Geezer's Long March Toward the Elite Sneaking Up On the Finish Line

[Mark E. Hurling]

Deadlifts: 135-5, 225-3, 315-1, 340 for 2 singles. It was supposed to be 4 singles, but maybe I got too optimistic after the recovery of my bench press or it was an off day. Just didn't have it in me this morning.

Dips: Sets of 5, bodyweight, +10, +25. Done from a dead stop at the bottom.

Box Squats: Sets of 2, 45-95-145-160.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Today was a paddle around Cedar Lake. A beautiful mid 70's morning with low humidity and dew point, which was a blessed relief after a week of Central American heat and murk. I've been wearing my Blue Lives Matter ball cap as a matter of principle for a week or so, along with the mirrored aviators.

A half dozen young women were launching their kayaks at the same time I was and one of them asked if I needed a hand carrying mine. No, but thank you, Miss. Always nice when the young want to assist their elders. I got a few great photos of the cliffs along this lake, it's too bad they won't load here any more. I was at the Northwest end of one of the arms and launched off the Cedar Creek Road boat ramp.

The float was an hour long and about three miles. The longest one I have had in decades, having learned to paddle canoes at age 12 at church camp. My right hamstring got unhappy after about 30 minutes, no doubt from those failed deadlift attempts with 340 yesterday. Yes, thanks young woman, but I don't need the help. Even at my advanced years.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Seated Press: 45-5, 65-5, 95-3, 115-1, 135-1, 145-1. This too is not coming back to the 180 I had been doing pre-Kung Flu.

Lateral Raise: Sets of 12, 70-80-90.

Hammer Pulldown: Sets of 5, 90-180-180-180.

Calf Press: Sets of 12, 200-200-200.

Lots of DOMS lingering in the lower body from deadlifts. Gotta let that subside for squats next Monday.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

Back to the Jujitsu Zoom this Saturday. Last week was supporting the first Special Olympics activity since the Kung Flu hit, a fishing tournament.

After some striking warmups, both empty hand and the yawara, we got into more advanced knife drills. First with a single edged blade and then with a double edged blade alternating between a fencing grip and an ice pick grip. It culminated in a complex 12 part drill of different cutting and stabbing angles and techniques. It took some significant concentration to get all the movements in and done correctly.

It completed with a review of white belt techniques with variant follow on strikes to the basic escape technique. Although it might seem crayon simple, it was a real godsend for me to get a good look at the basics once more. I've found a slight tendency to drift off the basic teaching with some of my own "special sauce". Which in reality was simply forgetting some of the fundamentals.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Squats: 45-5, 95-5, 135-1, 185-1, 205-1, 235-1. None of these were challenging, but I have to figure out a better way to load the racks there. As it happens, using an alternative wide set up between two racks makes the bar VERY difficult to load.

Barbell Hammer Curls: Sets of 5, 75-95-115.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I got attached to the outdoor workouts, so I headed over to Lake on the Campus for some conditioning today. It consisted of 2 rounds of 3 reps each of: medicine ball slams, clap pushups, box jumps, and kettlebell swings with intervals of walking briskly around the lake path in between.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Bench Press: 215 for 5 singles. Reps 3 and 4 were a little tough, and I determined that had happened because I wasn't paying attention to breath control. So on rep #5, I gulped a big valsalva and held it during the stabilizing pause off the rack, the pause on the chest, and the pause after lockout before re-racking it. Went up like a charm.

Incline Close Grip Bench Press: Sets of 5, 149-145-145.

Hammer Row: Sets of 5, 205-210-215.

[Mark E. Hurling]

A glorious morning to get out on Lake Murphysboro and paddle around in the kayak. The lake was glassy and smooth as the Sun rose, and tendrils of mist rose from the water's surface. I could almost expect to see Excalibur loom out of the water, grasped in the hand of The Lady of the Lake.

The main parking area where concessions and showers are has a playground set for kids. It was nice to see one that was not festooned with yellow crime scene tape. There were several gaggles of Canada geese floating majestically along the shores and a snowy white egret passing overhead from one cove to another.

Finally, there was the bridge over the containment dam at the Southwest end of the lake. Altogether, a great way to get in nearly an hour of cardio.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Deadlift: 135-5, 225-3, 315-1, 340-1, 340-1, 340-0. This clinches it. Gotta drop back my weights for the singles.

Box Squats: Sets of 2, 45-95-145-160-160-160.

Dips: Sets of 5, 25-30-35.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

Jujitsu Zooming once again. Today's work included transitions from counters to shoves or attempted grabs with finger bars and wrist locks. All of which flowed through transitions of 3 to 5 techniques to either keep the attacker off balance or just a one and done leaving them with torn ligaments or tendons or broken bones. Nasty stuff although it looks innocuous.

There was an explanation of body and platform alignment. Platform alignment is assuring that the lower body and upper body are solidly in place, starting with getting foot placement and settling of the bodyweight right through stepping and execution of a slight rocking movement of the lead foot. Body alignment was a follow on to that with greater emphasis on how tapping a hand on your own hips or torso got the flow of movement moving through your own body when executing a counter or a strike more effectively.

It finished with the difference between pressure point attacks and nerve attacks. Pressure points involve vulnerable areas on the body that are connected to meridians under Asian medicine theory. A lot of people think it's nonsense, but I've been hit there, and I can attest to their effectiveness. Especially attacks on the legs along the femoral nerve or the illiotibial band. Nerve attacks are on sensitive spots on the skin's surface, like under the nose, or pinching loose skin on the torso, lips, or ears.