"Karate is like boiling water, if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool."
-11th precept of the Niju Kun by Gichin Funakoshi.
Right, time to get my feet wet. I'm setting up this journal after reading various other ones on here (thanks for this inspiration guys!) in the hope that it will keep my mind on my training and off distractions (which seem all too eager for my attention). I'm gonna try and record every training session I do on here, as well as plan out the coming week and review the previous one and try to identify my weaknesses, set goals and record achievements. Any and all comments/advice/encouragement is VERY welcome.
Anyway, to start me off. Here are my current goals:
Gain muscle mass: from 69kg to ~75kg (I'm 1.75m).
Develop explosive strength in upper and lower body.
Significantly increase core strength (abs in particular).
Improve CV fitness to be able to comfortably last three, three minute rounds.
Throw 10 000 proper gyaku tsuki, 10 000 proper kicks and 10 000 proper blocks (outside of normal training sessions) before the start of next academic year (11 Oct 2010).
Eat healthy and proportional to my training requirements.
Improve focus/concentration.
Learn how to plan and teach karate classes.
Keep a daily training record.
Stick to a training plan.
Right, I think that's a good introduction. I'll post my plan for next week after this.
Osu!
halcyon
03-08-2010, 12:17 AM
So here is my plan for the coming week. I don't expect to stick to the plan for everyday religiously, but at least 5/7 days should be completed successfully.
Everyday (morning and/or evening):
1 set in each stance, shotokan style, (zenkutsu dachi, kokutsu dachi, kiba dachi):
10 x3 gyaku tsuki (gedan, chudan, jodan)
10 x3 uraken uchi (jodan)
10 x3 shuto uchi (jodan)
10 x3 gedan barrai
10 x3 uchi uke
10 x3 soto uke
10 x3 age uke
10 x3 mae geri
10 x3 mawashi geri
10 x3 yoko geri
Welcome to the loggin'business :D; I'll be looking forward to reading your journal.:)
Are you studying Shotokan or Shidokan, or both?
Osu!
sandman
03-08-2010, 02:20 AM
Osu!
Great start Patrick! Looking forward to following your progress.
halcyon
03-08-2010, 10:34 AM
Osu Patrick,
Welcome to the loggin'business :D; I'll be looking forward to reading your journal.:)
Are you studying Shotokan or Shidokan, or both?
Osu!
Thanks!
Both, but I've only just started studying Shidokan. I've had some time off from training in general so I'm just starting to get back into things. I'm hoping to pick up some Enshin as well. I'll have to see how things work out and if it's doable.
FredInChina
03-08-2010, 01:40 PM
Thanks!
Both, but I've only just started studying Shidokan. I've had some time off from training in general so I'm just starting to get back into things. I'm hoping to pick up some Enshin as well. I'll have to see how things work out and if it's doable.
Hummm, that sounds like a lot of different styles - aren't you afraid of having difficulties in excelling in any one of the three styles you mention? or even of the redundancy of parts of the training? :)
Osu!
Godai
03-08-2010, 01:40 PM
Welcome to the workout journals. This is where we bare our soul!:D
Your plans seem a little aggressive and I will be interested in seeing how it goes. I notice you don't have a rest day planned.
halcyon
03-08-2010, 02:47 PM
Hummm, that sounds like a lot of different styles - aren't you afraid of having difficulties in excelling in any one of the three styles you mention? or even of the redundancy of parts of the training? :)
Osu!
Osu! It is one of my concerns. I've already achieved the rank of shodan in Shotokan. I'm only just starting to dabble in Shidokan and possibly Enshin. I'll see how things workout. I'm hoping the two will compliment each other nicely since both the instructors of the Shidokan club and Enshin one are eager to do a bit training in each other's dojo. I'm just hoping to broaden my horizons and get as much full contact karate training in as possible.
Welcome to the workout journals. This is where we bare our soul!:D
Your plans seem a little aggressive and I will be interested in seeing how it goes. I notice you don't have a rest day planned.
It does seem aggressive. I'm young and in good shape so I should be able to handle a good bit of training per week. But you're right, without a rest day or two I would over-train. I intend to take a rest day whenever my body tells me I need it. I'm quite happy skipping a gym session or two if my body is better off resting, I might do some light cardio instead.
The plan is more of a guide, so I've got some training to look forward to :D It'll be a good way to assess how much I can really handle.
Osu! Thanks for the input guys.
jcarmello
03-08-2010, 02:57 PM
Good for you! Go at it and find what you love and then whittle your focus as you mature!
Osu!
Godai
03-08-2010, 03:05 PM
It does seem aggressive. I'm young and in good shape so I should be able to handle a good bit of training per week.
Ahh yes....youth!! I remember it well :)
sandman
03-08-2010, 03:17 PM
The plan is more of a guide, so I've got some training to look forward to :D It'll be a good way to assess how much I can really handle.
That's a reasonable plan of attack - its fine to have an aggressive plan as long as you are willing to listen to your body and your journal notes and scale back if necessary. Just don't forget to log the training along with any observations about how your body is reacting to it. That's the beauty of a training log - if you do it right it brings issues to your attention so you know what to change.
Zanshin
03-08-2010, 04:20 PM
Hi there I didnt see any mention of working on kata. Maybe I missed it? Katas would round out your training.
halcyon
03-08-2010, 04:35 PM
That's a reasonable plan of attack - its fine to have an aggressive plan as long as you are willing to listen to your body and your journal notes and scale back if necessary. Just don't forget to log the training along with any observations about how your body is reacting to it. That's the beauty of a training log - if you do it right it brings issues to your attention so you know what to change.
Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought of noting down how my body was reacting to the training. I'll make sure to jot it down in my daily reviews.
