100 Challenge

Well I got inspired for this work out. A friend is doing a 100 Burpee Challenge, so we are too. If you start today, you will be done by Thanksgiving. We are also adding one punch per arm, and one kick per leg.

So it looks like this:
Day 1: 1 Burpee
1 Punch (each arm)
1 Kick (each leg)
Day 2: 2 Burpees
2 Punches
2 Kicks
...
Day 99: 99 Burpees
99 Punches
99 Kicks
Day 100: 100 Burpess
100 Punches
100 Kicks

The end seems overwhelming, but just take it one day at a time and the next thing you know, you've done it. A lot can change in 100 days.

Strength Workout 1

I am going to try a new way of posting my workouts.  I am going to break them up into four different types:Cardio, Combat, Strength, Stretch.  I will post at least one a week. If you are working out three to four days a week you can do the most current workout a couple of times, then switch when a new one is posted. If you feel like working out four to six times a week, then you should alternate the two most current workouts, dumping the oldest one when a new one comes out.  Please take at least one day off a week to let your body rest.

As you can see, this is a Strength workout.  As I mentioned last week, I really like Body Weight exercises.  This is the first(level 1) of the 20 level challenge from Body Weight Culture, It has great pictures and descriptions of the exercises.

Warm Up:
Trunk twists
Forward Bends
Side Bends
Back Bends

Workout:
Hold Push Up
Hold Horizontal Pull Up
Squats(as many as you can)
Hold Crunch
Calf Raises(as many as you can)

Cool Down:
Trunk twists
Forward Bends
Side Bends
Back Bends

I hope this format will be easier form me to keep up with, and for you to follow. Also, they will not come in any certain order.

Workout of the Week 4

Well, This one is  late too. I'm not doing to good at this blogging thing yet. It is a lot harder than my wife makes it look.  We were in FL this weekend to visit some friends we haven't seen in forever.  Thats when they decided to go running.  I have previously mentioned my distaste for running.  So since I suffered through it I figured you guys could too.  They are big fans of Cross-Fit I prefer Body Weight exercises, either way this is a modification of a Cross-Fit work out, mine is a little easier.  You will need to find a nice spot about 1/4 of a mile(400 Meters, once around a standard track) long.

Warm Up:
Trunk Twists
High Steps
Forward bends
Half Splits
Thigh Stretch

Run:
Run 400
Walk 400
Run 200
Walk 200
Run 100
Walk 100
Run 100
Walk 100

Cool down:
Repeat Warm Up

I don't like this one much, but it is very good for cardio health because of the interval nature of the work out.

Plus if anybody checks it out, it will help you get ready for a Cross-Fit "Murph"(they name all their workouts, kinda cool), which is crazy hard. My friend in FL wants to do that one, it is a goal of his. I think it would be killer to, and it fits my body weight only style, so I think I'm going to work towards it too.  Maybe next summer we can do it together. I will try to post again this week more about our friends and the great trip.

Workout of the Week 3

This has been a long week, and our new workout is well over due. Blogging is hard when you agree to due something on a timed basis. This week we will work on some general moves and blocking.

Warm up:
High step marching 25 steps per side

Blocks:
The best blocking drill I've seen is from Kenpo Its called the 8 point blocking system. It is very systematic, and easy to remember. We will do 10 from each stance:
1: right outside block
2: left outside block
3: right inside block
4: left inside block
5: right high block
6: left high block
7: right low block
8: left low block

Left boxing stance
Right boxing stance

Strength
20 Squat thrusts

Cool down
Trunk Twists
Forward Bends

New OS

Ok, The workout of the week is late. It should be up tomorrow. Now for the reason why... My wonderful wife's computer was giving her some trouble, so I decided to fix it. Now, I do know my way around computers, and I greatly dislike windows, so now we are a LINUX(Ubuntu) family. So far I have spent more hours than I can count setting everything up between our two computers. Needless to say my wife is not thrilled with me right now. I haven't set up or run a LINUX machine since college. They are much more stable, faster, and more user controllable than any other OS. I do love my wife dearly, and need to fix her computer before I get to play with my own. As per her suggestion, the next time I plan on doing anything major to her computer, I will be checking for all possible problems. Now I need to go finish trying to fix her AOL, and get her printer up and running. Ubuntu is great, but there are some setup things you have to be prepared for, and take some precautions, but once you are up, you are good, no crashes, lockups, or viruses.

Workout of the Week 2

This week will have a bit less movement. We will be holding stances and positions, to gain strength and stretch. So, no punching or kicking. Most of the following are yoga poses. Asian martial arts has been linked to yoga from its beginning. Ancient Chinese fighters often held stances for hours, just to increase their endurance, many of these stances came directly from yoga. Today yoga is practiced for many different purposes. Some people use it as meditation others as "prayer." I like to think of it as a peaceful exercise that can give you time to reflect. Personally, as a Christian, I like to think about scripture or just Gods hand in my life, once I get used to a certain routine, and can actually do everything in the sequence, which may take a couple of tries for it to become "easy."

Warm Up:
10 Prayer Circles

Stances:
Repeat one to three times as a circuit, moving as smoothly as possible between the positions.
Tree(left)
Warrior 1(left)
Warrior 2(left)
Forward Bend
Downward Dog
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Forward Bend
Warrior 2(right)
Warrior 1(right)
Tree(right)

Cool Down:
10 Prayer Circles

Workout of the Week 1

I think this is a good kick off:

Warm up:
100 Jumping Jacks

Stretching:
Forward Bend
Side Bend
Back Bend
Trunk Twist

Workout:
Left Boxing Stance
25 Left Straight Punches
25 Right Straight Punches
25 Left Right Straight Punches
25 Left Front Kicks
25 Right Front Kicks
Right Boxing Stance
25 Right Straight Punches
25 Left Straight Punches
25 Right Left Straight Punches
25 Left Straight Punches
25 Right Front Kicks
25 Left Front Kicks

Strength:
Repeat twice, one then the other.
Hold Squat
Hold Plank

Cool Down:
Arm Swings
Cross Body Arm Stretch
Overhead Arm Stretch
Thigh Stretch
Half Splits

Enjoy

Let the Musings Begin

I have been pondering my own conditioning routine, which is basically nill, lately. I have a deep dislike for running, and spent the last year working one full and two part time jobs, and still tried to spend time with my wife and kids(3). So, I am very out of shape right now, the future is looking better though, working less, starting back at school in the fall, after ten years of being on the other side of the podium, and posting my life(at least this part) for everyone to see.

I will begin posting "Workout of the Week"s on Sunday. I feel that focusing on one set of skills/strength/stretching/whatever for a week helps you hone your abilities and get comfortable with the routine just in time to change it and keep you body guessing. Some of them will be conditioning(both static and dynamic) others may be stretching, or patterns of movement, but all will be useful at developing good physical skills for fighting or just about anything else. I will also try to use the simplest terms possible to describe things. Please don't get upset if I rephrase an eccentric martial arts or yoga term, I'm just trying to make it easier for people to understand.