Matt C of Atlanta, Ga. writes in today, "What happened to barbell mile? Now you're a rower? I thought the cross fit was training for the bjj? Focus!"
First thanks for reading, Matt. In the past weeks I've learned that this blog's readers include some people I really admire. I have a small but quality circulation, and I like that.
Basically nothing happened to Barbell Mile. Before the Mile High Sprints I took two de-loading weeks in a row, and now I'm repeated last month's cycle, so if I did post it would look like:
3 x 5 of something, with not a lot of weight.
The only noteworthy thing to happen lately is that I hit a PR press which is actually pretty sweet since the press is usually the last lift to come up.
I'm also working on another blog now, and in effect I get paid for doing that one, so if I am capable of writing 150 words for example, I have to give them to the guys paying me. It's not at all easy for me to write any of these, but that would be a subject for a blog on writing.
Am I rower? Yes, I think so. By far my favorite physical activity right now is trying to blow myself apart in under 90 seconds rowing a 500. Not so fun for me but even more important is trying to improve my 2000 which is pathetic judging from my 500. So yes, I'm a rower, and I'm going to row until I get it right.
In addition to being a rower, I'm a power lifter. Now it's true that you can't ride two horses with one ass, but since I row and lift at sort of a high intermediate old guy level, I'm pretty sure I can get away with training both as long as I seriously de-load one of them as I near a competition in the other. I would further guess that my seriously good 500 is a result of my pretty good back squat. In fact, my high intermediate old guy 500 blew away a few college rowers at the Sprints. I strive to take my games beyond the high intermediate old guy level, and should one of them suddenly become really good, I'd re-evaluate my training and see if I should push the good one and really go light on the other one, but right now I'm not in danger of suddenly getting extremely good at anything.
So what happened to BJJ? Well one can look at BJJ as physical training, sport, art, or self-defense. When I started BJJ, I had physical training in mind, but it soon became my sport. I was aware that some day for some reason I wouldn't compete in BJJ and at that point I'd continue training to appreciate the art. I had assumed I'd quit competing when I was 70 or so. Now I haven't given up on competing. The problem is just that if I compete as a master in a state tournament, I'm going to have to pay a bunch of money to fight a guy who is most likely from a sister school, and I won't be able to put my heart into beating him. It would make more sense to get together at one of our academies and contest maybe three out of five without paying $70. International tournaments on the other hand are a blast if my limited experience still holds. I went to the Pan-Ams two or so years ago and had a great time. I vowed I'd be back the next year in fact. Between injuries and poverty, it hasn't made sense for me to fly to one of the coasts for a big tournament. Currently I'm training jiu-jitsu at a nice relaxed speed and enjoying searching for technical proficiency while I develop it as an art.
I hope my life works out such that some year I can hit the Pan-Ams or better the World Seniors. When that becomes possible, yes, I'll use cross fit to condition. I may be a high intermediate old guy, but I can still get into ass-whuppin' condition in six weeks with crossfit, so I'm just not worried about maintaining a high state of physical preparedness for BJJ right now.
Finally your question is well-timed. I just laid out an entire 24 weeks of training today. It's largely an experiment to see if I want to put it in for some of my clients, and it's focused on pushing the power lifts, fucking destroying college rowers on the erg, and maintaining enough conditioning so that I can make good on my six weeks claim should circumstances make that necessary.
As an afterword, the other blog is about BJJ. I don't control it, but it will be made public when enough material has been amassed. Yes, I love BJJ. It just can't be my main sport right now.
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