Hi there I didnt see any mention of working on kata. Maybe I missed it? Katas would round out your training.
Osu, indeed, no kata training this week. I don't have the space for it. Hopefully we'll do some in the karate sessions. I'm going back home (Spain) to my parents for 5 weeks for the Easter holidays and they've got a nice garden for training in, so I should be able to do some kata training there. In the mean time I'm going to have to stick to kihon training in its place.
MilkManX
03-08-2010, 05:28 PM
Osu-EN1
Wow! Great. Goals are the best way to go.
I am sure if you go train Enshin with Gary you will learn a lot.
Osu-EN1
sandman
03-08-2010, 05:36 PM
Osu!
Halcyon, I just noticed the weight gain goal as well. How are you planning to approach that? You'll need to increase your calorie intake - just adding weight lifting to the program won't be enough (it'll help, but you've got to add calories to gain weight). It might not be a bad idea to keep a nutrition log for a short time to sort of get a baseline on your eating habits. For me its kind of a hassle to have to log every calorie, fat gram, protein gram, etc..., but if you do it for a week it'll probably be long enough to know where you are starting from and what changes you might want to make in your diet.
Osu!
halcyon
03-08-2010, 05:56 PM
Osu-EN1
Wow! Great. Goals are the best way to go.
I am sure if you go train Enshin with Gary you will learn a lot.
Osu-EN1
Some are a bit vague and not very thought through, but I hope to update them as I go along.
Unfortunately I won't have the chance to train with Gary just yet. One of his students, Matt, is setting up a dojo in York which is opening in April. I'm looking forward to training there. I do hope I get to train with Gary at some point, he seems like an amazing instructor from the things I've read on here.
Osu!
Halcyon, I just noticed the weight gain goal as well. How are you planning to approach that? You'll need to increase your calorie intake - just adding weight lifting to the program won't be enough (it'll help, but you've got to add calories to gain weight). It might not be a bad idea to keep a nutrition log for a short time to sort of get a baseline on your eating habits. For me its kind of a hassle to have to log every calorie, fat gram, protein gram, etc..., but if you do it for a week it'll probably be long enough to know where you are starting from and what changes you might want to make in your diet.
Osu!
Might be a good idea. As a student, and someone who never uses a kitchen, I might just fail on that point. I do have a moderate amount of knowledge when it comes to nutrition and I try and have a balanced diet. I've already upped my protein intake mainly by having lots of chicken and nuts (in moderation). So hopefully I'll be able to see some results over the next couple of weeks/months. If not, I'll readjust my weight training to see if that makes any difference. I don't think I could keep a nutrition log, but thanks for the advice anyway.
I'm off to the gym for my weights session. I'll post my results when I get back.
All that x2 (both arms), didn't get round to anything further on the list. I think I might cut it down a little and then change it round next week.
GYM: strength training
Right, now, before I start I should probably write some sort of introduction to this.
Well, my aim at the gym for the strength training sessions is to gain some muscle mass, I'm already moderately muscular (enough anyway), but for some reason I'd like a little more. Once I'm happy with the results (or bored of getting nowhere), I'll change the exercises accordingly so I can focus on explosive strength instead.
I'm still relatively new to the gym so any suggestions for exercises (particularly with free-weights) would be greatly appreciated.
Also, I should mention I do every exercise for ~15 reps at a low weight first to get my muscles ready to accommodate the heavier weights. I've chosen the weights so that I can just barely/uncomfortably finish all the sets and reps.
Right, so here's what I did today:
Warm up
Running - 7.5 min
A few dynamic stretches to get my muscles ready.
Strength training
Leg Press - 3 x 8 reps @ 120kg
Leg Curl - 3 x 8 reps @ 45kg
Bench Press - 3 x 8 reps @ 50kg
Bent-over-row - 3 x 8 reps @ 30 kg (this one was too easy, so I think I'll up the ante next time).
Overhead triceps extensions - 3 x 8 reps @ 8kg
Bicep curls - 3 x 8 reps @ 10kg
Lateral raises - 3 x 8 reps @ 10 kg (think I might need to bring it down to 8kg as I couldn't quite finish the last set).
Cool down
Running - 6 min
Static stretches - hamstrings, quadriceps, inner thighs, pectorals and triceps.
Swimming - 4 laps
And I finished off with a beautiful 10 min 'soak' in the steam room :D
I think this time round I focused mainly on my upper body. I think next time I'll spend more time on my lower body and finish off focusing on my core (abs, lower back and obliques).
Also, I'm not gonna bother recording my nutrition, it's too much effort and it's something I do my best taking care of anyway.
For overall strength I would switch to more compound lifts instead of isometric ones.
IE for Lats and Biceps do Bent over Rows
For Pecs,Triceps and Front Delts do the Incline Bench.
For Legs do Squats,Front Squats,Cleans and Dead Lifts.
These also will make you use your core for stability that the isometric lifts do not have.
Hope that helps.
Osu-EN1
Ros
03-08-2010, 09:58 PM
Unfortunately I won't have the chance to train with Gary just yet. One of his students, Matt, is setting up a dojo in York which is opening in April. I'm looking forward to training there. I do hope I get to train with Gary at some point, he seems like an amazing instructor from the things I've read on here.
Yes, do come for a visit and train with us and Gary. You'll get a very warm welcome! :)
halcyon
03-08-2010, 10:08 PM
Osu-EN1
For overall strength I would switch to more compound lifts instead of isometric ones.
IE for Lats and Biceps do Bent over Rows
For Pecs,Triceps and Front Delts do the Incline Bench.
For Legs do Squats,Front Squats,Cleans and Dead Lifts.
These also will make you use your core for stability that the isometric lifts do not have.
