Good to see you are working out still Cord, one step at at time. I also expect from you to let me know this when I have to take all of that time off for my knee.

As for Matt, I think you are on track and stopping when it hurts. Little by little I believe you are working up the endurance and strengthening the area which is good. I have to do the same thing for my shoulders, little by little and don't push it too much otherwise I'm right back to square one. Thankfully I can say that recently my shoulders have not been giving me any problems ... knock on wood.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Class starting with stations. (1) Skiers over slammer shields, (2) Hand Grips, (3) Skipping, (4) Push-Ups on push-up bars and (5) Sprints. Each was for 1 minute and 30 seconds without breaks and full out. Then light stretching and into target kicking with partners with paddles finished with round house kicks starting at 1 per paddle up to 6 and then back down to 1. Then the class worked on wrist locks and breaks with myself the Instructor's demo partner. Love wrist locks and breaks.


Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - Week 421, Day 1104

Surprisingly the body is a little sore from BJJ on Saturday plus having a class last night. Light warm up with body weight exercises and stretching and then did a light 10 x 120 lbs with the Rear Lat Pulldown to get the muscles going and to get the form proper.

Rear Lat Pulldowns = 195 lbs = 5/5/5
Closed Grip Lat Pulldowns = 165 lbs = 6/6/6
Seated Isolated Dumbbell Bicep Curls = 69 lbs (each arm) = 3

STOPPED. I couldn't do any more Lat Pulldowns then 3 sets and could not get the 6 reps per set that I had done previously. The Close Grip ones I did get a few extra reps but body still too tired to get more then 3 sets. Bicep curls I struggled with just getting 3 and was the icing on the cake and let me know that I was not recovered enough to continue so I stopped before I did any damage. I wasn't really getting anything out of the workout that advanced me so why continue.

Will allow body to rest before giving this a try. Bothers me that this happened but I have to listen to the body.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Rest

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Class; nothing too interesting.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Hockey game with buddy. Had a few drinks and then went over to his house from 10:30 to 1:00 with my wife to visit and have some more drinks. Got home and played X-Box 360 till 4:00 AM and felt tired so put the game on pause for a second and actually fell asleep. Woke up at 4:30 and then decided I'd better go to bed.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Got a call at 9:00 AM to see if I wanted to head over to BJJ but as it takes an hour to get there and class starts in a half an hour, plus I'd have to get up and eat, not to mention the grog of too little sleep and alcohol I opted not to. Then got an offer to grapple at 11:30 so I went to this.

Went to class where it consisted of Doug (2nd Dan), my Instructor and myself. Doug is the person who called me in the morning and actually went to the BJJ class and still showed up for this. I figured we were going to grapple and was told only where shorts/pants and my UnderArmor. Then I was handed some MMA gloves which I looked shocked and said I thought we would be grappling. Got the laugh and said sure, there would be some of this.

As there were three of us only we set it up for 5 minute matches and started from our knees as my knee is toast. This session was about "ground n' pound" and that is what exactly happened. First was my Instructor and myself. After the match I was told to hit harder. He had me hit him in the side of the head repeatedly until I was using enough force and then told me to hit even hard to the body. Then it was Doug with my Instructor, myself with Doug, myself with my Instructor, Doug with my Instructor and then myself with Doug again. We each had 4 matches, 2 against each other with 2 back to back and then while the others fought you got a 5 minute break. What an eye opener. Doug and I hit each other frequently when we grapple but this was taking it up a notch or two. Battered, bruised, matt burns ... I absolutely loved it.

That night I had friends over to watch the UFC and cheer for GSP to get the belt.



Sunday, November 19, 2006

Going to rest again. Had a crappy workout this week that I didn't finish and haven't worked out since. I actually started pains in my lower right abdomen that didn't go away till Friday and was a reason I stayed away from working out. I've had this pain on and off for a year but I believe that it is a pulled muscle and not an appendix or hernia thing ... or at least I'm hoping. I think it is from when I do my Lat Pulldowns because I work the abs as well and I really struggled that day and then the pain started about an hour after I finished the workout. I will monitor this.

Monday back to working out, Tuesday and Friday I'll do class and then workout Wednesday or Thursday, if not one of those days being class as well so that I'm doing something for 5 nights straight.

Monday, November 20, 2006 - Week 422, Day 1105

Was thinking of doing class instead today but opted to work out instead since it has been a while since doing my chest and because last week was sort of a bust for me on working out. Plus I need a full 2 days off to recover before hitting the weights again for my PULL day. Started with some light stretching to warm up the muscles and joints and then right to work.

