Sorry for the delay in my updates chaps, things still hectic here with quarter end results for the company I work for looming, things are always a little manic for me and my team during this time
ANYWAY!
So last update I gave I think was 3rd October, and then in my posts last week I think I already indicated that I missed last week's TaeKwonDo double header on Monday night and my plan for starting the new programme I described had to wait until Thursday to begin...
Wednesday 6th October
TaeKwonDo
Pretty much a standard night but with a bit of a twist, we have three people going to the national academy this week for their Black Belt grading, so as you may have guessed by now, when someone in the Dojang has an important "event" in the not too distant future, the focus of everyone in the Dojang is focused on giving that person(s) the best possible opportunity to succeed. Personally, I think it's a good ethos and makes those concerned feel supported. So last Wednesday saw everyone, all grades doing Black Belt line work that would be required during their practical examination, it was intense!! Fair enough it was probably more difficult for those of us who still have some way to go on the journey, but that equalled a really solid high intensity cardio session for me personally. I have to say though I hope my flying side kicks get significantly better by the time it's my turn!!! I suck big time, this 180+ pounder doesn't yet defy gravity quite long enough to get the side kick out and back, in reasonable form... more like a flying shin kick in my case.
Alas, it gives me something else to work towards, the punch bag hung on the tree in the back garden is looking more and more like a great idea
Thursday 7th October
Gym
Incline Dumbbell Press
3 x 12 x 44lbs
Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down
3 x 12 x 99lbs
Close Grip Bench Press (smith machine excluding bar weight)
1 x 12 x 66lbs
1 x 12 x 77lbs
1 x 12 x 88lbs
Close Grip Seated Row (Hammer Strength MTS row)
3 x 12 x 77lbs (plates each side, so total weight 144lbs)
Hanging Garhammer
3 x 12 x BW
Ab Machine Crunch
3 x 20 x 88lbs
Friday 8th October
Gym
Barbell Squat (smith machine was busy, so I had to "man-up" and use the normal zero protection, no spotter old fashioned way - nervous is not the word, first time i've done squats since my back injury in August.
I have no idea what an olympic bar weighs, I guess around 40lbs?!? anyway weight is weight excluding bar, so I don't think it was that great, but my form was perfect BUT i will be going back to the smith in the hope of upping the weight assuming no one is hogging it this week.
3 x 12 x 110lbs excl bar
Dumbbell Cuban Press
3 x 12 x 15lbs
Hmm, hate these, can't believe even with lower reps I can't get more weight on this, but i'm not going to sacrifice form for my ego
Leg Curl
3 x 12 x 99lbs
Standing Lateral Raise
3 x 12 x 11lbs
Yep - see moaning above, clearly I have some work to do in the strength department!
Standing Cable Rotation
3 x 12 x 11lbs
This is a VERY cool exercise, when I have the laptop again, i'll post a pic from my workout programme, they look a bit "girly" and I was feeling very reluctant to try them, BUT they work!! Damn, i wish i had discovered this sooner, basically you stand side on to a cable machine with the pulley height set around the height of your armpit. Select a weight and have a Gym Ball to hand, twist your torso/trunk towards the weight stack, whilst holding the ball to your chest and grab the cable (i used a d attachment) with your arm furthest from the weight stack and rotate your arms/torso/ball - really works, give it go but I'll get the pic up since I think this will be easily to understand then my pathetic instructions
Side Raise on Back Extension Machine (grrr.. it's getting fixed, so did this on a gym ball instead, with feet against the wall
3 x 12 x BW
Saturday 9th October
Gym
Dip
3 x 12 x BW
Zottman Curl
3 x 12 x 26lbs
EZ-Bar Preacher Curl
Ok so we don't have a preacher bench, so here's what a did, I used the angled seat of the leg press (since the gym wasn't busy) which is at about a 45 degree angle and nice and wide and then placed a bench behind it for me to sit on, and viola an instant impromptu preacher bench!
1 x 12 x 64lbs
1 x 12 x 75lbs
1 x 12 x 86lbs
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Press (one dumbbell in each hand)
3 x 12 x 22lbs
VIPR V-Sit
3 x 20 x 13lbs
Bosu Pike Crunch
3 x 20
TaeKwonDo
BIG CLASS today, I mean there must have been about 40 of us in the Dojang at one time, very strange indeed. Today's Black Belt focus was on set sparring routines of which there are loads, quite good fun, one of the guys in front of me, a red belt, momentarily forgot which set we were on and hesitated a little too long which resulted in me side kicking him in the ribs.. I felt quite bad, he winced a little, but the other 38 people found it hilarious - the instructor commented sarcastically to him, that this is exactly why it is very important to come to training regularly and revise your set sparring, that way the lower belts may not end up kicking your a$$ when you don't move forward when you're supposed to! Oh well, good lesson and everyone saw the humour in the incident, pretty tiring all in all, but another good session. It's amazing how much sweat one can generate in a hour just by kicking, punching and moving.
