Apologies
I would just like to say sorry for no posts as of late to those who may actually be reading this.. I have not stopped posting.. just between being sick, the holidays and my work schedule and what little training I have been able to squeeze in I have had not much time though to actually blog. I am still around and will hopefully be more active as the new year starts up.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Props to a fellow student.
For those who actually do read this it has been obvious due to my work schedule I have not been able to attend class too much as of late. Well now I have a daytime schedule and will be hopefully getting into class 2-3 nights a week at least. now while most of the guys have caught up to me or are just barely a stripe ahead of me there is one guy in class I want to give a shout out too. Now when I left he was just shy of getting his first stripe.. to describe him he is tiny.. weighs in at a massive 145 pounds and is a good 7 or 8 inches shorter then me. Now he is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a very good athlete plays soccer as well. he has always been quick on the mat and is a natural with ankle locks. David, that is his name, while I was away earned his 3rd stripe not too long ago. which in many ways did not surprise me.. his one glaring weakness was his inability to pass a guard and lack of defense.. man could he attack.. Well he has learned all that. In class tonight it is mainly just a drilling class.. we come in.. do not really go over anything new just practice things we need to go over and want work with. For me I spent most of the night working with Bill (our Blue Belt) working on sweeps. He was able to pick out the one step I kept messing up.. so I am expecting my sweeps to get better. Well at the end of class since I had not rolled with David in about 3 months, we decided to roll. Well I saw right away his game got a lot better. Little set ups I used to do and he went for he did not even think twice about.. we rolled a good 4-5 minutes switching positions going from guards and passing and such. At one point his Gi top came off got bunched up in my face making it hard to breath. he was able to take my back.. and while not able to fully lock in a rear naked choke.. he just had me to the point I could not breathe. At that point I tapped as I could not breath. Being out sick for a whole week did not help.. but no excuse really.. he got great position. After a break and just some BS'ing, me and David rolled again. It was pretty much like before lots of back and forth.. him forcing me to move around at his speeds.. remember He is 145.. I come in at 263. I am almost 2 of him.. yes I am stronger.. but technique is key to BJJ. Well eventually he went back for an ankle lock which I was able to defend against and managed to slip out into side control. David pulled me into half guard where I then went for a modified sort of arm triangle.. I held it pretty tight. Now I do not think it was actually locked in properly it was enough to get him to tap this time. It was great fun and I am glad to see his incredible improvement. Sadly me and my instructor Greg know he is ready for competition he just does not feel he is. I honestly feel sorry for most in his weight class as he is strong has great mat sense is quick as all hell. This guy is really good. I hope we can get him to compete soon. He'll do the school proud.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Well I made class again tonight.. first time in awhile. Well Bill got his Blue belt, Congrats Bill, the day after the TN state championships at Royler's seminar on Sunday. And well I felt off today.
Class was fun.. we practiced some take downs and then a few different side mount escapes. I did well with all that until it came time to roll. Since I have missed so much class as of late everyone has been able to close the gap. Great on them it is just frustrating for me. I am still better in some area's but they are now able to capitalize on my weaknesses unlike before. I was tapped by the only guy in class larger then me who used to be a wrestler he caught me in an Americana, and then Bill our newly minted blue belt caught me in some awkward choke. Then I rolled with one of the other guys we changed position a couple of times mostly I held top positions either side control or mount. He took none of the bait I gave him and finally I had a shat to fall to the side for an arm bar and just as I did time expired.. then after I worked with Greg on a few things things discussed what I need to work on, and then we BS'ed about the MMA world.
Class was fun.. we practiced some take downs and then a few different side mount escapes. I did well with all that until it came time to roll. Since I have missed so much class as of late everyone has been able to close the gap. Great on them it is just frustrating for me. I am still better in some area's but they are now able to capitalize on my weaknesses unlike before. I was tapped by the only guy in class larger then me who used to be a wrestler he caught me in an Americana, and then Bill our newly minted blue belt caught me in some awkward choke. Then I rolled with one of the other guys we changed position a couple of times mostly I held top positions either side control or mount. He took none of the bait I gave him and finally I had a shat to fall to the side for an arm bar and just as I did time expired.. then after I worked with Greg on a few things things discussed what I need to work on, and then we BS'ed about the MMA world.
Preparations...
As I have stated I am getting ready to start the Insanity program and to help me along the way I am going to be starting a new diet. The diet program I am starting is based upon your blood type and how certain foods react with your body. This along with controlling my caloric intake, based upon my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). BMR tells you how many calories your body will burn in a 24 hour period of you were just to lay still and do nothing all day. Using this information and along with foods targets to your body you can get the most from your meals. With my current BMR of 2471.2 I am going to have a target caloric intake of about 2000. Meaning if I do nothing but take in 2000 calories in one day I will start to lose weight. Now coupled with the right foods plus exercise I should notice results fairly quickly.
Now I am not starting on this right away I need several days to shop prepare meal plans and such I will make an announcement when I do.
Also today I had a body fat check done. And while not the best looking of numbers it is better then my last check of about 3 and a half months ago. Then my percentage was at 34%. As of today it was down to 25.7%. As I said.. not overly impressive. but great improvement. So once I start this program, both diet and workout I should see see a great improvement.. my over all goal is to get to around 10% body fat.
Now I am not starting on this right away I need several days to shop prepare meal plans and such I will make an announcement when I do.
Also today I had a body fat check done. And while not the best looking of numbers it is better then my last check of about 3 and a half months ago. Then my percentage was at 34%. As of today it was down to 25.7%. As I said.. not overly impressive. but great improvement. So once I start this program, both diet and workout I should see see a great improvement.. my over all goal is to get to around 10% body fat.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Beachbody - 3 Cardio Power & Resistance (preliminary review)
This was a bit shorter workout, but no less intense. This being more of a power workout it was at a bit slower pace. The warm up was a little bit different, and it was followed by the usual stretching. The workout as I said was a bit slower paced but focused more on power moves. new moves are brought it. some noticeable from the fit test like the globe jumps. as other workouts it seems to focus on plyo, abs and upper body. but this one does not hit the breakneck pace of the previous. Now do not let that fool you. it is still higher paced and its slower level then the majority of other work out programs. this one just focuses more on strength exercises hitting the large muscle groups including some fun looking tricep exercises.
From watching the first two videos and random bits of the others I do not think my reviews of each are going to vary a lot so I will try to focus on some of the unique aspects of the previous ones.
they all include a warm up and stretch. then the workout itself followed by a cool down stretch.
From watching the first two videos and random bits of the others I do not think my reviews of each are going to vary a lot so I will try to focus on some of the unique aspects of the previous ones.
they all include a warm up and stretch. then the workout itself followed by a cool down stretch.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Beachbody - 2 Plyometric Cardio Circuit (preliminary review)
This was the first work in the program. Just finished watching it. Now like all the workouts it starts with a moderately paced warm up and then the intensity level picks up as you go through the same warm up two more times but increasing the pace of it each time. then once you are warm it gets nice and slow with some stretching. Through out the host Shaun T stresses the fact that you should 1, never sacrifice form, and 2, rest when you need to. then after the st reaches it gets crazy with suicide drills, power squats and other insane exercises one after the other at a pace that has those in the video being forced to take breaks outside of the scheduled breaks. Each circuit is done 3 times with about a 30 second rest for water. with during the breaks reminders that form is more important then the speed you do the exercises at. This is very important because after each break the pace increases. this is the Max interval training talked about.. as it goes on the exercises change with a mix of lower body plyo, ab work and upper body. and "Insane" cardio the whole time. the last section is "Sports" style drills with stuff taken from football and basketball work out as well as some boxing drills at the very end. To be honest, watching this is making me anxious. Both in the feeling of WOW.. am I going to survive this and too, man I can't wait. The people in the video all appear to be in very good shape and some of them are struggling.
TN State BJJ Championships
I just want to give a shout out to one of the guys from my school. Bill Friend. He competed in the Adult 185+ Gi division and took 2nd place. Congrats Bill. you continue to do the school proud.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Beachbody - Insanity Fit Test (preliminary review)
(Over the next few days I will be watching these videos and taking notes getting familiar with the exercises and movements in this program as I have never really done a program like this. I once attended a cardio kick boxing class, notice the word once As I watch the videos I will post my initial thoughts and then when I begin I will just give my feelings on how I felt at the end of each session and post my fit test numbers here as well. Now onto the review)
WOW... INSANE... I mean really I just watch the fit test for this program. This is what you will be doing every two weeks to see your progress. It is 8 exercises. Many you most likely know if you work out often, though these are kinda slight variations. You do each exercise for 1 minute, with a 1 minute rest. It involves a few minutes of stretching warm up then at the end a few minutes of stretching for cool down. I will be listing the names of the exercises here no real descriptions for them I hope in the future to record one of my fit tests and I will post it for all to see. It did leave me with one question. Something I thought odd about the test but I have a theory already as to why. Keep in mind this is just a fit test.. not the work out. The names are what they are called in the program, So here it is
Switch Kicks, 1 min rest
Power Jacks, 1 min rest
Power Knees*, 1 min rest
Power Jumps, 1 min rest
Globe Jumps, 1 min rest
Suicide Jumps, 1 min rest
Push up Jacks, 2 min rest
Low Plan Obliques, and Done
Now before the last exercise there was a 2 minute rest the people in the video looked pretty wiped by this point.
