Peter
Level 4 Valued Member
Love this forum and a big thanks to all who take the time to post. I am 55 years old and just recently retired from 30 years of teaching (semi retired actually). I am 6'1" and 185 lbs. Resting HR in the low 50's. Past athletic endeavours include university football, some recreational hockey, biking and occasional lifting. About 5 years ago at the age of 50 my son and I joined a karate dojo. It reenergized me and motivated me to bring up my level of fitness. He has since gone on to other endeavours while I am currently a brown belt with my eyes on grading for a black belt this year. Shortly after I started karate I got back to the gym.
About three years ago I discovered kettlebells and received some one on one instruction from a certified Agatsu trainer. A year ago while on vacation in beautiful Carpinteria, California discovered Simple and Sinister and Strong First and the rest is history as they say. I have received about 2 hours of instruction from a SFG level 1 instructor. Currently I am integrating a 28 kg bell into my one hand swings and 24 kg bell into my TGU. At the end of my S&S session I will do some combination of Hardstyle Abs and exercises from the document Enter the Kettlebell Special Report #2 - usually single leg dead lifts and Russian twists. I also work on my cleans technique. I have read and am thrilled to finally do a full pistol on my left leg but the right leg lags behind. I will do pistols on occasion but must admit that I am not very consistent with them.
Goals: black belt and beyond, side splits to the ground, Simple standard and from there ROP from Enter the Kettlebell, injury free (so far nothing major), pistol squat both sides.
Training: karate 1.5 hours 3x per week formal sessions plus on my own, S&S 3-4x per week. Mobility work (from Flexible Steel).
Questions:
1. Would there be any benefit to integrating a long run or bike ride in the MAF heart rate aerobic zone (for me 125-130) 2-3 X per week? These would be my retired days (as opposed to my semiretired days )
2. I have a HR monitor and have used it in my S&S sessions. Just to be clear when doing a swing test the goal is 100 in 5 minutes ignoring heart rate but evaluating based on one's ability to maintain form and power and not coughing up a lung?
3. Am I overtraining? My S&S sessions take about an hour with the extras.
4. Further to overtraining would there be anything wrong with doing a S&S session the morning of a karate day?
5. Anybody have experience with ETK special report # 2?
Again, thanks to all for taking the time to contribute to this forum. It is one thing to have the knowledge but it is another to be willing to share it.
Peter
About three years ago I discovered kettlebells and received some one on one instruction from a certified Agatsu trainer. A year ago while on vacation in beautiful Carpinteria, California discovered Simple and Sinister and Strong First and the rest is history as they say. I have received about 2 hours of instruction from a SFG level 1 instructor. Currently I am integrating a 28 kg bell into my one hand swings and 24 kg bell into my TGU. At the end of my S&S session I will do some combination of Hardstyle Abs and exercises from the document Enter the Kettlebell Special Report #2 - usually single leg dead lifts and Russian twists. I also work on my cleans technique. I have read and am thrilled to finally do a full pistol on my left leg but the right leg lags behind. I will do pistols on occasion but must admit that I am not very consistent with them.
Goals: black belt and beyond, side splits to the ground, Simple standard and from there ROP from Enter the Kettlebell, injury free (so far nothing major), pistol squat both sides.
Training: karate 1.5 hours 3x per week formal sessions plus on my own, S&S 3-4x per week. Mobility work (from Flexible Steel).
Questions:
1. Would there be any benefit to integrating a long run or bike ride in the MAF heart rate aerobic zone (for me 125-130) 2-3 X per week? These would be my retired days (as opposed to my semiretired days )
2. I have a HR monitor and have used it in my S&S sessions. Just to be clear when doing a swing test the goal is 100 in 5 minutes ignoring heart rate but evaluating based on one's ability to maintain form and power and not coughing up a lung?
3. Am I overtraining? My S&S sessions take about an hour with the extras.
4. Further to overtraining would there be anything wrong with doing a S&S session the morning of a karate day?
5. Anybody have experience with ETK special report # 2?
Again, thanks to all for taking the time to contribute to this forum. It is one thing to have the knowledge but it is another to be willing to share it.
Peter
Personally, I do not include slow aerobics in my training, but I walk a lot every day, and still have a resting HR below 50. I guess all the walking counts as aerobic activity. Maybe try once a week, assess how you feel and see any consequence (bad or good) on your other activities before adding (or not) another session. I would rather follow the programme until the Simple standard before adding anything, though. Your karate practice already takes care of your conditioning, and your resting HR is reflecting that.
