Alan H's 2013/2014 Offseason Log

**Alan H** · 22nd October 13, 11:33 AM

OK time to start this, even though technically, this is my "between season" period.

It's been a week since Ventura. My hips are still coming back, I'm sure I will need the full 4-5 weeks off to completely recover.

I now have Mike and Mindy's book and Video: A Contrarian Approach to the Highland Games

I remember the foot/balance drills that they had me do, when I was back there training with them. Slightly altered versions of those drills are in the video. I may not be touching a weight for 3-4 more weeks but I'm absolutely doing those drills.

It's now Day Four since I've had the book/video. I've drilled three of those four days.

**RogerWS76** · 22nd October 13, 02:00 PM

They almost look like professional dancers with those drills. They really are quite beautiful steps! One can only hope to be able to replicate those moves better than one did with a few Latin dances one has endeavored to give a whirl!!!

**Martin Roy** · 22nd October 13, 03:52 PM

It's all in the approach, Roger. One does not give whirls to Latin dances.

Doing the Pockoski demands the foot movement of the Charleston, the precision of a well-rehearsed Lindy Hop, and the graceful flow of a Viennese Waltz.

We must not think in terms of fat guys in kilts. Instead, we'll have to channel elephants in tutus.

**Alan H** · 22nd October 13, 05:51 PM

It's all about smooth. From the ground, up.

**o1d_dude** · 22nd October 13, 08:19 PM

You left out the Dan John trademark on the 'From The Ground Up' quote.

There's a picture of my garage gym in his book of the of the same title.

**Alan H** · 24th October 13, 12:26 PM

HA! I'd forgotten that, Kit!

More foot rotation drills last night. I was bad and missed a day on Tuesday. However, I'm slowly getting better and more balanced. Only 240 more days of drills to go!

..

**Alan H** · 30th October 13, 12:39 PM

Nothing much to report. It's my "Between Seasons" so I'm not lifting or throwing. My hips are really, honestly coming back.

Mostly, I'm managing to do 50, 60 reps of the various footwork and smoothness drills from Mike and Mindy's book/video nearly every day. I'm averaging 5 days a week, now.

**Alan H** · 4th November 13, 04:28 PM

On Saturday I did more foot rotation drills. They went OK, actually the 4360's awere pretty bad. I need to slow them down and **grind** more. In frustration, I set up some "long wire drills"...which for me are "long chain drills". D-handle..4+ feet of light chain....our old 14 pound womens LWFD. I went up and sown my street 5x...started with only getting 4 turns until I veered off unacceptably. Then five, and five again. Then six. I finished up with a "more or less line" of 7 turns in a row in which I managed to more or less "hold the separation".. These things are great. You can NOT rush these things, you MUST be patient. They also make you dizzy, bigtime.

**Alan H** · 11th November 13, 02:55 PM

Two more weeks before I start lifting again. This is not as frustrating as it was last year, I think because it is SO obvious that I need recovery time.

Lance Creed an I got a couple of tires from a local place to flip and to beat on with a hammer.

However, I have to get my wrists fixed before there's any sledgehammering in my future.

I've been doing more foot rotation drills, though I missed a few days last week. Still, progress is steady.

**Alan H** · 11th November 13, 05:17 PM

I walked over and checked out the new "Activity Center" here at the Big U today. Wow...gorgeous, gorgeous pool. Drop-dead amazing climbing wall room. Acres of basteball courts and squash/raacquetball courts.

However, the weight room is chockablock with fancy-pants machines at the expense of stuff that's really useful for me. Seriously, the damn place is ENORMOUS and 85% of it is machines of some sort or another. There is..amazingly a whole "Life Fitness" bodyweight rack setup that includes TRX and, incredibly, a small boxing hanging bodyweight bag. They'll check out gloves to you. I wonder how many idiots are going to destroy their wrists on THAT. The squat racks are safer than the ones at Arillaga, so that's good. However, the biggest dumbells are only 100 pounds and there's absolutely NO room whatsoever to do any Olympic lifts. There are no platforms, and they don't even want us to deadlift in there..."it might hurt the floor" says the nice girl at the front desk.. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? You can't do a deadlift in the gym because " it might hurt the floor "??? That's the stupidest thing I ever heard.

I don't think I'll be using the facility, much.