* I bet you are wondering why I put that. Well it was simple cardio knees but for the fit test you apparently only do them to one side.. I assume this will be your strong side as in the video he said all to lean to the left and they were kneeing with their right leg. now I suspect that since this is just a test that the exercises during hate program will be working both sides, so here you are just testing to one side.
How does Insanity differ from other workouts. Well as you may be aware most other workouts of this type use interval training. You typically go at a moderate pace then push hard for 30 seconds to a minute then slow back down. For Insanity they call in Max Interval training. Where you push hard for most of it then slow down for about 30 seconds to a minute. It so far seems to be a mix of stretch, Plyometrics and traditional cardio exercises with some slight variations.
now I am not sure the exact date I will be starting this program. I have to find a place where the kids will be out of the way but I have access to a TV and room to jump. Not much room in my house for this.
WOW... INSANE... I mean really I just watch the fit test for this program. This is what you will be doing every two weeks to see your progress. It is 8 exercises. Many you most likely know if you work out often, though these are kinda slight variations. You do each exercise for 1 minute, with a 1 minute rest. It involves a few minutes of stretching warm up then at the end a few minutes of stretching for cool down. I will be listing the names of the exercises here no real descriptions for them I hope in the future to record one of my fit tests and I will post it for all to see. It did leave me with one question. Something I thought odd about the test but I have a theory already as to why. Keep in mind this is just a fit test.. not the work out. The names are what they are called in the program, So here it is
Switch Kicks, 1 min rest
Power Jacks, 1 min rest
Power Knees*, 1 min rest
Power Jumps, 1 min rest
Globe Jumps, 1 min rest
Suicide Jumps, 1 min rest
Push up Jacks, 2 min rest
Low Plan Obliques, and Done
Now before the last exercise there was a 2 minute rest the people in the video looked pretty wiped by this point.
* I bet you are wondering why I put that. Well it was simple cardio knees but for the fit test you apparently only do them to one side.. I assume this will be your strong side as in the video he said all to lean to the left and they were kneeing with their right leg. now I suspect that since this is just a test that the exercises during hate program will be working both sides, so here you are just testing to one side.
How does Insanity differ from other workouts. Well as you may be aware most other workouts of this type use interval training. You typically go at a moderate pace then push hard for 30 seconds to a minute then slow back down. For Insanity they call in Max Interval training. Where you push hard for most of it then slow down for about 30 seconds to a minute. It so far seems to be a mix of stretch, Plyometrics and traditional cardio exercises with some slight variations.
now I am not sure the exact date I will be starting this program. I have to find a place where the kids will be out of the way but I have access to a TV and room to jump. Not much room in my house for this.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Update.
OK just to give you all an idea of how I am progressing in my workouts... When I first started training in BJJ I was weight in at about 290 pounds, and I would get winded with in a minute or 2 of rolling.
once I started training I started to hit the gym a little bit and things started to get better.
I got down to around 270-275..
Then I started this blog. over the last 2-3 weeks I am walking around at about 264, meaning if I were to compete MMA I would not have to cut weight to reach the 265lbs limit on the Heavyweight class.. Over the next week or two I plan on increasing my gains as I will be changing my diet plan and starting on the Insanity program by Beach body.
I plan on getting a BMI (body mass index) check done at work on Friday and regardless of how ugly the results look I am going to post them so you can all see my progress.. probably some pictures as well so there will be physical evidence of my progress.
Once I start competing I will be posting pics and vids here as I get them as well. I was hoping to compete this weekend in teh state championships, but my instructor advised against it as you all can see I have only made a few training classes in the last 2 months or some. with some good news at work yesterday I am hoping to have a good schedule that will get me more class time.
once I started training I started to hit the gym a little bit and things started to get better.
I got down to around 270-275..
Then I started this blog. over the last 2-3 weeks I am walking around at about 264, meaning if I were to compete MMA I would not have to cut weight to reach the 265lbs limit on the Heavyweight class.. Over the next week or two I plan on increasing my gains as I will be changing my diet plan and starting on the Insanity program by Beach body.
I plan on getting a BMI (body mass index) check done at work on Friday and regardless of how ugly the results look I am going to post them so you can all see my progress.. probably some pictures as well so there will be physical evidence of my progress.
Once I start competing I will be posting pics and vids here as I get them as well. I was hoping to compete this weekend in teh state championships, but my instructor advised against it as you all can see I have only made a few training classes in the last 2 months or some. with some good news at work yesterday I am hoping to have a good schedule that will get me more class time.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Up coming bouts. My thoughts.
There are several fights of note coming up I want to give my thoughts on.
Strikeforce / M-1 Global - Saturday Nov. 7th
The first fight i want to talk about is is Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Rameau Thierry "The African Assassin" Sokoudjou (7-4). Now Sokoudjou is an underdog in this fight even though 6 of his 7 wins are by T/KO, all in the first round, and his losses one being to the current UFC LHW champ Lyoto Machida. Still makes him an underdog. Gegard, who is a training partner of Fedor, is on a fairly impressive 13 win streak. his last loss being to none other then Akihiro Gono to end his previous 8 straight win streak. His wins coming by a mixtures of Submissions, KO's and TKO's having only failed to finish 5 opponents including his 2 losses and one draw. While it is obvious Rameau has some power and can finish a fight with a KO. I do not think his arsenal of weapons is as deep as that of Gegard.
My Prediction - Gegard Rd 2 T/KO.
Next comes JAKE SHIELDS (23-4-1) vs. JASON "MAYHEM" MILLER (22-6). Now I will be honest here I am a bit biased towards shields. I been a fan of his for awhile now. Plus my BJJ instructor is a good friend of Jake's and has trained a lot with him. Now both of these guys have some Ultra slick Jiu Jitsu both holding many titles in various Jiu jitsu competitions. Jake has been very impressive as of late with miller more known for his hosting role on MTV's Bully Beatdown. Jake is on a 12 straight win streak, his last 7 wins were by submission 6 of those in the first round, most notably being Robbie Lawler, who Jake being a LW fighter moved up to middle weight for the challenge. Which is where this fight with miller will be for the recently vacated Strikeforce title. (The title was recently Vacated by Cung Lee who is currently perusing an acting career, and hopes to return to fighting in the future). I think the deciding factor in the fight might be the underrated stand up skills of Jake Shields. if it goes to the ground I think it could be anybody's contest. Miller just seems to have had a string of bad luck in matches lately. going 1-1-1 in his last 3 though his loss was an incredible match against Ronaldo Souza but his most recent match... a rematch against the same ended in a NC. This has the makings of being a fight for the ages. Neither has had to go 5 rounds in awhile, or rather had an opponent able to push them that far. This could be a possibility. Neither fighter is known for KO power and have 7 TKO's and no KO's between them, but I feel it is stand up that will decide this. Many say Jake looks very stiff in the ring and as I stated many feel his striking is sub par. If miller takes Jakes' stand up lightly and hopes to keep this standing he might be in for a surprise. From a recent interview and reading his facebook posts I know Jake is not taking miller lightly in any aspect of this fight. For the outcome of this fight I am having mixed thoughts. It could be a long drawn out decision and a stand up battle going into the late rounds. But if either fighter makes a mistake both are capable of picking up a quick win by a slick submission.
My prediction - Shields Rd 3 TKO
Lastly on this card...
FEDOR "THE LAST EMPEROR" EMELIANENKO (30-1*-0 1NC) vs. BRETT "THE GRIM" ROGERS (10-0). Now its rare for a man who is 10-0, 9 of which are KO's or TKO's to be an underdog, but you would have a hard time finding anyone who gives Rogers more then a punchers chance. Fedor's last loss was 9 years ago (read early entry about Fedor for further explanation) 6 years before Rogers first Pro fight. Rogers most notable win was over Andrei Arlovski in :22 seconds by TKO who 5 months earlier Fedor defeated by KO in 3:14 of the first round. Both men have punching power. But many who have stepped into the ring with Fedor claim no one has ever hit them harder. Fedor has survived many tough situations and over come many opponents who were bigger stronger or supposedly better, with wins over several former UFC champions, including 2 wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Now Rogers is not known for having much of a ground game. Where Fedor has out grappled grapplers', and out struck, strikers. Fedor is known for his robot like mentality in the ring showing no emotion even when he wins. His sportsmanship is unparalleled, but to look into his eyes before a fight looks as if you are looking into teh eyes of your executioner, and I think mentally he has most opponents beaten before the opening bell. Watch the eyes of Hong Man Choi even Tim Sylvia before the opening bell, weather they will admit it or not they have the look of someone who just got locked in a cage with a hungry dragon. Now one thing going for Rogers in this fight is it is Fedors first time in a cage. Many previous Pride fighters who have come over to the UFC and other groups have not always fared well in a cage. Though I do not feel that this will be a big deal for Fedor. I do not think Rogers really brings anything to the table Fedor really has to worry about. He has fought people who hit harder, are better strikers, better grapplers and has weathered them all.
