ok, so, I’ll board this bandwagon of bloggage, maybe it will help.
if, that is, the mods leave all these personal blogs up..
anyway, my new routine is going to try and look like this:
Sunday
Rest, maybe forms or giving private lessons
Monday
Cardio, 30 min, interval format, stairclimber or light plyometric
Formwork
Teaching
Tuesday
Formwork
Teaching
Wednesday
Workout #1
Teaching
Thursday
Formwork
Teaching
Friday
Cardio, as Monday
Sparring
Saturday
Workout #1
We’ll see how it goes.
This past week
except for cardio and sparring, it was as above.
moving sparring from thursday to friday to give one more day to curriculum and we are really just working on getting ready for my school’s open house on the 5th so that may not kick back in till after then.
actually, I did do about 15 minutes of interval training thursday but wasn’t really enough time or intensity to count.
Wednesday’s strength/endurance training was the first complete workout in 10 days due to some sort of pull in an adductor/abductor (?the strain went diagonally from my right hip to my groin?). When it went I immediately stopped and didn’t do anything lower body for 10 days.
anyway, the time off set me back for sure.
lack of strict intake of protein and poor sleep left me sore today and while I felt ok and strong, it didn’t show in the workout.
So, a good rest day is in store for tomorrow and I’ll hit cardio early monday.
Is workout #1 the train for strength workout #1? I did it 3 times a week for a month once and it got kinda boring. I’m one of those people who needs more variety. Looks like you’re doing a lot of form work. I bet they look great. When do you work on application? In class? Anyway, welcome to the training journal bandwagon. 
Hey Oso, what happened to the new grizzly avatar? I was sorta partial to that one.
yep, that’s the one.
I like it, but that’s just me.
My goal is to get to where I can do it w/ no failures on a regular basis. The toss in some of his other routines for variety. The sandbag one is next on my list just cuz it sounds like you’d be cussing someone about half way through it.
LOL at my forms looking good…I’m one of those people who has to do forms a lot just so they look presentable. Once I get the gist of the application of the form and understand the underlying principles, I don’t worry too much about maintaining comp level looks in a set…butttt, I do kung fu so they need to stay at least decent.
I am an application guy, so we do those a lot in class. I’m not in a good training space right now because I don’t have any senior enough students to really train application too lively. I’ve given up trying to find people in this town of other disciplines who want to play. Another 6 months or so and my 17 year old who’s pretty sharp will be an adult and able to decide for himself how hard he wants to play…and i’m hoping he’s game for really learning how to fight.
SJ, actually, that was an older one I had before the walking bear that I reinstated temporarily because of some other thread.
lol, I have a file w/ perhaps a couple dozen bear avatars.
but, I’m personally partial to the walking bear.
never liked the super fierce way bears are usually portrayed. it took me 5 years to find the art for my tatoo and another 3 years before I found the artist I trusted to replicate it on me.
I’d be happy to email you the other one, I think I still have the somewhat larger original as well.
I have to work really hard to maintain my forms too. I wouldn’t say that any of mine are at competition level. My stances aren’t low enough. Maybe one day.
I really like application too. I really enjoy sparring. I learn so much every time. I know what you’re saying about not having enough people to work with. My school is just getting to a point where we have a handfull of senior students that can all work with one another. It’s pretty cool.
Oso
Bottom line, you train hard. And you do understand the two-person material to our Mantis Style. You are geared for the true fighting aspects. I`m lucky to have senior students to help me with the two-person material. God knows I need it!
finally got pics of the chin up bar and dip bars I built at the school
first the wall
and the closeup
Looks good. Hope they’re strong enough to support the bear in your avatar ;). You could’ve added some diagonal trusses to support the weight a bit more but that might’ve required some welding.
they will.
I’ll get someone to snap me while I’m on em.
I had figured out a way to add some trusses by just adding a T and a couple of 45’s back down to a second plate but went ahead w/ the simplest approach first with a size of pipe I thought would handle the load.
ok, so they are flexing a bit…as is obvious by this pic, I need to lose about 20 (at least)
so, comments on form?
that’s as close as I can get…tonight I could feel some upward movement still even after stalling out. I can usually get two in a row at that height…should I start adding some weight or just keep with the negatives?
Had to really talk myself into some cardio tonight. I had planned on 30 minutes of interval training doing light plyometrics in 1 minute work/rest intervals but was dreading it so I compromised and did 45 second intervals for a total of 22 1/2 minutes. I’ll try for the 30 on friday.
Originally posted by Oso
ok, so they are flexing a bit
That’s OK as long as it doesn’t rip out of the wall (which was my concern).
Originally posted by Oso
so, comments on form?
Looks fine. Same as what I imagine I look like. One thing - try to keep your shoulders down. Lol @ reaching with your chin - I do the same thing on hard reps trying to get the chin over the bar.
Originally posted by Oso
should I start adding some weight or just keep with the negatives?
I’d do both. Add weight and do some partials with it, then jump up and do negatives with the weight still hanging off (or add more weight). The bonus of the weight is that it feels so much easier when you remove the weight. At the start of a new PTP cycle for me, when the weight goes down again, it’s 100x easier than the end of the cycle.
One more tip - try some just wearing shorts. No shoes, no shirt. Even that little bit of weight might make a difference. I find with pullups that very small amounts of weight can have a big effect.
oh, it’s not coming out of the wall. The 2x12 is anchored w/ 9 5/16 x 5 1/2 lags. 3 each into 3 different wall studs. The plates that the pipe is screwed in to is anchored with 5/16 x 2" lags into the board. I think the pipes themselves will fail before the lags do.
thanks for the tips.
Tonight wasn’t a workout night so I was dressed for class. Usually it’s compression shorts under running shorts.
oh, you don’t want to see me w/o a shirt…that would be bad, very bad.
Originally posted by Oso
oh, you don’t want to see me w/o a shirt…that would be bad, very bad.
well, you know the rule “It didn’t happen if you don’t have video or at least a pic” If I managed ‘1’ buck nekkid, I’d have to post a pic of it.
I wonder if I’d get banned for that 
Originally posted by Oso
[B]well, you know the rule “It didn’t happen if you don’t have video or at least a pic” If I managed ‘1’ buck nekkid, I’d have to post a pic of it.
I wonder if I’d get banned for that [/B]
I would think.
but, let’s not find out :eek: :eek: 
One comment on your form, aside from the shoulders which I believe Toby pointed out - it kinda looked like your elbows were flaring out a bit. I like to have them going down, so I have the idea of my forearms going to brush my ribs.
Good work, BTW.
Originally posted by Toby
try some just wearing shorts
Shorts. Not nekkid. Shorts. Shudder
Agree with Vash re the elbows. Some things I’ve read say to visualise pulling your elbows straight down instead of pulling yourself up.
maybe try some assisted pullups to get more reps.
A way to do assisted pullups is to get some stretch bands and tie each end to the bar. Pull yourself up and put your knees inside the stretch bands. Lower yourself down as the bands stretch and pull yourself up as the band assists. You can make the band shorter or longer for different amounts of assistance. You may also be able to use bicycle inner tubes.
Just a thought to get more reps in. The theory is if you can get more reps, your muscles will remember the motion and you’ll be able to do more un-assisted.
Nice handy work by the way. I’ve got an interesting pullup bar that I made in my garage. I’ll take a pic and post.