BJJ, Strength & Air Traffic Control

Thirded! Not enough detailed BJJ logs.

I would like to see the reappearance of nudes and recipes/food pron.
 
Ok, an update it is.

Hormones

Got a full thyroid panel drawn along with T levels again on Tuesday. Thursday I got the results...and everything was 100% normal. Beyond frustrated with not being able to find the source of all these annoying symptoms (frequent urination, insomnia, lethargy, mood swings, and more). Free T even doubled since last blood draw 4 weeks ago. So whatever was going on with me back then, seems to be resolved.

Have to admit, since I stopped messing with natural T boosters like longjack and tribulus and started taking vitamin D every day with theanine and caffeine I've been feeling a LOT better.

ATC

We've been running ATC sims 4x per day, 40 minutes each run followed by a debrief and some classroom stuff. The furloughs were cancelled after just one week of air travel delays luckily so we didn't lose any pay or work days. The sims have been insanely challenging, but the three guys in my class and I have improved a shit ton. We have 3 more weeks to go until we get on the floor and start working live traffic.

Injuries

I got a deep cut on my knuckle a month ago, and it must have healed improperly. It still hurts and its inflamed with what looks like some black shit inside it. Seeing a doc about it next week since I am all about my cheap ass co payments.

Lower back remains in pain so I haven't touched squats or deads in weeks. Wrist pain seems to have gone down a lot so no complaints there.

Got a half sleeve outline done last Saturday on my left arm. Had to take a few days off of BJJ but I got some long sleeved rash guards to wear under my gi and I've been in class twice this week. Slightly uncomfortable to do shrimping drills but besides that no issues with it. Several more sessions though which will take me out of BJJ for a few days here and there.

Strength

Since I took a week off from lifting, I got back in the gym this past Monday and have done 3 workouts this week. Strength on everything has plummeted. I started taking creatine daily again to help with strength improvements since I haven't taken any in months. It may have contributed to my success with last summer's cut, since bodyfat dropped awesomely while strength was rising steadily.

Right now I'm doing Leangains RPT though without deads or squats.

BJJ

Nothing too important to note; had some peaks and valleys training with various whites, blues and purples. IE tapping a purple with a sick arm drag arm bar and then struggling terribly with a white belt. I need to work on my guard passing defense.

Think that covers it! I have some good food porn pics to add. Nudes won't be pretty, they are a far cry from when I was plastering my shirtless self all over the place before. :////
 
You need to work on your guard passing defense.....I need to work on my guard passing...
 
10May13

Fasted

Bas Ruttens MMA CD
Thai Boxing
One 2 min round
Boxing
Three 3 min rounds

Notes

-Rainy day in Long Island so busted out this old shit. Surprisingly felt really easy.
 
11May13

Bas Ruttens MMA CD
Boxing
Four 3 min rounds

Notes

-Breaking out the boxing CD yesterday led to some interesting DOMS in the core and upper arm region. Not a big deal.

-Mothers day weekend made it impossible to get any BJJ in but back to it tomorrow night!
 
13May13

20 hours fasted, 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

Machine Rows
290x10
300x10
270x10

Weighted Chins
+50x6
+25x8
+15x9
BWx8

L-Pull ups
7
7
7


Notes

-Not a bad workout. Really focusing on the negative of every rep.

BJJ

Gi class, went over a 2-attack series from them turtling on their side from side control and you taking S-mount. They grab their biceps to defend against arm attacks, so you take your hand and snake it through the top end, and do a curl to break his grip. Windmill your arm around towards his back taking the arm with you and fall back for the arm bar. Alternatively, you can forgo the arm break and just grab his gi by the shoulders, move your hips down a bit and pull him up to take his back with one hook, then attack the arm bar on the non-suspecting side.

Did a 5 from mount top and bottom with a big white belt. Then rolled a round from the feet with him; worked my ankle pick and arm drag double leg takedowns. Got a wrist lock and a toe hold with him, didn't get a chance to go with anyone else.
 
14May13

LISS
25 minutes treadmill incline

Notes

-Reading Storm of Swords now because the current season is taking way too long to get going.

BJJ (no-gi)

Went over a key lock for the guy on the bottom of side control when they reach in front of your face. If they resist, you can push and twist to make room and reclaim guard, or push him over to mount. The escape for the guy on top is to put your knee on his chest and straighten your arm out. Alternate here is to bring knee on belly over to the other side, spine for the far side arm bar.

Also went over an escape to triangle that I was confused by.