My Prediction - Fedor 1st rd KO (utter destruction)
UFC 104 Oct 24th
Only one real fight I want to talk about on this card.
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) vs . Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3) for the UFC LHW title. On 2/3/07 Lyoto made his UFC debut and put together a string of what some called un-exciting Unanimous Decision wins. He came into the UFC with an 8-0 record with wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Stephen Bonnar to his resume. He started to put detractors to rest when he submitted Rameau Thierry "The African Assassin" Sokoudjou then picked apart Tito Ortiz in a 3 round battle where only once was Lyoto in any trouble then he KO'd Thiago Silva and then Rashad Evans to win the title. Rua on the other hand boasts 15 T/KO wins and has a who's who list of wins to Rival Fedor, including several that match Fedor, Big Nog and Kevin Randleman. Rua is known as a game striker who likes to take it to his opponents a style that has so far utterly failed against the likes of Machida. In fact so far no one has been able to figure out the puzzle Machida represents. His striking is on par with the best and his ground game is on the same level. he has incredible take down defense. It leaves me wondering what Rua is going to try that no one else has, and is it going to work. being a fan of both fighters it is hard to pick. Rarely do I choose against Rua. I just don't think though he is going to be the one to defeat Lyoto.
My Decision - Machida Rd 2 TKO.
Well these are just some coming up that I wanted to comment on.. there are more to come.
Strikeforce / M-1 Global - Saturday Nov. 7th
The first fight i want to talk about is is Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Rameau Thierry "The African Assassin" Sokoudjou (7-4). Now Sokoudjou is an underdog in this fight even though 6 of his 7 wins are by T/KO, all in the first round, and his losses one being to the current UFC LHW champ Lyoto Machida. Still makes him an underdog. Gegard, who is a training partner of Fedor, is on a fairly impressive 13 win streak. his last loss being to none other then Akihiro Gono to end his previous 8 straight win streak. His wins coming by a mixtures of Submissions, KO's and TKO's having only failed to finish 5 opponents including his 2 losses and one draw. While it is obvious Rameau has some power and can finish a fight with a KO. I do not think his arsenal of weapons is as deep as that of Gegard.
My Prediction - Gegard Rd 2 T/KO.
Next comes JAKE SHIELDS (23-4-1) vs. JASON "MAYHEM" MILLER (22-6). Now I will be honest here I am a bit biased towards shields. I been a fan of his for awhile now. Plus my BJJ instructor is a good friend of Jake's and has trained a lot with him. Now both of these guys have some Ultra slick Jiu Jitsu both holding many titles in various Jiu jitsu competitions. Jake has been very impressive as of late with miller more known for his hosting role on MTV's Bully Beatdown. Jake is on a 12 straight win streak, his last 7 wins were by submission 6 of those in the first round, most notably being Robbie Lawler, who Jake being a LW fighter moved up to middle weight for the challenge. Which is where this fight with miller will be for the recently vacated Strikeforce title. (The title was recently Vacated by Cung Lee who is currently perusing an acting career, and hopes to return to fighting in the future). I think the deciding factor in the fight might be the underrated stand up skills of Jake Shields. if it goes to the ground I think it could be anybody's contest. Miller just seems to have had a string of bad luck in matches lately. going 1-1-1 in his last 3 though his loss was an incredible match against Ronaldo Souza but his most recent match... a rematch against the same ended in a NC. This has the makings of being a fight for the ages. Neither has had to go 5 rounds in awhile, or rather had an opponent able to push them that far. This could be a possibility. Neither fighter is known for KO power and have 7 TKO's and no KO's between them, but I feel it is stand up that will decide this. Many say Jake looks very stiff in the ring and as I stated many feel his striking is sub par. If miller takes Jakes' stand up lightly and hopes to keep this standing he might be in for a surprise. From a recent interview and reading his facebook posts I know Jake is not taking miller lightly in any aspect of this fight. For the outcome of this fight I am having mixed thoughts. It could be a long drawn out decision and a stand up battle going into the late rounds. But if either fighter makes a mistake both are capable of picking up a quick win by a slick submission.
My prediction - Shields Rd 3 TKO
Lastly on this card...
FEDOR "THE LAST EMPEROR" EMELIANENKO (30-1*-0 1NC) vs. BRETT "THE GRIM" ROGERS (10-0). Now its rare for a man who is 10-0, 9 of which are KO's or TKO's to be an underdog, but you would have a hard time finding anyone who gives Rogers more then a punchers chance. Fedor's last loss was 9 years ago (read early entry about Fedor for further explanation) 6 years before Rogers first Pro fight. Rogers most notable win was over Andrei Arlovski in :22 seconds by TKO who 5 months earlier Fedor defeated by KO in 3:14 of the first round. Both men have punching power. But many who have stepped into the ring with Fedor claim no one has ever hit them harder. Fedor has survived many tough situations and over come many opponents who were bigger stronger or supposedly better, with wins over several former UFC champions, including 2 wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Now Rogers is not known for having much of a ground game. Where Fedor has out grappled grapplers', and out struck, strikers. Fedor is known for his robot like mentality in the ring showing no emotion even when he wins. His sportsmanship is unparalleled, but to look into his eyes before a fight looks as if you are looking into teh eyes of your executioner, and I think mentally he has most opponents beaten before the opening bell. Watch the eyes of Hong Man Choi even Tim Sylvia before the opening bell, weather they will admit it or not they have the look of someone who just got locked in a cage with a hungry dragon. Now one thing going for Rogers in this fight is it is Fedors first time in a cage. Many previous Pride fighters who have come over to the UFC and other groups have not always fared well in a cage. Though I do not feel that this will be a big deal for Fedor. I do not think Rogers really brings anything to the table Fedor really has to worry about. He has fought people who hit harder, are better strikers, better grapplers and has weathered them all.
My Prediction - Fedor 1st rd KO (utter destruction)
UFC 104 Oct 24th
Only one real fight I want to talk about on this card.
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) vs . Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3) for the UFC LHW title. On 2/3/07 Lyoto made his UFC debut and put together a string of what some called un-exciting Unanimous Decision wins. He came into the UFC with an 8-0 record with wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Stephen Bonnar to his resume. He started to put detractors to rest when he submitted Rameau Thierry "The African Assassin" Sokoudjou then picked apart Tito Ortiz in a 3 round battle where only once was Lyoto in any trouble then he KO'd Thiago Silva and then Rashad Evans to win the title. Rua on the other hand boasts 15 T/KO wins and has a who's who list of wins to Rival Fedor, including several that match Fedor, Big Nog and Kevin Randleman. Rua is known as a game striker who likes to take it to his opponents a style that has so far utterly failed against the likes of Machida. In fact so far no one has been able to figure out the puzzle Machida represents. His striking is on par with the best and his ground game is on the same level. he has incredible take down defense. It leaves me wondering what Rua is going to try that no one else has, and is it going to work. being a fan of both fighters it is hard to pick. Rarely do I choose against Rua. I just don't think though he is going to be the one to defeat Lyoto.
My Decision - Machida Rd 2 TKO.
Well these are just some coming up that I wanted to comment on.. there are more to come.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Physical Training.
OK.. I know I have not posted in awhile and for that I am sorry.
Things have been a bit hectic. I have started a new lifting program and I just got my hands on a copy of Beach Body's new Insanity program. Which I will be starting shortly and will be talking about. Now for those that may not know. Beach Body is the same company that made the P90X program. I know many on it and it seems to work as they say.The one disadvantage to the P90x is that you need some extra equipment. Things like some dumbbells or resistance bands. and a pull up bar. Now from all I read the new Insanity program requires nothing but some space. It is similar in concept to P90X how it alters itself over time to prevent the plateau effect. It is filled with lots of cardio, stretching and plyometrics. I figure doing this along with my new lifting program should give me some, well... Insane results.
