My ramblings, the endless journey

Yesterdays teacher (pregnant lady) told me MY FORM WAS EXCELLANT, she even questioned master phan as to whether or not I should move on to to dragon, which I shouldn't, cause I can't remeber the tiger proper on my own, but that was an amazing compliment!!! We went through it again and again and again and again, I am slowly getting it.

WHOOOOPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!

You need to get some vitamins lady! (I take the kid's gummies, but don't tell anyone)

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You need to get some vitamins lady! (I take the kid's gummies, but don't tell anyone)

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I have been taking my vitamines , and emergan-c, when i have felt a new plauge coming on. BOOOO! I think I am back on the upswing, my chest is FINALLY kicking out all the crap that has been living in there for the past week and a half. I am not expecting to get better though, no reason to be dissapointed.

Last night

6X 3 all and 90 seconds rest.
super sets

close grip chin ups *** Oh  snap!  personal best  set 1, 2 full chins, 1 negitive, sets 2-4 1 full chin 2 negitives, sets 5&6 3 negitives!!!!! 5 total chin ups!! that is not much, but last year at this time I could do at most 2 total no matter what, and I was 14 pounds lighter!

Barbell shoulder press 62# X 3

_
wide grip pull up assisted  4x 3 negitives, 2 x 3 1 leg assist


Arnolds 28's # (56# total) X 3 (yikes jussst barely, and fel short 1 rep somewhere in there maybe set 4)
_
hammer curls

28# X 6
_

Upper body russian Twist 23 # X 12 

Oh I hope I have a good class today, I enjoyed Tuesday quite a bit.

What is up with your weights? 28lb dbs?

Good job on the pullups. I just did 5 sets of 2 yesterday. Going to full lockout those things are hard so I feel your pain.

On a side note, have you ever noticed that positive people don't get sick, or don't stay sick for long but depressed/angry/tired people seem to get sick a lot? I think mood has a lot to do with your health. Be happy!

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I know my weights are weird. I got this 100 + pound set with the barbell I bought, and it included these db bars that are 3 pounds, they are a little shorter and have cusion grip. I rarely use them, but 5# increments are for me on small muscle exercises, sometimes too much, so I occasionally use them.

Pull ups and chins are HARD for me. (too much butt, it weighs me down ).

I am weirdly competitive, the only person I dislike at Kung Fu is this fat middle age guy who brings his badley behaved kids to class, and then does not controll them, eventhough they are all enrolled in class he seems to think we should watch them for him. And what should he care if they get in our way.

He is incapable of doing many of the moves because he is fat, and has zero flexibility. He tries to get out of doing some of the harder warm up exercises, by getting water when we go into the snake stance. Phan makes the whole class hold the position (it's is a hard, very hard stance, I am actually proud of my snake, I am flexible, and I can get low and can move in it), until he comes back, (I <3 Phan, he calls him lazy boy), but he still tries to get out of it.

 He also keeps asking when we will learn like flying kicks. We don't do flying kicks in this form, that stuff came from Northern China, the Wu Shu styles, and acrobats that came from that area in China. It is impractical for fights, and our style is a very practical fight style, those flying kicks are for exhibition, not for real fighting.  We don't kick above chest height. But he still doesn't get it. Not like lard-o could do a flying kick to save his life.

The point of that whole story is that lard-o can do a couple pull ups, and he makes a point of screaming loudly when he does his  2.  Not to mention he is tall enough that he stands feet flat on the floor and pulls up from there, NOT from lockout. Now  I think it gets under a number of peoples skin, not just mine, since it seems that evertime after he does his pull up's, at least one or two other guys will hit the bar and really do powerful perfect clean  legs up and parallel  to the floor pull ups, and they bang out a good number of reps.

It bothers me that I can't show him up.  I kinda made a mental promise to myself that I would work harder on getting  my pulls and chins to a respectable level.  Yeah I am a jerk. I don't have to be the best, but I have to be better than people I don't respect. So those 5 really make me feel like I am going in the right direction.

