Training towards Krav Maga

[Runner]

Andy,

Thank you for your time in this forum. Following stats:

Age: 37
Wt: 202
Height: 5’10”
Bodyfat: umm 22-25+%

Goals:
Enter Krav Maga (self defense training) strong and conditioned 1st quarter 2014
Bodyfat: 15-17%
Squat (1x5): 375
Deadlift (1x5): 405
Press (1x5): 150
Bench(1x5): 200+
Pullups 3x10
Chinups 3x10
Abroller: 1x50x2per week
2-3 days of conditioning

Lifts:
Squats (3x5): 305
Press (3x5): 115
Deadlift(1x5): 320
Bench (3x5): 187.5
Pullups: 3x7
Chinups: 3x7
Abroller: 1x32


Workout: TM
Monday-Volume
Squats 5x5 @ 90% 5rm
Bench/OHP 5x5 @ 90% 5rm
Deadlifts 1x5 @ 90% 5rm
Bench/OHP 60% 40reps
Curlzzz 5x8

Wednesday-Recovery
Squats 2x5 @ 80% Monday
OHP3x5Slightly lighter load/Bench 3x5 90% 5x5 wt
Chinups 3x5 bdw
Back Extensions/glute-ham raises 5x10
3min/3min prowler light

Friday-Intensity
Squats 1x5 new 5rm
Bench/OHP New 5rm, warm up using 10,5 then singles/doubles to working weight
Bench/OHP 60% 50reps
abroller 1x50
Curlzzz 3x8


Andy I gave you a ton of data and I hope you are not put off by it. Just wanted to give you enough data to go off of. I am training up to start Krav Maga March 2014 and I know from past experience that I need to greatly increase my upper body strength. My questions are real simple:

1. My recovery is spotty due to work. How do I move conditioning from my current 1/week to 2-3 three per week with a TM schedule?
2. At what point do I start working on reducing bodyfat to my goal of 15-17%?

My log if anyone cares for a read....

Runner's log

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

My recommendation is to NOT do the Texas Method while at the same time adding conditioning work and reducing body fat.

Maybe something like:

Monday: Bench
Tues: Squat
Thurs: Press
Friday: Light Squat, Deadlifts

Doing something like this leaves plenty of room to condition or add accessory work and not get over trained. On this schedule you could easily Prowler after your lowerbody workouts and do upper assistance like chins or dips on Mon/Thurs. Maybe do some mid distance track work (200s and 400s) on Sundays.

[Runner]

Thank you for the response.

I am going to follow my existing program until January 2014 then (and variations thereof) and then switch over to a more forgiving training method. I have noticed that volume is my friend especially for upper body lifts. Given that you do not recommend any major conditioning or body fat loss, would you recommend something like wendlers 5/3/1 +boring but big + conditioning?



Mon
Press – 5/3/1
Press – 5 sets of 10 reps
Chinups 3x10

Tues
Deadlift – 5/3/1
Deadlift – 5 sets of 10 reps
Oldster's Abroller from hell – 2x50
Conditioning 30sec/1:40 7-8 rounds (prowler/rower etc)

Thurs
Bench Press – 5/3/1
Bench Press – 5 sets of 10 reps
Pullups 3x10

Friday
Squat – 5/3/1
Squat – 5 sets of 10 reps
Oldster's Abroller from hell – 2x50
Conditioning 30sec/1:40 7-8 rounds (prowler/rower etc)

Sunday
Conditioning 30sec/1:40 7-8 rounds (prowler/rower etc)

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

You could do something like that.

[Runner]

Thank you for your time.

[Skuhr]

I am 47 and started Krav two years ago. I'd recommend focusing on punching and kicking for your conditioning. Get some kind of bag and do one minute on, one rest of punching, then kicking, then both. Go very hard (as hard as you possibly can). A huge part of success in Krav class is being able to sustain the beat down and still have gas in the tank. You also should work to improve your bench and press and maybe throw in some push ups as conditioning. Sit ups too. I dropped 20 lbs in the first two months, but it would have been way easier to do that before I started classes. If you can, sit in on a few classes to see what they are doing and what you are in for. Have fun.

[Runner]

Skuhr I've done Krav for a year before and your comments makes sense. I know that Krav takes a serious conditioning element to be real successful at it and I will build that in a couple months before I go into the program. Currently I am on the strength phase of training and agree with you on the upper body development needed to really kick some tail with the system. I expect that I will lean out once I am in the conditioning phase of my program. Your comment about getting a kick bag to train what I remember of the techniques as a conditioning method makes real sense to me. Thanks for the comments.

[Kregna]

My recommendation is to NOT do the Texas Method while at the same time adding conditioning work and reducing body fat.

Maybe something like:

Monday: Bench
Tues: Squat
Thurs: Press
Friday: Light Squat, Deadlifts

Doing something like this leaves plenty of room to condition or add accessory work and not get over trained. On this schedule you could easily Prowler after your lowerbody workouts and do upper assistance like chins or dips on Mon/Thurs. Maybe do some mid distance track work (200s and 400s) on Sundays.

In your experience, can only squatting once a week (besides light squats) work?

[David Lee]

If you get a bag, the Bas Rutten CD's are great for getting into Krav shape:

http://www.basrutten.com/dvd/bas-rut...s-and-dvd.html

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

In your experience, can only squatting once a week (besides light squats) work?

Ed Coan and Kirk Karwoski both only squatted once per week. Plenty of others do as well. So yes, it can work. I'm not a good lifter, but I squat about 540, and I only go once per week.