Now as for the lifting program I am doing. It is a 3 day program consisting of 4-5 lifts each day using either drop sets or rest-pause sets. now both are similar in how you do them, but on a drop set you decrease by roughly 20% weight. Now for each set I need to do a min of 8 reps or a max of 10. with a 20 second rest between each set for a total of 3 sets. Either going down in wait as stated for the drop sets or staying at the same weight for the rest-pause sets. And as stated I am doing 3 to 4 exercises a day 3 days a week. Now to keep things different I do, do different variations of the exercises
Day 1 - Monday
Incline or decline bench press, Drop sets
Military Press, Drop sets
Dips, Rest-pause
Bicep curls, drop sets
Day 2 - Wednesday
Standing Rows - Drop Sets
Lat pull downs - Drop Sets
Shrugs - Drop sets
Back Extensions - rest-pause
Day 3 - Friday
Squats - rest-pause
Leg curls - Drop sets
Leg Extensions - drop sets
Calf press/raise - rest pause
Crunches - rest-pause
For the moment on the off days I am doing cardio running for at least 25 minutes and a min of 1.5 miles.. still not much of a runner. Once I start the Insanity program that will be a daily so that will be my cardio.. I still plan on lifting as well.. though I may be forced to change my weights and such.
So now you are up to date on what I am doing. More to follow.
Things have been a bit hectic. I have started a new lifting program and I just got my hands on a copy of Beach Body's new Insanity program. Which I will be starting shortly and will be talking about. Now for those that may not know. Beach Body is the same company that made the P90X program. I know many on it and it seems to work as they say.The one disadvantage to the P90x is that you need some extra equipment. Things like some dumbbells or resistance bands. and a pull up bar. Now from all I read the new Insanity program requires nothing but some space. It is similar in concept to P90X how it alters itself over time to prevent the plateau effect. It is filled with lots of cardio, stretching and plyometrics. I figure doing this along with my new lifting program should give me some, well... Insane results.
Now as for the lifting program I am doing. It is a 3 day program consisting of 4-5 lifts each day using either drop sets or rest-pause sets. now both are similar in how you do them, but on a drop set you decrease by roughly 20% weight. Now for each set I need to do a min of 8 reps or a max of 10. with a 20 second rest between each set for a total of 3 sets. Either going down in wait as stated for the drop sets or staying at the same weight for the rest-pause sets. And as stated I am doing 3 to 4 exercises a day 3 days a week. Now to keep things different I do, do different variations of the exercises
Day 1 - Monday
Incline or decline bench press, Drop sets
Military Press, Drop sets
Dips, Rest-pause
Bicep curls, drop sets
Day 2 - Wednesday
Standing Rows - Drop Sets
Lat pull downs - Drop Sets
Shrugs - Drop sets
Back Extensions - rest-pause
Day 3 - Friday
Squats - rest-pause
Leg curls - Drop sets
Leg Extensions - drop sets
Calf press/raise - rest pause
Crunches - rest-pause
For the moment on the off days I am doing cardio running for at least 25 minutes and a min of 1.5 miles.. still not much of a runner. Once I start the Insanity program that will be a daily so that will be my cardio.. I still plan on lifting as well.. though I may be forced to change my weights and such.
So now you are up to date on what I am doing. More to follow.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sambo & BJJ
Tonight in class was a lot of fun. The first hour was our Sambo session. We went over some neat things. My favorite was a transition from the north south position into a knee bar. and we covered some other legs locks from when you are stuck in half guard. Then we did some rolling Sambo style. Mainly it was just Bill and I rolling. Bill caught me in a submission to end it, but I did a nice take down when we were standing and started off good.. As I said he finally got me but I was glad to get a small victory.. good confidence boost.
Then we went into BJJ.We went over a few more take downs and some guard passes as well as how to defend them.. plus worked on how to defend side control with some neat spin thing.. really hard to describe.
The rolling was fun.. went with one of the other guys. he is a bit faster and lankier then me and we went to a time stoppage. Since no points were kept it was simply fun. Then I went with Bill again.. not once.. but twice.. the first time he caught me in a vicious ankle lock, which still hurts somewhat. The second time we had just a few seconds left before the time was up and he caught me in a position where I just could not breath.. not an actual submission but with how tangled up we were I had a mouth full of Gi and could not get air. Over all that session was good. I was able to work a few things and defended from many more.
Then we went into BJJ.We went over a few more take downs and some guard passes as well as how to defend them.. plus worked on how to defend side control with some neat spin thing.. really hard to describe.
The rolling was fun.. went with one of the other guys. he is a bit faster and lankier then me and we went to a time stoppage. Since no points were kept it was simply fun. Then I went with Bill again.. not once.. but twice.. the first time he caught me in a vicious ankle lock, which still hurts somewhat. The second time we had just a few seconds left before the time was up and he caught me in a position where I just could not breath.. not an actual submission but with how tangled up we were I had a mouth full of Gi and could not get air. Over all that session was good. I was able to work a few things and defended from many more.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
UFC 103... My thoughts
I am not going to give a run down of everything I am just going to comment on two fights.
First The CroCop/Dos Santos fight... The first round was pretty good, I do give it to Dos Santos. Some good strikes on both parts. Round two, Again to Dos Santos. More of the same in the first round. Third round well here is where it ended. There was an accidental nut shot by CroCop to Dos Santos. After that in the clinch looked like the cut over CroCops eye might have been getting in them or during the clinch a possible finger.. I just found it odd that after the clinch CroCop stepped back saying he could not see.. also he defense seemed to have fallen apart and more shots were starting to get through. Which leads me to the blood theory. Which hey Credit to Dos Santos he fought the good fight. If anyone has alternate angles on this please give me your thoughts.
the second fight I want to comment on is the Vitor Belfort/ Rich Franklin fight. All I can say is...
WAR BELFORT!!!!!!!!
Both fighters looked good as this fight started. I kept saying to myself Vtor is going to do a flurry of punches and end this.. and sure enough he did. It is great to see him back in the UFC.
First The CroCop/Dos Santos fight... The first round was pretty good, I do give it to Dos Santos. Some good strikes on both parts. Round two, Again to Dos Santos. More of the same in the first round. Third round well here is where it ended. There was an accidental nut shot by CroCop to Dos Santos. After that in the clinch looked like the cut over CroCops eye might have been getting in them or during the clinch a possible finger.. I just found it odd that after the clinch CroCop stepped back saying he could not see.. also he defense seemed to have fallen apart and more shots were starting to get through. Which leads me to the blood theory. Which hey Credit to Dos Santos he fought the good fight. If anyone has alternate angles on this please give me your thoughts.
the second fight I want to comment on is the Vitor Belfort/ Rich Franklin fight. All I can say is...
WAR BELFORT!!!!!!!!
Both fighters looked good as this fight started. I kept saying to myself Vtor is going to do a flurry of punches and end this.. and sure enough he did. It is great to see him back in the UFC.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Jiu Jitsu Training..
So I have missed a couple of weeks of training, but I was able to make class today. I felt great over all. Saturday is normally a review day but for me I learned a few new things.
First we I learned a new throw. It is referred to as a suicide throw because if you miss it you can end up in a bad position. This one the steps are relatively simple. You switch your grips so you have both hands on the others arms and you step that side. Then pivoting to that side you bring your trailing leg in past your planted foot and basically fall to your stomach if done correctly it send the other over you with relative ease to their back. Done incorrectly you are face down with the other on your back. Bad position to be in.
After that we worked some Rear Naked Choke (RNC) escapes and then some various choke options from side mount. After that we got into some rolling.
First I rolled with one of the top students in class, Bill. It was kind of back on forth until we got to the ground. He got me into his guard and I had to work a lot from there trying to escape and pass and avoid him taking an arm. After several minutes I managed to avoid an arm bar but fell right into a triangle. I blanked on the escape for it as it has been a bit and not something I have done a lot and was forced to tap.
My 2nd roll was with another student. Again from the feet, I looked to try and implement the suicide throw learned earlier ( he was late to class and not there for that lesson) but he shifted his feet so I abandoned it. Then a few moments later he went to attempt the throw himself, as he learned it earlier this week, and it lived up to its name. As he went to fall down I slipped past him and was almost able to take his back but he scrambled well and I manged to take full mount. I went at first to look to go for a traditional arm bar but he kept his arms moving and did not give me much to go for and I tried to keep busy and avoid my tendency to rest in the mount. I decided to try a collar choke of various kinds but he kept his hands well defensively and would not take the bait when i gave him a chance to roll to his side for one of my favorite choke I then trapped his left wrist and went for the Americana, It took a few moments but I was able to lock it in and apply pressure and he finally tapped.
Lastly I rolled with my instructor. We started from our knees which is a classic starting position for training. And since he always yells at me for not being aggressive enough at times. So I went to try and do a short throw and missed badly and after a scramble managed to end up in his guard. After several failed attempts trying to pass I managed to scramble ended up on my and had to fend off the side mount. Eventually I ended back in his guard. After about a dozen attempts avoiding getting arm bar-ed I managed to pass and was able to get into mount. From there I was able to slip on a collar choke (with a slight adjustment from my instructor) and end that session. Now I know that makes me sound pretty good , but when rolling with his students especially with me if I use my strength and no technique I either get tapped or he will just stalemate me and make me do things over and over. When correct technique is used he rewards us by letting us complete the maneuver. He for the most part can let it go on as long as he wants or as short as he wants. But I learn a lot.
