New monk? If possible? Please?

[Fightthefire]

So last challenge I went in as an assassin but recently I've started getting into kickboxing so I was wondering if I can do this next 4 week challenge as a monk? Or at least as a recruit? 

 

My YMCA has a kickboxing class once a week on Fridays and I've been going to it for a while now, I'll put the rest of my workout and diet below and you guys can tell me where I'm better suited but I'm going to be primarily focusing on kickboxing! 

 

My workout regime:

 

every morning: a mile run/walk with my dog

every afternoon I'm doing bag work

 

 lifting x3 a week

doing sprints and foot drills x4 a week during my mile with my dog and am adding another set each week 

+ other plyometrics

 

Weeks 1-2

6 sec sprint; 54 second recovery x 4

8 sec sprint; 52 second recovery x 4

 

Weeks 3-4

8 sec sprint; 52 second recovery x 4

10 sec sprint; 50 second recovery x 4

12 sec sprint; 48 second recovery x 2

 

Weeks 5-6

12 sec sprint; 48 second recovery x 4

14 sec sprint; 46 second recovery x 4

16 sec sprint; 44 second recovery x 4

 

Ect.

 

Perform each exercise once = one set, there and back on a 15-20-foot line or ladder. (Or by 15 foot markers I take a ladder with my on my sprinting days, it was like 20 bucks on Amazon but you can shop around, they can go for not much. If not just take two rocks as markers. You do you.)  No rest between each exercise. Only rest after completing all 5 exercises for 60 seconds.

 

Plyometrics

A. Box Jumps 1 (24 inch box, I use a set of stairs); 4 sets of 10 reps; Rest: 15 seconds

*Add 4 reps every week. (Ayyyee Parkour reference)

B. Box Jumps 2 (tall as possible); 4 sets of 6 reps; Rest: 60 seconds

*Add height to the box every week.

C. Drop Jump; 4 sets of 6 reps; Rest: 60 seconds

 

Afternoon bag work workout:

Bag Drill Tempo #1:

5 rounds (3 minutes a piece with 60 seconds between rounds)

Focus on a few combinations within each round.

Finish the last 30 seconds of each round going all out (no set combination being practiced). Punch as hard and as fast as possible with straight left and right punches.

 

Bag Drill Tempo #2:

5 seconds fast and hard straight rights and lefts; 5 seconds rest. Repeat for 3 minutes, then 60 seconds rest. Continue for 3 rounds.

 

Or

 

10 seconds of assorted punches thrown at full speed/power; 5 seconds rest. Repeat for 3 minutes, followed by a 60-second rest. Repeat for 3 rounds or more

 

Lifting (pull days are mondays, push days are Wednesdays and leg days are Fridays)

 

First 4 weeks 70%- 90% 1RM

Pull day

Deadlift 5x5

Row 3x12

Weighted pull up 3x12

One arm dumbbell row 3x12

 

Push day 

Bench press 5x5

Dumbbell bench press 3x12

Push up 3x12

Dumbbell overhead press 3x12

 

Leg day

Squat 5x5

Good morning 3x12

Single leg squat 3x12

 

Second 4 weeks 60-90% 1RM

 

Pull day 

Trap bar jump 5x3

Row 3x12

Pull up 3x12

One arm dumbbell row 3x12

 

Push day

Bench press 5x3

Medicine ball chest pass 3x12

Plyo push up 3x12

Floor press 3x12

 

Leg day

Explosive box jump (24 in) 5x3

Box jump 3x12

Depth jump 3x12

Single leg box jump 3x12

 

after all 8 weeks have been completed I restart with new 1RM so everything is imporoving and isn't stagnant. 

 

As for my diet it might seem like it's heavy on the calories but I'm only 98 pounds and my goal weight is 115-120 it may not seem like much but anyway I'm pullin in around 3,000 calories. All heathy food. And all easy college recipes. All you need is a crockpot and a blender. 

 

Sundays/Thursdays are my meal prep days so that means that Saturday and Wednesday nights are when I start "cooking".

 

For breakfast I have a protein shake, nothing special. 

Lunch: is what I call the bacon chicken classic. It's 4 servings so I make one batch on Saturday night and another on Wednesday. 

