April 2008
59 posts
3 tags
Heavy Bag Intervals
Hitting the heavy bag with combinations - punches, kicks, and elbows. Max intensity.
6 x 2 min rounds (60 sec active rest)
8 x 20 sec (10 sec rest) - Tabata style
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Ran through the hard chi gung after the warmup, then went into forearm conditioning and forms. Spent lots of time breaking down the leopard section from Ng Ying Kuen. After class, worked on Ng Lung Ba Gwa Cheung for a while.
March 2008
62 posts
Sequencing Dynamic Flexibility and Joint Mobility →
“The warm-up raises the body temperature, increases blood flow to the muscles, and lubricates the joints. Always remember warm-up the joints, the prime the muscles for work! Do not stretch to warm-up!” A bit emphatic for my taste, but sound advice nonetheless.
2 tags
GPP Circuit
Burpees x 30 sec
Jumping Jacks x 30 sec
Split Jumps x 30 sec
Burpees x 30 sec
Jumping Jacks x 30 sec
Pushups / Squats x 30 sec (alternate each round)
Repeat 4x, resting 1 min between rounds (pushups on rounds 1 & 3, squats on 2 & 4).
1 tag
Kung Fu / basketball practice
Worked on Tiet Sien Kuen in the gym today. Didn’t have the usual amount of privacy, so I kept getting interrupted by a little kid who wanted to play basketball with me. I gave in and played…even let the little bastard beat me (11-8).
1 tag
“It’s okay to steal from yourself, but it’s better to steal from...”
– Kenny Shopsin
3 tags
Max Strength Training
Heavy strength day.
Turkish Get Ups
5 x 50lb
2 x 60lb
1 x 70lb (PR - MILESTONE)
1 Arm DB Clean and Press (from floor)
3 x 75lb
3 x 85lb
3 x 90lb
3 x 95lb
1 Arm DB Snatch 3 x 80lb
3 x 90lb
3 x 95lb
2 x 100lb
Simple pair, repeat 4x:
Weighted One Legged Squats (45lb) - 5, 5, 4, 4
Glute-Ham Raises - 5, 5, 5, 5
Simple pair, repeat 4x:
Weighted Pullups...
Back to the Future of Abdominal Training →
With that title, this article’s GOT to be good.
1 tag
“I’ve never been nice my whole life, but I’ll do my best to be sweet.”
– Bill
1 tag
Kung Fu class
After Chi Gung and the standard beginners class warmup, we worked on the into the mirror hand block to double tiger claw from Gung Ji (cat stance to bow stance). We drilled it individually and once everyone got the hang of it, we partnered up and worked off of a shoulder grab. Showed the more advanced guys the application with the added sweep. After class I worked on the opening and dragon section...
1 tag
Core Training
Started with some L-sit work: 6 x 15 sec, then onto the main circuit:
Turkish Get Ups x 5/side (35lb?)
V-Ups x 10
DB Twist x 10/side (35lb?)
Supermans x 12
Repeat circuit 3x
Finisher: Plank for 1:30. I had nothing left. Those L-sits really took it out of me. I’m also guessing on the weight of the dumbbell I used because the weights we have at the kung fu school don’t have...
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Started off with Tiet Sien Kuen to get the blood flowing, then worked on Yu Ga Dai Pa for a while. Ran through the form in its entirety and then broke it down and worked on each individual section, focusing on power and twisting the fork.
Then we went into the ‘ring of fire’ sparring drill and worked on sensitivity and using footwork to disrupt your opponent’s stance. The theme...
2 tags
Tag Team: Deevolution (explosive)
Did a fun, tag-team workout with Frank tonight after class. The idea was that one guy does a crawl across the length (there and back) of the school while the other performs the stationary explosive exercise as fast as possible. The round lasts as long as it takes for the crawler to finish. Once he’s done, you switch and then move on.
10 Burpees
Bear Crawl x 2 / Knee Tucks
10 Burpees
...
1 tag
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. For example, do...”
– Coach Barry Murphy
1 tag
“It doesn’t matter how you play the game, it’s whether you win or...”
– Coach Finstock
Tips for Treating Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness →
I’m dealing with some soreness today. I’ve always found this to be true: “Perform some easy low-impact aerobic exercise to increase blood flow.” I’ll do that tonight!
