The Mobile Gorilla

Over the summer, I’ve been busy and not made much attempts at keeping up my blog her at Medieval Clubbells. I plan on changing that.

So over the summer I went with my 100 Day Challenge with a Trial by Fire(100 Clubbell Swipes, 100 CB Mills Laft and Right side, and 75 Hammer Swings Left and Right) with two 25 pound Clubbells and a goal of under 30 minutes. My Final Time was 26:19. Not bad!

Then it was 28 days of the BodyWeight Revolution. Great program. I had a blast with it. I really didn’t notice how much my gains were until I went back to my regular yoga classes. Endurance and mobility were definatly increassed.

Now I’m working on three skills: the Pullup, the 1 legged Squat and the floating lever or the floating plank pose.  It’s three skills that seem dificult to do at first but I think with the coaching assistance I’m getting, it will be easier that I think. I hope.

Day 1 Cycle through 4 times: 5 reps per side for now Pull-ups- Jump to Bar and hold for 3 seconds than lower self to the ground slowly. RPE 8 RPT 6 RPD 6 1-legged Squats: Warm-up with spinal rocks: Spinal Rock to flatfooted squat with one leg extended and push up with other leg but do not stand up. RPE 6 RPT 7 RPD 3 Plank and Crow with the eventual goal of a floating lever Plank- Strengthen Core by settling into plank pose. Rounding back and lifting on leg off the ground with strict attention paid to not moving the hips. Just before the hips or lower back begin to move, stop and hold leg for a count of ten. RPE 6 RPT 8 RPD 3 Crow- using a Balance ball, place legs on top and pull self to Crow pose. I didn’t have a a Balance ball but used a mechanic’s creeper chair to pull legs in shifting weight over hands and pushing hips into the air. It felt similar to a using the hips and core to move into a handstand. RPE 8 RPT 7 RPD3 Cool Down: Locus Pose, Sleeping Warrior and Sitting forward Fold. Held for 1 minute.. NOTES: I’m having some issues with my left arm and shoulder along with the Fear Reactivity of jacking up my shoulder again. I strained something this past weekend in tournament. I warmed up with Intu-Flow® and felt good but during the tournament, I was using a six foot pole-arm in a melee situation and I think the action of pushing and pulling the rattan around pulled something. The forearm was swollen and warm but it went down after icing it. So today, I noticed that after the second round that it was starting to hurt, a lot. So I went from jumping and holding the bar to climbing up and holding. I will pay special attention to that for certain. The 1 leg squat spinal rock went much easier than I expected. Normally I have a little trouble with the Flat Footed Squat because my feet want to come together. I’ve worked on compensating for that and it’s gotten better but not where I wanted. So I didn’t think I could accomplish the task at hand that well but actually, extending one leg made it easier to get feel of the pistol. I’m a little worried about the right knee but I’m very excited over this. The Plank and Crow work was interesting to say the least. I didn’t feel like I was doing that much work when working the plank. But keeping the hips locked was tough. I did notice that the back wanted to become “unrounded”.

Endure the SUCK!!

Coach Sonnon wrote this  the day after our seminar back in Feb. Today’s workout brought it back to me.   We do have it easy and are too comfortable. It’s easy for me to talk my way out of  training when the conditions aren’t right. Too hot, too cold, bugs, humidity, rain, company, whatever excuse we come up with to talk ourselves out of training.  That’s one thing I’m trying to get out of these 100 days, to push through the suck and train no matter the circumstances. Endure the suck. the payoff at the end of the road is worth it.

http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=510

100 Day day 43

Days 40-42

Rain Delay! Apperantly we’ve had a subtropical depression over my area for the past few days and when at home, I workout outside which means I need to get my workout area covered. Anyway sinceI couldn’t sling Clubbells, I spent the time working on my yoga and active recovery.

