Entry #426

The day before yesterday, I wrenched my back while finishing on the hanger construction. I was put out of commision for the remainder of the day and yesterday. Today, I completed it. My back is much better now. This myriad of injuries is annoying, but I'm impressed by my body's resilience in recovering. 

I hung the heavy bag and the situation is worlds better than before. I can actually move around it and get in close now. The speed-bag swivel was shoddily designed, however. The hook is mechanically closed. Every speed bag that I have seen ends in a closed loop, and it's impossible to hang up the two that I already have. I'm going to disassemble the swivel mechanism from the other platform that I purchased a few years ago and apply it to the new one.

My knee almost gave out today mid-squat as I was lifting up the heavy bag to hang. I redeemed myself a few hours later by doing it with no pain, although I was careful not to shift as much weight on the problematic knee. My ankle on that same leg has also been in pain for the last couple of days for reasons unbeknownst to me. The road to redemption from here is long, but that's what makes greatness what it is.

Edit: my lingering ankle pain has completely subsided in a matter of hours. I know I'm great, but now I can't even control it.

Entry #425

I've finished the majority of the building process for the bag stand. It took nearly the entire day because the instructions labeled several steps out of order. I had to rescrew everything already in at one point. It was also a solo job so the task of holding up parts in one hand and tightening them with another involved some strategy. Now, it's looking very satisfiable. Rather than move it out in the open, exposed to the elements, I'm instead going to remove my useless weight bench to make space for it in the patio.

The construction involved a lot of squatting. My knees and back held up aptly.

Entry #424

I stopped by Big 5 today and purchased a heavy bag stand. It also includes a speed bag platform. I look forward to setting it up tomorrow. It'll be placed out of the patio and in the middle of the lawn to allow more dynamic movement when training with it.

Along with that, I also bought a pair of 12 oz. gloves, a pair of knee braces, and two training pants. All are far too small and must be returned. I should have chosen the 16 oz. ones from the start to match the pair that I already have, but I wanted to give George an advantage by using the thinner pair against me when we box.

Entry #423

I'm still in the midst of organizing everything. Sasquatch responded with this:

"I know a good beach area and a couple of motels where we can get a room away from everyone else"

I had no idea that they had fight rings in motel rooms.

I'm not accepting this person's terms. If he tried to pull something on me, I would have to physically resist, and I don't want a dead man on my hands.

If he does not wish to accept a public location, then the fight is off.

Entry #422

This is almost the end of a three-day lapse from training due to the final days of school for the semester and the assignments it brings. Mental training supplements physical, so no time is being wasted. I was planning on going to Big 5 to purchase a bag rack, but that will have to wait until next weekend.

One benefit derived from this situation is that I can drill low kicks on the downed bag, something that I could never optimally do.

Entry #421

Somebody smashed their car into my dad's garage door last night and drove off without leaving any acknowledgement. I didn't see who it was, but I found out by questioning various neighbors, getting an address from a witness, matching the dimensions of a notably-scathed car in the written neighborhood with the perimeter of the hole, overlaying a picture of each to reveal the match, forcing out a confession, and officiating a payment plan with the authorities, all in less than two hours, and without the aid of a single nunchaku.

The severity of this could have been worse had I been working near the door at the incident. Their car would have been totaled.

Entry #420

My dad wants to take down the heavy bag from the roof and buy a stand for it. He said that he was sleeping in his room on the third story of our house when his bed started shaking from me hitting it. I concurred. That would be a much better set-up; I'd be able to utilize actual footwork and movement with a different location.

DE lower-body

I used the unmarked weights in my backyard. I didn't care to estimate the pounds. I just used what felt right.

Everything was done barefoot.

Box-squats:
10 X 3
That's 10 sets of three, not vice-versa. Mid-set, I realized the short length of my barbell was forcing my hands too closely to one another, so I released my hold to move my grip beyond the plate and grab the end of the bar. As soon as I let go, the bar whipped back like a spring, beyond my reach. I was supporting it on one shoulder, so I whipped it over my head and onto the ground to reset my form. In doing so, two of the plates clamped down on a piece of my pinky finger. I'm certainly not one to fuss over a finger cut, but it was practically a blood bath. It was awesome. It didn't have any affect on my ability to grip the weights, so I was able to continue.
The barbell did not come out as unscathed, being of a much more frail being than myself. It was destroyed. I won, although there's a large chunk of my finger missing. I should go look for it.

Good mornings:
5 X 12
I had to do these with stacked plates because the barbell was M.I.A. What a weakling.

Crunches:
3 X 20
At the climax of each rep, I would hold the position and throw some combinations. This tired my midsection more than normal.

Grip work with the trainer:
3 X 5
My gushing finger made this more difficult. It's a great technique.

Entry #419

I received two more replies to my invitation. One is from a man about 80 lbs. lighter than I am and a few inches shorter, with very little experience. The other is a much bigger fellow, smaller than me, but with a claim of an extensive background in "Karate, Jujutsu, and Ninjutsu" (sic). Him and the first responder, who shall be named Sasquatch for now, George, Jeff, and Dan make a decent-sized group. I will invite the beginner if he feels comfortable, but, otherwise, some private drills and sparring would be apt with him. I have to organize the set-up and send back confirmations to everyone, but, whatever the case, I'm definitely going to fight Sasquatch above all.

ME upper-body

> Two factors stood against me. I've been cycled off of creatine for about two weeks now, and, more notably, rest-times were reduced by a drastic amount for today. To illustrate, this particular session usually takes 110 minutes. I completed it in about an hour, with little compensation.

Bench press:
5 X 3
135, 185, 225, 265, 285 lbs.

Overhead dumbbell press:
1 X 15
30 lb. dumbbells   
1 X 7
85 lb. dumbbells
1 X 3
85 lb. dumbbells

Seated dumbbell rows:
5 X 10
65 lb. dumbbells

Lateral raises:
3 X 8
35 lb. dumbbells

Abdominal circuit:
chop-crunches, v-ups, leg raises
triple-setted

Speed bag session

Entry #418

I was browsing CraigsList.com last night to help me get bored enough to fall asleep (it was a school night), and I decided to post a personal of my own. I called to attention anybody willing to fight me. To my surprise, I got a response. According to the e-mail, he is in "know of a couple good places" to do it at. He's 6'1, 240 lbs., and 36 years old.

More to develop.

Entry #417

I returned to the track slightly later than usual, but, luckily, the fence was unlocked. Shadowboxing was prime. My hands were practically glued to my face; they never dropped unbeknownst to me when I didn't want them to.

Review:

> Keep toes pointed in direction that head and shoulders are facing. I have a habit of standing them to the side. Twisting the torso thus creates harmful friction in the knees.

> Roll the non-lead shoulder more upon a strike.

> Keep hooks, and, to a less extent, upper-cuts, closer to the body. They should move as an extension of the torso, not as independent limbs.

I finished with a few sets of ATG hindu squats.

Water intake is much more satisfactory. I'm drinking well over a gallon a day. I need to drink two.

Entry #416

To recount from the last entry, I did not make it in time for track training that day. However, training of the mind is just as important as training of the body.

I've been taking Cytogainer for breakfast. The amount in the container isn't as good a deal as ON's product, but a change was needed.

My back got wrenched from skateboarding yesterday. I'll keep doing what I've been doing.