Tracking Santa

It is 1447 and according to NORAD, Santa is delivering stuff in UAE. W Only time will tell. NORAD sponsors the website and it fun.

Speaking of traveling around the world, this is exactly what I did with my kettlebell swings this afternoon. I did several combinations with different size bells. Really freeked out the CNS and it is a great way to work the core. Wow, yesterday's fun snuck up in the middle of todays.

Practice
ZNWU
RIFGA
Jog 1/2 mi. w/ ruck
Swing 16K x 100,
Goblet squat: 32k - 5x5
Clean and Jerk 32k - 5 x 5l,5r no rest
Swings - (I'll call this around the world);
16k 20/20,
24k 20/20
32k 20/20
16k + 24k 10/10,
24k + 32K 10/10
32k x 20
24k x 20
16k x 20
Concentrate on overspeed eccentric movement on last 3 sets. I was flying when I hit the 16k
Jog 1/2 mi w/ruck

Website update

I have updated my website with a fresh look and updated content. I am still working some issues, shooting some video etc. so it is a work in progress. Check it out periodically for updates or subscribe via RSS.

Practice:
10 min NWU
Swing 16k x 50
Swing 24k x 50
TGU 16k 5x5 no rest
rest 5 min.
Here is what we did at tonight's class:
JM
RIFGA
Swing 32k x 50
Snatch 5l rest 5r x 10 ea (100 reps) rest was while the others snatched. I used 24k.
Ab - figure 8, sling shot, figure 8 with stop, Punch matrix
Cooldown:
Stretch

Whew! I'm ready for R&R

This time of year is tough to get anything done at work. It is also tough to train. I have been getting off the couch and managing to squeezing in the workouts errrrr; practice. I must say that practice is the easiest thing to do right now and it is better than nothing. With enough practice strength comes.


ZNWU
Pull up 3 x 10
Swing: 16k x 100, 24k x 100, 32k x 50
Clean and Press 24k 7 x 5
Front squat: 32k 5x5

Yesterday:
ZNWU
Bike: 30 min trainer
Card tearing 4 x 35 cards - ouch time to back er back down.

Saturday:
ZRphase
Pull up 1 x 12
Jerks: 32k - 5 min. (1arm)

Martial Culture

I came to a realization earlier today that my outlook on training has been wrong for the past few years even though I have made fantastic strength and endurance gains. I have been a little skewed in both my actual training approach and the way I’ve trained some clients. I’ve also figured out why I feel repulsed by other service members and people faking the funk in the gym.

I’ve overlooked the aspect of martial culture. Cultures like the Spartans, Zulus and Aztecs were martial cultures. The cultures exclusively existed to produce warriors to defend or acquire new land. Everything about their existence was present in a warrior ethos. Similarly, the Marine Corps physically and mentally transforms citizens into a martial culture.

It may be difficult to understand or embrace and I don’t expect you will. You can read books, watch movies like the 300, train like a warrior and study martial arts and you will not be part of the martial culture. You will not live, eat and breathe it; it will never truly be your way of life.

So, I will train myself slightly differently. I will still have some goals and expectations but not like in the past. In the Marine Corps there is a standard and we adhere to it. No questions. In fact, adhering most often means searching for perfection within the standard. The minimum is unacceptable.

In the RKC system there are new standards for the level I and II certification. As a professional, I am adapting and evolving my training to comply with the party’s instruction. As a Marine, I do the same. The Marine Corps has added the combat fitness test, not a problem, I own it.

As a few clients have found in the past few weeks, I will smile and nod at excuses only a few times and provide some encouragement. Eventually, I can quickly become curt; and treat you like a young Marine. I WILL get your attention, make corrections and move on. I don’t have patients or for clients that don’t do their homework and refuse to hear what I say. Why pay someone to ignore them?

So you can expect great instruction and a great training. I will ensure you get the same TLC that the warriors receive at my day job!

Here is the caveat; I am now only accepting clients that are serious about training and learning.

Practice Today:
ZNWU
-- Taking it easy today. Very tired.


Practice Yesterday:
ZNWU
Clean and Press 16k 5x5
Windmill: 5x5
Clean and Jerk 32K x 5 min.
Wheel roll outs x 5

Card tear: 4 x 30 cards

Combat Fitness?

My question is this -- For a combat athlete (Marine, soldier, sailor, LEO etc.) shouldn't all training be preparation for combat in one form or another?

Just checking! I think so -- absolutely. It can be GPP but it also calls for GPP kicked up a couple notches.

We have designated Monday for combat fitness preparation training. Often, we training specific to our test but, it is good preparation none the less. Today's exercises provided a good assessment of my fitness.

First, I must say that the events provide the feeling in my gut that I thought they would when put together. YUCK. Second, going anaerobic over and over pretty much sucks. Third, I'm pretty fit but I should change my training a little to improve weakness. Specifically, going hard while anaerobic.

