Entry #415

Tomorrow will be a day off due to the amount of homework I have to finish. I can use this to my advantage. I'm still sore from last week, and I most likely would not be able to provide my utmost potential. This can be considered as a deload week.

If I work efficiently, I should still be able to make it to track training by 2030 tomorrow.

Entry #414

Today was supposed to be squats, but I was able to tell that my knees were not up to the task merely from warming up with bodyweight sets. I walked home. The form practice was worthwhile in itself. In retrospect, I probably could have done light deadlifts without issue. That was completely beyond me at the time.

I have a number of policies to implement before I cut down to a more comfortable weight. First and foremost, I've been supplementing with Champion Nutrition's "ProFlex", which is simply an embarassing title for a glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin tablet.

I've been shadowboxing daily to the point that recording each session would be like writing everytime I eat.

Entry #413

RE upper-body

Lingering soreness from the prior session affected today's performance.

Push-ups:
2 X 20
Weighted:
2 X 10
1 X 8
25 lbs.

Skull crushers:
3 X 6
50 lb. dumbbells

Pull-ups:
1 X 10
1 X 8
1 X 6
2 X 4

Hise shrugs:
3 X 15
225 lbs.

I returned to the track later at night, but the fence was locked.

Entry #412

ME upper-body

Floor press:
X 20 - 135 lbs.
X 12 - 185 lbs.
X 8 - 225 lbs.
X 4 - 265 lbs.
X 3 - 300 lbs.
The weight was pyramided to increase the difficulty. Using this method makes triples on bench press seem like nothing.

Military press:
X 15 - 45 lbs.
3 X 6 - 135 lbs.

Seated cable row:
5 X 10
160 lbs.

Plate flyes:
3 X 10
25 lb. plates
This was a page out of Pudzianowski's book. Stabilizing the weight to be held straight out was hell on my forearms.

Abdominal circuit:
chop-crunches, reverse crunches, and leg raises

Afterwards, I went to the track to practice forms, as I have been doing everynight now.

Entry #411

Today was productive. I tried working the heavybag, but the more my footwork improves and the more mobile I become, the harder it is to train effectively on it. I need to find a better solution to its placement. I opted for shadowboxing.

At night, I walked to the high school for more shadowboxing, this time in the rain. There was a school dance in session, but it was of no conflict. I had the entire darkness of the track to myself.

Running home felt good. My joints and my back feel perfect. With this approach, I can bulk up to 240 and beyond. With that said, I'm going to take another week off from heavy deadlifts and squats to ensure no chance of injury repeating itself. In the meantime, practicing the movements will continue to be done daily.

I dedicate this kick to Cro Cop.

Entry #410

My knees felt painful. After a night walk, they felt perfect again. I shadowboxed the length of it, focusing on keeping proper balance.

More intensive cardio begins tomorrow. This will be a daily session. I want to have conditioning year round.

Entry #409

I opted for no assistance work today. There was a mild case of "tennis elbow" after benching. It'll be fixed by next week.

Bench press was at 285 lbs. for three reps. It was even easier than last time. I definitely could have done more, but this is the last week before everything is cycled through.

Entry #408

Notes for study (Dempsey, "Straight Punching From the Whirl"):

Muscles of the shoulders, back, stomach and legs cooperate in achieving
the whirl. Also, the process is assisted by shifting the weight from
one leg to the other. You need concern yourself only with the shoulder
motions. Nature will supervise the assisting muscles and movements.

You can best understand the
straight-punching whirl by feeling
it out-without using a target. Stand in the middle of a room with your
feet even (on sideways line) and comfortably separated. Place your
relaxed hands in easy guarding positions before each breast (Figure 18A).

Turn your shoulders easily to your own
left and, at the same
time, extend your right fist to the chin of an imaginary opponent. As
your right fist moves toward the opponent's chin, turn the fist so that
it will land palm-down. 

Meanwhile, your left shoulder is well back, and
your relaxed left hand is still in front of your left breast. Aim at left
hand at the spot occupied by your extended right fist.

Now, SUDDENLY WHIRL YOUR SHOULDERS TO
YOUR RIGHT, AND LET THE
SHOULDER-WHIRL SHOOT YOUR LEFT FIST STRAIGHT AT THE SPOT JUST OCCUPIED
BY YOUR RIGHT FIST.

Be sure you let the whirl shoot your
fist instead of letting
your projecting left arm pull your left shoulder around. As your left
fist shoots at the imaginary target, turn your hand so that the fist
lands palm-down. Meanwhile, your right hand returns to its relaxed
guarding position before your right breast.

Practice that shoulder whirl on the bag.
Shoot one fist, then
the other-bang!-bang!-bang!-bang!-until you are striking out with a
rhythmic motion of the shoulders. Your shoulders should be swinging
back and forth like the handle bars of a bicycle. Do not move the feet.
Be sure that you explode each punch, MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR SHOULDERS
ARE DRIVING THE PUNCHES; THAT THE PUNCHES ARE NOT PULLING THE SHOULDERS.

