Val Log

[Valette]

Workout
Sweet, I've been consistently following my "program" and continuing to learn what works for me.  So my current workout model:

• 2 days of jumps/throws followed by 5/3/1, new 13 week challenge, and a 2 mile run
• 3 days of bagwork followed by calisthenics/light weights and either a 2 mile rune or Sprint Interval Training 
• 2 days of full-body mobility and movement work and/or Yoga class for recovery

I found out students get a discount at a "yoga" studio nearby, so I might do some $10 drop in classes to keep my everything in check.  Lastly, really missing martial arts these days. I could see myself reducing conditioning days to martial arts. Maybe a couple of classes then finish up with some body work and hit the runs.  

Reading

I'm currently reading a book by Robert Monroe in relation to his experiences and understanding of astral projections.  My interest in sleep has led me to a further interest in this phenomena was well as lucid dreaming and other unconventional practices.  

School
I quite streaming on Twitch for a couple of weeks to make sure I can work out and take on the intense load of class work.  I'm done with my first year in 1.5 weeks. Woo!

[Kishi]

As a fellow Monk, I approve of unconventional practices. They lead to unconventional results. I like those.

 

Also really glad to see that mobility and recovery are staples of your training. Make this a habit now. Your body will thank you later.

[Valette]

On 4/25/2019 at 2:55 PM, Kishi said:

As a fellow Monk, I approve of unconventional practices. They lead to unconventional results. I like those.

 

Also really glad to see that mobility and recovery are staples of your training. Make this a habit now. Your body will thank you later.

 

@Kishi, hi! So glad to see you're still on the up-and-up around these parts.  Truthfully, mobility/flexibility are things that I work on daily.  I think this is optimal being that it's low impact "work," but also because it's an opportunity to bring down cortisol levels since I lean toward being stress-prone (I shan't imagine how graduate school has been a compounding factor LOL). In so many intrinsic ways, you're quite right, my fellow monk friend. My "2 day of mobility/yoga" are active recovery where I specifically do nothing more intense than walk, stretch, and engage in some movement patterns.

Workout:
This week has marked the zenith of WTF stress levels, and so I dialed back the conditioning days quite a bit.  I tend to keep the weightlifting days programmed for weeks like that since I'm taking optimal rest breaks between activity, but that doesn't tend to be the case when I'm bagwork and circuits.  Since I feel neurologically run-down on stressful (literally takes days to recover; working on how I manage stress; see more) I nixed all of the conditioning days and replaced them with walks and more stretching/breathing.

Stress:
yeah, so that's the theme of the week.  For medical reasons, I've been seriously looking into ways to manage stress and searching how to utilize a program that optimizes reduction of these hormones. So, I'm leaning away HIIT-style workouts unless they're specifically programmed SIT workouts since I tend to recover from sprintwork better.  I think this is a really good time to look into martial arts since that always amalgamated a space for me where I did tend to stress less during the week + utility of stretching, calming exercises, foam rolling in quality practices.

 

I tend to do well with balancing hydration and nutrition throughout the day, so that's been my strength in the process.

[Kishi]

Hey. I hope the stress is downgraded some and that you are doing better. That stuff will get into everything if you let it and you ain't got time for that. Hope it's a restful summer thus far and that everything is okay.

[Valette]

Gosh, thanks for the thoughts. It's been awhile since I've logged in.  Still doing my thing, somehow.  Yeah, maybe not quite the most restful summer. At this point, I don't know. 1 more year though!!

I did also change my workout scheme slightly this week to add volume.  I'm ditching sprints because I do them outside and frankly there's no time of daylight where it isn't nearly 90 degrees. So, I've decided a couple of months off sprints isn't a horrific notion by any means.

Instead of dumping so much into two days, I am trying to lift more often though, as such:

 

Workout B/D

Medball Complex

B: Deadlift, 5/3/1x, Bench 5x5 75% training max

D: Bench, 5/3/1x,  Deadlift 5x5 75% training max

 

Ring Dips, Crush Press, 3x 10-12 superset
Incline Push-Up, Tricep Kickbacks 3x10-12

Ring Curl, BO Row, 3x 5-10 superset

 

Workout A/C

Jump Complex

A: Squat, 5/3/1x, OHP 5x5 75% training max
C: OHP, 5/3/1x, Squat 5x5 75% training max

 

Bulgarian Split Squat, Kettlebell Swings, 3x12 superset

Single Leg Deadlift, 3x10 ea leg/hand, Delt 21s superset
Walk the Box, fatigue

monday: judo

tuesday: workout A, cardio

wednesday: judo

thursday: workout B, cardio

friday:

saturday: judo kata (AM), Workout C, cardio

sunday: Workout D, cardio

[Valette]

Remembering to keep myself accountable via the forums has been tricky as a result of not keeping myself accountable on the daily.  I think now that I'm controlling my stress (thanks graduate school ;P), I'll be back here a bit more.  

 

Martial Arts

I haven't actually really gotten back to judo!! I'm going to fill out the darn waiver and *do it* even if that means I'm going once a week, at worse.

Fitness
I've actually been doing pretty well following 5/3/1 with a solid warm-up, accessories, and cool-down.  The days I would have been going to judo, I've just been going on a jogs.  

 

Reading

History: The World of Late Antiquity

Fitness: Overcoming Gravity
Philosophy/Theology: King James ver. The Holy Bible, Hindu Mahapuranas
Fiction: Celtic Myths
Professional: Occupational Science (Society, Inclusion, Participation)
New Knowledge Area: N/A

I typically try to read one book per topic but meh!  I'm keeping up with keeping up.

Anything New?:
I headbanged for about 3-5 hours at a Breaking Benjamin concert in Raleigh.  Great stuff.  My neck was a bit sore.

Questions for you's!:
Do any of you do small muscle training? I stick to compound movement on my strength training, but I was wondering how everyone else felt about isolating neck, forearms, abs, etc.?

[Kishi]

Go back to judo! It's a cult, to be sure, but it can be a happy one and it's certainly useful.

 

On ‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 11:51 AM, Valette said:

Anything New?:
I headbanged for about 3-5 hours at a Breaking Benjamin concert in Raleigh.  Great stuff.  My neck was a bit sore.

 

Holy crow! I live in Raleigh. Didn't know you were so close.

 

On ‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 11:51 AM, Valette said:

Do any of you do small muscle training? I stick to compound movement on my strength training, but I was wondering how everyone else felt about isolating neck, forearms, abs, etc.?

 

I think that additional isolated training like that is useful up to a point. Remember - every training you do is something your body has to adapt to. Those adaptations will require rest and energy - not just in terms of eating, but also in terms of sleeping and doing lots of low level activity. It's all stuff you're going to have to make room/time for, and when you hit the point where your need to adapt gets in the way of doing the other things you want to do, I'd say that's the point you've gone too far.

 

That being said, don't sell 5/3/1 short, especially with its accessory work. You can use a lot of that to do more isolated work and shore up areas where you feel that you want to be stronger. And I imagine getting to heavy deadlifts will do just fine for your neck, forearms, and abs.

[Valette]

3 hours ago, Kishi said:

Go back to judo! It's a cult, to be sure, but it can be a happy one and it's certainly useful.

 

 

Holy crow! I live in Raleigh. Didn't know you were so close.

 

 

I think that additional isolated training like that is useful up to a point. Remember - every training you do is something your body has to adapt to. Those adaptations will require rest and energy - not just in terms of eating, but also in terms of sleeping and doing lots of low level activity. It's all stuff you're going to have to make room/time for, and when you hit the point where your need to adapt gets in the way of doing the other things you want to do, I'd say that's the point you've gone too far.

 

That being said, don't sell 5/3/1 short, especially with its accessory work. You can use a lot of that to do more isolated work and shore up areas where you feel that you want to be stronger. And I imagine getting to heavy deadlifts will do just fine for your neck, forearms, and abs.

  

Yeah, I keep giving my self all the excuses not to get back to judo and most of it has to do with the excess in grad schoool. AH

Yeahhh, for 531 I added FSL, and I've spread it across 3-4x/week, and that's been nice.  I realized that doing ring work pretty for accessories much hit every area of my forearms anyway, so I probably wouldn't hit that any more either.  I did throw in 2 sets of neck exercises each way. We'll see if I bother with doing abs for less linear work, but you're probably right.  By the time I'm done with classes, my brain is fried!

[Valette]

The end of the semester is upon me!  Once I get through practicums, I'm definitely going to reward myself with some classes.  

I'm taking this week off from lifting and doing more running and also rock climbed.  First time I climb to the top!

[Kishi]

Hey! Sorry I haven't been around, but I hope things have been going great for you!