Rolled with a bunch of purples, browns/blacks and a white belt. Had mixed results with the purples, and the browns/blacks/whites went accordingly. Conditioning felt good but was on defense way too much of the time.
 
15May13

19hrs fasted, 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

Bench
205x8
185x8
165x10

DB Incline Bench
130x8
130x8

DB Side Raises
25x10
25x10
Supersetted With:
DB Nosebreakers
25x10
25x10

Notes

-Strength is doing OK for being on a cut I suppose. Nothing much else to report on.
 
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16May13

21 hours fasted

LISS
30 minutes treadmill incline walking

Notes

-None
 
Forgot to log yesterday, but I did a leg workout and had a frustrating gi sesion
 
18May13

~18hrs fasted, 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

LISS
25 minutes treadmill incline walking

Notes

-My heart rate is remaining lower at the same incline/speed. Guess it's a sign to increase the intensity

BJJ (no-gi)

Interesting mix of people today; mostly young dudes, blues whites and purples and some faces I didn't recognize.

A good purple taught this butterfly guard pass we learned a few weeks ago. You stuff their knees together, pop to your toes and keep your knee pressure into their hamstrings forward. Scoop their knees to one side using your arm pit, then move laterally with your near side knee in the back of their knee and your other foot posted out. Stuff their top leg down at the knee with your head-side hand, and move around the back side control.

Oh also we warmed up with arm bars from guard, and some hip bump drills for a bit. Good warm up.

Rolling went pretty well today; tapped an older purple belt w/ a triangle, went with a big white belt college football player and tapped him with RNCs from belly down rear mount. I love going to that position--makes me feel like Rickson lolllzlzlz

Got some arm bars on blues and whites as well. Went with a REALLY good blue belt who was big and had a great base. His moves were very unique because he had roots with a different gym/lineage. He even tapped me from inside my own guard with a forearm scissor choke. I tried to arm bar him once he put his arms in place but my hips were effectively killed by his pressure.

Feeling pretty good physically. Back was a bit sore from doing legs yesterday so I don't predict a return to deadlifting anytime soon.

Bodyfat is doing REALLY well. Weight is 172 and I've adjusted my calories to 2800/2200. Haven't been cheating either.
 
Food porn from past few days. The top pic I love especially; it's half of an Archer Farms pizza w/ goat cheese and spinach, and in the bowl is a whole box of Uncle Ben's chicken flavored rice (600cal) with 350g of chicken breast cooked in Chipotle seasoning w/ black beans and pico de gallo on top w/ shredded Mexican cheese. It was VERY filling and delicious

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18May13

~10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

LISS
25 minutes treadmill incline walking

Notes

-Had a cheat meal last night with a Kashi cheese pizza and some other things. Nothing catastrophic and marks the first time I've cheated in weeks. Not very fulfilling.

BJJ

Fourteen people showed up to open mat today; all purples and blues, plus one 16 year old green belt.

Rolled with almost everybody for a little over an hour; performed great today, felt really good all over. Tapped one of the purples with a triangle, almost got another with a brabo from half guard and did well positionally with the others. Worked great w/ the blue and worked a kimura grip arm bar defense break that worked really well.

With the small, teenage green belt I had probably the hardest time out of anybody there today. It's really amazing how these young, small, agile kids perform so damn well. He worked over all of the bigger, older purple belts today as well as I watched in amazement. Inverted guard, aggressive passing and great defense. One of the 40-something year old purples mentioned to me that he and the green belts father go to the 16 year old with technique questions sometimes!

Got some good tips from the purples on defeating the lockdown when in somebody's half guard, as well as working a brabo/guillotine attack from top half guard but it requires them to turn into you in an escape attempt. I tried working both with them flat on their backs, but you really need them on their side for these chokes to be effective.

Also spoke with my original instructor in south Jersey about coming down to train and do some private lessons in June. I think the personal attention with really help me clean up the (many) holes and rough edges in my game as I continue working towards purple.

I got a purple belt a while ago on my own and keep it next to my bed for motivation. I heard about Cesar Gracie giving black belts to the Diaz bros when they were browns, and they put them above their beds to see every night before going to sleep and when they woke up.

It definitely makes me aware of my goals every time I walk into my room and see it there. NO complacency from this guy.
 
20May13

19 hours fasted, 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

Lifefitness Row
320x10
290x10
270x10

Hammer Chins
12
10
8
8

Neck Complex
75 reps

Notes

-Forgot dip belt for weighted chins so made do without.

