Mr Punch's Brand Spanking New Blog

[Mr Punch]

Old one here. Thought I'd start a new one as the old one was not titled as a blog, so many people didn't know.

I've linked the old one because it has some very useful advice for weightlifting newbs and people who have (had) lower back pain.

I hope to post on this one more often, but I've been posting less (and training more) recently, so it may well be sporadic.

[Mr Punch]

Background:

Aikido and other aiki based arts since 1990, used to train everyday, sometimes twice a day, always tested in live sparring sessions with friends who did karate, kf etc (no grappling artists at the start of that time other than a bit of judo). At the time I was sparring a lot (ten years ago) we took the TJA approach and used no protection. And yes, although we usually pulled techs we did sometimes go full contact, and yes, we did sometimes (frequently?) end up with injuries: mostly cuts, scratches and bruises but we had mild concussions, dislocations, sprains and stuff too. Teachers inlcuded h2h and riot police teachers, other LEOs and bouncers and their teachers. Emphasis on the practical.

At the same time (ten years ago when I was most active in these arts) we also sparred with bokuto and jo/bo. It was not of course full-contact, but as close as you can get.

At the time I could easily breakfall from pretty much anything on any surface, and we trained in every weather condition too! Now I'm a wuss (OK OK older and somewhat sensible).

Nowadays my involvement in aiki-based arts is strictly limited to exercises and mixing it in in my sparring (infrequently).

Most recently in formal aiki-based teaching I spent about 4 months or so with a geezer who'd learned hsing-yi and daitoryu aikijutsu and was teaching very fundamental daitoryu principles. This improved my aiki and wing chun and general fighting dynamics and I still practice his exercises. He has crazy skills, of the kind that I'm not going to talk about because I'll sound like a flake, but having met some serious charlatans and ki-weirdos in my time this guy changed my opinion of what is really out there. I stopped because of other commitments and some differences of outlook.

Yang-style tai-chi, three years, privates for fighting apps, and classes two or three times a week for wibbly health nonsense. Gave me a good overview of tai chi in general, and maybe helped with a couple of principles, but apart from some chi kung I do for relaxation and stretching, had very little I still use regularly.

Wing chun since 1996. Traditional approach but personally and privately again always sparring with other kfers, tai-chiers, karateka etc. Sparring was a trad approach again, with only gumshields and cups for protection. At the same time (in my wing chun heyday maybe 8 years ago when I was training everyday and sparring pretty much every day too) was also regularly playing around with a judoka and learning some rudimentary groundwork him (by getting owned... though I have to say, maybe I have some natural talent!).

Nowadays my wing chun is a multi-lineage group. We meet usually twice a week, and train forms, apps, chi sao, two-three step sparring, and once in a while full-contact sparring. The full contact is not as often as I'd like. The chi sao is a little too often. we do go quite hard though at times, and a lot more co-operatively at others. We often had light sparring sessions with 'guest' artists from other arts, though not as often as we used to, and I have arranged seminars with an MMA teacher.

MMA (Shooto based - ie, wrestling, BJJ, JJJ, Thai and boxing, with a strong emphasis on double-leg shots as a takedown, and sprawls). About two years, but on/off because of injuries and commtiments, so in terms of good intensive continuous training probably more like six months (sniff sniff). A lot of full contact sparring with protection: got a great chance to pressure test my wing chun and aiki principles and techs in full contact setting.

Would like to do more but can't see it happening for a while, and would also like to compete one day just for the hell of it.

[Mr Punch]

Oh yeah, and kendo: practiced over here for about four years. Still do when i have the time... would love to go for nidan asap.

[Mr Punch]

Sunday 12th.

Wing chun from 1030 till 1430 or so.

Lots of chi sao.

Were at my fu-bro's house with his dummy, so reviewed the first dummy form (had learnt up to 6, but due to thinking their were better uses of my training time than air-dummy since I don't have a dummy... largely forgot them again). Was good, and I was pelased to see how quickly it came back, which kind of made me not feel so bad about not keeping it up, but also made me want to do more!

Basic pole exercises. I can't do one of them, because it needs wrist strength I just don't have! Bit disappointed, as I've been weight-training and didn't know i was so puny!

Pizza and beer.

[Mr Punch]

Monday 13th.

Tabata push-ups.

Was very busy so didn't really have time to train. don't even remember how many I did... maybe 72 or so.

[Mr Punch]

Yesterday:

Warm-up:

Tabata push-ups: 78 (highest yet), only 10 from knees in the middle.

Tabata lunges: 92 (? can't remember) alternating same side, alternate and walking.

Tabata crunches: 126.