Day 43, back at work and Clubbell® swinging. Weather outside is 85 degrees with 90% humidity with the sunshining. Muggy as all getout! Inside the shop, it’s the same outside but with no air moving. GUH! 4 sets of 25 reps of TBF with five minute rest.

 Round 1:RPT 8 RPE 7 RPD 5

 I felt great! Man those extra days of rest really must have paid off because I was a freaking machine! Everythings going great.

Round 2: RPT 8 RPE 8 RPD 6

Still hanging in there.

Round 3-4:RPT 8 RPE 9 RPD 8

 The Machine threw a rod… Man, I hit the wall on the last set especially. I had to swap out hands on the MILLS halfway through the Mill Portion. Pretty much felt wrung out at the end but in a good way. Must have been the endorphin rush! I actually got pissed at the CB’s on that last cycle and got in touch with my inner Conan for a few moments. Man did that feel good. Haven’t had that feeling in a while thought I had forgotten how. I think I scared some of the others in the gym though….. heh,heh.

Cool Down, Seal, Standing Back bend, Pigeon pose and shin box. I think I’m going to hang out at this level of progression for a few cycles until it gets less difficult cause It’s never easy!

100 Day Challenge Catch up

Yesterday: Day 31 TBF day 9
Lo Intensity Doens’t mean no work just not at heavy.

Did some exercises from the GroupCST DVD : 3 cycles of Clubbell® Curl/lunges. Same with Torch Press and Head cast. One minute each.

Then Warmed up my Cossack squats and then went three rounds until I got tired. Didn’t try to go for time under tension. And finally, 3 sets of tripod extensiond twisitng over to touch the mat with both hands into a wheel just for a second.

Today, Day 32. Rest because I have HUGE tournament tommorow with 20 fighters. So I’m taking today easy.

Well first off, I admit that Sunday and Monday I was a gigantic slackbag. I just laid up and rested after the event Saturday. Didn’t win. Heart wasn’t in it. I knew that the first fight. On the other hand, I felt great!
I just coulnd’t motivated myself the last to days to do anything but yard work. “shudder”

Enough complaining and listening tothe Drunk Monkey talkin me way out of training and back to the grind.

So:
Day 33- Fought in heavey weapons SCA Tournament. Must have tweaked knee because the storm fron has moved though and the knee still hurts.

Day 34-35 rested.

Day 36: Continue with Trial By Fire Moderate Intensity

3 sets of 25 reps of TBF. 5 minute rest between sets.
Think I’m starting to really get the effortless effort of the mills. Finally.

Cool Down was yoga with the kids. I’d ask my kids,” Hey can you do this?”, and they would repeat it. Pretty cool. And humbleing when they can just flip over into a wheel with no effort.

I’ve noticed that on my days off at work that things try and keep me from training. Mostly it’s the break in my normal routine and it’s hard to make myself get out and train. But, I guess that’s where the real training comes in: keeping the promise’s you make to yourself.

 

Day 37

4 sets of 25 reps of TBF with 25# Clubbell®. 3 minute rest between sets.

So today is the first day that I actually hit the correct volume needed to complete the trial by fire. Probably should have started this on on a moderate day. Definatly good tell the technique was not what yesterday was with the mills.
Rpe 8
Rpt 7 overall. Mills still need some work. Not where I want them.
RPD 5

Cooldown: Seal, Camel, Locust, pigeon. Sounds like a zoo.

Day 38: No intensity. Right.

Good warmup with Intu-Flow® followed by some light Prasara and Vinyasa yoga. Lower backadn core are really loosening up. Very happy with that. I actually went from Up dog to Wheel and BACK to Up Dog!!! WOO HOO!!!

Day 39:Lo Intensity Day

3 cycles of Clubbell®® Curl/lunges. Same with Torch Press and Crush Torch Press. One minute each.

Warmed up my Cossack squats and then went 2 round of abuot 30 seconds. Knee being quirky so I’m carefull to only hang out at the edge of discomfort. Slow Vinyasa sun salutations to loosen up.

