HOW TO STRENGTH TRAIN FOR THE MARTIAL ARTS

By:Juan Pablo Covo

http://www.jpcovoexerciseequipment.info

One of the observations Chuck Norris made of Bruce Lee when they started to train together was that Lee had “muscles on muscles”. Arnold Schwarzenegger writes that Bruce Lee’s physique is one of the most beautiful he had seen. In one of Bruce’s books, “Expressing The Human Body”, many of his routines are explained even with some pictures of his routine with his own had writing. The main point that I make around Bruce Lee’s training routine is that he liked to run a lot. For endurance he ran several miles. You would see that even though his training changes from time to time depending on what he is teaching or learning, he still dedicates time to running several miles as part of his training.  There is a dramatic change in Lee’s physique from Fist of Fury and Chinese Connection to films like Enter The Dragon where he was in peak physical shape. The human body is able to adapt to and endure against strenuous bouts of exercise. For the martial artist this training must focus on endurance, speed and agility, flexibily range of motion, and most importantly, strength training..

The body of the martial artist must be able to respond to a situation where it’s reflexes are challenged, for example. The martial artist must be quick and assertive when countering and,in addition, when staging an offensive. The weapon has to hit the target. Combat, in the martial arts, is like playing a game of chess. You have to have several moves ready subsequent to an initial move. A contingency plan. A plan B or C, if the fight does not end with one strategy. In the martial arts, you must also be very flexible with your feet, hands, and torso. Kicking and punching require the ability to move around your oponnent and many times targeting a kick or a punch or whatever it is in an uncomfortable angle. You must also be able to stay in the game with your opponent and not run out of gas in the middle of a fight.This is why endurance in combat is very important. It is the weaknesses of most fighters and one that the opponent  takes full advantage of. Have you ever seen a lion or a tiger chase a zebra? That’s what it looks like. The zebra gets tired of running and gives up.. Finally, strength training in the martial arts makes you a better fighter because when you make your body stronger it is able to perform at a higher level and less effort you have to make to defend and attack with more accuracy and effectiveness. The words to follow describe the workouts for a regular martial arts practitioner to become a better martial artist.  

There are so many movies that are about someone that learns to fight and then wins a tournament. So many movies that show the training in the martial arts. I recall movies like No Retreat, No Surrender 1, The Karate Kid, and Sidekicks.  Who can forget the training in No Retreat, No Surrender to fight Jean Claude Van Damme? This is the type of training that you want. Someone with a lot of passion for the art. You begin to understand how to act in a combat situation when you begin to understand how your body can perform in such situation. In other words, when you know what your body can do you become a better martial artist.

BEGINNING

Since you start from the simplest type of movements in the martial arts, do the same when you are strength training.. Focus on strengthening your hips,legs, arms, and your chest and back.

EXAMPLE:

For the legs:

Lunges: 20 lunges each side

Hamstring curls: 10-12 reps (2 sets)

Quadricep Curls:10-12 reps (2 sets)

Squats:10-12 squats (2 sets) increase intensity with weights at your sides

For the arms:

Bicep Curls: 10-12 reps (2 sets)

Tricep Curls: 10-12 reps (2 sets)

Shoulder Press:10-12 reps (2 sets)

For the hips:

Lunges with slight rotation to the side of the rear leg: 20 lunges each side

Hip Rotation with weight: hold a medicine ball,weight, or a weighted bar across your back and rotate hips to the sides

For the Chest and Back:

Push ups:10-20 reps shoulder,further than shoulder width and wide pushups.

Pull ups: 10 reps is very good. You can switch from wide grip to close grip and include chin ups.

****Do this 2-3 times a week alternating body part each day****This will give you a good foundation for more advanced martial art training.

INTERMEDIATE

When your martial arts training gets more complex. More difficult movements (often more reality based) requiring more speed and agility, you can include plyometric movements in your training..

EXAMPLE

Jump Knee Tucks:30 seconds jump up and down bringing your  knees to your chest when you jump up.

Squat jumps:30 seconds squat down and explode into the air reaching up with your hands.

Plyometric Chest Exercise: Grab a weight (book,dumbell,a gallon of water, or whatever) and hold weight in front of your chest with legs shoulder width apart. Swing to each side back and forth rotating your hips.

Plyometric Kicks:

-Front Kicks: Stand on your fighting stance. From there,squat down bending your knees and explode into a front kick (rear leg and lead leg).10 reps each leach then switch leads.

-Sidekicks: On your fighting stance,squat and then explode into a side kick.10 reps each leg.

****do this with a of your kicks**** It is very important to reach depth and power in your kicks. You will notice more speed and power.

Increase difficulty of plyometric exercises adding ankle weights.

ADVANCED

For an advanced training bout to support your martial arts training you should focus on maximizing each workout presented before. This means focusing on form and proper skill and technique. Just like your martial arts skills and techniques which should be polished by now. You will look more well rounded and you might want to focus more of quality and not quantity.

Increase Flexibility:

Doing yoga added to your martial arts stretching in between strength training to take your training up a notch. Your body is strong now,you can stretch those muscles and work on your flexibility. Specific yoga movements and postures for the martial arts are the following.

-Tree posture

-Exalted Warrior

-Warrior III

-Firefly Pose

-Half Moon Pose

Cardiovascular:

On a punching bag, practice your fighting arsenal for about 15 minutes with increasing speed and power. Control your breathing with every contact. Add ankle weights, a weighted vest, wrist weights progressively.

YOU VS. YOU

Martial Arts training is progressive and secuential. You begin with basic and simple movements and techniques to some more advanced ones. Building a foundation based on your body’s compatibility with the training you are doing is the way to go. Strengthening exercises enables you to raise the bar to more challenging skills and techniques. If you were to train yourself for a fight against yourself, a stronger version of you will win the fight. You would have learned more ways to defeat the opponent. Finally, your workout should always be creative,inventinve, and always looking for that next move to put your opponent on Check Mate! Your opponent won’t have a Next Move and you can win.