BJJ, Strength & Air Traffic Control

30Mar13

Rest & Seder

It's passover all week, which means really nasty food to break the fast today and no time for jiu-jitsu or conditioning. Maybe will sneak in some LISS tomorrow before I go back to New York.

-Don't seem to be getting much DOMS lately. Not complaining
 
1Apr13

Semi-fasted (donut in the morning), 14g BCAAs, 4g beta-alanine

Deadlift
+belt
355x7
295x8

Chins
+70x5
+45x9
+25x8
BWx10

Machine Rows
(205x5)x3

Notes

-Super weak and lethargic feeling today. Also lost my tupperware container of chalk that I've had for 3 years :(

-I'm seeing an endocrinologist this week to get my hormone levels looked at. I've been feeling so lethargic, moody, unfocused etc for years now and it keeps getting worse. Not to mention I can't seem to put on any muscle to save my life, I think there may be a T issue at hand. In any case just want to make sure everything is healthy.

BJJ

Matt went over the knee-in-the-middle pass; I was paired with a gigantic blue belt so drilling with his body size was kind of awkward. We then went over a defense to the pass; when his knee is in the middle and he is crouched, get a cross grip on his right sleeve and drag across. Hip escape out to the left and insert your left foot inside his ankle. Come up and hug his body with your left arm around his back. Sit back and kick your left foot hook out, sweeping him to your left onto his back. Swing your legs to come up into gift wrap side control.

From here alternate into back take from there into a cross choke with legs across his shoulders.

One guy got his blue belt, then we started king of the hill from closed guard. I only rolled with purple belts tonight, and had a hell of a time with all of them. Didn't pass anyone's guard once, frustratingly. Matt showed me a counter to a guy that kept turtling on me when I was passing. Get a cross grip with your left hand in his collar when he turtles. Stand, step over and sit, pulling him across your lap into a sort of bow and arrow choke or clock choke. I tried it live and I think I rushed it. The guy said afterwards that the choke was IN, but I need to settle it more and not go so fast because I lost it.

Overall, kind of frustrated by a lack of significant progress lately. Might look into taking a private lesson once my big fat paycheck from the VA gets deposited and I have more spare cash. Lots of debt and such right now from being unemployed and moving to LI.

The job is ultra stressful and there is a lot of studying. Crazy part is, I'm not even working traffic yet--just classroom stuff. The amount of info to know is insane and every day my cranium stretches and groans with the work load. As a guy who dropped out of HS, I feel like I didn't foster good study habits in my youth so I am having a harder time than the other guys. VERY motivated though so I'm not worried, just feeling the workload.
 
Lifting dude, I know you guys don't do BJJ.

Ungh, I don't want to say what gym! That should be a hint lol
 
02Apr13

LISS
Incline walking, 20 minutes

BJJ (no-gi)

went over a knee bar attack from turtle when they have a leg posted between your legs. Reach back with your inside arm, roll over that shoulder and grab HIGH up on the leg, under the knee and roll into the knee bar. Alternate off of this was an arm trap and roll to n/s choke which I struggled with.

Did king of the hill followed by three 5-minute rounds. Performed abysmally, mostly went with purples but with a couple of blues too and just couldn't do shit.

Tweaked my back deadlifting the other day, and I groan in pain every time I bend over at the waist. Perhaps this back strain is impeding my mobility on the mat. Either way, very frustrated with training lately.
 
05Apr13

HIIT
~7 minutes sprint intervals
It was beautiful out so after work I just wanted to run around a bit like an idiot.

BJJ

Nick taught tonight and we started with drop seo-nagi. This is pretty much the only judo throw I've practice over the past 3 years of training, so my technique is decent. The only tip Nick had for me was to get a stronger grip on his sleeve once the throw is complete. Other than that, the comments from him and the brown belt on my throw was, "beautiful!"

Then we went into a strange series of shoulder locks from scarf hold, using your legs to figure four his near side arm. A couple of variations off of him hiding the arm, switching your hip directions and grabbing the elbow and twisting your body to finish it.

We did straight rounds for rolling instead of king of the hill. Went with a brown, a white and a blue. I think my slump lately has been just going with nonstop higher belts, I've been getting creamed and unable to work any new material. With white belts, I always like to try out new things I've learned and expand my game. When I try my A-game with higher belts I get creamed, so I almost never attempt any new stuff with them.

So with the white belt I moved fluidly and transitioned well into arm locks and some new side control escapes that I had seen on Youtube. Worked really well actually! With the brown belt I got killed. His inverted guard and legs were insane, they were just everywhere. With the blue belt, he was smaller than me but good technique. We had a very good back and forth match. I was on my back a lot but got a good reversal and held side control for a bit as well as locked up a triangle but I got twisted and passed. I need to wiggle my shoulders away and extend them when I work triangles, like I learned my first couple of lessons.

The brown belt went over a north/south escape using wrist control and a foot in the bicep to barrel roll the guy over. Overall a better night than lately, I think since I got a chance to roll with someone who didn't kill me.
 
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I went in to do my squat workout today, and after the first couple of warm up sets I noticed my lower back was still bothering me (deadlifting injury from Monday). I backed off and did a few sets of leg presses instead followed by a couple sets of leg raises.

I've been feeling totally unmotivated in the gym lately. Even on a meager 3x/week RPT schedule, I never feel like going and when I'm there, all I want to do is leave.