Hope that helps.
Osu-EN1
Osu. Thanks for the input. Compound exercises are exactly what I've been looking for. Aside from the squats, bent over rows and bench press, I've not really gotten round to doing any. I'll ask the staff at the gym to show me some more, especially the deadlifts to compliment the squats.
Yes, do come for a visit and train with us and Gary. You'll get a very warm welcome! :)
Thank you. I'd love to. I'll see how things go at the Enshin club with Matt over here, and I'll be sure to tag along with him when he goes over at some point.
Osu! Looking forward to meeting you.
sandman
03-09-2010, 01:50 AM
I agree with MilkmanX - compound lifts give more bang for the buck.
halcyon
03-09-2010, 10:47 PM
I didn't make it to the Judo session today as was planned. I had a lab session that ran late and decided I was better off eating something instead of training. Decided to go to the gym and do some cardio work in the hope that it might help in recovering from the DOMS from the strength training the day before.
The DOMS haven't really set in until about now, which is what you'd expect. I'll see how I feel tomorrow when I wake up to get a better picture of how bad it's going to be. The Shidokan session tomorrow should be quite tough, lots of pad-work and anaerobic/aerobic exercises, which shouldn't put too much strain on my muscular system, but we'll see.
I'm also gonna have to see how the kihon goes this week and maybe divide it up into smaller groups that I'd repeat over several weeks. This would allow me to get more done, as well as focus on explosiveness, technique and ingraining all the movements into my muscle memory (even further).
Daily kihon:
10 x5 gyaku tsuki (mix of gedan, chudan, jodan)
2 x 3 x10 mae geri
3 x10 yoko geri
Made sure to work both sides evenly. Not much progress, but it's something at least.
GYM: Cardio-vascular: Interval training
5 min of warm up at 9km/h.
20 min of running at 9km/h with 5, 1.5 to 3 minute intervals at 12km/h.
3 minutes of increasing speeds from 12km/h to 14km/h to finish off the session.
Cool down
Jog/Walk - 5 min
Static stretches - hamstrings, quadriceps, inner thighs.
Swimming - 8 laps
Again followed by a good 10 minutes in the steam room and a 15 minute walk home.
Daily kihon:
Nothing!
No excuse for it either. I just didn't stop to think about it. I slept in until 13:00, and then spent most of the day sorting things out in town and prepare for the Shidokan session in at 18:00. Not good.
Shidokan
10 minutes warm up
10 minutes pad work with a partner:
4 minutes punching - 1 punch the first minute and worked up to 4 punch combinations.
6 minutes kicking - 1 minute low kicks, 1 minute mid kicks, 1 minute high kicks.
x2
8 minutes fitness training:
2 minutes of getting 2 thigh kicks, hopping to the other side, 1 press ups, running back getting 4 thigh kicks, hopping, 2 press ups, etc.
- 3 or 4 different kinds of these type of exercises.
Finished with a gentle cool down.
The session was pretty intense on the legs. I haven't been suffering from the DOMS at all today but I think it'll set in tomorrow evening and the morning after for sure.
Though the session was good, I feel most of them are too much fitness based. I'd like a bit more work on technique or strategy or self-defence.
Goals:
Kihon: Incomplete
Shidokan: Completed
Gyaku tsuki: 160/10 000
Blocks: 360/10 000
Kicks: 90/10 000
215 days to go.
knuckleheader
03-11-2010, 02:42 AM
"Karate is like boiling water, if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool."
-11th precept of the Niju Kun by Gichin Funakoshi.
Right, time to get my feet wet. I'm setting up this journal after reading various other ones on here (thanks for this inspiration guys!) in the hope that it will keep my mind on my training and off distractions (which seem all too eager for my attention). I'm gonna try and record every training session I do on here, as well as plan out the coming week and review the previous one and try to identify my weaknesses, set goals and record achievements. Any and all comments/advice/encouragement is VERY welcome.
Anyway, to start me off. Here are my current goals:
Gain muscle mass: from 69kg to ~75kg (I'm 1.75m).
Develop explosive strength in upper and lower body.
Significantly increase core strength (abs in particular).
Improve CV fitness to be able to comfortably last three, three minute rounds.
Throw 10 000 proper gyaku tsuki, 10 000 proper kicks and 10 000 proper blocks (outside of normal training sessions) before the start of next academic year (11 Oct 2010).
Eat healthy and proportional to my training requirements.
Improve focus/concentration.
Learn how to plan and teach karate classes.
Keep a daily training record.
Stick to a training plan.
Right, I think that's a good introduction. I'll post my plan for next week after this.
Osu!
Hey halcyon, just read your post along w/few of the earliest responses.
First I'll say this. I don't think "
10 000 proper gyaku tsuki, 10 000 proper kicks and 10 000 proper blocks" are necessary. It's not the quantity, it's the quality. Or as Bruce Lee once said, I para phrase. Perfect practice. If you really have to do the 10,000's. Have fun.
The other thing you want to do is, "plan and teach...". So many instructors show up week after week without a lesson plan. A good program should have a begining, middle and end. It should have a progression of skill sets and techniques. I'm glad to see a future insturctor will be showing up with a lesson plan Thank you!
Osu-EN1
P S Check out the Steve Maxwell kettle bell routines. and the 40 minute rule...:)
halcyon
03-11-2010, 12:45 PM
Hey halcyon, just read your post along w/few of the earliest responses.
First I'll say this. I don't think "10 000 proper gyaku tsuki, 10 000 proper kicks and 10 000 proper blocks" are necessary. It's not the quantity, it's the quality. Or as Bruce Lee once said, I para phrase. Perfect practice. If you really have to do the 10,000's. Have fun.
