Sohan

Yea it makes me happy for a while. Can you be happy when you're not drinking? If not, you shouldn't be drinking. Alcohol is a depressant on the central nervous system and dramatically affects your mood. If you are suffering from depression right now, even moderately, alcohol consumption will make it worse. Much worse. With respect, Sohan

I get the feeling it may be one of those series where the home team wins all their games. I still pick Dallas because they have more depth and Dirk Nowitski. I love Shaq, but they need consistency from him and Dywayne Wade to have a chance of winning this series. With respect, Sohan

Seagal was scheduled to be in Atlanta this week, but cx'ed. With respect, Sohan

My sensei would have all of our tails in a sling if he found out we were pounding on each other like that over ego issues. I train in other styles but I always enter my dojo with the proverbial "empty cup"---regardless of what I learn on the outside, when I'm in the dojo, I respect my art. Giving a lower belt a bloody nose like that is inexcusable. They should be suspended from the dojo for a period of time to learn to treat others with more respect. It's said you can tell the character of a man by the way he treats his dog---this goes doubly for a black belt and a kyu level student. It's a shame you were forced to handle it the way you did, but I likely would have done the same. With respect, Sohan

That caloric intake figure is for someone who is training heavily (up to 1000 cals per day) and is trying to lose weight. Normal caloric recommendations are 38, 41, and 50 cal per kg, respectively, for a male with a light, moderate, or heavy training volume who is trying to maintain bodyweight (older persons require somewhat fewer calories, and women are 3, 4, and 6 cals less, respectively per kg). Your protein intake may be lower depending on your intensity/volume of daily training. The range recommended by the NSCA is 1.5-2.0/kg, so 1.5 for you would be about 133 gms, probably a more manageable figure based on five feedings a day (133/5=@27 gms per meal). Keep in mind that if you're getting very little protein and calories in your daily diet, you're wasting your workouts. Can't build the house without the bricks, so to speak... With respect, Sohan

Lift in a rep range of 5-10 with three to four sets per exercise and a modest diet. About 35-38 calories/kg bodyweight per day is a good bet to gradually lose fat without sacrificing much muscle tissue. Don't try to lose more than 2 lbs per week and maintain a protein intake of 1.5 to 2.0 gms per kg bodyweight. With respect, Sohan

No prablum. With respect, Sohan

Yep. It really is all about the reps. I know a young woman who knows over 90 kata. That's a lot of reps... With respect, Sohan

Since you have a history of eating disorder, you need to approach your exercise routine with moderation and patience, or you'll end up in the same boat you were in before. You need to develop a healthy approach to your diet, exercise, and body image and make sure you have a buddy or coach you can rely on for moral support when things get tough. Web boards like this are great. Better to have a live person you trust that can set you straight that you won't be tempted to lie to. What concerns me is your need to lose 30 more lbs with something "fast-paced". What's the hurry? Take your time and get your whole organism healthy first. For someone who has had an eating disorder, it's not just about exercising and eating right, it's about getting your head straight. I counsel young women at an institute here in Atlanta that deals with eating disorders, so I've dealt with this repeatedly for 14 years or so. Make weight loss only part of your healthy living goals and it will likely take care of itself with time. Seek many different activities that burn calories, from your current MA training to swimming, mountain biking, etc. Lift weights. Go dancing. Do something healthy that's FUN that makes you feel good about yourself. Use that body of yours as often as you can and throw everything out of your life that doesn't make you feel good about the unique young woman you are. But whatever you do, keep in mind the wonderful weight loss success you've already had. The next 30 lbs may be a little more challenging than the last, so be patient and don't obsess about it. With respect, Sohan

I'd like to also add that the Thai fighters I've worked with are very grounded and balanced while also being very mobile. It's hard to knock a good Thai fighter over, and they can still get around the ring with great swiftness---perhaps they are not as slippery as a western boxer would be, but as E & K said, they do have a tendency to suck it up and absorb, because they can. With respect, Sohan

Yikes, I hope I don't get married again. Twice is enough. No worries, it only took a few minutes. Since I do it for a living, I'm used to writing programs up on the quick. Let me know if you have any further questions. With respect, Sohan

When you cut weight and up your reps, you lose strength. Not much you can do because you lose muscle through diet and cardio, and increasing reps changes the stimulus your muscles adapt to. You will retain some strength, but expect to lose a little off your max until you adapt to your new bodyweight. With respect, Sohan

