Starting Virtually from Scratch, with Too Much Information

[JasonE]

I have just started to get my body ready for a real workout after some 6 months of doing everything wrong fitness-wise: eating garbage, sleeping poorly, not stretching, exerting myself as little as possible, and rarely drinking plain water. The good things I've done are: earning a promotion at work, developing a great new relationship, and getting myself out of a financial quagmire.

I've gone from about 185-190 lbs to a Dough-Boy 222 lbs. Even at my starting weight I had room to lose about 10 lbs. I am 5'10" tall.

My schedule is generally 11am to 730pm, M-F. I work at a desk all day, so I have to be creative to get any exercise while on the job. Some times I will climb the stairwell 12 stories to reach my cage, but not often.

I am remarkably prepared for working out, but I need direction to create a focused program for achievement.

I already have access to the following resources:
A dojo that crosstrains striking & grappling pretty intensively.
Dumb Bells with plenty of plates (2.5, 5, and 10 lbs)
Open space
Stopwatch
Elliptical Trainer with Arm Attachments
Speed Bag
Nutritional Supplements
Reference books & magazines (LOTS of these)
The Grapplers Toolbox tape series
Pavel Tsatsouline's basic Kettlebell tape
Jump Ropes (light, regular, and super-heavy)
Focus Mitts and training partner
Thai pads and training partner
Various weapons and training partners
Ropes
Workshop for equipment fabrication

I can easily get access to all kinds of additional references and tapes, and to Kettlebell instructors, and to kettlebells and club bells.

I cannot easily get access to a certified Club Bell instructor.

I have started working on Taku's Interval Training listed under "Workouts" on Scrapper's web site www.trainforstrength.com. So far I am unable to get through the whole thing on the elliptical trainer, so I have made it my first goal: complete the 4 week cycle and be able to go through the whole routine without dying.

By that point, I should be ready for more intensive sessions. I am also starting to do more stretching and basic movement drills, but this part of my program is unstructured.

Long-term, I want my 31/32-inch waistline and a 30 gallon gas tank so I can train and compete at the levels that I used to. Along the way I would also like to increase my flexibility and buid lean muscle mass.

In the past I have had injuries (mostly soft-tissue stuff), but I am pretty healthy now. The main things I am careful of are my right shoulder and my right knee. I have a chiropractor I see now and then whether I need to or not (just to keep an eye on things), and a massage therapist that works on the knots I sometimes get in my shoulders and back.

Please give me some guidance on where to proceed from here. I have too much information and not enough experience to do this intelligently on my own.

Thanks!

[circular]

Jason,

This is a reminder since it is stated in the description of this section. This is a free service directly connecting you to certified CST Instructors so you do have access to not one, but many of the CST Instructor Cadre, including Head Coaches and the founder even.

The reminder is as follows. This is a CST Forum: for Circular Strength Training guidance. You will not receive program design suggestions for conventional training equipment or exercise selections. There are countless resources for such typical guidance. As you can read throughout the forum - this is "Simply Sophisticated" Training innovated by Coach Sonnon at RMAX.tv Productions.

If you redefine your program design request, you may receive CST guidance from the CST Instructor Cadre.

[JasonE]

My apologies: I guess I DO have access to CST coaches, LOL! I was thinking more "in person" access, but you're right... I can get serious guidance here online.

That's pretty much why I'm here in the first place.

In another month I should be getting my first Club Bells. From what I've been reading, I THINK a pair of 10 lbers will do fine while I'm getting the knack of CST, at least until I have basic form down... but I'm not sure.

Until I have the CBs, I am going through "Club Bells for Circular Strength Training" and "Bodyflow"... reading the theory before trying to put it into action. The conventional interval training I am utilizing until then is to establish a base GPP so I don't hurt myself the first time out. I don't need help with this conventional aspect of my planning, but with what I should do after, when I have my CBs and a tape to watch.

Do I just adopt a workout from the video tape (if there is one) or make up my own? From what I've read so far, haphazard program design is anathema to intelligent application of the method.

If intelligent application of the method would incorporate any of the other resources at my disposal, great! If not, I don't care. I've never gotten advice on a particular training method or had a training program laid out for me before, so I'm just gonna tell what I have in hopes that you will steer me right.

If you think I should look at starting with other CBs or whatever, please tell me that too. I have a few weeks to make whatever preparations are necessary for a program that will get me started right with CST. Please help me with a plan so I know how to prepare other than working on my GPP. It's been about 4 years since I was in peak condition, so I am trying to do more than just undo the last 6 months.