Light stretching.

Weights (at the moment I'm limited to the weights I have at home which are two dumbells with a max of 38.5 kg, will buy an olympic bar at some point soon I hope).

Was in a hurry and wanted to work everything pretty much so didn' really think intelligently about what I was doing, just put them up!

3x5x38.5 squats (I always go Ass To Grass... dunno if that' good or what)

3x5x38.5 DLs

1x5x28.4, 2x5x33.4, 1x2x38.5 (failure) overhead presses (I know I can reach bodyweight and over in squats etc but my overhead presses suck... don't know if this is normal for an untrained lifter?).

3x5x38 floor presses (no bench yet).

Cardio:

20 mins heavy bagwork, high intensity... felt like I was going to die!

Run:

Slow, 10 mins.

Cycling:

Very fast, 15 mins up and down.

Later, SLT, CK and BJ and stretching.

[Mr Punch]

These are from my blog thread... which unfortunately nobody answered!

Thought I'd post them separately and add one...

1) If I can't finish the required number of reps I've been changing down ASAP and finishing the number with a lower weight to go out on a high note. Is this a good idea?

2) I can usually finish the reps with the weights I've chosen (though of course, sometimes it's struggle), but then I find 75 secs too short to recover so I'm not so strict in keeping to the recovery period. Is this bad? Should I choose slightly lighter weights so I can stick to the timing, should I just fight through it even if it means not being able to complete the final set, or am I OK in extending the rest period by 10-20 secs?

3) When should I do yoga (I'm pretty much a newb at that too)? I guess that elongating muscles to that extent is bad just before weights. What about a day before (training weights three times a week I only get alternate days rest)? What about immediately after (i.e. will that kind of stretching hamper my muscle recovery?)?

4) When should I do isometrics (and slow sloooow stance work)? As mentioned above the stance work I do is a hard workout in itself. It's a form of endurance. According to studies cited by Cosgrove and Schuler, aerobic endurance work interferes with weights for strength: if you do alternate days the gains are in endurance to the detriment of strength, so you should do it together with your weights, or after and before a full day's rest. So what about anaerobic endurance?

The usual wild guesses/educated answers welcome!

The Bonus Question:

5) Sometimes I only get to train after say, 9:30 at night. If I follow John Berardi's diet guidelines, and those of various others, I should be eating a certain amount of carbs and protein every two hours at least three times to aid recovery/growth (the amount according to various calculations I've come across for my bodyweight of 82 kg is 68 g of carbs and 36 g of protein). If I train late at night I find:

a) I get really drained the next day... basically have to eat and sleep a lot. And/or

b) I get the gippy guts! I guess my body can't take that much protein! (Though this is only if I train late at night and try to squeeze in more nutrients than I would normally).

Anybody any advice for good ways of getting the right balance of nutrients if I train late at night... I dunno, slow release carbs/proteins...? Is it something that gets better as my body adapts more to this kind of heavy training? I don't want to have to give up training late because with my life it's the only time I have sometimes, but I can't help but feel that my training goes to waste if I don't eat right afterwards and feel washed out the next day.

Answers here, or preferably on my training log thread. Thanks in advance.

[Mr Punch]

Nobody know?

Questions too daft?

Or are you all busy researching?!

[uki]

i think you need to discover your own needs based on your own body... i can't believe you haven't figured this out yet...

[Mr Punch]

I know that much Einstein.

Thanks, but no thanks, we already have the wheel.

1) It feels good, which is why I do it.
2) Obviously, by listening to my body I can do either... I'd like advice on which to do, which obviously you don't have.
3) This is something researchers have found to have long term effects. I don't want to get five years down the line and then go, 'Oh, ****, yeah, that was the wrong way to do it!' when I can't get out of my chair.
4) See 2
5) I know a fair bit about nutrition, and I go with my body on most of it. In this case the advice I'm following isn't serving me well, and I don't know what to do, so I'm after some nutrition advice.

6) I can't believe I'm so bored I actually answered you seriously.
7) Believe it or not, some people know useful things better than you. That's why I'm asking. It's part of my inner nature to not be so proud as to not accept or seek help. Does that satisfy your holistic integrity?

[Oso]

are you trying to eat that much protein at each meal?

probably the meal i'd guess.

are you just doing 3 meals or 5 or 6? if you split to 5 or 6 you can drop the total per meal and that last meal will only be 40/20 grams each or so

i believe cassien is sometimes indicated for the late day protein intake because it is absorbed slower....????

[Toby]

1) If I can't finish the required number of reps I've been changing down ASAP and finishing the number with a lower weight to go out on a high note. Is this a good idea?

