Shotokan

Day two:

 

Today didn't go as planned but good workouts happened anyway. My Zoom class was canceled tonight but I ended up doing a home Karate workout that was basically what I did in the Zoom class last Saturday. It was good to work on some of the details that I didn't get to do during the Zoom class and it was also a great workout.  I normally only do one workout on Karate class days but I ended up getting in a late night workout to finish up the day.

 

Workout 1:

Normal warm up

53 minutes

Kihon drills and some work on a new kata was the theme for my home Karate class.

 

Workout 2:

Normal warm up

10 calf raises

10 squats

10 bodyweight good mornings

10 tibia raises - I really need to look up the real name of this movement.

2 supersets of kettle bell swings - 10x25 lbs + 10x20 lbs + 10x42 lbs + 10x35lbs.  I do these in weight order from something I read from Dan John.  The idea is to start with a medium weight and then go to a lessor weight and then heavy and lighter for as many kettlebells available.  I didn't want to go below 20 lbs and I am not ready to introduce the 62 lb bell yet.  I am trying to adapt my body to doing these day or every other day to keep the DOMS away. So far, 60 to 120 reps seems to be working but I have been sticking with 60 to 80 reps unless I am super motivated. The goal is to get to the 62 lb bell for 100 reps per day but that's going to be a while, which I am totally okay with.

 

Mediation: 10 minutes

Workout one:

 

Two workouts today. It was cold and rainy here today and I couldn't get warm for the better part of the day. My first workout warmed me up a bit but my second workout was did the job.

 

Workout 1:

15 minutes

 Normal warm up

15 calf raises

15 squats

15 bodyweight good mornings

15 tibia raises

15 pushup to downward dog

200 Uneven farmers walk with 25 & 35 lb kettlebells

 

Workout 2:

42 minutes

SMM training

10 lying side leg raises each leg

10 glute bridges

10 crunches

10 back lying leg raises

5 side thrust kicks

30 second side thrust kick hold each leg

I missed the last challenge but still got it in some great workouts for the last six weeks. I am trying to find a good way to keep track of my workouts but I haven't found and easy way to do it which and many times, because of the multiple workouts per day, I cannot remember what I did by the end of the day.

 

Anyway, this time around, I am going to keep focusing on the chaos workouts and continue to do at least two workouts per day with the focus on the following:

 

1: Get 10 strict pull ups by the end of the challenge.

Since my squats and lunges have improved with my current workout, I am going to apply the same method to pull ups. If I remember correctly, I was able to do 28 pull ups when I was 17 during a fitness test which was 38 years ago. The end goal is to get to 30 consecutive pull ups overall but if I can get to 10 over the next five weeks, I know I can keep increasing that number going forward.

 

2: Mobility training three times per week.

I am seeing a lot of improvement since I started doing The Simplistic Mobility Method and the only thing that is holding me back is consistent training. I get one or two of these workouts in per week but I need to up the game. I also found some interesting Qi Gong training on Youtube that I started doing which is similar to moving meditation.

 

3. Three Karate classes per week.

I have two formal Zoom classes each week but I need an additional class, on my own, to work on what I am learning in the two other classes. I do a good amount of kihon and kata throughout the week but an additional, structured class will go a long way.

 

Extra credit:

Mediate at least three times per week.

This is one area that I have been lacking in over the last year or so. I was doing so well with headspace everyday for over three years but I started to feel that it wasn't helping. I have a couple of apps and some Youtube videos that interest me and doing them three times a week should go a long way.

I have been behind on my updates but I many good workouts and some great over the 10 days.  I had some incredible Zoom Karate classes and some of my own workouts have been going better.  I am still following chaos and am getting closer to getting all the movements collected to organize the chaos from the next challenge. 

 

For the month of August, I had 73 workouts with 29:10 total workout time. I am ahead of July with only 63 workouts and 25 hours of training. I am noticing that the Zoom classes are taking a good amount out my energy tank the next day but I am still able to get in some training the day after those. I added a dedicated flexibility workout after my last workout of the day but I am still tuning it.

 

Only 4 days left so it's time to finish strong.

Aug 22:

 

Today's Zoom Karate class was excellent. It was what I needed to get my head back on and it was one of the more intense classes that I have had. There were some movement drills that actually made my calves sore.  The second workout today was good overall. I was using one of the older binaural beats songs that I had and it always works pretty well.

 

 

64 minutes
100 up minor
10 squats
10 calf raises
10 bodyweight good mornings
10 tibia raises
Zoom Karate class

 

23 minutes
Normal warmup
2 katas
100 steps kettlebell goblet carry 42 lbs
15 standing band curls each arm
15 band triceps pushdown each arm
15 band log chops
15x15 Dumbbell wrist curls each arm
15x15 reverse dumbbell wrist curls

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 762/350

Exercise 93/20

Stand 14/12

I missed more than a few updates here over the last 10 days.

