Karate

Tuesday July 23rd

Made the early morning training today. Was just me, so it was one on one with Sensei. After a good warm up I went on and did hojo-undo for an hour. I used nigiri - game in sanshin dachi, nekoashi dachi and Shiko dachi. My wrists as well as my grip were sadly found wanting.

After hojo-undo we finished with Sanchin.

Bench

Meso Cycle 2 Week 1 Monday 22nd July

Bench Warm Up

2 x 10 @ Bar

1 x 8   @ 40

1 x 5   @ 50

Pause Bench 5/3/1

1 x 3 @65

1 x 3 @73.5

1 x 3 @82.5

Bench AMRAP @ 73.5

1 x 10

Incline Bench

1 x 5   @ 30

1 x 5   @ 40

1 x 15 @ 45

Side Raises @ 6

1 x 30

1 x 20

2 x 25

Fat Grip Barbell Curls @ 12

1 x 70

1 x 30

Snatch Grip High Pulls

1 x 5 @ bar

1 x 5 @ 30

1 x 3 @ 40

1 x 3 @ 50

Notes:

The night before was a big one on the piss. Didn't really drink that much but was out till the wee hours and didn't get much sleep. So when I hit the gym at 9:30 a.m I felt like shit. Pretty sure that had something to do with my pathetic attempt at 73.5 kg (10)... 

Karate

Saturday 20th July

Training tonight was great. Did Sanchin for a whole hour with Sensei on my back the whole time. Was getting me to concentrate on keeping my shoulder down as I push my hands out. Easy to do with one hand / arm, but bloody difficult when do both hands at once. Toward the end of the session I could occasionally feel my lats and my traps engaging which led to my back pushing my arms out. When my lats weren't engaged then it was just the arms pushing.

Sensei mentioned, and I agree 100%, that higher dan grades should be able to do this. I need to get my sanchin better. He also mentioned (jokingly) how embarrassing it would be for him, if I were to go to the summer camp and Higaonna sensei questioned him on my poor form.

Squat / Deadlift Training

Meso Cycle 1 Week 3 Friday 21st July

Squat

2 x 5, 1 x 10 @ Bar

1 x 8 @ 60

1 x 5 @ 80

1 x 3 @ 100

1 x 5 @ 108.5

1 x 3 @ 123.5

1 x 1 @ 138.5

Squat AMRAP

 1 x 6 @ 110

Deadlift

1 x 3 @ 60

1 x 3 @ 80

1 x 3 @ 100

1 x 3 @ 108.5

1 x 3 @ 123.5

1 x 3 @ 138.5

Back off sets

3x3 @ 100

Bar was moving slow. The squat AMRAP was pathetic...

Military Press Wednesday July 17

Meso Cycle 1 Week 3 Military Press

Warm Ups

2 x 10 @ Bar

1 x 5   @ 25

1 x 5   @ 30

1 x 3   @ 35

Press 5/3/1

1 x 5 @ 41

1 x 3 @ 46 

1 x 1 @ 53.5

Military Press 350 @ 36

1 x 19

1 x 11

1 x 9

Total Reps = 39

Chin Ups

30 @ BW

Cable Rows

1 x 5 @ 47

1 x 15 @ 60

Tricep Pushdowns

1 x 100 @ 17kg

Upright Rows

1 x 30 @ Bar

Notes:

Solid session. The 350 military is really coming along. As with the bench I think I need to hit 20 easily and then 2 sets of 15. Still base building so will hold these numbers for another cycle and try to beat some rep records. Must have lost a little bit of weight as the pull ups were a peace of piss.

Weekly Meaty Mutterings

Karate Stuff

What qualifies me to give an opinion on karate stuff?
I've been doing Karate for 40 years. I've entered numerous competitions, national and international, and done okay in a few of them. I've trained with some very, very hard men and had my ass handed to me by those very same hard men; as well as - I'm a little ashamed to say - some not so very hard men. In the past, I taught at a successful university dojo for a number of years, and have ex-students at black belt level training around the world. Today I train in a small dojo in Tokyo under a 65 year old instructor who once had a  fierce reputation as a fighter and a drinker. So in Karate circles I've been around the block once or twice.

Rugby Stuff

Hurricanes finished the season with a loss. The team is shit and it looks like we could be losing Barrett. C'mon guys we need a good coaching team. Hammet moans on about how exciting this group of players are and how they have become so tight knit blah blah blah. The bugger just doesn't want to lose his job. Notice how no Hurricane player has come out to talk him up? Get him out now and bring back John Plumtree from S.Africa I say...

Sumo Stuff

Hakuho is doing his stuff again. Although a bloody good Yokozuna; it doesn't help that the top division of sumotori are so damn pitiful. As for the other Yokozuna - Harumafuji - he's just too small to be of a consistent threat to Hakuho. Although a fan of his, I can't see him lasting too much longer as a Yokozuna before being forced into retirement. 

Weight Training Stuff

Don't you hate the fuckers that curl in the squat rack? Had to wait 20 minutes the other day for some ass hole to get out of the squat rack where he was curling the incredible weight of... 20 kg. That's right the bugger was curling the bar, AND with a weight belt on. As I stood there slack jawed and fuming he noticed me staring and must have thought I was admiring his guns or . Little did he know I was thinking on how to throw him out the window with out requiring a visit from the boys in blue. Now I got no problem curling just the bar as I've been known to do it as well. But boy, if you ever come across this meaty mutt curling in a squat rack please please please shoot me and put me out of my misery...

Privacy Stuff

So the country of my birth is thinking of giving children as young as the age of 3 identification numbers so that their parents can be tracked in some sort of welfare blah blah blah blah. Who gives a flying fig about the reasons, this is invasion of privacy in a HUGE way. C'mon my fellow brethren get off your asses and nip this one in the bud...

Karate

Warm-ups
Basics
Gekki-sai-dai-ichi and bunkai (Taught the new boy)
Tensho - felt reasonably strong

Training last night was great. Temperature was in the mid 20's thank you very much.  Arrived on time and participated in a good warm-up. Is it just me or am I slightly fitter. Still weigh the same though - "lard ass" needs to be my new nickname...