I apologize for not making all this clear in my original post. I will attempt to be more clear in the future, and I look forward to reading any suggestions you may have for my future CST program design.

Thanks!

[JasonE]

I went ahead and ordered a set of 10-lb. Club Bells and the video tape. I already have the book, so in a week or two I'll have my basic CST gear.

If you have suggestions on getting started, please drop me a line.

Thanks!

[crubio]

Jason,

Do you have any particular goals you want to acheive? If your goal is any ol' GPP then any ol' program of exercises will get you there. Can you please be more specific in defining your goals?

[JasonE]

I have multiple needs that will shape my development. I plan to go back to crosstraining in striking and grappling with eye to compete and teach again. I need to reduce my susceptibility to pain, stiffness, and injury. I need to be able to rapidly adapt my workouts to changing schedules and circumstances.

GOALS:
I want my 32-inch waist and flat stomach back.
I want to grapple for an hour without stopping.
I want my high kicks back, with more control and power.
I want my weight under 184 for competition again, with more strength.
I want my right shoulder and knee to feel solid and stable under load.
I want to spar for an hour with speed and control.

Current stats:
Height 5'10"
Weight 222 lbs
Neck 16.5"
Shoulders 49"
Chest 44"
Waist (at navel) 43.5"
Upper arm 13.75"
Fore arm 12"
Thigh 25"
Calf 15"

Does that count as goals, or do you need more numerics?

[JasonE]

You will find more on my medical history on the Recovery Forum under the thread "Hamstrings From Hell".

[Scott Sonnon]

Jason,
Have you and Chris developed a program for you yet? I've been terribly backlogged, so it may have slipped under my radar if your program already launched.

[JasonE]

No, I haven't gotten any recommendations on creating a program yet. I've just started working with the CST book to practice the basic positions, Sweeps to waist height, and Clean to Order.

I have a tape on order, and hopefully that will arrive soon too.

I only have 2 weeks of my GPP program left, and I'm very excited about starting a real CST program!

Thanks in advance for your help!

[crubio]

Jason, Coach,

From what I can tell Jason is interested in Grappling and Striking, and since I have no direct experience with either, I can only suggest some general clubbell routines using exercises from the book or video. But even with that, I do not know how far to take it because to grapple and strike I do not know how much effort is involved and if one want to inprove in that I'm sure he must spend time doing it. I do know that CB will be indespensible. I cannot desing a program for something I have never done

Sorry for the lag time in response, I had some internet connection problems that just got fixed.

[Scott Sonnon]

Roger, Chris. No worries.

Jason, be patient with me and I'll try schedule time to craft you a program.

[JasonE]

I await your wisdom, oh great poobah...

Meantime, I think I'm finally getting the Clean to Park down, and I'm working on Shoulder Park and a few other dynamic movements. Haven't messed with the grinds yet, but those will come soon.

Thanks again!

[JasonE]

I saw this on another thread and have decided to adopt it to get the basics down until I have a more structured program to work on:

How long have you had your Clubbell®'s?

If you are new to them, I might suggest taking ALL the basic exercises and dividing them by 3. It comes out to be something like 5-8 exercises, iirc. Then do 2 sets of each with a safe number of reps. So Day 1: first 5 exercises for 2 sets each Day 2: Next 5 exercises, etc.

Spend 3-4 weeks just doing this and it will really help you build a picture of your strengths and weaknesses. You can then build a program to build up deficencies and once you've done that, train for greater performance.

Hope that is actually useful,
Vince CST, A

Please let me know if you think I should take a different approach, or if I should modify this exploratory program in any way. Thanks!

[JasonE]

I've been messing around with my ClubBells, trying to get form down from the CST book description. I think I'm doing okay, but yesterday I got the CST tape and tonight I will start watching it.

My thanks to Nikolay Travkin for his assistance in tracking my shipment so I could collect it from the US Postal Service. I wish I could get such excellent service from more companies!

I've got limited overhead room at my girlfriend's house, so I have divided the basic movements into those I can do at her place, and those I can't. When it gets warmer out, I will go outside and eliminate the problem, but until then I have a compromise that will work, as my own house has a room with sufficient space.

My cardio, stretching, and calisthenic work has paid off and I've started my martial arts training again. I will be putting in 2-3 nights per week, for 1-3 hours per night, practicing BJJ, striking, submission wrestling, and Inayan Escrima.

I haven't started my Program Log online yet, but I have been keeping track on paper, and will post it shortly. In the last 10 days I have lost 10 pounds and regained a notch on my belt!