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

[Gunnhild Bruno]

Well, if it looks like ego-boo, we're both guilty. For me, it's a documentation of intense practice that has serious implications for recovery from training. It belongs in our logs. So sayeth I.

I think those of us who have done/do MA, at least, realize that A) there is an art to balancing the MA and the weight training and B) the lessons of one realm often inform training in the other. As a result, I, for one, like to hear about your experiences with these.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Thanks to the three of you who are among my favorite people here for the input. I'll continue then. Ironically, the balancing broke down a little on Wednesday when my right foot started giving me grief as a cold front and rainstorm moved down to LA from the Bering Sea. In addition to breaking that ankle twice, once in high school football and then my senior year in at college at the NCAA regionals in judo at Ball State (hee-hee, I said ball) I also broke the teeny tiny little bone on the far outside medial part of my foot. Rolled my ankle coming off the mat at the end of a 2 1/2 session of jujitsu about 5 years ago. Crack. It had me hobbling so badly I almost had to stay home from work. So no jujitsu. Old injuries catch up to you anon. But anyway.

Weight: 246

5 minute warmup on the bike (Light/Speed Day)

Bench Press: 140 x 8 x 3 + 10.

One Arm Dumbbell Row: 75 x 8 x 3 + 10.

Back Extension: 90 x 3 x 10. I did these three back to back and fast as a giant set. Since the shoulder is feeling OK just now, I figured I'd hit the fast twitch muscles fibers a little and tax them.

Foam roller and stretching.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Along with that jon, I'm just now re-reading Patrick O'Brian's book Far Side of the World. In it Dr. Maturin is talking to another ship's surgeon about techniques of tooth removal (this is about the timeframe of 1813) and how beating a drum to distract the patient is useful. The other surgeon agrees and adds how it is also a useful technique to pinch the opposite cheek or pull the opposite ear in conjunction with that to heighten the distraction effect.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

This comes out of "pain gate theory." It is well-exploited by some dentists, and even doctors are catching on.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Weight: 245

No jujitsu today for mere brown belts. Black belt only class. It's just as well, because my foot is still griping away. Since the foot was ailing I had to my usual walk along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific. So I went to Gold's, did a GXP, and finished off with some foam rolling and stretching.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Since the foot was ailing I had to my usual walk along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific.

Color me jealous. When I was stationed at Pendleton I was at the Weapons Training Battalion at Edson Range. NCO billets were within about, oh, I'd guess a 1/4-1/2 mile of the beach. My favorite back yard ever. Haven't seen the SoCal coast in years.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Weight: 246.5

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Camp Pendleton has something named after one of the Raiders' officers like Edson. I had a stint in San Diego at one point and would drive past Pendleton on I-5 several times a week. It was quite a sight watching them fast rope out of Chinooks or maneuver at speed in their Strykers. I even saw a combined arms operation with helo carriers, the USS Boxer, and LCAC's making a beach landing one. Very awesome stuff to see.

5 minute warmup on the bike. (Heavy Day)

Overhead Press: 180 with 15 singles at 1 minute intervals. I decided to try this to see if I can reprogram my CNS to better achieve a max single. Not easy, but not terribly difficult, just different.

Squats: 275 x 3. While I was doing these a younger guy (almost all of them are these days) in his mid 20's to early 30's was doing squats in the half rack next to me. His setup and form looked better than anything I'd seen at Gold's before, but his head and neck orientation kept changing slightly. Nothing huge but it looked counterproductive. I almost never talk to others when lifting, let alone to discuss technique, but I mentioned it to him when he finished his set. He said he had just started squatting this week and had I heard of Mark Rippetoe and Starting Strength? Some chuckling ensued by the both of us with that and some further exchange of conversation. Surprisingly, he was not aware of the Forum here, so I suggested he check it out for advice if he wanted or needed it. He thanked me for the tip, and it felt good to have been of some help. Kind of like being thanked for teaching at jujitsu.

Foam rolling and stretching to finish off. Since I was doing something different with the singles today I wore the heart rate monitor to see how much effect it might have had. I averaged 116 bpm for the entire workout including the pressing at 72% of MHR. The entire lifting session was 52 minutes and so it beat the Hell out of the same amount of time on the elliptical or rat wheel called the treadmill.

This was one of those off days what with having slept really late with the cooler Fall weather making it soooo comfy under the covers. Dearly Beloved also woke up earlier than usual and decreed we shall go to breakfast 2 hours earlier. So lifting got moved back 2 hours. I've never been in the gym at that time of day, and it was entirely different in terms of most of the population and feel of the place. The geezer dudebros were still there chattering away. The squat guy and I were chuckling about them too.

[StrongIslander,NY]

Hi Mark i posted in fat tax for you. wasnt sure why- i was curious about that name mentioned in oldsters log-that's all?

[Mark E. Hurling]

Weight: 248

5 minute warmup on the bike (Heavy Day)

Bench Press: 200 x 5 x 3.

Hammer High Row: 290 x 5 x 3.

Claw Grip: 190 x 2 x 5 PR! This is the entire weight stack on the cable machine.

Foam roller and stretching.

[johnreynolds]

Way to go Mark, we'll buy you a protein shake. Ready to crush some bones there !