The Body weight exercises have left me sore but I was up again this morning and knocking out more Hindu Squats along with other body weight exercises. I used these exercises to help get back in shape after an illness I suffered from a couple of years ago. (A story I will share at a later time) I have also started a push up training program which I have incorporated into my work out. There is nothing like bodyweight exercises to boost confidence, motivation, and improve athleticism.
A proponent of body weight exercise was athlete turned actor, Woody Strode, who was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. During his time in high school/junior college Strode began doing pushups, knee squats, and situps daily. Strode worked up to 1000 reps of each exercise. The situps and squats were done continuously and the pushups were done in sets of 100 and was done everyday, that would take an incredible level of concentration. He tapered back his workouts as he got older, although 500 pushups a day for the most part is not tapering back, but he continued to train hard the rest of his life.
"I’m an old man, but life will never make an old man out of me. As long as you look like you can run on Santa Anita’s race track, even if you take last, you’ve still made the field. People see that horse and wonder what it is doing out there. They don’t know its 100 years old. Well, this is how nature has left me, so it is good." - Woody Strode
I woke up early this morning went outside and began to warm up by stretching and then got into some calisthenics. First up was a set of Hindu Squats. Hindu squats are simply a great excercise for building explosive power and strengthening the lower back, calves, and chest as well as increasing lung capacity. Done properly they can build real power in a short period of time. In order to reap the rewards from Hindu the squat, proper attention must be paid to form and breathing.
A set of Hindu squats was followed by a set of regular push ups and then some Hindu Push ups. Then back to a set of hindu squats followed by knuckle push ups, and palm in push ups. Then I did a third set of hindu squats followed by more push ups. Then I moved on to concentrating on my core with sit ups, crunches, V-ups and back raises.
I then switched to some weight training working with dumbells. I did front and side lateral raises 3 sets of each and then moved on to triceps extensions finishing up with dumbell preacher curls and alternating dumbell curls.
Last week was a good week for training. I am bit by bit getting an overall game plan together. Training smarter. Making sure I am eating right and getting plenty of rest. Taking advice from those who are more knowledgeable in different areas of judo and physical preparation.
This week we trained using techniques such as tai otoshi, Seoi nage and some ashi waza. Tai o toshi was drilled solo as well as in combinations. First using a double stab tai o toshi and then using ashi waza to set up tai o toshi.
Seoi nage was drilled again going off a different varity of grips some off the sleeve others off the lapel. There are a lot of variations of seoi nage. One in particular is Koga's version which I like and work on. It is a some what different variation of seoi nage and uniquely his own.
I spent alot of solo practice time working innner tube uchi komi with this particular technique. Things are needing to get more detailed and I see that but a plan is forming.
It used to be that age 30 was old for an athlete. This has changed. Now, professional athletes routinely peak in their late 30's and remain competitive even into their 40s. There's no magic to longevity in sports, and recreational athletes are as capable of achieving it as the elites. It's simply a matter of taking care of your body when you're young and adapting your training and lifestyle in appropriate ways as you get older. Here are a few choice tips on the latter.
Stretch more and better
Loss of flexibility is a natural effect of aging that can be counteracted through a program of daily stretching. However, quite apart from aging, the repetitive movements involved in practicing any sport for a long period of time results in muscular imbalances that get progressively more extreme. These require targeted efforts to loosen and lengthen only those muscles that have become short and tight, because stretching all muscles equally will only take the imbalance to a higher level. I encourage every athlete, but experienced ones especially, to identify their short and tight muscles and devote special efforts lengthening them through stretching.
Rest and recover more
Unless they continue to perform training sessions that match the intensity of workouts they performed when younger, older athletes cannot hope to perform near the level at which they were able to perform in their mid-20s. And many older athletes find that they can continue to perform these tough workouts well into their 40s. However, they cannot do them as often. Older athletes need to allow themselves more time to recover between their most demanding training sessions. The extra time may be given to outright rest, active recovery, or a combination of both.
Pump those antioxidants
Free-radical damage, also known as oxidative stress, is now known to be one of the primary components of aging. Unfortunately, athletes are even more prone to free-radical damage than non-athletes. For this reason, they need to be especially vigilant in consuming antioxidants, those vitamins and vitamin-like compounds that protect against and repair such damage. Vitamins C and E are especially helpful to athletes, as controlled studies have shown they can dramatically reduce post-workout muscle soreness in the short term, in addition to minimizing long-term oxidative stress.
Practice nutritional recovery
A large body of clinical research has also shown that consuming the right nutrients in the right amounts immediately after exercise can enhance recovery substantially. According to Burke, water, electrolytes, carbohydrate, and protein are needed most to rehydrate the body, restore muscle glycogen, and repair tissue damage. Since most athletes experience appetite suppression after exercise, Try to get all of the needed nutrients by consuming one of the sports drinks on the market that is designed especially for recovery. Choose one with a four-to-one ratio of carbohydrate to protein, as more protein will retard the flow of nutrients into the bloodstream and less protein result in a less pronounced insulin spike, hence slower restocking of glycogen stores.
