Don’t call people stupid and then misspell “Bored” as “board”
If training once a week was the fastest path to strength, then Olympic weightlifters and powerlifters would train once a week. They don’t, though. They train their “bodyparts” two or three times a week.
Also, I believe I am being misquoted as training 3 times a week, when what I said is that I train the whole body every 3 days in general. You can do more or less though.
If you have ever tried to fight off being armbarred, you wouldn’t ask that question. 
yes indeed MK
Yep, was pretty much expecting responses like this. So your saying that the isolated movement of the bench press helps you be a better puncher. Hmmm, lets think about this. Yes they are similar motions BUT and THIS IS HUGE they are not the same mechanics. Question for you: Where does punching power come from? Come on, your supposed to be a martial artist. Where does punching power come from? FROM YOUR HIP! Not your pecs.
As far as using the muscles to get yourself up off the floor goes. HMMMMM, sounds alot like a push up. Why not do those. Pushing someone, sorry, wrong again, that’s a full body movement just like a punch.
Serious about what becoming a ballooned up body builder? Body building training and martial arts training are hardly the same thing.
So you do bicep curls to strengthen your core? Ok. A much better exercise would be chin ups or pullups.
Have fun flexing in front of the mirror.
I respect that. But I would argue that many more muscles come into play.
The point I’m trying to make (and maybe I didn’t do a very good job) is compound exercises or functional exercises are better for what we do as martial artists. Isolation exercises are designed for body builders simply to increase mass.
I see a body builder and I think, wow that guy is huge, or that guy is ripped. BUT how many pullups can he do? How many handstand pushups can he do? How much can he clean or snatch. These are all functional strength exercises and we, as martial artists require functional strength.
Boxers weight train. Of course the punch come from the hip. in a perfect world we would all have a perfect punch and split the bag everytime from our iron fist. But I’ve only been training for 12 yrs and I felt that weight training was a great way to improve my martial arts. After 2 yrs my punching power has improved by a hell of a lot.
I’m not just making this stuff up, this is all from experiance and knowlege of the ppl around me. I have followed many diffrent programs and been used as a guinnea pig for my mate who is doing a BA in Gym based exersise. and my girlfriend is a gym instructer (NVQ lev3)
I know, thats what im saying… You should keep training seperate.
Yes, standing bicep curls on a wobble bored. It improves stability and the contant tention on you upper body keeps your core working. You really should know better as a martial artist.
Working for mass or strength comes from the type of lifting you do and your diet (roids) not how many times a week you train. Power lifting is very complex and many of them do train every day, but this is only when they practise the actual lift, they will do 1 or 2 lifts, and thats them done for the day. on days where they are training for strength they will have rest days after.
I agree with what Chief fox is saying about body builders. But thats kind of my point, It can work very much in your favour if you are stronger. Massive bulk will slow you down a lot, but honestly you cant get that big without steriods. If you look at a super heavy weight boxer, thats about as big as any human could get without roids.
Being stronger helps in everyday life, apart from the basics, if you have a strong core section, your much less likely to get back problems later in life.
Sorry I forgot to add.
Chief fox asked how many pull ups body builder can do and other things. You made your point about body builders. But im not a bodybuilder and I dont think a bodybuilder would be able to be a good martial artist. Im saying that strength training will help any bodys martial art. Even if its just being able to stand in wide stances without loosing good form.
Chief fox,
Do not waste your time explaining yourself. Some people just do not get it. “Bodybuilding” is not the great mean to optimal performance for sports or martial arts. The breathing, movement, and structure skills of bodybuilding is totally opposite to the skills of sports and the MAs.
Bao
Im not defending body building.
Im saying that weight training is benificial to martial arts.
Check out “the science of martial arts training”
and answer my question… If boxers and UFC guys weight train, witch they do, why do you think it wont help in kung fu.
Body building and weight training are very diffrent from eachother by the way.
Charles I. Staley, author of “The science of martial arts training” is a great S&C coach and writer but he is not a martial artist. I have read his book, but gain very little from it. Maybe because of my background and experience. It was repeated information about periodization and logical progression skill development. Anyway, his paradigm of training is does not match the paradigm of martial artists in my opinion when I read his book. So his book tells you very little how to improve your MA game. I do not hate the book, but the author is not a martial artist. He is simply an expert in strength conditioning. I am not against strength and conditioning for martial arts, but I disagree in some of the approaches use for martial arts training such as preacher curls for defense against arm bars. LOL.
Bao
So you are agreeing with what im saying then?
cos Chief fox seems to think that strength training and conditioning your body is bad for your martial art.
I know being stronger is not gonna help with “blocking” attacks, but it does make other things easyer.
A lot of martial arts skills require strength. Grappling, blocking shots/takedowns.
everyone has a different approach though, what ever is right for them they can do
I think we are on the same track but because we are on an internet discussion board we are maybe not seeing eye to eye.
I am all for strength training. I strength train in one form or another 5 or 6 days a week.
