New Workout

I think I am gonna go back to do weights of some sorts for my legs, squats, lunges, step ups etc, I think I need to add more load. One leg stuff is great but it does take twice a long and I need to save time on workouts.

As an experiment here's what I did tonight:

12 x Squats with bar behind
10 x Press ups with one hand on med ball (each side)
rest 30 secs repeat

12 x step up with bar behind
8 x Horizontal Rows
rest 30 secs repeat

8 x single leg bent deadlifts
8 x chest fly on FlexStraps
rest 30 secs repeat

Then into a circuit (intervals)

12 x front lunge with bar behind (each leg)
10 x Spidey Press Ups
12 x backwards lunge with bar behind (each leg)
8 x Pull ups
8 x cosack squat each leg
12 x ham curls on Flex Straps

I didn't push it hard after being a little ill but I am gonna add load with a barbell or dumbells or kettlebells to the leg training

All Good.

Halted Progress

I am still a bit ill but might go training tonight and gently get back in to it

Been ill

I have not done any training since last Tuesday. I have had a wiered cold but also all my muscles felt really weak so I figured it best to lay off any strength work and / or any deep stretching - this means I have no recent photos to post. I still did light stretching and leg swings as that's quite relaxing to do and non stressful on the body.

Leg conditioning

I am going to spend a couple of weeks working the conditioning aspects of stretching, as I have done for a while now but just with a focus on it - that's all. Tonight's workout was:

12 x squat with bar behind
12 x lunges with bar overhead, each leg
12 x single straight leg deadlift, each leg
12 x back lunges with bar overhead, each leg
12 x wide squat with bar behind
12 x single leg bent leg deadlift (RDL)
90 seconds static wide sitting stance
rest 1 minute
repeat

Then I relaxed and ate some natural yoghurt and blueberries

And from the side...

This photo was taken about 3 seconds after the one in my previous post - so the same split session - and gives a better idea of angles.

You can see there is much work to do to get full 180. I feel resistance at back of hips but strength wise in hip flexors, lower back, middle back and abs - So lots of posture work to do then.

Comments welcome of course.

Sunday Splits Pics

Sunday was early morning TKD then a good stretch after. I worked side splits today and notice some improvement but that there is a long way to go for full 180 and complete mobility.

Strange facial expressions are essential when being the subject of a photograph.

The split looks ok but you might notice it's 180 and a long way off at that. I was actually feeling this at the back of my hips rather than inner thigh.

Friday Home Training

Last night I was mega worked out from a GA Level 1 in a Circuit Style keeping the intensity up.

1) Horiz Pull ups x 10

2) Dive bombers x 10

3) Narrow Horiz PUs x 10

4) Weaving PushUps x 10

5) Bridge and Curl x 10

6) Hammer Press x 10

Rest 1 minute

Repeat

Rest 1 minute

Repeat

Then I did a 5 minute abs programme like this:

1 min Side plank

1 min side plank other side

1 min plank

1 min cross over mountain climbers (these work man)

1 min hanging knee ups

Then I massaged my right hamstring because I have got an annoying niggle.

Saturday - REST

Thursday TKD Day

Light stretches AM

TKD PM

Great Session. Small room. Lots of punching, kicking, elbowing on the pads. All Good.

Did a front splits stretch and I have basically maintained the advances I made on Sunday. All Good

Wednesday Training

Light stretches I think. Can't remember, but I also did LOADS of work on the shop

So, What happened next

After my Super Stretchy Sunday I did TKD on Monday night. It was quite a light session, I did leg swings when I could and kicked carefully after my deep stretching of Sunday. We did lots of patterns and some boxing drills.

And today I did leg conditioning:

12 x squat with bar behind
12 x lunges each leg with bar over head
12 x single straight leg deadlifts
12 x back lunges with bar over head
12 x single leg deadlifts
12 x assisted pistol squats
Rest 1 minute
Repeat

Then I did some light stretches and moved in to the Splits Specific Warm Up but missed out the dynamic warm up and moved in to side splits stetches. Concentrated on the hips as that is where most resistance for me is found. Then I massaged them a bit then back to the routine.

All good

James.

www.MySplitsChallenge.com

And the other leg...

...good progress made this side as well for the True Front Split.
GET IN!

Having Fun yourselves?

James.

www.MySplitsChallenge.com

COME ON!

Get In. True Front Split coming along nicely. Major development this week, I have actually been stretching to a routine and did extra hip flexor work and massage.

True Front Split Progress

Definite progress here, I had done the splits specific warm up before this stretch session. This involved lots of lunges and similar exercises. All Good Stuff. I did a bit of hip flexor massage too. Today my hips and upper legs are MEGA worked out.

Gravity Advantage Level 1

Perhaps I am spending too much time on GA and not enough on stretching? I know about priorities but you can't just neglect the upper body for 3 months while you do stretching instead. I fully believe that you can incorporate everything to some degree but at certain times you need to focus certain areas more. 

So I am still going to do GA but I will not focus so much on it and I am going to focus more now on my legs and stretching and see if we get results. I am also going to incorporate some of my own ideas in to the mix to see if I can create something unique and reusable.

How to get tired legs

Tonight I did:

12 x squats (bar behind shoulders)

12 x lunges (bar over head) each leg

12 x deadlift (bar hanging)

12 x backwards lunges (bar over head)

12 x single leg deadlift

12 x assisted pistol squats (hold on to a belt from my chinup bar)

rest then repeat

I then tried doing some stretching but my hips were so shattered that I could hardly hold position well or long enough to get a decent stretch. So I just did some light stretching.

However, I can now see that my hip flexors are indeed like concrete. I also am losing a little faith in PZ's book and method but I also have to admit that I have not settled in to a decent programme yet. This is one of the hardest things about this course, and that is devising a programme. I think I might just create something that others can follow easily and get results.

Food For Thought.