Osu, I get what you're saying and that is exactly what I'm trying to do. Quality punches but with a bit of an insane goal to make things interesting. I think quality also stems from repetition, as long as proper form is maintained it's a positive feedback loop.
The other thing you want to do is, "plan and teach...". So many instructors show up week after week without a lesson plan. A good program should have a begining, middle and end. It should have a progression of skill sets and techniques. I'm glad to see a future insturctor will be showing up with a lesson plan Thank you!
Osu! I hope I'll one-day be able to return to karate what karate has given me. I'm far from being an instructor, but I've been told I might be asked to take a few random Shotokan sessions from time to time. Which should be good practise for later on when/if I run my own dojo.
P S Check out the Steve Maxwell kettle bell routines. and the 40 minute rule...:)
I can't find anything about any 40 minute rule. Would you mind giving me a link or something so I can look into it? Thanks.
Osu! Thanks for the input.
Godai
03-11-2010, 01:29 PM
I can't find anything about any 40 minute rule. Would you mind giving me a link or something so I can look into it? Thanks.
Osu! Thanks for the input.
I think he is talking about this video. In it, at about 1:40 and 1:45, Steve mentions something about the benefits of short workouts as opposed to longer ones. However I would like to clarify something...or make my own opinion.
I agree with Steve Maxwell, as do many on this forum, concerning brief and intense workouts and interval training. More bang for the buck and definitely the way to go. But what I think some misunderstand is that there are different approaches to different training or training days.
For conditioning or strength training, fitness etc the short and intense workouts are great. However they have to be intense and many short change that point thinking they now have scientific support stating they can work out less! "WRONG!" The other misunderstanding is that this theory applies to everything. IMO this is wrong also. As I stated above, when it comes to strength and conditioning, anaerobic and aerobic etc keep it short and intense but when it comes to skill training we need longer sessions. You can't now interpret this as having the green light to shorten your karate training to 20 minutes!!! If you are boxing, doing karate, Muay Thai, kickboxing, wrestling or whatever, you need your longer training sessions just as has always been. For that a two hour training is not unusual. In this time frame of 1-2 hours you will work on technical stuff, exercise (which would be in short bursts) form, learning and whatever you need to progress your skills. That is different training from the conditioning/exercise stuff. But even within the longer session, when exercises are done they would be done in shorter more intense hit and runs.
The key is in how you set up your work week. Conditioning days and skillset days.
Thank you Godai for picking up the slack. I too agree, longer training sessions STILL have their value. Always will!
Just want people to know you can also accomplish results with properly
done SHORT and LONG training sessions.
Kinda learning the benefits of modern sports science.....:D
halcyon
03-11-2010, 02:18 PM
I understand exactly what you guys are getting at.
A karateka wouldn't be a karateka if all he did was fitness training/condition. A definite skill set needs to be learnt and without proper karate training and repetition that would never be possible, hence karate sessions need a longer period of time to be able to acquire, practice and reinforce those skills. Naturally it would make sense to throw in fitness training as well since it's a vital component of karate and kyokushin in particular.
As for the 40 minute rule. I think I've sort of naturally tended to keep to it. I've got a little knowledge of sport science and it makes perfect sense to me. Thanks for the video and information, I'll definitely take it into account for my training. Shame I don't actually have a kettlebell though. Maybe I should buy the ones from Gary :D
Osu!
GJEC
03-11-2010, 03:10 PM
LOL
Start with some small ones. These bite.
Gary
Dent
03-15-2010, 12:07 AM
Osu!
Ahh yes....youth!! I remember it well :)
Wish I could say the, um, what's that word again?
:D
Osu!
halcyon
03-23-2010, 10:45 PM
OSU!
I've been away from logging my training (as well as the actual training). But I'm back! Had a lot on my mind in the past few weeks and had to make some life changing decisions, so training kinda took second place. I decided to take a leave of absence from university due to personal issues. Which I think will turn out to be the best decision I'll have made in my life.
The good side of it is that I'll have a lot more time on my hands to get some good training done. I'm home, in Spain, with my parents for the next 4 weeks so I've decided to dedicate it as much as possible to getting back into training and karate to keep myself occupied.
Anyway, I've made another ambitious 'little' plan to try and live up to (I doubt I will, but I don't wanna go easy on myself now do I?).
Essentially it's a 2 day plan that repeats 3 times during the week. Day 1 is fitness/conditioning & strength training. Day 2 is karate technique only, usually incorporating heavybag work (for practising techniques, not fitness), kata work (Enshin kata, Shidokan kata and Shotokan kata) and practising individual techniques that need work.
This should leave 48 hours for my muscles to recuperate before the next intense session (which is hopefully enough).
Here's my plan for the next 7 days (starting tomorrow):
DAY I
WEDNESDAY
- 6:9 Sprints (6 second sprint, 9 seconds rest)
- Dumbbell flys (flyes? flies?)
- Bent over rows
- Shoulder press
- Dumbbell snatch
DAY II
THURSDAY
- Heavybag combos
- Technique training
DAY III
FRIDAY
- 6:9 Burpees (6 seconds of burpees as fast as possible, 9 seconds rest)
- Squats
- Bench press
- Dumbbell snatch
- Deadlift
DAY IV
SATURDAY
- Heavybag combos
- Kata training
DAY V
SUNDAY
- 6:9 Heavybag throws (picking up my heavybag (18kg), turning it round, putting it on the floor, or whatever better exercise I can come up with at the time)
- Squats
- Deadlift
- Dumbbell flys
- Dumbbell snatch
DAY VI
MONDAY
- Heavybag combos
- Technique training
Day VII is a rest day.
