2026 Training Log Part 33

On the Stereo today- Right now? Bernadette by the Four Tops

I am making a small return to the mat at last. Things are improving slowly but surely, and I managed to get in some positional work on Saturday. Pretty happy with the progress last week.

Monday

Upper body push day

1. Bench work up to 3 at 95kgs
2. Close grip bench 3×12
3. Ring Push Ups 3×15
4. Side Plank 3×45 each side
5. Seated power cleans 3×15
6. Tricep pushdowns 3×12

Tuesday

Upper body Pull

1. Single Arm Prone Row 5×8
2. Half kneeling single arm pulldown 3×15 each
3. Kneeling face pull 5×10
4. 45degree back extension 3×12
5. Plate Preachers 3×15
6. Hammer curls 3×12

Friday

Show and Go.

1. 20 min interval on the bike
2. Single arm incline press 3×30
3. Batwings 5x30s
4. Staggered cable press 3×10 each side
5. 45 degree back raise holds 3x30s
6. Cable Hammers 3×15
7. Single arm pushdowns 3×20

Saturday

Praise be! Some Jiu Jitsu! I did the warm up, and then 2 bouts of positionals from the back control position. Probably about 45 minutes work in all.

Felt fine afterwards, but then got stuck into a DIY project at home for the last few days and if there’s anything that’s going to aggravate your low back, it’s putting up insulated slabs… solo, and then getting on your hands and knees and laying a sub floor. I woke up on Sunday like an 80 year old!

Training Thoughts of the Week

Jiu Jitsu is so much fun. Until you’re off the mat for a while, and then you go back, and it’s no fun at all for about 3 sessions. But I’m delighted to have got back on the mat. I was training with a few of my lads, all aged 18 to 21 on Saturday, and boy is it hard. hard but good of course.

Non-Training Thoughts of the Week

I watch people.

Wait, not like that! I mean I watch people at events, in the bullpen after being weighed in and so on. I try to see if there are patterns- do certain people who act certain ways do better than others? Is it better to be aggressive in advance, or calm? Does listening to music help? Do they slap thair faces before the match, get hyped?

My game I plays is this; I take a match in which I am clueless- I don’t know the fighters, the club, or the coach. I watch the two people step on the mat and try to guess which will win just based on their matside demeanour. I think I get it right around 70% of the time. But they have nothing in common. Some are shouting and hyped, others are cool and calm looking. It seems everyone has their own process, and whatever educated guess I’m making must be based on lots of other elements that I’m used to seeing in fighters. Maybe physical condition, poise, whatever.

My point is that despite people telling you to get hyped up or to be calm before a match, I don’t think there’s a perfect mental state to get into before competing. I think it’s an individual style.

See you on the mat,

Barry