Mr Punch's Brand Spanking New Blog

[Mr Punch]

Yesterday:

really no time - Iron cross and lateral raise superset just to so I could say I'd done something!

IX + LR SS*
1 10 4.2
3 5 9.2
3 5 10.4 (creeping up! - could do more but hard to keep form so leaving off safely)

Today

Tabata crunches + 5 kg 182
Tabata hip extensions + 5 kg 174
Tabata DB swings 15 kg 91

Windmills*
1 10 10
3 3 15
(wanted to do bigger but didn't hit any kind of groove - possibly through doing compound lift after exhausting myself on three tabata sets)

Oblique ball rolls
1 10 10
3 5 25

Bent-over Rows + Shrugs* SS
3 5 22.5

[Mr Punch]

**** busy moving house and doing a summer camp with a bunch of junior high kids...

Did a load of tabatas (far more than recommended), shifted loads and loads of boxes, did a helluva lot of very fast cycling, inc carrying several kilos of heavy shopping (light fittings, furniture, DIY ****) in one outstretched hand on my bike.

On the camp also taught the kids the eight silk brocade and did some capoiera jinga with them... lots of good exercise, no weights/MA... house soon sorted - back on track...

[Mr Punch]

Still too busy with organizing the new place to do any training...

Did carry the mikoshi again in the matsuri I always carry in (seventh time this year). That's a ton of gold and wood (yeah, I know I know... a ton of feathers would still be heavy - but not as hard...!) carried on our shoulders for seven hours (this year I went home early cos of the family). It's an excellent work-out for thighs, back, calves (MUST do more calf-raises this year!), shoulders and arms.

My tabi had shrunk in the wash though, and the friend tat was supposed to be getting me a new pair forgot, so I was barefoot for part of it again this year... no fun in 31 degrees on the tarmac! That was more painful than the carrying!

Was quite pleased: my technique has improved (and that technique is directly applicable to MA in general, but specifically wing chun footwork IMO), as has my strength.

My thighs have obviously got bigger through weights too (they're not fat), as I couldn't get the traditional cotton shorts on this year, without the help of two old men laughing at my arse hanging out and tugging and heaving them (and my nuts!) around my ears!

Also took Ellie along for the first time this year, sat her on the inner poles of the mikoshi and got her blessed.

Good times!

[Mr Punch]

Week after the matsuri I took part in the junior high school sports day, my main event being two sprints, one 200 and one 100. The 200 took me 30 secs which is a sprint for a ****ing turtle. Wasn't particularly happy cos since I started sprint training again my fastest was 27, but I have to say the track is dangerous slippy loose stone and a very tight curve and I was too concerned with not falling over! Not bad I suppose.

Anyway, since then not much doing... one bodyweight session:

supersets of

squats, pushups, crunches

then supersets of

pushups and side plank
hip extensions and bird-dogs
squats and front planks
reverse raises and crunches,

and an eight-minute ab workout consisting of various crunches for abs and obliques.

Two days ago did about 30 mins TKD kicking on pads and a few moving drills, and about 5 mins chi sao.

Yesterday, the bodyweight workout as above and the Iron Cross /Lateral raise SS with up to 11.7 kg each db

[Mr Punch]

Had a cold at the w/e so my mammoth kickstart back into serious training I had planned had to wait.

Got into reading Alwyn Cosgrove's stuff on http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/ and T-nation and thought I'd give one of his quick leg workouts a go...

started with the 8-min ab workout

then onto Cosgrove's leg w/o (number three) from http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1013133

Started with just two dbs of 15 kg each: knee twanged on the lunges. Stopped. Started again with 2x10 (1.7 for bar): completed the squats and lunges, but only managed 12 jumping lunges and 8 squat jumps. Didn't try the second set! To be fair, I think my cold is still making me weak, but this is definitely something to work on!

Then went for just the first complex from his number four w/o on the same page, just to see how it went. It went hard! Can't do front and back squats cos I only have dbs, so subbed the back squats with thrusters. Also figured out I can't do a power clean to save my life: will prob need some hands on instruction for that. Until then I could sub Renegade Bears and see how that goes.

Hella hard few mins. Tomorrow hopefully tabata push-ups + something else in the morning and see how it goes for the eve.

Working twelve-hour days on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu right now, eight on Fri and Sat. Not much time for training on top of time with the family. Oh well, gambarimasu.

