Moonshine's Martial Arts Strength and Conditioning Journal

[Moonshine]

In this journal I am going to be tracking details of my strength and conditioning program. My basic goals are to improve my health and performance. Since this is my first journal and I am rather new to posting here, please bear with me.

Background:
Former competitive runner in Track & Field and Cross - Country in HS and D-I college. I enjoy racing, but am at the point were I don't think my body could handle the mileage and training to reach my PRs again. I also grew up playing soccer and still play any chance I can get. My other activities include skiing which I have done since I was about 6, and anything at the beach.

I grew up in Huntington Beach, live in Long Beach, and train in the HB/LB area. The Martial Arts I am training are BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), HKD (Hapkido), and TKD (Taekwon Do). Taekwon Do is primarily a striking art. Its strength is kicking, although the hand techniques are solid. TKD also includes basic locks, throws, chokes, pressure points, elbows, and knees. There is also olympic style TKD which is pure point fighting sport TKD. I have been training TKD for about 8 years now although my training the last few years has been sporadic so I am about a year from my BlackBelt test. My Hapkido training is taught in private lessons and it is a good mix of ground work, striking, and weapons. I probably don't need to explain BJJ that much, so suffice to say that it is almost all ground work and I am still a white belt but learning. I do enjoy MMA competition but for now I am focusing on the arts individually.

My job is very sedentary. I pretty much sit and stare at a computer all day which I can't stand. Before this I was travelling very frequently the last 4 years which killed my diet and training. Wound up packing on about 60 pounds before I got myself back together.

Goals:

1. Drop bodyfat to under 10% and maintain
2. Drop weight to under 200lbs. (Cutoff for Hwt division is generally between 184-199lbs. )
3. Improve Strength and Conditioning
4. Add upper body mass to balance with lower body

The weight is a goal that I am not really hung up on as long as my body fat is under control. I would need to add a considerable amount of strength to be competitive as a heavyweight or drop to a lower weight class. I have fought heavyweight and been succesful but there are some really huge guys that can be quite difficult to fight. The strength goal I left intentionally vague as I am not concerned with how much I am lifting so long as I am making gains. I am open to suggestions however. Years of soccer and Track have left me with alot more muscle mass on my lower body so for purely aesthetic reasons I would like to balance that out and add some size to upper body. I also need to improve my upper body strength for MA so these goals seem to complement each other.

Stats:

Height: 6'0"
Age: 29
Weight: 226 as of today
(1/3/05) 256lbs
(2/21/05) 231 lbs
(3/10/05) 230 lbs
Bodyfat:
(2/21/05) 22.6 %
(3/10/05) 19.4 %
Measured by a trainer at my gym with calipers. 7 points I believe.
Cholesterol: 165 (2/9/05)
I had a fasted blood test done on that date, but I am not sure if any of the other stats are of interest.
Measurements: I'll have to add these later as I don't have the sheet with me

Diet

I have been running on about 1500-1700 calories while I drop weight. Saturdays are my cheat day although I don't get too carried away. My typical daily meal plan looks like this:

Meal 1:
Oats cooked in water
1 cup raw fresh blueberries or rasp or strawberries
1 Glass Orange Juice (Lots of pulp, not from concentrate)

Meal 2:
1 srv Fat-Free Blueberry yogurt
1 cup Green Tea

Meal 3:
2-4 Oz chicken breast
1 Cup Brown Rice or Vegetable/Spinach Pasta Noodles
1 Tbsp Salsa

Meal 4:
Celery, Carrots, and Grapes or Honeydew Melon, Wheat Multi-Grain Crackers

Meal 5:
Homemade Turkey Wrap (Extra Lean Grilled Turkey, Low-Fat Tortilla, Lettuce, Spinach, Fat Free Cheese, Salsa, Fat Free Ranch)
or
1 srv Canned Tuna in Water
3 Mediterranean Toast Crackers
1 Hard Boiled Egg

Meal 6:
Protein Shake or 2 extra lean ham slices on toasted english muffin (depends on when I lift am or pm)

Supplements:
(Most of these are still on order and should get here this weekend)
AST Multi Pro 32X Vitamin
NOW Salmon Oil Capsules
Maximum Strength Hot-Rox
L-Glutamine Powder
Whey Protein Powder

Not on creatine at the moment. I have been planning on starting it once I am done cutting BF and ready to start a bulking phase.

