Submitted by Jon on Fri, 07/03/2008 – 9:46pm
I am already on week 3 of my 17 week health and fitness plan. I have done very little in the last week. Two reasonably intensive kung-fu classes, on Monday and Wednesday, and I have just done a weight training session this evening.
In kung-fu we are doing much more sparring than previously, which is much better cardio exercise than the usual classes. All light contact sparring, but plenty of 2 on 1 sparring, on feet and on floor, and even sparring on one leg once too. Although that night I was so exhausted by this point I could not fight a full round. 2 on 1 was fun though. I think that I did well, but I was up against relative newcomers.
This evenings training session:
5 sets of clean and press with 25kg. I really am going for a higher set, higher rep workout, more Arnold Schwarzenegger training stylethan Mike Mentzer. After the clean and presses, which really got the blood flowing and the heart thumping, I did super-sets of inclined bench presses with bent over rows, using 25kg to row (fast, explosive rowing) and 45kg bench presses (slow and steady). I think that the rows could have been heavier, maybe 30-35kg would have been betterFinished of with super-setted EZ-bar curls (20kg) and tricep extensions – light weight, 15kg I think.
Forearms and upper arms feel well pumped.
Oh, also invented a kung-fu grasp/claw grip strengthening exercise, using a small sledge hammer. Hold the hammer with the head downwards, thumb and index finger upwards; then gently throw the hammer upwards, and as it is falling, strike and grab. Alternate hands as you go. Simple, works the forearms, increases grip strength and reflexes. Strong grip is essential in my kung-fu style, with throat strike/grips and arm grabs, all part of form and style. I always lose my grip in sparring, so want to work on this more. But it was really just an interim exercise while getting my breath back.
Overall, an enjoyable weight training session.