2026 Training Log Part 30

On the Stereo today- A little Ennio Morricone for the relaxing sake of it.

Back injury remains. I’ll give a little detail at the end of this post.

Tuesday

Upper Body Push

1. Incline Press 5×5
2. Staggered Renegade Step Row 5×15
3. Pec Deck 3xmax
4. Decline weighted sit ups 3×15
5. Pushdowns 3×15
6. Lateral Raise 3×12

Wednesday

Back felt reasonable, so gave some training a go before I went insane.

Morning Jiu Jitsu- NoGi Euros preparation. Seated guard training with Roger. Not dreaful, a bit restricted and caught with my back but went okay.

Evening Jiu Jitsu- pushing my luck, but did just a few rounds with some colour belts. Good technical work for the most part.

Thursday

Upper body Pull

1. Seated Neutral Cable Row- 5×10
2. Prone row 3×20
3. Face pull 3×12
4. Swiss Ball Plank 3x60s
5. Bent over raises 3×12
6. Spider Curls 3×10
7. Plate Hammers 3×15

Friday

Example of best laid plans- no training today because of a minor school emergency. Normal family life has resumed!!!

Training Thoughts of the Week

Long time followers of the blog will know that I have some spinal issues. Of course I have, I’m a biped over 40! I have a cool titanium plate in my neck which is pretty rock solid. But in the last few years I’ve developed some low back issues which is roughly defined as Degenerative Disc Disease.

Disease doesn’t sound good, but it’s just the terminology. I didn’t catch it off a hooker. It’s just a term for the dehydration and deterioration of your discs , which we all get to some extent. Management is all I can really do- staying on top of it and making sure that I stay mobile and flexible, as well as looking after my trunk muscles to keep myself active and relatively pain free.

Which is a short way to say that I probably got complacent and let that go over the last few months, and now it’s back to bit me in the ass. Or at least, very close to the ass. I’m confident I can get back on track, but it’s quite frustrating.

Non-Training Thoughts of the Week

Like everyone I watched Katie Taylor at the weekend. The fight itself was nothing to write home about, everyone on the planet knew that the other girl was there to lose. That’s the fight game. But the spectacle was unbelievable. I don’t know of anyone who dislikes her as a boxer or as sports personality, and who would begrudge her that unbelievable send off.

I remember this guy saying to me years ago that fighter’s final chapters are never good. I think of my hero growing up, Tommy Hearns, now struggling with the neurological effects of so many of the greatest wars ever seen in the ring, or my K1 hero Ernesto Hoost, who spoke recently about his manager buying a ranch while he got a pittance for fighting in front of 60,000 at the Saporro dome in Tokyo. Or what about Ricky Hatton? I wrote something before about my shame in being in the same room as people who took advantage of him post-retirement.

It’s so rare to watch a career come to an amazing and deserved end. I enjoyed the brilliant spectacle of a city and country celebrating a hero. We don’t get to do it often.

See you on the mat,

Barry