The Martial Artists' Training Log

[bushido_man96]

2/13/2023

Strength Training

Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 275x5, 275x5, 275x5.

Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x3, 115x1, 141x5, 141x5, 141x5.

Deadlifts: 185x5, 255x3, 325x1, 375x5.

I used a different bar for squat today, kept the grip a bit narrower, and chalked my hands a little, and that seemed to keep the bar from sliding into my wrists. I call it a win. Lat set of press was kind of a grind, and the layback is starting up. I had to do my deadlifts today, because I have someone coming to do housework on Wednesday during my normal lifting time. The set was heavy, but it was probably the technically best set overall I've done in a while.

TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class. Do-Kang 1 twice, then Do-Kang 2. After that, we spent some time on the first 6 three-steps, and a little time on Ho Sin Sul at the end of the class.

[bushido_man96]

2/15/2023

DT Training: 2 hour session in the morning, 8:00 - 10:00 am. The guy who usually helps me out ran this one, and set up a cuffing session for the jail staff. It went really well.

2/16/2023

Strength Training

Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 245x1, 275x5, 275x5, 275x5.

Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 100x3, 130x1, 142.5x5, 142.5x5, 142.5x5.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 185x3, 245x2, 280x5, 280x5.

A good session today. I'm a little discouraged, though, because it feels like press is starting to tank out already.

[DarthPenguin]

Nothing to be discouraged about! Lifts are going well and the press is always the slowest one to improve for everyone / quickest to stall out.

Is there a particular part of the lift where you are noticing it becoming harder than other aspects? Maybe worth adding in a couple of accessory movements to help with sticking point?

Maybe even worth trying a new variation like a push press - it looked like when you added in snatch grip deadlifts it really helped your main lift; might do the same?

[bushido_man96]

Nothing to be discouraged about! Lifts are going well and the press is always the slowest one to improve for everyone / quickest to stall out.

Is there a particular part of the lift where you are noticing it becoming harder than other aspects? Maybe worth adding in a couple of accessory movements to help with sticking point?

Maybe even worth trying a new variation like a push press - it looked like when you added in snatch grip deadlifts it really helped your main lift; might do the same?

I'll start changing the programming when the sets start dropping to 3s and lower. Press is a funny thing, for sure. I'm not stalling out at any particular point right now; it's just getting generally heavier and more challenging. I'll eventually get to the point where I'll do a 5x5 day, and a day of 7 to 10 heavy singles. I'll also work in some pin pressing around that time, which is about the most beneficial press assistance exercise out there. Press starts are a good option, too, and I could add those to the end of any press workout, should the need arise.

2/20/2023

Strength Training

Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 245x1, 280x5, 280x5, 280x5.

Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 100x3, 130x1, 144x5, 144x5, 144x5.

Lat Pull-downs: 132.5x10, 132.5x10, 132.5x10.

A good session. Squats feel heavy at the top, but when I drive the hips out of the hole, it feels good still. I think I'm keeping the form pretty well in check, but I probably need to set up my phone and record a set to be certain.

Couldn't make class tonight; parent/teacher conferences at the school.

[bushido_man96]

2/22/2023

Strength Training

Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x5, 225x5.

Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 100x3, 130x1, 145.5x5, 145.5x5, 145.5x5.

Deadlifts: 185x5, 265x3, 345x1, 380x5.

Lat Pull-downs: 135x10, 135x10, 135x10.

Light squats again today to facilitate warmup for the deadlifts. That works out pretty well. Press went well, but the last reps of each set started to grind, and I had to give a little more layback. I think that is just the thing moving forward now. Which is ok. If I want to practice more strict pressing, I'll add sets and drop reps to keep the form.

Deadlifts...man. That last rep is a total grinder. It's slow, and hard, and heavy, and I hate myself until I finish that pull.

No class again tonight; church.

[DarthPenguin]

Still all looking good - and nothing wrong with the last rep of a heavy set of 5 being a grinder. When you are really pushing yourself it often is!

Numbers are going well though - excellent progress

[bushido_man96]

Still all looking good - and nothing wrong with the last rep of a heavy set of 5 being a grinder. When you are really pushing yourself it often is!

Numbers are going well though - excellent progress

Thank you, DarthPenguin!