Practice:
ZNWU
Bent Press 32k 1x5/5
Pistol: 5 x 1 each leg
Clean and press 24k 5 x 5
Swing - 5x20

20 min rest

Sprint 200m, jog 200m
Press #30 for 2 min. (91 reps) -- I can hit 100 - 110+ easily, I rested and yelled at others.
MANUF practice. (crawling sucks!!!!!)
Run 400m


Saturday:
AM
ZNWU
Swing: 100
Clean and Press - 5x5

Afternoon
JM --ankles, knees, hips shoulders wrists, elbows (Egyptian) neck.
Some other misc. lifting - worked with TSL. on ETK basics.
This was very fun, Thanks for driving down Sir!

On the trainer

I finally hopped on the bike. My plan was to hit a quick session then head out for some kettlebell work, followed by working with some people. Things change and I changed my plan. Instead of short intervals I opted for longer intervals and a longer ride.

I was playing with my HRM while on the bike. I am curious to see where my RPE is compared to the actual work I'm doing. It is a little skewed at the moment. I will make adjustments.

The intervals I chose for the ride are 4 min. on and 4 min. off. I repeated 4 times. HR on rest got down to 120. During the intervals I maintained around 172 but popped up to 179 for a while during the 3rd interval. I was able to sustain this pace for the full time.

The issue is with the calculated MHR, this puts me at or above 90%. That is probably not such a good thing. So I have will change it up a little.


ZNWU slow.
Ride: 10 min warm up.
interval 4 x 4 on/4 off.

Real Recovery

Today was actually a recovery day. Not a light day, or an easy.

Tonight I worked on card tearing again. I broke my 'max' back down less than 50% and started work. 15 cards halved x 2. Then I halved those halves for a total of 6 x 15 cards. I tore both directions. I think this was just the right amount of volume at this time. I can feel some fatigue in the fingers but I also feel as though I have 6 more left in the tank.

RPhase slow.
ZNWU
Card tears (see above)

Recovery Day...Sorta

Fatigue was prevalent throughout the day. I decided to skip my AM ride and take it easy. Suprisingly, I had less of the usuaul muscular pain than I normally have after a run! The pain kept moving from place to place in my body. Eventually, I was teased by mild back pain for a while.

Today's cure: About 45 minutes before PT, I started with the ZNWU, moved on to rifga. I felt fantastic after this combination. I worked some swings and presses then off to an easy day of pt.

Before my Tuesday evening kettlebell class (1830 every Tuesday at my garage let me know if you are interested), I did some kettlebell practice lots of TGU, Bent Press and Swings.

Class tonight was fun. We started with joint mobility, covered basic techniques for swing, clean and press and squat. Then the fun really started.

Class workout:

• Clean, squat press ladders - 4 rung
• 1 arm swing 5,10,15 l/r
• windmill lrlr
• 2 arm swing (bigger kettlebell) - 30,20,15

My practice today:

• ZNWU
• rifga
• clean and press24k: 2,4,6 x 5
• MCMAP (martial arts)
  
• TGU 16k 5x5/5
• Bent Press: 32k 5 x 2/2
• upside down windmill with #5 ball (this is medicine for the shoulders - feels good!)
• Swings - 32k 2 arm - 3x20, 1 arm 2x10/10

Thoughts:

• I'm getting some excellent cross training.
• Maybe I should ride a bike one of these days!?!
• Class was a blast - thanks for coming out guys - don't forget to practice your swings!
• Swings rock.
• Did the fitness test on my new HRM. According to the device, I am in elite condition. Who woulda thunk that? Heck, I'm actually a little deconditioned compared to 3 - 4 weeks ago. This makes me chuckle. I wonder what it tells LA? He's now riding the TDF. He looks freakishly strong and lean for someone that took 3 years away from the sport. (stay tuned for more on the LA workout!)

What did you do today?

What did you do to get rid of some of that Turkey and Pie? Moi? I started off December with a bang.

1. I tore my first phone book today. Nothing special a 1" white pages. This is a start; a few more practice sessions on the technique and I'll be good to go.

2. Z R phase and ZNWU.

3. Run 3 ish miles boots and utes with buddy. We carried 2x30# ammo cans back from the beach (1mi).

I anticipate some pain in a few days at L4/5 but nothing yet. I will take 2...and hit some rifga and RPhase in the morning. I'm contemplating a bike ride in but don't want to over do anything.

Sunday:
Clean and Press 24k 5 x 1234
Pull UP 5x8
Wheel roll out 3 x 5
Card Tearing test day: 1 x 15, 1 x 20, 1x 25, 1x30, 1x35 cards. I think I can do more but no need to hit failure. I will back down about 50% from the 35 cards and do some volume adding 5 cards per session. Probably do 2 sessions per week. Will back off periodically.