I should note, the 6:9 ratio idea I picked up from what I believe was a post by Gary some time ago (have not had any luck finding it) and thought it was rather profound. I think it applies nicely to any kind of explosive/speed exercise. Essentially I'll do 3 or 4 sets of however many 'reps' I can manage without going bellow ~70% intensity.
Also, I'm going to adapt the strength exercises to whatever my goals for the time being are. For now it's to increase muscle mass (4 sets of 8 reps at approx 70 - 80% 1RM for each exercise), I've still got 4 or 5kg to go until I reach my goal. After that I'll change it to increasing explosive strength.
I'll try and post some basic results everyday, don't know if I can be bothered, but I'll try and at least write a weekly review.
P.S.
I should note that the 10 000 punches thing etc. is officially abandoned.
sandman
03-24-2010, 01:08 AM
I must admit Halcyon, I like this plan better :) Make sure to keep us posted!
halcyon
03-24-2010, 02:18 PM
Thanks Sandman. I'll try my best.
Right, so I did my training today. It was rather successful. Though I was disappointed about the 6:9 sprints, I only managed 4 reps (i.e. 6 sec sprint, 9 sec rest, 6 sec sprint, 9 sec rest, 6 sec spring, 9 sec rest, 6 sec sprint) and 3 sets before falling to below ~70% intensity. Which amounts to a total of 3x 24sec sprints; ~01:15sec of actual work, not anywhere near 1 round of kumite. Clearly this area needs a lot of work.
To summarise:
3 sets x 4 reps of 6:9 sprints
As for the weight training; I didn't do exactly what I had planned to do because I woke up this morning with slightly sore elbows (feels like the tendons), so I decided to change the workout a bit:
- 4 sets x 8 reps per exercise at ~70-80% of 1RM
- 56kg Dumbbell squats
- 12kg Dumbbell flys
- 16kg Dumbbell snatches
I would've done some bent over rows as well, but I felt I'd taxed my body enough for today. I ended the session with some good static stretches.
Things I need to work on:
- improve cardio-vascular system
- strengthen pecs
- work on form for the dumbbell snatches
Dent
03-24-2010, 03:55 PM
Osu!
Essentially it's a 2 day plan that repeats 3 times during the week. Day 1 is fitness/conditioning & strength training. Day 2 is karate technique only, usually incorporating heavybag work .
This should leave 48 hours for my muscles to recuperate before the next intense session
My math may not be the best, but where are these 48 rest hours of yours? If you're doing strong Karate with full on intensity heavy bag training, you should be pretty tired afterwards.
Osu!
FredInChina
03-24-2010, 04:04 PM
Osu!
My math may not be the best, but where are these 48 rest hours of yours? If you're doing strong Karate with full on intensity heavy bag training, you should be pretty tired afterwards.
Osu!
hummm - if you put 2 weeks' rest day back to back, you'll get your 48 hours... :D ... every 2 weeks! :eek:
Other than that, you'll have to juggle pretty tightly with late night & early morning trainings backed to a rest day to get there... :rolleyes:
osu!
halcyon
03-24-2010, 04:54 PM
My math may not be the best, but where are these 48 rest hours of yours? If you're doing strong Karate with full on intensity heavy bag training, you should be pretty tired afterwards.
Osu!
Day 2 is karate technique only, usually incorporating heavybag work (for practising techniques, not fitness)
That's kinda point. The aim is not to get tired; to just practise techniques and tactics. I might break a sweat, but the point is to stay below ~50% intensity. Think of it as light cardio work, like going to the pool :p
hummm - if you put 2 weeks' rest day back to back, you'll get your 48 hours... :D ... every 2 weeks! :eek:
Other than that, you'll have to juggle pretty tightly with late night & early morning trainings backed to a rest day to get there... :rolleyes:
osu!
LOL!
Dent
03-24-2010, 09:12 PM
Osu!
That's kinda point. The aim is not to get tired; to just practise techniques and tactics. I might break a sweat, but the point is to stay below ~50% intensity. Think of it as light cardio work, like going to the pool :p
Ok, I see where you're going with it. Personally, I'd shift the HB work.
Osu!
halcyon
03-24-2010, 09:56 PM
Shift it how?
Dent
03-25-2010, 04:56 AM
Osu!
Add it to your hardcore day. Maybe as interval training for both cardio and anaerobic power.
Osu!
halcyon
04-04-2010, 01:55 PM
Pleh!
Unfortunately my training has once again been placed in 2nd place. This time due to what was supposed to be a part-time job turning into a full-time one. It's a lot of hard work and leaves me tired and unmotivated at the end of the day. So I've once again completely ignored my training plan. Just when I figured I'd really get into it.
Oh well. Life goes on. I'm really motived right now to improve my cardio, I have no idea why, but what the hell, I'll go for some good old hill sprints or something, try and beat the Easter bunny up the hill :p
I think I might be better off not making any training plans and just flinging it, see where that gets me.
Osu!
Godai
04-04-2010, 02:06 PM
Sometimes this can be the result of the big training session and the feeling that you need to cover a lot of ground. My work schedule is a very strange one and time consuming but I make the best of the time I have in small increments. I can do a lot in 10 minutes and have in fact survived at times (and maintained a sufficient full contact fighting capability) with "5" and 10 minute training intervals in between class time. Of course the intensity has to be very high and this is mostly for conditioning. But it is better than nothing and surprisingly you can throw in some skill work also to some degree. We make due with what we have and we can complain about it and do nothing or just ride it out and make the best of it.