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Started with Chi Gung and the standard warmup (calisthenics & stance training) then went into a mini-forearm/hand training circuit of 6 stations, with one minute at each station:
Tiger claw squeezing sand bag
Stick wrist flicks
Hand squeezes
Water jug circling
Fingertip pushups
Forearm roller
The we went into three star block drills and form practice. After class I worked on Ng Ying...
StrongLifts.com’s 10 Nutrition Rules for Building... →
1 tag
“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise...”
– Theodore Rubin
3 tags
Sprint Intervals
Ran some Easter sprints at the Huntington High School track:
6 x 100m sprint (jog back to start) 12 x 50m sprint (walk back to start) Good workout. With warmup, cooldown, and stretching I was at the track for about a half hour.
3 tags
Back-off Strength / Core Training
Still didn’t feel up to pushing massive amounts of weights, so I took the Never Gymless approach. Did the following mini-circuits alternating between upper and lower body exercises and shooting for ‘quality sets,’ not going to failure:
4 x Circuit A
Pullups - 20 wide grip, 15 rope, 8 side-to-side, 10 L-pullups
Glute-Ham Raises - 5, 5, 5, 5
4 x Circuit B
...
2 tags
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man...”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Strength and conditioning, but what about skill? →
“Strength, power, and added endurance mean little if the athlete lacks skill. Superior skill is the ultimate equalizer…there is absolutely no substitute for skill training with an experienced coach.”
3 tags
Jump Rope Intervals
Did intervals on the jump rope today:
4 x 30 sec rounds (30 sec rest)
3 x 1 min rounds (30 sec rest)
2 x 2 min rounds (1 min rest)
1 x 3 min round (1 min rest)
Tried to maintain the high-knee-sprint-in-place method of jumping, but that went out the window during the first 2 minute interval. Mixed it up between high-knees, double unders, and basic skipping after that.
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Stuck with the basics for the beginner’s class today - stances, basic strikes and kicks, jin kiu/facing punch combo. After class we went into the same ring drill from yesterday and worked on taking away your opponent’s center while trying to keep control of your own. It’s an awesome drill and everybody got a lot out of it. Must keep this up.
1 tag
“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for...”
– Napoleon Hill
1 tag
“Human beings were invented by water as a device for transporting itself from one...”
– Tom Robbins
2 tags
52 Card Throwdown
Frankie and I tried out Ross’s Deck of Cards workout for the first time today. We used the face value of the card for the number of reps (Ace is 11, face cards are 10) and used the following exercises:
Hearts = Burpees (cause they get ya heart pumping)
Diamonds = Diamond Pushups
Spades = Body Rows
Clubs = Chinnies
Jokers = 10 Double Unders
Total time: 16:21. 96 total reps of each...
1 tag
Kung Fu class
This was my first class back since injuring the old back and I was prepared to take it slow, but I got in early and ran through Tiet Sien Kuen twice before class. I felt like a new man after that, so jumped right into the workout.
For warmup, Sihing Al had us do a mini circuit of 50 crunches, crawl across the training floor, 25 pushups, 50 crunches, crawl across, 20 tiger rolling pushups, crawl...
Another reluctant rest day
My back still ain’t feeling great so I took another day off…did 150 pushups tonight when Tracy wasn’t looking though. I’m chuffed to get back into my rhythm tomorrow.
Goal vs. Process Oriented Athletes →
File me under “process oriented.”
1 tag
Rest day
My brain and my schedule called for a heavy lifting day, but my back vetoed it. I did something to louse it up, so it’s a rest day.
4 tags
Sequential Fatigue Challenge
It was such a beautiful, temperate, sunny day today that I thought I’d ruin it by doing the much dreaded Sequential Fatigue Challenge out on the Pier 40 field:
10 Burpees
Sprint 50 meters
10 Plyometric Pushups
Jog back to start
15 Diamond Pushups
Sprint 50 meters
10 Knee Tucks
Jog back to start
Repeat 5x
Total time: 16:49. Last time I did this (12/07) I also finished in the 16...
1 tag
Kung Fu practice
Building on Thursday’s class, continuing with work on whipping power. Practice 100 outside whipping backhand slap followed by 100 inside knife hand strikes, then went into the relatred crane techniques. After drilling that, ran through the crane section from Fu Hok/Ng Ying Kuen 20 times.