I could definatly feel the HI Intensity day of the CB’s from the other day. I think the workload has gotten heavy enough that I actually need the two days of no and lo intensity fro reccovery but I’m a slow learner always trying ot iceskate up hill. Tommorow will definatly tell the tale if I can’t get through a regular CB session of MOD intensity.

30 out of100 Days

Day 30 TBF Day 9

No Intensity:

Inut-FLow beginner level. It helps me find the kinks and the areas I need work.

Vinyasa Yoga flow. Noting complicated or to indepth. This is NO intensity day so,it was asanaas to help release some aresa of tension fromthe TBF.

Oddly enough, I’m carrying some tension in the side body and it’s transfering to the leg and right knee. Dug a little into the ankle joint to release some tension Ifeel there first thing in the morning when Iget out of bed thinking that might help as well. Movement is not restricted but the tension is definatly there. Don’t need any foul ups with a big torunament comning up Saturday.

100 Days Trial By Fire

Day #24: TBF Day 2

HIGH Intensity
3 sets of 20 reps of Swipes, mills(20 left/20 Right) and Hammer swings(20 left/20 Right).

I had planned for four sets BUT, I could tell that my form on the Mills was deteriorating below a 6 mostly, in the right arm. Must be careful not to muscle the CB and cause injury. I was suprised at how whipped I was afterwards. Pretty wrung out.

Compensation:

Seal

Locus

Standing back bend.

On a side note, I have now gotten to the point where I can move from Down Dog and wheel into a back bend! Now if I can just work my way back to dog.
One thing at a time.

Just a little bragging on my part.

Day #25 TBF Day 3

No Intensity. Right. Why does yard/pool work always seem to land on no intensity day?

Woke up feeling a little bit if DOMS. Wasn’t expecting that. It all went away with a good long session of Intu-Flow® and some light stretching.

Day #29 TBF Day 7

Well honestly, Days 26 through Day 28 were taken up with birthday a party for my son along with his sleep-over with 10 eight  year old boys. For example: 0730 in the morning getting woken up to thuds on the floor and the boys yelling,” WE’RE PLAYING WAR!!!!! AARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!” Talk about HI Intensity.

Plus, I was still a bit fatigued. Some lite yoga and intu-flo worked all that out so I took an extra day.

Today: Medium Intensity ratcheting up from last go ’round. 3 sets of 20 reps of TBF with 25# CB. Rest 5 minutes between sets. I’m thinking about hangin here for a week in order to work on my technique with the Mills. The right arm just doesn’t have the “flow” that the left side does. I don’t want to risk injuring my self until I can get the form and flow right.

Complimentary cool down:
Seal

Shinbox

Tripod Extentesion.

100 Day Challenge and PT test Results

TODAY is Day #20. Yesterday #19 I found out I had my PT test on Saturday so I rested. Seems I’ve been doing alot of that this past week .:)

Final Results:

73 Pushups in 2 minutes
40 Situps in 2 minutes
2.5 mile walk 32:18

Not real pleased with the situps. Other than that, I’m pretty happy.

Things I learned:

**More prep time. I only had about 2 and a half weeks to train specifically for this.

**Less time on Treadmill, more time on blacktop. Treadmill doesn’t engage the shins like actual walking will. But I did shave 3 minutes of time.

**More time under tension with the situps. I burned out to quick.

Given enough time, do the actual event about every 10 days as a progress check.

Pay more attention to meals the week leading up to the event and a lite breakfast the morning of.

All in all I’m happy that with the short amount of time that I was able to do what I did and now I can improve for next time.

But Now…….

It’s a day or two of rest and the start of my Trial By Fire Density Cycle.

Day 21
Rest and drive home from Drill through a hailstorm and to a home with no power. Yea!!!….

Day 22

Yoga to pull some of the tension and stress out. Very Nice. It’s nice to have a instructor who wil push you to y our max and then ask for more.

