Coming back

[Kyalii]

Hey everybody, I'm Lisa, and I'm a martial artist returning to training

Actually, I returned back in November after about 7 years since I last had consistent training (there were a few 3 month-long stints in there, but for accuracy's sake...). I needed something to help me keep sane during my last year of undergrad, where I was often pulling 18 + hour days, and I had gotten seriously unhealthy, so I figured Tae Kwon Do would be a great way to both relieve some stress and work on myself - I got my black belt 10 years ago, so it just made sense to continue on when I found a school I both loved and could afford. Since graduating, I've joined the masses of unemployed college graduates quickly growing bitter with the world - but at least I have TKD. Because of my schedule at school, I really couldn't focus on my training a whole lot, and now that I've got plenty of time on my hands, I'm really trying to up my game. Because I've switched from ITF to Kukkiwon, I'm currently prepping for a 'test' to basically get my black belt 'certified' in this organization. So, what do I want to do?

- work on my general strength - we always start class with a 20-minute warmup which often incorporates body-weight exercises (or even scarier, crossfit workouts, because we share space with a crossfit gym and my instructor is a total junkie). Even though I'm one of the highest ranks in class, my performance is often one of the worst (its not competitive, but I am). Plus, my lack of overall core strength seriously undermines my ability to perform well.

- find food that is healthy, fills me up, and fuels me well for working out. I struggle with this one a lot - all I want to do is be able to eat healthily, lose some weight, and feel like my food is working for me and not against me when I work out, but that seems to be a lot more difficult than it seems. And I'll put it right out here: I'm not really going to go paleo, I don't think its for me - for one, I don't like meat all that much. So just so we're clear

- build stamina and find some form of cardio I can tolerate. I like to run, but I have an old ankle injury from TKD when I was in high school, and am just a few months out of the 'all clear' after a nasty bout with achilles tendonitis in my other ankle. So in the interest of my long-term soundness, I need to find something else. In lieu of actual cardio, I tend to do my strength workouts as circuits, so at least I'm getting something.

- and of course, practice my technique on the days I don't have TKD.

I just want to get back to where I was three years ago - I did a brief stint with Krav Maga, had a blast, and got into probably the best shape of my life. And then life happened.

Ok, that was longer than I meant it to be. I'll stop now.

[tigersheart]

Welcome back to the world of fitness!

I too have just recently returned to a 'regular' schedule of martial arts training, and am having a blast. You find the food, and the eating plan that works for you, many of us here eat primal/paleo, but not all do. It is up to the individual to decide that, Primal works for me and I am happy with it.

Sounds like you have some good goals already lined out, I wish you the best in them!