Wrestled yesterday - an hour with Paul coaching. After a pretty hardcore warmup we wrestled round-robin then practised leg-laces and gutwrenches. Two things stood out. Firstly, as a last ditch defence to being turned, particularly in a leg lace, sitting up and going hand-to-hand works well for me. But, it's all about timing; contracting the abs into a sit-up and putting an arm out straight at the right time.
The second thing is the grip. I prefer to grip both of my own elbows, rather than one hand on the opponent's hip-bone, but regardless of the method, yesterday was a good lesson in gripping up tight. Every time I tried to roll with even a slightly loose grip I failed, every time I rolled with a tight grip it came off. This is, of course, elementary stuff, but it's nice to see the theory reflected in practice. It also clued me in to why my reverse headlock isn't working as well as I'd like, and it's the same reason; not tight enough in the lock up. In sparring I hit one on Shaun and as soon as I'd locked up the arms tight enough the difference was amazing; an easy twist down to the floor then run towards the head for a pin. Something to really keep in mind; it's worth the extra second or so to lock up the arms tight, or the move isn't worth doing.
Sore as hell through the neck from bridging to gut-wrench. Still got to get my feet closer to my glutes and really push up through the turn. I'll have to spend some time on the mat practicing that one.
No pilates today; Cindy had to go home sick. More's the pity for my neck, especially with more wrestling tomorrow. Oh well, can't win them all. Or, in my case, really, any of them.
Tuesday 24 July 2012
Thursday 19 July 2012
No, this blog hasn't died before it began, I've just been on a break from wrestling, with my first session back last night. I've been doing a bit of steady-state cardio while watching wrestling, some Convict Conditioning sessions (which I really enjoy), pilates and some gym work, but tragically only the one session of wrestling.
One of the most interesting things about wrestling, I find, is how unpredictable it is. In particular, no matter how many training sessions or matches I do, I always manage to find new and interesting ways to be sore the next day. Today's random DOMS (I don't know if it's actual, technical Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, because I'm no scientist, but I like the acronym) is my triceps, and basically only my triceps. There's a slight twinge if I flex my left forearm, but nothing I notice regularly, and as always my back and neck are stiff, but there's a definite, discernible burning pain in my triceps, and really nowhere else.
The real fun part is trying to work out what on earth it was I did that caused the pain, particularly since the answer is usually 'something stupid'. So far as I can tell, the pain comes from a combination of too many pushups - which as an aside, might be the single exercise that I am worst at, in the entire world - and trying to push a new wrestler out of bounds in drills. He was 15-odd kilos heavier than me, and quite a bit stronger so as you can imagine, it didn't go nearly so well as I'd hoped. The solution, when it came to matches, was front headlocks and 'gator rolls, which are always a nice way to disorient someone who's not used to the sport. My suspicion is, however, that's he's had a bit of martial arts training because he took me down at one point, got into mount then asked "What's a submission move I can use." He was disappointed when I informed him they weren't allowed, though to be fair, I suspect he just didn't trust me, since I was losing at that point and looking to scramble out. Thankfully he hasn't yet learned how to turn people, or I'd have been in trouble.
I'm feeling rather chipper today, despite my aching arms, and I put the mood down to having eaten carbohydrates for the last two days. My wild carb-spree is at the suggestion of Leon, who oversees me turning into a shaking, hypoglycemic wreck at least once a month, who has gently prodded me in the direction of carb-cycling. In particular, I've adjusted my diet from basically 1500 cals of Keto to 2000 cals including such indulgences as a slice of wholegrain toast with the eggs for breakfast, and a wholemeal peanut butter sandwich and a banana an hour before exercise on days I'm working hard. Explaining to my wife that I'm only eating carbs on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday isn't the easiest thing to do, however.