Strength Training

2/24/2023

Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 245x1, 285x5, 285x5, 285x5.

Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 100x3, 130x1, 147x5, 147x5, 147x5.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 185x3, 245x2, 285x5, 285x5.

I didn't get the food intake I usually get before lifting today, and last ate at around 3:30 am. First set of squats felt like it was going to crush me, which it hasn't been doing. I tightened the belt up another notch for the next two sets, and it made all the difference in the world. The press went well, but rep 5 on set 3 really slowed down, but it went up to the top. It took a lot of layback. Snatch deads, reps 1-3 feel good and smooth; rep 4 is a little harder, and rep 5 feels like it's tanking it out at the top on both sets. But feels good to finish those sets.

[bushido_man96]

2/27/2023

Strength Training

Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 260x1, 290x5, 290x5, 290x5.

Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 100x3, 130x1, 148.5x5, 148.5x5, 148.5x5.

Lat Pull-downs: 137.5x10, 137.5x10, 137.5x10.

Pectoral Flies: 45x12, 45x12, 45x12.

Squats and presses went well. I'm finding on the press sets that I can keep reps 1-3 fairly strict, but reps 4 and 5 require a little more layback. I added the pec flies in because I'm trying to find a way to work my chest other than bench press. I'll run these a few more times and see how they feel. I could feel a little tug on the shoulders doing them, so I will take it slowly.

TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class. Warmed up with Do-Kangs 1 and 2, and then jumped right into Ho Sin Sul. We did a lot of wrist grabs, working to an arm bar or lock, to a takedown, to a lock and restraint.

[bushido_man96]

3/1/2023

Strength Training

Deadlifts: 135x5, 185x5, 265x3, 345x1, 385x1, 385x1, 385xfail.

Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 100x3, 148.5x5, 148.5x5, 148.5x5.

Lat Pull-downs: 140x10, 140x10, 140x10.

Iso-lateral Bench Press: 25x10, 25x10, 25x10 (12.5).

Ok, quite a bit to unpack here, mostly on the deadlifts. I failed to pull 385 for a set of 5, and there were several factors involved:

1. I got a horrible sleep today.

2. I have a gash in the web of my right hand from a door handle I needed to replace. I covered it with tape on Monday's workout, but it just got sweaty and slid around. I managed through all the lifts ok, but the only pull was lat pull-downs.

3. I didn't get to do my light squat session prior to pulling today.

4. I tried using the generic straps the gym had to try to mitigate the grip in the pull. It didn't work at all. I pulled the first one with the straps, and pulled the second rep without (hook grip and chalk). Two of the worst reps I've ever pulled, too. Bar drifting away from the shins, and it felt like it would stop after an inch off the ground.

With so many variables, it's hard to know if any one contributed more than any other. I'm hoping that by next week my hand is feeling better. I'm going to switch up my pulling routine, too. I'm going to alternate the deadlifts and the snatch deads every other week, so I'll only pull heavy once every two weeks. Hopefully that allows me to recover enough between heavy pulls to keep driving progress.

I tried out the iso-lateral bench press (which is a seated upright Hammer Strength machine, so not lying down). I seemed to be able to move through the range of motion ok, so I'll keep trying it. Each side of the machine is loaded individually, and each arm could be worked separately, or in unison. I'm doing it in unison, so I'm adding up the amount on each side for the total weight, but I'm not sure if that's right. The number in parentheses is the load on each side.

TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. T-Shirt Class. Not much happening here today; it was me an one other guy in the class. I did some black belt forms: Choong Moo, Kwang Gae, Poe Eun. A little stretching, and some speed bag work. Unfortunately, a lot of chatter, too.

[DarthPenguin]

Sounds like a lot of potential issues that could have all impacted on the deadlift tbh. Each one could have caused an issue themselves so compounding them it is no wonder that there would be a negative impact.

I think i used to use a very similar hammer strength pressing machine in the gym. Generally most people counted the weight as the total weight on the machine as most people were pressing both limbs. One thing i did notice on it though was I always found i could lift a LOT more on it (likely due to the reduced demand on stabiliser muscles). At the time i would struggle and hit 2-3 reps with 75kg in a bench press but could easily rep out 8-10 with 110kg on the hammer machine. Might be worth factoring that in when planning loads etc