 

1 lb cubed chicken breast

1/3 lb chopped bacon

1 small white onion thinly sliced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

2 tsp chipotle sause

 

Cals 594

carbs 1.8g

fat 37.7g

protein 56.2g

 

Another protein shake in between my two lunches, shaker, just the powder and water

 

lunch 2: the no knife

 

4 servings again

 

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 can black beans

1 can corn

Salsa

8oz shredded cheese

 

679 cals

carbs 50g

fat 35g

protein 45.8g

 

Pre workout shake, nothing but a cup of protein powder and water in a shaker bottle

 

Post workout is a little fuller

 

16oz whole milk

1.5 cup protein powder

handful of strawberries 

handful of spinach 

1/2-1 cup Quaker Oats 

 

cals 732

carbs 78g

fat 21g

protein 58g

 

dinner is a simple affair, this recipe makes 6 serving so I only make this once a week. (As for my eating on the weekends it's what I can find around the house, but it's all fresh fruit and veg, good source of meat and some carbs like oatmeal or potatoes, they aren't cheat days but just days where I don't have to plan out.)

 

dinner the classic crock pot roast

 

3lb Chunk roast

1 lb Yellow potatoes 

1 lb carrots

1 cup thinly scliced Onions wedges

3 cloves Garlic, crushes

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon Vegetable oil

1 can Cream of mushroom soup

1 teaspoon Bouillon granules

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sause

 

cals 536

carbs 28.4g

fat 20.2g

protein 57.4g

 

thats all folk, nice meeting you!

 

sorry this is so long! 

 

[RisenPhoenix]

11 minutes ago, Fightthefire said:

So last challenge I went in as an assassin but recently I've started getting into kickboxing so I was wondering if I can do this next 4 week challenge as a monk? Or at least as a recruit? 

 

We always welcome people to the Monastery!  If only because it's the best guild ever! (Why no, I'm not biased at all about this fact.  Newp.  Not one iota.) . But honestly, the choice is up to you.  If you feel comfortable here, go ahead!  If you want to be an assassin, go ahead!  Kickboxing is definitely Monk related, but we won't throw you out for not starting here in the first place, and the Asassins won't throw you out for adding it in.

 

 

 

As for the challenge, it looks pretty hectic!  But if you can sustain all that, all the power to you!

[Fightthefire]

3 minutes ago, RisenPhoenix said:

 

We always welcome people to the Monastery!  If only because it's the best guild ever! (Why no, I'm not biased at all about this fact.  Newp.  Not one iota.) . But honestly, the choice is up to you.  If you feel comfortable here, go ahead!  If you want to be an assassin, go ahead!  Kickboxing is definitely Monk related, but we won't throw you out for not starting here in the first place, and the Asassins won't throw you out for adding it in.

 

 

 

As for the challenge, it looks pretty hectic!  But if you can sustain all that, all the power to you!

Thank you you're so kind  

[Toshimi]

Welcome!

 

[chemgeek]

Halloooooo!

[Fightthefire]

5 hours ago, Toshimi said:

Welcome!

 

Awww hello! Such a cutie

[Fightthefire]

4 hours ago, chemgeek said:

Halloooooo!

Guten Tag! Haha

[Shotokan]

Welcome aboard!  We always like having more Monks!  

[Fightthefire]

13 minutes ago, Shotokan said:

Welcome aboard!  We always like having more Monks!  

Thank you!  

[Machete]

Hey, what's up? Great to see you Monking.

 

I've read a few of your posts the past weeks. Correct me if I'm wrong, to me you seem to come across as a very high-energy individual, like I was when I was your age. Your plan looks like something I would have done back then (and I actually trained too hard and too often that my hair started falling off). Consider everything I say with a grain of salt:

 

> Lifting: I assume you haven't been lifting long. You can benefit from full-body lifting sessions, and it will save time. If you have the access, I recommend 5/3/1 instead of a push/pull/leg split.

> Plyometrics: it is generally recommended that one be able to Squat 2x bodyweight before performing any high-level plyometrics. For lighter females I definitely recommend this at a minimum. They are 400% more likely to suffer an ACL tear (because of the hip to knee orientation), and 240 lbs. (as per your goal) is a great strength base that is not impossible to work up to.

> Bag work: by doing all of that training before your bag work you may be compromising the thing you primarily want to learn, and teaching yourself with sloppy technique. Best to practice as fresh as possible every time. Nobody learns to play the piano by doing it tired.

> Allostatic stress: you're a college freshman, you work, you cook your own meals, you bike everywhere, you run your dog, you kickbox, and on top of that you want to sprint, lift weights, and do plyos. Might be a bit much, as was previously mentioned, and it's not even about scheduling. Remember that focusing on many things is focusing on nothing. Having many things on your plate prevents you from giving your full attention and capacity on the thing you want to do the most. I'd recommend cutting out the fluff and focusing on what you think is most important. Keep the goal the goal.

