Loftearmen's MMA Log

Ha I love this

glad to see you back logging your training
this has been a good read catching up with you.

I re-tore my hamstring rolling today :frowning:

I am really sorry to read that.

Is it early to know full or partial?

I hope this is as simple and uncomplicated a partial tear as is possible.

Regards,

Robert A

It’s a partial tear and not as bad as last time. I thought it was going to be pretty bad because it was so painful yesterday but this morning it already feels significantly better with only minor bruising. I’ll start PT in 3-4 days when the pain is tolerable. I am guessing 2-3 weeks before I can drill techniques with no pain and another 2-3 before I can roll again.

Loftearmen,

Well, that sounds like the best of the bad outcomes. I am still really sorry it happened. but you already have a plan and have been there before.

If this is the same leg as the previous tear is there any orthopedic reason for the repeated re-injuries? Something to look at/think about. Getting banged up is part of training, but losing 6 weeks to injury is obviously not preferable to being able to train. Also, at some point old injuries send us postcards and remembrances. Trying to delay that event as long as possible is a good thing. Because once it starts, Viagra commercials aren’t comforting anymore. Not that you will be scrambling to make an appointment to ask your Dr. “if Viagra is right for you” but there will be a comfort in knowing it is available. After that, if you look off into the distance you can see the next stop on the train. It reads never trust a fart. That sir, is a lifestyle change.

Keep your spirits up.

Regards,

Robert A

good to hear its manageable.

But do take care.

I saw a doctor about it and he prescribed me ultram and flexeril. After a couple of those my leg didn’t bother me at all. Neither did the dogs barking, the kids yelling, my in laws being at my house or my wife nagging. In fact, nothing bothered me at all because I was high as a damn kite. I’ll have to be pretty selective about when I take those because I am pretty useless.

Bench Press
45x25
135x10
185x10
225x6
275x4
315x3
325x2
335x1
275x8
275x8
275x5

Benching with no leg drive is hard so my numbers were pretty low. I can only do seated or hanging upper body work for now so that’s what I will focus on while my leg heals.

Leg’s feeling a little bit better today, I think it’ll be good to go a lot faster than last time.

Standing one arm db overhead press
50’sx10
60’sx10
70’sx10
80’sx5
90’sx5
70’sx8
70’sx8

Curls, lat pull downs, delt raises and reverse pec deck for rear delts.

My leg continues to improve quickly. Hopefully I will be able to at least drill techniques by the weekend.

Push up/bw squat circuit
Bwx15-Bwx15
3 rounds no rest

Bench press
135x20
185x10
225x8
275x8-1 min high intensity bag work
275x8-1 min high intensity bag work
275x8-1 min high intensity bag work
315x2
315x2
315x2

I felt my leg during the bag work a little bit. At least I know I am driving hard with my feet when I throw my straight right, hook and uppercut. Nice little quickie session.

Are you in a brace at all?

good work - its hard to do alot without leg drive

No, I’m not in a brace. The doc suggested it but when I wore one it didn’t stop me from straining the muscle at all. It would have to immobilize my knee completely to stop that from happening so I just go without it. It’s only been 5 days and I am already significantly better.

Bodyweight Squat/Push ups No Rest
BWx16-BWx16
BWx16-BWx16
BWx16-BWx16

Band Assisted Pull ups/Boxing Drills
3 bandsx5-1 min heavy bag
2 bandsx5-1 min shadow boxing
2 bandsx5-1 min heavy bag
2 bandsx5-1 min shadow boxing
1 bandx5-1 min heavy bag
2 bandsx5-1 min shadow boxing
2 bandsx5-1 min heavy bag

One Arm Standing DB Press/Boxing drills
70’sx10-1 min shadow boxing
70’sx10-1 min heavy bag
70’sx10-1 min shadow boxing

Rough training session from a conditioning standpoint. I didn’t do a whole bunch of footwork on account of my leg. I would just use a super high output of strikes and focus on getting in, throwing a combo, making 1 of the shots in the combo really count and then getting out with a jab, teep or shove. I also threw in some clench work here and there and focused on keeping covered and keeping my weight on them while throwing some shovel hooks and knees. I tried to work out some different ways to step into and obtain the clench without leaving myself open to attacks.

BW squat/Push ups no rest
BWx17/BWx17
BWx17/BWx17
BWx17/BWx17

The push ups portion of this is getting pretty difficult for me. I had to put my ass up in the air for about 10 secs to rest on that last set of push ups so I could get the last 4 in.

Standing Barbell Press…SS…Band Assisted Pull Ups…SS…Boxing Drills
45x10-3 Bandsx8-Shadow Boxing 90 secs
95x10-3 Bandsx8-Heavy Bag 90 secs
135x8-3 Bandsx8-Shadow Boxing 90 secs
135x8-3 Bandsx8-Heavy Bag 90 secs
135x8-3 Bandsx8-Shadow Boxing 90 secs
135x8-3 Bandsx8-Heavy Bag 90 secs
135x8-3 Bandsx8-Shadow Boxing 90 secs

I would run through all 3 exercises without stopping and then would rest just enough to almost catch my breath before the next set. At first this was about a minute but at the end it was closer to 3 minutes. I kept the boxing drills at a very high intensity. This is mostly because I am only doing boxing drills as a way to keep my conditioning up at the moment and am unable to roll due to my torn quad (which is almost ready to begin at least drilling techniques in BJJ). I still tried not to get sloppy and to keep my hands up, move in when I struck and then move out, keep my head moving if I was in the pocket and not throwing strikes, etc… All the queues that I learned training MT and that y’all have given me in this forum.