 

I have been getting in a least two workouts a day.  Over the last week, I was struggling with my Karate training. My Zoom Sensei was out at a training seminar and I had almost two week without formal training. I noticed over the years that my Karate classes were more mental then physical and I believe that they help keep me grounded. I had some projects that I was working on last week that I was struggling to work on and I am blaming it on the lack of Zoom classes. I was a bit on edge and just not very motivated but I did have a Zoom class today and my mind is in a much better place.  I have been trying to find the right mindset to get a same mental boost training on my own but I am still searching for that answer.

 

I did play with some binaural beats training the other night and my workout went really well but I also couldn't fall asleep until almost 3 am that night. I guess I need to try out the other binaural beats for relaxation next time.  The only downside to the binaural beats is some of the music that hides the tones is awful. There are only a handful of them that I like and some of them sound like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

 

 

On 8/18/2021 at 10:45 AM, Kishi said:

Hope you're recovering well! Chaos may be good in training, but I suspect it's harder with recovery.

The recovery seems to be better than before when I would train a longer, one session per day workout.  The only issue that might or might not be related is that I am not sleeping as well for about a week now. It takes me a long time to fall asleep but I am not really tired when I get up but I am still working out too late, which could also be the problem.

Aug 13:

 

Today was a more of a recovery day. I want to keep doing the mobility work since it seems to be working as active recovery.  I still had enough energy to get in a late workout for some band work that I wanted to play with.

 

Less than 5 minutes
Suitcase carry 35 lb kettlebell 125 steps each leg

 

27 minutes
10 minute mobility drill
Various hip mobility

 

21 minutes
Normal warm up
3 katas
20 band punches each arm
20 band pulls each arm
15 top down band log chop

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 692/350

Exercise 53/20

Stand 14/12

Aug 12:

 

More mobility work today and the chaos complex. I am getting close to adding some weight to the complex but a full five pounds on each dumbbell is still a little ways off.

 

13 minutes
Normal warmup
20 squats
20 calf raises
20 good mornings
20 tibia raises
3 katas
Front stance training

 

32 minutes
15x20 Dumbbell chaos complex 20 lb dumbbells
V-sit 60 seconds
15 crunch with legs strait and up
Paloff band hold 30 seconds each side
 10 rack lunges each side
Hip mobility drill 3 each side

 

15 minutes
2x15 dumbbell wrist curl each arm
2x15 dumbbell reverse curl each arm
20 band tibia pull
Cross leg stretches

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 681/350

Exercise 65/20

Stand 15/12

Aug 11:

 

I am finding that my mobility is improving faster now that I have some new muscle.  Maybe the muscles aren't new but they are getting worked again like they used to be. The mobility work is not easy but the progress seems to be coming faster now than before. 

 

10 minutes
Normal warmup
20 squats
20 calf raises
20 bodyweight good mornings
20 tibia raises
2 katas

 

66 minutes
Hip related Tommy Morrison videos and other mobility drills

 

10 minutes
Hip opener, really needs work
2 katas
Front stance movement
Wave movement front to back

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 714/350

Exercise 91/20

Stand 15/12

Are you feeling better yet?

Aug 10:

 

Three workouts today but late again. I'm a little stiff from the class yesterday but the workouts went well overall.

 

20 minutes
Normal warm up
20 squats
20 calf raises
20 bodyweight good mornings
20 tibia raises
12 half dead bug with band
Overhead sandbag carry 100 steps

 

12 minutes
15 reps chaos complex

 

22 minutes
15 lying side leg raises each leg
15 glute bridges
15 fire hydrants each leg
V-sit 60 seconds
15 standing cable twist each side
15x42 kettlebell Romanian deadlift
Kettlebell suitcase carry 42 lbs 100 steps each hand
15 bent over band pull through
3 katas

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 611/350

Exercise 61/20

Stand 15/12

Aug 7:

 

This was going to be my recovery day. I saw my chiropractor and I thought that I wouldn't have much energy but I felt pretty good and spent a good amount of time training since the adjustment made my muscles very relaxed.

 

11 minutes

Normal warm up

30 squats

30 calf raises

10 bodyweight good mornings

20 tibia raises

3 katas

 

43 minutes

I spent most of the time working on flexibility and mobility. I have been spending a good amount of time doing the drills for Tommy Morrison's Youtube channel. He does some crazy stuff but his workouts are pretty serious and I like he he also shares a lot of regressions.