A small piece of pie is better than no pie at all. :)
halcyon
04-04-2010, 02:48 PM
Indeed, it's very much the feeling that I need to cover a lot of ground. Cardio has always been one of my weaker points and since I've missed out on training I felt like I should really give it a good push. Which I sort of did. Just got back from my run now. 7 minute warm up jog, then a good 8-10 minutes of short sprints at sub-maximal intensity, and another 7 minutes jog back. Not too shabby, but not great.
I very much like your way of incorporating your workout into your schedule. I'll have to think really hard as to how I'd manage that, but I should be able to at least incorporate a few minutes of training into it. Osu! Thanks for the suggestion, I'm gonna think about that. Might keep me motivated during work as well.
Godai
04-04-2010, 03:05 PM
You know, as a small example I would sometimes take an extra 5 minutes or even 3 when I have to go to another area of my job. I take the stairs and then take a few extra minutes to run up and down. 5 minutes running hard up and down 3 flights can be better than a 40 minute jog. Then again, I don't wear a suit at work :D I'm blue collar so setting sweaty isn't a problem.
halcyon
04-04-2010, 03:13 PM
I like that idea. I deliver furniture (in sunny Spain) so getting sweaty is unavoidable anyway. I'll have to figure something out. Although we're almost always kept busy during the day, I'm sure I can exploit a few minutes here and there for some quick sprints up and down this hill we have :D
Osu! thanks for the brilliant ideas Godai.
sandman
04-04-2010, 03:15 PM
Delivering furniture you say? Seems like some opportunities there - lifting heavy things and carrying them around...
Osu!
Godai
04-04-2010, 03:15 PM
I like that idea. I deliver furniture (in sunny Spain) so getting sweaty is unavoidable anyway. I'll have to figure something out. Although we're almost always kept busy during the day, I'm sure I can exploit a few minutes here and there for some quick sprints up and down this hill we have :D
Osu! thanks for the brilliant ideas Godai.
Are you kidding me? You are carrying furniture? Stairs and added weight? :D
Pushups in between? :eek:
Dent
04-04-2010, 03:37 PM
Osu!
Are you kidding me? You are carrying furniture? Stairs and added weight? :D
Pushups in between? :eek:
Kill a few baby seals before work, rabbit jump to the house, and duck walk to the truck.
You may not reach optimum fitness, but you'll get a long vacation in a wonderful, peaceful State facility! :D
Osu!
halcyon
04-04-2010, 03:56 PM
Kill a few baby seals before work, rabbit jump to the house, and duck walk to the truck.
Whilst carrying furniture of course ;)
btw, kill a few baby seals? I know I read that in someone's workout journal but never found out what exercise he/she was actually doing.
Osu!
Godai
04-04-2010, 03:58 PM
Whilst carrying furniture of course ;)
btw, kill a few baby seals? I know I read that in someone's workout journal but never found out what exercise he/she was actually doing.
Osu!
Bunny hops uphill
Dent
04-04-2010, 04:02 PM
Osu!
btw, kill a few baby seals? I know I read that in someone's workout journal but never found out what exercise he/she was actually doing.
You had to ask! :D
The Hill of Sorrows
Then I moved it outside to a hill behind the gym. There is an old set of tire tracks leading up the hill that are all washed out, bumpy, and with big clumps of grass growing up over them here and there. The path is pretty steep and is about 30 feet long.
The workout:
Bunny hops up the hill (with the weighted vest on) followed immediately by 10 tornado ball slams (I stashed the tornado ball at the top before I got started). Walk down the hill and repeat for a total of three trips.
The bunny hops were actually more like frog jumps - I tried to get as much distance up the hill on each jump as possible, and because the ground was a bit soft and uneven I had to use my hands to keep my balance.
That absolutely sucked.
Let us know how that works out for you. ;)
Osu!
halcyon
04-04-2010, 04:21 PM
I might go to work early Tuesday and do some of those before the store opens :D, the hill isn't very steep but I reckon it's about 60 feet/20 meters long. It's essentially a bit of road that goes down to the storage space underneath the store.
Sounds like a challenge. I don't have a weighted vest though; but I'm probably better off just using my bodyweight for now anyway, nor do I know what tornado ball slams are, but I'll make something up as I go along :p
You guys have actually given me a reason to look forward to work. Osu! :p
I'll be sure to post results.
sandman
04-04-2010, 07:33 PM
That's the spirit - just use what you've got available. Get out there and do it! :)
halcyon
04-26-2010, 11:34 AM
Right, so the plan to integrate training into my job partly worked. Though I found it impossible to actually implement any real significant training. I was too lazy to get up early in the morning to do any additional training, and I was too tired in the afternoon to bother with any either.
Now I'm back in the UK, and I've just had my first Shidokan session last night. It's the first karate session I've done for about a month and a half. My muscles haven't been this sore in a LONG time. We did lots of cardio training; 5 3 minute rounds of different kinds of exercises. The format was something along these lines: 5 punches/kicks/combos, 1 burpee. Then repeat until 3 minutes were up with 15 to 30 seconds break between sets.
We then focussed on kihon and kata. I was pleasantly surprised by how similar the kata in Shidokan were to the ones in Shotokan. A lot of the kihon is very different though. We ended the session with some light sparring/conditioning. I had some nasty low kicks to my legs that I'm not used to taking at all, so I always forgot to block and I'm suffering for it now. The session was an hour and a half long, and I was happy to have survived through most of it. I seriously need to work on my cardio and anaerobic fitness.
Good session, and I'm glad to be back to proper training. Osu!
sandman
04-26-2010, 11:38 AM
Glad to hear you're back at it Halcyon. And don't worry - when you take enough leg kicks, you'll learn to check them one way or another :D
halcyon
07-07-2010, 10:09 PM
So today I decided, after having sorted my life out, that I needed to get back to training and get my behind back into this awesome forum. I've rekindled my passion for karate and I'm ready to train!
