Combat Training Equipment!

Tomorrow I am hosting a twitter chat with scottbird of www.straighttothebar.com. We are going to discuss combat strength training. So check out http://www.straighttothebar.com/v2/showthread.php?t=9146 for details on the chat and then read a little about me, where I came from and how I train.

I am not an expert. I am a simple amateur who loves to hit things and loves fun training equipment.

So as some of you know I changed the old life around a few years ago. I cleaned up the diet. I started working out. I bought a basic weight set. I even used that thing when I couldn't get into the gym. I buckled down and I lost 100+lbs. I taught myself a lot about what I can do with my mind set on the prize.

Over the years I have read a lot and lifted a lot. Taken breaks, gotten back into it.

One of the things that has remained constant though, from even before I lost my weight. Medieval fighting.

I hit people with sticks. I am a member of the SCA, www.sca.org, a medieval re-creation group. There are without a doubt groups out there that are more hard core and fight with rebated steel. We opt to go the slightly less hardcore route and fight with inch and a quarter rattan. We have strict armor requirements, and for the most part injuries are fairly low key, pulled muscles, bruises. Occasionally there is an IT tear or a concussion.

The combat aspects of my hobby life have pushed my training life. I have become interested in how real combat athletes train: MMA and boxing for example. Websites like www.rossboxing.com introduced me to a world of ultra fit people capable of amazing things.

I don't profess to be anywhere near that level of fitness. I don't even think it is needed for my game. But I do think being able to be fresh longer than the other guys is awesome. I do believe learning to move properly is an exceptional goal and one that will help.

Because of all of this my training modality has moved towards "athletic" training. In the gym things are fairly similar, large compound movements, full body routines. Maybe with more explosive stuff and more core training.

Outside the gym though, at home, the barbell I bought largely gathers dust. When I train at home the toys are what hold my interest the most. Some I bought. Most I built.

Often I am doing complexes at home.
Tire strikes
Mace swings
KB snatches
Sandbag cleans
sandbag presses
med ball choppers
jump rope
etc.

See you tomorrow!