2024 Training Log Part 21

On the stereo today: Arcade Fire- Neon Bible.

Last week was a good quality one. The sort of week you want to have coming up to an event.

Monday

Strength Work. The only time I would get to the gym all week so I knew I needed to do something a bit more challenging.

1. Single Arm Bench press w/u to 3 at 40kg each arm
2. Half kneeling cable row 5×8
3. Incline dumbbell press 3×15
4. Face Pulls 3×12
5. Core circuit
6. Cable kickbacks 3×15

Someone asked me why I do so much isolation work on my arms if it’s not really practical for Jiu Jitsu. Well the first answer is cos your ma likes it…

But my real answer which is far more mature is that I have a little issue with muscle wastage in my left arm. One of my nerves is damaged so if I don’t use it, I lose it, particularly in the tricep. It’s not as easy as just blasting the triceps. Too much and I just injure and fatigue it, so it has to be managed. That’s mileage for you. I want to be good for a few more years of good intensity mat time and this is one way I do it.

Jiu Jitsu for 1hr. Speaking of which, I had to stop on Monday night as my neck was tight. I got 3 rounds in and just had to call it a night. It was the right decision, but my ego did find it hard to do.

Tuesday

A little session of drilling in the morning with a friend. Nothing huge.

Wednesday

Sparring in the evening. I was the heaviest on the mat so I went out on bottom each time. 45 minutes first score with fresh partner every score. Happy enough.

Thursday

Went to my mate Henrique’s gym for some sparring. Got 5 or 6 really good rounds in. 4 with Black Belts. Got mostly mauled but sharpened as the session went on.

Friday

Nuffink. Day of rest before running an event.

Saturday

Slightly truncated rounds. Took me a few to get going but I managed to get 7 in before having to leave. There was further pain to be had though because I went to the Ireland vs England match.

Training Thoughts of the Week

All training is damage. All of it. You damage, and the body rebuilds to adapt. S.A.I.D. is the principle. Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. If you impose stupid demands on your body that are outside of your goals, then it will adapt to those stupid demands. Just hurting yourself in the name of training is dumb.

Non-Training Thoughts of the Week

I walked away from a conversation on Thursday because I was bored, and, I suppose as is my modus operandi, I told the person I was walking away because he was boring me, which he was, naturally, not pleased about.

I don’t mean to sound rude, he was complaining about something, not telling me about his dog or his family. Moaning about the “state of the country” etc. And I just said “I’m going to stop you there because this is a really dull conversation and I’m tired of having it.”

Is that rude? I don’t think so. If I walked up to someone and just started shiteing on about something I wouldn’t expect to have the divine right to be listened to. Especially if I was just whining.

Maybe people would stop complaining so much if people just stopped listening to them.

That’s it for the week. I’m competing at the British Masters on Sunday so my next blog will be after that.

See you on the mat.

Barry