GETTING THERE (part 2)

To celebrate my blood pressure-back-to-normal training regime, here's what I did in a week-and-a-bit of training... (DB stands for dumbbell and KB stands for kettlebell.)

Friday (late at night c. 11 pm)
======

Hindu Push-ups x 100; Hindu Squats x 200; Neck Bridge x 2 mins; Forward Neck Bridge x 1 min.
4 x Superset: DB Bench Press and DB One-Arm row for 10 reps, then 12, 14, 16
2 x Superset: DB Incline Flye x 20 reps and KB One-Arm Swing x 15 reps each side
4 x Superset: DB Squats x 12 reps and DB Military Press x 12 reps
4 x Superset: DB Alterating Lunges x 24 reps and Dummbbel Lateral Raise x 12 reps
4 x Superset: DB Stiff-Legged Deadlift x 12 reps and DB Calf Raises x 12 reps
4 x Superset: EZ-bar curl and EZ-bar close-grip bench press for 12 reps, 14, 16, 18
4 x Superset: DB Reverse Curl x 12 reps and DB Triceps Press x 12 reps
Box splits x 2 mins.; overall light stretch

Saturday (night c. 9 pm )
========
Run x 35 mins.; Karate kata x 26 (the whole shotokan syllabus, takes an hour);
Hindu Push-ups x 100; Hindu Squats x 200; Neck Bridge x 2 mins; Forward Neck Bridge x 1 min.; Ab crunches x 100; Side bend x 10/side; Box splits x 2 mins.; overall light stretch

Sunday: rest

Monday: (night 10 pm)
=======
Karate kata x 4
10 x Superset: Hindu Push-ups x 25; Hindu Squats x 50; kick-punch combo x 1 min.
(different kick each set: lead-leg front kick; rear-leg front kick; lead-leg side kick; rear leg back kick; step-up back kick; lead-leg hook kick; spinning reverse roundhouse; lead-leg round kick; rear-leg round kick... all combos done from orthodox and southpaw stances equally)
Burpees x 100 (slight pause after each 10); Neck Bridge x 250 seconds; Box splits x 2 mins; Calf and Quad stretch
4 x Superset: DB Bench Press x 20 and Ab crunch x 25
4 x One-arm DB Row x 20 reps per side
4 x Triset: DB Shoulder Press x 20 and DB Alternating Hammer Curl x 20 and DB Behind-neck Triceps Press x 20
Upper body stretch

Tuesday (night c. 9:30 pm)
======
Karate kata x 4; "Iron Jacket" x 2 mins. (i.e. martial masochism - hitting oneself with a stick on forearms, shins and torso);
Hindu Push-ups x 250; Hindu Squats x 500; Neck Bridge x 250 seconds; Ab crunch x 200; Box splits x 2 mins; Calf and Quad stretch
Shadowboxing x 15 mins (kicks, knees, elbows, punches, takedown entries and sprawls)

Wednesday (night c. 9 pm)
=========
Run x 35 mins.; Box splits x 2 mins.; Heavy bag 4 x 3-min. rounds; Rolling breakfalls x 5 mins.; Quad switch groundfighting manoeuvre x 5 mins.
(Bagwork - round 3 start with Olympic punch-out x 30 secs.; round 4 start with pumping round kicks x 20 each leg)

Thursday (light day - mini workout, after midnight)
=======
Hindu Push-ups x 100; Hindu Squats x 200; Neck Bridge x 2 mins; Ab crunch x 100; Side-bends x 10/side; light stretch

Friday (morning)
=====
5 x Superset: Knuckle Push-up x 20 and Ab crunch x 20
Run x 35 mins.; Box splits x 2 mins.; overall stretch

Saturday (morning)
======
Hindu Push-ups x 100; Hindu Squats x 200; Neck Bridge x 2 mins; Ab crunch x 100;
Heavy bag 3 x 3-min. rounds; Box splits x 2 mins.; overall stretch
(Bagwork - round 3 start with Olympic punch-out x 40 secs. then pumping round kicks x 20 each leg)

Sunday: rest

Monday
======
... Haven't trained yet. Just as soon as I finish this blog. Big bagwork sesh coming up... Or I might alternate weights and shadowboxing, similar to the alternating bodyweight exercises and kick combos I did last Monday. (I like this: it gives power training and simulates real fight stress for the technique training.) Maybe I'll do both.

In other news... Had visitors this weekend: Mark and Rita Williamson along with sons Matt and Tom. Yvonne and I have only known Mark and Rita for three decades. Wow... Great to catch up, talk about space technology with Mark (he won “Best Space Submission” in the Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards 2010, his second time winning - here he is interviewed in Physics World) and all sorts of nonsense with everyone.

On Sunday (after the Williamsons had departed for the Dr Who Exhibition in Cardiff) we played host to nephew Lloyd, neice Emily and hubby-of-neice Michael. All fight fans, so we spent an afternoon watching UFC 98 (the Machida-Evans fight and the Serra-Hughes fight) and a Chuck Liddell documentary. Marvellous way to spend an afternoon/evening.