> Food: awesome stuff. Keep eating.

 

That's what I think. And I'm a multi-classer as well.

[Kishi]

21 hours ago, RisenPhoenix said:

We always welcome people to the Monastery!  If only because it's the best guild ever! (Why no, I'm not biased at all about this fact.  Newp.  Not one iota.) . But honestly, the choice is up to you.  If you feel comfortable here, go ahead!  If you want to be an assassin, go ahead!  Kickboxing is definitely Monk related, but we won't throw you out for not starting here in the first place, and the Asassins won't throw you out for adding it in.

 

What he said.

 

Also, holy crap dude, you're doing all of that at 98 lbs? You might not be eating enough. Don't be afraid to eat more things, and make sure you're getting enough rest so that you don't hurt yourself.

[ICB]

 

Howdy! We're pretty chill around here.

[Treva]

Hello hello!  Welcome to the monastery!  We are happy to have you.

Looking forward to reading about your challenge!

[Mistr]

Welcome new Monk!

 

I'm looking forward to reading about your adventures.

[Teirin]

Welcome in :-)

[Fightthefire]

Hey guys!

 

firstly, thank you so much for all of the welcoming and kind messages! You've all given me great advice and some I've taken in and some I've disregarded, but more on that in a minute, it's not a bad thing, I promise.

 

that being said my schedule had changed. For school, work and workouts as well. When I first wrote this I was only going to be going school twice a week in the afternoons, but I've made a smart decision in regards to my education. I've decided to take a quarter off of the prerequisites and take a quarter to become a certified nursing assistant. As a CNA I'll be earning more money than I am at my current job and it would give me a leg up in interviews in a few years after I complete nursing school. (I'm not even in nursing school yet mind you, I'm a college freshman and will be starting the prerequisites to the nursing program in the winter quarter.) 

 

With this change, I am now going to school from Tuesday to Friday and working when I can on the weekdays and weekends. I am also going to be quiting my current job in about a month when I am able to start working as a CNA, my reasoning you've read above. This also means I am riding my bike less, which I think is a good thing, often when I tired working out after getting home I would use the excuse of riding my bike as a workout rather than the strength training and kickboxing drills that ARE my workouts. I was making excuses and I could tell immediately! 

 

As for my lifting im now at a squat PR of 230, bench press of 250 and a deadlift of 295, this is incredible! I can't believe I can lift this much! It's like more than 2 of me! And my weight it up! I'm currently at 104, about 4 lbs heavier than I was a few weeks ago. Now here's the thing, I've never been heavier than 105. I have always been tiny. And I am gaining more weight. And it is glorious. Truly, this is amazing, I'm eating heathy food instead of crap, I'm working out and getting good grades in college when in high school my highest grade was a low A and I'm putting on weight and I feel great.

 

also to those of you that suggested a full body workout, what do you suggest? In my weight lifting class in high school, which is when I started lifting, we always did our lifts by parts of the body each time we were in the weight room, not this compound full body stuff.

 

food's been the same, just pop it in the crockpot, set the time and do homework, chores, or go to class and return to a hot meal. Boom!

 

as for my bag work, I've been looking into switching it up and looking into different combos as to keep things interesting and not so repetitive that I get sloppy.

 

as for my runs with my dog? They've turned into more of a walk than a run, I figured if I spent all this time on my feet, running to class when I'm late cause I over slept (kidding haven't been left yet) ive started just noticing the little things about my neighborhood like how my dog likes to roll around in the wet dew and how the air smells when it'll rain later that day, I love that smell it reminds me of home, growing up in Washington state it grows on you too. 

 

So that's an update for you, I've decided to scale back a bit, switch things up and ask for help. I know the challenge hasn't started yet but I'm confident that this challenge will go well!  

[Kishi]

Nice! So it sounds like you're settling down and focusing a bit more. That should help your numbers and your weight even further. Groovy!

[RisenPhoenix]

What Kishi said!

 

And the slowing down sounds like a good idea.  And yea, the CNA bit will probably help a bunch, even with the application process to Nursing school.  Get the prereqs down and you should be golden.

[Machete]

Those are actually pretty impressive numbers. Nevermind what I said, you could probably get some plyos going.

 

How long have you been lifting? Because if you haven't been lifting for years I would consider focusing on strength, because it may be what you're good at; double-down on your strengths, and drop the other fluff. (I know @Kishi and I have a huge problem with classifying what is actual "fluff", but we're working on it.) Remember that (contrary to motivational IG photos) winners are always quitters--they just know exactly what to quit. I'm not claiming to be a winner, but if I wasn't a quitter I would still be trying to be a 5'2 basketball player.

