JClayton
01-28-2004, 02:02 PM
I would like to ask the assembled tribe members for both their opinions and their help. I started training with two 10-lb Clubbells last week, and would very much like to attend the Delta Cadre course at the end of March.
My primary purpose for this is to improve my skills and further my own training; my secondary purpose is someday (not necessarily now) to become certified as a CST instructor, which I feel will be very useful to me as a martial arts instructor and fitness/conditioning trainer.
The question to which I would like to solicit opinions is, would it be too soon for me to attend the training course?
If the answer to that question is that it is not too soon to attend the course, the help that I would like to ask for is how best to train for the next eight weeks to prepare for the course.
Here is some more information about me that might be relevant. I am 6'1", 180 lbs, have a long background in martial arts and sports, and while I am not a natural knuckledragger, I am generally very fit and healthy. I say "generally" because I am just on the tail end of recovering from a midly herniated disc at C6. Because of this injury I have become somewhat deconditioned, and decided to use Clubbells as a more intelligent method of strength training and to develop core and spinal stability. I have not returned to grappling workouts or sparring, and am not doing things like heavy deadlifts or power cleans. I have experienced no problems training with my two 10-lb clubbells, and am building back up to hard running, bodyweight, and kickboxing workouts. Other than being careful about my C-spine, I have no physical limitations.
In the past week and a half, I have worked through and become comfortable with most of the basic exercises in the CST book and video. I have been training with fairly high volume, choosing six or seven exercises each workout and doing 5 sets of 5-15 reps per exercise. I've been doing higher reps on things like Swings and Cleans, and lower reps on things like Leverage Presses and Casts. My RPE has been pretty low, around 4-5. I've been working with a 30-second rest time, not going near failure, and just trying to move smoothly to develop good technique.
I'll probably continue with this type of workout through this week, and then next week I feel that I will be ready for something more demanding. I am planning to order two 15's next week, but I'll probably keep using the 10's for things like Mills, Leverage Presses, and Casts for a little longer.
I am having a hard time designing a program to prepare myself for the Delta course because I don't know what is involved. Two and a half days is a long time for a physical course, and I don't know how much actual working out is involved. Nonetheless, I am envisioning eight weeks of training being divided into two four-week cycles. The first four weeks would be devoted to adapting to the 15's, starting to work at a higher RPE, and continuing to develop my form on skill-based exercises. The second four-week cycle would focus more on specific preparation for the course, however that may be accomplished.
As for other training variables, I have plenty of training space both indoors and out, I can devote as much time as needed to training and recovery, and I have a very healthful diet and supplementation routine. I have a good program of supplementary/warm-up exercises that I have been doing just about every day for years, consisting of rhythmic limbering, ROM exercises, qigong, taiji, dynamic stretching, and yoga.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks very much.
My primary purpose for this is to improve my skills and further my own training; my secondary purpose is someday (not necessarily now) to become certified as a CST instructor, which I feel will be very useful to me as a martial arts instructor and fitness/conditioning trainer.
The question to which I would like to solicit opinions is, would it be too soon for me to attend the training course?
If the answer to that question is that it is not too soon to attend the course, the help that I would like to ask for is how best to train for the next eight weeks to prepare for the course.
Here is some more information about me that might be relevant. I am 6'1", 180 lbs, have a long background in martial arts and sports, and while I am not a natural knuckledragger, I am generally very fit and healthy. I say "generally" because I am just on the tail end of recovering from a midly herniated disc at C6. Because of this injury I have become somewhat deconditioned, and decided to use Clubbells as a more intelligent method of strength training and to develop core and spinal stability. I have not returned to grappling workouts or sparring, and am not doing things like heavy deadlifts or power cleans. I have experienced no problems training with my two 10-lb clubbells, and am building back up to hard running, bodyweight, and kickboxing workouts. Other than being careful about my C-spine, I have no physical limitations.
In the past week and a half, I have worked through and become comfortable with most of the basic exercises in the CST book and video. I have been training with fairly high volume, choosing six or seven exercises each workout and doing 5 sets of 5-15 reps per exercise. I've been doing higher reps on things like Swings and Cleans, and lower reps on things like Leverage Presses and Casts. My RPE has been pretty low, around 4-5. I've been working with a 30-second rest time, not going near failure, and just trying to move smoothly to develop good technique.
I'll probably continue with this type of workout through this week, and then next week I feel that I will be ready for something more demanding. I am planning to order two 15's next week, but I'll probably keep using the 10's for things like Mills, Leverage Presses, and Casts for a little longer.
I am having a hard time designing a program to prepare myself for the Delta course because I don't know what is involved. Two and a half days is a long time for a physical course, and I don't know how much actual working out is involved. Nonetheless, I am envisioning eight weeks of training being divided into two four-week cycles. The first four weeks would be devoted to adapting to the 15's, starting to work at a higher RPE, and continuing to develop my form on skill-based exercises. The second four-week cycle would focus more on specific preparation for the course, however that may be accomplished.
As for other training variables, I have plenty of training space both indoors and out, I can devote as much time as needed to training and recovery, and I have a very healthful diet and supplementation routine. I have a good program of supplementary/warm-up exercises that I have been doing just about every day for years, consisting of rhythmic limbering, ROM exercises, qigong, taiji, dynamic stretching, and yoga.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome and appreciated.
Thanks very much.