This week I’m doing nothing. I need a break. I go in the AM to keep the habit, but I’m pooped. I’ll figure out what the new plan is after I give myself the chance to miss lifting.
Did some deads after hula hoop today.
200lbs for 2 reps! Woo hoo
Currently sitting in Kansas! In town for a wedding, if you’ve never been to an Indian wedding you’re missing out in a three day extravaganza. This ones a bit odd, the groom is Indian and the bride is white. Which isn’t that odd, but the grooms dad is not happy about it and so he’s ignoring her existence. A very werid thing at a wedding when the bride is supposed to be the center of a attention.
Anyway, I’ve done very little the past two weeks. I don’t know how you guys that travel a lot have the energy to find a place to workout and actually take the time to go regardless of being in a new uncomfortable place. Serious props. While I’ve done very little, I did go to a BJJ seminar last week. It was fucking awesome. I was a bit nervous since I haven’t been on the mats for so long, but it all came back. The only issue is that I’m no longer used to being beat up. I’m still really bruised. Which is a bit of an issue seeing as the new trend in saris is sheer, but whatever. No one actually asks you what’s going on when you’ve got a lot of bruises. I also think an arm bar pinched a nerve a bit because I’m having trouble feeling my fingers. Its all shit that’ll go away though, what will stay was the awesomeness we learned.
We did a lot of detail work on passes, but he mostly talked about how after blue belt you pretty much know all the moves, so the game is won and lost in the transitions. So went spent time putting moves together and practicing the little things that made the transitions between them smoother. While practicing them he emphasized cadence while practicing. You shouldnt do what you know fast then go slow on what you’re learning, but do everything slow so that it all speeds up together and flows better. There was a lot of talk about the philosophy behind the moves rather than the moves themselves, which was great for me since what will stick while I don’t roll is the concepts not the details.
We did learn a soul crushing back take though. If you have his back, and he starts to kick off one of your hooks, you push his hand down, assuming you’ve got an over under, pull his shoulder back and then take the hook from under him. This leaves him face down, with his arms pinned and hips elevated while you’re on his back. He literally can’t move at all. Fucking awesome.
I’m home tuesday. I think I’ll do the bodyweight program with DLs for a bit until I can knock out the simple bodyweight stuff. Sucking at push ups is unacceptable, I think it’s time to fix that.
soul crushing move sounds like fun! 
[quote]nlmain wrote:
soul crushing move sounds like fun! ;)[/quote]
Oh, it is!
Also just in case it isn’t obvious, for all my soul crushing aspirations, I’m on the receiving end a lot too. Most of the time I’m the crushee not the crusher. I prefer to focus on the latter though.
So, I made it back to the part of the gym with heavy stuff last night. After hula hooping that is. Hula hooping is actually going pretty well. I’m actually catching onto moves. I can now hoop on more than just my waist, and yesterday we learned to switch the direction of the spin without stopping. It’s stuff that seems simple until you try it. It’s a nice hour every week to just play. It’s pretty impossible to not giggle while hooping.
So, I went back in the weight room, but I didn’t actually pick up any weights. I just got a feel for where I am with body weight movements. What’s below poor? That’s where I’m at.
I started with single leg movements. My brain couldn’t even figure out what to do on just one leg. I even tried with holding onto the wall, and it was a lot of standing there holding the wall. Have you guys ever had that happen? You know what you want to do, you just can’t seem to make your body do it? It’s a super weird feeling. Anyway, after a bit of that I down graded all the way to the move mentioned in the BW article I linked to before. It’s basically knelling then standing up by moving your leg in a straight path rather than swinging it around. 25 with each leg has my hips oddly sore today. I also had to think about moving my leg for each one. I’ll be playing with this baby step for a while.
Then push-ups, I can knock out like 2 awesome pushups and then my form goes to hell. I took my time and eventually got 25 in. I interspersed them with my fat kid rows, but did get them done. I think I’ll just try to knock out 25 push ups until I don’t have to space them so far apart.
Pull ups, back to the zone below poor. I can’t do one, so I just did 25 inverted rows/fat man pull ups. I asked for a bit of advice though, and got some good suggestions for better compromises so I’ll try those out tomorrow and see how it goes.
So my focus this semester is going to be single leg stuffs, push-ups and pull-ups. I’ll probably put a plan together tomorrow night that’s more specific and then it’ll just be a matter of doing it. It was a day of finding out where I am, so I can figure out where to go.
