But I’m making Wednesday another conditioning day.  So that’s 3 total in the 7 day week.

I’ll put up an updated programme tomorrow but in summary…

• Monday: Maximal Strength
• Tuesday: Conditioning
• Wednesday: Conditioning
• Thursday: Plyometric Strength
• Friday: Conditioning
• Saturday: Maximal Strength
• Sunday: Active Rest

My numbers on the heart rate monitor are getting better and I’m noticing my heart rate takes longer to rise.  I dunno why but this happened when I got better at running earlier in the year.  My heart took longer to beat faster so I could run for a good few minutes before it hit the 170 area.

Normally I’d hit 170 in about 10 seconds!!

My max is about 182-5.

Today’s conditioning I did 15 minutes of the following:

• 50 Burpees.
• Tabata Squats
• Tabata Push Ups
• Bas Knee Jump Finisher

For example:

• Instruction: “20 push ups…..at 15…16…”
• Me: “WTF – I’m still on 5!!!”

It included push ups, abs, break falls, shadow sparring, etc.  Also did a JJ class today learning bear hug escapes and headlocks on the ground.

• Burpees: 30secs
• Skip: 30secs
• V-Ups: 30secs
• Push Ups: 30secs
• Star Jumps: 30secs
• Shadow Boxing/Kicking: 30 secs

All that times 3.  So a total of 9 minutes.

Gotta go!

My version of skipping involved me making a two-footed jump over the rope followed by a small two-footed hop for no reason.  So every rope turn involved two jumps.  So often ended up looking like my legs were a bour and my arms were hardly moving.

But after watching the DVD I now realise the basic rope skip is one foot after the other hopping.  That took me 25yrs to learn.  So anyway – after some practice I decided to do an EIT/ICT workout using skipping instead of running.  Here it is:

• Skipping: 30 secs
• Burpees: 30 secs
• Star Jumps: 30 secs
• Shadow Boxing: 30 secs

Repeat 5 times without rest.

That should have taken 10 minutes but I somehow got to 11:30 so either I missed or added something along the way!

I had a minor pull in my ankle from ju jutsu the previous day which made my jumps a bit painful but I fought through it as this will be my final EIT/ICT before the rest split so I wanted it to count.

My average heart rate during this workout was 169bpm – which for me is pretty high and its pushing the boundary for my lactic threshold.

Also did a quick forearm workout later on:

• Wrist Roller: 3 sets of 2 reps.
• Wrist Twist with Sledge: 12 + 10 + 6 (moved hand down shaft to make it harder – hence the reduced reps)

It also highlights the importance of RTFM – because the books generally answer my questions about 1hr after I’ve asked them on the Ross Training message board!!

So anyway – onto the workout.  I went for something a bit different today and opted for some Tabata intervals after a density drill:

• 50 Burpees – As fast as possible (Took 4:54)
• Tabata Squats – 4 mins (20 secs on / 10 secs off)
• Tabata Push Ups – 4 mins (20 secs on / 10 secs off)

Predictably the burpees at the start almost killed me and they degenerated into pitiful arse-dragging messes.  The squats didn’t go too badly but the quads were seriously wrecked afterwards!!  The push ups I could only do full ones for one round – had to drop to halves after that.  I can’t wait for my body to get better cos its miserable dropping to weaker exercises just to keep going.

Time and patience though.

Heart Rate

I’ve not mentioned before but I have a heart rate monitor that I sometimes wear for workouts.  I’ve noticed it doesn’t stay high for long periods but it does spike hard intermittently.  I guess thats the point of circuits as opposed to lonf endurance work.  Endurance work isn’t good for strength…

Interesting Fact

Marathon runners have notoriously bad vertical jump ability.  This is because they’ve adapted fewer fast twitch muscle fibres in the legs and so have little explosive power to jump.

• 10 Burpees.
• 10 Chinnies
• 10 Squats
• 10 Push Ups

Repeat until 20 mins is up.  My arms packed up part way through so my burpees became squat thrusts.  Not long after my quads died and I had to do grass hoppers instead.

Either way this makes an important point:  Just because a muscle packs up doesn’t mean you cancel the entire circuit.  Adapt to the change in your body and carry on.

There’s no shame in switching from burpees to squat-thrusts because your legs are giving way.  There IS shame if you give up half-way through.

