents stubble

besides, practicing my skills will have a direct impact on my skills.

Yeah, but Tabata sprints take what, maybe 15 minutes? It's not like you're going to lose out on a lot of training by doing them instead of punches, as long as you do the punches at some point in your training.[/B][/QUOTE]

[rubthebuddha]

aye, but a full-time job and part-time teaching leaves one with limited free time. getting lots of skill-specific work and getting decent (not fantastic, but decent) cardiovascular work along with it makes for efficient use of time. and we wc/wt/vt people are all about efficiency, as it gives us more time to argue.

besides, i have no desire to be captain uber-lean. i'd rather put my attention on skills. the fact that i need to train them quickly and aggressively to actually be able to use them when needed comes with the secondary benefit of decent cardio.

and i know exactly why you don't like cardio. i enjoy it at least half the time, but i virtually never enjoy running. my main cardio is a whole lot of muay thai bag work three times per week (recent switch), which, conveniently, is also good skills work, and i enjoy it. my punches have never been more solid and my roundkicks more potent.

i'll just have to take your word on the stubble prevention.

[Toby]

Lol @ Ironfist giving cardio advice!