I tried incorporating some of the kicks that I utilized a lot in Kyokushin karate that my prior MT coach discouraged me from using such as axe kicks, front kicks (as an offensive maneuver rather than a teep), back/side kicks and, my personal favorite, the spinning hammer fist. They were pretty rusty with the exception of the axe kick and front kick. My spinning back kick looked like absolute shite.

Strangely, the deeper I got into this training session the better I seemed to do. The first few sets felt really difficult but after that I really hit a stride as I sort of reremembered (is that even a word?) how to stay relaxed when striking. As soon as this happened I started nailing my strikes which was especially evident when I threw a hard shot at the heavy bag.

Good times.

My leg is pretty much healed and I am chomping at the bit to get back on the mat but I am building my case count to sit for the boards right now plus I am in school full-time, plus I work full-time, plus I have a wife and 4 kids and my wife is working late a lot this week, plus my car broke down and everyone has been sick, so on and so forth…

I keep making plans to train but some shit always pops up or takes a lot longer than I expected and I am not able to do it. I will be exceedingly happy after I am out of school and have passed the boards. Then I will get paid twice what I do now and will work about 20-30 hours a week.I just need to keep my eye on the prize and keep soldiering on. I know for a fact I will not be able to train tomorrow and I likely won’t be able to on Friday, either. This weekend; however, I am going to marathon train like a maniacal fiend.

I can really tell that the stress of my internship is rcatching up with me. This last week was a fucking nightmare. Usually after a week off I feel super strong and often will hit PR’s but today I felt drained and weak.

BW Squat/Push ups
20-20
15-15
10-10
5-5

Bench Press
135x10
185x10
225x10
275x5
285x5
295x5
305x5

Barbell Row
225x10
275x8
315x5
275x8
225x10

Heavy bag
3 rounds

Shadow boxing
2 rounds

MT drills felt very good today. I focused mostly on working hooks into combos and getting the form down.

I experimented with throwing a jab, cross, left hook to the head and right hook to the body but I was unsure of how to keep myself well defended when throwing the right body hook. It felt like I was always leaving myself open. I will have to check out some ways to stop that. I also worked on throwing a rear leg round kick off of a slip which seemed like it would work well for me. I used to use a step to the left, lean my head back and down to the left while throwing the round kick in kyokushin and it always worked pretty well.

We used to play a “game of memory” in karate where we would do one strike, then do it again but add another strike, do both of those then throw another strike, etc… Usually, this was basically a game of horse between 2 karatekas but tonight I did it alone. I wound up throwing combos that I wouldn’t have thrown otherwise and it does help quite a bit with learning to flow through techniques fluidly.

I haven’t logged in a few days but I have been going to bjj and doing drills. I will try some light rolling next time I go.

Today:
Push up/Squat circuit
3x10

Bench Press
45x20
135x10
185x8
225x8
265x8
265x8
265x8
215x12
215x12
215x12

Barbell Rows
225x5x10

DB Press…ss…Tri Pushdowns
90’sx12-x12
90’sx12-x12
90’sx12-x12

Heavy Bag until I damn near puked.

Going off of this.

Are you standing either soutpaw facing an orthodox or orthodox facing a southpaw throwing this?

If not are you facing someone who is standing more squared up and stepping to your left after the left hook? So you are sort of firing the right to the body as you step towards their rear shoulder? Maybe smothering their right and kind of hiding from their left? Throwing the right as sort of a shovel hook then to the body?

I am having trouble picturing it. But if the right to the body is sort of a shovel hook/uppercut with a step I might have it.

In any event I am glad to read the hamstring is coming along.

Regards,

Robert A

I have done something like this in sparring that worked well. I came in with a double jab, threw the right hand, left hook to the head, got low and stuffed him with my left shoulder into the cage and landed a right hook to the ribs. I was trying to figure a way to this without the aid of the ropes but it never seemed like it would work because they would continue to move backward and maintain distance. I suppose I could throw a straight to the body but I would probably either disengage and reset or, if I landed a significant hit, follow it up with a slight step to the side and a right round kick while tucking/leaning with my head a bit to avoid the straight right counter that I get a lot after throwing a left hook. I throw the 123 round kick combo a lot and it works well. I was trying to think outside of what I normally do.

I haven’t disappeared. Just really busy with school and clinicals. I have still been lifting and drilling at bjj but my leg isn’t ready for rolling yet. I squatted 225x5 the other day with no pain though so I am healing pretty quickly. Hopefully I will be back on the mats with a vengeance soon. I am just trying to take it slow and avoid any recurrence of the tear. In the meantime I have been doing a lot of MT drills, shadow boxing and bag work (with less kicks than usual) which is good for my skills with my hands as they have always been lacking. Coming from a Kyokushin background where you cannot punch to the head, I have always relied on kicks, knees and body hooks to deliver damage so the concept of moving your head, keepimg hands high, etc… is something relatively new to me in actual practice so that has primarily been my focus.