Going to take the entire next week off to recharge and "miss" the gym a little.

My hormone panel comes back Tuesday and def itching to see the results. I think SOMETHING is off with me.
 
WitchCraft said:
OK, I figured.

And it better not be a god damn Planet Fitness.
Click to expand...

LA Fitness :/

I pay $40/month and can train anywhere in the country. With all the moving and traveling I've done it's been very convenient. If there was a powerlifting gym near me I'd be there in a heart beat :(

I get so jealous when I see your guys' gym in y'alls vids. Keo's too
 
TheJewBear said:
LA Fitness :/

I pay $40/month and can train anywhere in the country. With all the moving and traveling I've done it's been very convenient. If there was a powerlifting gym near me I'd be there in a heart beat :(

I get so jealous when I see your guys' gym in y'alls vids. Keo's too
Click to expand...

I train at an LA Fitness too and I hate their damn weight plates! I guess it forces me to reset on each deadlift rep, but it's still annoying as hell.
 
06Apr13

14hrs fasted, 14g BCAAs

LISS
19 minute run

BJJ (no-gi)

Brown belt taught today. From knee shield half guard, when they thread your legs you reach with your left hand over and under their threaded wrist and torque it to the left, pinning his arm back against your leg. From here, open your half guard and bring your right leg through and out. Shoot your body under his right armpit and reach your right hand over his leg while rotating on his wrist/arm and grabbing his leg to help you spin to the omoplata.

Off of this, if they collapse your knee shield you keep the wrist control torqued, reach under his left leg then bring your knee shield out to the left while bringing his leg over like a flower sweep sort of.

Lastly, if he collapses you while you go for the omoplata, figure four legs, lace arms around the tricep and bridge for a bicep crusher.

Did a few matches from standing. Went with a brown belt, a couple of purples, a blue and a couple of whites. Did pretty well with everyone actually. Got an arm drag to the back on the brown, dominated one purple positionally and did whatever with the whites and the blue. Good day.
 
rlazer5000 said:
I train at an LA Fitness too and I hate their damn weight plates! I guess it forces me to reset on each deadlift rep, but it's still annoying as hell.
Click to expand...

Those hex plates are fucking evil. I've thought about buying my own set of round 45s and asking them to just take them as a gift.
 
08Apr13

5g beta-alanine, 50g whey/casein shake

Weighted Chins
+70x6 (rep PR)
+45x9
+25x9
BWx10

Machine Rows
190x5
190x5
190x6
190x6

DB Curlz
30x10
30x10
30x9

Notes

-Planned on trying a deadlift workout, but working up to 225 felt real iffy on the lower back. Need more time to heal.

-Felt a little more motivated at the gym.

-Abs are visible again finally

-Using whey shakes pre-workout instead of BCAAs on work days just to save money on supplements.

BJJ

Nicky taught a half guard pass series that felt pretty good. Right into a spinning arm bar from side, alternate to a gogoplata if they come up or another way to break his grips from arm bar defense and finish in a very unorthodox way-with your high foot in his throat and your low foot in his lower bicep, knees far apart.

Rolled with a purple belt for two 5 minute rounds; felt VERY good tonight! Was active, moving and flowing really well. He still crushed me but I was working.

Then did king of the hill with a couple of purples, a blue and a white. Nothing really to report on here. A small blue belt was giving me and a big purple belt fits. Really spidery and slippery for such a small guy. Glad it wasn't just me that was struggling with him.

Not a bad night. I've been feeling a lot better on the mat since bringing in a little more conditioning outside of the gym. Low-intensity cardio, high-intensity cardio, just a mix of everything has made me feel a lot more agile in jiu-jitsu.

The worst feeling in BJJ is knowing what you want to do, but being physically too exhausted to do it.
 
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I just joined LA Fitness as well, but I think I'm going to cancel & just lift in my garage.

Nice job with all the BJJ training lately.
 
calvus said:
I just joined LA Fitness as well, but I think I'm going to cancel & just lift in my garage.

Nice job with all the BJJ training lately.
Click to expand...

I'm jealous, I wish I had that option. The only reasons why I go to LA Fitness are because it's cheap and it's close to my job. If I had a quarter for all the times I've had to wait to use the squat rack because some gym bro is doing barbell curls I could probably afford my own power rack and weights by now.

And I agree, always some good BJJ literature in here!
 
09Apr13

BJJ (no-gi)

Rough night, don't feel like going over the details.
 
Obscure Terror said:
Choked out? Injured? Tapped by a white belt?
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Nah, just felt like nothing I tried was working. Mentally, I just wasn't there.

calvus said:
I just joined LA Fitness as well, but I think I'm going to cancel & just lift in my garage.

Nice job with all the BJJ training lately.
Click to expand...

That's what's up. If I had the means (or a garage) I would do the same thing.

Thanks man :)

rlazer5000 said:
I'm jealous, I wish I had that option. The only reasons why I go to LA Fitness are because it's cheap and it's close to my job. If I had a quarter for all the times I've had to wait to use the squat rack because some gym bro is doing barbell curls I could probably afford my own power rack and weights by now.

And I agree, always some good BJJ literature in here!
Click to expand...

Yup, LA is opening a new gym down the street from my job so I can't argue with that.
Same experience with waiting on equipment!
 
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