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

[Mark E. Hurling]

Rounds of speed bag, SciFit, woodchoppers, heavy bag, plate haloes, elliptical, rower and hip flexor and knee stretches.

30 minutes average HR 131 BPM @ 88% of MHR. Average resting HR of 62 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Cycle 3, Week 2, Sets of 3-3-3.

Bench Press: 160@70%-3, 180@80%-3, 205@90%-2.

Hammer High Row: 210@70%-3, 240@80%-3, 270@90%-5.
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Push Press: 90@70%-3, 105@80%-3, 115@90%-4.

Cable Curl: Sets of 12, 150-165-189.

Music: Darth Vader Death March, Kashmir, Danger Zone, Bad to the Bone, Born to Be Wild, Shook Me All Night Long, Barracuda, Bad Moon Rising, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, 16 Tons, Working for the Weekend, Land of Confusion, Sympathy for the Devil, Sledgehammer.

46 minutes average HR 118 BPM @ 79% of MHR. Average resting HR of 64 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Cycle 3, Week 4, Sets of 5-5-5. Deload/Speed Sets/Dynamic Effort. Done fast with minimal rest between sets to increase intensity and engage Type II fast twitch muscles.

Bench Press: 95@40%-5, 115@50%-5, 135@60%-5.

Hammer High Row: 115@40%-5, 145@50%-5, 175@ 60%-5.

Push Press: 50@40%-5, 65@50%-5, 80@ 60%-5.

Curl: 85 for 3 sets of 5.

Music: 1812 Overture, When the Bullet Hits the Bone, Locomotive Breath, Up Around the Bend, Darth Vader Death March, Madman Across the Water, Tush, My Sharona.

36 minutes average HR 117 BPM @ 79% of MHR. Average resting HR of 61 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

I spent last week debilitated by inflammation in my elbows and left wrist. Not to mention my back spasming any time I moved or turned over in bed. It hurt to bend those joints in any direction so lifting or even any conditioning was out of the question. I think it was late onset overtraining from the heavy test singles early in May. My sleep was erratic and disrupted, I turned into Rip Van Hurling, dropping into long naps and dozing once or twice a day even. It really messed with my mind too, jacking up my anxiety levels through the roof. I started feeling better over the weekend after some rest being forced on me.

Feeling better is a huge relief. Not only for just me, but because I have to be at my best for the Special Olympics Summer Games coming up this weekend.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

Back to Jujitsu last night, carefully, because I have to conserve and marshal energy for Summer Games this weekend. Can't let anyone down there.

As part of the green belt course, we worked on chokes and strangles. Ken managed a variation of the modified dragon strangle by not kneeling all the way down. I'd never seen that done before and he improvised it (accidently) on the spot because he is still learning and refining the technique. It MIGHT have the drawback of not fixing the other guy to the ground as firmly as kneeling back with the hamstrings on the back of the neck, but I was wedged in pretty tight against his Achilles tendon and calf and losing consciousness fast. We worked on cross hand strangles with overhand and mixed grips. He's gotten good with these already and I was getting woozy again.

So I interspersed some escapes from the rear naked chokes and strangles to get in some blood pressure recovery time. A couple of them were dependent on getting a hand up in time before the choke could be locked in. So to provide for some fallback in case timing was slow, I showed him how to use a pen or small pocket flashlight to probe the radial nerve. I explained how a one hand opening pocket knife would be even better. Just pulling it, opening it, and letting the attacker see it was likely enough to get a quick release. But if not, well, nothing good was going to happen to his arm after that.

On to sliding lapel chokes, and another dragon strangle. The latter done standing and with the other guy laying on the ground after a throw.

Finally, another respite teaching moment. This time with a two handed knife hand block to the wrist and the forearm just below the elbow. Both of which are along the path of the radial nerve activating it to complete overload and compromising the arm from the fingers to the elbow. It doesn't feel good for much for a while afterward.

Very tiring, and early to bed.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Cycle 3, Week 4, Sets of 5-5-5. Deload/Speed Sets/Dynamic Effort.

Deadlift: 145@40%-5, 185@50%-5, 215@60%-5.

Hammer Leg Press: 270@40%-5, 325@50%-5, 390@ 60%-5.

51 minutes average HR 131 BPM @ 91% of MHR. Average resting HR of 64 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Some active recovery after the Illinois State Special Olympics Summer Games. The Big Muddy Iron Crew of 5 lifters won 6 gold medals, 3 sliver medals, and 3 bronze medals. So proud of them.

Cycle 3, Week 4, Sets of 5-5-5. Deload/Speed Sets/Dynamic Effort. Done fast with minimal rest between sets to increase intensity and engage Type II fast twitch muscles.

Seated Press: 70@40%-5, 90@50%-5, 110@60%-5.

Hammer Row: 140@40%-5, 170@50%-5, 205@ 60%-5.

Push Press: 50@40%-5, 65@50%-5, 80@ 60%-5.

Swiss Bar Pin Press: 135 for 3 sets of 5.

Music: Highway to Hell, O Fortuna, Shaft, Dirty Laundry, Pinball Wizard, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Mustang Sally, Head Games, Dragnet.

33 minutes average HR 128 BPM @ 85% of MHR. Average resting HR of 59BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

It took some marshaling of my energies to lift yesterday. I couldn't muster it for conditioning today, conserving what fumes I still had for Jujitsu tonight. Sensei Wissman had asked if I would teach a Jujitsu seminar to his Karate class.

I covered pressure points and how to apply the techniques when under attack effectively. The use of force was discussed in the context of the NYC subway incident that got a well intentioned bystander charged with a felony. Fact was, he held the homeless and disturbed guy too long in a poorly applied neck hold that should have put the guy under in very little time and was held for two minutes. Likewise a local fight in Metropolis that ended up a fatal engagement. Then there was the Carterville MMA guy that ended up killing someone else from a punch to the back of the head. Use force with precision and good judgement if you are going to intervene and engage.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Cycle 3, Week 4, Sets of 5-5-5. Deload/Speed Sets/Dynamic Effort. Done fast with minimal rest between sets to increase intensity and engage Type II fast twitch muscles.

Squats: 95@40%-5, 125@50%-5, 145@60%-5.

High Pulls: 70@40%-5, 90@50%-5, 115@ 60%-5.

Music: Thunderer, Back in the USSR, Chain of Fools, Cantina band, Hard Work, Don't Stop Believin' Day-O, Walking on the Sun, Ballroom Blitz, King of Pain, Working for the Weekend.

41 minutes average HR 125 BPM @ 86% of MHR. Average resting HR of 61 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I've been trying to rally and find the energy to lift or undertake some conditioning. In vain since Summer Games. I guess training the Special Olympians for 8 months and the weekend of coaching must have taken a bigger toll on me than ever.

But, I got into the gym for some rounds of conditioning today. Speed bag, cable rotations, supine medicine ball toss, crunches, plate haloes, heavy bag, rower and hip and knee flexor stretches.

41 minutes average HR 145 BPM @ 97% of MHR. Average resting HR of 60 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.

Gotta get past this malaise.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Trying to restart another lifting cycle.

Cycle 4, Week 1, Sets of 5-5-5. Deload/Speed Sets/Dynamic Effort. Done fast with minimal rest between sets to increase intensity and engage Type II fast twitch muscles.

Bench Press: 95@40%-5, 115@50%-5, 135@60%-5.

Hammer High Row: 115@40%-5, 145@50%-5, 175@ 60%-5.

Push Press: 50@40%-5, 65@50%-5, 80@ 60%-5.

Curl: 85 for 3 sets of 5.

Music: Running With the Devil, Semper Fidelis, Gloria, Folsom Prison Blues, Barracuda, Gimme That Old Marine Corps Spirit, Hot Legs, Think.

34 minutes average HR 129 BPM @ 87% of MHR. Average resting HR of 60 BPM and with a VO2 Max Very Good to Excellent @ range of 37-41.