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 654/350

Exercise 55/20

Stand 14/12

 

Aug 8:

 

68 minutes

Today was my recovery day although I did have a Zoom Karate class. It was a good workout and I felt better, after the adjustment, and was able to move like I wanted to. It wasn't an easy class overall but I call it active recovery.

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 676/350

Exercise 71/20

Stand 13/12

 

Aug 9:

 

Only two workouts since I had another Zoom class at night and I wanted to save my daytime energy for class. 

 

16 minutes
Normal warmup
3 katas
20 squats
20 calf raises
20 good mornings
20 tibia raises
20x10 bent over dumbbell raise

 

70 minutes
Zoom Karate class
10 squats
30 calf raises

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 755/350

Exercise 88/20

Stand 12/12

11 hours ago, JediNickD said:

 

Our instructor explains the belt system in our dojo as a circle.  You become a beginner as a White belt.  After reaching Black, you have your belt has collected all sorts of color from your hard work that it so dirty it has become black.  Through your years of continued training at black, the belt frays and falls apart revealing the white belt underneath signifying all that you still do not know.  As you reach, Renshi or 4th degree, you receive a new belt that is both black and white, which is to recognize that you may be a Black belt in THIS art style, but you are still a White belt in many others.

My Sensei's explained it in similar ways. I try to approach each class as a new beginning.  If i can learn only one thing in each class, it is a good day. Even though I am still training in the same style, it's the little details that I missed moving through the tanks years ago that I am I learning now. I am also finding that some of the things I have been doing over the years were a little ahead of where I thought I was. It's an awesome journey and I guess it's just getting started again for me.

Aug 6:

 

Even though I am getting three workouts a day, I am still not doing them until too late.  I need to start them earlier in the day and then get the last workout in before 11 pm.  Everything is coming along but the seiza training is causing some knee pain.  I wish I didn't stop doing them years ago but I am sure I can get it back with some hard work.

 

9 minutes
Normal warmup
30 squats with band on knee 15 each side
30 calf raises
15 band adductor

 

23 minutes
15 circuits Chaos complex
V-sit 60 seconds
4 x 10 double leg pike pulses

 

24 minutes
2 x 15 Band wood chop - high to low each side
15 Hindu squats - some partials
Seiza mobility / stretch 2 minutes
Kettlebell halo - 12 x 20 each direction
Sumo squat with leg lift 5 each leg
15 bodyweight good morning

 

Aug 5:

 

Today was a little light on training until the home Karate class.  That felt pretty good and I did some of the drills from the new Zoom classes that started on Monday.

 

7 minutes
100 up
12 side leg raises
12 back leg raises

 

23 minutes
Home Karate class
Kihon
Kata
Seize training

 

28 minutes
Mobility drills with Tom Morrison
Suit case carries 100 steps each hand with 42lb
Goblet carries 100 steps with 42 lb

Aug 4:

 

Today's workouts were a little more intense than usual.  The Chaos complexes are something that I came up with during week zero and I plan on doing these more often than not. The best part is, it hits the whole body and I can add or remove circuits depending on my energy and time.

 

9 minutes
Normal warm up
3 katas

 

19 minutes
Chaos complex 15 reps with 2 x 20 lb dumbbells

The Chaos complex is a group of movements done in succession for one rep each until all movements are done and then repeat for the given number of circuits. My complex is done with dumbbells and in the following order:

• Romanian dead-lift
• Squat
• Bent over db row
• Curl
• Clean
• Press
• Calf raise
• Side lateral
• Hammer curl
• Toe raise for the tibia

V-sit for 1 minute
Paloff hold 30 seconds each side
Crunch with legs at 45 degrees up

 

29 minutes
12 katas both slow and fast
10 lunges each leg
5 RDL for each leg
Seiza training for about 5 minutes total - this needs lots of work
Various kihon

On 8/4/2021 at 1:26 PM, JediNickD said:

Karate training on Zoom?  Sounds interesting.  Is the plan for the dojo to maintain virtual training long term?  

 

What style are you learning?  

The way it started for me was, my Karate club stopped all classes during the pandemic in March of 2020 and didn't offer any Zoom classes for months after.  I had been watching someone named Rick Hotton on Youtube who was putting out videos of his classes and seminars for a few years and he was someone that I wanted to train with but he is based in Sarasota Florida, which is a third of the country away from me in the Midwest. In July of last year, he started offering Zoom classes, since his Dojo was on lock down.  He was offering virtual, live seminars, where he would teach his concepts and offer advice to the people training in the online classes. He teaches a non-style specific class but the roots are in Shotokan Karate. Since then, he has students of all ranks, who trained in different styles of Karate and even different arts.  After a year of the general seminars, he just started offering the curriculum of his Dojo, which is Shotokan to students through Zoom along with the weekly seminars.  I believe his plan to keep his storefront Dojo and also offer the Zoom classes indefinably. 

