I’m starting with intuitive. Just tracking protein. Protein shake for breakfast, then again mid-morning. Meat only for lunch, and a real meal for dinner.
Last night, I went by a different grocery store and found an area where they have daily packaged meats. They have 6oz sliced of chicken breast. It’s right where I drop my kids off, so can grab that each morning for lunch. Dinner options are usually pretty good. Once I solved my ice cream issues, my biggest weakness is the 10a-1p window. Lotta bad decisions in there, especially traveling.
What ails you here? Is this a no-gi to gi thing or an overall challenge?
Sorry to hear about not feeling the new gym. Hopefully things will click in to gear in short order–maybe as some of the other things you are working on start to work out.
I’m probably being hard on myself. However, I would say my guard and retention is better than blue belt level. I can maneuver and sweep higher belts with ease and survive against blackbelts for a good 60 seconds before they find the holes and get past. For passing, I can pass a white and most blue belts. Beyond that, and I just feel stupid. It’s not a natural thing for me, for two reasons:
I really struggle with passing smaller people’s guards. They can sneak their legs in tight spots, which my larger size creates.
I prefer to pass from half guard. With a gi, my hands get caught and they make grips that I have to deal with, and I get swept or waste tons of time to get back to an offensive position. I need to get better at outside passing, particularly when in a gi. The two black belts I went against on monday, I got close to enter half, they grabbed my sleeves, I stood up and tried to use my legs to break their grip. They would technical stand up and sweep me. This is likely due to me taking a no-gi approach to passing, where you can just sit into their half without much worry. I do quite a bit of J-Point passing which I have success with, but gi seems to be the big change for man they can now grip me in ways that makes difficult to finish pass.
My game has really been a play guard and either 1. get the sweep (butterfly, sumo geishi, scissors sweep, etc.), 2. submit from bottom (loop, canto, baratoplata, choi, leg entry, etc.) 3. arm drag to back take.
Throughout my white belt and blue belt days, I always started from guard because I was bigger. On rare occasion, someone would weigh more than me and I’d start passing, but I can pass a big slow persons guard with relative ease. It’s the 170-210lb folks who are quick and strong.
Ideally, I just need to practice it more and really focus on it. My current gym has a bunch of now purple belts (all those blue belts I mentioned earlier just got promoted last week) that are young former wrestlers. I should probably make a deal they work on guard, while I work on passing.
Thanks man. I know we have talked about this before. It’s a huge hit to motivation. I love the sport, so I still go.. but leaving after not saying more than a few sentences just feels weird.
I forgot to mention, I started a new form of cardio on Sunday. I did 6 minutes of step ups on my bench. Ending each rep with a high knee raise. I like it, because it’s a form of cardio that is easy on hips/back, lasts as long as a bjj round and helps with mobility. Gets the heart going well too. I can scale this up too, with weight vests and/or dumb bells.
Tuesday
I didn’t sleep well the night before. Wife woke me up around 1a, to let me know she was anxious. Talked to her for a bit, then she fell asleep and I laid awake until 515a when alarm was to go off. I went to bed at 8 and slept through the night. No workout.
Wednesdsay
I did six minutes of step ups again. Will try to hit chest later today.
The most interrupted workout of my life. Kept getting phone calls. likely due to me working from home and trying to workout midday
Today, Thursday, is likely to be one of the harder days of my working life. I sleep in my kids room, long story, but they have trauma and need me nearby to sleep. At 1230, the lights turned on and toilet slammed. I woke up and laid in bed until 3ish (according to my smart ring) when I fell back asleep. At 345, my wife texted me. I know because my phone is on DnD and if it vibrates, then it’s her. I ignored it. At 358, she walked in the room and woke me up saying ‘don’t you have to wake up’. My alarm was to go off at 4. I got up, showered and hit the road for a 3.5 hour drive… but it was 4.75 hours due to snow driving over mountains. Arrived 5 minutes late to a meeting. Now, working all day, then have a presentation this evening at 630. I’ll finish it up around 730 and hit the road back home. Likely to arrive by 12-1a. Will wake up at 5a tomorrow to get kids ready for school, drop them off at bus and then drive 3 hours opposite way to another meeting.. again through mountains.
On the truck front, for all those who are invested.. it’s been 8 weeks. The new long block sat at the DC 3 hours from my house for 12 days. It arrived last Friday. On monday, they took the cab off my truck and realize they don’t have the mounting bracket to remove engine. It will be overnighted and they ‘think’ they’ll have my truck done next Monday. Fuck all of this. The second I get it back, I’m driving it off a cliff. Not really. but, I’ll sell it immediately and buy something else. I can’t drive my loaner car for more than 10 minutes without my back aching.
That it is. Today’s one of my kid’s Bday, so really needed to hear here when they woke up. Finished my presentation at 830! Made it home right before 2a, driving through absolute shit conditions. What a time to not drink energy drinks! The thing that really kept me awake was watching my fuel range decrease at a faster rate than the next nearest gas station. Last 10 miles, my range was less than distance to go, so turned 4WD off, slowed down to 45mph and said a prayer to make it. When I hit 2miles to go, I figured I could coast for nearly a mile, then push it.. hahah all while the temp was 12F.
Obviously no workout yesterday. Good news is I didnt’ eat one candy bar, ice cream, chip or shitty choice while driving. Had 4 Core Powers throughout the day and 3 protein bars. I ordered a rice and chicken dish from a food truck, with minimum sauce. Then, worst decision of day was fish n chips for dinner. I didn’t eat more than a few fries tho
I had heard this.. but never wanted to be so close to find out.
Friday
Had friends come spend the weekend with us. I intended to get a workout that night, but fell asleep while putting baby to bed.
Saturday
Belt Squat Row
5x10-12
Straight Arm Pulldowns
4x10
KB Row
4x10/arm
Sunday
OHP
10x135, 4x20x85
My friend couldn’t do 135, so had to drop weight
Cable OHP
5x10
Med Ball Press
3x6x100lb
Carries
100 yard down and up hill with 30lb DB in each hand, holding overhead
100 yard down and up hill with 60lb KB in each hand, farmer carry
Morning weight on Saturday was 230
Pretty weekend of eating. One kids birthday was Friday the other was today. So had a bunch of people over. I did pretty well on eating front. Weight has stayed between 230-232.
One of my absolute favorite re-frames on nutrition came from Mark Bell saying “You’re always one meal away from being back on the Carnivore diet”. Stacking win after win is awesome, but if there is ever a break in the stack, you just gotta get a win on the next try and you’re back to winning.
I love that. Good reminder, actually! Yesterday I stopped by a smokehouse/butcher shop. They had pre-cooked/smoked Turkey, Ham, Salmon and a Ham/Cheddar packages. Each one was roughly a lb for $8-12.
I’ve found the secret to maintaining good diet midday. Especially since it’s 2 miles down road from office.
Sheesh.. one more thing happened yesterday. I ordered a half cow. We will get it at end of February. Was able to get it from a local rancher for $6.25lb boxed weight.
Had a few rounds. Went with a 4 stripe white belt for my first one. He said his shoulders and elbows are messed up so not to joint lock them. Check. I choked him out twice.
Went against solid 23 yo 4 stripe blue belt. We just scrambled for a long time.
Then went against him again. This time he caught me in an arm bar.
I have this issue of getting stuck in double outside ashi, during my escapes or rolling through. Talked to one of black belts about it. He immediately showed me grabbing behind their knee instead of locking my ankles around their leg. Immediately lands me in knee bar. Just that small change that makes a world of difference.
FYI on what I was mentioning above. This is Gary Tonon at Polaris. It was inspiration for me trying to hit this from other positions. It works really well into my offensive and defensive game
In other news, I got my truck back this morning.. drove it the 20ish miles back to office. Then went to lunch and was driving when check engine light came on..
Wednesday
Was up from 1237 until 3a with one kid. Then put 2 year to bed, came back to my bed around 415 and kid who was up earlier was back up with stomach bug. Was unable to get back to sleep before alarm went off at 520.
Had to drive for meetings yesterday 3 hours each way. Then rushed back for my kid’s sporting event.
Was way toooooo tired when I got kids to bed at 9p, and just crashed.
Thursday
Slept all night, but was dragging ass and didn’t get workout
Dropped truck back off at dealer this morning and back into the bullshit loaner I had before. Seat setting unchanged.