I rarely train to failure but it's part of a lot of established training methods. I find it increases DOMS for me, so if I were to unload a few plates and finish off the set I'd pay for it the next day. I reckon you get better (strength) gains from periodisation than from training to failure every time, so maybe look into changing up your routine if you're failing too often?

2) I can usually finish the reps with the weights I've chosen (though of course, sometimes it's struggle), but then I find 75 secs too short to recover so I'm not so strict in keeping to the recovery period. Is this bad? Should I choose slightly lighter weights so I can stick to the timing, should I just fight through it even if it means not being able to complete the final set, or am I OK in extending the rest period by 10-20 secs?

I'm sure it's not a big problem. My rest periods stretch out to 30min+ sometimes but then I'm training strength and IMHO the rest periods aren't as critical (i.e. it's better to be fresh for each set than pushing the limit of fatigue for strength training).

3) When should I do yoga (I'm pretty much a newb at that too)? I guess that elongating muscles to that extent is bad just before weights. What about a day before (training weights three times a week I only get alternate days rest)? What about immediately after (i.e. will that kind of stretching hamper my muscle recovery?)?

I'd definitely do it after vs. before. And ideally I'd like to lift in the morning, recover all day, then do yoga at night so you'd get some time to repair your muscles before stretching them to buggery, then a day and a half to recover before lifting again. But it depends on which is more important (I'm biasing towards the lifting).

4) When should I do isometrics (and slow sloooow stance work)? As mentioned above the stance work I do is a hard workout in itself. It's a form of endurance. According to studies cited by Cosgrove and Schuler, aerobic endurance work interferes with weights for strength: if you do alternate days the gains are in endurance to the detriment of strength, so you should do it together with your weights, or after and before a full day's rest. So what about anaerobic endurance?

Same thing for me, I lift in the mornings and do MA in the evenings which maximises my rest intervals.

5) Sometimes I only get to train after say, 9:30 at night. If I follow John Berardi's diet guidelines, and those of various others, I should be eating a certain amount of carbs and protein every two hours at least three times to aid recovery/growth (the amount according to various calculations I've come across for my bodyweight of 82 kg is 68 g of carbs and 36 g of protein). If I train late at night I find:

a) I get really drained the next day... basically have to eat and sleep a lot. And/or

b) I get the gippy guts! I guess my body can't take that much protein! (Though this is only if I train late at night and try to squeeze in more nutrients than I would normally).

Anybody any advice for good ways of getting the right balance of nutrients if I train late at night... I dunno, slow release carbs/proteins...? Is it something that gets better as my body adapts more to this kind of heavy training? I don't want to have to give up training late because with my life it's the only time I have sometimes, but I can't help but feel that my training goes to waste if I don't eat right afterwards and feel washed out the next day.

I don't ever get the "gippy guts". In fact, I shit rocks on protein. But I mix my proteins with whey and, like you said, slow-release calcium caseinate. The whey mixes with a spoon, the caseinate gums up and requires a minute or two with my Bamix. You can just tell it's doing the same thing inside your gut, and that's why it takes so long to digest (like overnight, great for muscle recovery after a workout). I mix about 30g protein with Milo and about 500ml milk so that's borderline on usable protein in one serve and I get carbs from the Milo and milk.

IIRC the usual formula for protein requirements is 2g protein/kg bodyweight/day, so for you it's ~165g. That's for someone pushing things (i.e. lifting, damaging and repairing muscle). Much more than that is wasted down the toilet and places load on your kidneys. Bear in mind you'll get a significant amount from everyday diet (so eat your enagi). Maybe not so much in Japan as in a western diet.

The usual wild guesses/educated answers welcome!

Wild guesses and opinions only on my part.

[Mr Punch]

I rarely train to failure but it's part of a lot of established training methods. I find it increases DOMS for me, so if I were to unload a few plates and finish off the set I'd pay for it the next day. I reckon you get better (strength) gains from periodisation than from training to failure every time, so maybe look into changing up your routine if you're failing too often?

It depends. With benches/OPs it's to failure. With deads/squats more often or not it's not to failure as in I can't pick it up again, but I get dizzy and since I don't have a spotter and I don't want to eat 70 or so kg of iron I usually drop-set after two or three reps of dizziness. I am improving (lifting more for less sweat!) every session however, so I don't think I need to change down yet. The periodization is well-planned on the programme I'm following.

I'm sure it's not a big problem. My rest periods stretch out to 30min+ sometimes

LOL, funny you should say that - I got friggin god-squadded in the middle of my last session and took 40 mins longer than usual trying to avoid him!

