Extreme Conditioning

[gallucci]

Hi-

I'm currrently in good shape, but I need to get in incredible shape by mid-October. I am currently a Black Belt in TKD, and will be testing for my next degree. I train 3x/week in TKD, and have resumed weight training last January. I am fairly strong - I can FULL squat 315 for reps, bench 265 for reps, etc.

But - now it is time to shift gears. I can endure our TKD classes pretty well, but Black Belt and higher tests in our school are grueling. My Black Belt test was 8 1/4 hours. It is as much a test of will as anything else. The hardest part for most of us is the combinations. They last for about 120 minutes straight. Non-stop, up and down the floor, 110% effort, constant kicking, punching, blocking, etc. ( Also, the slightest infractions, such as not answering correctly, are corrected with push-ups. The combination portion of my test was sprinkled with sets of 25-30 push-ups about 5 or six times because the same guy kept failing to respond to the commands properly!! )

That being said, I need to build up the type of endurance I'll need to carry me through this "hell day". I have about 6-8 weeks. So, I have a few questions:

1. Which of your workouts (book OR video) would you suggest? I don't want to start at a level that is too low, or one that is too high just yet.

2. If you recommend clubbells, given my size (6'2", 212 pounds, 44 years old) and strength, I am guessing that 15 pound bells would be good. Remember, I need to focus on endurance, so my thought is to not go too heavy, since even 10 pounders will feel like a hundred pounds in a minute or two. Waddya think?

3. If you recommend a video, is it available on DVD as well?

4. I have come to believe that true mobility and range of motion is accomplished with multi-joint exercise rather than the isolated stretching that is soooo prevalent. Whatever you suggest should include this as well.

5. I'll gladly accept any other advice you can offer.

Thanks very much, and thanks for a great site,

Dave Gallucci

[rbibbs]

Dave, unless you are already using the principles, I think Be Breathed would be the biggest enhancement for your overall stamina in 6 weeks. It's VHS only at this time, far as I know.

Your size, condition, goals (endurance) do suggest 15# clubbells. All the exercises are multi-joint, coordinated strength. You could most likely "grow into" 20s, but it would take as much time as you have before your rank test.

The Body-Flow video series would also be applicable, as per your observations in #4.

[gallucci]

I went and bought Scrapper's Mod #1 course. Sorry. No offense. After reading much of what is on this site, I think that courses like Be Breathed and Body Flow are something I'll start after my test. They seem like ways of life almost and require ( rightfully so ) thorough understanding and application of principles in order to benefit fully from them. That is cool, and may be just what I need. But for the next 6-8 weeks, I'm going the Marine PT type route.

As for the clubbells, I was in Sear's today, and happened to walk by the hammers. I picked up a pair of 4 pound hammers that had maybe 15 or 18" handles. I see how length and leverage really changes things. I am not trying to satisfy my ego in buying the clubbells - I am simply looking to get the weight that will allow me to get the most results for my training. Strong as I am, after fooling with mere 4 pound hammers, I am leaning towards the 10 pounder clubbells. Maybe that is too light. Can you ( or Coach Sonnon ) set me straight? I really don't mean to revisit the weight thing again, but they are expensive, and I want to get the right ones. I am ready to buy as soon as I can settle on getting the right weight.

Thanks again,
-Dave Gallucci

[Scott Sonnon]

Dave,

You can't go wrong with MOD1. Besides, Scrapper's a CST Instructor.

Go with the 15s.

[gallucci]

Thanks Coach! I just ordered a pair of 15's. Looking forward to new dimensions, literally, in my training.

Warm Regards,

Dave G.