LUCKY_13’s BodyBlog

I thought this week we would cover Grappling and Takedowns. I was a little wrong, but still not displeased. Again, amazed!

Session Two was about breaking out of choke-holds and counter-attacking with combos. The instructor briefly explained the science behind using momentum, rather then strength to execute such actions.

For example, using a student from the class, he demonstrated how the student can hold a tight grip and he, the instructor, use strength to try and break the grip. Useless.

However, using momentum rather then strength worked fast and easy.

Nothing special but not everyone thinks of things like that.

The class finished up with students closing their eyes and being suprised attacked at any moment and having to respond and counter-attack as quickly, but as effectively, as possible.

Another great class with great instructors.

"So that One may Walk in Peace."

The words of the founder of Krav Maga, Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld).

After much researching and personal study of Krav Maga I decided to pursue it further. After watching several documentaries and reading books by Krav Maga practitioners I thought it looked real impressive and decided to enrol in a class.

I was able to find a few seperate classes near me. I chose one based on the Instructors’ history, experience and how helpful and fast they were to reply to my questions by email.

So day one came. It started off with a group warm up session which was fun but also had an underlying defence-offence purpose to it. Then onto basics.

In the hour time period we had, the instructor was able to show us the basics of ‘close fighting’. This included palm strikes, punches, haymakers, front kicks and front knees.

All were properly explained and easy to learn yet very impressive in their dynamic execution. Being a boxer with over 4 years training, I thought I knew all I had to know about punching but Krav Maga showed me otherwise.  It did not correct my boxing but rather add techniques to it.

The Instructor is a former Israeli Special Forces. He stands short, small-framed and very friendly, innocent looking.

However, he blew me away with his speed, accuracy and the power he could generate behind every strike.

Can’t wait until next week. Grappling and Takedowns.

This week I started two new programs one being High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which was advised to me by a friend and the other was German Volume Training (GVT). There is no harm in trying something new so I gave them both a go.

I started HIIT early in the morning, in place of my usual jogging exercise before breakfast. I aimed to complete 15 minutes of HIIT, jogging for1 minute then sprinting for 15 seconds as fast I could followed by another minute of jogging etc etc. I lasted 5 minutes!

The second thing I tried was in place of my usual restiance training. GVT is completing 10 sets of 10 reps usuing only 50% of my 1-Rep-Max, with only 1 minute rests between sets. I went hard, working compound exercises such as squats, shoulder presses and a few isolations such as bicep curls and skull crunchers.

What can I say about HIIT. In the last 3 mornings of doing this type of training, I have found that I feel more ‘refreshed’ throughout the day. I feel more active and less stressed then I do if I had completed normal jogging. Maybe it’s the sudden force increase in pumping blood or maybe it’s because it is so spontaneous but it made me feel alot better.

GVT. After only one training exercise on Legs, Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders I have been incredibly suprised. I got sore, yes. During the squats my legs hurt and became fatigued, but I felt pumped more then usual. I felt like an escaped mental patient whose addiction is bodybuilding. I pumped hard, the pain had no or little effect on me. It burned really, really bad but I pumped on. The same with the rest of the muscle groups I trained.

At the end of GVT I cooled down and had my protein shake as usual. Normally after this, I eat a high-carb diet and have a rest or small sleep. Today no. Today I ate a high-carb diet and felt like pumping more weights. I wanted to go harder at it! I wanted to explode.

This could be a psychological event. Being half-German, I am very proud of my background nation. Is it because this Volume Training was created by a German? Or is it because it really benefited me, really made me feel pumped?

Who knows. I hope it’s the second one. What I can say is GVT will only happen every four weeks. The first three weeks of every month will be my usual training but I can’t wait until I do GVT again.

HIIT? Well it’s pain! It’s hard! But the benefits are already being felt. I can’t wait until tomorrow to do it again.

So from personal practice and revision I challenge people to try both types of training if it suits them. Give it a go and hopefully your results will be similar to mine or even better.

Peace!

     A year ago I would train hard, eat right, seek professional help and down the supplements, but each day in time, no mass came, nothing. I would go see a doctor and hear "eat 3 cans of baked beans a day!". So I did, nothing. Another doctor said "drink lots of milk and eat a loaf of wholemeal bread each day. I did and nothing. This went on for some time. I eventually became stuck at 65 kilograms.

   One day I strolled past a store and a man, built like rock, stood outside a supplements store. He was short but had such a great physique. I got up the courage to approach him and ask for help relating to my craving to gain weight. The man asked me a bunch of health-related questions and showed me what product to use. It was Universal Real Gains.

   After two months of using real gains and training hard, I had increased my body weight to 75 kilograms. Then something went wrong. The product was great, it worked wonders but now I had a new enemy, fat!

   Before, fat would strip off me as fast as a cat getting chased by a pack of wild dogs, but within the next few months I noticed that fat was hanging around longer then usual. The definition that I had in my Abdominal area soon disappeared behind a wall of fat. The cure had become the problem.

   Now, I have to try and avoid all foods that are no longer beneficial to me. No KFC! No Pizza! No McDonalds! Well McDonalds sell subs that are only 8 grams in fat, so if I decide to eat out, this is one of the better options. Am I sick? Not that I know of, but tests are clear. I’m just getting fat.

   No blame is put on Universal Real Gains. I still use it. The blame rests on my eating habits, my lack of Cardio work and my lack of discipline and dedication. In the coming week I am changing my daily workout and adding 15 minutes of HIIT per day. I have heard this is the best way to improve cardio levels and lose fat. I am 82 kilos now, with a good 2-3 kilos being fat around the midsection. I once had a flat-6-pack, but now I’ve got fat-1-pack. It’s time to get focused and use this to my benefit.

-Abraham Amaziah

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