It's been a little while since I've posted, not because I have been slack with the exercise - but simply because I have been slack with the updates ;)
Went for an early morning cycle today 44.39km in 2 hours 4 minutes.
Some good hills and practice for the TDU community challenge but I need to step up the hills a bit more I think.
I can ride the distance I'm pretty comfortable with that - it's just grinding away.
It will be the hills - in particular the first epic steep part for 8km - that kill me.
It's for a good cause so I'm sure I can suck it up :)
Weights tonight with the lads then fight training tomorrow.
Thursday is a day full of gardening... boo!
Ah well fun times :)
Next update tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I am the predator, not the prey
Last nights fight training was hard work, it was hot and sticky inside the gym - I felt the heat a bit, but not enough to be concerned.
The first part of training was movement - something I need to work on and practice until I can move quickly and fluidly around the ring, instinctively.
This was followed by some more movement work with a focus on speed and creating space - again something I am aware that I need to work on.
We then moved into sparring, with only three of us there it was short rounds of intense activity.
First round body sparring, then change partners and head sparring, then rinse and repeat.
One person in the middle constantly two people changing.
I got tagged a few times when I was changing out - then it was my turn in the centre.
I was trying to move and be more aggressive, something I do struggle with - as I am quite a placid and relaxed person, even when getting hit - I'm more frustrated at myself then at my opponent.
By the third round in the centre I couldn't breathe, no air into the lungs and I could feel that my movement had dropped right away - this was confirmed when I started getting swarmed and tagged more.
I could hear my coach, telling me to move, to go one for one, to cover and keep my hands up.
I was trying as hard as I could to keep on pushing, all I wanted was to stop and die in the corner so I could get some air.....
I kept pushing - and getting punched - heard the coach call out 10 seconds left, push hard, dig deep.
So I did - I tried to keep pushing, punching, moving all the while unable to breathe, feeling like I couldn't lift my arms, feeling like my legs weighed 150kg....EACH.
I know I got tagged a LOT because I was tired and kept dropping my hands, my movement slowed to a crawl and my head movement completely stopped.
At the end of the session the coach told me I need to work on my aggression, I'm not a punching bag.
I need to get angry, control it and use it to throw. He also told me that I need to work on being less technical, to be more brawler for the time being so the other skills develop.
He was telling me all of this while I was flat on my back gasping for air at the end of the session.
It took me another thirty minutes to get back to normal, I was still completely spent when I got to the mother in laws for dinner.
Last night I didn't sleep well, I kept analysing the sparring - I could see it from a third person perspective and felt myself screaming out the same things the coach was: "Hands up, move, rush in, circle" I could see very clearly the things I was doing poorly.
The major thing is aggression, I need to be the attacker, I need to put my sparring partner on the back foot and make them move.
A line from a book resonated with me today - "I am the predator, not the prey" from Sam Sheridan's - A fighter's heart. It really is something I need to be. I need to be the predator, I need to stalk my opponent and I need to attack them with intent.
It makes sense - and it is the same thing that my coaches have been saying: "You're not their punching bag" - it is just a different way of saying things.
I think I get it now, I know what I need to do.
Time to work on it and push myself harder than ever before.
Time to get aggressive.
The first part of training was movement - something I need to work on and practice until I can move quickly and fluidly around the ring, instinctively.
This was followed by some more movement work with a focus on speed and creating space - again something I am aware that I need to work on.
We then moved into sparring, with only three of us there it was short rounds of intense activity.
First round body sparring, then change partners and head sparring, then rinse and repeat.
One person in the middle constantly two people changing.
I got tagged a few times when I was changing out - then it was my turn in the centre.
I was trying to move and be more aggressive, something I do struggle with - as I am quite a placid and relaxed person, even when getting hit - I'm more frustrated at myself then at my opponent.
By the third round in the centre I couldn't breathe, no air into the lungs and I could feel that my movement had dropped right away - this was confirmed when I started getting swarmed and tagged more.
I could hear my coach, telling me to move, to go one for one, to cover and keep my hands up.