Strength Training

4 Day split- Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

This is my routine for roughly the last month. I got it from a PT at the gym but I think it needs some help:

Sunday- Chest, Triceps, Core
Machine Incline Chest Press: 3 x 8 Reps; 60 secs Rest
Flat Bench DB Flyes: 3 x 14 Reps; 60 secs rest
Pec Deck Flyes: 2 x 10 Reps; 60 Secs rest
One-Arm DB Extensions: 3 x 8 Reps; 60 Secs rest
Rope Extensions: 3 x 11 Reps; 60 Secs rest

Monday- Legs, Lower Back, Core
Squats: 4 x 10; 90 secs
Smith Machine Squats: 3 x 10; 90 secs
Lying Leg Curls: 2 x 13; 90 secs
Leg Extensions: 2 x 14; 90 secs
Standing Calf Raises: 3 x 10; 60 secs
Back Extension Machine: 3 x 10; 60 secs

Tues- Off

Weds- Shoulders, Traps, Core
Seated DB Press: 3 x 8; 60 secs
Lateral DB Raises: 3 x 11; 60 secs
BB Upright Rows: 2 x 8; 60 Secs
BB Shrugs: 2 x 12; 60 Secs

Thurs- Back, Biceps, Forearms, Core
Close Grip Pull Downs: 4 x 8; 60 secs
Wide Grip Pull Downs: 3 x 10; 60 secs
Machine Pull-overs: 2 x 10; 60 secs
Standing Alt DB Curls: 3 x 8; 60 secs
Incline DB Curls: 3 x 15; 60 secs
BB Wrist Curls: 2 x 10; 60 secs

Fri- Off

Sat- Off

Core
Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging Knee Raises
Flutter Kicks
Incline Crunches
Bicycle Crunches
Side Crunches

Cardio
Sunday- LSD
Tues- Intervals
Thurs- Intervals
Daily except sat- 15-30 minute Active Recovery/Warm-up/Cool-Down Runs as needed

MA Training
BJJ Class- MWF am
TKD Class- MTWF pm
Bag, Form, Wep work- Daily

Concerns:
- My right arm is substantially stronger than my left arm. This has me doing really small weights for DB movements until my left catches up. Is this the best way to go?
- I would like to strengthen my neck, but am not sure whats best. Any suggestions? My neck gets really sore and tired after alot of work from the guard.
- I am a total newbie with regards to lifting and don't mind admitting it. Never had much of a reason to work upper body strength as a runner, and lower body strength came from soccer and just running up lots and lots of hills.

Hope some of you find this interesting, feel free to post here or pm me with questions or comments.

[MMA_Fighter]

hey there, i will be following your journal as well. Thnx for stopping by mine. I think your routine looks good, except for one thing. I dont think you are eating enuf. You are doing major workouts, and you will end up losing muscle, not fat, as your body struggles to maintain the workouts. The 2-4 oz chicken is barely what i was eating when i was cutting for a show, and if u continue this, u are goin to find yourself lacking energy big time, and your workouts are goin to suffer as a result.

At 226 lbs, you should at least be takin in 1.5 grs of protien per lb, and i dont think your diet is close to that( i didnt actually put it in a calculator, but i can tell its less than what i eat in a day, and barely make 160 gr a day.) Im sure that someone can correct me if im wrong here..i can take being wrong, lol..

Anywho..keep up the great work, and if u are interested in a great martial arts site with a great forum, and stuff, check out www.groundnpound.org . Tell em Tam sent u..lol...

ok, i have to go now..but i will be back to check up on u, and it will be fun when we have fights to cheer each other on!! Cheers

Tam

[Moonshine]

Tam,

Thanks for stopping by. I'll go through my diet and see if I can post the breakdown of calories, protein, and carbs. I think I can afford to bump my protein up but want to wait and see how deficient I am at the moment. The calories are really low to compensate for my desk job and I haven't run into trouble with lack of energy yet. During my time travelling I managed to accumulate a nice plump belly that I want to get rid of. Once I do that I was hoping to do a good clean bulk. I know it sounds lame, but I really want it gone for aesthetic reasons more than anything else.

Since I am planning on moving my lfiting to the morning, I was thinking I could move my PWO shake there and add a meat meal in the evening to take its place and up my protein intake. I'll post some numbers once I get it figured out either later tonight or tomorrow.

I'll check out groundandpound when I get a chance. I got a journal going over at martialartsplanet.com and spend too much time already reading and posting there

[Kane Fan]

I have begun fight training as well
do you think I should start a journal about it?
it'd be pretty slow until the sparring starts

[Moonshine]

I have begun fight training as well
do you think I should start a journal about it?
it'd be pretty slow until the sparring starts

Ya, I would keep a journal, especially once you start prepping for a specific fight. Then you can go back afterwards and make changes to your program easier. Even if you aren't fighting for a while, you should still journal things like diet, strength training, and cardio.