Over all great Session.
First we I learned a new throw. It is referred to as a suicide throw because if you miss it you can end up in a bad position. This one the steps are relatively simple. You switch your grips so you have both hands on the others arms and you step that side. Then pivoting to that side you bring your trailing leg in past your planted foot and basically fall to your stomach if done correctly it send the other over you with relative ease to their back. Done incorrectly you are face down with the other on your back. Bad position to be in.
After that we worked some Rear Naked Choke (RNC) escapes and then some various choke options from side mount. After that we got into some rolling.
First I rolled with one of the top students in class, Bill. It was kind of back on forth until we got to the ground. He got me into his guard and I had to work a lot from there trying to escape and pass and avoid him taking an arm. After several minutes I managed to avoid an arm bar but fell right into a triangle. I blanked on the escape for it as it has been a bit and not something I have done a lot and was forced to tap.
My 2nd roll was with another student. Again from the feet, I looked to try and implement the suicide throw learned earlier ( he was late to class and not there for that lesson) but he shifted his feet so I abandoned it. Then a few moments later he went to attempt the throw himself, as he learned it earlier this week, and it lived up to its name. As he went to fall down I slipped past him and was almost able to take his back but he scrambled well and I manged to take full mount. I went at first to look to go for a traditional arm bar but he kept his arms moving and did not give me much to go for and I tried to keep busy and avoid my tendency to rest in the mount. I decided to try a collar choke of various kinds but he kept his hands well defensively and would not take the bait when i gave him a chance to roll to his side for one of my favorite choke I then trapped his left wrist and went for the Americana, It took a few moments but I was able to lock it in and apply pressure and he finally tapped.
Lastly I rolled with my instructor. We started from our knees which is a classic starting position for training. And since he always yells at me for not being aggressive enough at times. So I went to try and do a short throw and missed badly and after a scramble managed to end up in his guard. After several failed attempts trying to pass I managed to scramble ended up on my and had to fend off the side mount. Eventually I ended back in his guard. After about a dozen attempts avoiding getting arm bar-ed I managed to pass and was able to get into mount. From there I was able to slip on a collar choke (with a slight adjustment from my instructor) and end that session. Now I know that makes me sound pretty good , but when rolling with his students especially with me if I use my strength and no technique I either get tapped or he will just stalemate me and make me do things over and over. When correct technique is used he rewards us by letting us complete the maneuver. He for the most part can let it go on as long as he wants or as short as he wants. But I learn a lot.
Over all great Session.
Physical Training.
OK. I have been doing it but I just have not had the chance to write about it.. so I am going to do a big one.. two sessions plus a progress test. I am going to do each together..
First. The Push-ups. On my final set, of the first day I did not right about, hence forth known as day one, I was able to just 15 regular and did the last 4 with my knees on the ground, my target was 19 min, it was a little rough. Day two went better I was able to do the full 21 required. Did not get beyond but I did the min required.
For the progress test I was able to do 40 which was a slight increase over the previous week of 36. Least I am going up. For a 265 pound dude.. 40 is not bad.
For my sit ups I did another slight change.. Using 16 pounds of weight (2, 8 pounder's one in each hand) I did the regular chart 7 sets required. For the last set the min required set I just did normal. for day 1 I did 102 with a min required of 70 and for day 2 I did a 30 with a min required of 75.
For my progress test I did normal weight sit-ups and hit 300.
Lastly is the squats. For day one I did 75, required min of 63 and day two I did 70 with a min of 67.
My progress test I did 120 an increase of 10 from the previous test.
Now to some who are just tuning in to my blog this may seem like not much progress, but I must refer you to earlier posts, mainly the link to the programs themselves. But more and more are required of me during the normal phase of the day. I am now up to 8 sets instead of 5 and doing many more reps.
OK now here come my total number of Reps to date. I do not really think this means much but it is interesting to see, at least for me. The total number of each exercise I have done so far for this program.
Push-ups - 785
Sit-up - 2784
Squats - 2129
Well there you go.
First. The Push-ups. On my final set, of the first day I did not right about, hence forth known as day one, I was able to just 15 regular and did the last 4 with my knees on the ground, my target was 19 min, it was a little rough. Day two went better I was able to do the full 21 required. Did not get beyond but I did the min required.
For the progress test I was able to do 40 which was a slight increase over the previous week of 36. Least I am going up. For a 265 pound dude.. 40 is not bad.
For my sit ups I did another slight change.. Using 16 pounds of weight (2, 8 pounder's one in each hand) I did the regular chart 7 sets required. For the last set the min required set I just did normal. for day 1 I did 102 with a min required of 70 and for day 2 I did a 30 with a min required of 75.
For my progress test I did normal weight sit-ups and hit 300.
Lastly is the squats. For day one I did 75, required min of 63 and day two I did 70 with a min of 67.
My progress test I did 120 an increase of 10 from the previous test.
Now to some who are just tuning in to my blog this may seem like not much progress, but I must refer you to earlier posts, mainly the link to the programs themselves. But more and more are required of me during the normal phase of the day. I am now up to 8 sets instead of 5 and doing many more reps.
OK now here come my total number of Reps to date. I do not really think this means much but it is interesting to see, at least for me. The total number of each exercise I have done so far for this program.
Push-ups - 785
Sit-up - 2784
Squats - 2129
Well there you go.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Physical training..
So I am a bit late on these posts.. been a crazy week.. I am down with the flu. So I am taking the time to update my physical training entries. Sadly it seems the world is conspiring against my skills training for MMA and BJJ but hopefully that will change.
For my push-ups I am redoing week 3 of the program which is where I started but is also where I should have been if I started from week one. I think I am actually on track now. For my last set of push-ups I did 18 which was one more then the min. If you recall when I started I had to finish the last 6 on my knees. So I am making some good progress...
My sit-ups I had mixed results this time.. Since I did 250 on my last test I went up a category and decided to add 15 pounds of extra weight. Well I was able to do 66 on my final set which was 6 extra.. I am debating dropping the extra weight and staying in the same column... I already broke the 200 mark.. so now I am working to increase the strength of my abs.. maybe I will keep the weight.. have to decide.
For my squats I was was able to do 78 on my final set with the required amount only 54.. so I am doing great there..
This has my program to date totals at:
Push-ups - 577
Sit-ups - 1801
Squats - 1535
I am doing pretty good so far.
I also finally got some new running shoes so I am hoping to run better as well.
For my push-ups I am redoing week 3 of the program which is where I started but is also where I should have been if I started from week one. I think I am actually on track now. For my last set of push-ups I did 18 which was one more then the min. If you recall when I started I had to finish the last 6 on my knees. So I am making some good progress...
My sit-ups I had mixed results this time.. Since I did 250 on my last test I went up a category and decided to add 15 pounds of extra weight. Well I was able to do 66 on my final set which was 6 extra.. I am debating dropping the extra weight and staying in the same column... I already broke the 200 mark.. so now I am working to increase the strength of my abs.. maybe I will keep the weight.. have to decide.
For my squats I was was able to do 78 on my final set with the required amount only 54.. so I am doing great there..
This has my program to date totals at:
Push-ups - 577
Sit-ups - 1801
Squats - 1535
I am doing pretty good so far.
I also finally got some new running shoes so I am hoping to run better as well.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Runners Log.
OK another day of running.. Felt a little better on this run was better with pacing myself not much to real say so here are the numbers.
Time: 36 minutes
Distance: 2.51 miles
Same time added a half mile.. happy about that. It's only my 2nd time running like this.. I am hoping to get some new sneakers here soon and that should hopefully make things easier then running in the 5 year old high tops..
Time: 36 minutes
Distance: 2.51 miles
Same time added a half mile.. happy about that. It's only my 2nd time running like this.. I am hoping to get some new sneakers here soon and that should hopefully make things easier then running in the 5 year old high tops..
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Physical training..
OK well today was my first progress test and I have mixed feelings. I am happy with my push-ups. Ecstatic with my sit ups and mildly disappointed in my squats. Now I may not have gotten a good test there as yesterday I did a 2 mile run which is the first I have ran that far in over 3 years.. so my legs may have given out a bit early. But here are the results over a roughly 2 week period ( a bit longer I was taking an extra day of rest to allow for proper muscle recovery. plus I was sick for a few days in the middle. )
Base line test - Progress test #1
Push-ups - 25 - 36
Sit-ups - 40 - 250
Squats - 63 - 110
As you can see improvement in all areas I just expected higher results on my squats. I did better on push-ups then I expected. I was expecting about 30-32 so I am pleased there.