BJJ

Nicky taught tonight. Went over the firemans carry from the feet, from the knees and from open guard. Drilled for almost 40 minutes then rolled with a couple of purple belts. Didn't do too well against the one from my back; got passed a LOT. When we switched my top game proved a lot better. I was able to force half guard consistently, flatten him out and get brabo choke grips but not finish. Would get to quarter guard but had trouble submitting or passing completely. He tapped me once with a toe hold as we both scrambled for foot attacks.

The other purple showed me a knee on belly escape to ankle pick or single leg. He worked it on me and said it was because I was postured too high up when I had knee on belly on him. He prefers to stay low, belly to belly or chest to chest when he has the position. I'll try this out and see how much more stable it feels.

Nicky also showed me how to clean up the collar/peruvian choke I was working from top side control. (or the "step over choke"). I hadn't attempted this choke in many months, and I was gripping incorrectly in his collar. You want your grip to be on the FAR side collar, like 2 o'clock. My grip was way too shallow on the near side. The difference was drastic when I adjusted my grips.

Overall good class.
 
21May13

Non-fasted (had half a slice of Costco pizza at noon), 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

HIIT
8 minutes sprint intervals

-Stopped a few minutes early due to stomach cramps.

BJJ (no-gi)

Good lord, summer is upon us. No-gi gets so insanely slippery in the summer that it can be pretty annoying. A lot of technique goes out the window as you and your partner are just sliding off of each other, escaping things that you shouldn't be able to, falling flat on your face or slipping in a sweat puddle. It just isn't too great.

Anyway we went over a shoulder roll from top half guard, into a calf crusher, crotch ripper and neck crank. The guy that teaches no-gi at my gym is pretty nasty with this stuff (in a good way) and has a lot of grappling skill. Very unique style too.

Did a bunch of 3-min matches with a pro fighter, some purple belts, blues and the instructor. Did so-so...I got really overheated and even after a cold shower I am sweaty again after drying off :((((
 
21May13

Non-fasted (had half a slice of Costco pizza at noon), 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

HIIT
8 minutes sprint intervals

-Stopped a few minutes early due to stomach cramps.

BJJ (no-gi)

Good lord, summer is upon us. No-gi gets so insanely slippery in the summer that it can be pretty annoying. A lot of technique goes out the window as you and your partner are just sliding off of each other, escaping things that you shouldn't be able to, falling flat on your face or slipping in a sweat puddle. It just isn't too great.

Anyway we went over a shoulder roll from top half guard, into a calf crusher, crotch ripper and neck crank. The guy that teaches no-gi at my gym is pretty nasty with this stuff (in a good way) and has a lot of grappling skill. Very unique style too.

Did a bunch of 3-min matches with a pro fighter, some purple belts, blues and the instructor. Did so-so...I got really overheated and even after a cold shower I am sweaty again after drying off :((((

How big is your gym? The gym I used to do BJJ at was the size of a 2-car garage with no legit A/C. I used to hate training no-gi in the summer there because the mat turned into a freakin' slip-n-slide...my standing passes would turn into me face planting into the mat half the time. :redface:
 
It's fairly large. Don't know the square footage tho here's a pic:
7890748076_b37ce51a2e.jpg


Yeah man it gets to a point and you're struggling to even move on the damn sweat-slicked surface. And then in the gi in the summer you just fucking die from the heat! Lose-lose.
 
22May13

~20 hours fasted, 10g BCAAs, 5g creatine mono

Bench
210x7
185x8
165x10

DB Inc Bench
140x8
130x8

Side DB Raises
27x10
27x10

Notes

-Feelin' pretty weak lately.

LISS
20 minutes incline treadmill walking

BJJ

Not much instruction tonight; went over the over the head sweep from spider guard, then alternate to tripod sweep. Then went into rolling; performed really poorly with everyone tonight which is frustrating. Insanely humid and it's not even June yet!
 
I know how you feel recently man. I've been in such a weird place with grappling, I had a couple of competitions and didn't do as well as I'd hoped, people in the gym were tapping me left right and centre and I didn't feel sharp at all. I've started being more aggressive and conservative while rolling as opposed to trying out wacky low% technique which I've been doing for a while, and focusing on fundamentals.

Haven't wrestled properly in age due to niggly injuries, and there are a couple of guys at the gym who are physically so strong you can't get anything on them, they just stiff arm you off then shoot a crappy double and power through. Kinda frustrating to not have anything when you're putting the hours in.
 
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