July 06, 2006
My Numbers
Whenever I read an interview with a fighter there is usually a question that goes something like "what do you do for conditioning?" Too often the fighter says something like: "I run, I swim, and I lift weights"
This generic answer is frustrating to me because I want details! How long does he swim? How often? What strokes does he use? When he runs, does he run steadily or does he do sprints? When he lifts weights does he bodybuild, powerlift, olympic lift or do circuit training?
I want to know these things for several reasons. Firstly they are interesting trivia. Secondly they may give me some good ideas for my own training. Thirdly - and this is what this week's tip is all about - part of me wants to see how my own level of conditioning stacks up against his.
Now I'm not a superstar competitor, but I do dispense conditioning advice fairly frequently in this newsletter. If I follow my own philosophy then I need to post my own training achievements for other people to scrutinize, criticize and compare.
So here are my 'numbers' (i.e. the best I ever did at an exercise or event). Keep in mind they reflect a 10 year span during which I fluctuated from 205 to 220 lbs, depending on my ratio of weight training to cardio at the time.
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This generic answer is frustrating to me because I want details! How long does he swim? How often? What strokes does he use? When he runs, does he run steadily or does he do sprints? When he lifts weights does he bodybuild, powerlift, olympic lift or do circuit training?
I want to know these things for several reasons. Firstly they are interesting trivia. Secondly they may give me some good ideas for my own training. Thirdly - and this is what this week's tip is all about - part of me wants to see how my own level of conditioning stacks up against his.
Now I'm not a superstar competitor, but I do dispense conditioning advice fairly frequently in this newsletter. If I follow my own philosophy then I need to post my own training achievements for other people to scrutinize, criticize and compare.
So here are my 'numbers' (i.e. the best I ever did at an exercise or event). Keep in mind they reflect a 10 year span during which I fluctuated from 205 to 220 lbs, depending on my ratio of weight training to cardio at the time.
- 400 meter sprint: 1 minute, 17 seconds (yes this is slow: I don't have alot of fast twitch muscle)!
- 1.5 kilometer run: 9:45
- 1.75 kilometer run: 11:02
- 11 kilometer run: c. 55 minutes
- Firefighter Combat Challenge: 1:32
- Barbell squats: 225 lbs for 25 reps, 405 lbs for 2 reps
- Barbell bench press: 225 for 3 reps
- Body-weight pull-ups (good form): 20 reps
- Weighted pull-ups: 50 lbs for 5 reps, 80 lbs for 1.5 reps
Labels: conditioning
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