Base line test - Progress test #1
Push-ups - 25 - 36
Sit-ups - 40 - 250
Squats - 63 - 110
As you can see improvement in all areas I just expected higher results on my squats. I did better on push-ups then I expected. I was expecting about 30-32 so I am pleased there.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Runners Log
OK.. well Oddly for me I started running today using a treadmill in my gym at work. Now I am not a runner in way shape or form. but here is what I did today
Time: 36 minutes
Distance: 2.01 miles
Early I started to think I was in trouble as my calves started to burn but I was able to push through and make it the full time. I hope things go better next session will most likely be friday depending on how my workout tomorrow goes.
Time: 36 minutes
Distance: 2.01 miles
Early I started to think I was in trouble as my calves started to burn but I was able to push through and make it the full time. I hope things go better next session will most likely be friday depending on how my workout tomorrow goes.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Physical training. More of it.
OK.. Well do to other circumstances I been having a hard time getting to BJJ class and such.. but I am using the time to focus in my physical training.. So hit the gym at work today and here are my results..
For push-ups my final set I hit 21 which is one more then the max. for a Total of 82.. I was actually kinda shocked to see I was doing that many push ups total.. Me and push -ups have always been enemies.
Sit ups I 140 on my last set for a daily total of 287.. Not surprised there.
Squats I did 75 for the final set, Got a leg cramp at the end might have been able to do a few more like maybe 5 at the most.. but still good. That was a daily total of 240 squats..
My program to date totals are as follows:
Push-ups - 468
Sit-ups - 1330
Squats - 1172
Over all I am feeling great and liking my results.. Wednesday is my first progress test..
Some things I have noticed... I do need to drink more water I have been getting cramps in my legs lately.. and I have noticed just taking an extra day of rest between workout days allows me to push myself a bit harder.. not sure how it is effecting the results of the program.. but we will see come the progress test.. I am doing it Wednesday in hopes I can make BJJ class on Thursday.. Not looking good.. but here is to hoping.
For push-ups my final set I hit 21 which is one more then the max. for a Total of 82.. I was actually kinda shocked to see I was doing that many push ups total.. Me and push -ups have always been enemies.
Sit ups I 140 on my last set for a daily total of 287.. Not surprised there.
Squats I did 75 for the final set, Got a leg cramp at the end might have been able to do a few more like maybe 5 at the most.. but still good. That was a daily total of 240 squats..
My program to date totals are as follows:
Push-ups - 468
Sit-ups - 1330
Squats - 1172
Over all I am feeling great and liking my results.. Wednesday is my first progress test..
Some things I have noticed... I do need to drink more water I have been getting cramps in my legs lately.. and I have noticed just taking an extra day of rest between workout days allows me to push myself a bit harder.. not sure how it is effecting the results of the program.. but we will see come the progress test.. I am doing it Wednesday in hopes I can make BJJ class on Thursday.. Not looking good.. but here is to hoping.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Physical Training: yup more of it...
OK.. so I am a day or two behind.. I had some weird bug over the last few days.. left work early on saturday just retunred to work today.. feeling much better over all so I hit the gym to continue the program.. and i got some good results.
For my push-up I consider this a sort of milestone. on the last set I had to do a minimum of 17 I for the first time overshot my push-up mark and hit 20 I know its not much.. but well I was able to do more for the first time then what is required, and these were proper form. A total of 74 push-ups today.
Sit-ups as usual I am excelling in and with a minimum amount of 42 required I hit my wifes favorite number 131. that was 259 sit-ups total in todays session.
Squats I am doing well, too. 49 was the required amount I hit 70 thats 212 total for the session.
This makes my program to date totals as follows:
Push-ups - 386
Sit-ups - 1043
Squats - 932
Over all I am pleased. Tomorrow night I got my BJJ class so I am looking foward to that.
For my push-up I consider this a sort of milestone. on the last set I had to do a minimum of 17 I for the first time overshot my push-up mark and hit 20 I know its not much.. but well I was able to do more for the first time then what is required, and these were proper form. A total of 74 push-ups today.
Sit-ups as usual I am excelling in and with a minimum amount of 42 required I hit my wifes favorite number 131. that was 259 sit-ups total in todays session.
Squats I am doing well, too. 49 was the required amount I hit 70 thats 212 total for the session.
This makes my program to date totals as follows:
Push-ups - 386
Sit-ups - 1043
Squats - 932
Over all I am pleased. Tomorrow night I got my BJJ class so I am looking foward to that.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Physical Training
Since I was starting a new week I made a couple of changes. So for my push-ups I decided to drop back to week two's schedule since I was struggling so much with it. So my goals were less. now since I am starting my 2nd week but according to my initial test I was supposed to start on week 3.. So I dropped back to week 2, but I went to the 3rd column instead of the 2nd. For Sit-ups and squats I went onto week 4.
For my push-ups I was happy even though I dropped down and my new min level for last set was 15 I was able to do them all in proper form... it was a bit hard but I completed it.. So over all I was pleased.
My sit ups on week 4 of the chart my min was 38.. I blew it away at 111... I do a progress test at the end of this week and I would not be surprised if I do not hit the 200 when I do it.. but we shall see.. remember those are non stop so who knows.
For my week 4 chart wise squats my min was 43 for the final set. I squatted my way to 65.. so again very pleased there.
This puts my program to date totals as follows.
Push-ups - 312
Sit-ups - 784
Squats - 720
My push-ups in comparison are looking kinda week but over all I am liking the program and I am feeling good.. I think if my elbow and shoulder were not sore from my BJJ training the night before I have have done a bit better on the push-ups.. but I hit goal which is why I am pleased.
For my push-ups I was happy even though I dropped down and my new min level for last set was 15 I was able to do them all in proper form... it was a bit hard but I completed it.. So over all I was pleased.
My sit ups on week 4 of the chart my min was 38.. I blew it away at 111... I do a progress test at the end of this week and I would not be surprised if I do not hit the 200 when I do it.. but we shall see.. remember those are non stop so who knows.
For my week 4 chart wise squats my min was 43 for the final set. I squatted my way to 65.. so again very pleased there.
This puts my program to date totals as follows.
Push-ups - 312
Sit-ups - 784
Squats - 720
My push-ups in comparison are looking kinda week but over all I am liking the program and I am feeling good.. I think if my elbow and shoulder were not sore from my BJJ training the night before I have have done a bit better on the push-ups.. but I hit goal which is why I am pleased.
BJJ Training
OK so last night was my first real night back in class in almost two weeks with my new work schedule. So here we go. We did both Gi and No-Gi. For Gi we re-worked some sweeps and such we had gone over in the past learned a couple of new open gaurd passes and also a defense to those passes.
No Gi we went over some chokes they learned earlier in the week which were new to me so I enjoyed learning them.
We also went over a lot of basics.. and drills.. Like the shrimping drill and mat movement drills as well as basic rolling and falling drills. My instructor is a firm believer in making sure you have the basics down.
We also did some rolling. As usual I was rolling with the top student in the class and did OK. against him I think my biggest win on a personal level was after we were all done I was not winded and still feeling ready to go again. Which we would have but since were at a new location our instructor was playing with the lights... Off they went and none of could figure out how to get them back on... And YES we tried flipping the switch in the other direction.
As for how I am feeling I am a bit sore as I got caught in a solid arm bar and tried to work my way out of it but proceeded to sink it deeper and was forced to tap... But over all I feel great.
No Gi we went over some chokes they learned earlier in the week which were new to me so I enjoyed learning them.
We also went over a lot of basics.. and drills.. Like the shrimping drill and mat movement drills as well as basic rolling and falling drills. My instructor is a firm believer in making sure you have the basics down.
We also did some rolling. As usual I was rolling with the top student in the class and did OK. against him I think my biggest win on a personal level was after we were all done I was not winded and still feeling ready to go again. Which we would have but since were at a new location our instructor was playing with the lights... Off they went and none of could figure out how to get them back on... And YES we tried flipping the switch in the other direction.
As for how I am feeling I am a bit sore as I got caught in a solid arm bar and tried to work my way out of it but proceeded to sink it deeper and was forced to tap... But over all I feel great.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Physical Training Cont.
OK to keep this short I do not have a lot of time at the moment...
On my push-ups I dropped back to day one as I have been having trouble with them. On my last set once again a 17 max I was able to do 11 reg with the last 6 girly style.. yea I said and admit it.
Sit up... Simply put I kicked ass today. my last set I had to do a min of 30... I managed to squeeze out a guy wrenching 100!!!! That's actually 202 today.. mind you with breaks.. the goal is to do 200 with out stopping..