I was trying as hard as I could to keep on pushing, all I wanted was to stop and die in the corner so I could get some air.....
I kept pushing - and getting punched - heard the coach call out 10 seconds left, push hard, dig deep.
So I did - I tried to keep pushing, punching, moving all the while unable to breathe, feeling like I couldn't lift my arms, feeling like my legs weighed 150kg....EACH.
I know I got tagged a LOT because I was tired and kept dropping my hands, my movement slowed to a crawl and my head movement completely stopped.
At the end of the session the coach told me I need to work on my aggression, I'm not a punching bag.
I need to get angry, control it and use it to throw. He also told me that I need to work on being less technical, to be more brawler for the time being so the other skills develop.
He was telling me all of this while I was flat on my back gasping for air at the end of the session.
It took me another thirty minutes to get back to normal, I was still completely spent when I got to the mother in laws for dinner.
Last night I didn't sleep well, I kept analysing the sparring - I could see it from a third person perspective and felt myself screaming out the same things the coach was: "Hands up, move, rush in, circle" I could see very clearly the things I was doing poorly.
The major thing is aggression, I need to be the attacker, I need to put my sparring partner on the back foot and make them move.
A line from a book resonated with me today - "I am the predator, not the prey" from Sam Sheridan's - A fighter's heart. It really is something I need to be. I need to be the predator, I need to stalk my opponent and I need to attack them with intent.
It makes sense - and it is the same thing that my coaches have been saying: "You're not their punching bag" - it is just a different way of saying things.
I think I get it now, I know what I need to do.
Time to work on it and push myself harder than ever before.
Time to get aggressive.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Why fight?
This is actually a question that I struggle with and thought it might be time to try and put my thoughts to something more solid.
I started out with martial arts to lose weight (and I have always loved them, just never done them) but something changed inside, I found this desire to push myself and I found that I wanted / want to compete against others, but I don't understand the desire or where it came from.
It is not a desire to compete, but to win, I don't want to get in the ring and lose.
I want to win, I want my opponent to know that they gave it their all and they came up short.
I don't want one fight - I want multiple fights and I want to win all of them.
So with that in mind - Why fight?
Why would I, a computer geek with no martial art experience want to get in the ring?
What is my motivation?
I honestly don't know the answer to the questions, I can't be certain what my reasons are.
I do know that I'm not motivated by finances to look at fighting competitively, at thirty (30) I am probably to old to make a career out of fighting - that and I wasn't born gifted with natural ability and talent in the fight world, so if I wanted a career out of fighting I should have started a LOT earlier.
Maybe it is the feeling of never having tested myself to quote from a Slipknot song (Sulfer) "Stay, you don't always know where you stand, until you know that you won't run away" - maybe that's what it is? I want to know if I will stand or run?
I've never really had a full on fight in my life, I've been attacked on the street and have responded with aggression to resolve the situation but all I have really been doing is looking for a window to escape.
Eg. throw a massive punch with intention to knock someone out, create space and GTFO out of there.
The few 'fights' that I have had, usually resulted from being bullied to the point that I snapped, attacked my tormentors out of anger - then within minutes return to my normal placid self, you probably couldn't really call it a fight either a bit of push, shove and lots of swearing.
Even with my brother I've never really had 'fights' not even play fighting, nor when I played rugby - the few little scuffles where all push and shove.
I've been punched in the face more in sparring practice than I have the rest of my life.
So maybe it is something about wanting to test myself as a fighter, as a man, my courage?
It could be about respect, as a fighter there is a degree of respect given by 'normal' people and other fighters just for stepping into the ring, maybe that's what I desire - that respect?
To go toe to toe with an opponent who is intent on causing me harm, maybe it is the respect that can be gained from them, from the crowd, from my coaches and peers for fighting as clean, crisp and accurate as possible - win, lose or draw. Knowing that I have made my coach, club and team mates proud?
Maybe it is the thrill / fear of the unknown doing something out of character for me and just going with it?
Maybe it is because I have found something I really enjoy and can see more to it than just bag and pad work with training partners?
