My Routine

OK, for a while I gave up structured training and was practising handstands, pistols, l-sits and the planche and front lever progressions entirely instinctively and relied on judo training/running to the bus-stop when I was late for conditioning. Now, that did increase my ability at the skills, but I lost some serious arm size to the point that my mum said I was starting to look healthy again. I also lost a lot of conditioning. I have taken about two weeks off training.

I am leaving the city of churches (Adelaide) to live in London in about five weeks. Before I leave, I want to develop some respectable size, maintain a decent bodyfat percentage and boost my conditioning so I don't gas completely in my first training session at The Budokwai.

I am 6'4", 18 years old, right-handed, weigh roughly 90kg (uh...198 pounds-ish I thunk), capable of 40 or 50 push-ups, around 15 chin-ups, around 12 pull-ups and between five and ten pistols on each leg. The longest I've held a tuck planche is 30 seconds or so, while the longest I've held a tuck front lever is 20 seconds or so. It's been a while since I trained those skills with a clock. I give fairly vague rep-maxes for the exercises, because they change depending on how I'm feeling and a whole host of other variables.

A cornerstone of my program is Charles Staley's Escalating Density Training (EDT) method. Basically, you pick two roughly antagonistic exercises and perform as many reps of each in supersets in 15 minutes (Your personal Record {PR} Zone) as you can, then try to better this in each successive session.

Day One:

1st PR Zone: pseudo planche push-ups/chin-ups

2nd PR Zone: one-handed dumbbell swings (change hands each set, starting with my left hand)

Tabata goblet squats

Day Two:

1st PR Zone: push-ups/pull-ups

2nd PR Zone: one-handed dumbbell swings (change hands each set, starting with my left hand)

Tabata goblet squats

Day Three:

Push-ups to failure/chin-ups to failure

Only PR Zone: one-handed dumbbell swings (change hands each set, starting with my left hand)

Tabata goblet squats

Day Four:

1st PR Zone: close-grip push-ups/pull-ups

2nd PR Zone: one-arm overhead squats (change hands each set, starting with my left hand)

Tabata goblet squats

I might add a fifth day in, if I feel I can handle it, though this is pretty crazy-high volume as it is.

I will see if I can practise skills outside of this, but I'm thinking that will be pretty difficult/ineffective.

In addition, I will hopefully be training judo at least three times a week and getting back into serious drum practise (most drumming isn't particularly physical, but I aspire to play death metal, like this:

).

So yeah, hopefully all this will get me in decent condition and make me look better naked. I'll keep you posted.

EDIT: For exercises that require a dumbbell (the dumbbell swings and goblet squats) I am using a 19kg dumbbell. I might start doing the pistols with the dumbbell as well.

Hello

Looked up your club, excellent choice. I am a big fan of koryu bujutsu, and would highly recommend taking a look at the Hontai Yoshin Ryu. Not too sure if it is up your alley though......

Thanks.

I would be interested in checking out some koryu jujutsu at some point, mainly to see where judo has come from. I train to develop a martial spirit, general self-discipline and improvement of my character and I don't really think that that can be done in a style that doesn't spar hard under a limited ruleset. So yeah, koryu bujutsu isn't really my thing overall, unless there is a decent amount of sparring. I also don't really care about learning Japanese culture, which is the most valid reason to study koryu bujutsu.

Oh yeah, I didn't follow the above routine at all and I still haven't got to London. Still sorting out a new passport and then a British visa. I have spent the last few months drinking way too much and failing to train sufficiently, so my body composition is even worse and I am a whole lot weaker. Yeah. I am awesome.

Sooo, this week I am going to do at least 1000 chin-ups (all different grips) because I miss my once intimidating biceps.