Progress is slow, but steady

I was just thinking about injuries. That means you now have to read about injuries.

Injuries suck. They keep you out of training, off the mat, away from the gym and almost invariably, on the couch. This is bad for a couple of reasons. Number 1, you don’t get to train, this is filed under “not good”. Number 2, while you’re on the couch, you get fat/unfit. This is filed under “really not good”. Most people when something keeps them away from training get into bad habits that they struggle to kick when they begin training again. Sure, not training is bad, but is it really any excuse to do nothing? Surely you can go for a walk or a jog, hit the gym and work your uninjured parts and generally keep yourself in a reasonable shape? It makes the road back to full recovery so much better than if you were just to slack off and do nothing.

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. During my absence with a broken hand last year, I did a lot of lower body stuff and cycled a good bit. When the cast came off it was far from easy to get back into full training, but it wasn’t a mountain to climb, more of a steepish slope. By comparison, when my back flared up in November, I went off the mat and did next to nothing for about 6 weeks except eat copious amounts of cake, did a lot of partying and all that went with that, and did nothing more strenuous than walk my son to school (a whole 10 minute slow stroll). The path back from that, though it was a less debilitating injury, was so much harder than with the broken hand. I’m only now, 5/6 weeks later, beginning to turn the corner on the mat and in the gym.

I would suggest also that this applies not just to injury lay-offs but also enforced ones due to work or family commitments. It’s a good idea to not give yourself that mountain to climb by switching into hibernation mode once you know you’re off the mats. I’m guilty of this in winter time. If I know I’m not training for a few weeks, for some reason my mindset changes to eat/drink/be merry mode and before you know it, I have a few mm more to get rid of once I return.

Here’s last night’s and today’s training:

last night, Monday 8th

8 rounds of no gi BJJ. Good session. Got armbarred pretty well by Robbie on my previously dislocated elbow and it ruined myright arm for the rest of the session but it was good practice for the one armed sub wrestling championships which may or may not be held at some stage in the future. I’m always saying I could beat some people with one arm tied behind my back so this was a good opportunity to try that. The result: I cannot beat people with one arm behind my back (or just hanging limply by my side), so that’s another saying I can never use again.

Today, Session 2A

IP Warm Up/back prehab circuit

Pull Ups (Green band) slow. 5×8 supersetted with

Push ups (handles) 5×15 slow down fast up

Reverse Hypers 3×8

SLRDLS 2×12

GHR 1×5

Bit of a mish mash here.I HATE the RDLs (I might have mentioned this before) as I just find them so dull, and today I remembered after the second set that I had to skip the GHR yesterday. I gleefully (yes) skipped (oh yes) down to the Glute Ham Raise (seriously) and did a full set of 5. I never, ever, thought I would gleefully skip towards that torture rack but I realised yesterday that I actually missed doing it. I think, though I’m not sure, that this was my first full set of 5 on it too. I might have done one set of 5 before. The pull ups and push ups were done super slow, but I think I’ll have to switch to the blue band for next week, which is good news of course as it’s less assistance which can only be a good thing for my back and future pull up scores.

I have one more session today, I’m rolling with the Nuisance at 2.30 for a bit of extra jits. If you’re reading this, and you’re about, you’re welcome to come down and do likewise.

This is cool