[Moonshine]

Wednesday

Meal 1: Toasted English muffin, ham, and egg w/ OJ
Meal 2: Fat Free Blueberry Yogurt w/ Green Tea
Meal 3: Chicken Breast w/ whoe grain & Spinach Pasta
Meal 4: Protein Bar, carrots
Meal 5: Tunafish, WholeGrain Crackers, Honeydew Melon
Meal 6: Whey Protein Shake w/ Frozen blueberries, fat free yogurt, skim milk

I left the papers with serving sizes and calorie breakdown at home so I am not positive exactly what it comes to, but should be under 2,000.

TKD Class was focused on next weeks exam. I managed to rip open the cist on my back and bleed through my uniform. So by the end of class I had a bloody back to go with my bloody foot from bag work/sparring. It sucks because this means I am going to have to go get this cist removed and wind up with stitches again which means more time off from BJJ and sparring.

Easy night at the Gym:
DB Shoulder Press: 3 x 8 reps
DB Lat Raises: 3 x 11 reps
BB Upright Rows: 3 x 8 reps
BB Shrugs: 2 x 12 reps

60 secs rest between sets.

Skipped core work since we had it in class and I couldnt lay on the cist without irritating it more. Going to try and take it easy for the next week leading up to the test and not change anything too much.

[SDFlip]

you're not eating enough... get more protein in on each meal.

your "strength routine" isn't very good. is your goal bodybuilding, weight loss, or developing strength for MMA?

with the other training you're doing, you'll need more rest.

what's your main priority? martial arts, overall fitness, bodybuilding, or weightloss? or is it just a hobby?

[Moonshine]

you're not eating enough... get more protein in on each meal.

your "strength routine" isn't very good. is your goal bodybuilding, weight loss, or developing strength for MMA?

with the other training you're doing, you'll need more rest.

what's your main priority? martial arts, overall fitness, bodybuilding, or weightloss? or is it just a hobby?

Goal and priorities are fat loss and developing strength for MA. Weight loss would be nice, but I am not real concerned about it if I get my body fat down and strength up enough to fight heavyweight.


Considering changing my Thursday Workout to something like:

Lats:
Pullups 3 sets (will probably have to start assisted)
Wide Grip Pulldowns- 3 x 8 Reps
Middle Back:
Seated Cable Rows- 3 x 8 Reps
Biceps:
Chinups- 3 Sets (not sure how many I can do)
Hammer Curls- 3 x 8 Reps
Forearms:
Palm Down BB Wrist Curl

60 Seconds rest each set

Trying to emphasize compound movements hitting multiple muscles as much as possible. I would like to add some grip work and am considering the plate pinches.

[SDFlip]

I'd do a full body routine twice a week or a push/pull/legs split 3 times a week.
body part training is for bodybuilding.

if you are interested in what I'm suggesting, let me know and I'll help you out. i'm not gonna post a routine if you're not gonna consider it.

but you'll need to develop maximal strength/power and strength endurance for fighting.

[Moonshine]

I am interested, and would consider it. I am sure I will have a few questions for ya though, so if you don't mind that then go for it.

[SDFlip]

since you are doing alot of other activities, i would keep my lifting to a minimum. i would do a full body routine twice a week, on days that you don't have other classes and at least 2 days apart.

go with something like this -
max day
weighted situps
deadlifts/squats
push (dips, bench, or military)
horizontal row
vertical pull
calves
3 sets each 3-5 reps

the other day, do the same but vary the exercise. this time up the reps to at least 15

[Moonshine]

Thanks for the help, got a few questions for ya...

Sunday and Thursday are the only two days where I don't have class so I'll build my schedule around that. This leaves me with a fairly open Tuesday so I am considering using that day for a good bag interval session.

So I am thinking that a strength day may look like:

Squats
Bench or Dips (Would doing both be too much? Does incline or decline matter?)
Cable Row
Pull-Ups (Assisted)
Pull-Downs
Calf Press
Chins (Assisted)
Weighted Hyperextensions
Weighted Sit ups

For a rest interval I am guessing 90 - 120 seconds between sets. What would you suggest? For the higher rep day is there a guideline to determining how much weight to use, or just go with the heaviest that I can handle the reps?

Working on replanning the diet to start on sunday with more protein and calories.

[SDFlip]

Thanks for the help, got a few questions for ya...

Sunday and Thursday are the only two days where I don't have class so I'll build my schedule around that. This leaves me with a fairly open Tuesday so I am considering using that day for a good bag interval session.

So I am thinking that a strength day may look like:

Squats
Bench or Dips (Would doing both be too much? Does incline or decline matter?)
Cable Row
Pull-Ups (Assisted)
Pull-Downs
Calf Press
Chins (Assisted)
Weighted Hyperextensions
Weighted Sit ups

For a rest interval I am guessing 90 - 120 seconds between sets. What would you suggest? For the higher rep day is there a guideline to determining how much weight to use, or just go with the heaviest that I can handle the reps?

