10:39 PM|||jordan|||These exercises will start with bodyweight only, then move to additional resistance once milestones are reached. Based on information from Thomas Kurz. This is only a summary of what I've learned to date from reading, my own injuries, and trial and error.
First Objective: Core
The limbs are anchored to the spine, directly and indirectly. From a traditional CMA perspective, movement originates from the dan tien, which lies in the center of the abdominal cavity, between the area 3 finger-widths below the navel and where the lumbar spine joins the sacrum. The muscles that stabilize this area must be strong enough to establish a foundation for movement of the limbs. In kung fu, you may develop technical ability in kicks and punches as well as strength in the limbs, but you will injure yourself if your core is not proportionally strong.
Abdomen
Crunches, 2 sets of 30, every day.
- Don't lift your head or shoulders. Instead press your lumbar spine into the floor and your abdominals will contract and lift your torso through the maximum range of motion.
- Do not use jerking motions or you will strain the attachment points near your floating ribs.
Progression: add either 1 or 2 repetition per set, every day, depending upon soreness. If you are adding 2 reps per set and you are getting more and more sore every day, back off the progression to 1 rep per set.
Milestone: Once you reach 100 repetitions per set, replace with situps.
Back extensions, 2 sets of 10, every day.
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms at your sides.
- Lift your upper back.
- Do not tilt your head back and look up or you will strain your neck.
Progression: 1 repetition per set, added whenever the current number seems to have become less difficult. Milestone: Once you reach 15 repetitions, replace with shoulder back bridges.
Second objective: Hip Extensors
Bodyweight squats, 1 set of 10, every day.
- Stand with feet pointed forward, hip-width apart.
- Keep the entire back straight and bend forward at the hip, extending your arms out in front of you for balance.
- Bend the hip first, then the knees when it feels natural.
- Do not let your knees bow in or out; they should remain in the same vertical plane as they bend.
- Do not let your knees travel forward of your toes; if this happens, bend more at the hips and pull your abdomen toward your thighs with your hip flexors.
- Go down as far as is comfortable, with the ultimate goal of having the tops of your thighs parallel to the floor.
Progression: 1 rep every 4th day.
Milestone: Once you reach 20 reps, and only if you feel like you understand the movement and your technique is smooth, reset the reps to 5 per set and begin squatting on one leg in a doorway;
- Face the jamb and grab the trim for balance.
- Try to rely as little as possible on your hands for balance, and extend the other leg straight in front of you.
- It is absolutely crucial that neither your pelvis nor your knee rotates during the squat. Drop straight down, without letting your hips twist or your knee rotate out of its vertical plane.
Third objective: Hip Abductors
"Thirsty bird", 1 set of 10 reps, every day.
|||112969565085807784|||Beginner's Martial Arts Exercise Program4:57 PM|||jordan|||At long last, I believe I have identified the muscle that bulges out of my elbow when I flex my wrist to bring the thumb closer to the forearm: the Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus.
|||111092758989031103|||that bulbous forearm muscle11:21 PM|||jordan|||159.4 lbs, 17.5% body fat, measured after San Shou. I took a solid roundhouse kick to the outside left thigh tonight from Seth, and two solid front kicks just below my left pec from Nathan. Both should have been blocked or avoided, especially the second kick in the chest. This thigh is going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow, I'm sure...but I picked up some Jow and I'll be using that and massaging it to try to get it to heal quickly.|||110991388092477561|||11:07 PM|||jordan|||157.0 lbs, 16.7% body fat, measured after San Shou. I'm noticing being able to push up higher on back bridges and hold myself up longer. I've also noticed apparent growth in my chest and arms. According to the spreadsheet, I've lost about 5 pounds of fat and less than 1 pound of muscle in the last two weeks, so that could explain it. The IT bands on both knees are nagging again, so I'll have to start doing side leg lifts on my "off" days to strengthen them. San Shou has been more fun overall since I started going regularly again...more fun than I remember it being when I came back after the musical finished.
My shins are pretty beat up from last Thursday, and the left one is especially sore. The left shin feels like bruised muscle, and there's a small goose egg on the right that feels like bruised bone. Ow.|||110853064272104773|||10:59 PM|||jordan|||158.6 lbs, 17.4% body fat, measured after San Shou. Tonight I noticed some definite improvement. I caught several of Andy's kicks, which is something I had been visualizing and planning to try. It worked. I was a bit more aggressive in completing combos with punches going to knees, kicks, and throws. I fought Robert, who obviously took it very easy on me, but he is taller than me and much quicker, and the quickness is something I have to work on. In and out, quickly. As Shifu said, I'll probably have the advantage of reach on others in my weight class, so I need to quickly get in, get my points, and get away. Tonight was very encouraging and I'm really starting to enjoy this. And I'm starving...|||110809828657993107|||11:01 PM|||jordan|||159.0 lbs, 17.6% body fat, measured after San Shou. Tonight was the first time I've been to a Thursday sparring practice in a very, very long time. I'm going to just have to force myself to go to San Shou both nights, even though I'll be sore on Thursdays. I need the practice sparring. I need to work on following through forward on roundhouse kicks rather than leaning back and tapping. I need to continue to remember to relax and breathe deeply. And most importantly, I have to stop fighting from my shoulders and concentrate on my dan tien when throwing punches and kicks. I need to maintain balance and let my feet get me closer, without leaning my torso or reaching with my arms. I need to watch myself punch and move around in front of a mirror to identify where I am vulnerable to attack, and think about how I will defend those areas.
|||110749353072488718|||10:07 PM|||jordan|||It started this afternoon with lower gut pains. This persisted until this evening, when I began feeling increasingly sore over most of my body. Right now my lats and arms feel the worst, although the rest of my body isn't much better. I hope this isn't the flu. I'll find out tomorrow morning, I guess.
|||110688551095553512|||owie owie owie owie