That position-with the feet on an even
line-is ideal for
throwing straight punches from the whirl.

Unfortunately, however, that ideal
position is not your normal
punching position. Consequently, we'll have to return to your normal
punching stance and try the whirling straight punches from that
position.

In the middle of the room, take your
normal stance, with your
hands in normal guarding positions. Practice the shoulder whirl easily
at first, without the bag. As your shoulders whip from side to side,
you'll note that your left leg acts as a pivot, above which your torso
and shoulders whirl (Figure 19A and B).

If you toe-in slightly with the left
foot, you'll get greater
freedom in the whirl from left to right-the whirl that shoots out your
left fist. And that particular whirl needs any assistance it can get.
When you're in normal position, your guarding left shoulder is so well
forward that you can't give it much whirl in shooting the left jab. You
can't unless you draw back the left shoulder. And if you do that you
may get your brains knocked out.

It's okay to use a slight toe-in with
the left foot; but keep
it slight. If you toe-in sharply, you may sprain or break your left
ankle when you do the falling step. Moreover, the more freedom you give
the whirl for your left jab with the toe-in, the less freedom you allow
the reverse whirl for your straight right. That's true despite the fact
that your left leg is serving as a pivot.

EACH SINGLE STRAIGHT PUNCH OF THE
WHIRLING TYPE WHETHER A LEAD
OR A COUNTER MUST BE DELIVERED FROM THE NORMAL PUNCHING POSITION.

Entry #407

I received the CoC trainer in the mail. Coincidentally, I seem to have lost the #1. I might have to rebuy it.

My diet consistency has wavered. I will be back on track tomorrow by sacrificing a meal to sleep early tonight.

Entry #406

Weigh-in: 228 lbs.

ME upper-body

I benched 285 lbs. for 3 reps. It was very easy. The rest of today's session was more or less identical to last week's.

Next week, all lifts will be cycled.

Entry #405

I started out on squats well, but at 185, my back began to feel stiff and my right knee started to ache, so I reracked for the day. Steady, smart progression like this is key. My knee is fine now, but my back is a bit sore, though nowhere near to the critical degree of what I've gone through in past weeks. When given thought, it isn't unusual. Squats have become an unaccustomed movement for my body. I'm going to practice them everyday with just the bar, along with deadlifts.

Instead, I worked the heavybag, bare-knuckle. My form was better, and there were no mistakes. The speed-bag was flat, but I found it worthwhile to hit it like a regular bag to practice aim. This felt even felt more productive than using it the way it's intended to be.

I also ordered the trainer CoC gripper. I'm not proficient enough with the #1.

Entry #404

Weigh-in: 226 lbs.

On the stand-up bag, it would be better to adopt a compact stance, with the head kept low. The difficulty in avoiding the recoil is made harder that way. Placing it next to the hanging bag for bounce is proving very effective in adding a degree of unpredictability to how it will return.

RE upper-body

Push-ups:
2 X 20
Weighted:
1 X 12
10 lbs.
3 X 10
25 lbs.

Tate presses:
4 X 8
30 lb. dumbbells
> Poundage was low to compensate for the foreign movement. It was little challenge, but this is a light day.

Chin-ups:
4 X 8
1 X 4

Hise shrugs:
3 X 15
225 lbs.

I concluded with rounds on the gym's heavy bag, bare-knuckle. My wrist folded in one instance (luckily, on a jab and not anything heavy). I rely too much on the assistance of wraps. This is something that should be drilled further.

Entry #403

ME upper-body

Bench press:
5 X 3
135, 185, 225, 265, 275 lbs.
Rather than make increase in the ultimate set, I raised the weight by 10 lbs. in the preceding one to create a more even increment. The rest time was shorter than usual.

Overhead dumbbell press:
2 X 8    1 X 4
80 lb. dumbbells

Seated dumbbell rows:
5 X 10
65 lb. dumbbells

Seated lateral raises:
3 X 8
30 lb. dumbbells

Abdominal circuit:
chop-crunches, reverse crunches, and leg raises
triple~setted
There were two brief but painful cramps from this. It felt like I had been stabbed. Chop-crunches are brutal.

Entry #402

I went on a night run, having just come back now at 1:00 AM.  My feet felt oddly light.  I was snapping my jabs as I went and it felt utterly perfect. I will never change them just to suit conventions.

Entry #401

I submitted an application to what looked to be a shady martial-arts competition that was supposedly in my town, but there has been no reply. I could have predicted that just from the website:

http://www.geocities.com/win_know_fight/

Protip: don't find your top-secret underground kumite deathmatch tournaments on Craigslist.