Not sure how much detail you need, but here's some particulars: >>>>Weights 3x per week, cardio 3x/week (different days), stretch after each workout. Weight training (Assuming only free weights available): *1:00 to 1:30 rest between sets Workout 1: Bench Press 10, 8, 8 reps Shoulder Press 10, 8, 8 reps Triceps Extension 10, 10 reps Dumbbell Row 10, 8, 8 reps Dumbbell Biceps Curl 10, 10 reps Workout 2: Upper Crunch/Lower Crunch 50 each x 2 Backwards Lunge 3 x 10 reps Walking Lunge 3 x 10 reps Lying Back Extensions 3 x15 reps Standing Calf Raise with Dumbbells 2 x 20 reps Workout 3: Incline Bench Press 10, 8, 8 reps Upright Row 10, 8, 8 reps Side Lateral Raise 10, 10 reps Barbell Biceps Curl 10, 10, 10 reps * Cardio (cycling, running, swimming, etc.): Workout 1: 30 minutes at 85% HR max (220 - your age) Workout 2: 45 minutes at 80% HR max Workout 3: 60 minutes at 75% HR max After 4 weeks, try interval training on workout 1. 5 minute warmup, then alternate 3 minutes at 90% and 3 minutes at 65% for three repetitions, then one more 3 minute interval at 90%, then finish off with 5 minute cooldown. *Stretching (hold all stretches a minimum 30 seconds in a static stretch--60 seconds better): Seated Toe Touch One Leg Toe Touch (Seated Hurdler's Stretch) Standing Quad Stretch Seated Inner Thigh Stretch (Soles of feet together with bent knees, grab toes) Standing Hurdler's Stretch Swimmer's Shoulder Stretch (There are plenty of other stretches, but these will get you started. A good book on stretching called "Sport Stretch" is highly recommended. Check for it on Amazon.) Best to do weights on non-MA days. Cardio on the mornings you do MA. Consume 150-200 calories of juice or gatorade after your cardio and weight sessions to hasten recovery. Get 8 hours or more of sleep at night or our efforts here are wasted. Also, keep in mind that if you have the time or energy for more, by all means you can amend this plan. The more cardio you do, the more cardiovascularly fit you will become. But it's best to do what you can now, adapt injury-free, and then add as you get fitter. Don't overreach too soon or you'll find yourself on the sidelines. PM me if you need more detail and I'll let you know what I can do for you. With respect, Sohan

Learn how to work in with whoever's on the bench. We all learn to share in the gym. If there's an issue, talk to management or find a better gym. Don't let your workout suffer for it. Doesn't matter what the equipment is, it matters what joints you're using. Bench press, whether on machine, dumbbell, or barbell, is performed with action at the elbow joint and shoulder joint. Use that as your guide. If action occurs at more than one joint, put those exercises first. If you want to get stronger, cut out half your single joint movements and train the rest with intensity--by that I mean more weight with good form. Start a 4, 6, or 8 week cycle of increasing load and decreasing weight. First few weeks higher reps, more sets, and slightly lower weight, and then cut down reps/sets and up the weight week by week. Periodization is the key to long-term success. Best of luck to you! With respect, Sohan

My first question is what are your goals for your training program--what are you trying to achieve? Also, what kind of training background do you have? Your program may be too ambitious if you are a beginner. But taking a look at your program, several questions jump out: 1. The frequency of your workouts--you're planning to do one workout each day for five straight days? You'll be wiped by Friday. I'd rest after workout #2 if I were you. 2. The exercise order is inappropriate for some of them. Always train larger muscle groups that require heavier weight first. Assistance work comes later. 3. Don't get stuck on the same rep scheme all the time. Variety is your friend in weight training provided you have a base of consistency. 4. If you're a beginner, I'd cut out at least half the movements, and focus on more sets for the remaining exercises with more intensity. Unless you're on steroids or you've been training for years, it'll be hard for you to train all those movements with the proper intensity. 5. You've got too many single joint movements and not enough power and basic multijoint movements. Single joint movements are to supplement your workout, they're not the meat of it. Decent job so far. You're on the right track with your intentions, but this training program needs a little tweaking. With respect, Sohan

Sohan, when do you start increasing the times you work out from starting off with one of each every week? Thank you. You don't (trick answer). You never strength train a particular exercise or bodypart more than twice per week. Bench twice per week, squat twice per week, deadlift once per week, etc... The number of total workouts, however, may differ depending on how you split your routine (ie push/pull), but this rule applies nonetheless. If you can train a particular exercise more frequently without getting hurt, then you are either taking more drugs than the Bulgarian women's swim team or you aren't working hard enough. With respect, Sohan

It's always beneficial to stretch, but make sure your muscles are warmed up properly, or you could cause microtrauma to your muscle fibers that may manifest in a more serious injury down the road. That's likely the reason you're stiff later after stretching during the day. You are stretching "cold" muscles that aren't as pliable and creating an inflammation response to the minor damage you are doing to yourself. Warmup at work the best you can with light calisthenic movements and keep your stretches moderate--not as intense as you would after MA class. With respect, Sohan