I’m with you on the push ups/pull ups!
I don’t think you can go wrong with BW stuff. Good luck with your new program. Maybe add in some jumps too?
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
I’m with you on the push ups/pull ups![/quote]
Humbling isn’t it?
Though some guy last night asked me why I was trying to do pull ups since not many women try to. I told him that’s exactly why I want to.
You got bands right?
[quote]nlmain wrote:
You got bands right?[/quote]
Bought, but they haven’t made thier way to me yet. I’ve been doing this:
“Do you have access to a Smith Machine or bar you can reach without jumping? Usually you can stand in it and reach the top bar and still touch with your feet (or maybe need a stand). Grab and use just enough drive to get you up and hold your self in the ‘pulled up’ position. Let yourself down slowly. Wait a few second (30 to a minute). Do it again. And again. And again… until you can’t control yourself down. Next training session, do it again, but stop yourself quarter way down and try to pull yourself up (1/4 pullup)… next time… 1/2 … next time … 3/4 — you get what I’m saying.”
Per Steely’s recommendation so far. It’s actually worked pretty well. I just haven’t been logging much due to time, and the not so excitingness of BW stuffs.
BW stuff is still better then no stuff!
Keep at it Patches, you’ll see improvement.
I haven’t been logging much. I’ve had to do a lot of writing for work lately, so coming home and writing has not held any appeal.
I have been doing stuffs. I realized that while I may start the day with the best of intentions to go to the gym after coming home and unwinding a bit, once I unwind I lose momentum. It works fine during the summer, but when life is in full swing, I’ve gotta keep the momentum. So, this week I’ve gone to the gym right after class on M&W. Hitting the gym at 5 with the crowd sucks but not going is worse. On the plus side, the eye candy, omnomnom.
Ok now for the stuffs!
M: AM Incline walking then stretching/ LX ball - I like to unwind and prep for the week on Monday mornings, but I think I’m going to start adding in one lift. Probably squats because it’s the only day I have a proper warm up time.
PM - BW routine
Legs - I’ve been doing the knelling to stand thing, and while I don’t get sore anymore, I still really have to think about how to move my leg. It’s really weird, I am fully capable of doing it, but just really have to concentrate on it. It’s been like learning a new BJJ move that doesn’t come naturally. So, I’ll keep doing reps until it’s smooth. Since it’s not too taxing, I think it’ll fit well with the AM squatting.
Push ups - Cranking out 25 has been killing my shoulders. I read the form articles so I think I’m just weak not actually doing something wrong. I decided to do them at an incline on the smith machine so then I can actually do them again later in the week. While it’s super embarrassing to have to do a modified version of push ups, they are slowly getting better. Oh, well that’s why I’m doing them.
Pull ups - I love the band! It’s my first week with it, so I’m still trying to figure stuff out. The pullup bar is high enough that I have to stand on a stool to then reach the band. Let’s just say I’m not impressing anyone with my grace and coolness. I aimed for 25 and just went with 5x5. I should probably go for 3 sets of AMRAP but I’m still getting used to the band.
T: AM spin. I’ve become a regular so now the instructor listens to my requests on occasion. Long standing climbs!
I use a riser to reach the pullup station and set up properly.
Glad you like the bands
[quote]nlmain wrote:
I use a riser to reach the pullup station and set up properly.
Glad you like the bands[/quote]
Not a bad idea, super set it with step ups, I’ve been thinking of adding those in anyway.
I almost bought these the other day, the shoe version of your dress.
W - It’s turned into my catch all day since I only teach one class and rarely schedule mtgs on wends.
AM: I’m thinking I may throw in a pre-yoga lift. I’m thinking probably some sort of pushpress/MP to counteract all the pull up attempts.
Yoga - I can really feel the improvement in my balance, maybe grace is in my future.
PM: Hula Hooping - I’m really enjoying this and actually slowly becoming able to do tricks. It really is a core workout too. I can always feel my midsection afterwards. I use it as the warm up to BW stuffs which were the same as monday.
Th - AM Spin
Friday - AM Bootcamp I’m fit enough that it’s not painful anymore, woo! If I have over the weekend travel plans I’m going to put DLs here, if not in the PM. Today no plans so we’ll see how things unfold. I’d like to do some soft tissue stuff, since I’m sore as fuck and then probably DL.
those shoes are FAB!
I’d totally wear those with jeans or a little black dress.