As I said right at the start - I don't know what motivates me to fight and push myself - I think it is something that I will gradually fill in the blanks for, but right now. It is unknown.
To me it is a strange place to be - to have a desire so strong that I would make sacrifice and push myself as hard as I can for a goal I don't fully understand.
Usually when I have a goal I know the reasons behind it and can use that to keep me motivated, with fighting there is just the burning goal of "I want to fight" nothing really behind it.
It means that when I am sparring / training I have to keep pushing myself hard to achieve this goal, even though I don't understand it.
I have to work harder than the young guys who have the same drive and passion, I have to be better than them and my opponent so I can get into the ring, give it my all and win even if I don't know why I want to be there in the first place.
I need to listen to my coaches, make improvements and continue the journey even when my motivation flags and my mind steps up to question what I am doing there.
Even though I don't understand the reason for the goal, I can say I will be a fighter, I will go toe to toe with my opponent and I will give my all to win.
I started out with martial arts to lose weight (and I have always loved them, just never done them) but something changed inside, I found this desire to push myself and I found that I wanted / want to compete against others, but I don't understand the desire or where it came from.
It is not a desire to compete, but to win, I don't want to get in the ring and lose.
I want to win, I want my opponent to know that they gave it their all and they came up short.
I don't want one fight - I want multiple fights and I want to win all of them.
So with that in mind - Why fight?
Why would I, a computer geek with no martial art experience want to get in the ring?
What is my motivation?
I honestly don't know the answer to the questions, I can't be certain what my reasons are.
I do know that I'm not motivated by finances to look at fighting competitively, at thirty (30) I am probably to old to make a career out of fighting - that and I wasn't born gifted with natural ability and talent in the fight world, so if I wanted a career out of fighting I should have started a LOT earlier.
Maybe it is the feeling of never having tested myself to quote from a Slipknot song (Sulfer) "Stay, you don't always know where you stand, until you know that you won't run away" - maybe that's what it is? I want to know if I will stand or run?
I've never really had a full on fight in my life, I've been attacked on the street and have responded with aggression to resolve the situation but all I have really been doing is looking for a window to escape.
Eg. throw a massive punch with intention to knock someone out, create space and GTFO out of there.
The few 'fights' that I have had, usually resulted from being bullied to the point that I snapped, attacked my tormentors out of anger - then within minutes return to my normal placid self, you probably couldn't really call it a fight either a bit of push, shove and lots of swearing.
Even with my brother I've never really had 'fights' not even play fighting, nor when I played rugby - the few little scuffles where all push and shove.
I've been punched in the face more in sparring practice than I have the rest of my life.
So maybe it is something about wanting to test myself as a fighter, as a man, my courage?
It could be about respect, as a fighter there is a degree of respect given by 'normal' people and other fighters just for stepping into the ring, maybe that's what I desire - that respect?
To go toe to toe with an opponent who is intent on causing me harm, maybe it is the respect that can be gained from them, from the crowd, from my coaches and peers for fighting as clean, crisp and accurate as possible - win, lose or draw. Knowing that I have made my coach, club and team mates proud?
Maybe it is the thrill / fear of the unknown doing something out of character for me and just going with it?
Maybe it is because I have found something I really enjoy and can see more to it than just bag and pad work with training partners?
As I said right at the start - I don't know what motivates me to fight and push myself - I think it is something that I will gradually fill in the blanks for, but right now. It is unknown.
To me it is a strange place to be - to have a desire so strong that I would make sacrifice and push myself as hard as I can for a goal I don't fully understand.
Usually when I have a goal I know the reasons behind it and can use that to keep me motivated, with fighting there is just the burning goal of "I want to fight" nothing really behind it.
It means that when I am sparring / training I have to keep pushing myself hard to achieve this goal, even though I don't understand it.
I have to work harder than the young guys who have the same drive and passion, I have to be better than them and my opponent so I can get into the ring, give it my all and win even if I don't know why I want to be there in the first place.