Any way clas was good enough, and I will go again tonight, hopefully if everything is going ok, I will lift Sat. and Sun., no off day this week and then I should be back on track, and in my usual routine.

Last night I actually felt like I worked out, I am finally confidant enough with many of the basic movements to really puch move and kick with intent, and that raise the intensity considerably. So my ligamnets and tendons, muscles, and heart got put through some sort of paces last night. Progress.

Things are going well.

I will try to be happy, but I have been a misserable F' for most of my life, and still didn't get sick, but you have really good points, and I will try to keep that in mind. I will try to be a happier cat, but as you can see I perfom better when I am an a$$.

Ok I was wrong went home and lifed skipped Kung Fu, since my friend was willing to meet up with me on saturday, so we could go over things 1 on 1 and work on some of my confusion.

That was for the best anyway, because now my schedule is at least close to back to normal, that will get all screwed up next week again though.
H2 NROL
5X 6 everything (cept, abs) super sets full rest at 90 secs. Dips and abs straight sets

Barbell reverse Grip Bent over row 82# X 6
Dumbbell bench 40's # (80# total ) x 6
1 arm row 45# x6
Dumbbell incline bench 25's # (50# total )
Bench Dip B weight 10X6
swiss ball crunch 3 X 12 @ 60 sec rest, 30#

One on one,  made me feel worse about the state of my Kung Fu, but clarified a number of issues  so  it was well worth the effort.

Sunday
3  x 12 60 sec rest

snatch grip deadlifts 137 # X 12, 2 sets X 127 x 12 last (too heavy, I'm having the hardest time getting the weight right for this routine. Several factors, public journal, gets my ego more involved, very stupid of me, and 2 I forget how losing that 30 extra seconds of rest screws with my capabilites, kinda weird, since I have done many routines with fluxuating rest and set structures. It is not like the concept is new to me or anything.
super set
lunges 25's # X 12

step ups  25# X 12

leg raises lying 4# x 12

I really had a crappy workout, I wanted my off day, but that is not going to get here till next Sun.

Well two steps forward one step back.

I have a grasp and then it is gone, that was what I was told to expect, and that is what is happening.

I don't know if my friend is the best one to help me, I think he might have made me worse, or is that better .

Ah well, I got my very first injury. I kept wondering why many of my class mates have taped toes. Are all these people so bad ass that they damage themselves??? Well I answered my own question when I jammed my toe on the mat, while working on one of the bird forms. Bad assness is not the prerequisite for toe injury, just a misplaced swish of the feet.

Oh well, I am progresing, and I finally had a spar partner who helped me with my sparring foot work. Very much needed, and that will cetainly help me along, sparring is making more sense.

Although I guess it is a bad sign when both my partner an I had to stop and think about what to do next because I did something correct. HAHAH It is all good.

Aww the poor little toe...whatever will you do now?

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I know I know, my poor toesies, I might need to take a week off......... maybe two

I thought I was being conservative this time around, especially since it is shoulders, and I am weak in the shoulders, but I did it again

2 X 25 all and 30 seconds rest.
super sets

close grip chin ups 2 leg assistX25
Barbell shoulder press 42# X 20 X 1, 37 X20 X1 (BOOOOO!)

_
wide grip pull up 2 leg assisted x 25

Arnolds12's # (24# total) X 1 () 8 X 25
_
hammer curls

8# X 25
_

Upper body russian Twist 25 # X 12

yes I have a set of 12# dumbbelss too.

booo!

I have the next 5 days off from work so I won't be able to update for a while.

Kung Fu last friday was awesome, I'm remembering, I'm remebering! My teacher was gpoing therough tirger with me and forgot where we were, I joked well your the one who's supposed to know this stuff... his response was I am just amazed by your form, I joked back it's so bad it is amazing??? He, in a making fun of himself tone, it is just so beautiful (and that has nothing to do with my cuteness). That is HUGE!! My teacher on wednesday siad the my cross stance is at a level that usually takes a year to achieve.  

You guys can't begin to understand what form junkies these guys are, their words mean something very significant. Kinda like you all watching the perfect 500 lb squat x 10.

