 New Years Resolutions |
It look like my extreme kickboxing career is over. This workout log is probably the last mention of Barbara and Roger Woo’s kickboxing class. We just can’t manage it while taking care of our kids properly.
I mean, I could probably continue to go but my girlfriend can’t go if she can’t find someone to watch the kid, and when I don’t go she doesn’t go, so it’s not like we can take turns. Therefore I draw the conclusion that I won’t be able to do kickboxing anymore at all, unless I’m training in the cardio room at the corporate fitness center where I work. At least they have a couple bags there that I can beat on.
So now I guess it’s up to me to put together my own kickboxing program and stick with it at least twice a week in order to stay in shape. Fortunately I am putting together a new program that I hope will maximize progress in minimal time. See the bottom of this post for just a wee bit more info.
Weight Training
Out of 8 total scheduled training sessions, I made 5.5 of them. The problem though, is: this workout log is a month worth of exercise and I’ve only trained hard 5 times in that month. That’s barely more than once a week!
I know if I want to make real progress, I definitely have to hit my twice-per-week game plan. In fact now that I’m moving away from kickboxing I’m going to probably add a weight training session, and switch the kickboxing to twice a week.
The first deadlift workout below was just horrible. I remember that workout vividly. 385 felt like 450, I just couldn’t get it up. Things have progressed well since then, and in fact during my latest deadlift workout I pulled 405×3 and 425×1, so I feel much better now.
The Training
I am going to spare you from reading a month and a half of my boring ass training log, and just sum up the highlights of my progress since I started training again in September. Of course my results would be much better if I had actually completed each and every planned workout for both kickboxing and weight training. The reality though, is that I missed at least half of my kickboxing workouts (probably more like 65%), and only made 1 lifting workout instead of 2 half the time.
3 Month Progress
These results are based on 3 months of intense but sporadic training.
- I hate smith squats, but I’m using 135 on each side for 4 reps, up from 100×5
- Incline dumbbell press 80×3 up from 70×5
- Overhead press 155×3 up from 135×5
- Close grip bench 205×3 up from 195×1
- Deadlifts 405×3, 425×1 up from 375×1
- Flat dumbbell press 95×5 up from 80×4
- Wide grip pull-ups I can get 8 instead of 6
- Bench press 220×2 up from 195×1
- Chin ups 35×5 up from 25×2
- 1 arm row 110×7 up from 100×6
In Conclusion
My results are pathetic. Given a 3 month period to take advantage of muscle memory, I have accomplished nothing. The only exercise I can take any pride in, is deadlifts. If all of the elements of my lifestyle and training were dialed in, and I never missed a workout, I am sure I could have doubled or tripled those numbers.
For the New Year
I won’t be making an new years resolutions, but I will be attempting to refocus my efforts on training. My plans include utilizing a combination of intense lifting circuits and kickboxing, and heavy weight training to try to get myself back into the shape I used to be. My next checkpoint will be April 1st 2009, so we’ll see what happens by then.
Revisiting 5×5
I am actually looking into starting a workout program that I have designed based around 5×5, with input from Pavel Tsatsouline and Alexander Faleev regarding the theory of minimizing effort and maximizing gains. No, they didn’t give me direct input but I have pondered and applied their ideas to what I have seen work for me and for others in the past. Updates soon.
Tags: training log, workout log