On my squats it was brutal.. I did 55 though so I was happy about that as well
over all I am disappointed in my push-ups.. But not terribly.. its something I never excelled in... now not to make excuses I did not get as much sleep as normal. My daughter started school today so I was up at 7 instead of my normal 10.. but that is just an excuse and i still did my routine.
so that makes my program totals to date...
Push-ups - 249
Sit-ups - 565
Squats - 534
I think after this point my sit-ups are going to start pulling away
On my push-ups I dropped back to day one as I have been having trouble with them. On my last set once again a 17 max I was able to do 11 reg with the last 6 girly style.. yea I said and admit it.
Sit up... Simply put I kicked ass today. my last set I had to do a min of 30... I managed to squeeze out a guy wrenching 100!!!! That's actually 202 today.. mind you with breaks.. the goal is to do 200 with out stopping..
On my squats it was brutal.. I did 55 though so I was happy about that as well
over all I am disappointed in my push-ups.. But not terribly.. its something I never excelled in... now not to make excuses I did not get as much sleep as normal. My daughter started school today so I was up at 7 instead of my normal 10.. but that is just an excuse and i still did my routine.
so that makes my program totals to date...
Push-ups - 249
Sit-ups - 565
Squats - 534
I think after this point my sit-ups are going to start pulling away
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Fedor and the UFC. My thoughts.
First let me start by saying I am a huge Fedor Emelianenko fan. He is most like the most dominant fighter to date in the history of MMA regardless of Weight class. "The Last Emperor" as he is known is was born September 28, 1976 (let it be known I was born almost exactly 1 year later Sept, 19th 1977) he weighs in approximately 233 pounds and fights as a Heavyweight. His current official record is 30-1* with 1 no contest. The asterisk next to his name is to denote his one loss came in a tournament where he was hit with an illegal elbow and cut. The bleeding was unable to be controlled and therefore he could not continue so the one who hit him was given the win so he could advance. if not for the tournament format the fight would have been declared a no contest as it was very obvious the elbow was not intentional. Almost all MMA rankings have him listed as the #1 heavyweight fighter in the world and many have him as the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world his record and stats can be viewed here. Now that you know who this is about let me go into the topic on hand.
Now it is widely accepted and I even agree that at the moment the Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC is the current top dog in the MMA world. In almost every weight class they boast at least 5 of the top 10 fighters and in some weight classes even more. The one weight class that seems to be in the biggest contention is the Heavyweight division. And The UFC has some great young and veteran fighters. It is also widely felt that the HW division in MMA in general for the most part is the most talent shallow division.
Back in the Heyday of Pride Fighting Championship Fedor reigned supreme while Randy Couture was pretty much the ruler of the UFC. Just about everyone who was an MMA fan at the time wanted to know who would win. Captain America or the Russian Machine. Sadly in Randy's Prime this match never happened. Now though Pride is long gone. Fedor is currently under contract with M-1 Global who is owned in part by Vadim Finklestein who just also happens to be Fedor's manager (keep this in the back of your mind. As you read this.)
Now several times in the past Dana White the president of the UFC has tried to sign Fedor for instance after the demise of Pride. In the past negotiations have always seemed to break down as neither side seemed willing to make concessions to other. Past negotiations I blame on both parties at the table.
Now let me state some feelings here. Personally I do not think Fedor has any say over what contract he signs as I truly believe his manager/fighter contract with Vadim has him practically a slave. And his only way out would be to defect from Russia which as most MMA fans know is a point of personal pride with Fedor as he loves his country. And keep in mind Russian contract law is most likely very different then US contract law where most athletes can get out of a contract if they feel their management is not acting in their best interests.
Back to the point... as I said, past negotiations have always broken down with both sides Fedor's management and Dana calling each other names and such. The last time this happened Fedor ended up signing with, if you guessed M-1 Global, you would be correct. The contract was for 6 fights, So far Fedor has had 3. 2 of which were under Affliction where he defeated, excuse me, destroyed two former UFC HW champs. After 2 shows. Affliction is back to just clothing and Fedor needs to find a new place to fight.
Well to give credit to Dana White, He seems this time to have listened to the fans and came to Fedors management with an incredible deal, a supposedly 6 fight contract making over a million, some reports say up t 5 million per fight deal which would make him the highest paid fighter in MMA history. A point of contention on the past has been Fedor's participation in Sambo matches in his home country which is really Fedor's true passion, Dana gave in. Dana said Fedor could hang banners about M-1 Global and even wear shorts in the ring that said M-1 on them, let the record show that when Affliction announced it was going to promote MMA events fighters were banned from wearing Affliction clothing or posting Affliction on their ringside banners, re-aired shows had Affliction apparel fuzzed out, So this was a big thing for Dana to give. Every concession that was for Fedor the fighter Dana appears to have made.
Except, you know there had to be one of these things seemed to perfect...
Except to co-promote events which is what Vadim states as the main reason they did not sign the contract. Now some say this was ludicrous for Dana not to agree to co-promote. Why would the UFC not agree to this? well in the early days when MMA was all but outlawed in most states and Dana and the owners were trying to grow, none of the other smaller promotions of the time would help them fight to get the laws and such changed, Because of the efforts of the UFC and Dana White MMA is legal in most states and more are signing on. It cost the UFC a lot of money which they have more then since made back but have made it easier for the promotions that would not help them to survive, most failed to survive anyway. Dana does not feel like helping another promotion succeed because of all his and the UFC's efforts. I partly agree.
In the Fedor issue I feel the UFC went over and above what it should have done to try and sign this superstar even at the risk of upsetting their own current stable of fighters who most of which together would not be getting what Fedor was offered, but as I said Dana tried to create the fights fans have been begging to see. I also feel this gives some credibility to the past rants of Dana white referring to Fedor’s management team as "crazy Russians".
I also feel the UFC does not need Fedor, nor does Fedor need the UFC. The UFC is now a large stable company believed by many fans to be the major leagues of MMA, argument for a future entry. And Fedor has 30 wins having beat every challenger put in front of him including a rematch to his one "loss"
So where does this leave Fedor, I mean obviously the UFC is going to continue as they already have 4 or 5 shows scheduled and the next season of The Ultimate Fighter taping featuring Kimbo Slice, again future posts. Fedor is going to the next largest promotion in the US, Strikeforce. There he has only 3 obvious challengers the most dangerous of whom would be Allister Overeem, who I predict Fedor beating in the first round and becoming the Strikeforce HW champion to add to his Pride title and the WAMMA title, yet another future topic. It is supposedly a 3 fight contract which will end to coincide with the end of his M-1 contract. Does this mean we have to wait 3 more Fedor fights before we have a chance to see Fedor in the UFC?
The answer to that is I do not know. Personally I feel as long as Vadim is his manager Fedor will not get into the UFC. And if I am right about his contract with Vadim this may never happen because I do not believe Fedor would ever leave his home country. So for me... I look forward to the next UFC event this weekend along with the WEC event(its free so that’s the one I will watch) and to Fedor's next fight whenever that is.
Now it is widely accepted and I even agree that at the moment the Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC is the current top dog in the MMA world. In almost every weight class they boast at least 5 of the top 10 fighters and in some weight classes even more. The one weight class that seems to be in the biggest contention is the Heavyweight division. And The UFC has some great young and veteran fighters. It is also widely felt that the HW division in MMA in general for the most part is the most talent shallow division.
Back in the Heyday of Pride Fighting Championship Fedor reigned supreme while Randy Couture was pretty much the ruler of the UFC. Just about everyone who was an MMA fan at the time wanted to know who would win. Captain America or the Russian Machine. Sadly in Randy's Prime this match never happened. Now though Pride is long gone. Fedor is currently under contract with M-1 Global who is owned in part by Vadim Finklestein who just also happens to be Fedor's manager (keep this in the back of your mind. As you read this.)
Now several times in the past Dana White the president of the UFC has tried to sign Fedor for instance after the demise of Pride. In the past negotiations have always seemed to break down as neither side seemed willing to make concessions to other. Past negotiations I blame on both parties at the table.
Now let me state some feelings here. Personally I do not think Fedor has any say over what contract he signs as I truly believe his manager/fighter contract with Vadim has him practically a slave. And his only way out would be to defect from Russia which as most MMA fans know is a point of personal pride with Fedor as he loves his country. And keep in mind Russian contract law is most likely very different then US contract law where most athletes can get out of a contract if they feel their management is not acting in their best interests.
Back to the point... as I said, past negotiations have always broken down with both sides Fedor's management and Dana calling each other names and such. The last time this happened Fedor ended up signing with, if you guessed M-1 Global, you would be correct. The contract was for 6 fights, So far Fedor has had 3. 2 of which were under Affliction where he defeated, excuse me, destroyed two former UFC HW champs. After 2 shows. Affliction is back to just clothing and Fedor needs to find a new place to fight.