I need to listen to my coaches, make improvements and continue the journey even when my motivation flags and my mind steps up to question what I am doing there.
Even though I don't understand the reason for the goal, I can say I will be a fighter, I will go toe to toe with my opponent and I will give my all to win.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Post weights rant
Last night I did weights, the new routine that I have worked out - that covers the majority of the body.
I am still working at 10kg for the most part, 5kg for iron cross and I bumped the tricep extensions up to 17.5kg for the first set and 20kg for the second.
Not huge weight - I know that - but I want to build the strength back up to a reasonable level before plying on the weight.
I can probably do most at 15 - 20kg without to much hassle, but again I want to start right and not cause myself an injury.
So my workout was good, had a chat with another geek in the gym which was good, but I just don't understand the mentality of some others.
Picture this:
Small gym / weights area for a corporate organisation so it's not a big money making gym.
Limited equipment but still a decent range.
Two guys working in the smith machine, doing purely bench press.
Taking turns to do 80kg bench and talking each other up, being derogatory to the other people lifting.
(Myself and the other geek - who is really just starting out and lifting lightish)
The comments themselves pretty harmless, but it's more the snickering and laughing happening because two other people are working light, without knowing why - they just assume that both people are weak.
So I would just like to put a bit of a response to the two gym douchebags:
I am still working at 10kg for the most part, 5kg for iron cross and I bumped the tricep extensions up to 17.5kg for the first set and 20kg for the second.
Not huge weight - I know that - but I want to build the strength back up to a reasonable level before plying on the weight.
I can probably do most at 15 - 20kg without to much hassle, but again I want to start right and not cause myself an injury.
So my workout was good, had a chat with another geek in the gym which was good, but I just don't understand the mentality of some others.
Picture this:
Small gym / weights area for a corporate organisation so it's not a big money making gym.
Limited equipment but still a decent range.
Two guys working in the smith machine, doing purely bench press.
Taking turns to do 80kg bench and talking each other up, being derogatory to the other people lifting.
(Myself and the other geek - who is really just starting out and lifting lightish)
The comments themselves pretty harmless, but it's more the snickering and laughing happening because two other people are working light, without knowing why - they just assume that both people are weak.
So I would just like to put a bit of a response to the two gym douchebags:
- There is more to gym work than bench, even if you are doing isolation work - you probably want to work the opposing muscle group as well so that you achieve the best results.
- 80kg is not really a heavy bench, sorry to burst your bubble and mess with your swagger - but it's really not that heavy. Most males that have been lifting for a while are able to bench their body weight and usually more on top of that. (Some just don't realise that because they don't put their mind on the game)
- Laughing at my workout: in my 40 minutes in the gym, I worked every muscle group including my core while you worked your chest and biceps. Great work.
- If you want a challenge feel free to do my weights session, then we can do some cardio work a few rounds of sparring, then more cardio. All that time on the bench will certainly pay off here.
In short - I hate gym douchebags - they are unfortuantely everywhere - even at your work gym :(
Boo!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Fight Training, cardio and sparring.
So tonight was a double of fight training, the first session was cardio and conditioning, the second drills and sparring.
Really enjoyed both sessions, but before I go into that I should probably give an update on my weights session yesterday.
Started all of the weights at 10kg, beginner weight for the moment until I build some strength back up.
Unfortunately the iron cross - kicked my ass, down to 5kg for those.
But it felt good and let me know how much I missed weights.
Will keep them at the current weight for at least two weeks before I go up to a reasonable weight :P
Tonight's session was really good, the cardio session was really quite tough.
Nothing like bear walks, squats, circles, sprawl, mountain climbers, front kicks. All after a good session on the bag.
Awesome.
Second session was sparring with a twist, clinch work, knees, and sparring on your knees.
Was really good - I felt smashed after the session but enjoyed it.
Loved it.
Looking forward to more weights tomorrow.
Oh yeah and side note I have taken some comparison photos from 01/07/2010 and today - there's a fair amount of difference not keen to post to the world yet - but soon, once I get a little more progress.