Single Calf Raise: 15 reps x 3 sets

Then I did some isometrics experimentation which turned into an impromptu workout:

• Bicep ‘Lifts’*: 5 seconds at 3 angles x 3 sets (both arms)!
• Tricep ‘Pushes’*: As above but the triceps this time!

Then I wanted to do some core work because I was feeling a bit sloppy in that area and felt it needed some stiffening up.  So onto…

• Sit Ups: 10 x 3 sets
• Back Extensions: 10 x 2 sets

Those were all done in the morning and early afternoon.  I still wanted to do the Enhanced Interval work but I really wasn’t looking forward to doing a set of plain exercises.  I wanted a bit more fight in my workout.  Its at that point I remembered I have

Bas Ruttens MMA Workout

This is basically audio of Bas going through a fight training workout.  It involves a LOT of different moves, body parts, exercises and such.  I started the 30min Routine 1 thinking I’d do 10min or 15 at most.  I’d not factored in my grim determination…. the workout included:

• Shadow Sparring (punch combos, knees, etc).
• Push Ups.
• Abs.
• Neck Exercises.
• Squat Jumps.
• Mountain Climbers.
• Knee Tucks.

All of these were done like a circuit workout with each done for between 10 and 60 seconds.  There were 2 full rests of 60 and 30 secs.  Other than that it was CONSTANT UNRELENTING PAIN!

When it got to 15mins I thought ‘just a bit more’.  With Bas pushing me on I managed to complete the full 30min workout.  This killer ended with the following:

1 Knee Tuck…2 Knee Tucks…3 Knee Tucks….4 Knee Tucks….5 Knee Tucks….etc….etc…10 Knee Tucks

Without rest.  After which I collapsed on the floor panting spit and sweat into the air.  This was by far the most intense workout I’d had since starting this programme but it feels like my body is being used for what it was made for.

I feel great.

* I explain these in my Exercise Anywhere page.

Having said that I’d started to notice a general feeling of well being, more agility and mobility.  A bit of a spring in my step and I started the ICT workout with passion.  Here it is:

• Burpees: 60 secs
• Chinnies: 60 secs
• Hindu Push Ups: 60 secs
• Lunges: 60 secs
• Star Jumps (aka. Jumping Jacks): 60 secs
• Rest: 60 secs

All of this was repeated 3 times.

The great thing is that although my burpees degenerated into squat thrusts and my arms were packing up I wanted keep going!!  It really pumped me up and I can see a time when these ICT workouts will be nothing more than a warm up!

So after all that I did 60 secs of shadow sparring.

NOTE: Unfortunately I didn’t do myself any favours by having a curry 3hrs before the workout.  I thoguht 3hrs would be enough but it wasn’t. A lthough I resisted being sick my stomach was seriously displeased.  Heartburn, nausea and pain lasted a good 2hrs afterwards.  Avoid food for at least 4-5hrs before a workout

Today I’ll be concentrating on upper body isometrics and core work:

Core Workout (3 circuits)

• V-Ups: 15 reps.
• Supermans: 15 reps.
• Chinnies: until burnout.

Additional Core (experimenting)

I just wanted to throw some extra work in to get a feel for some of the other exercises in the books.

• Dumb Bell Side Bends: 12 reps x 2 sets (11Kg)

Isometrics

• Neck Work: Down, right, left, back (all 5 secs each) – 2 sets
• Jab and Cross: Short, mid and long ranges (all 5 secs each) – 2 sets

So I start with the Integrated Circuit Training…

…and I end up in the bath ready to puke!!!

What caused it – this:

• 60 secs burpees.
• 60 secs standing band overhead press
• 60 secs squats
• 60 secs pushups (after the burpess and band press this was a killer)

NO BREAK!!

• 45 secs burpees.
• 45 secs standing band overhead press
• 45 secs squats
• 45 secs pushups (okay – my arms are collapsing at this point and I’m reduced to putting my knees down and doing half pushups!!)

NO BREAK – straight onto…

• 30 secs burpees & squat thrusts & falling over.
• 30 secs standing band overhead press
• 30 secs squats (getting a lot slower now)
• 30 secs push ups ( I want to die and I realise I’m doing seal-like moves)

final circuit…

• 15 secs of squat thrusts & squats (forgot what I was doing)
• 10 secs of squats
• 20 secs of band press
• 15 secs of pushing the floor

And its a wrap.  The times above should have been 15secs but I was getting confused by this point.

I never thought this could be that hard.  I’ve run half marathons, competed in fights but I’ve clearly not even touched the surface of physical fitness.