(i.e. it's better to be fresh for each set than pushing the limit of fatigue for strength training).

hat's probably good advice for me too... it's a fat-loss workout but it's more for breaking me into the exercises since I don't really need to lose any fat.

I'd definitely do it after vs. before. And ideally I'd like to lift in the morning, recover all day, then do yoga at night so you'd get some time to repair your muscles before stretching them to buggery, then a day and a half to recover before lifting again. But it depends on which is more important (I'm biasing towards the lifting).

Seems to make sense, thanks.

Same thing for me, I lift in the mornings and do MA in the evenings which maximises my rest intervals.

But the isometrics are anaerobic endurance more so than MA training I'd've thought... so a different thing to kicking/punching. (Of course I do that too, but TBH at the intensity I'm doing it at now it doesn't really tax me at all!)

BTW, I can't lift in the mornings: my gym opens at 8, I work from 8:15!

IIRC the usual formula for protein requirements is 2g protein/kg bodyweight/day, so for you it's ~165g. That's for someone pushing things (i.e. lifting, damaging and repairing muscle). Much more than that is wasted down the toilet and places load on your kidneys. Bear in mind you'll get a significant amount from everyday diet (so eat your enagi). Maybe not so much in Japan as in a western diet.

Hmmm, dunno. John Berardi, who seems to make sense on nutrition recommends more for recovery.

According to him (if you don't know him, check his recovery diet article on his website) and the Cosgrove/Schuler book I'm needing a hefty whack of protein (plus carbs to up the insulin required to get it to my muscles) every two hours after a workout at least three times (which already causes problems in night-time training right?!) to prevent the cortisol from eating my muscles. The whack size is ... yep, you got it the numbers I quoted above. I'm 82 kg and on average on a training day I eat about 300 g of protein from a variety of sources: beans in cooking/salads, tofu, natto; lots of fresh, dried and canned fish, mostly oily fish grilled, or raw fish like sashimi; eggs, raw/fried/sometimes boiled; and bog-standard Weider whey protein (which is 15 g of protein per scoop, plus 6 g from the milk I mix it with, so if I'm just using that for recovery I'll have two scoops coming in at exactly 36 g). On a non-training day it's about 200 I would think.
Maybe it's excessive.

I also often choose fruit for the fast absorbing carbs for recovery (pectin is said to be good, right?) so maybe the combo of Weider protein and fruit is causing the... chi...

(And to Oso too) I'm eating maybe 5-8 meals, but each one's pretty small. On training days I eat that Berardi formula three times (so every two hours) after the workout, but drop off from that much protein otherwise.

[Toby]

I also often choose fruit for the fast absorbing carbs for recovery (pectin is said to be good, right?) so maybe the combo of Weider protein and fruit is causing the... chi...

Maybe. I usually eat about 4 pieces of fruit and a litre of milk for lunch (on top of the morning post-workout shake, a bowl of cereal and a coffee for breakfast) but I don't get the ... chi ... issue at all.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Here is my two cents worth...I won't spend a lot of time on diet, I'm probably the last one to seek that advice from...but everything is better with hot sauce.

As for lifting, I too like intense workouts with short rest periods between sets...around 30-60 seconds...call it the ADD workout. I enjoy the intensity and it builds your cardio. Dropping down in weight to get the last few reps is bueno as it fatigues the muscles more...breaking them down to be built back up.

Here are a few suggestions to keep things fresh...try a heavy and a light day...one with fewer reps more weight and the opposite on light days...two change up the order in which you do your routiene...if you start with chest and back go to legs and arms..for example...keep shocking your body...it will fall into a comfort zone.
Thirdly try adding a new exercise to your workouts or rotate different chest workouts...some dumbell, some machine, some cable exercises. Also, if your schedule allows it change the time or days that you do your weights.

I also do yoga and recommend you either do it at the beginning of your day, seperately in the morning or at the end of your workout...I've tried doing boxing or cardio afterwords and you're just so relaxed, its pretty much a waste. Yoga would be great after your kung fu or isometrics...I even do it on a 'light day' of cardio and abs...its just such a great counter balance to hard contact boxing/MMA (for me). l recommend at least yoga twice a week...great for core, balance, and relaxation...plus if you take it at a gym/studio there's usually some nice eye candy.
Yoga will NOT hamper your muscle recovery.

I'm not sure about your source on Aerobic endurance and weight training...unless your a marathoner or triathlete, almost all the collegiate athletes do both quite effectively...that's something you might have to figure out on your own...I definitely think weight training is compatible with anaerobic exercise, sparring, boxing, martial arts etc.

Hope that helps...