 

[Fightthefire]

5 minutes ago, Machete said:

Those are actually pretty impressive numbers. Nevermind what I said, you could probably get some plyos going.

 

How long have you been lifting? Because if you haven't been lifting for years I would consider focusing on strength, because it may be what you're good at; double-down on your strengths, and drop the other fluff. (I know @Kishi and I have a huge problem with classifying what is actual "fluff", but we're working on it.) Remember that (contrary to motivational IG photos) winners are always quitters--they just know exactly what to quit. I'm not claiming to be a winner, but if I wasn't a quitter I would still be trying to be a 5'2 basketball player.

 

I've been lifting for about maybe a year now? I started in my junior year of high school for P.E credits and it's just stuck. So what your saying is to stick with lifting and drop everything else? If anything I'm gonna try out some more calisthenics because it'll fit my schedule better and I love the idea of being able to do everything with my body but I'll still be lifting cause you never know what'll walk into the ER and I want to be prepared for everything!  

 

[Machete]

16 minutes ago, Fightthefire said:

I've been lifting for about maybe a year now? I started in my junior year of high school for P.E credits and it's just stuck. So what your saying is to stick with lifting and drop everything else? If anything I'm gonna try out some more calisthenics because it'll fit my schedule better and I love the idea of being able to do everything with my body but I'll still be lifting cause you never know what'll walk into the ER and I want to be prepared for everything!

 

You don't have to technically drop everything (though you would get much better at one thing if you did), but it would behoove you to find you minimal effective dose in everything you do and do just that. That means constant measurements, not being emotionally attached to methods, and establishing goals. If you can get stronger on 1 set of Deadlifts a week, doing 3 sets is a huge waste of time you could have otherwise used on improving something else. Alex Viada might have the best information I know of regarding this type of training.

[Fightthefire]

4 hours ago, Machete said:

 

You don't have to technically drop everything (though you would get much better at one thing if you did), but it would behoove you to find you minimal effective dose in everything you do and do just that. That means constant measurements, not being emotionally attached to methods, and establishing goals. If you can get stronger on 1 set of Deadlifts a week, doing 3 sets is a huge waste of time you could have otherwise used on improving something else. Alex Viada might have the best information I know of regarding this type of training.

Okay first holy oh my god how have I not heard of Alex Viada before?????? Second, thank you for posting! I've read the article and it's very intresting and a good read. and basically if you want to do two very different things, in the article it talks about lifting and running, try to find something that's similar about them and get better at that so it can help both of the things? (Oh and also start slow before going fast!) I think it did a bad job of explaining it but the article is linked so you can read it for yourself! 

[Machete]

19 hours ago, Fightthefire said:

Okay first holy oh my god how have I not heard of Alex Viada before?????? Second, thank you for posting! I've read the article and it's very intresting and a good read. and basically if you want to do two very different things, in the article it talks about lifting and running, try to find something that's similar about them and get better at that so it can help both of the things? (Oh and also start slow before going fast!) I think it did a bad job of explaining it but the article is linked so you can read it for yourself! 

 

The way I understand it his general theme seems to be recovery management and getting rid of self-congratulatory workouts. (Here and here are two more good interviews.)

 

You can learn a lot from the CrossFit philosophy, even if you don't agree with the methodology. You'll have to accept that you won't be good at anything, but you'll be proficient at everything--ultimate mediocrity. That means learning the skill component just enough, harvesting all the noob gains you can from every activity you can think of and quickly moving on to the next, eventually discovering general patterns in everything you do.

 

You could also classify this as Quadrant 2 in Dan John's Quadrant System. It's all about managing compromises.

[Kishi]

3 minutes ago, Machete said:

 

The way I understand it his general theme seems to be recovery management and getting rid of self-congratulatory workouts. (Here and here are two more good interviews.)

 

You can learn a lot from the CrossFit philosophy, even if you don't agree with the methodology. You'll have to accept that you won't be good at anything, but you'll be proficient at everything--ultimate mediocrity. That means learning the skill component just enough, harvesting all the noob gains you can from every activity you can think of and quickly moving on to the next, eventually discovering general patterns in everything you do.

 

You could also classify this as Quadrant 2 in Dan John's Quadrant System. It's all about managing compromises.

 

In other words, you can have it all, but you have to be deliberate in the choices that you make. Not just in terms of training but in terms of defining what all is.

[Kishi]

So, hey! Hope all's well over here!