Barbell Bench Press = 247 lbs = 5/5
Bench Press Partials = 230 NitroFlex = 4/4/4
Barbell Seated Military Press = 152 lbs = 5/5/5/5/5
Kickbacks = 84 lbs (per arm) = 10/10

After 10 days since doing my last PUSH day I was have not lost anything. I did however find it harder to accomplish it but that is to be expected. On the Military Press on the last set and the last rep, I finished it with shear will power alone. I lost the momentum and had finished the four when I brought it down to rest and I thought to myself I have to get 5. I pushed so hard that I could feel it in my obliques and lower back ... but a good feeling. Only did 2 sets of the Kickbacks because on the last set for the left side I found that I was swinging the weight which I caught and finished the last 4 off in good form. My left arm was so drained that I opted to stop and not do the third set.

Class Tuesday, Wednesday either class or take time to visit my Grandma, Thursday PULL day and then Friday class. I can't miss Friday class as it is grappling day.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Class consisting of partner drills and boxing. Worked a little on proper breathing as well. Drills such as repeated jabs plus working body to head with combinations. A little on shelling, basics but you always have to go back to them, and then exploding into combinations. Proper body mechanics using the core.


Wednesday, November 22, 2006

A day of rest and visited my Grandma. She's old school from Leatherhead, England ... also where my father was born. A lot of the same old stories but you let her talk because she enjoys your company. She's 86+ years old and still lives on her own in her house ... that's how I want to be when I get older ... self sufficient.


Thursday, November 23, 2006 - Week 422, Day 1106

Light body stretches then 10 x 120 lb Lat Pulldowns to get form and to further workout muscles.

Rear Lat Pulldowns = 195 lbs = 6/6/5/5/6
Closed Grip Lat Pulldowns = 165 lbs = 5/5/5
Seated Isolated Dumbbell Bicep Curls = 69 lbs (each arm) = 5/5/5
Rear Barbell Shoulder Shrugs = 250 lbs = 7/7/6

Lat Pulldowns are starting to come back. Working the full 5 sets takes aways from the Closed Grip Lat Pulldowns but I'm good with that. I really paid particular attention to the muscles when working them ... awesome. Biceps curls worked well and was happy. Shoulder Shrugs went down but I was exhausted.

As I was finishing my previous post I got a call from my wife in tears as she was in a car accident on the highway due to ice and snow conditions. She started to fishtail and then spun around when she was hit by a truck. Her car is totalled and she is very shooken up but is okay. A knot on the back of her head, hand is all bruised and cut up but otherwise just very stiff, sore and tired. Police, insurance and now have to wait to see when we can get our property from the vehicle and wait for the adjuster to tell us how to proceed. Then have to buy another vehicle ... many won't the holidays be festive.

Very sorry to hear about the accident, Dereck. But I'm glad to hear that your wife is not too hurt. Best regards on a quick recovery.

Crikey!! i am sorry about the accident, but delighted that your wife is home safe and 'relatively' unscathed. Looks like you get a thanksgiving after all eh?

Thanks guys. She just needs the extra attention and to let her know things will be alright. It is just metal and that she is more important. She didn't sleep to well last night as she kept replaying things over and over in her head. Today we go to see if we can get her personal belongings from the car.

Friday, November 24, 2006

At the urging of my wife I went to class Friday night for grappling. Did not think I could really get into it thinking of her but what should have been an 1 hour to 1.5 hour class turned out to be a 2.5 hour class. Technique taught for the first 40 minute with drills to keep things continually moving and then free rolling for the last 20 minutes. After class we are allowed to stay late so I did. Rolled with 2 people prior to class ending and then 3 people after class including Doug and my Instructor. Doug and I ended up rolling for 1/2 hour straight ... I couldn't believe it. We were exhausted, matt burned and ready to call it quits. I've never rolled that long and people were surprised at the length of time and actually stayed to watch. I got home around 10:00 and checked up on the wife who was going to bed so I showered and went to bed too ... as I was exhausted. I beat her to sleep which I never do.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Going to see about personally belonging from wife's car. Shopping for daughter's birthday gift and then perhaps see some friends tonight to get my wife's mind off of this incidient.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Was invited to King of the Cage by my Instructor. One of the students in our class is friends with the promotor who got us seats at 1/2 price in the second row on the floor. It will be my Instructor and his wife (also Instructor), my wife and myself ... this should be good.

Sorry to hear about the accident Dereck, hope everything gets back to normal for the holiday season.

Half an hour's worth of rolling Now that's a fun way to get in your cardio!