 

I lost most of my interest in going to the Dojo with my club to train because not having to leave the house to get in a great class allows me to train harder and helps me focus more on the content and not others around me.

 

I'm learning Shotokan Karate for the last 17 years.  Starting these Zoom classes is making me feel like a beginner again, which is really cool.  His approach is different than how I have been training and even though I have years of experience, this will help me move to the next level.

Aug 3:

 

Today was a three workout day.  I still did the last workout too late but it's done.  After last nights class, my left knee was talking to me to day. Since it was already sore I wanted to work on my seiza training. Just a couple years ago, I could sit in seiza for 10 minutes and get up and move without any pain but I currently cannot get into seiza with my back straight. The only good part is, my ankle didn't lock up when I was in partial seiza like it did before.  I know that I can get back to where I was but I have a feeling that it's going to take some time.  I really wish I would have kept up with it but that behind me. The workouts went well today and even though I didn't start the late workout with the most energy, it went up as I started getting into it.

 

11 minutes
Normal warm up
30 squats
30 calf raises
10 lunges
30 toe raises
Seiza training

 

16 minutes
Light warm up
30 squats
30 calf raises
10 stationary lunges each leg
1 minute static horse stance
1 minute horse stance with band
30 seconds static front stance each leg
1 minute twisting front stance each leg
30 second static back stance each leg
1 kata

 

26 minutes
30 squats
30 calf raises
30 toe raises
15 lying side leg raises each leg
15 glute bridges
15 clam shells each leg
20 legs up 45 degree crunches
15 kettlebell deadlifts
15 band punches each side
15 band pulls each side
15 high band rows
15 standing band crunches
15 standing band curls each arm
15 band triceps extensions each arm
12 standing side leg raises each leg
12 standing back leg raises each leg
100 up

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 614/350

Exercise 58/20

Stand 14/12

Aug 2:

 

Today was my first new Zoom Karate class. It is the same Sensei, Rick Hotton Sensei, that I have been training with on Zoom each week but this is a more formal class that teaches the curriculum of his dojo whereas, the other weekend classes are more like a seminars. I do actually feel like a beginner again even though I have many years of training. It is still the same type of training that I have done for years but now it's next level, working more for feeling instead of trying to look the part with textbook techniques. I found that my Karate was too much on the path until last year when I started with this Sensei.  Just to explain too much on the path, I was so concerned about looking the part and doing everything the right way that it started to take my Karate in the wrong direction.  The perfect example was when I entered the Karate Nationals in 2019.  I was so concerned that my techniques looked correct, they looked anemic and weak, compared to what I was known for, which was brutal power, for all the years before that. I turned down the power too much, instead of putting everything on the floor and that mistake gave me a first round loss. The last year has had me on a quest to get back to how I was and now, with this additional training class, I can get back to my roots and still keep my style but not be confined to picture perfect techniques. 

 

Apple watch stats:

Move 741/350

Exercise 77/20

Stand 13/12

The last challenge was an eye opener for me. Training more than once a day with short workouts and one longer workout at night was one of the most productive challenges I have done since I started doing them on here. It was a great learning experience and this challenge will be a continuation of the what I did but with more structure relating to timing and number of workouts per day. I still need to tune what I am going to do each workout but that's the chaos part. If I feel like bands, I do bands,.  If want to do the sandbag or kettlebells, then I do.  If I want to do the dumbbells or barbells, you guessed it. I have so many things to choose from, I won't know that to do but that's the best part.

 

Captain Chaos approved!  "Dunn dun DU-UH-UHNNNN!!"

 

 

1. Chaos training 5 days a week.

At least three workouts a day but more if possible five days a week.  I need to get the last workout in earlier in the evening because the late workouts before bed are keeping me too amped up to sleep.  The early workouts are normally around the 10 to 15 minute mark but I am looking for at least 60 minutes a day going forward.

 

2. Karate training 3 days a week.

I am training on two Zoom classes a week now but I want get in an extra class on my own each week. The Zoom classes are getting more intense and I feel like I am starting to feel like a beginner again, which means more training.

 

3. Recovery with meditation and flow training.

Training as much as I did during the last challenge pushed me harder than before and a few of those days, I had some issues recovery from the workouts the day before.  It wasn't the physical recovery, instead it was the mental recovery. I have a new meditation app that I want to explore and I have been studying the Flow training course that I bought some time ago and never really looked at until recently.