Had my big end of Winter dinner party and I cook for 3 days to get ready, all day, no time for lifting on Satuirday, I kept saying I just have to do this and I can find an hour, but that hour never came.

Monday
.
5 x 6 90 rest

Deadlift snatch grip. 152 lbs x6

super set

lunges 35's # X 6

step ups 35# X 6

KEPT MY GRIP THIS TIME!

leg raises lying 4# x 12 (should have been 5 each leg, oh well.)

Hurt today my obiques especially I don't know why.

Things went ok, last night. I f'ed up an oppurtunity to learn the rest of tiger proper, because john ws helping me...

He just keeps nit picking my stances, postures, and fists. I know that is all very important, but I only know half of it. I kept telling him I won't remember what I am supposed to be doing if I am concentrating on the angle of my wrist, and it being off by an 1/8 of an inch.

I keep saying, no can we go over from the takedown, and make me call it, DON'T CALL IT, MAKE ME!!! Break it up into a couple of sections and make me, repeate, leave my cross stance alone I know it is not perfect, it doesn't matter how good I can do it if I don't know what is next.. we get tested eventually, I think every 6 months, ao I have a while to go.

Now in all fairness I understand it is really boring to watch some beginner go over and over the pattern 35 times, and watch me stand their like i'"ve been struck dumb, as I try to figure out what is next, btu that is how I remember.

I also know that it looks like I know it, maybe most pepole don't internalise it til later, but I am trying to correct some of more undersireable personality traits, and habbits, such as coasting through something, because i am smart/skilled enough to get away with doing that. It is a bad habbit I have, and i don't want to bring that to my Kung Fu practice.

Oh well, i have to Kung Fu tonight, and tommorrow, I work late on Friday,  so I have to lift in the morning and then on Saturday, I hate to back to back. It isn't good for my lifting or my Kung Fu, but it ids my best option, for this week. I also need to get legs back on Saturdays, I was too sore from my deads last night, I was very tight infelexible, things that I ussually enjoy, were rather uncomfortable, like horse stace, I just didn't want to get low or squat.

Got punched in the mouth hard enough to split my lip on the inside, total accident. Took it like a trooper and kept sparring. Yes I can take a punch.

Started to learn dragon, tons of fun!

Got to go it's a cluster F*ck at work this weekend.

Takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n. Hooyah!

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bobbie love the new avitar, YOU LOOK FANTASTIC!!!!

OOOPSS, I missed putting this in last week, I believe this was my Friday or Thursday workout


H2 NROL
6x3 everything (cept, abs) super sets full rest at 90 secs. Dips and abs straight sets

All time best bench and rows, reverse grip or otherwise

Barbell reverse Grip Bent over row 92# X 3
Dumbbell bench 50's # (100# total ) first set x 2 second set x3 had to drop to 45's for the rest x 3
1 arm row 65# x3 ()
Dumbbell incline bench 35's # (70# total ) x3
Bench Dip  25 5X3
swiss ball crunch 3 X 12 @ 60 sec rest, 35#

3 X 12 all and 60 seconds rest.
super sets

close grip chin ups 1 leg assistX12
Barbell shoulder press 57 x 12 first 2, 57 x 10 last set
wide grip pull up 1 leg assisted x12

Arnolds 23's # (46# total) X8 (1st set boo) , 20 #x  12, last 2
_
hammer curls

20# X 12
_

Upper body russian Twist 25 # X 12

meh, whatever 

And thursdays Kung fu went really, really well.

I got awesome comments from respected classmates.

I can do all of Tiger, all by myself!!!!!!!

Horray!!!!!!!!!!!!

thai Chi lady was correcting some subtle form problems I have, I thanked her for it later, and she said, "oh no problem, if I tell you to correct something you are so body aware you just fix it, unlike most of the people who come here".

I think I am doing well!

Jammened my thumb, and otherwise exhausted friday to Saturday 1 pm till 7 am work. saturday was lost Sunday an even worse if not signifiacntly shorter day,  I did what I coukld my work out felt like CRAP!

