Muay Thai

Workout 29 March 2010:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

Today's focus was on connecting many of the basic strikes into 4-6 move combos including body kicks and knees. Nothing new, just continued refinement of technique.

Olympic Lifting

Workout 28 March 2010:

Olympic Lifting Class, 60 minutes

Results:
1RM Snatch: 125lb
1RM Clean: 185lb

Previous best:
1RM Snatch: 95lb (19 Jan 10)
1 RM Clean: 165lb (4 Jan 10)

This is the second class I've taken and have made some significant improvement in my lifts. The biggest areas where I need to improve and refine my technique are the first and third pulls. I also need to improve my torso strength and flexibility so that I can maintain a more upright torso during the lifts.

The limiting factor on my snatch is my fear of getting under the bar, which is something that is only going to improve with practice. For the cleans, it's the amount of weight that I can front squat.

Kettlebells and Muay Thai

Workout 25 March 2010:

Kettlebell class, 60 minutes
Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

This is probably one of the dumbest things I've done in awhile. One of these classes by itself is a great high intensity workout. Two in a row is just asking for disaster.

I'll probably end up doing exactly this again sometime in the next month...

Muay Thai

Workout 22 March 2010:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

I haven't done any Thai training in awhile and it felt great to get back. We stuck to the basics and played around with a few simple combinations.

Back Squat

Workout 20 March 2010:

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5

Results: 195-205-215-215-220lbs
Previous best: 185-205-225-235-235lbs (17 Feb 10)

Since I've been working a tough schedule this month, I haven't been able to eat as much as I'd like and I've lost several pounds since last month. My squat numbers reflect that weight loss, though the lifted weight to body weight ratio hasn't changed much. For the time being, I'm hoping to maintain my numbers and then be able to go back up once I'm eating properly again. As a whole, the lifts felt good and I probably could have added another 5lbs easily to the last couple of sets.

Kettlebells and Bench

Workout 18 March 2010:

Kettlebell class, 60 minutes
One-rep max bench press

1RM results: 225lbs
Previous best: 215lbs (11 March 2010)

This is pretty much a repeat of last Thursday's workout, although the kettlebell class focused on a few different movements and combined them into different types of routines. Just like last time, I left the class exhausted, but still had to see if I could beat last week's bench 1RM. Somehow, I was able to beat last week's PR by a full 10lbs. I can't complain since I might train the bench press once or at most, twice, per month.

Snatch

Workout 14 March 2010:

Olympic Lifting Class, 60 minutes

I've wanted to improve my Olympic lifts for awhile now and have finally been introduced to both an instructor and an appropriate facility. Given that this is the first time I've had formal instruction in the snatch, I was told to stay light and focus on form. I learned various components of the lift using a wooden dowel first and then graduated to a standard bar, and finally finished the class with a total of 65lbs. As it turns out, my self-taught form wasn't awful, though there's plenty of room for fine tuning. All the lifts felt great and I should easily be able to go up next time.

Key points for today were keeping the arms long and avoid pulling early, maintaining a more erect torso, and engaging the hamstrings more for the first pull.

Kettlebells and Bench

Workout 11 March 2010:

Kettlebell class, 60 minutes
One-rep max bench press

1RM results: 215lbs
Previous best: 200lbs (sometime within last year)

The kettlebell class is something new I'm trying, or actually, was told to try. I went to the gym expecting to do one of my normal workouts, but was told by one of my trainers that I should take his kettlebell class instead. It ended up being a great decision. I've always liked working with kettlebells but wasn't proficient in more than just a few exercises. In class, I used one or two 30lb kettlebells and learned the basic swing and variations, slashers, suitcase swings, figure of eights, cleans, and snatches. Although I took it easy to protect my back, the class still offered an awesome workout.

As an added bonus after the class was over, the trainer spotted me on a 1-rep-max bench press. I hit a 15lb PR today despite being relatively exhausted. Next time I'll go for 225lbs.

Shoulder Press

Workout 9 March 2010:

Shoulder Press 5-5-5-5-5

Results: 115-120-122.5-125-125lbs
Previous best: 125x5 (6 Jan 09)

I haven't done much heavy overhead work recently and had some extra time to do a 5x5. I was able to finish with two rounds at my previous best weight and with enough work, should be able to get back to a 125lb 5x5 soon.

Baby Angie

Workout 7 March 2010:

"Baby Angie"
Time for:
50 Chin-ups
50 Push-ups
50 Sit-ups (Abmat)
50 Squats

Results: 20'23
Previous best: none

Today's workout is about half of a normal "Angie" workout which is 100 reps of all of the above, with kipping pull-ups instead of standard chins. I fatigued far too quickly, which I attribute to a decreased level of conditioning over the past month or two. Based on my standard Angie times, I should have been able to do this workout in about 15 minutes.
Although I've done a fair number of workouts in the last few months, they've been more strength-based to coincide with a planned weight gain of about 5-7lbs. Within the next month, I'll ease back from my strength-based workouts and resume the usual.

Muay Thai

Workout 5 March 2010:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 30 minutes

I haven't had much time to do any intense Thai training, so today's session went back to some basics. The biggest emphasis was throwing low and body kicks very quickly, accurately, and maintaining good balance. Good session, but it gassed me more than it should have since my conditioning is down.