Unfortunately I've been through a lot of challenging times in the last 7 odd months and not been able to really get into Shidokan or Enshin. However, I've learned a lot about myself. I feel like I've grown somewhat and had some important realisations.
I think I've become more at terms with my own mortality and the importance of living my life, and I mean really living it; not just being pushed through it by events. I feel like now is the time to really define/discover who I am, what I want to do and why I'm doing it. I've got to take responsibility and control over my attitude and my life so I'll always be able to get up after falling down. What better way to do this than with the spirit of Karate! OSU!
Main Workout
Hill sprint (takes about 10 secs) - 7 burpees at the top
Walk down
Hill sprint - 5 burpees
Walk down
Hill sprint - 3 burpees
Walk down
Hill sprint - 1 burpee
Walk down
Fartlek/Interval running for 5 minutes
10 burpees
20 sec rest
10 press ups
20 sec rest
10 press ups
20 sec rest
5 burpees
20 sec rest
I really pushed myself here; there was hardly a moment I wasn't trying to catch my breath.
Finisher
Fartlek running back home with 1 final hillsprint!
Cool down
Jog the last 3 minutes home
Light stretching
Walk around for a bit to keep the blood flowing and try to stop sweating
Meditate for 10 minutes
Some juggling to keep my blood flowing (I have to keep bending down and picking up the balls :p)
Shower!
It's been a great first proper training session, I'm glad I've found my spirit again.
OSU!!!
Tomorrow's Plan:
REST
- some light swimming
- 4 sets of back raises
Also, I gotta thank Sandman for writing up that pdf file. Was just the thing I needed to read to remind myself about the joys of training :D
sandman
07-07-2010, 11:21 PM
Glad it helped you halcyon :)
I'm looking forward to reading about you achieving your goals here. Welcome back!! :)
Osu!
Dent
07-07-2010, 11:36 PM
Osu!
I hope you can keep a little of the feeling, Halcyon! And welcome back to training!
Osu!
halcyon
07-08-2010, 04:55 PM
Osu!
Thanks Dent and Sandman for the encouragement.
Today's workout:
a few laps underwater in the pool
4 sets of simple back raises:
- 20 reps
- 15 reps
- 18 reps
- 25 reps
That was all, just an easy rest day. I'm really sore from yesterday already, I love it :D This is the best kind of pain! My abs are hit the worst, they've always been my weak point. Don't get me wrong, they're rock solid and can easily take a beating, I just really suck at any ab exercises.
Tomorrow's Plan:
Morning:
4 sets of press-ups
Afternoon:
Laps in the pool
Evening:
Depending on how my body feels; either some hill-sprints/fartlek training again or some weight training.
halcyon
07-10-2010, 10:16 PM
Osu! I'm staying motivated, but my main aim is to be determined and persevere until exercising 'daily' just becomes a habit.
Today's Workout:
Warm up:
3 min run
Main Workout:
10 sec Hill sprint
7 burpees
20 sec rest
10 sec Hill sprint
5 burpees
20 sec rest
10 sec Hill sprint
3 burpees
20 sec rest
10 sec Hill sprint
1 burpee
20 sec rest
5 min fartlek
rest
10 burpees
3 x 10 press ups
6 x 75m sprints with rest in beteen
3 x 10 press ups
Finisher:
5 min fartlek
1 final hill sprint
Cool down:
5 min jog back home
static stretching
LOTS of water (with a pinch of salt)
10 min Meditation and breath control
LOTS more water
SHOWER
LOTS more water
some more stretching
Phew! Another intense workout, must've took me 25 odd minutes to exercise and even longer to stop sweating and recuperate.
Couldn't exercise yesterday due to family obligations, but today is just as good. I'm not in a rush anywhere nor am I on a tight schedule or plan. I enjoy working out and I'm just looking to integrate it comfortably into my life rather than try and force it.
Tomorrow is a rest day again. I'll do some sit ups and some back raises to get my core strength up again.
sandman
07-11-2010, 01:06 PM
Osu!
I can see why you needed a lot of water - sounds like a heckuva workout! Nice job :)
Osu!
halcyon
07-12-2010, 08:06 PM
Osu!
I can see why you needed a lot of water - sounds like a heckuva workout! Nice job :)
Osu!
Osu! :D It's always good hearing something like that from someone of your
standards.
Well today's training sucked :mad:. I had planned to do something similar to the last session. Unfortunately my dinner wasn't quite digested yet and the stitch it gave me in my side kept me from completing the session.
Pleh, well, whatever, I managed to do a jog as a warm up, 4 hill sprints with burpees and a walk back home. Got me sweating at least (well it's 29 degrees outside, after sunset that is, so I guess it isn't so difficult).
Well, a workout is a workout, even if it's short and sucky. Suboptimal, but better than nothing. I also learned to have dinner at least an hour and a half before working out, and to have small portions.
Osu!
sandman
07-12-2010, 11:32 PM
Well, a workout is a workout, even if it's short and sucky. Suboptimal, but better than nothing. I also learned to have dinner at least an hour and a half before working out, and to have small portions.
Osu!
At least you learned something from it - it'll all work out fine in the long run :)
halcyon
07-17-2010, 11:08 PM
Osu! Indeed Sandman. I'm thinking I'll start training in the morning, which would solve that problem entirely.
Yesterday - 16/07/2010
5 min warm up
5 min Fartlek run
10 min of a random mix of sprint runs/burpees/pull ups/press ups
10 min Fartlek run
5 min cool down
Osu!
