2024 - 02 - 12

One rest day might be necessary, whether you want it to be or not. Two rest days in a row, is likely an excuse for something.

Photo Credit: NonProphet / The Space Program

Summary:

This week started with a hard and heavy, relatively short, strength session followed by some recovery mobility work. Grappling continues to focus on wrestling development with an emphasis on “follow through” (to build on top of previous connection and off-balance).
Friday, I didn’t want to take a rest day, but doing so was evidence of maturity in training and programming. Maybe I could slog through the session and turn in a mediocre or poor performance. Maybe I could rest, learn something about my body’s intuition, and get more out of the following training session.
Sunday’s session was the “Take 2” of Friday. The discussion topic was recoverability vs. regulation this time. I could have turned up the pace and tested my ability to recover between sets; or I could monitor my breathing and test my ability to regulate my physical state throughout the 60+ min effort.

Contents:

• Monday: Escape Velocity Session 26 - Strength
• Tuesday: Escape Velocity Session 27 - Mobility
• Wednesday: NoGi BJJ - Guard Retention / Passing
• Thursday: NoGi BJJ - Wrestling / Follow Through
• Friday: Semi-Active Rest (see notes)
• Saturday: NoGI BJJ - Wrestling / Leg Locks
• Sunday: Escape Velocity Session 28 - Recoverability / Endurance

2/12/24: Strength, Level 2

Intention:

“The importance of maxing out is not in the number but more on your ability to know what you are capable of safely. Getting injured while performing strength feats is ironic because then you will be at your weakest trying to prove you are strong. Keep this in mind: strength is best expressed by remaining uninjured.“

Warm Up:

5 min AirBike (Gear 2), then

10-6 (10, 9, 8… 1 reps each):
20” Box Step (each side)
Gorilla Row (each side)
Double KB Swings
Push Up

Work:

In 30 minutes, complete the following:

Dumbbell Deadlift:
Build to heavy set of 3

Zercher Squat (from rack):
Build to heavy set of 5

Push Press (from rack):
Build to heavy set of 7

Results:

Warm Up:
47 calories / 5 min AirBike
Rows, Swings, and Step Ups with 2 x 16 Kg KBs

Work:
Total Score = 3,150 lbs / 1,428 Kg
Deadlift 3 sets of 3 with 2 x 100 / 125 / 140 lbs.
Zercher Squat 3 sets of 5 with 225 / 225 / 245 lbs.
Push Press 3 sets of 7 with 115 / 135 / 155 lbs.

*Score = (heaviest-deadlift * 3) + (heaviest-squat * 5) + (heaviest-press * 7)

Notes:

What worked well and what allowed it:
I didn’t read the entire description, but intuitively I cut the 10-1 warm up ladder on the round of 6 reps because I had reached about 30 minutes and knew that was how long the “work” segment was supposed to take. It turns out that this was the exact recommendation.
I felt rather confident with my score, especially knowing that I did more reps than necessary and was on the higher side of other commenters. Additionally, I garnered some compliments in the gym for being “yolked.” Strength is not my limiting factor.

What didn’t work and why:
The pacing of this session was a bit deceiving. If you don’t get after it in the beginning, as the reps add up, you run short on rest at the end.

Plan for next time:
This would be great “in-season” training or as a “strength refresher” where the goal is, as intended, to get stronger but also avoid injury at all costs.

2/13/14: Strength, Level 1

Intention:

Typically these sessions are meant to have challenging movements / ranges without further straining musculature or respiratory systems — “active recovery” if you will.

Warm Up:

10 minute easy AirBike

Then,
Barbell Overhead Squat 3 x 5
Cat-Cow (fists on bench) 3 x 5
Slant Board Soleus Stretch 3 x 10 sec (each side)
Ankle CARs 3 x 5 (each side)

Work:

AMRAP / 20:
Get up off the ground as many times and different ways as you can without using your hands.

Then,
10 min deep squat, breaking as few times as possible.

Results:

93 get-ups, nose breathing only
10 min deep squat with 5 breaks

Notes:

What worked well and what allowed it:
I made some substitutions for the warm up, instead of straight CARs I decided to tackle some movements / ranges that I know are difficult for me (spine, hips, ankles). The benched cat-cow was an especially good choice to address both the spine and hamstrings.

What didn’t work and why:
The burn in my shins / tibialis was nuts during the deeps squat finisher. The (lack of) mobility in my ankles also caused by back to round in order to keep my balance.

Plan for next time:
This is movement “cultivation” as described in NPs Capacity Manual. You are playing, but also challenging, exploring, and addressing specific issues of your body.

2/14/24: Sport, Level 2

Intention:

In Kyles class this week we continued open guard passing, but with the inverted focus — guard retention. We also emphasized the importance of keeping an opponent grounded / maintaining connection once we’ve initiated it.