Well to give credit to Dana White, He seems this time to have listened to the fans and came to Fedors management with an incredible deal, a supposedly 6 fight contract making over a million, some reports say up t 5 million per fight deal which would make him the highest paid fighter in MMA history. A point of contention on the past has been Fedor's participation in Sambo matches in his home country which is really Fedor's true passion, Dana gave in. Dana said Fedor could hang banners about M-1 Global and even wear shorts in the ring that said M-1 on them, let the record show that when Affliction announced it was going to promote MMA events fighters were banned from wearing Affliction clothing or posting Affliction on their ringside banners, re-aired shows had Affliction apparel fuzzed out, So this was a big thing for Dana to give. Every concession that was for Fedor the fighter Dana appears to have made.
Except, you know there had to be one of these things seemed to perfect...
Except to co-promote events which is what Vadim states as the main reason they did not sign the contract. Now some say this was ludicrous for Dana not to agree to co-promote. Why would the UFC not agree to this? well in the early days when MMA was all but outlawed in most states and Dana and the owners were trying to grow, none of the other smaller promotions of the time would help them fight to get the laws and such changed, Because of the efforts of the UFC and Dana White MMA is legal in most states and more are signing on. It cost the UFC a lot of money which they have more then since made back but have made it easier for the promotions that would not help them to survive, most failed to survive anyway. Dana does not feel like helping another promotion succeed because of all his and the UFC's efforts. I partly agree.
In the Fedor issue I feel the UFC went over and above what it should have done to try and sign this superstar even at the risk of upsetting their own current stable of fighters who most of which together would not be getting what Fedor was offered, but as I said Dana tried to create the fights fans have been begging to see. I also feel this gives some credibility to the past rants of Dana white referring to Fedor’s management team as "crazy Russians".
I also feel the UFC does not need Fedor, nor does Fedor need the UFC. The UFC is now a large stable company believed by many fans to be the major leagues of MMA, argument for a future entry. And Fedor has 30 wins having beat every challenger put in front of him including a rematch to his one "loss"
So where does this leave Fedor, I mean obviously the UFC is going to continue as they already have 4 or 5 shows scheduled and the next season of The Ultimate Fighter taping featuring Kimbo Slice, again future posts. Fedor is going to the next largest promotion in the US, Strikeforce. There he has only 3 obvious challengers the most dangerous of whom would be Allister Overeem, who I predict Fedor beating in the first round and becoming the Strikeforce HW champion to add to his Pride title and the WAMMA title, yet another future topic. It is supposedly a 3 fight contract which will end to coincide with the end of his M-1 contract. Does this mean we have to wait 3 more Fedor fights before we have a chance to see Fedor in the UFC?
The answer to that is I do not know. Personally I feel as long as Vadim is his manager Fedor will not get into the UFC. And if I am right about his contract with Vadim this may never happen because I do not believe Fedor would ever leave his home country. So for me... I look forward to the next UFC event this weekend along with the WEC event(its free so that’s the one I will watch) and to Fedor's next fight whenever that is.
Physical Training (cont.)
OK, Yesterday I did day two of the program I am doing. so I will get right into the numbers and my observations.
OK on my push-ups the last set, which is my max with a min goal, the min goal went up a little to 17. I really struggled this time and was able to do 10 with correct form and had to do my last 7 the girly way to hit the min of 17. for pushups I will be redoing this week as I am not ready to move on.
My sit ups the new min goal was 28 and I maxed out at 75 I am really pleased with this so far.
Squats more good newsMax this day was up to 34 and I maxed out at 60 that was 10 more then day 1's max so even doing more reps my max is still going up...
Totals to date (this is including inital test, all reps and max final set)
Push-ups - 177
Sit-ups - 363
Squats - 357
So far I am pretty pleased. A bit sore. but feeling good over all.
OK on my push-ups the last set, which is my max with a min goal, the min goal went up a little to 17. I really struggled this time and was able to do 10 with correct form and had to do my last 7 the girly way to hit the min of 17. for pushups I will be redoing this week as I am not ready to move on.
My sit ups the new min goal was 28 and I maxed out at 75 I am really pleased with this so far.
Squats more good newsMax this day was up to 34 and I maxed out at 60 that was 10 more then day 1's max so even doing more reps my max is still going up...
Totals to date (this is including inital test, all reps and max final set)
Push-ups - 177
Sit-ups - 363
Squats - 357
So far I am pretty pleased. A bit sore. but feeling good over all.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Shout outs
this is just some simple shout out to some of the site I like to frequent...
RGDA TN
BJJ Board
MMA Forum
MMA Playground
RGDA TN
BJJ Board
MMA Forum
MMA Playground
Physical Training
OK as part of my training as over the next two months I am going to have a hard time making my actual classes do to a new work schedule I am going to take this time to work on the physical condition of my body. Where I work we have a full health club and I am starting on the One Hundred Push-ups program and its 2 sister programs Two Hundred Sit-ups & Two Hundred Squats. I will be attending my BJJ classes on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings before work.
Last night was day one of the aforementioned programs. Now for details of the programs I suggest you check them out as here i will just be telling about the results of the final sets as they are based your max you can do after the first several sets. So for the final set you are trying to push yourself to your max after you have already worked the muscle groups hard.
My inital tests to get my baseline and see where in the program I start I did a few nights ago my base lines were:
Push-ups - 25
Sit-ups - 40
Squats - 63
So here are my results after the first night..
Push-ups- final set min required was 17. I was able to do 17. To be honest the last 3 or 4 I had to go down onto my knees.
Sit-ups - final set min required was 25. I over indexed and hit 76
Squats - final set min required was 27. I maxed out at 50. Since I have a bad knee I may have been able to do a few more but I did not want to take a chance on it going out on me.
So to date on the program here are the total numbers for each exercise
Push-ups total - 97
Sit-ups total - 197
Squat total - 194
Well that's where I stand on that so far.
Last night was day one of the aforementioned programs. Now for details of the programs I suggest you check them out as here i will just be telling about the results of the final sets as they are based your max you can do after the first several sets. So for the final set you are trying to push yourself to your max after you have already worked the muscle groups hard.
My inital tests to get my baseline and see where in the program I start I did a few nights ago my base lines were:
Push-ups - 25
Sit-ups - 40
Squats - 63
So here are my results after the first night..
Push-ups- final set min required was 17. I was able to do 17. To be honest the last 3 or 4 I had to go down onto my knees.
Sit-ups - final set min required was 25. I over indexed and hit 76
Squats - final set min required was 27. I maxed out at 50. Since I have a bad knee I may have been able to do a few more but I did not want to take a chance on it going out on me.
So to date on the program here are the total numbers for each exercise
Push-ups total - 97
Sit-ups total - 197
Squat total - 194
Well that's where I stand on that so far.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Greetings
Hello all... This is my first time blogging so I will use this first to tell you a bit about myself and what this Blog will be about.
First off my name is Don, 31 years old. Married, 3 kids.
I started in the martial arts when I was about 5 with my brother and sister. I studied various styles on and off over the years sadly I never had the opportunity to stick with one art very long. As of late I am studying Brazilian Jujitsu and Mixed Martial Arts, from this point on both will be shortened to BJJ and MMA respectively. I train under instructor Greg Smith who is at the time of this posting a purple belt under Royler Gracie and David Adiv. (I will post more on the history and background of the styles and people mentioned at other times)
I am currently a 1 stripe white belt. (ranks to be explained in the future)
As this blog progresses I will give my thoughts and opinions on everything from professional fighters, my training both martial and physical, as well as some background on various art forms I have studied. Not all styles I know about are styles I have physically tried but many are ones I have studied the history of. I will talk about all of it.
I hope you will enjoy my blog. If you comment please keep it clean if there is a topic or something you would like me to go into further detail about please ask. I will try to keep this as open as possible. but remember these are my thoughts and observations. You are free to agreee or disagree as you feel. Thank you and Enjoy.
First off my name is Don, 31 years old. Married, 3 kids.
I started in the martial arts when I was about 5 with my brother and sister. I studied various styles on and off over the years sadly I never had the opportunity to stick with one art very long. As of late I am studying Brazilian Jujitsu and Mixed Martial Arts, from this point on both will be shortened to BJJ and MMA respectively. I train under instructor Greg Smith who is at the time of this posting a purple belt under Royler Gracie and David Adiv. (I will post more on the history and background of the styles and people mentioned at other times)
I am currently a 1 stripe white belt. (ranks to be explained in the future)
As this blog progresses I will give my thoughts and opinions on everything from professional fighters, my training both martial and physical, as well as some background on various art forms I have studied. Not all styles I know about are styles I have physically tried but many are ones I have studied the history of. I will talk about all of it.
I hope you will enjoy my blog. If you comment please keep it clean if there is a topic or something you would like me to go into further detail about please ask. I will try to keep this as open as possible. but remember these are my thoughts and observations. You are free to agreee or disagree as you feel. Thank you and Enjoy.
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