[Mr Punch]

Same wk sit as before. Still no time to train. Managed a few random tabatas here n there, a few bw seshs and a few seshs of MA, a couple of runs, but nowhere near enough.

My cycling's got faster: from 18 mins PB to 11 mins going to work.

Last night did push-ups for KFM fitness challenge, and Cosgrove's all-over complex with 20 kgs - felt good. Then the eight min ab workout.

Hopefully some more of similar tonight.

[Mr Punch]

Finally got some time... and even with the day off that was a struggle! Too much to do...

Anyway, 8 min ab/oblique workout,

push-ups 1 min 44
squats 1 min 37
crunches 1 min 62
pull-ups 1 min 6
(no place to do them - knees dragging the floor, and not strong enough to do sitting position ones - need to rethink location)

Cosgrove's all-over body complex:

bench press (ball)
dead lift
bent row
overhead press
squat
calf raise shrug
good morning

22 kgs (2 x 11.7 kg dbs)

x6 fast as poss
rest half work time
x5
rest half work time... repeat
x4
x3
x2
x1

Cosgrove recommends resting 90 secs between each one but fancied pushing myself a bit more... dunno if it's a good idea the 5 rep set took longer than the 6!

3x5x22 db split overhead squats... niiiiice!

[Mr Punch]

8 min sit-up sets

windmills: dbs (x2) + 3.4 kg bar weight
10 x 5 x 3
12.5 x 5 x 3
15 x 5 x 3

iron cross/lateral raises
9.45 + 1.7 x 2 kg

x 3 x 3

Just testing the water - long time since I've lifted anything.

Then Cosgrove's lunge/squat torture:

Equipment needed: One pair of moderately heavy dumbbells (optional).

This routine needs to be done to be appreciated. You won't truly "get it" by reading about it.

Start the stopwatch:

1A: Squats (hold the dumbbells at your sides): Perform 24 reps, making sure to break parallel with every rep.

1B: Alternating lunges: 12 reps each leg. Make sure to use a maximal range of motion.

1C: Drop the dumbbells (unless you're psycho) and switch to alternating lunge jumps. Do 12 reps per leg. Get as high as you can and switch legs in the air. King Kong didn't just jump on your back, although it might feel like it!

1D: Squat jumps: Make sure you still get below parallel and get off the floor as high as you can. Perform 24 reps.

Stop the clock! You should be under two minutes for the set.

Rest half the time it took you to complete the circuit and then repeat it. Cursing me and my entire Scottish heritage is normal at this point. If you're able to complete the entire circuit in under 90 seconds, then start doing two circuits back to back.

From here.

but since I failed last time I started with a puny 8.25 kg in each hand, and aimed for just:

1A 12 squats (puny, I know, but still in pain from yesterday... and, er, puny anyway! )
1B 24 lunges (12 per leg)
1C 12 lunge jumps (6 per leg - I know, it gets punier)
1D 12 squat jumps...

Just made it, causing the most comical 'wtf' expression on my baby's face followed by laughter and decided to forego the second set... I'll try that another day when my legs are completely fresh. It's a killer anyway - even the punified version kills. After the first couple of squat jumps I'm getting absolutely no height at all. It's embarrassing.

BTW it took me four minutes, including cursing and laughing time.

Finished up with a fatigued but heroic 35 push-ups in a minute.

[Mr Punch]

Workout 1

2 hours:

SLT
san sao (sik) from SLT.
Bout ten mins of chi sao. Meh.

First time for me in about three mths maybe: wanted to get some live padwork going and stuff, but hey.

Nobbad to do some basics spose.

Workout 2

8 min sit up workout
tabata crunches (5kg) (normal and bicycle - forgot side! ) 174
tabata push-ups (87 - waaaay less than usual, but tried just normal, narrow, wide and kneeling, rather than including incline, decline, spiderman and leg-up as usual - much tougher)
tabata 6.7 kg db swings (86 - same as when I do them with 16.7 kgs! Not really worth doing these as tabatas maybe... dunno, works grip well, and progressive loading could work - if I can trust the collar on my dbs! )
Snake turns over with 5 kg plate: 10 reps each side
Snake turns over no weight: 20 times each side.
10 manji steps (hellish - first time in donkey's years).