Monday 11th October
TaeKwonDo
Two lessons tonight, one which focused on sparring and one which focused on patterns, very strange but I honestly felt lighter on my feet, i'll have to weigh myself this week or perhaps i'm just a little fitter, but I definitely held my own last night. Patterns was pretty much everything we know, so a straight run through from white to black, when you get to your grade you just start again while the others progress up to theirs. Went pretty well, I managed to remember all the moves in my new pattern, my form isn't great at this point and it's a little slow, but the main thing is to get the sequence down, and then work on improving a few moves at a time.
Tuesday 12th October
Gym
Incline Dumbbell Press
3 x 12 x 48lbs
I really battled to raise the left side (damn shoulder!), but found once I got past rep one, I was okay for the rest of the set
Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down
3 x 12 x 110lbs
Close Grip Bench Press (smith machine excluding bar weight)
1 x 12 x 66lbs
1 x 12 x 77lbs
1 x 12 x 88lbs
Close Grip Seated Row (Hammer Strength MTS row)
2 x 12 x 88lbs (plates each side)
1 x 12 x 77lbs (plates each side)
Hanging Garhammer
3 x 12
Nearly lost my grip on every set, made me wish I had wraps, but I managed each set regardless and with good form (would have been funny if i'd lost my grip, that's for sure!)
Ab Machine Crunch
1 x 20 x 88lbs
1 x 20 x 99lbs
1 x 12 x 110lbs
Phew!!! what an update....
My replacement HGHPro and LifeSupport have arrived, I've replenished my green tea supplies, bought some White Flood pre-workout matrix (not sure so far, only tried it once) and an extra bottle of TCF-1!
Also my Primordial Performance mega order arrived yesterday, so i'm pretty well stocked at the moment!! Although, I don't think i'll be running any PH's until the new year, but hey i've got two six week cycles worth, that's quite a nice problem to have
Hope everyone is doing ok! I promise I will try and look in at everyone's logs over the next day or so
ANYWAY!
So last update I gave I think was 3rd October, and then in my posts last week I think I already indicated that I missed last week's TaeKwonDo double header on Monday night and my plan for starting the new programme I described had to wait until Thursday to begin...
Wednesday 6th October
TaeKwonDo
Pretty much a standard night but with a bit of a twist, we have three people going to the national academy this week for their Black Belt grading, so as you may have guessed by now, when someone in the Dojang has an important "event" in the not too distant future, the focus of everyone in the Dojang is focused on giving that person(s) the best possible opportunity to succeed. Personally, I think it's a good ethos and makes those concerned feel supported. So last Wednesday saw everyone, all grades doing Black Belt line work that would be required during their practical examination, it was intense!! Fair enough it was probably more difficult for those of us who still have some way to go on the journey, but that equalled a really solid high intensity cardio session for me personally. I have to say though I hope my flying side kicks get significantly better by the time it's my turn!!! I suck big time, this 180+ pounder doesn't yet defy gravity quite long enough to get the side kick out and back, in reasonable form... more like a flying shin kick in my case.
Alas, it gives me something else to work towards, the punch bag hung on the tree in the back garden is looking more and more like a great idea
Thursday 7th October
Gym
Incline Dumbbell Press
3 x 12 x 44lbs
Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down
3 x 12 x 99lbs
Close Grip Bench Press (smith machine excluding bar weight)
1 x 12 x 66lbs
1 x 12 x 77lbs
1 x 12 x 88lbs
Close Grip Seated Row (Hammer Strength MTS row)
3 x 12 x 77lbs (plates each side, so total weight 144lbs)
Hanging Garhammer
3 x 12 x BW
Ab Machine Crunch
3 x 20 x 88lbs
Friday 8th October
Gym
Barbell Squat (smith machine was busy, so I had to "man-up" and use the normal zero protection, no spotter old fashioned way - nervous is not the word, first time i've done squats since my back injury in August.
I have no idea what an olympic bar weighs, I guess around 40lbs?!? anyway weight is weight excluding bar, so I don't think it was that great, but my form was perfect BUT i will be going back to the smith in the hope of upping the weight assuming no one is hogging it this week.
