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

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

Back to Jujitsu after last week's Special Olympics fund raising edged it out. Today was mostly baton/club technique with kicking combinations. Then on to yawara work including incorporating arm bar takedowns and wrist lock controls. Some discussion of pressure point strikes behind the clavicle, above the heart, the maxillary under the arm pit.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Speed/dynamic effort/deload cycle. That's the last of it.

Squats: 190 for 10 sets of 3.

Hammer Curls: 95 for 3 sets of 5.

Pullover and Press: 95 for 3 sets of 5.

Now for some respite from lifting and some easy conditioning to be followed by a mock meet to test my 1RM's.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Recovery and recharge with a walk around Lake on the Campus with the family dog, Kronk.

I've planned out my mock meet with attempts.

Squat: 270 (I/N) 305 (I/N) 310 (I/N)

Bench Press: 215 (I/N/W) 225 (I/N/W) 230-240 (I/N/W depending on judgement of success after the 2nd attempt)

Deadlift: 325 (I/N/W) 360 (I/N/W) 370-385 (I/N/W depending on judgement of success after the 2nd attempt)

I: Illinois State Record
N: National Record
W: World Record

[fiftyfit]

Good luck with the mock meet Mark, I'm pullin' for you to hit 'em all! You know, your planned attempts are near identical to the ones I have planned for my October meet in Ohio, with the exception of BP, where I know you got me beat.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Some rounds of speed bag, medicine ball slam, heavy bag, medicine ball toss.

[Mark E. Hurling]

A (mostly) successful and instructive session determining my 1RM's to map out my training for the USPA Indiana State Drug Tested Championships in early December. There being no such events in Illinois. DB came along to video my squats and judge my depth.

Squats
275-305-310. The attempts were not hard, but an honest review of the videos showed I was not making depth. Just short of it, but they would have been red lighted. I need to regroup and just dig in and get lower.

Bench Press:
215-225-235. I enlisted a stout SIU undergrad to spot me. He was amazed at my age. The 235 was a real grinder that I barely eked out. I was toying with going for 240 after the 225 went up without too much trouble but it's a good thing I didn't. I'd never have made it.

Deadlift:
335-360-380. I have 10+ more lbs. in me. The last attempt was hard but not an absolute grinder. The undergrad who had spotted me on the bench press took a photo because he was texting his friends and they didn't believe him. He asked me how it felt to have paparazzi.

[Mark E. Hurling]

A follow up to yesterday. This time to determine a 1RM for seated press. Not a contested lift, but a vital one to maintain good shoulder health and stability.

45-5, 95-3, 135-1, 160-1, 180-1, 185-0.

The 180 was tough but it didn't seem like all I had. But no, failed on 185. I might have gotten that last one if I had just gone for it without trying 180.

I'm going to be modifying my sets and reps plan. I'll be using 80% of my current 1RM's for 8 sets of 2-3 reps. It'll start with 8 sets of 2 reps and then add another rep each week. When I can get 8 sets of 3 reps, it'll be time to move up the working weight 5-10 lbs. We'll see how that goes.

I know I can get some good weight out of my squats to the proper depth, I just have to get over my perpetual willies about the squats.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

Jujitsu Zoom this Noon. It was a mix of stuff today beginning with a review of some escapes from grabs including headlocks, wrist grabs, and lapel grabs. From there on to using the yawara with those techniques incorporating submission and control holds on the wrist and countering strikes to the head, arms, ribs, and other pressure points. Then some strikes using a club with movements and maneuvers in avoidance and attack. Finally, some Eastern ooga-booga using restorative techniques for headaches and nausea.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Lifting will begin again on Wednesday. But today was more recovery for supercompensation from the 1RM testing.

Consisted of 2 rounds each of medicine ball toss, speed bag, box jumps, and heavy bag. Interspersed with rower and SciFit.

I passed a couple of undergrads bemoaning their mediocre bench press performance, talking about how heavy the plates seemed. I offered up that cast plates can vary +/- 4 lbs. to soothe their fragile egos. They asked about the green plastic coated plate with "10" emblazoned on the side. I made them feel better when I told them those were in kilograms, not pounds.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Gonna be good to feel the knurling of a bar on my hands again tomorrow. Thanks to Carlos for some years ago giving my the nickname Knurling. Loved it then and still do.

Elliptical today, then speed bag, medicine ball slams, heavy bag, and weighted crunches.