Martial Arts and Training: Blog Changes

( week of 6/24/2021)

I got busy with family and forgot to write up my post yesterday. I was thinking as I lay there in my bed willing myself to sleep because I had an early 4 am morning work day to get to. It is time to change up my blog.

As martial artists we look to better ourselves and change. I am constantly changing and learning in my art, in my training, and in my fitness. So too this blog is changing.

I have many readers. Some readers come for the healthy recipes I post. (Hey recipe lovers there is another recipe post coming soon. I promise!) Some readers are here for my martial arts posts. Some readers read my posts for the workouts. I don’t know what you like, but my training has significantly changed such that Muay Thai is consistent. It does not have tons of new drills. I am making minor tweaks, that I work on for days/weeks/months. So my training is looking similar day to day, week to week.

So… I will put my main focus for the week here in the blog. I won’t have the nitty gritty day to day stuff here. If you want to see that you can always go to my Instagram account @sharpcupcake. Along with what I am focusing on, will be the drills we used to focus on that for that week.

Outline of what my blog posts will look like maybe: (I reserve the right to change it cause I am mercurial like that)

Schedule: (for those who would like to see how I plan my training)

  1. List of days and workouts/training done.

My Martial Art Focus:

  1. Any drills I did that week to work on that focus (if repetitive over multiple days I will only post the drill once here per week)
  2. Areas I need to work on
  3. Problems/solutions I found

My Training Focus:

  1. Weight lifting
  2. Running
  3. Rowing
  4. What ever I am doing at that point in my workout adventure

Nutrition:

  1. Macros
  2. What ever I am trying out now

I started out this blog posting ever time I was working out. That was nearly every day, and that got tedious real fast. Then I switched to this current format.

Now I switch again. I am hoping this will be more streamlined, and helpful to you my readers. You can just skip to the parts you like or want to read.

On with the blog…


Schedule:

  1. Monday 6/24/2021: Mile Run, and Weight Lifting 1 hour
  2. Tuesday 6/25/2021: Muay Thai Training 1 hour
  3. Wednesday 6/26/2021: scheduled rest day
  4. Thursday 6/27/2021: Muay Thai Training 1 hour
  5. Friday 6/28/2021 : scheduled rest day
  6. Saturday 6/29/2021: Mile Run, Weight Lifting 55 minutes
  7. Sunday 6/30/2021: extra rest day because inertia got ahold of me after my work meeting

This was a pretty light schedule for me. There are two days of Muay Thai that did not happen due to holiday, that is 3 hours missing, 1 hour of Kali missing no class, and I was lazy on Sunday so no run or weight lifting.

Martial Art Focus:

This last couple of weeks I have been focusing on keeping my hands up, not flaring my elbows, and punching from my face. The last focus I mean not dropping my hands down to my chest for example before I hit the cross.

Hard part of all this is… remembering all of that when sparring, and trying to avoid being hit. Focusing on this during drills when you are tired is hard, not letting all of that fly out the window when sparring is so much harder.

Currently I only remember these things I am focusing on at most half the time. Which is an improvement to when I started sparring and everything I learned just flew the coop. Hahah

Muay Thai Training:
1) jump rope
2) jab, cross, rear kick to leg
3) jab, cross, rear kick to body

4) cross, body hook, cross, lead kick
5) he’d pads for H

6) (high) rear elbow cover, uppercut, cross
(High) lead elbow cover, uppercut, hook, cross
7) held pads for H

8 ) (low) rear body cover, uppercut, cross
(low) lead body cover, uppercut, hook, cross
9) held pads for H

10) feeders choice ( we did random order)
11) held pads for H

Training focus: Weight Lifting and Running

  1. Currently for running I am just using it as my cardio. I am not training for a marathon, however I have noticed my times have been slowly improving.
  2. Weight Lifting, I have been on an 8 week training program. 3 day split. This week was upper body, lower body, lower body. This week was week 7.
    • My partner has noticed and commented that I have toned up
    • I Have upped my weights that I can lift by 10 lbs for both dumbbells and barbells

Weight lifting: back, shoulders ,triceps, abs

1) inclined under hand chin ups- 8, 8, 7, 7

2) standing dumbbell tricep overhead extensions- 15, 15, 15, 15

3) standing dumbbell lateral raises – 10, 10, 10

4) leaning shoulder front raises – 10, 10, 10, 10

3 supersets below: do all exercises in a set before taking a break

Superset 1: do this set x4
1) standing dumbbell upright row- 12, 12, 12, 12
2) dumbbell back fly – 12, 12, 12, 12

