2024 Training Log Part 32

On the stereo this afternoon as I write this- John Kennedy

I didn’t think I did much last week. I was working on the Dublin International which ate up most of my time, but I apparently managed 3 sessions.

Monday

Upper Body Strength in the BFR set to maximum tolerable intensity. ie. very tight.

1. Floor press 30, 15, 15, 15, 15. Started at 60kg, dropped to 50kg in set 3.
2. Neutral grip Machine row 3×15
3. Decline press 3×10
4. Bench row 3×10
5. Weighted crunch 2×20
6. Pushdowns 2×20
7. Curls 3×12

Awful session. Felt like crap. Bad weekend of eating and had a couple of glasses of wine watching TV the night before. Bleugh. Don’t do that if you want to be good at anything the next day.

Tuesday

Lower body strength in BFR bands, maximum tolerable intensity

1. Leg Press 30, 15, 15, 15, 15
2. Assisted Pistol Squat 3×5
3. Swiss Ball Plank 3x60s
4. Weighted leg raises 3×15
5. Quad curl 3×15
6. Hamstring machine 30, 15, 15, 15, 15

Upper Leg Size-
Before: Left 60cm Right 60cm
After Left 61cm Right 62cm

Wobbled home on wobbly legs

Wednesday

Jiu Jitsu, 8 rounds.

The DOMS, oh the DOMS. I actually have kept my intensity so low that I haven’t had much lower body soreness but I’m blaming the pistols. It was actually range of motion, not the strength required that did the damage. Anyway, my quads were killing me on Wednesday, and halfway through a round, Ken brought his leg up and gave me a deadener into the thigh that I thought I was going to have to tap from. Typical!

That was the end of training last week as I was running the IBJJF from Thursday to Saturday. I usually don’t skip Monday training in the morning but I’m still really exhausted from that, so I’m taking the morning and I’ll do some light rounds tonight.

Training Thoughts of the Week

BFR thoughts once more. The programme seems to be working from a size perspective at least. Once you get over the idea of holding a measuring tape to your groin in a public dressing room, it’s good to have a measurable standard to see if a programme is working or not.

On the 9th of October my left leg was 58cm and my right was 56cm before training. before training above, you can see that my right leg is 4cm thicker. I’m right footed, so the left leg is my posting leg and often the more stable (but less dexterous) and hence larger. In terms of real time results, I’ve got less back pain generally and both knees feel more stable, to the point that now I’m comfortable doing pistols.

Results: so far, so good. I’ll keep going.

Non-Training Thoughts of the Week

I receive Nick Cave’s newsletter to my inbox, in which he answers questions his fans ask. It’s an enjoyable and thought provoking read, and in the latest edition he was asked about the US election and so on. In answering he asked a question I liked; “When did politics become everything?”

It hit home with me. When I was a teen or in my twenties, some prick was in charge, and when you voted some other prick got in. Your PRSI or PAYE went up, or it went down, and it didn’t make much odds as long as you could afford to get beers at the weekend. I spent my time on the important things: sport, music, books, and the all consuming quest for girls.

We didn’t spend any more time than was absolutely necessary on “The Libs” or the “Right Wing” or who will do what when they get into office. These things are important, I’m not minimising them. I have strong political views, but they’re not my personality. Now I see kids online and in person talking about identity politics in particular, falling out with each other, trying to “own” the other side.

It’s important, it’s something, but it’s not everything.

Anyway, I’m going to have some coffee and do some boring administration work.

See you on the mat!

Barry