Really enjoyed both sessions, but before I go into that I should probably give an update on my weights session yesterday.
Started all of the weights at 10kg, beginner weight for the moment until I build some strength back up.
Unfortunately the iron cross - kicked my ass, down to 5kg for those.
But it felt good and let me know how much I missed weights.
Will keep them at the current weight for at least two weeks before I go up to a reasonable weight :P
Tonight's session was really good, the cardio session was really quite tough.
Nothing like bear walks, squats, circles, sprawl, mountain climbers, front kicks. All after a good session on the bag.
Awesome.
Second session was sparring with a twist, clinch work, knees, and sparring on your knees.
Was really good - I felt smashed after the session but enjoyed it.
Loved it.
Looking forward to more weights tomorrow.
Oh yeah and side note I have taken some comparison photos from 01/07/2010 and today - there's a fair amount of difference not keen to post to the world yet - but soon, once I get a little more progress.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
New weight routine - starts tonight
So I have decided to make use of my non fight training days (Tuesday, Thursday) for weight training.
It's been nearly six months since I've done any weight work - so I am starting again with a basic / intermediate full body routine.
This routine covers the majority of the body and will tide me over for two - three months while I get back into it.
I am not aiming to build massive bulk but lean strong muscle, so the weight which I haven't decided on yet - won't be massive.
The routine will be as follows:
Edit: on advice from a good friend, I will be adding chinups to the routine
Bent over two dumbbell row 2 x 15
Dumbbell bench press 2 x 15
Dumbbell lunge 2 x 15
Dumbbell one arm shoulder press 2 x 15
Dumbbell squat 2 x 15
Dumbbell iron cross 2 x 15
Bent arm double pullover 2 x 15
Alternate hammer curls 2 x 15
Dumbbell tricep extension 2 x 15
Bench dips 2 x 15
Chin-ups 2 x 15
I'm looking forward to getting back into it and building some strength back (I feel that I've lost some with the big cardio / martial arts push) so this will be a nice refresher course :)
This would then mean that I am training:
Monday: Kick boxing beginners (warm up - 45 minute), Fight training (Conditioning / Sparring -1 hr)
Tuesday: Weights
Wednesday: Fight training (Conditioning - 1 hr), Fight training (Sparring - 1 hr)
Thursday: Weights
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Fight training (Conditioning - 1 hr)
Sunday: Cycle (Anywhere from 20 - 100km ride - 1 - 4 hours)
Coupled with the IF, healthy eating and 'No Cheat November' I should reach the 70kg goal in good time.
Tally ho!
It's been nearly six months since I've done any weight work - so I am starting again with a basic / intermediate full body routine.
This routine covers the majority of the body and will tide me over for two - three months while I get back into it.
I am not aiming to build massive bulk but lean strong muscle, so the weight which I haven't decided on yet - won't be massive.
The routine will be as follows:
Edit: on advice from a good friend, I will be adding chinups to the routine
Bent over two dumbbell row 2 x 15
Dumbbell bench press 2 x 15
Dumbbell lunge 2 x 15
Dumbbell one arm shoulder press 2 x 15
Dumbbell squat 2 x 15
Dumbbell iron cross 2 x 15
Bent arm double pullover 2 x 15
Alternate hammer curls 2 x 15
Dumbbell tricep extension 2 x 15
Bench dips 2 x 15
Chin-ups 2 x 15
I'm looking forward to getting back into it and building some strength back (I feel that I've lost some with the big cardio / martial arts push) so this will be a nice refresher course :)
This would then mean that I am training:
Monday: Kick boxing beginners (warm up - 45 minute), Fight training (Conditioning / Sparring -1 hr)
Tuesday: Weights
Wednesday: Fight training (Conditioning - 1 hr), Fight training (Sparring - 1 hr)
Thursday: Weights
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Fight training (Conditioning - 1 hr)
Sunday: Cycle (Anywhere from 20 - 100km ride - 1 - 4 hours)
Coupled with the IF, healthy eating and 'No Cheat November' I should reach the 70kg goal in good time.
Tally ho!