H2 NROL
2 x 25 everything (cept, abs) super sets full rest at 30 secs. Dips and abs straight sets


Barbell reverse Grip Bent over row 67# X 25 (had to stop half way throught, take a breather)
Dumbbell bench 30's # (60# total )X 25
1 arm row 30# X 25 (yup went down, not just for my right either)
Dumbbell incline bench20's # (40# total - probably too light) X 25
Bench Dip BW (I only had to break them into 3 segments per set )
 crunch 3 X 50 @ 60 sec rest, There is no way I can hold a dumbbell behind my head right now, no way) So i did no ball and no weight yesterday.

A note on my thumb, I seems to continue to swell, and I am worried about tommorrows legs, and the deadlift. I did lift with it yesterday, NOT SMART. I was play fighting with my boy and seriously jammed my thumb. I think I punched his elbow, and certainly did not land it right ()not that anyone should be punching elbows)

No biggie. Just use a hook grip on the deadlift. It'll help your grip strength anyway.

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Yeah, I know, it just sucks this is my last 6 X 3 for legs in H2, I was going to really push my deads, (ha I actually wish I had straps, only because of the thumb, if only I had listened to you and IBB [&o]).

i hooked all my rows yesterday, and gingerly went about my bench presses.

Well maybe I will magically be repaired by Wednesday morning.

6 x 3 90 rest

Deadlift snatch grip. 167 lbs x3

super set

lunges 40's # X 3

step ups 40's# X 3



leg raises lying 4# x13

small miracle my thumb is was on point, I juuust made it through. I can feel pretty good about todays lifts. I figured out exactly what happenend, don't have time to try to articulate the series of events, but yeah this was a doosie. I still have significant isssues and wqill for a week easy.

Class was all right, we did a lot of set sparring today. Damn I have lead feet, but it's ok I am coming along.

My *********** thumb! I ref'ed it up tasking off my underware, literally in a rush so I wouldn't pee myself after getting home from Kung Fu. I was soaked from my bike ride, it was cold, so my hand was 3/4 numb, I was seriously going to pee myself, and I had these stupid thong underware on that were stuck to me because I was so wet. I yanked them off and sceamed, I hooked it the one way I shouldn't move it. It shot allt the way to my elbow, and cancelled out most of the numb. It was still twice the size of my other finger, The first knuckel is purplethe second knuckel is red (that is the one I injured), and it wasn't a jamm, it was impact trauma (still can't figure ut how to briefly describe how I damged myself. I'm not a P*SSY I am venting, it is screwing up my work, because I have to be so careful about how I do things, I have had to entirely clean out one of our attics in a futile attempt to find the brain of our door buzzer system, it took me 2 days, and I moved hundreads of things, and carried them down steps, I remaind unharmed, on pair of panties, on the otherhand I am back to square one. MOTHER F*CKER!!!!!!!!!!


Sigh, on a side line I talked to one of the people I know at Kunng Fu, about how long I should wait before going to, particapating in fight night. He said I should only have to wait 3 months or so, just so I am comfortable with the "way " we move and strike (the basic ways that is), I asked Phan about it, he said I could start next week if I wanted to , just to be careful about who I pick to spar with, to many people use fightnight as a proving ground.

I just want to really know how to fight, in practical situations, (yeah my ego won't get in the way, everyone there can kick my ass up and down the block). So I think maybe waiting another month and then going for it, my stupid thumb, should be all better by then .

I'll go to class again tonight, lift tomorrow.

Well last night was balls! Certainly not the fun kind. Smelly 90 year old man balls!

That is all have to say about it.

