Advice - am I unprogrammable for?

[jaikyuveh]

I'm a 36M who is currently simultaneously doing medical residency/research. I'm also a brown belt in judo and am also training for my black belt and need to compete next year at a club level. I train judo 1-3x week. I fit in KB/mace/club workouts 2-3x per week in-between depending on call schedule. I have access to a gym, and have purchased KB 16s/24s/32s and maces/clubs for home. My sleep cycle is erratic, my diet is often protein shakes and crap from the hospital canteen. I'm coming back from a ferocious back injury that makes barbell training difficult.

Currently I am in OK cardiovascular shape for grappling, and strength-wise am able to do Armor Building Complexes with 24s but not 28s. I think I bit off more than I can chew when I tried The Wolf with 16s as my first kettlebell program. I would do the 3 workouts over about 10 days as there would be judo nights/calls in between. I got to the end of week 4 and noticed the following:

The light days I was tempted to add in heavy clubs and mace and extra volume. Especially if it was on a day where I knew I would be able to get decent sleep away from the hospital. Those are the days I like to push myself, not rest.

After The Wolf D3s I was destroyed and couldn't recover properly for judo the next day. However, prior to getting sick recently, and being unable to train for the last 3 weeks, I felt like I was making amazing physical progress. My shoulders and arms felt like they were blowing up. People that were bullying me on the mat couldn't do it anymore. So I know I was more or less on the right track.

I also have a bad case of Shiny Object Syndrome and am tempted to reincorporate barbell movements, sleds, C&J, and skipping into my training. As Dan John says, I am often a person who chases two rabbits at the same time. I'm trying to change that by sticking to a program.

Could I please ask for advice on consistent kettlebell/mace/club progress with sub-optimal recovery and an erratic schedule?

Could a flexible rep scheme minimalist C&J/snatch/DFSQ/mace/club program work? I feel like that's all I need but not sure how to program for it.

Another option is just to keep on with a Geoff Neupert program but be flexible with what day goes where?

Any advice in general from those training around a sport and similar circumstances?

 

[kruise]

@jaikyuveh A lot of this is a mindset thing

I'm 38, front line NHS, work OOHs with a sporadic rota. It's not even a week of nights I do, this fortnight is Mon night shift wed to sat days Sun night shift Tuesday to Fri days. For a pattern than too many hours to be legal....but that's the NHS.

I don't do judo, but I do do all sorts of daft stuff. Cycle to commute. MTB. Kbs, BBs, mace, clubs, rock lifting. Boulder and climb. Ruck. Basketball. Sprint work. Agility stuff. 5'6" and 80kg, a lot of the things I do are at ends with each other.

I don't have a routine, I can't guarantee doing something on a certain day, or doing it in an appropriately recovered way.

But what I do have, and this might be something you don't have yet (you didn't mention) or you maybe just need to adjust how you look at everything (and give yourself a break) is years of training experience. Know we're not 16 year olds and noobs anymore, gainz come slowly, and in a way that's better

I'm rehabbing an arm injury (which is now healed, but till I'm back doing+60kg chins my journey won't be completed), so I'm doing 2 days a week of weighted chins and dips adding 1 or 2kg a week. Another day I'm doing kb cnp a front squats where I'm adding a tiny bit of volume each week (mark wildman style) with 24s, I can throw 32s around...but that's not necessarily the point anymore. My 8kg club I'm just trying to add time slowly, was the same with mace but I've just got an adjustable so I'm gonna add some lighter single arm work too ......

Anyway, what I'm saying is if you're hitting fundamental movements, and enjoying it. There's nothing wrong with chipping away ever so slowly whilst you're adulting

 

[jaikyuveh]

@kruise I feel a definite kinship with your experience.

I do think a strong part of it is mindset, and I really appreciate this post. Taking it in.

 

[kruise]

@jaikyuveh Don't get me wrong, I swither all the time. It's tough

 

[jaikyuveh]

@kruise Swithering as you speak. Although its refreshing to see others in a similar scenario.

 

[kruise]

@jaikyuveh And until people have worked nights, they just don't know

 

[itsmybeautifulsoul]

@kruise I mean, physically and mentally it’s like being drunk. Do you know many people posting PRs 6 beers deep?

 

[itsmybeautifulsoul]

@jaikyuveh Late to the party, but I trained through medical residency/fatherhood etc etc.

I agree mindset plays a huge part, and also a change in perspective.

One of my favourite sayings: When life is really hectic, maintaining is still progress.

There will be times when life is a crunch. Coasting and keeping what you have is still far better than doing nothing, getting injured, or whatever 90% of the population who are completely out of shape are doing.

Then there will be times when life lets up and you can push a little harder.

Everything about your body and your life follows a rhythm.

There’s also sometimes a big difference between what you think you should be doing, and what you can actually do with the time/energy you have. No point beating yourself up for not being able to do 20 rep breathing squats after a brutal night on call.

Best of luck with work and life!

 

[jaikyuveh]

@itsmybeautifulsoul Absolutely. The thing I'm taking most from this thread is the thing you said in the last paragraph. The plan is to be flexible, but also just keep reminding myself of the other parts.