Superset 2: do this set x3
1) seated tricep overhead extensions – 12, 12, 12
2) overhead resistance band tricep extensions – 12, 12, 12

Superset 3: do this set x3
1) crunch into side to side crunches – 20, 20, 20
2) sit ups into twists – 20, 20, 20
3) upper crunches – 20, 20, 20

Weightlifting: lower body quads and glutes

1) dumbbell squat – reps- 20, 20, 20, 20

2) standing leg extensions- reps each leg- 12, 12, 12,

Superset: do all exercises once before rest
1) barbell hip thrust – reps – 12, 12, 12, 12
2) floor glute bridges with weight plate on hips – reps- 12, 12, 12, 12

Superset: do all exercises once before resting
1) resistance band abductor – reps- 15, 15, 15
2) dumbbell sumo squats – reps – 15, 15, 15

Nutrition:

Macros for the week of 6/24/2021

Ok sooo this week… was first week back on cut, cutting week, but I was not able to keep up the protein. I think I am going to have to start timing food and planning better, shakes etc to make sure I eat on time.

OH but carbs are my go to when I have not planned properly. Carbs are not bad just not an all the time food. lol

MACRO AVERAGES
 Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7AverageGoalDifference
Protein1151571311427910289116.42857117356.57142857
Carbs207223162296151273259224.428571201-23.42857143
Fat56103126106124719497.142857190-7.142857143
           
Calories17922447230627062036213922382237.71429230668.28571429
6/24/2021 – 6/31/2021

Well there you have it. The new format. Let me know what you think.

Here is your chance to chime in. Tell me what you like to see, what would be helpful in this blog. I of course will take these things into consideration.

Thank you all for reading. Please hit the like button if you liked this post. Subscribe if you want to see my posts as they come out.

As always, Don’t Photo Edit, Just Go Get It!

Healthy Lunch Recipe… Fried Egg on an Avocado and Tomato Cucumber Salad.

I prepped only three lunches this week for myself, because I knew I would have time to make food for myself at lunch time on Tuesday and Thursday. I wanted to make one of my favorite meals.

It has 10.9 grams of protein in it and is so flavorful. It is made of whole foods except the soy sauce. That can be left out if you wish, and substituted with just a pinch of salt. Not only is this super tasty but is so pretty to look at.

This is quick and healthy fast food. =) You don’t need a culinary degree to make this, just a pan, and a few minutes.

One of the rules in culinary school you learn is that you eat with your eyes first, then your nose, and you mouth. What that means is if the meal looks appealing to you, you will enjoy it much more. Just take a look at those garish colored foods. They do not automatically make you think mmm I want to tuck into that.

Anyway, here is what I made, the recipe and the stats for food:

Fried Egg on an Avocado half, and tomato cucumber salad

Recipe:

Yield: 1 serving (to scale up just multiply by the amount of people you have)

  • 201 g heirloom cherry tomatoes sliced in half ( I used approximately 10 tomatoes
  • 155 g cucumber, chopped into bite size pieces ( I used approximately half of an English cucumber.)
  • 9 g of green onion chopped (I used one whole green onion, green and white parts)
  • 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp soy sauce (alternately you can use a pinch of salt)
  • 1/4 tsp of Olive oil (I used an EVVO that had garlic in it as well)
  • 1/4 tsp lemon juice
  • Lemon Zest to taste
  • I large egg fried
  • 1/2 tsp veggie oil

Directions:

  • Cut avocado in half, and score avocado, and sprinkle with sea salt if you wish
  • Cook egg, with a 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil
  • Cut heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion, add to a bowl.
  • In another bowl assemble, the balsamic vinegar, soy, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
  • Pour dressing over salad and toss
  • Plate and then enjoy

Caloric Stats for this meal:

306 calories, 21.7g fat, 10g fiber, 19.6g carbs, 213.7mg sodium, 10.9g protien

I hope you get a chance to enjoy this recipe. I have also alternately just made the salad and had a boiled egg with it or, eaten two avocado halves with two fried eggs on it. Change it and make it yours. Enjoy and keep eating well. Let me know what you think.

Tips:

  1. Acidulate the other half of the avocado, and put it in a ziplock bag. You can use it the next day or later for a snack and the acid will keep it from turning brown.
  2. Score your avocado before placing egg on it. This will make it easier to eat if it is just under ripe.
  3. This meal was only 300 calories and it did not meet my protein requirements for this meal so I added another egg. As with any recipe alter it as you need for your body.