The eating changes have been gradual, but substantial. The big difference came in my week of cutting before the qualifier for nationals, where I had to weigh in at 84kgs if I wanted to compete at that class, and not be absolutely manhandled in the 96kg category. A week solid of oats for breakfast, then chicken, broccoli and spinach for literally every other meal was mind-bending. However, it did work, and I cut about 2.5kgs of bodyfat in the week, and lost the other one and a half in the sauna on the morning of the tournament. That experience solidified my desire to never again cut weight so dramatically, while also showing just how dramatic dietary changes can be. Since then, I've found it much easier to eat clean and low-carb, though avoiding the temptation to go crazy. Consequently I've lost about 15-odd kilos in the last 6 months. I'm looking to go down to 74kgs for the tournament after next - about 7 kgs down from where I am now, and taking me to a hefty 22kgs of weight loss in total.
More to come later.
One of the most interesting things about wrestling, I find, is how unpredictable it is. In particular, no matter how many training sessions or matches I do, I always manage to find new and interesting ways to be sore the next day. Today's random DOMS (I don't know if it's actual, technical Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, because I'm no scientist, but I like the acronym) is my triceps, and basically only my triceps. There's a slight twinge if I flex my left forearm, but nothing I notice regularly, and as always my back and neck are stiff, but there's a definite, discernible burning pain in my triceps, and really nowhere else.
The real fun part is trying to work out what on earth it was I did that caused the pain, particularly since the answer is usually 'something stupid'. So far as I can tell, the pain comes from a combination of too many pushups - which as an aside, might be the single exercise that I am worst at, in the entire world - and trying to push a new wrestler out of bounds in drills. He was 15-odd kilos heavier than me, and quite a bit stronger so as you can imagine, it didn't go nearly so well as I'd hoped. The solution, when it came to matches, was front headlocks and 'gator rolls, which are always a nice way to disorient someone who's not used to the sport. My suspicion is, however, that's he's had a bit of martial arts training because he took me down at one point, got into mount then asked "What's a submission move I can use." He was disappointed when I informed him they weren't allowed, though to be fair, I suspect he just didn't trust me, since I was losing at that point and looking to scramble out. Thankfully he hasn't yet learned how to turn people, or I'd have been in trouble.
I'm feeling rather chipper today, despite my aching arms, and I put the mood down to having eaten carbohydrates for the last two days. My wild carb-spree is at the suggestion of Leon, who oversees me turning into a shaking, hypoglycemic wreck at least once a month, who has gently prodded me in the direction of carb-cycling. In particular, I've adjusted my diet from basically 1500 cals of Keto to 2000 cals including such indulgences as a slice of wholegrain toast with the eggs for breakfast, and a wholemeal peanut butter sandwich and a banana an hour before exercise on days I'm working hard. Explaining to my wife that I'm only eating carbs on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday isn't the easiest thing to do, however.
The eating changes have been gradual, but substantial. The big difference came in my week of cutting before the qualifier for nationals, where I had to weigh in at 84kgs if I wanted to compete at that class, and not be absolutely manhandled in the 96kg category. A week solid of oats for breakfast, then chicken, broccoli and spinach for literally every other meal was mind-bending. However, it did work, and I cut about 2.5kgs of bodyfat in the week, and lost the other one and a half in the sauna on the morning of the tournament. That experience solidified my desire to never again cut weight so dramatically, while also showing just how dramatic dietary changes can be. Since then, I've found it much easier to eat clean and low-carb, though avoiding the temptation to go crazy. Consequently I've lost about 15-odd kilos in the last 6 months. I'm looking to go down to 74kgs for the tournament after next - about 7 kgs down from where I am now, and taking me to a hefty 22kgs of weight loss in total.
More to come later.
Thursday 12 July 2012
Training Log:
No Wrestling training yesterday, as everyone's apparently still on holday. Cycled for a half hour instead.
Personal Training session with Leon today - Half an hour of cross-fit style training (TRX pushups, knee-ins, squat-jump to hanging knee raise, shoulder press, kettleball swings) and 15 minutes of stretching to finish up.
Still very tight though the hamstrings/hip flexors. Hopefully more stretching will help.
