The new improved fitness thread

[Kwacky]

Sparring tonight. As much as I enjoy it, it always reminds me how unfit I am. Tonight we were in groups of 4, doing one point scoring, so you score a point, you stay in, you lose a point, you drop out. It's so easy to score a point you don't get a rest.

[Kwacky]

Did back for the first time in about 3 weeks. I was battered about half way through and really struggled with the rest.

Thankfully I've got a sports massage tomorrow.

[Kwacky]

Sports massage

Here's a handy tip, don't tell the person doing the massage you've got DOMs. My back now doubly hurts.

[Kwacky]

Hit the gym'

By hit, I mean tickled it. I wasn't in the mood and was knackered. Did a half assed job and came home.

[D6Nutz]

After a quiet(ish) week exercise wise things kicked into action proper today.

Local 10k race round the village, it's a will supported event. Managed to put in a 54:21, and a new personal best.

Now prep time for Basingstoke half marathon next weekend.

[Kwacky]

top work

[Kwacky]

Legs and core today. Loads of bloody students in the gym

[D6Nutz]

Basingstoke half today, not quite as good as I had hoped. All was going well until about mile 10 when I started getting horrific cramps in both legs.

Hooked up with another club member, who was running injured, and he helped me through the pain and got me to the finish in a reasonable 2:06.

I'm still getting twinges in both calf's 3 hours after the run...

[Kwacky]

That's good support from your club member.

I've been for a long walk with the dog to clear some of this hangover out of my system.

[Itchy]

My mate has been introducing me to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
It's quite surprising how fragile the human body is with the correct application of pressure. I've got at least a 10kg weight advantage over my mate and, according to him, I'm "as strong as an ox", but when he wraps me up and climbs all over me like a chimp on a banana hamper and invariably puts me in an arm bar or choke hold or something equally uncomfortable, it's quite humbling.

During today's session my calf was somehow crushed against the bone. Didn't notice it at the time, until I tried to stand up!

Plain and simply, it f***ing hurts!!!

[Kwacky]

That's what I loved about Aikido - just a bit of pressure and you've got someone dropping to the floor or you can move them around as you wish.

[Kwacky]

Not been to the gym for a while so did a whole body workout.

Squats, incline bench, deadlifts, barbell curls, dips, Arnold press, standing calf raise, barbell shrugs, triceps curl, rope ab curl.

I was battered.

[kiwikrasher]

Finally got off my lazy butt and did some exercise yesterday, it's been a fair while. Just went up to the helideck with one of the other blokes and did body weight circuits (push-ups, pull ups, squats, triceps dips etc) with bouts of fast walking (no running allowed on the helideck) helideck laps in between. Felt really good to be outside and not in full PPE and watching the sun go down over the ocean.

But chuff me am I sore today!

Stair climbs tonight.

[D6Nutz]

Some people in the village are getting a running group setup, so I went out with one of them this morning for a cheeky 6 miler.

Was really nice, clear blue sky no wind. Really enjoyed the run.

[Kwacky]

Getting my ass handed to me in taekwondo sparring. I'm too old too slow and too unfit.

[Cav]

I finally managed to get to the gym for the first time in WAY too long...

Firstly - WOW I'm unfit!. Secondly - my legs hurt.

I've decided I'm going to do 3 days at the gym a week (plus football matches and training). These days are going to be:

Endurance
Speed
Strength

Endurance:
I'll do a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic endurance training in a session and then complete at least 5 minutes of stretching (I hate stretching)

Speed:
This will be all the main compound movements done with as much weight as possible without compromising form or lift speed.

Strength:
My usual training focusing on a slow controlled movement with progressive overload. This will be the most time consuming session and I will be destroyed by the end of it.

Last night I eased myself in with a 15 minute run where I increased the speed by 1km/h every 5 minutes starting at 9km/h. I then did some push ups and 1 legged squats. Tonight will be a speed session.

[Kwacky]

Chest and arms tonight.

Mrs Kwacky came to the gym with me, so I got her doing deadlifts with the trap bar. She's knackered her knee so she needs to do exercises where the knee doesn't twist. Poor thing was knackered

[kiwikrasher]

well after three days of 'giving it a go' yesterday I was feeling like crap and thought I must have been coming down with the manflu, so i skipped the exercise session and went to bed early and got a good sleep.

Appears I must be just getting old and soft because I feel heaps better today, so I think maybe I pushed it too hard and have to accept i'm not as young as I once was and ease into a routine a bit more carefully...

[Cav]

So my speed training went well..

My usual squats are usually in the region of 130-170kg but after a long time out and trying to keep the lift fast I was lifting 80kg. My aim was to reach the top at a speed sufficient to have the bar leave my shoulders. I then did lung jumps with 14kg dumbells and then deadlift (although not particuarly fast I stuck to 100kg to keep some speed there)

One thing I will say is just how different the muscle burn is today from a strength day. They are clearly tired but there's no limit to flexibility

[Kwacky]

Legs and abs. The gym was busy so my routine went out of sync and lost my mojo.