Ok it is the curse of the online journal, my training has never been this spurratic, and I am suffering because of it. Well at least I won't lie to you guys. Saturday worked 11:30 til 10 and I just didn't have it to lift. It was pullup and press day for want of a better description, and I was very concerned about my thumb. Especially on the up's, wasn't too keen on the idea of presses either.

lifted Sunday... I did better than excpected, I at least matched last 5x6 totals
5 X 6 all and 90 seconds rest.
super sets

close grip chin ups assisted  2 full pulls/ 4 negs, 1 pull/5 negs 3 sets of that, 1 set 1 legs assistsx6
Barbell shoulder press 57# X 6  (2 sts to 7 reps)

_
wide grip pull up assisted 5 X 6 1 leg assist (not even a neg happening


Arnolds 25's # (50# total) X 6
_

hammer curls
25# X 6

russian twist on body ball. 25# x 12 x 3

really dulll ache in my palm, and through out my whole hand, up into the forearm, and near my elbow.

 I can not believe I pulled those chins, I can't get over it. I was sure my thumb would not allow it. They areen't as strong as they could have should have been, but I will take it, please and thank you!

 Pull ups suffered, the way I have to rest my hand on that exercise, to keep the thumb unactive, is uncomfortable, and makes me lean into the damage... And the Arnolds ouch... A sub might be in order depending.

the presses I wussed out, I was afraid about the droping after the set, and how that would land on my palm. A valid concern, so I did a few, and yeah, it was only a couple more reps, and kept the weight the same, keeping caution on my side.

 

Monday class was breif, we had testing, well i didn't others did.

Watching was way fun. The forms get really complicated as you progess.

Weapons were awesome, my favorite was the three sectioned staff... that is dangerous! the student who tested on that was a red sash. And I could tell, even in his exuberance, he was being very careful.

I also really liked the basic staff as well.

I saw many people fail their test, I saw an amazing display or two... It encourages me to continue, it is very inspiring...and off putting at the same time.

I know the amount of trouble I had remembering my little baby kitty (which I do just fully remember, as of saturday night when I lept up off the couch and exclaimed at like midnight, I think I remeber it alll.... did the form and did, I did, remeber it all, however sloppily!) and to see just how long and complicated the forms get... yikes, ah well I have all the time in the world!

And the freeform gang fight that Phan stages theought the tests, I don't know if they are testing on free form, or just to add excitement... 1 on 1, 2 on 1, 3 on 1 all out 1 minute fights... I am so going to do that one day...


Well we dd not have formal class, so I had an older student, check my sloppy Tiger, and then when it was verified as sloppy but correct I just went ovr it and over it for 45 minutes. Someone helped me with dragon for awhile, I need to find someone willing to break it down from me, I can't learn it by doing the whole thing over and over I have to section it. Dragon is weird!

Ok now. well due to more circumstances, I could not lift n tuesday, so last night it was kung Fu for an hour and a half.... and then yes at 10;00 pm I lifted, so I am caught up .

3 X 12
Barbell reverse Grip Bent over row 77# X 12
Dumbbell bench 40's 1st set  35's next 2
1 arm row 45# X 12  1 set 40 next 2 x12
Dumbbell incline bench palms in 25's # (50# total ) X 12
Bench Dip 3# x 12
swiss ball crunch @ 60 sec rest, There is still no way I can hold a dumbbell behind my head right now, no way. so I held 2 10 plates behind my head, that is easier. 1 x12, 1x 22, 1x 20

No bad. Bench really hurts my tumb, or should I say palm, because that is where all the pain is. Presses are a problem.. But it is ok, I am ok!

Kung fu my balance was really bad again last night i had difficulties with the warm up ones that I know.

We learned a new kick to, that is fancy, and I can not do. HAHAH, it is a spin, or actually a you grabbed me from behind so I kick you in the back kick (that is the practical app), need to do a 360 degree spin on 1 foot for the form. this is going to take a while, and it was taught in a 6 kick series, and my form is not a really kickey kind. Thank god I didn't find a shaolin school, tat is a kickey dicipline.

 We didn't do any forms last night only spar, well I could have worked tiger with a group of people They all started before me, but they still don't have their kitty down in a way that they can work it themselves, but I  can .

No one wanted to work teach me dragon , and honestly I wanted punch people, so that worked out great for me. I made it al the way through all the spars, we did, for the first time. And I even remebered with out promting how to do a few.

Well, hopefully legs tonight, so I can stay on track. Shouldn't be a problem unless some crisis comes up.