Train more efficiently
Believe it or not, there are actually advantages to getting older, even for athletes. One of these advantages is accumulated knowledge of one’s own body, particularly as it reacts to various types of training. In other words, the more experience you have in training for a particular sport, the better able you become (supposing you pay attention) to determine which exercises, drills, workouts and training patterns work well for you and which ones are less effective, or downright counterproductive. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Design a training program that minimizes the less useful training and maximizes the stuff that gives you the greatest performance bang for the training buck.
Flex those muscles
The older you get, the more important strength training becomes. One of the more crippling effects of aging for athletes is the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength that it entails. Athletes in sports that don’t require tremendous strength are particularly susceptible, as they tend to try and get by without resistance training. When you’re young, very often you can get away with it, but the older you get, the more important it becomes to train for strength specifically, no matter which sport you’re in.
Go to bed
Another thing that many athletes try and get by without is sleep. In fact, chronic sleep deprivation is an epidemic in American society. Researchers have shown that sleeping too little leads to a host of problems from depressed immune function to decreased mental functioning. Skimping on sleep is also harmful to athletic performance, because during sleep the body secretes human growth hormone (HGH), which is a powerful agent of recovery and adaptation to training. Less sleep means less HGH and therefore less freshness for the next day’s workout. Treat yourself to an extra half hour or hour of sleep each night and you’ll feel ten years younger.
I went into practice tonight feeling real good. This week as started off excellent. I was paid a couple of compliments from others online. It felt really good to receive those compliments and it simply urged me to do better, and train harder. Then to top that off about 45 minutes before leaving to go to judo, I received a call from my judo instructor back in Winter Haven. He reads the blog and he had some real encouraging things to say. All of which I took to heart. Inspiration is great, it feeds the flame.
During our conversation Sensei Tucker said he really liked the fact that I wasnt bragging on my successes but rather working to over come the challenges that a 40 something year old faces when stepping into a competitve arena. Of course he was right this blog is nt about how good I may or may not be, but it is about addressing my shortcomings. Not only on the judo mat but in life. My current struggle on the judo mat is indicative of my life it seems. Constantly working to become not only a better judoka but a human being as well. Addressing not only the frailties in a particular judo technique but personal flaws too.
I walked into judo tonight needless to say on a high note and really evaluating my game and what is needed to improve and make a game plan to do so. Certain aspects in my training need to be addressed as well as the every day things such as family, work and things to do around the home.
As we did uchikomi drills my mind was filled with all the stuff that needs to be worked on and the things in my life that need to be put into perspective. My uchikomi drills are divided, half are throwing techniques to the right side, the other half, on those same techniques but to the left side. I drilled Seoi nage to both the left and right side and with different grips, some throws off the sleeve, some off the lapel. Working both sides gives me the option to ataack on either side and not just relegated to just going to one side or a favorite side. It gives me a better over all game plan. Left and right are equal neither side is favored over the other. Balanced as life should be.
My seoi nage is okay but I have noticed that I am having trouble getting really low on executing seoi nage and so I will have to work on that. It is one of those aspects I need to work on. I am at the age where i must utilize all aspects of training. Diet, conditioning and of course judo skill development all have to come into play I cannot do only one part and leave the others out. All the elements have to be utilized together for the best results.
Toshihiko Koga Olympic champion and a seoi nage specialist
I have begun to do some strength conditioning. Starting off with some innertube uchikomi (described in an earleir post) as a warm up and then moving to some calisthenics such as push ups and crunches. I have also broken out the old ab wheel. and do as many of those as I can. The ab wheel is a great core work out. After s few sets with the wheel. I began to do more inner tube uchikomi. I would do 20 reps of one throw to the right side then do 20 push ups and do another set of uchikomi to the left side followed by push ups and then move onto another throw and start the cycle over again.
There are benefits that one receives from solo training,
Greater efficiency in technique – Obviously, by carrying out extra practise, one can always better themselves.
Train a certain area – You can concentrate on a certain techniques which you can’t seem to get right or a combination which you can’t find the correct balance with.
Develop unique training methods – This is the time when you can develop training methods and routines that are tailored to be specific for you. Other peoples training methods may not be.
One can work fighting spirit – As you are training solo, you learn how to push yourself to achieve greater results, which is the most important aspect of solo training.
Solo training is one aspect of training and should not be the only aspect. It should be supplemental to your time spent in the dojo.
Last night's practice went off with out a hitch. We warmed up and got right into Harai goshi again. We started off with some static uchikomi and then moved to a throw from a static position. Then we began to move around abit first just fitting in doing a few uchikomis and then throwwing on the last one.
Although I am beginning to move around better some of the throws are needing work. I for one am glad that we have spent a few nights these past couple of weeks working on the same throw. I am given a chance to see the throw from another perspective. Sometimes seeing it from a different persons point of view gives one a better understanding.
As each week passes I get more comfortable and feel less and less of an outsider who has a common interest amoung strangers. Things have a way of just taking care of themselves.
Other challenges have arisen however, I have missed a couple of practices due to work. So I am having to work out issues with the scheduling of work so I dont miss practice. When it comes to judo the only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice.
EXAMPLE OF UCHIKOMI
Practice ended with some conditioning drills. We partnered up and then would do some speed uchikomi drills: 10 uchikomis throwing on the last one and then doing 20 push ups, after the push ups you would stand back up and do another round of speed uchikomi and pushups. This would be repeated for 5 sets.
