Mr Punch's Brand Spanking New Blog

[Mr Punch]

Finally a more substantial training day than all the stretching and stuff:

Swimming: one hour, not so intensive - too many people, but a good few fast lengths and a lot of stepping drills.

Running: Just 2.5 k: 12 mins, bit slow... will work harder. Wanted to do sprints but the track was too busy with people 'hanging out'

Stretching.

Food and sleep (one hour)

20 mins intensive bagwork (mostly kicks and knees, but palms too - no fists as still have injuries to both hands - wing chun, boxing and kick boxing - working bobbing, keeping moving and the crazy monkey guard) warm-up

squats: 3 x 5 x 40 (2 x 20 ish dbs as usual)
dls ditto
(ball) benches ditto
ab ball rolls 3 x 5 x 20 (2 x 10 kg dbs - weighted to one end - growing to love this exercise more and more!)
flies ditto

McGill's stretches (core lower back)
El Macho's stretches (nice little core programme from El Macho on Bullshido for hams, glutes and hip adductors)
Leg swing walking x 10
Manji walking x 10
Shiko x 10

[Mr Punch]

Lots of the same for the last couple of weeks.

Day before yesterday I decided it was time to find my 1RM in squats. I want to find it in DLs, press and bench too, but I thought I'd start with squats.

OK, so the first problem is, I don't have anywhere near enough weight and I'm not a member of a gym. Second problem is, my local gym doesn't have any free weights, only a Smith.

OK, so I thought I'd go with the Smith despite my reservations.

Read up on HOW to find a 1RM on the erstwhile T-Nation (starting with lower weight warm-ups reps), completely forgot (! like a retard !) to rest between sets other than changing up the weights, and found a puny 1RM of 90 ****ing kilos.

Felt dizzy and a bit crap.

Came to three conclusions:

1) Don't forget to rest.
2) I'm still really **** puny.
3) I really really hate Smith machines.

Smith machines are sh!t

Usually when I'm lifting my puny 40 kgs of dumbbells I feel good doing a squat, DL or anything... although the weights are way to light to improve what I'm doing. I at least figure the stabilizer muscles must be getting a good workout.

I felt the Smith actually compromised my form, and when I tried the DLs I found they were actually impossible. Not even worth trying for a 1RM or anything.

In future I'll have to just stick to what I have at home and try and get to a gym or someone who has free weights as often as I can.

Bought an extra 2 x 5 kg plates for the dumbbells Sunday and gonna buy two more tomorrow. Asked in the shop what kind of max the dumbbells can take, and the shop doofus said, 'Well there's nothing written about it, so I guess as much as you can fit on!' I didn't want to point out that I could fit at least four 15 kg plates on each end, and ask him to confirm that he was telling me it'd be perfectly safe to lift 120 kgs without the shaft breaking! Tosser!

[Mr Punch]

Usual warm-ups... now inc El Macho's stretches.

DLs: 5 x 2 x 40 (2x20kg ish dbs)

5 x 2 x 50 (2x25kg ish dbs)

5 x 1 x 32 kg (one-hand DLs x 2)

Tricep raises (each hand)

3 x 1 x 9 kg
3 x 1 x 11.5
1 x 1 x 14

Tricep kickouts (each hand)

3 x 1 x 9 kg
3 x 1 x 11.5
3 x 1 x 14
3 x 1 x 16.5

Forearm curls (and reverse, each hand)

3 x 1 x 6.5
3 x 1 x 7.75
3 x 1 x 9
3 x 1 x 10.25
3 x 1 x 11.5
3 x 1 x 13
3 x 1 x 14.5

Hammer curls

3 x 1 x 6.5
3 x 1 x 9
3 x 1 x 11.5
3 x 1 x 14.5
1 x 1 x 17

Don't usually do arm work so it was nice for a change.

Want to work more core stuff though, so tomorrow maybe back to windmills, one arm presses... or maybe a shoulder sesh. Also going to buy another ten kg tomorrow, so will practice shoulder shrugs and various other nonsense with them on the way home again!

Also practiced some aiki exercises. Been a very long time. Nice.

[Mr Punch]

Not feeling too great after my friend's BD party last night... a few too many gnts and shochuus but managed to beat my PB in tabata pushups with 120!

Then usual warm-ups

plus a basic squat routine:

3x5x40

3x3x50

overhead squats

3x3x0 (! first time trying overhead squats... killer! tried with 20 kg but no f'in chance, so did it with nothing to see about the mechanics of it then...)

3x3x10

bear
3x3x10 (usually use bigger weights but was already knackered so thought I'd stay small)

[WinterPalm]

The OH squat is probably the hardest variation to get good at.
If you go to Crossfit and look at their daily workouts, they often have little videos clips at the bottom of each post. More often than not they are clips from workshops detailing the mechanics of various olympic lifts.

For starters: really get your shoulders as high as you can, touch your ears. Keep your core tense throughout...usually you don't go further than the top of your hips being parallel, but olympic lifters do this to rock bottom ATG.
Good luck!

[bodhitree]

The OH squat is probably the hardest variation to get good at.
If you go to Crossfit and look at their daily workouts, they often have little videos clips at the bottom of each post. More often than not they are clips from workshops detailing the mechanics of various olympic lifts.

For starters: really get your shoulders as high as you can, touch your ears. Keep your core tense throughout...usually you don't go further than the top of your hips being parallel, but olympic lifters do this to rock bottom ATG.
Good luck!

ATG is the only way to go with the overhead IMO.

[WinterPalm]

I have found that with most people they do not have the ability to squat that low with their shoulders bearing any substantial weight in the OH position. Without a doubt a full squat position is ideal. The flexibility in the hips, ankles, knees, and crucially in the shoulders is what hinders this exercise for most people. As is the lack of flexibility and core strength the weakness in the front squat for most people.

[Mr Punch]

For starters: really get your shoulders as high as you can, touch your ears. Keep your core tense throughout...usually you don't go further than the top of your hips being parallel, but olympic lifters do this to rock bottom ATG.
Good luck!

Thanks for the advice, folks.

I read on exrx that you should put your arms back as far as you can... I certainly can't touch my ears with my shoulders! I just tried with no weights and it kills!

I did go ATG though, and it was very very hard. But, I figure it's supposed to be, so I'm gonna stick at it like that for a couple of weeks while I'm hitting this squat programme. I'm gonna try again today, starting to up the weights. Seem to be generally flexible enough in the knees and hips, but perhaps strangely, found my ankles hurt a bit last time, so I'm gonna try it today with my legs a little further apart and maybe with my feet a little more splayed.

[Mr Punch]

Usual warm-ups and stretches.

Tabata 236 crunches of various kinds (low back stress varieties).

Squats

5 x 5 x 50 (need more weight... this is becoming a warm-up now!)

Overhead Squats

3 x 5 x 13.4

1 x 3 x 15.9 (felt like I could have done more and higher, but time was a factor... formwise, started out like you suggested WP, with shoulders touching the ears as near as d@mmit, lost form slowly as it went but felt ok flexibility-wise. Strange thing: with the arms back like Exrx recs feels more stress on the ankles, with shoulders up like WP suggests feels much harder to push the knees out... dangerous - gotta watch out for that and gonna keep with insignificant weight till my flexibility gets better... maybe start with 3 x 5 x 15.9 next time and work up to the next weight)

Bears

3 x 3 x 23.4

1 x 3 x 33.4

Still only the fourth time I've done these... just getting into the groove, thinking I'd go up for the 50 kg set this time when my right knee twanged with a really sharp pain on the second rep... finished the set very carefully looking for when/where it happened but it didn't happen again. Stopped. Frustrating.

All in all, remaining positive... made some gains in this sesh but as always they always seem too little. I know I'm still a noob and somewhat hampered by what weight I have so I'm trying not to get frustrated but sometimes I do.

[WinterPalm]

One reason I suggested not going ATG is because oftentimes a lack of flexibility or even stabilizer strength in the body makes it difficult and you may put your knees past your toes. I am very adamant about not doing this. I know olympic guys do this but I sacrifice a bit of depth in order to work on keeping my knee/toe alignment proper.
Find some good shoulder stretch/dynamic movement stuff...that should help you.

[Mr Punch]

That's interesting. Most of the literature I've read, and the trainer (of admittedly dubious pedigree) I had, tells me the knees go out as far as the ass, so the ankles are directly below a halfway point along the thigh. You're telling me the knees shouldn't go past the toes at all?

Furthermore, from everything I've looked into, going parallel and not ATG puts a hell of a lot of sheer stress on your knees, something I can't afford to do given my history of knee problems.

I'll look into some shoulder flexibility exercises though. Any recommendations?

[WinterPalm]

There are different interpretations of parallel and full.
Parallel to me, means going until the very top of my hip bone is below the level of my knees...to some this is a full squat. A full squat is done until the hamstrings touch or gently rest on top of the calves.

When you do them, do whichever you are comfortable with. I do not like ATG too much as I have knees that pop quite a bit when I squat with no weight, like always, and if I squat with weight all the way ATG, the popping hurts in the squat and I don't do them that way.
There is a vast amount of literature to support either side: the health and wellness segment suggests a higher depth than what I do. The hardcore weight lifting segment and especially olympic lifters suggest all the way down.

Here's a good stretch:

Stand up against a wall, heels, butt, shoulders, and head touching. Raise your arms above your head straight and touch the wall behind you with your hands. Now try to touch your elbows to the wall. Remember to maintain neutral spinal position and don't hyperextend. Then slowly, very slowly, bring your hands down to your sides along the wall and keep touching or trying to touch the wall with your elbows.

[Mr Punch]

Thanks for the description... it seems like I'm mostly doing ATG after all. My idea of parallel was definitely only thighs parallel to the ground too (which hurts my knees), so I'll have to try yours.

Here's a good stretch:

Stand up against a wall, heels, butt, shoulders, and head touching. Raise your arms above your head straight and touch the wall behind you with your hands. Now try to touch your elbows to the wall. Remember to maintain neutral spinal position and don't hyperextend. Then slowly, very slowly, bring your hands down to your sides along the wall and keep touching or trying to touch the wall with your elbows.

Funny, I can do that no problem, but still seem to have trouble with the shoulders to ears bit.

[WinterPalm]

Realisitically you probably won't be able to touch your ears, it is just the idea of getting them as high as possible. Also pinching your shoulders blades. And time, it is a very demanding exercise that requires a lot of stabilization.

[Black Jack II]

crazy monkey guard

That is a great guard. Excellent default position. Nice choice bro.