Warm Up:

6 min grip fighting

Work:

1.5 hour total class
0.5 hours after class drilling leg-lock counters

Notes:

One of my all-time favorite instructionals from GA local Sean Applegate

2/15/24: Sport, Level 1

Intention:

Rather than teaching “here’s how to do a double leg takedown (all the way through)”, then “here’s how to do a single leg takedown (all the way through); I’ve been teaching the stages of all takedowns: connection, off-balance, and follow through.
We’ve also been “stacking” the classes. So, the warm up is a light drill / review of the past month’s classes in case you missed them, but also to build context for the specific material for that day.

Warm Up:

5 min grip fighting
5 min “collar tie and circle”
5 min “connect 2” and connect to lower body

Work:

• basic shots and sprawl review
• follow through after failed shot (high / head outside)
• follow through after failed shot (high / head inside)
• follow through after failed shot (low / inside and outside)
• 8 x 15 sec goes (1:1 rests) fighting from lower body connection

Notes:

2/16/24: Rest

I had planned for this to be Escape Velocity Session 28. Throughout the warm up I could feel the burn in my quads. As I’ve pointed out before, a good warm up should probably be longer than you think; that is to push you slightly into discomfort to:

1. prepare you for the task ahead (the “work” segment), and
2. allow you to take inventory of your current state (regardless of programmed plans).

The short version is that I came out too hot, and was already flogging myself in Round 1 of 20. Not good. I pulled the plug and went home.

Maturity in training is knowing what you have to prove and what you’re willing to spend to do so. I could have ground out the session with a sub-par performance, but why? Who was I trying to impress at that gym?

We can’t mistake training for performance / testing. If the goal is to turn in the best result I’m capable of delivering independent of recovery state (or lack thereof), then that requires the (recovery debt) to be paid in advance; not trying to purchase performance on credit.

2/17/24:

Intention:

I wanted to continue working on the wrestling foundation I’ve been developing over the past month and a half. I also wanted to get some time drilling basic leg locks. They’re a staple of my game, but I haven’t polished them up in a while.

Warm Up:

2 rounds:
Leg lock flow drill / reaction / escape play.

Work:

9 total 5-minute rounds.

Results:

Density: 7:2 (78% work)
Focus: 4:9 (44%)

Notes:

What worked well and what allowed it:
The pace was generally mild this session, but that allowed for some more technical work and experimentation for all parties. Technically the “focus” score was 100% if you include the leg lock drilling rounds, but to error on the side of caution I only “counted” the wrestling rounds.

What didn’t work and why:
I got swept once from butterfly guard after a takedown attempt. I countered with a quick attack and finish, but the sequence was a good reminder to not fly blindly into takedowns. The set up that allowed the mis-position on my part was because of wrapping the outside leg; which I just did a class on NOT doing…. black belts make mistakes too.

Plan for next time:
I will have about three more wrestling classes planned and will hopefully be able to upload a longer video here touching on each of the foundational steps from the classes. Since Kyle’s classes have focused on guard passing (a natural progression after takedowns), I will likely be returning to leg lock material in my classes.

2/18/24: Endurance, Level 2

Intention:

As written this session was intended as “the basis the recoverability track in the Capacity Manual.” Essentially you’re looking to see how the power / strength endurance of one attribute decreases when another is held constant for repeated intervals.
The prescribed session was meant to keep the aerobic intervals constant and monitor the decrease in output (decompensating ability to recovery) in the bodyweight movements. However, I flip-flopped things because it was easier to count and keep track of throughout the session. As a consequence, this became more of an endurance paced session rather than a measure of recoverability (see notes).

Warm Up:

3 sets of:
Pull Ups x 10
Push Ups x 10
Banded Pull Aparts x 10
20” Step Ups x 10 (each side)

Work:

For Time:
500 Calories
Split between 2:00 intervals on AirBike and Treadmill
*Every transition do either 5x Pull Ups or 20x Push Ups

Results:

Time: 1:02:15
AirBike: 280 calories
Treadmill: 220 calories
Pull Ups x 60
Push Ups x 240
*nose breathing only

Notes:

What worked well and why:
I’m glad I pushed through this session. I ate my dinner a little too close to the workout, so for the first 20 minutes I wasn’t sure if it was going to come back up or not. Even if the session had to be downgraded to endurance, I’m glad I decided to not take the day off. Do what you must in order to keep going, that’s the nature of endurance.

What didn’t work and why:
I had to adapt this session to work with the equipment I had. If had had access to a whiteboard during the session, tracking the reps of each max set of push / pull ups would have been easier. However, the “straight set” turned this session in to an endurance rather than capacity feeling session.

Plan for next time:
I did notice notable power drop offs during the AirBike segments at about 30-35 minutes and again around 45-50 minutes; plopping me into a “proper” Zone 2.