Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Basic Training A lead into Alpha training

So, its been years playing with the ideas of what to train, how to train and bouncing from one diet to another. I have had good success with IF and watching what I eat and during COVID I actually got in decent shape walking and doing a endurance challenge for funny little trinkets, however years of sitting and doing nothing and getting older have given me back issues and a hip that is apparently destroyed by arthritis…I’m not 100% sold on that one mind you.

                So I have set up 10,000 programs and started maybe a handful, but for 2026 I’m starting the Basic Training Program or the Transformation training program done in 8 week intervals two times to put together four months of work to transform. This blog is only to give you a bird’s eye view of what I am going to be doing. The program and blogs serve to organize and direct me on the daily as well as weekly and monthly to help me move towards success.

                Cardio Training is going to be limited to twice workouts a week of a brisk walk on the treadmill on an angle.  Recent studies have suggested that lower intensity work outs are better for weight loss when it comes to cardio as your body burns more calories the longer you work. This is going to be a 30-60 minute inclined walk at a good pace. This also plays into the whole “Don’t break the hip” kind of thinking. This program will hopefully transition into a solid cardio program once you hit the next level of training but for now this is going to be the focus.  Using music and a Ipad to distract me on the long walk will help me focus or rather not focus on the work out and get it done. Four times a week you will work the Heavy Hands or HH training, this is similar to the SSC or walking protocol, but you will use hand weights that are light and pump your arms, these workouts are done after the four weight training workouts each week.

                Conditioning is focused on daily calisthenics to build muscle endurance as well as two weight workouts per week that split the body into Torso and Limb training. Using a moderate weight and higher reps to burn out the glycogen in the muscles when weightlifting will help push your metabolic rate. The weight training is going to be done four times a week to push weight loss and a higher metabolic rate, and the calisthenics will be done nightly in conjunction with stretching out to help build up your endurance and keep your center training daily.

                Stretching is done before work outs of any kind, during work outs and after work outs, before bed and when ever you can through the day. Each month tackle new stretches in the daily stretching and deep stretching (used specifically after Karate workouts). The Key focus of Stretching is to help create a mobility in the whole body and limber up as well as avoid further injury.  Try and get back general mobility and make yourself a lot more mobile. This may also help with the weight loss to create stronger, more resilient hips.

                Karate is going to play a fairly big part in the whole process because its going to be used to measure my conditioning or rather “reconditioning” and help me to figure out how much more I have to train to get back to a decent base line. I mean right now kicking is VERY limited and if I can kick stomach level or higher I would be super happy. The fluidity of movement will tell me how well the training is going and also help me gage the training ahead of me. Because moving up in Rank is my goal for the near future I will be pushing the basics I need for testing as well as working with my brown and black belts to knock the rust off of my Kumite. My Kata selection for Yondan is open right now, not having made up my mind I will use the first 8 weeks to play with some ideas and also use the Kata to progress physically.

                The main goals for this training program are very straight forwards and specific. First I have to get back into good shape. Im not talking “Karate athlete” right off the hop, and I have to be careful not to push to hard and burn out to fast, I have to get to the regular program to have the four times a year rehabilitation component, so the Basic Training program is going to focus on fitness and of course weight loss. I have bout 40 pounds to drop on this four to six month training program and while some of you will think that’s nuts, I have always been able to drop big weight fast, the key is keeping my focus and keeping my training pointed in the right direction with control and care of my diet, which I will roll out shortly. The third goal is to bring back my Karate skills so I can not only grade but move forwards with more advanced training. This all starts on the 1st of January 2026. Mobility, weight loss and general fitness are the three physical focuses and then Karate…that’s it.

My training, Diet and everything associated with it will push me in the right direction, I have to keep focused and let the stress that has sidelined me and pushed me off my focus go and just keep pushing forwards and grinding till I hit my goal of 190-210 pounds and a focus on better mobility and fitness. I have so much to do this year and this training program should have started years ago, but I m going to focus on the now and what I can and should be doing NOW.


No comments: