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Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Training and Health
41

kinda missed a workout sunday.
i mean, i completed all the workouts on the bbb schedule, even repeating one.
i was just considering repeating a second one to be able to write off the week i went on vacation; unfortunately i was a little bit too banged up.
barely got out of bed all day- once I got home.

Definitely need to start thinking about dropping some money on some more supplements, now that the supply’s running low, 'coz I’m feeling a lot more sore.

japanese class tonight.

start abbh on tuesday

42

Porkchop - got to admit, asides from having been here forver I was wondering what your Muay Thai background had to do with Hung Gar…

But since the cat’s out of the bag… do Let us know what you’re getting out of the training with Illusionfist, will ya? (either here or elsewhere). :smiley:

43

ancient chinese secrets :stuck_out_tongue:

i am doing my best to work on what he’s given me
and i run through it a lot more than will appear in this journal
but i really wish i had more time to devote to it
because i know if i don’t devote more time to it i’m not going to get anywhere with it

44

[QUOTE=Pork Chop;793852]ancient chinese secrets :stuck_out_tongue:
but i really wish i had more time to devote to it
because i know if i don’t devote more time to it i’m not going to get anywhere with it[/QUOTE]

LOL - that’s how i feel everytime I drag my sorry-ass to train, and all i do is hung ga.

Neway your training blog’s an inspiration. Keep it up.

45

thanx :slight_smile:

went ahead and invested a couple hundred bucks to replenish my stores of the supplements I liked from the free-sample buffet. they’ve make a huge difference thus far and I know they’ll keep me in the game a while.

Currently looking at my next program. Fewer exercises, but more total reps per exercise. Going to be interesting. Might get a head start on it tonight after Japanese class. At least it’s an every-other day program. Lifting consecutive days is pretty grueling for me.

46

pulled something in my knee yesterday
didn’t make it to work out

today i went to muay thai.
did pad class and sparring (for the first time in months and the second time in over a year).
turns out i’m a j3rk

new guy started playing rough.
i was trying to play tag with him but he kept hitting harder and harder
just had this feeling he was getting angry
i’d catch a kick, tap his bottom leg, set his leg down and get popped in mouth.
i’d pull big, clean shots, stopping just short or barely skimming and he’d jump on me swingin.
eventually i just stopped pulling.
hit him nice in the ribs.
tried to go back to playing nice and he tried bum rushing me in the middle of a kick.
guess I flinched or something and sped the kick up, coz it caught him in the head and dropped him.

few rounds earlier i was playing with this real good guy and side kick bounced off his gloves, shot straight up, and caught him in the mouth.

few rounds afterwards i was playing with another guy, was trying to let him get his licks in too. threw a simple punch-switch kick combo and he dipped right into it while throwing an opposite side punch. flinched as he threw and caught him kinda bad as he dipped/leaned. I did try to pull it and not penetrate with the force- something i’m not sure i tried on new guy. still had to take a few seconds to let him recover.

i definitely need to learn some control.
It is kinda weird though after being the guy with no stopping power for so long.

At the moment I’m trying to recover so I can go do my first ABBH workout.

47

Finally went to the gym at like 12:30
Super late so all i did was lift

Workout
10 sets of 3 reps
80% weight
60s rest between sets

BBell Bench
185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185
think it was the 6th or 7th set, i didn’t go down all the way, but by the end i was doin it right; just worried about my shoulder which kept feeling funny.
was spotting for another dude for a couple sets somewhere in the 2nd half of the exercise as well so it mighta messed up the rest time- o well.
Pretty easy overall, could probably go to 190 or 195.
Hope my shoulder stops acting funny.

BBell Row
135, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185
Took me a little while to get the right form down.
Noticed underhanded grip seemed to make the exercise feel a bit more “correct”.
Overall pretty easy with this weight.

So that was it, the whole workout.
Felt short as heck.
Bet it’ll be harder once i can start doin some more weight.

48

muay thai and wrestling last night.
most of wrestling was observing & taking notes, did get in some practice dummy time though.

49

Thursday
rested
was just too banged up and burnt out to lift

Friday
Lifted then went to a house party after work

Workout
5 sets of 10 reps
60s rest in between sets
60% 1RM

BBell Front Squat
135, 135, 135, 115, 115
Exhausting… so out of breath by the 3rd set

Reverse Crunch
8lb med ball, 8, 8
Was tryin to make up time coz i had to be somewhere, plus i wanted to make it harder. The sets actually went 25 - 15 - 10 and was hurtin by the end.

Standing Calf Raise
195, 195, 195, 195, 195
Not too bad. I don’t know if my form was all that great- dunno if i went full rom. Still pretty decent.

House party was pretty low key but fun.

Saturday
"Iron-man"ed it today.
From 12 to 1 did a boxing workout through the muay thai gym.
The conditioning circuit at the end was he|| before doin 100 bodyweight squats.

Picked up a sandwich on the way home, grabbed a shower, and it was back out on the road.
2hour 45min Eisa practice in killer heat.

Felt okay so I went to lift after that.
Workout
5 sets of 10 reps
60% 1RM
60s rest

Dips
5plate assist, 6 plate assist, 6plate assist, 7/8 plates, 8 plate assist
went widegrip, close, wide, close, wide
was just getting exhausted. the 10 reps is no joke.

Pullups
7plate assist, 8/9 plate assist, 12 plate assist, 16plates, 16plates
Kept failing on every set just from the rep range.
RIDICULOUSLY exhausted.
Went neutral grip on every set except for the last which was reverse grip.
just died by the end of this.
To my defense, the plates are 6 pound plates and 18plates assist is exactly 100lbs. So as bad as the assist got, it wasn’t all that much.

Gonna grab a shower in a few, drink another protein shake, and head out to hang with my friends.

50

Well I just got laid off today.
I got 60 days to find new employment.
Actually kinda thrilled about it.
They wouldn’t give me work to do and treated me like they didn’t want me there, but then turned around and said I was some kinda slacker.
Good riddance

Going to be on the job hunt for a little while.
Hoping to go back to san antonio or austin
If I can’t find anything, I may go back to Japan via JET long enough to make some connections and get another job.

I’ve really been waiting for a change to come; haven’t really liked this job since i started and I’m excited to see where my life goes from here.
Of course, I know I could end up broke & massively in debt, but I’d rather think positive. :slight_smile:

BTW, Sunday was one of the biggest rest days ever. I think i was awake for 7 hours total- 4 hours the first time, 3 the second. At least I’ve had some energy today.

If I can, gonna go work out tonight after Japanese; though I may be on the phone all night. hehe

51

Just got back from the gym.
Been kinda out to lunch the last 2 days.
Little hard finding motivation again.

Workout
3 reps, 10 sets
60s rest
80% 1RM goal weight
deadlift day so i was following my better judgment and not doing cardio today.

BBell Deadlift
225, 275, 295, 295, 315, 315, 315, 315 315, 295
My normal deadlift is somewhere between a romanian and a stiff legged. Set 6 tried to do more of a standard deadlift till it started banging on my shins. Tried sumo on set #8. Grabbed the bar on the slick part and couldn’t get a good grip, second rep i went wider- but too wide so form fell apart. Hands were hurting so left it at that for that set. Did an extra rep at the end.

Seated Calf Raise
160, 160, 170, 170, 170, 170, 170, 160, 160, 160
170 felt a lil too heavy, 160 slightly too light.
On some of the 170 reps, pad got sweaty, knee started to slip, so just left it at 160 so i didn’t lose it.

Weighted crunch
120, 120, 120, 120, 120, 120, 120, 120
real easy. gettin it started on the first rep was a little weird, but probly should find another exercise maybe.

Like i said, don’t like doing cardio on deadlift day coz my back will cramp up real bad.
Since sunday i’ve had a weird headache on left side of my head, in the middle.
Been worried I’m getting sick.
Weird mood.
Still kinda numb.
Lots to do before me.
Going to be a tough 2 or 3 months till i get relocated & settled.
Need to start working on my resume.
Probably have to scale back the workouts a bit.

52

[QUOTE=Pork Chop;797042]… Like i said, don’t like doing cardio on deadlift day coz my back will cramp up real bad…[/QUOTE]

Not that my workouts are anywhere near as intense as yours, but for a while I had a problem with back cramps and spasms under similar circumstances. A trainer I very much respected suggested the following back release to help stop the spasms as they were happening and also to work on reducing the frequency and severity of future attacks. Just a series of yoga poses done kind of slow but as fluidly as possible:

child’s pose > cobra > upward facing dog > downward facing dog > downward facing cat > upward facing cat > back to child’s pose.

Looks about like what some TCMA schools would call a reverse cat’s arch push-up, except the focus is not on anything but elongating and stretching the core, back, and shoulders.

53

Think we called them Tiger tail pushups.
Never thought to give them a try after lifting.
Thanks for the idea!
I’ll give it a shot next week for sure. :slight_smile:

54

Just got back from thai pad class
really hot today feeling real pukey
going to take it easy tonight
didn’t go wrestle- not sure they were even having the class
feel yucky

if i start feeling better i may try to go lift
if not, i’m not scheduled to lift till tomorrow

55

Doin my best to stay on top of things. Tons of stuff going on. Just couldn’t make it into the gym Thursday. Tonight I’ll be lucky if i can sneak into the Thai gym and Saturday’s going to be a bad day all around. Cut my hand open when i was deadlifting the other day. Next week will be better for sure.

56

Here’s what happened…

Friday
Needed to get my oil changed and go grocery shopping before i could go to the gym so i could hit up a barbecue later in the evening. Well, the oil change took an hour and a half, which put me about 30+ minutes too late to hit the thai gym. Got to the barbecue early. Cooked some brats. Drank too much that night. Stayed at my friend’s place Friday & Saturday nights- only drank friday.

Saturday
Saturday was a pot luck with my drumming group. Cooked some kielbasas. Saturday evening ran around 6 flags for a few hours & got beat up on some of the rollercoasters (wooden coasters hurt). Was exhausted afterwards, we hung out at my friend’s place some more.

Sunday
Woke up and we went to the mall for a few hours. Lots of walking. Finally got home in the early evening. Went grocery shopping. Cooked some food.

Monday
Japanese class after work. I was supposed to try to hit the gym after class. Came home cooked some dinner and just never got to workin out. Been doin a lot for this job hunting thing- resumes, contacting friends, etc etc. Plus had a lot of cleaning to do (still do) after being gone all weekend.

Tuesday
More of the same thing. Came home and cooked dinner before starting to work on job hunting. Resume’s finally finished so it was a matter of signing up at as many job hunting websites as I could. Before I knew it, it was 12 and I was talking with a friend in Japan. Had to get some sleep.

Wednesday
Had a job fair today. Dropped off resumes at only 2 companies, but they seemed really interested. Working for USAA would be pretty nice, if I can’t swing the Japan thing. Afterwards, I got some food at Panera bread (first time since i moved out here, it’s one of my favorite restaurants) and chilled at home.

Went to Thai class and it was a nightmare. Guess I still had food in my belly and didn’t drink enough water. It was soooo hot and couldn’t dissipate heat. Threw up 3 times and basically didn’t make it through the workout. Even threw up walking to the car.

Kind of ashamed. Mighta been what I needed workout wise, because it was like a slap in the face to my pride. Tonight at least, it’s lighting a fire - so I’m about to head back out to the gym in a little bit for ABBH (which I kinda hate- lil too intense) and some serious cardio.

Friends are introducing me to a girl in about a week so I wanna work as hard as I can before I go down there. Probably still hear stuff about my weight. Last time I saw my friend was right after I’d stopped eating for a month.

Supplement Watch
I’m a huge fan of ErgoPharm’s ErgoLean Amp. It’s a diet pill, but not that thermogenic. More like a focus pill kinda thing. It has really helped at work and keeping my energy levels up for wanting to work out after work. So I tried to stick with ErgoPharm and get their protein. I’ve liked the punch type protein drinks I picked up at the supplement expo, and I went with blueberry. Unfortunately the stuff doesn’t mix. What you’re left with is a blueberry drink with a lumpy chunk of what seems to be soggy cardboard with Now And Later flavoring on it. Just nastiness. Think I’m going to have to get something else.

57

Wednesday Part 2
Just got back from the gym.
Yah today was definitely a slap to my pride and a much needed fire lit under my hiney. It’s been kinda hard workin out lately with all the job stuff- it kinda wears you out. As long as I keep workin a little bit each day on the job stuff I should be okay.

The workout
Warm up -
my old warm up on the elliptical, tho slightly different.
Sprint 30 to 40 seconds, rest 50 seconds to 1 minute; repeat for 10 minutes.

The weight workout was 10 sets of 4 reps.
60s rest
80% 1RM goal weight.

BBell bench
185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 155, 165, 165, 165, 165, 155
I know that’s more than 10 sets.
See, first set I only did 3 coz i forgot about the reps.
Fifth set was really bad, last 2 reps were pansy 1/2 reps coz i was afraid of getting stuck.
Sixth set was super easy
True 10th set was hard, finished 2 reps for sure, might squeaked out a third, couldn’t get a fourth. So on the 11th set I cranked out 4 more reps as good as i could.
This rep scheme is just plain HARD.
It’s exhausting as heck, especially after that warm up.

BBell Row
135, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185, 185
This wasn’t so bad.
Kept changing grip- overhand and under hand. The overhand reps had a little better form. Should stay at this weight.

Cardio
Finished up with 28 minutes on the elliptical on level 18.
Stayed on till i burnt 500cal.

All in all felt good.
Gonna load up on the supplements so i get decent days out of thursday, friday, and saturday. Got something to prove tomorrow.

kinda liked this poem from Dead Prez…

A soldier’s Prayer
I will stay true to myself
I will always be loyal to those that’s loyal to me
I will always demand respect and give respect
I will always provide for my family and raise my children to love theyself
and be independent, honest, ambitious, trustworthy
I will sacrifice my pleasure for my purpose
Struggle build character
Never ignorant
Gettin goals accomplished
I will take care of my body and stay physically fit
I will train to protect myself and the ones I love
I will conquer my weaknesses
I will face my fears
I will learn from my mistakes
I will stay humble
I will give thanks for waking up this morning
I am thankful for the opportunity to fight another day
May the ancestors walk with me

58

the fires lit :slight_smile:

becca, pork,

I do (or used to do) that yoga sequence quite a lot, first thing in the morning and before and after training. i go slower and more carefully with it though if its straight after doing a deadlift session as the back is already pretty fired up, so i do a longer childs pose.

59

and it just keeps on burnin…

Thursday
Went to Thai tonight
Took off from work early today to hit up the 5 o’clock class.
Stayed for the 6 o’clock class too.
Killed it.
Survived and did pretty well.
My pride was hurt so I had to prove myself.
Came home and chilled for a bit.

The workout
Warmed up on elliptical cross trainer.
Used the old crosstraining interval setting for the first time in a long time.
Did it on level 18 for 10 min with a 3 min cool down.

Weight workout was 5 sets of 10 reps
60s rest
I don’t care what the recommended 1RM percentage was, I just tried to survive. LOL

BBell Front Squat
145, 145, 145, 145, 145
This hurt. I was soooo tired.
Had a little trouble going down low, but kinda found about where my squat probably should be- not too low, not too high, about parallel.
Still went pretty well, pulled i tout.

Reverse Crunch
10lb med ball, 10, 10, 10, 10
Kept dropping the medball- it was slick.
Kinda hard to make it through.
Was hurting by the last set.

Standing Calf Raise
215, 215, 215, 215, 215
Mighta been a lil too heavy.
My form got better as the sets went on eventhough I was exhausted.

Burnt after that.

Rested for a little bit and jumped back on the elliptical crosstrainer.
Cardio
30 min on elliptical crosstrainer.
Tried my best to keep my heartrate under 160 most of the time.
From 23 to 25 min i upped the speed a lil bit.
got almost 500 cal.
shirt soaked through.

cooled down with a couple minutes of shadow just to kinda loosen up.

My protein was way up today, probably a good 150g plus.
Tomorrow’s gonna be a slightly easier day.
May have to go to another gym to be able to get in my weight workout coz my gym closes early tomorrow.

60

Thai gym for an hour tonight- it was exhausting and i was burnt all day.
was gonna go lift, but my home gym closed early.
went to my friends’ place and it got too late to hit one of the other gyms open all night.
gonna wake up early