Budo Blog: Beyond Batman

Batman by 40 one year later

What have I learned?

Batman by 40 was a peak, an apex.
An apex by definition is difficult, if not impossible to maintain.

To get there you have to want "it".
"It" has to be more important than instant gratification.
A double scoop of blue moon ice cream sure would be good right about now. But I really want to run 3 miles at an 8 min pace next week. Which one do you want more?

Once you have achieved "it" you are no longer hungry. Unless you find new ways to become hungry again.

Working hard to become Batman is satisfying.
Being Batman is gratifying
I used to be Batman - sucks balls!

I tear on Ninjas on this blog from time to time.

However one thing I like from Ninja philosophy is turning a weakness into a strength.

Getting old is a side effect of survival.

The results of getting old can be a weakness. (accumulated injuries, deteriorating health, etc...)

Turning that weakness to a strength -

As you get old you, you also become an adult.
As an adult you have a certain degree of stability in your life.
That stability is a strength that allows adults to plan long term.

1,5, 10 years out.

As an adult you also have learned from your mistakes and know yourself well.

Ebb and Flow
Batman by 40 worked for me by slowly boiling the lobster

I know my self well. The Batman By 40 goals were a daunting task. So I broke them into small manageable increments.

I gave myself time (18 months)

I increased the small manageable increments.every week. (Slowly boiling the lobster)
Just one more rep
Just 5 more pounds
Just .01 mph faster
Just 1 minute longer
Just 1/8 mile further
I got this,
That is nothing I can do this...I can do this

Just keep on keeping on until you are at Batman / Special Forces standards

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/special-operations-fitness-test

Event Min. Standard Grading Scale for Min. Plus

1 Minute of Pushups 40 +2 Pts Each Rep Above Min

1 Minute of Situps 40 +3 Pts Each Rep Above Min

Pullups 6 - Not Timed +3 Pts Each Rep Above Min

Dips 6 - Not Timed +2 Pts Each Rep Above Min

Bench Press 80% Body Weight 6 - Not Timed +3 Pts Each Rep Above Min

20 ft. Rope Climb in Body Armor

or Weight Vest - 25# 1 Pass / Fail

1 Minute Kip-ups 6 +2 Pts Every Rep Above Min

4 x 25 M Shuttle Run Max 24 Secs +2 Pts Every 1/10 of a Sec Under

5 Mile Run Max 40 Mins +2 Pts Every Full 15 Sec from 35 to 30 Min

If you do not meet the minimum standards in EVERY event you will fail the entire test. The least you can score is 900 points. By adding your extra repetitions / time per exercise you can create a team competition or have a way to grade prospective candidates seeking to enter these Special Operations Teams. A good score is considered 1300 and above with some scores getting about 1500 in many of the Spec Ops units.

Ebb and Flow is using that slow boil method over the long term

Incorporating weeks for rest and recovery

Unlike a sport, Crime Fighting has no off season, which makes periodization more difficult.

And you can only maintain that peak for so long before you burn out, or get hurt.

Project - Beyond Batman peaks four times a year while making consistent long term progress.
Each peak is a little better than the previous one.

Slow boil extended over years.

Some simple math that has been working for me
52 weeks in a year
12 week training cycle.
Small manageable incremental increases every week until you peak at Week 12 (Batman / Special Forces standards)

1 week rest or rest and test
13 weeks total

Repeat 4 times per year
4 X 13 = 52 works out nice

10 steps back

12 steps forward
Consistant forward progress.

Knowing you can't maintain peak allows you to use it to your advantage, not get bummed out by it.

Enjoy your victory and celebrate with a week off to recover *or test
(*Rest and test will be explained in a future blog)

Start again

Back 10 (where you were to start week 3 of your last cycle) should feel good / easy. You know you can make the progressions you have set, you've done it before.

For some expert advice on the subject (especially focused on the strength goals) check out

http://danjohn.net/2013/12/the-forty-day-workout-again/

“For the next forty workouts, pick five lifts. Do them every workout. Never miss a rep, in fact, never even get close to struggling. Go as light as you need to go and don’t go over ten reps for any of the movements. It is going to seem easy. When the weights feel light, simply add more weight.”

