The structured gym session was tonight! The warm-up was pretty standard fanfare, though a bit extended. It's what I normally do to warm-up and I got to share it with everyone, though I think it might be too relaxed for a group warm-up setting. It's nice when I can do it on my own, because I can keep moving randomly, haphazardly, stretching and working myself up.. but with others, I need to explain each movement, which means the hold is a few seconds long and it's not really constant or continuous movement.. I'll experiment with it some more and maybe we can get it going at a faster pace. Lots of quadrupedal. In any case, this was followed by drillings of rolls, lands, and vaults for awhile, instructing when necessary on how and where to improve.
The skills set was divided into two for this session, the first half being utility of take-off and landing spaces. I didn't fully explore this one as I would have liked (incorporating rolls out of and into and the like), but I will in the future. This was just a trial run and to show that one must be vigilant in thinking about continuous movement. The second half was focused on balance and precision, first through walking along a rail, then jumping and sticking the landing, and lastly by attempting to perform squats and pistols on it. Those attempts tended to fail rather miserably, myself BARELY getting one off (requiring the removal of my Feiyues to even achieve that remote success). In terms of precision, it was really just a drilling of jumps and lands, learning to stick them. In hindsight, I should've also required some running jumps to full-stop landings... But I did include vault to precisions.
The conditioning set consisted of ham-glute raises, squats, calf-raises, toe-raises, atomic sit-ups, leg-lifts, planks, reverse crunches, and dips.. And then we played a quadrupedal version of manhunt/sharks and minnows which didn't last as long as intended because I, at the very least, was extremely tired, but I think with more people, and starting it before a conditoining set, will result in far more success and a lot more fun.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
North meets South
Today was the North meets South meet, starting at 3PM in Hamilton and closing at 8PM at the Burlington gym. Tons of fun today. The outdoor meet in Hamilton was light and relaxed. We messed around here and there, experimented with some jumps, and played a game of tag to warm ourselves up. First time I've been sprinting in awhile, so it was an interesting experience. After a short time outside, we went and had lunch, and went off to the gym.
The gym experience was great, with people from all over Ontario. Everyone was training, learning, teaching... Wonderful atmosphere. I spent some time instructing some of the newcomers, training my split-foots, and some standard vault training. Tacs, catgrabs, underbars, turn vaults (and amusing turn-vault to underbars), as well as various other things like butterfly kicks, b-twists, these weird lazy twists that Danno could do but no one else could, and just a whole slew of stuff. It was great fun, and I pushed my body to quite a limit, showing some conditioning exercises to the newcomers and whatnot. I started the gym with a quadrupedal warm-up that I've been doing lately, as well, which I'm beginning to enjoy and have much more fun experimenting with as each week comes. Every time I go to the gym, now, I'm finding more and more things to do and ways to move, so that whole boredom thing is slowly weeding itself away.
Tonight was just a great amount of fun and really showed the spirit and strength of the communities of Ontario.
The gym experience was great, with people from all over Ontario. Everyone was training, learning, teaching... Wonderful atmosphere. I spent some time instructing some of the newcomers, training my split-foots, and some standard vault training. Tacs, catgrabs, underbars, turn vaults (and amusing turn-vault to underbars), as well as various other things like butterfly kicks, b-twists, these weird lazy twists that Danno could do but no one else could, and just a whole slew of stuff. It was great fun, and I pushed my body to quite a limit, showing some conditioning exercises to the newcomers and whatnot. I started the gym with a quadrupedal warm-up that I've been doing lately, as well, which I'm beginning to enjoy and have much more fun experimenting with as each week comes. Every time I go to the gym, now, I'm finding more and more things to do and ways to move, so that whole boredom thing is slowly weeding itself away.
Tonight was just a great amount of fun and really showed the spirit and strength of the communities of Ontario.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Lower Body
For a few weeks now, my left leg has really been bugging me when I train. Enough of a pain that it well... hurts. Resting it doesn't seem to help so much, and after talking with Jess, we've concluded that my calves are very weak (which they are), and the impacts I've absorbed from landing on my toes has overstressed my calves, as my body simply isn't used to that kind of punishment. The answer, of course, is to dedicate much more of my energy to conditioning my lower body. The experiment consists of hours upon hours of calf and shin training, which is really going to bug the crap out of me, since it can be really boring, and I was told it was in my best interest to not apply any extra weight for a week or two. I'll follow Jess's advice, because I trust her knowledge in kinesiology. I believe it's my pereonaus longus that's been injured, which is the outer lateral side of the calf muscles. From Sunday, my calves are already in a state of soreness, so I think two days rest will be good before beginning on it again. However, I'll do what I can for the muscles which aren't quite so sore.
