Deficit Deadlifts, VO2max, and Focusing on Grappling

Training Week 2024-07-22: Knee Rehab Week 6

It feels good to lift again. It’s been a while since I did a heavy strength cycle, and it will still be a ways off, but I’m at a point of reflection where endurance work has a less direct translation to grappling than strength, and ultimately the fear, the truth, the pain, the immolation of metabolic capacity work must be embraced.

Summary:

After 6-Weeks of focused rehab I’m pretty much back to “life as usual” — albeit at a notably lower intensity. Tactically, my grappling is still suffering because I have to compensate for my knee injury. However, tactically I feel very sharp and grateful to revisit some upper body attacks that I haven’t dusted off in a while.

On the fitness front, it’s relieving to know that cardiovascular I haven’t lost much ground — achieving a similar pace and heart rate as post-injury for durations up to 30 minutes. Strength wise I’m obviously weak in knee driven movements (i.e. squat / lunge varieties), but 245 deadlifts at an 8” deficit isn’t bad for 6-weeks post-torn-meniscus.

Below, I talk about:

• being a guinea pig for a new periodized training formula,

• sleep quality and transitioning form mobility to strength, and

• keeping the goal the goal.

Training Distribution: