Haven't posted for a while, Now a proud father.

Have been plugging along with Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu....will report when I have a plan in place

Training 27/06/2012

Very productive day today.... Started the day off by getting into work at 0700hrs (had to leave the house at 0530hrs though), a 3 mile run to start the day. Worked got home and finished with a Muay Thai class.

Late night hough which has left me knackered today, today will probably be fuelled by caffeine!!!

26/06/2012

Didn't train today as it took me 2hr 45min to get home due to a crash on the motorway and then my missus had pregnancy tasks for me to do i.e. lift this, load up the car, drop this off..

So I had an early night and went to bed at 2100hrs!!!

Training 25/06/2012

After I completed my long post yesterday I forgot to put in my training.

K1 Kickboxing Class

Warm Up

Stretching and B/W Exercises

Technique

Pad and Bag work

Abs

Cool down and stretch.

Shower, magnesium oil, dinner and bed

25/06/2012

Today is the first real day of my intensive training.

I have been building up sessions slowly over the last 6 weeks and now it's time to hit it hard.

I'm going to make small, weekly incremental changes to my diet so I don't give up. Eg no sugar in my tea,, green instead of normal tea etc.

This week is no sugar in my tea at work and no biscuits or treats at work... So I'll see how I get on.


I've weighed in at a portly 214lb or 97kg @ 21% bodyfat. not the heaviest I have ever been but close enough!!

Attached is the mandatory fat before pic

Training 23/06/2012

Not much I can elaborate on today, I had a k1 kickboxing class, got a real sweat on.

The Class consisted of:
15-20 min warm up
Bodyweight exercises
pad/bag session
cool down and stretching

Then I spoiled it all by going for a cream tea!!!

Training 21/06/2012

Warm up

Strength Training
5x5

Double clean & Press
Front Squats
Double Swing

1min rest 2x20kg kb's

Fighter Circuit

Heavy bag punches x 1mi
Sprawls x 1min
Heavy bag kicks x 1min
Knee in Press Up x 1min
Plank x 1min

X3 with 2min rest

Cool Down

Training 20/06/2012

Sore calves from yesterday so I've gone for a Short kettlebell complex:

Warm up

3x rounds with 30secs rest

10x double kb swing
10x single goblet squat
10x push press
10x press up

2 min rest

3x rounds with 30secs rest

10x double kb swing
10x double swing to row
10x double squat back swings
10x alternating swings

2 min rest

3x rounds with 30secs rest

10x single kb swing
10x single bell curl
10x single bell tricep

Cool down

Training 19/06/2012

As I haven't ran in over 3 months due to a knee injury I new to get my fitness up quickly so... Fartlek it is.

Warm up

12 x 100m sprints with 1min rest

Cool down

Birthday 18/06/2012

No training due to birthday treats so much cake and goodies eaten

Training 17/06/2012

These two circuits were completed one after the other:

Warm Up


Fighter Circuit
Courtesy of Martin Rooney

3 rounds of 5 x 1 min with 2 min rest between rounds:
1)Heavy Bag punches (L/R)
2)Sprawls
3)Heavy Bag Knees
4)Bent Over row (20kg Kettlebell)
5)Heavy Bag Kicks

Power Kettlebell Session
Push/Pull Courtesy of Steve Cotter

Pull: 3 x 2min (1min per arm) with 2 min Rest
One Arm Snatch (20kg Kettlebell)

2 min rest

Push: 3 x 2min (1min per arm) with 2 min Rest
One Push Press (20kg Kettlebell)

Cool Down & Stretch

The Importance of a diary!!

Its only when you write it down o you realise how much shite you have eaten that day!!!

Due to lack of organisation and packing a lunch, today I have eaten quite badly:

On the way to work - Biltong, cup of tea
Breakfast - Sausage and Egg roll
Lunch - Tangerine, Tuna Salad Baguette, Apple, Pint of Skimmed Milk
Afternoon - Twix
Throughout the day - 1.5l water and coffee
Dinner - Athleat Grass fed Steak, salad and home made wedges

I think I have to make a concerted effort next week in planning my meals cus I am packing on the fat eating all this processed rubbish.

My new best friends

Since ditching the boots, webbing and Kevlar as training aids I have been compiling items for my home gym.

These little bad boys are the core of my home gym

Warrior Cardio

I bought a great book By Martin Rooney called Warrior Cardio

What a great book, it has opened my eyes to new ways of training. Short intense workouts that completely blow you out.

I also got to converse with the Author on Twitter which was brilliant such a humble man for such a big fish in the world of MMA S&C.

Oh well I'll post some of my workouts and pics,

Til next time....

Change of plan

Well, all I can say is I'm gutted.....I have had to give up on chasing the Commando dagger.

The simple fact is I cant dedicate the time to do it... I can train in my own time that isn't  a problem. The problem is I cant go away for weekends. My wife is 8 1/2 months pregnant, we don't have any family close by and I work 90miles away so it would be selfish of me to go away on TA weekends and leave her with the baby all weekend and all week while I am working.

My working day is:
0500hrs - Get up
0545hrs - Commute to work
0730hrs - Work
1600/1700hrs - Commute to home
1900hrs - Train
2000hrs - Eat
2200hrs - Bed

I know other people may have it harder than me but add a baby into that and it leaves me with little time. Some people may think I have pussied out but life is about prioritising and putting what you believe to be important first!! For me its my family, I am extremely lucky that my wife has supported me in whatever I have wanted to do (believe me there were a lot of schemes) so now I am adapting my goals.

A bit of a whinge and feeling sorry for myself post but onwards and upwards.

Hangover

The morning after the night before.....Went out last night but my ability to drink has severely left me, 5 pints and I'm anyone's!!lol Luckily last night I knew when to stop drinking and as a result all  I have to worry about today is fatigue.

Still squeezed in a little workout

Press ups/Squats/Burpees

2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20

Just to take the guilt off going out and drinking

I love regains

Regain bruises

Well what can I say the weekend was TOUGH!!! Two days on a commando training weekend might not sound a lot but when you start running on Saturday morning at 0600 and finish the day at 2200hrs it takes its toll!!

I have been having a little bit of knee trouble aka it swellls up after a weekend which has prevented me from doing much running. This in turn has led to poor results on the bottom field tests so I'm having 8 weeks off to build myself back up and slowly build my running up to ascertain whether its a mechanical injury or just impact from being on the hard ground...

Oh well, back to the grindstone

Ok, so this week I have been a little lazy, so I decided to take myself out for a cheeky 3 miles along the Thames at lunchtime... I can seriously tell I haven't run for a month because of a bit of knee swelling.

Gonna Gym it tonight some conditioning work and then I am away the weekend doing commando trainingso I will be dead.

Plus I haven't packed my bergen for the weekend joy

Soooo... timeframes, I will be undertaking the course bar injury in November 2012. The tests I have to pass are as follows,

"This intense phase ends with a series of tests which have remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Again, these tests are done in full fighting order of 32 lb (14.5 kg) of equipment.

The Commando tests are taken on consecutive days and all four tests must be successfully completed within a seven day period; they include;

• A nine mile (14.5 km) speed march, carrying full fighting order, to be completed in 90 minutes; the pace is thus 10 minutes per mile (9.6 km/h or 6 mph).

• The Endurance course is a six mile (9.65 km) course across rough moorland and woodland terrain at Woodbury Common nearLympstone, which includes tunnels, pipes, wading pools, and an underwater culvert. The course ends with a four mile (6 km) run back toCTCRM. Followed by a marksmanship test, where the recruit must hit 6 out of 10 shots at a 25m target simulating 200 m. To be completed in 73 minutes (71 minutes for Royal Marine officers). Originally 72 minutes, these times were recently increased by one minute as the route of the course was altered.

• The Tarzan Assault Course. This is an assault course combined with an aerial confidence test. It starts with a death slide (now known as the Commando Slide) and ends with a rope climb up a thirty foot near-vertical wall. It must be completed with full fighting order in 13 minutes, 12 minutes for officers. The Potential Officers Course also includes confidence tests from the Tarzan Assault Course, although not with equipment.

• The 30 miler. This is a 30-mile (48-km) march across upland Dartmoor, wearing full fighting order, and additional safety equipment carried by the recruit in a daysack. It must be completed in eight hours for recruits and seven hours for Royal Marine officers, who must also navigate the route themselves, rather than following a DS (a trained Royal Marine) with the rest of a syndicate and carry their own equipment.

After the 30-mile (48 km) march, any who failed any of the tests may attempt to retake them up until the seven day window expires. If a recruit fails two or more of the tests, however, it is unlikely that a chance to re-attempt them will be offered.

Normally the seven to eight day schedule for the Commando Tests is as follows:

• Saturday - Endurance Course
• Sunday - Rest
• Monday - Nine Mile Speed March
• Tuesday - Tarzan Assault Course
• Wednesday - 30 Miler
• Thursday - Failed test re-runs
• Friday - Failed test re-runs
• Saturday - 30 Miler re-run if required

Completing the Commando course successfully entitles the recruit or officer to wear the green beret"

(From Wikipedia)

I have 8 months of training to get to this standard, I shall be going on one Commando Training Weekend every month with the TA and training nights once/twice per week. All other training will be completed in my own time at night and at the weekend. 

Just a few other things, the views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own thoughts and do not reflect the thoughts of any organisations I am a member of or important people I know.....

I suppose I should start by introducing myself, I'm a 30 year test analyst who works full time commutes 15 hours a week has a pregnant wife at home and has taken the crazy notion of wanting to complete the Reserve All Arms Commando Course!! Call it an early mid-life crisis or some bizarre last grasp of achieving something before I am confined to a life of nappies and school plays.

This is a little crazy because of the fitness levels required to pass the course are somewhere near that of an elite level athlete, massive CV fitness with great upper body strength.

As I stated earlier I am 30 years old I do have some military experience I spent 5 yrs in the Army but I got out over 7 yrs ago, since then I have played rugby, crossfitted, been to University, got fat, lost a bit, put it back on and toyed with Triathlon.

I am by no means a fit lad but that's why I am writing this blog to have a means of capturing and documenting my progress, successes and failures in my hopeful completion of the course.