DarthPenguins Training log of an unfit person!

[DarthPenguin]

Tuesday 6th September

Lifting session

Seated overhead press

20kg x 8

25kg x 3

30kg x 2

35kg x 1

40kg x 5

45kg x 3

50kg x 4

25kg x 10

25kg x 10

25kg s 10

50kg set felt toughest on first rep. once that was done the others were quite smooth. Overhead press has always been my weakest exercise due to long arms etc. Happy that it is progressing

Bent over row

65kg x 10

65kg x 10

65kg x 10

Wrist pronation / supination

5kg x 10

5kg x 10

5kg x 10

Did these holding the end of an olympic dumbell bar. Felt tough but also showed that my right wrist/forearm is stronger so definitely worth doing. Possibly a legacy of prior injuries on left side.

Want to strengthen grip/forearms so will definitely keep in

Wrist roller

3.75kg x 10

3.75kg x 8

3.75kg x 8

[DarthPenguin]

Wednesday 7th September

Karate Session

Warm ups

Kihon

Practiced our usual Kihon. With grading in a fortnight this was focused on quite a bit. I've been working every night on trying to strengthen my hip abductors (the ones that lift legs out to the side) as i think that they are the issue with my side kicks being lower than i would like - that plus tight hip flexors. Was pleased that side kicks seemed a little higher and easier than a few weeks ago. We also added in sequence of mae geri-yoko geri - mawashi geri - ushiro geri a few times which was good to practice. Footwork for the standing foot is slightly different from the other styles i practiced other than karate so it is good ot work on getting the karate footwork

Kata

Performed a couple of rounds of Heian Sandan and got feedback. Then broke off with one other person who is grading to practice with the other 3rd dan at the club observing kata and did multiple more rounds. Got a couple of good pointers, which were minor but make a difference.

Kumite

Performed a couple of rounds of the grading required kumite. No free sparring this class unfortunately as not required for the grading but thats fine

Overall good class. Grading in a week which hopefully will go fine. If not it just gives me an independent view of stuff to improve!

[bushido_man96]

When I do warm-up sets, I will usually start with two sets of 5 with the empty bar, then do a set of 5 at 50% of the work weight (or first work set), a set of 3 at 70%, then a single or double at 90%. I pretty much do these without rest in between, either; just enough time to load the next set and then do it, then after the last single or double, get right into the first work set. After that set, I'll rest probably 7-10 minutes, depending on the weight.

That method has worked pretty well for me, and does a good job of getting the system ready for the work sets.

Yeah that makes sense. I think i have been slightly overdoing the volume on the warm ups. Took a look back at my decade old gym logs (when i was less feeble!) and i used to do very similar to what you say above. Deadlifts are the lift that i probably do closest to that currently and it seems to be the smoothest progression over time. Have started implementing slightly reduced warm ups already

Cool. Hopefully, that helps you with your work sets.

[DarthPenguin]

Saturday 10th September

Lifting Session

Squats

20kg x 8

40kg x 3

50kg x 2

60kg x 1

70kg x 5

80kg x 3

90kg x 6

47.5kg x 10

47.5kg x 10

47.5kg x 10

This went smoothly. All reps were to hamstrings touching calves depth. Reduced warm up reps for this too and it did seem to help. Looking at old logs (when i lifted more) i used to do warm ups at 20kg, jump to 60kg and then usually jump up a lot more again. When heaviest set gets back up over 100kg again i will likely drop the 40kg warm up set and start with 50kg, then work up to this increasing.

Deadlifts

70kg x 10

70kg x 10

70kg x 10

had to cut session short here as got a phone call to go deal with a family emergency that arose. All sorted now though. Got main lifts done so it's all good!

[DarthPenguin]

Tuesday 13th September

Lifting Session

Lifted a lot earlier today as i had some professional exams this week and decided to lift when done, so lifted at lunchtime rather than early evening as i usually do. I prefer the later time i think, but wanted to make sure i could get session in

Bench press

20kg x 5

40kg x 3

50kg x 2

57.5kg x 5

67.5kg x 5

77.5kg x 6

45kg x 10

45kg x 10

45kg x 10

Felt ok, final set felt tough, but i always find the 5's week tougher so will see how the next session goes.