 

Extra credit: Publish at least two videos for my training websites.

This is something that I have wanted to do for years and even though they will be very short videos, I need to start somewhere and break away from the analysis paralysis. 

 

I guess I am really dating myself by positing a picture of Captain Chaos but Cannonball Run is one of my favorite movies.

July 24th:

 

The last day of challenge went well. I was able to get in three workouts and they each went up in intensity as the day progressed. I am starting to work with music again while training. I find that certain types of music give me an entry into flow state, which I have been searching for, for a long time. It's not precise yet but the feeling is changing for the better and it is what it is.

 

9 minutes

Normal warm up

25 band rows

25 band twists each side

1 kata

 

11 minutes

Farmers walk uneven kettle-bells 42/35 for 100 steps each hand

25 Band flys

8 x 15 RDL each leg

15 x 42 kettle-bell dead-lift

 

21 minutes

100 up

6 katas

10 side lying leg raises each leg

10 glute bridges

10 punches in horse stance

10 back lying leg raises

10 quadruped back kicks

12 bull worker crunches

15x42 kettle-bell dead-lifts

 

My key takeaway, from this challenge is, I need to be more organized with the timing of my workouts throughout the day. I also need to track my workouts better.

 

This was one of the better experiments that I have tried with my body and the results, in such a short time, is more than I expected. All this with less workout time than when I tried other training methods in the past.

I found that my strength has gone up in doing things that aren't lifting related. I had to move and carry some heavy things and they felt much lighter. And I didn't notice any mobility hang ups that slowed me down in the past.

 

My resting heart rate has dropped by 10 points and my working heart rate hasn't gone over 148 in the last month. Over the last 30 days, my heart rate has been as low as 43 and my HRV has gone from 33 to over 40 average.

 

My endurance has improved greatly and training in very hard Karate classes for an hour is almost feeling easy.

 

My weight dropped from 202-204 to 197.5-199.5 average. The only thing that I am unsure of is my fitbit scale says my bodyfat is 31.8, which seems very high to me. Based on the definition in my abs and chest it seems to be off but it has always been over 30% with the scale.

 

I added some muscle to my arms and back, from how my Karate gi fits, and my calves are growing are growing quickly with much more definition.

 

Except for me doing something to my hip while painting last week, which seems to be recovered, I have not had any recovery or nagging pains since I started. My mobility seems to be improving and I have not had any delayed onset muscle soreness.

 

I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth but I will need some more lab (body) time to see if this continues. This seems to be my most successful training program that I have ever done.

 

The chaos of doing what I want but still covering my entire body keeps my mind fresh and my body confused. I remember reading an article many many years ago in Muscle and Fitness about Joe Weiders muscle confusion principle. This was for bodybuilders and muscle hypertrophy but those old school training methods are still valuable when modified with current science.

I lost my notes for the July 22nd workout but it wasn't much overall.  I believe it was 8 katas and some stretching, which was good, but only one workout for the day.

 

21 minutes

 

Apple watch stats:

Move: 570/350

Exercise: 25/20

Stand: 14/12

 

July 23rd:

 

30 minutes

Normal warm up
30 squats
30 calf raises
100 up
25 bench crunches
15 bench leg raises
20 incline push-ups
12 lunges each leg
7 katas

 

Apple watch stats:

Move: 661/350

Exercise: 36/20

Stand: 14/12

July 21st:

 

Only one workout today.  It wasn't that I wasn't moving before the workout, painting a large room needs a lot of mobility and going up an down of the stool makes it a good leg workout but only one official workout today.

 

37 minutes
Normal warm up
30 squats
30 calf raises
3 katas
2 x Dumbbell pullover x 15 lbs one set at start and one at end of workout
15 incline pushups
15 x 45 bent over bb rows with fat grips
15 x 25 alternate db curls
15 x 25 db presses
15 x 25 hammer curls
5 band RDL very slow
15 bench leg raises

 

Apple watch stats:

Move: 666/350

Exercise: 49/20

Stand: 14/12

July 20th:

 

I was a little tired today but I was able to get in three workouts.  Not as much work as the past few days but the nice thing about these little workouts is something gets done.

 

10 minutes
Normal warm up
30 squats
30 calf raises
4 katas

 

10 minutes
8 katas

 

18 minutes
Overhead Sandbag carry 100 steps
Suitcase kettle bell carry 100 steps
25 Lying side leg raise each side
15 band lying side leg raise each side
15 band glute bridge
15 crunches
20 standing band chest press
20 standing band high row
15 band curls
15 band triceps extensions

 

Apple watch stats:

Move: 703/350

Exercise: 58/20

Stand: 15/12