Like many people I admire, I have transcended the Way of the Blog, and I'd rather do the shit than talk about it.
Again too I recall that on occasion I'd get a really good idea that should be shared, and in general I was right; those posts would get the most hits, comments, and kind replies. I still get really good ideas that should be shared, but now I'm content to let them lie dormant. I've been sitting on my latest idea for a few months now letting it idle before it goes fully dormant.
But it can happen that people remember I'm the guy who used to do the shit, and quite possibly I still do the shit. When that happens I get, as the kids say, hit up:
"Hey James, where are you going for your weight training these days?"
Simple, to the point, but a great question.
I'm not weight training.
I recently watched a video of myself missing 400 pounds when I was trying to lift with an inguinal hernia. I just now reviewed my so far best squat.
I realize I'm not done lifting yet. I really need to hit 500 pounds since I made 463 so easily.
But while I love it to the point of the requisite insanity to lift with a hernia, I made a decision at the end of the squat everyday project last year to concentrate on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu while I'm still young.
I was of course still squatting, albeit lightly - rarely above 315 - until a few months ago.
At length I got a professional, long hours, well paid job. I was still going to the gym at 4:45 am and squatting 20 minutes or so until I had the epiphany that I could I could save a lot of time by going to the public park at 5 am and doing burpees.
In truth I started doing them in the front yard, but the neighbor cat who also rises early likes me enough to follow me around, and I was afraid I'd accidentally crush her.
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| Good Cat, Bad Training Partner |
But even going a block to the park, it took much less time altogether, and arguably it's much better training for jiu jitsu.
As an aside, one of the best ideas that should be shared is the dormant blog, "What to do When You're Screwed." I've actually had two or more iterations of that one developed at different times when I was screwed as a result of having very little training time. I can't remember everything I have done to mitigate the screwing, but perhaps I'll take what's at hand and write that blog next year.
So my current training is an honest attempt to do 100 burpees every weekday. It doesn't work, but the honest attempt yields 300 or so a week.
As for results, well I've certainly been more jacked in the past, but recently for the horrible reason of compulsory clothes shopping I stood before a full length mirror and noticed I have abdominal definition again. The same day I revisited the burpee spot in the park to see the hole I have dug with my body at 5 am.
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| The Pit of Awesomeness |
There is the usual correlation here: the deeper the burpee pit, the deeper the abdominal definition; really one doesn't even need the ability to count to 100 for this program. Just monitor the pit and of course avoid sugar.
So I don't have time and my program is sub-optimal. It gets results.
I am not projecting how I will do in the IBJJF International Masters in a few weeks. I do know that I will not fail through poor conditioning. I haven't seen any of the other guys out there before sunrise.
One thing of value here; if your physical training isn't perfect, it can still perfect your mind. Every day whether I hit 100 or not, I walk out of the park with my hands raised and I resist the urge to hunch over hands on knees until I make it to the sidewalk which in my mind becomes the edge of the mat later in August.
Only do remember, if you must collapse off the mat and suck wind, don't do it under an old light near a garbage can.
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| Not the Place for Deep Breathing |
And to my old burpee partner from years past, sometimes I think of you and it's not because of the garbage odor.
Cheers.