Seated Overhead press

25kg x 10

25kg x 10

25kg x 10

Bent over Barbell row

65kg x 10

65kg x 10

65kg x 10

Reverse E-Z bar curl

20kg x 10

20kg x 10

20kg x 10

Decided to do these as i am trying to add in some more exercises to work on my wrist/forearm strength. I've always been quite weak at these so that seemed a good reason to do them!

Have also identified i think the positions i need to work on to improve my hip flexibility to improve kicking height. I've been trying to sit in the 90/90 position for a bit, which when i could kick a non pathetic height used to be easy, and it appears to be my left hip, with the tightest part being when it is the 'back' hip. I've been working on these every night for the last week and it is beginning to loosen a bit.

Will keep working on these i think and see where i can get to. May also add in some sumo deadlifts to strengthen hips more

[bushido_man96]

This is just a suggestion, but I don't think adding sumo deadlifts will be worth your time. Conventional deadlifts are going to build more strength in more areas. The sumo deadlift is an interesting beast. The only reason it really came into being is because powerlifters discovered a way to circumvent the rules and artificially shorten the range of motion of the deadlift by standing really really wide, creating artificially shorter legs. 600 lbs is a lot easier to move 10 inches than it is to move 2 feet. Squats, at least low bar squats, and the deadlifts, should strengthen your hips significantly. At any rate, I don't think sumo adds anything beneficial to your strength training outside of the conventional deadlift.

I was also wondering about your overhead press. Is there any reason why you do seated over standing?

[DarthPenguin]

Good point on the Sumo's, was thinking of them as an extra rather than main lift but that might be overdoing it.

For the overhead press the reason is quite simple - i am lifting in the garage and the ceiling is only about an inch above my head where the joists run across it so i physically can't overhead press inside! I sometimes take kettlebells or dumbells outside so i can stand and press them.

Ideally would prefer to do a standing barbell press but since it's impossible where i am (plan to get a bigger garage built eventually which will alleviate the problem) the next best solution i could come up with was to do a seated overhead press with zero back support - so i put a flat bench in my squat rack and just sit on that when pressing. isn't ideal but means i can't lean back on anything.

[DarthPenguin]

Wednesday 14th September

Karate Session

Warm ups

Class was then run as a mock grading, so just performing our grading required Kihon a few times with no demonstration of techniques etc beforehand.

Did several rounds of kate, with about half of them being out on the floor yourself. Identified one slightly sloppy bit i was doing where i was not retracting my hand enough at my hip, once my body was turned. Simple fix as i thought i was putting it in the right place and it was a conscious movement - glad to have it pointed out pre grading though.

Then went onto multiple rounds of the grading kumite which is stated ippon kumite. Straightforward enough though i had another good thing pointed out, that i am not "Kiaiing" enough when i am the attacker. For some reason i had it in my head that i wasn't meant to, but again better pointed out now!

Grading on Saturday so won't do any more training this week as don't want to take a chance of an injury popping up, will just do the hip mobility stuff i have been working on.

[DarthPenguin]

Saturday 17th September

Karate Grading

Grading sat and passed so have now gotten back to 6th Kyu. Pleased at result - thats me successfully sat and passed 4 gradings in the last 11 mths.

Now onto training hard for the next level, have a kata to learn!

[DarthPenguin]

Sunday 18th September

Lifting Session

Deadlift

70kg x 5

80kg x 3

97.5kg x 5

112.5kg x 5

127.5kg x 6

72.5kg x 10

72.5kg x 10

72.5kg x 10

Squat

50kg x 10

50kg x 10

50kg x 10

Standing one hand kb shoulder press

16kg x 10 (per hand)

16kg x 10

16kg x 10

Kata

Ran through my new kata Heian Yondan 5 times. Have the basic sequences down now i think, just need to work on the details and getting the techniques and rhythm correct (ie the skilled bits!)