No Wrestling training yesterday, as everyone's apparently still on holday. Cycled for a half hour instead.
Personal Training session with Leon today - Half an hour of cross-fit style training (TRX pushups, knee-ins, squat-jump to hanging knee raise, shoulder press, kettleball swings) and 15 minutes of stretching to finish up.
Still very tight though the hamstrings/hip flexors. Hopefully more stretching will help.
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Monday 9 July 2012
In January of 2012, I took up 'Amateur' wrestling. I did this, firstly, because I wanted to be much fitter than I was, not for any esoteric 'wellness' rationale, or because I wanted to look better with my shirt off. No, I had a very definite goal in mind; backflips. More specifically, aerial backflips while skiing. My wife introduced me to skiiing on our honeymoon, and after I got over the first day of insanely painful snow-ploughing, and started straight-skiing, I was hooked. I loved it more than any sport or physical activity I'd ever done, ever. Skiing is graceful and elegant, but still requires hard-core strength. It's excruciatingly technical, but once you're in a groove it's deliciously mindless and rhythmic. It's just an all-round gorgeous activity, and I wanted to do more of it, to be better at it. Mostly, though, I wanted to do completely wicked-awesome backflips.
I skied again in Italy a couple of years later and while I improved, I ran hard up against my physical capacity. My glutes and hamstrings screamed bloody murder after every day's skiing. Long sessions in the sauna and a very talented Polish masseur got me through, but only just. I knew I needed to be fitter, stronger, more flexible.
In late 2011, by blind chance one day, I opened the local paper, the Fremantle Gazette, rather than tossing it out immediately. In it, I read an article about an amateur wrestling club, about 5 minutes from my house. I'd been vaguely interested in wrestling for a while, mostly because my brother is a Pro Wrestler, "Bruiser" Barry Schmidt. He had no amateur background, and was interested in learning the skills. I though that it'd be a great way to get a workout partner, and the motivation that comes from not wanting to be beaten by your little brother. So I e-mailed Chris Butler, the coach and set up a time for us to start in January 2011, at the start of a new term. Barry was in Japan, training with a puro dojo at the time, and was meant to come a little later, with special consideration being given for his advanced fitness and vague familiarity with amateur wrestling.
My brother never came to a single session.
We're now about 6 months into my 'career' as an amateur wrestler, and the operative word is 'amateur'. I am not a good wrestler. Frankly, I am terrible; barely a step up from abysmal. But I've improved, and I suspect that if I stick at it, I'll continue to. I'm also fitter and stronger than I've ever been in my life. Since starting wrestling I've dropped from a little north of 95kgs to 82kgs, at 16.9% Bodyfat (according to my dodgy bio-impedance scale) this morning. I've got a long, long way to go, but I'm heading there.
To put it in real-life perspective, when I started in the seniors class we had a 14 year old wrestling up in our group, who would routinely pin me in practice. My last practice, we had a new starter, a strong, very fit young man, about 78-odd kilos of pure muscle, with a lot of natural talent. I pinned him.
But make no mistake, I am terrible at wrestling. As of right now, I've not scored a point in live competition. This blog is called The Worst Wrestler for a reason.
Why do blogs fail? Mostly because they deserve to. I 'blogged' - and awful, cumbersome verb - when I was a teenager, though we didn't call it that back in the internet's early days. That blog was unceremoniously abandoned, and looking back at it, I can think of no more fitting end to the inane ramblings of some idiot teenager. However, the blogs that work are ones with a point, and a definite purpose.
The purpose of this blog is two-fold. Firstly, it's to document what I learn wrestling, mainly for my own benefit. That aspect of the blog is likely to be voluminous; I have a truly phenomenal amount to learn. The second point of this blog is to follow along with my Convict Conditioning training programme, which I'm starting to help with my truly atrocious strength.
So there you have it, if you've ever been interested in what competition looks like from the losing side, this is the blog for you. In every competition someone's got to come last, and chances are it's going to be me.
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