3 x 12 x 110lbs excl bar
Dumbbell Cuban Press
3 x 12 x 15lbs
Hmm, hate these, can't believe even with lower reps I can't get more weight on this, but i'm not going to sacrifice form for my ego
Leg Curl
3 x 12 x 99lbs
Standing Lateral Raise
3 x 12 x 11lbs
Yep - see moaning above, clearly I have some work to do in the strength department!
Standing Cable Rotation
3 x 12 x 11lbs
This is a VERY cool exercise, when I have the laptop again, i'll post a pic from my workout programme, they look a bit "girly" and I was feeling very reluctant to try them, BUT they work!! Damn, i wish i had discovered this sooner, basically you stand side on to a cable machine with the pulley height set around the height of your armpit. Select a weight and have a Gym Ball to hand, twist your torso/trunk towards the weight stack, whilst holding the ball to your chest and grab the cable (i used a d attachment) with your arm furthest from the weight stack and rotate your arms/torso/ball - really works, give it go but I'll get the pic up since I think this will be easily to understand then my pathetic instructions
Side Raise on Back Extension Machine (grrr.. it's getting fixed, so did this on a gym ball instead, with feet against the wall
3 x 12 x BW
Saturday 9th October
Gym
Dip
3 x 12 x BW
Zottman Curl
3 x 12 x 26lbs
EZ-Bar Preacher Curl
Ok so we don't have a preacher bench, so here's what a did, I used the angled seat of the leg press (since the gym wasn't busy) which is at about a 45 degree angle and nice and wide and then placed a bench behind it for me to sit on, and viola an instant impromptu preacher bench!
1 x 12 x 64lbs
1 x 12 x 75lbs
1 x 12 x 86lbs
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Press (one dumbbell in each hand)
3 x 12 x 22lbs
VIPR V-Sit
3 x 20 x 13lbs
Bosu Pike Crunch
3 x 20
TaeKwonDo
BIG CLASS today, I mean there must have been about 40 of us in the Dojang at one time, very strange indeed. Today's Black Belt focus was on set sparring routines of which there are loads, quite good fun, one of the guys in front of me, a red belt, momentarily forgot which set we were on and hesitated a little too long which resulted in me side kicking him in the ribs.. I felt quite bad, he winced a little, but the other 38 people found it hilarious - the instructor commented sarcastically to him, that this is exactly why it is very important to come to training regularly and revise your set sparring, that way the lower belts may not end up kicking your a$$ when you don't move forward when you're supposed to! Oh well, good lesson and everyone saw the humour in the incident, pretty tiring all in all, but another good session. It's amazing how much sweat one can generate in a hour just by kicking, punching and moving.
Monday 11th October
TaeKwonDo
Two lessons tonight, one which focused on sparring and one which focused on patterns, very strange but I honestly felt lighter on my feet, i'll have to weigh myself this week or perhaps i'm just a little fitter, but I definitely held my own last night. Patterns was pretty much everything we know, so a straight run through from white to black, when you get to your grade you just start again while the others progress up to theirs. Went pretty well, I managed to remember all the moves in my new pattern, my form isn't great at this point and it's a little slow, but the main thing is to get the sequence down, and then work on improving a few moves at a time.
Tuesday 12th October
Gym
Incline Dumbbell Press
3 x 12 x 48lbs
I really battled to raise the left side (damn shoulder!), but found once I got past rep one, I was okay for the rest of the set
Wide Grip Lat Pull-Down
3 x 12 x 110lbs
Close Grip Bench Press (smith machine excluding bar weight)
1 x 12 x 66lbs
1 x 12 x 77lbs
1 x 12 x 88lbs
Close Grip Seated Row (Hammer Strength MTS row)
2 x 12 x 88lbs (plates each side)
1 x 12 x 77lbs (plates each side)
Hanging Garhammer
3 x 12
Nearly lost my grip on every set, made me wish I had wraps, but I managed each set regardless and with good form (would have been funny if i'd lost my grip, that's for sure!)
Ab Machine Crunch
1 x 20 x 88lbs
1 x 20 x 99lbs
1 x 12 x 110lbs
Phew!!! what an update....
My replacement HGHPro and LifeSupport have arrived, I've replenished my green tea supplies, bought some White Flood pre-workout matrix (not sure so far, only tried it once) and an extra bottle of TCF-1!
Also my Primordial Performance mega order arrived yesterday, so i'm pretty well stocked at the moment!! Although, I don't think i'll be running any PH's until the new year, but hey i've got two six week cycles worth, that's quite a nice problem to have
Hope everyone is doing ok! I promise I will try and look in at everyone's logs over the next day or so
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