At the same time, I'm struggling to reclaim my cardiovascular abilities after quitting smoking again. The process is a long one, because the difference between an able body and a smoking body is quite large. The cost of smoking on my body and on my training was too high to keep up, and this is a moment of decisiveness. I present myself as determined today, but I'm not sure how determined I will stay, because cardiovascular training is the most boring and most frustrating work for me. I will push it little by little, not in huge chunks. And I will find enjoyable ways of increasing my endurance. Let's hope it all works!
To all, happy training and many great gains.
At the same time, I'm struggling to reclaim my cardiovascular abilities after quitting smoking again. The process is a long one, because the difference between an able body and a smoking body is quite large. The cost of smoking on my body and on my training was too high to keep up, and this is a moment of decisiveness. I present myself as determined today, but I'm not sure how determined I will stay, because cardiovascular training is the most boring and most frustrating work for me. I will push it little by little, not in huge chunks. And I will find enjoyable ways of increasing my endurance. Let's hope it all works!
To all, happy training and many great gains.
Friday, February 8, 2008
I've been approached to teach a Parkour class at the gym in Burlington, which really excites me. The following is the proposed format for the class. We'll see how it goes.
The time will be largely oriented toward beginners, but the format will be beneficial to anyone, as it involves developing specific skills for Parkour and conditioning the body to be able to endure the rigors of the discipline. The format largely follows the discussions that Chris, you and I had some time ago, removing the "open" time for specific instruction. The first 15-20 minutes will involve warm-up and stretching. I envision this to be done quadrupedally, in a circle, moving quickly and slowly alternatingly, using short and long reaches to help stretch the muscles and rotate the joints, while continuously moving to get the heartrate up. Think of it like a messed up yoga form. The next 1:15-1:30 or so will be the skills set section of the time. The skills set will be rigorous, disciplined training of isolated aspects of Parkour movement, and will be different every week. More detail later. The last amount of the time, about 30-45 minutes, will involve conditioning. The conditioning will take form in either the standard format, some kind of circuit, or a game. Again, more detail coming.
Skills Set
Basics and Overview - A basic overview course, covering landings, rolls, jumping technique, and the most oft-used vaults.
Precision/Balance - Students will learn how to land precisely on elevated landings following standing jumps, running jumps, vaults, and underbars. When landing on such an object as a balance beam, students will quickly redivert their momentum into a balanced quadrupedal run along it. Balance on rails, both standing and quadrupedally will also be trained.
Breathing - Students will learn the benefits of deep breathing and how to properly utilize breath when performing techniques to maximum output or to stay safe.
Recessive Side - Students will train specifically laterally-dependent techniques on their recessive side exclusively.
Utility of take-off and landing spaces - Students will train with the intention of maximizing the utility of their take-off and landing spaces, by rolling into techniques, rolling out of them, using the landing space as a take-off space, and the like.
Wall techniques - Students will train techniques that are dependent on a vertical surface, with blocks set-up to tac off of and leap onto.
Continuity of movement - Obstacle circuits will be set up, and students will train connecting together techniques, rather than training them in isolation, and preserving momentum and forward motion.
Power in opposition of momentum - Students will train techniques without the benefit of long runs to the obstacles, focusing on power and technique. Obstacles must be traversed with two steps, one step, and zero steps.
Most of these, I had instructed down in DC last summer with great success, so this plan roughly follows what was called the "DCWTTC" courses last summer (DC Weekly Themed Training and Conditioning). That's eight weeks. If it starts after reading week, then I have nine weeks left in Canada (I'll be assessing someone to continue this after I leave).
Conditioning
Standard - Specific exercises will be performed to target particular muscle groups. This will be performed in sets and reps, focusing on varying abilities, including control over the body's musculature by performing exercises slowly and precisely, and explosiveness, in which exercises will be performed... explosively.