[Mr Punch]

8 min crunch workout

1 minute crunches: 78
1 min push-ups: 42... bah.
Then went for two minutes (just been reading the British Army fitness programme that The Guardian's been running and they do everything for two minutes for diagnostics...) and here's the thing...

only managed 10 in the next minute...

****, that hurt.

Then to the park to try out the bars there for pull-ups: only managed 6 in a minute. Bugger.

Then Cosgrove's squat-lunge-jump lunge-squat jump endurance sets, only 12 reps not 24 - FINISHED THEM! Happy with that.

[Mr Punch]

Well, recently, my training's has largely gone to pot again due to work. Even Cosgrove's Minimum Time workouts have gone by the board.

I have been doing a lot of forms (SLT, CK, and BJ), shadow boxing plus some manji and other stepping drills and random spurts of push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and anything else I can do without getting scuzzed up between classes at school, but that kind of defeats the object!

My cycling is getting faster, and since I have to use my bike to get to work, I'm using it like intervals: pedal AFAP like a nutter, until my lungs are bursting, then slacken off for a count of ten or so, then back to AFAP. Helluva work-out, even if only for 10-15 mins. Worried about the huge quantity of carbon monoxide I must be ingesting from you ****s of obsolete suicidal vehicle drivers though.

Today did another quick workout: 8 min abs, 3 x 15 x 49 kg (dbs) deadlift shrugs, followed by 3 x 3 x 49 db benches.

Need that 30-hour day!

[Mr Punch]

8 min ab/ob w/o

Cosgrove's complex (joined deadlifts, shrugs and calf raises into one smooth exercise which I've called Dead Calf Shrug...)

2x16.5 kg dbs

Bench
Squat
Dead Calf Shrug
Bent-over rows
One-armed overhead press

x6
x5
x4
x3
x2
x1

[Mr Punch]

Just a quickie unfortunately.

8 min ab/ob crunch routine

tabata crunches with a full minute before the first rest period: a PB of 205 (80 in a minute).

Tabata push-ups... something strange going on today... again went for first minute without rest and managed 51... then pretty much bugger all for the rest! only managed 17 more in the last three minutes inc rest periods... very odd.

Oh well.

More tomorrow.

[Mr Punch]

Missed a couple of blog entries, but nothing major happening.

Nor today!

Thought I'd go for Rick Matz's lenten challenge to give me a bit more impetus, so also thought I'd start early. Hadn't picked up a weight in a couple of weeks, so went easy.

Warm-up Yang style 8 silk reeling.

8 min ab/ob w/o.

Cosgrove's complex (light cos out of practice - 11.7 kg dbs):

BP
Dead Calf Shrugs
Bent Rows
Sqs
Snatch, clean, jerk
OPs

First time I'd tried the snatch clean jerk which was another reason for keeping weights light... checked out some form guides on youtube, went for it, and it felt good... NP.

[Mr Punch]

Since the 4th when I started Rick's lent challenge (tho strictly should be on Ash Wednesday - so the 7th), just been limited to forms and stepping drills... but have managed to stick to half an hour a day.

Today had only 3 hours of work, so...

ab/ob 8 min crunch w/o

Cosgrove's complex (2 x 16.7 kg dbs)

Bench (ball)
squat
dead calf shrug
overhead press (one arm)
OP (other arm)
OP (both arms)
DL

tried doing lunges too as part of the complex, but my mat was slipping so packed that in!

Then 5 iron cross - lateral raise - hammer curl - kickback supersets with 11.7 kgs

Then tried single-leg squats with no weight: found I can't do one, so did 2 x 6 negatives and 2 x 10 partials. Didn't think that'd be so hard but it was another recommendation from Cosgrove's site so I should've known better!

Decided on some goals by the end of lent:

Single leg squats (any!).

More than 6 dead hang pull-ups.

The big four for 15 reps with the max weight I have at home (then I can justify buying more! ) which is about 49 kgs. Squats and deads are no problem at all: can do way more than that. Benches and OPs I can do, but not for so many reps. My main goal was strength, but I figure with such light weights (which I still can't do so many of!) endurance is a worthy goal too.

Cosgrove's complex with those 49 kgs. That could be a stretch. It's ****ing hard.

Cosgrove's squat/lunge jump set with some weight!

Edit: totally forgot, also did sil lum tao and a load of manji stepping again. Was going to do all the forms but after the single leg squat fiasco, my legs really didn't have it in them!