Attack Formation!

[AttackFormation]

It's time for Attack Formation's training log. It'll track my performances in strength training and martial arts (thaiboxing, submission wrestling and combining the two in MMA).

Nutrition
Milk, oats, blueberries, whey protein powder, spinach, broccoli, sea food mix, eggs, garlic, green tea, lemons, tomatoes, beans, fish, cow, full corn grains and various seasoning of course. I've always been decently lean and long ago desensitised myself to "junk" whether it's pastries/candy/fast food/whatever, I don't even want it.

Weekly schedule
Monday: Pull + legs
Tuesday: Push + abs & thaiboxing
Wednesday: Pull & submission wrestling
Thursday: Legs & thaiboxing
Friday: Push + abs
Saturday: (On a case-to-case basis of being free and physiologically able that day, probably lighter intensity and higher reps) Pull + legs
Sunday: (On a case-to-case basis of being free and physiologically able that day, probably lighter intensity and higher reps) Push + abs
- Weekends may contain trips to the dojo and/or competitions for martial arts

Exercises

Pull: T-bar row, pullup, forearm & biceps curl, seated row
Legs and hips: Front squat, good morning, one leg calf press, leg raise, one leg press
Push: Pushup with scapula protractions, shoulder press, pullover, lateral raises
Abdominals: Turtle with scapula protractions (weighted plank - but I like the name "turtle" more )

This selection covers everything.

Current goals
- Keep up a consistent martial arts routine
- Make a sparring partner ✓
- Increase muscle mass and athletic performance with new focus and the fact that I will actually be training my lower body now
- Master flying movements, especially flying knees and kicks
- Master blink-of-an-eye transition from "flying" forward and/or grabbing to in various ways power-slamming the sh!t out of the opponent

 

[AttackFormation]

I love it, huge MMA fan here and the training is amazing.

Yeah it feels great to spar and all I do these days is watch MMA fights

 

[AttackFormation]

Had my first thaiboxing training yesterday after a leg pass in the gym, but I made it late to the gym so didn't get to recover in between. I couldn't do front squats with enough spinal flexibility to let my erector spinae work properly, so after a few sets I did flexibility squats with one of those red broomsticks instead and pushed my back as far as I could. Because of that, the rest of the leg session and the thaiboxing, my lower body and back feel like they've been woken to life. And that's after the areas around my rotator cuffs were already sore after I from this thread on changed the way I do military presses to target that area directly.

If you think your back is strong and flexible, try doing front squats with proper posture. I guarantee you that unless you are already doing something like it, you will get a new perspective on training your back.

In the thaiboxing pass after all the warm-up (which I didn't need coming straight from the gym but did anyway), drills and light sparring was done I eventually gassed out near the end after a 5 minute round of full contact sparring. I decided to rest until the sparring was over and join in on the physical exercises after that, because I was too wasted to fight effectively.

 

[AttackFormation]

So at today's thaiboxing it was only me and coincidentally my new friend from last time, it was my second training and I'm completely green so it was really useful to have the instructor be completely personal with us.

My own conclusions after this pass:

- I got my ass beaten in the technical aspects by my new buddy, but that's to be expected at this stage
- I have pretty okay flexibility already from all of the time I spend in the gym, but I can still improve it greatly. At least I beat my new buddy in that regard
- I need to drill the basics as often as I can outside of the passes, specifically movement (with everything, both defensively and offensively), reactions, stance retention and basic attacks and defenses
- My stamina needs to improve massively, so I will look to incorporate HIIT in the gym and invest in a pulse band

Martial arts is such great training in so many regards, looking forward to improving and the next time.