Circuit - An obstacle circuit will be set-up, where both Parkour techniques and exercises will be melded together in "stations." Part of this is to fatigue the muscles while having to move through obstacles, as the utility aspect of Parkour training must recognize that the necessity to move may sometimes interfere with the body's state of energy. We must always be prepared, and so this is insurance that the students can continue to move, if sloppier, when they are also using their muscles more heavily through the conditioning segments of the circuit.
Game - Games will be used to add some degree of fun to the course, while still exercising the body. An example would be a typical game of Sharks and Minnows, played quadrupedally. One student will play the shark who must capture the minnows. Each time a minnow is captured, he/she becomes a shark, as well. This continues until there are no minnows left. To capture a minnow, the shark must stop any of the minnow's forward movement for a count of three seconds. Players will be pulled out of the game if they get too tired and let their knees hit the ground (this does not count if the shark has forced a minnow onto its knees) while moving around on hands/feet.
And we end with a stretch!
The time will be largely oriented toward beginners, but the format will be beneficial to anyone, as it involves developing specific skills for Parkour and conditioning the body to be able to endure the rigors of the discipline. The format largely follows the discussions that Chris, you and I had some time ago, removing the "open" time for specific instruction. The first 15-20 minutes will involve warm-up and stretching. I envision this to be done quadrupedally, in a circle, moving quickly and slowly alternatingly, using short and long reaches to help stretch the muscles and rotate the joints, while continuously moving to get the heartrate up. Think of it like a messed up yoga form. The next 1:15-1:30 or so will be the skills set section of the time. The skills set will be rigorous, disciplined training of isolated aspects of Parkour movement, and will be different every week. More detail later. The last amount of the time, about 30-45 minutes, will involve conditioning. The conditioning will take form in either the standard format, some kind of circuit, or a game. Again, more detail coming.
Skills Set
Basics and Overview - A basic overview course, covering landings, rolls, jumping technique, and the most oft-used vaults.
Precision/Balance - Students will learn how to land precisely on elevated landings following standing jumps, running jumps, vaults, and underbars. When landing on such an object as a balance beam, students will quickly redivert their momentum into a balanced quadrupedal run along it. Balance on rails, both standing and quadrupedally will also be trained.
Breathing - Students will learn the benefits of deep breathing and how to properly utilize breath when performing techniques to maximum output or to stay safe.
Recessive Side - Students will train specifically laterally-dependent techniques on their recessive side exclusively.
Utility of take-off and landing spaces - Students will train with the intention of maximizing the utility of their take-off and landing spaces, by rolling into techniques, rolling out of them, using the landing space as a take-off space, and the like.
Wall techniques - Students will train techniques that are dependent on a vertical surface, with blocks set-up to tac off of and leap onto.
Continuity of movement - Obstacle circuits will be set up, and students will train connecting together techniques, rather than training them in isolation, and preserving momentum and forward motion.
Power in opposition of momentum - Students will train techniques without the benefit of long runs to the obstacles, focusing on power and technique. Obstacles must be traversed with two steps, one step, and zero steps.
Most of these, I had instructed down in DC last summer with great success, so this plan roughly follows what was called the "DCWTTC" courses last summer (DC Weekly Themed Training and Conditioning). That's eight weeks. If it starts after reading week, then I have nine weeks left in Canada (I'll be assessing someone to continue this after I leave).
Conditioning
Standard - Specific exercises will be performed to target particular muscle groups. This will be performed in sets and reps, focusing on varying abilities, including control over the body's musculature by performing exercises slowly and precisely, and explosiveness, in which exercises will be performed... explosively.
Circuit - An obstacle circuit will be set-up, where both Parkour techniques and exercises will be melded together in "stations." Part of this is to fatigue the muscles while having to move through obstacles, as the utility aspect of Parkour training must recognize that the necessity to move may sometimes interfere with the body's state of energy. We must always be prepared, and so this is insurance that the students can continue to move, if sloppier, when they are also using their muscles more heavily through the conditioning segments of the circuit.
Game - Games will be used to add some degree of fun to the course, while still exercising the body. An example would be a typical game of Sharks and Minnows, played quadrupedally. One student will play the shark who must capture the minnows. Each time a minnow is captured, he/she becomes a shark, as well. This continues until there are no minnows left. To capture a minnow, the shark must stop any of the minnow's forward movement for a count of three seconds. Players will be pulled out of the game if they get too tired and let their knees hit the ground (this does not count if the shark has forced a minnow onto its knees) while moving around on hands/feet.
And we end with a stretch!
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