You stay hungry because a new personal best apex is just 11 weeks away, and again the following week.

A year later you should be 8 units better

Remember turning old into an advantage. Whatever you are measuring should be small reasonable increments.

.01 Mph faster

1/8 mile further

5 lbs heavier

Steady progress over years.

Enjoy your victory celebrate with a week off. Get your head right to get back at it again.

All while having fun, staying hungry without burning out.

All things in moderation, including moderation.

Life is too short not to indulge now and then

If indulgence is part of the overall nutritional plan.

Eating clean becomes difficult if it is an all or nothing type of thing. As mentioned you can only "stay hungry" so long.

However, if you allow your self 1 cheat meal a week, eating clean every other meal becomes that much easier.

Life is more fun and if life isn't fun what is the fucking point?

So that is what I have learned since the Batman By 40 project. By the time I post this I will be 41.

Stealing an idea from Omar Ahmad, at 42 I should be twice as good as I was at 21.

This is not last year

And I am not done here

Now begins the next project - The New 42 (Beyond Batman)

Accountability

The New 42 (Beyond Batman) Goals:

Body Weight 205 lbs (Looking to add 10 lbs of lean mass)

5 mile 39 Min (7.7 mph 7:48 minute mile pace)

1 mile 5:53 (10.2 mph)

Pull Ups 35

Push Ups 65

Sit Ups 70

Dips 35

#BEASTKING

This is not last year

And I am not done here

I have one year to get there. Plan the work, work the plan.

50 is the new 25

At 46 Jim Gordon is the "New Batman"

Steve Jimerfield is one of the toughest men I know. He didn't even really start working out until he was 50

Jimerfield set a standard that I strive to achieve.

To be more fit when you retire, than when you were hired.

From the picture above you can see that it shouldn't be that hard to retire fitter than that.

Looks more like Bullock than the Batman

But that is the point of this blog, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

The Other Part

Retiring at your peak, because you choose to, not because you have to (can't do the job anymore) is one part of the Beyond Batman Project.

The other part is being emotionally / psychologically able to retire

The name of the project came from the television series (which is now a comic book)

Batman Beyond

Part of being emotionally / psychologically able to retire is to find a replacement/s

Why?...Gotham (the world) will always need a Batman

People have worked hard to help you develop your skill

The Universe seeks balance
You have an obligation to pass on what you have learned

Giri (義理) is a Japanese value roughly corresponding to "duty", or "burden of obligation" in English.

You have an obligation to replace yourself before you leave

Work -
Cabot groomed Mike and me to replace him as training coordinators and team leaders before he left.

Cabot - Me - Mike

(Mike cried because I didn't give him a shout out last blog - here you go big baby)

Ginyu Force

Cabot wasn't going to leave until he was sure his responsibilities were passed on to some one he had faith in to carry on.

Our jobs as students, as people fortunate enough to have a mentor put time and effort into making us more than we were, are:

To learn all we can
To make it our own
To eventually surpass our mentors.
Mentor someone else

You owe it to them to surpass them.

I feel confident that we (Mike and I) have. With Cabot's help and enthusiasm.

I still have a good decade of decadence or more left in me.

However, there will come a time for me to be done.
Knowing that, now is the time to start choosing and mentoring my replacements.

I can't leave until the infrastructure to surpass me is in place.

Then I can let go.

That will be a jagged pill to swallow. However that pill will go down easier if the team, and my department are in good hands.

The armor never gets lighter. One day I will have to set it down

But today is not that day!

This is not last year

And I am not done here

The Keishoukan -
With the martial arts side of things, I have more time.
I can do it just for the fun of it. Lives are not on the line. I'll be training until I can't move
Then I'll be coaching from a chair in the corner of the Dojo.
Then I'll be ashes in an urn in a corner of the Dojo.

I also need to find a replacement for myself there.

Those of you that know me, or can infer from reading this blog, might ask what About Dillon?

I would be proud for Dillon to take over for me after I am gone. But Dillon is not my protege, he is my training buddy and partner. I steal as much or more from him than he learns from me. He is not going to take over the mantel of the Bat because he is already The Wolverine.

When we first met it was like this...