2 tags
Density Training: Pullups + Pushups
Using the principles of density training to increase my pullup AND pushup numbers (goal is still 50, though it’s a long ways away). Starting each set at 1 minute intervals:
12 x 8 reps
1 x 4 (to make it an even 100)
100 pullups + 100 pushups total in just over 12 minutes. I did the pushups immediately after the pullups, so I had to finish 8 reps of each in each minute. Didn’t get...
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Simple warmup of the usual stuff, followed by the hard chi gung set repeated for 3 lengths of the school, then 6 minutes of three star block. Sihing Malcolm had us work on lots of drills to develop whipping power today, both inside (knife hand strike) and outside (backhand slap). After we drilled the hell out of this, went onto some crane techniques that built on the same principles and into some...
How to Grow a Super-Athlete →
More on deliberate practice.
How Did A-Rod Get So Good? →
“Your level of natural talent notwithstanding, excellence is accomplished mainly through the tenets of deliberate practice.”
Crossfit's 10 General Physical Fitness Skills
Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
Stamina The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
Strength The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
Flexibility The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
Power The ability of a muscular...
2 tags
GPP Circuit
Burpees x 30 secs
Mountain Climbers x 30 secs
Jumping Jacks x 30 secs
Burps x 30 secs
Split Jumps x 30 secs
Grasshoppers x 30 secs
Repeat 4x, resting 30 sec between circuits.
Short on time today, so stuck with only 4 circuits. These minute drills are never easy, but I would have liked to do 5 or 6 trips through.
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Got in early to do some of these hamstring and glute activation exercises. Also worked on some forms before class. Ran through Gung Ji Fuk Fu Kuen, concentrating on the Fuk Fu section. I worked it from different angles to check my positioning in the mirror and to make sure my alignment was correct.
For the warmup we did a mini circuit. Five stations, one minute at each station, no rest:
...
Hamstring Dominance (and how to fix it) →
Lots of good glute-activation tips, which supposedly take some of the strain off of tight hamstrings.
Don't Eat Anything That Doesn't Rot →
Consumers are getting duped by the food industry and paying the price with their health. I, for one, eat rotten stuff all the time.
1 tag
Kung Fu practice
Worked on Tiet Sien Kuen, using very light power. I was really worked up from lifting and had lots of aggression for some reason, so I concentrated on regulation. Felt good afterwards.
2 tags
Explosive Strength Training
Explosive strength day.
Double DB Split Snatch 5 x 3/side x 40lb
Double DB Push Press 5 x 3 x 65lb
Complex Pair - repeat 4x (Rest 60 sec between B & C and D & A)
One Arm Bench Press - 5/arm x 80lb
Plyometric Pushups x 8
Bulgarian Split Squats - 5/leg x 40lb (in each hand)
Lunge Jumps x 10
Finisher: Double DB Swings 3 x 15 x 35lb (in each hand)
1 tag
“Defend yourself with the strength of a grizzly, the reflexes of a puma, and the...”
– Sensei Rex
Workin too hard can give you a heart attack ack...
Dave’s movin out today. And I helped. Too sore for anything good anyway.
2 tags
The Power of Five
I had two workouts ready to go for after class, Frank chose ‘the hard one,’ so we did The Power of Five, another of Ross’s creations:
10 Burpees
20 Med Ball Slams
30 Lateral Jumps
40 Pushups
50 Squats
Repeat 5x
I finished in 29:47…not sure how that time stacks up, but it was definitely tough. The sticking point for me was the pushups…we had already done a...
1 tag
Kung Fu class
Started with Chi Gung and the standard warmup (calisthenics & stance training) then went into a mini-forearm/hand training circuit of 5 stations, with one minute at each station:
Fingertip pushups
Hand squeezes
Stick wrist flicks
Forearm roller
Tiger claw squeezing sand bag
Then jumped right into 5 minutes of 3 star training (I used the wooden post). We worked on Chin Ji Sau for the...
1 tag
Kung Fu practice
Worked on Tiet Sien Kuen (no shoes). Everything felt great today - I felt the channels open up right away and felt really good and relaxed afterwards. Mixed in some hard power in spots and felt really good connection. Not much else to say.