Day # 23

25lb Clubbell® Trial By Fire Density Cycle begins.

I went over a few different ways to approach the TBF.
A.) Should I use the standard Century Cycle Protocal by gradual increasing reps and decreasing time eventually working my way up to 100 reps?
B.)Or use a 4×7 cycle by slowly racheting up the work by taking the previous high intensity days work and making that the next cycles moderate day?

I’m opting for the 4×7 for now but first I have to get a baseline of where to start so:

1 set of 30 swipes
1 set of 15 mills l/r (counting the reps of the weaker arm)
1 set of 20 l/r Hammer swings

rested for 5 minutes.

Next set I cut back cut back to 15 reps of all three mostly to keep more of an eye on my technique.

Ended up performing 2 sets of TBF for 15 reps at a technique of 7. Mills stillneed some work but I can’t muscle the 25’s around like I do the 15’s so form and technique is crucial.
Ego wanted to do more but I stomped on it knowing I have a long way to go.

So, tommorow now that I have a “baseline” of doing the TBF all together, and it being a HIGH in tensity day, I’m shooting for 4 rounds of 20 reps each with a close eye on form. I may drop a set if RPT drops below a 6.

It will be interseting at least. At worst, it’s good Training.

Compensations/CoolDown:

Shinbox
Scorpion
Pigeon
Forward Fold
Rabbit.

Hold for 1 minute each.

__________________

100 Day #17

DAy #17

Final Stretch.

 No pun intended.

 2.5 miles 35 minutes.  Easy peezey.  I figure I can shave off a couple of minutes for the test since I’ve been working on the treadmill.

Cool Down Compensations:

 Downward Facing Dog

Camel Pose

 Scorpion Pose

Spinal Twist.

Days 13-16

Day 13-14 Rest and recovery. Much Needed.

Day # 15

Forward and Reverse Ellips from Forward Pressure Advanced level. 10 rounds 30 second rest. Be Breathe level 1. 10 rounds 30 second rest.

Compensation:

Twisting Pigeon.

Table.

Revolved Head to knee.

Notes:

Old “injury” flared up. Right side of the middle of the back very tight. Same one that flared up a few months ago.

Feel really good about APFT. Ready to be done with it.

 

Day # 16

Took a day just for yoga. I’ll admit that I’ve been neglecting my practice just a bit thinking I could get by just on compensations from the work I’ve been doing.

Started about with Intu-Flow® and 5 rounds of Sun Salutations. SInce I’ve been having tighness in my hips and lower-to-middle back I focused on hip openers. Afterwards I felt great. Some of the tension an stiffness was gone and I felt looser. Much Better.

Exercises were:
Downward Facing Dog pushing deep into the calves.

Three legged dog with hips forward. Got real deep into the calves again this time really pushing the heel to the floor. I carry a lot of tension in my calves.

Scorpion Pose to open up the hip and side body then flipping into the Twisted Anchor Bridge. Once I got into the Twisted Bridge, then I reached out to touch the floor like I was ready to go into a full Wheel Pose but, that’s for later. I do think it did bleed off some tension in the back though. It feels better today than it has since Thursday.

100 Day Challenge Day #12

Day # 12

Walk 2.5 miles 35 minutes.

I’ll be glad when the APFT is over. It has the be the most boring test ever to train for…..
It’s one of those things that I know I can pass with ease but want to excel but, with a walking profile I’ll nver get the full 300 points to max the test so it’s only for personal bragging rights that at 43 years old, I can still almost max or at least get intothe 90% bracket with the Pushup and sit up events. Most of the kids under 30 can’t do that.

This weekend I’ll spend doing some serious Active Recovery with Prasara. I’m starting to feel all the work starting to manifest it self with a few more aches and creaks even with the compensatory work.

Speaking of which:

Upward facing Dog

Scorpion pose

Reverse Pigeon

Seated Spinal Twist.

Ankle Rolls.