Get a couple adjustable dumbbell handles and some weight plates---shouldn't be much for cost. Overhead presses, dumbbell rows, curls, triceps extensions, and pushups should do the trick for the most part until you are up to snuff again. Also, if you can do 20 reps of an exercise, the load is too light. Increase the resistance by adding weight, slowing the exercise down, or just choose another exercise. 10-12 reps will build tendon/ligament strength---more reps will improve muscle endurance as opposed to enhancing strength and muscle hypertrophy. With respect, Sohan

Could you do both? Cover all your bases. Charles Allen's teacher Marcio has a great rep according to my instructor, so you'd likely get a great training experience with him. I am, however, surprised Mr. Allen is not offering no-gi classes. The BJJ schools here all offer no-gi at least once per week. With respect, Sohan

Actually, the thread was supposed to be titled, "Which Karate Forums Member Would You Like to Meet For an Exciting Cookout With Brauts, Burgers, and Beer Following a Really Cool Martial Arts Training Session Either in the Continental US or the UK ", but the title was a little too long.... With respect, Sohan

It really wasn't that bad an experience. I remember almost nothing of the surgery, being under and all, and my post-recovery was a snap for the most part. I did have some dry socket develop, and that was pretty rough, but the dentist applied some medicine to it that instantly relieved my pain. If you don't get that, you're probably going to have it easy. With respect, Sohan

Here's a beginning running plan, assuming you're not running at all currently. It involves a walk-run program that gradually gets you running for 30 minutes non-stop (each session should be about 30 minutes, not counting warmup): Week 1 Session 1 Walk 5 minutes, run 1 Session 2 Walk 5 minutes, run 1 Session 3 Walk 4, run 1 Week 2 Session 1 Walk 4, run 1 Session 2 Walk 3, run 1 Session 3 Walk 3, run 2 Week 3 Session 1 Walk 3, run 2 Session 2 Walk 2, run 2 Session 3 Walk 2, run 2 Week 4 Session 1 Walk 2, run 3 Session 2 Walk 2, run 3 Session 3 Walk 2, run 4 Week 5 Session 1 Walk 2, run 4 Session 2 Walk 1, run 4 Session 3 Walk 1, run 4 Week 6 Session 1 Walk 1, run 5 Session 2 Walk 1, run 5 Session 3 Walk 1, run 6 Week 7 Session 1 Walk 1, run 6 Session 2 Walk 1, run 7 Session 3 Walk 1, run 7 Week 8 Session 1 Walk 1, run 8 Session 2 Walk 1, run 9 Session 3 Walk 1, run 10 Continue to add a minute of running each session until you get to 20 minutes straight, then cut out the walk breaks and just add a minute of running each session. In about 3 months you should be able to safely run 30 minutes straight. This is a conservative program, you may improve more rapidly or slowly than this. Some hints: >Get good shoes. Cheap running shoes will hurt you down the road. >Don't run on concrete. Choose softer surfaces or at least asphalt. >Count your steps per minute. Count each time your right foot hits the ground--you should be around 90 per minute. >Always warmup with about 5-10 minutes of easy walking, and cooldown with the same. Save stretching for after your run to avoid microtrauma. >Run easy and loose, and don't force your pace. You should be able to carry on a conversation. If you can't, slow down. With respect, Sohan

I have noticed that many of my fellow practitioners pay great attention to warmup, but few give themselves a proper cooldown. Often when we bow out of class, they simply change and leave, while I am in the corner stretching and cooling down. Then when I see them at the next practice, they show up with the usual complaints of sore muscles and joint stiffness. The great Tarzan Brown, winner of the Boston Marathon ('36 and '39), was an early proponent of the cooldown due to him noticing that when he walked the 4 or 5 miles home after his long 25-30 mile runs he was much less sore than when he just caught a cab or train. I have remembered that story since I was a kid and today I give cooldowns the same priority as I do my warmup for better recovery between workouts. With respect, Sohan

Yep. I've had a few conversations with Louie Simmons at Westside about his training methods over the years, beginning back in '92 when I first simply picked up the phone and called him for some advice. He is a very friendly and accessible guy, and really puts a lot of thought into his training and coaching. He's had a bunch of guys with really big lifts over the years, so the proof is in the pudding. However... His techniques are more suited to seasoned powerlifters. If you try to train the way his guys do, you might get hurt. He uses a lot of high velocity, low weight lifts that can really damage your connective tissue if you haven't been training heavy for a few years. Some of his techniques are kind of out there, but they seem to work for powerlifting. If you live close to his gym and don't get intimidated by 350 lb guys screaming and yelling at each other, then by all means drop by and say hi. With respect, Sohan

Use Muay Thai ankle supports. I recommend Nationman--they run around 10 bucks US, and they fit really well compared to others. Muaythaionline and many others carry them. To strengthen your ankles, do calf raises one leg at a time twice per week. 2-3 sets of 15 reps with a dumbbell held at your side should help. Also, practice balancing on one foot every chance you get. It develops proprioception in your ankle to prepare you for awkward joint positions. With respect, Sohan