I'm gonna have to seriously incorporate some skills training into my routine since I feel like I'm starting to seriously fall behind. Think I'll start doing that in the morning, just need to figure out how and where :confused:
FredInChina
07-18-2010, 12:02 AM
Seems like a great use of 35 minutes Halcyon :)
Osu!
halcyon
07-23-2010, 08:55 PM
Osu!
It'll have been a week tomorrow that I haven't had any proper exercise. I blame social obligations, but above all laziness for this. I have been doing some low intensity core workouts randomly throughout the week. Mostly working on my abs, since that's always been my weak spot.
However, some good news for the future is that I might actually be getting a dedicated private training spot in the garden sometime during the summer :D Me and my dad are planning on building it ourselves. It won't be anything fancy and it'll double as a carport when I'm not around, but it'll be plenty spacious and protected from the weather. It'll probably be attached to the house, so I have a wall for hanging up a mirror/training equipment etc. Definitely looking forward to this! I think it'll make a big impact on my training. Especially since skill training is so vital to me atm, but I don't have the space or privacy for it.
FredInChina
07-24-2010, 06:19 AM
Good for you Halcyon, a private training place is such a luxury...
Thank your Dad & enjoy the training :)
Osu!
halcyon
07-24-2010, 09:26 AM
Good for you Halcyon, a private training place is such a luxury...
Thank your Dad & enjoy the training :)
Osu!
Osu! I certainly will. However, it's still in pre-planning stages and it'll be a while before we can get started with it since there's a lot of work around the house that needs to be done first.
halcyon
07-24-2010, 04:52 PM
GOALS
I've learned a fair bit about myself in the last 6 odd months and figured it's time I sit down and write up what my goals are. Things have changed and my new goals will be more realistic and more in tune with my environment. I'm starting off slow and small, but as I improve and achieve small milestones I'll add new, more challenging goals.
MAIN GOAL
Become a Yudansha in a Kyokushin related style.
This is a long term goal and has many layers to it. Now this is a personal goal, I don't need to be recognized by the outside world to have achieved it for myself. What I mean by becoming a yudansha is that I want to achieve the spirit, skill and fitness of a yudansha. Not necessarily achieve 1st dan. Naturally, that would probably be the way I'll test myself, but it may or may not be sufficient for me to have achieved my goal.
Immediate steps to move towards my main goal
Nutrition
- Stop drinking coke (and other sugary drinks). Drink water instead.
- Eat more frequently and have less for dinner.
Fitness
- Start exercising at least 3 times per week
- Build up CV before anything else
Skill
- Practise some basic kihon in my room daily
Other
- Meditate in seiza before bed daily
I'll add to this list as soon as I've incorporated these steps into my daily routine of things. If I've learned anything it's that trying to do too much, too soon certainly doesn't work. I find that breaking habits and building new ones is one of the most difficult things to do.
Osu!
FredInChina
07-25-2010, 02:53 AM
(...)
Fitness
- Start exercising at least 3 times per week
- Build up CV before anything else
Great focused goals Halcyon.
Starting with VV is great, it will help build your work capacity, prepare your blood vessels (size & elasticity), etc... :)
You could easily add some flexibility and some joint prehab like some wrist exercises (that you can do in your room too... :D)
Osu!
sandman
07-25-2010, 03:56 PM
Very nice Halcyon - your goals are realistic and measurable. You are on your way, now gitter done! :)
halcyon
07-25-2010, 08:03 PM
Great focused goals Halcyon.
Starting with VV is great, it will help build your work capacity, prepare your blood vessels (size & elasticity), etc... :)
You could easily add some flexibility and some joint prehab like some wrist exercises (that you can do in your room too... :D)
Osu!
Osu! Thanks for the tips Fred. I'm definitely working on that too.
Very nice Halcyon - your goals are realistic and measurable. You are on your way, now gitter done! :)
Osu!
Just got back from my first workout in a week. Not the most successful or demanding, but definitely a reasonably intense session.
~7 min
warm up jog
~10min
Several sets of 30m sprint runs with intervals of rest.
Repeated this exercise until speed dropped to 70%
Caught my breath
7 burpees
- repeated above 3 times
~7 min
Cool down jog
~10 min
Session of static stretching my legs
Goals Achieved:
- Haven't had any coke today! Gave me a headache though, guess that's what the withdrawal symptoms from caffeine are (used to average 2-3 cans of coke per day)
- Had several smaller meals and reduced my portion for dinner
- Did a reasonable CV session (1/3 for this week)
- Did a few good sets of ab work during the day
Goals to be achieved later tonight:
- I'll practise moving in Sanchin dachi and some basic punches later on in the night
- I'll meditate once I've had my shower
Osu! Stretching session was good, definitely think I'll incorporate a daily session of stretching during the day when it's too hot to do anything intense.
MJH
09-15-2010, 08:01 PM
Osu
Am looking forward to seeing a strong determined fighter when you get back to York mate!!
Keep it up
Matt:)
halcyon
09-15-2010, 10:56 PM
Osu
Am looking forward to seeing a strong determined fighter when you get back to York mate!!
Keep it up
Matt:)
Osu Matt!
Unfortunately I've gotten a pretty bad 'knee' injury that's put me off training for 2 months now and several more weeks to go. It's now been the first week that I can walk without pain, so I hope that by the time I get to York I can start training properly again. I don't want this to be something that'll haunt me for the rest of my life though, so if it plays up, I'm gonna have to take it easy.
It's no excuse to be out of shape though, I'll be ready to go when I get back.
I'll send you an e-mail when I get back to York.
Osu!
Patrick
MJH
09-16-2010, 08:06 AM
Osu
Sorry to hear that mate!
Look after your joints you will need them long after your Karate
career is over!
I have seen so many good people over train on injuries and carry them for a long time. Push your body when it is fit and learn to feel when it's time to rest!