Working on replanning the diet to start on sunday with more protein and calories.

sunday and thursday would be perfect.

you gotta have deadlifts in your routine!

try to stay away from pulldowns and go with regular pullups or chins. as many as you can do at first, and then do them weighted. assisted ones are better than pulldowns for the repetition day.

do only one pressing exercise each workout.... like i said, bench, dips, or military. dips and military would be the best.

barbell rows or db rows are better than cable rows.

for the rest intervals, rest as much as needed to get your reps in.

for the weight, go with whatever weight you need to reach the rep range

[Moonshine]

This entry will be a bit long so bear with me.

Friday

This was a rough day at work so my diet and workout suffered a bit. I wound up having to eat out for lunch. Had some grilled fish tacos at wahoos with black beans and rice, so not as bad as taco bell at least. Had a bit of pasta for dinner after class. Spent an hour at TKD class and it was just 2 of us working out with one of our masters and I thought I was going to puke. Lots of stance work which is tiring as hell, foot techniques, hand techniques, then katas to prepare for the upcoming test on weds. Finished the class off with some basic armbars and wrist locks from a standing position.

Saturday

Ran errands, watched basketball, veged on the beach. It was my cheat day but I didnt go overboard. Had a burger and thats about the worst of it I believe.

Sunday

It was another gorgeous day here so we got the bikes out and hit the beach. Wound up riding 15 miles down to seal beach and back (7.5 each way approx). Had a couple of steak tacos for lunch and lamb with potatoes for dinner. Went and did a heavy night at the gym afterwards:

I have never tried to see how heavy I can lift before so I started real light. Probably will be able to go up a bit more on most exercises before I hit where I need to really start working.

Sunday Lifting:

Squats- 135 x 5, 145 x 4, 185 x 4, 205 x 3
Pull-ups- -112 x5, -106 x 5, -100 x 5, -94 x 4
Deadlift- 60 x 5, 80 x 5, 100 x 5, 110 x 5 (Biggest barbell on the rack was 110, will start with an olympic bar next time)
BB Row- 70 x 5, 80 x 5, 90 x 5, 100 x 4
Bench Press- 95 x 5, 115 x 5, 135 x 4
Calf Press- 180 x 5, 360 x 5, 450 x 5 (Using the leg Press sled, The standing machine tops out at 250)
Chin-Up- -120 x 5, -100 x 5, -100 x 3
Hypers- 25 x 5, 35 x 5, 35 x 5
-Gym Closed had to leave-

The bench number is pretty embarrassing. My squat+dl+bench total right now is 450. Short term goal is to get that to 500. I am hoping by september or end of year at the latest to get that up around 750 or maybe even higher. Next weekend I wont bike 30 miles and be rushed in the gym so I should be able to raise these totals.

Monday

Been rushed all day, had an hour of tkd to prep for my test weds. Ate good today, more protein, although I missed 2 of my meals from being rushed in the AM. Will post nutrition plan in a bit.

Not sore from lifting yesterday at all. My back hurt a little but since TKD its been relaxed. The only pain I have right now is my butt from the bicycle and my knee from sitting funny in this chair

[Moonshine]

I found my measurements from my last meeting with my trainer on March 10th. Weighed 225.5 this morning on the scale, so it seems I am dropping a little more than a pound per week. I got some calipers from bb.com just need to figure out how to use them and I'll be set to quit watching the scale.

Date---------16 Feb-----10 Mar

Wt. --------231------- 230

%BF ------22.6 ------ 19.5

Fat Mass ----- 52.2lbs ----- 44.85lbs

Lean Mass ---178.8lbs -----185.15lbs

Neck ------16.5 ------15.75

Upper Arm-----13.5 ------13

Forearm -----12 ------- 11.5

Chest -------42 -------- 41.5

Waist ------- 41 -------- 40

Hip -------45 ------- 43.5

Thigh -------25 -------25.25

Calf ------- 17.25 ------- 17

[Moonshine]

I revised my diet to look more like this:

5am- Toast w/ Natty PB

7am- Oatmeal w/skim milk, blueberries, and protein powder; 1 glass OJ

9am- Fat Free Blueberry yogurt

1045am- Home made protein bar

1pm- Fish Taco, Brown Rice, Black Beans

230pm- Celery, crackers, grapes

4pm- Chicken, pork, or Steak Pita

9pm- Protein Shake

Total Calories- 2300-2500

Total Protein- 215-225g

Supplements:
Max Strength Hot Rox
Multi Vit
Salmon Oil
Whey Protein
L-Glutamine

Still debating when to start creatine.