I am not in favor of the typical break the workout down by body part with isolation exercises routine. This, I feel, is more of a body building workout. IMO a body building workout is NOT the optimum strength training routine for anyone involved in martial arts.
I think that functional exercises are better for martial arts. Examples of the functional exercises would be , the crossfit workout, clubbell work, kettlebell work, olympic style lifts, plyometric work, and sprints. Stuff like that.
Body building is very popular right now. Thanks to programs like Body for Life and such. This type of workout is fine for a person who wants to look good in the mirror. But for people who are involved in sports, I believe that a body building routine is not best.
Just my opinion.
I agree with your opinion.
Let me respond to all of you and say that, if you saw my lifting routine, you would probably say i was way overtraining (as most people do). Ill try to get it scanned for you guys just so you can flame on me.
I do have my weekly workout routine that I do when boxing (which i havent done in a few months because football just ended).
(Monday Wednesday, Friday)
Run 2-4 miles 4:30am
Eat Breakfast (one cup dry wheaties) 5:00am
shower, go to school 7:00am
eat one protein bar 8:00am
Eat one protein bar 11:00pm
Eat one protein bar 2:00pm
Go to the boxing gym 3:00-7:00pm
Warm up: stretches, 50pushups, jumping jacks, squat thrusts
Shadow box:5rounds 2 weighted
Heavy bag:3-4 rounds
Double end bag:3 rounds
Speed bag:3 rounds
Spar: 5-10 rounds
Cooldown: 1000-1500 situps, russian twists till failure, leg lifts, etc. etc., have someone throw a med ball at my stomach.
(one round is 3 minutes work one minute rest)
eat one protein bar 7:00
Go to other gym to lift 7:30-10:30
Dont feel like reciting the tons of different lifts i do. I focus on forearms alot more than most people do.
eat dinner (chicken fish shrimp etc. low fat high protein)10:45
Run for 30 minutes
sleep 11:30
(Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)
same food schedule
No lifting
No boxing
on these days i do alot of cardio and abdominal work
lots of running and biking
(sunday) rest
I do get fruits and veggies…dont worry.
If anyone would like to see my lifting sched. just ask, its pretty good.
I do abs every day
3x15situp twists
3x15leg lifts
3x15kneedraws
3x15frog kicks
3x15side bends@60lbs
3x100 waist twists
I add more depending on what i feel like doing, but this is my minimum for abs everyday.
Ive been told that im overtraining and not getting enough sleep but ive been on this schedule for a while now and have more energy than ever. Cant argue with that!!!
This was posted on a boxing forum by me a while back. Im pretty new to martial arts, but have always been very interested and read alot, which is what i do with everything. I believe in making myself the best i can be no matter what sacrifices have to be made. So you say I overtrain, I say you dont train enough.
Also in my lifting sched. there is leg workouts, but for some reason or another, i never did them. So I am trying to focus on more legs now so i can build up a stronger base.
And wow looking back at this i cant believe i did so much…i realise im getting lazy. I need to get back into it. Dmn football… i dont think im playing next year, as id like to focus on fighting arts. Something that is actually useful
Im going to have to agree with darkfist on this one, and heres why.
The average person has approximately 60 percent fast muscle fiber and 40 percent slow-twitch fiber (type I). There can be swings in fiber composition, but basically, we all have three types of muscle fiber that need to be trained.
The fast-twitch muscle actually has two types of fiber, fast and super fast. The fast muscle (what the researchers call IIa) moves 5 times faster than the slow muscle, and the super-fast (called IIx) moves 10 times faster than the slow muscle fiber.
Sprinters have higher percentages of the super-fast (IIx). Endurance trained individuals have more slow muscle fiber (type I).
While we are born with slightly different muscle composition, the point is, super fast muscle can be developed if exercised properly. And fast-muscle fiber should be developed because this type of muscle opens a new world of benefits from anaerobic sprinting types of exercise.
Researchers show that anaerobic exercise (short, quick-burst, that get you winded fast) is the type of fitness training that increases exercise-induced growth hormone. And growth hormone is, the most powerful body fat-reducing, muscle-toning, anti-aging agent known in science.
Without getting too technical, these different muscle fibers, obviously respond differently in accordance to the way you train them. Therefor they in essence ‘remember’ What they need to do in order to complete a task more efficiently the next time it needs to be done.
Oh, i almost forgot, the above post was based on memory alone, so if you guys want to check up on it and see if what i said is right, go ahead. I dont exactly have the time or will to check my answers.
People who have good genitices have more fast twitch fibers dont they?
people who are hard gainers have more slow twitch fibers.
Trey you must be 1 fit dude with that routine. wow
do you have trouble bulking up with all that cardio?
You go to school as well, you must have a good after school job to be able to afford all the protein bars lol.
hope you dont burn your self out .
good luck with the ma training do you think you can fit it in? lol
To your first question, i believe i said that the amounts of different muscle fiber can vary from person to person.
Well there is a pic of me on my sig you can judge if im fit for yourself lol.
I do not want to bulk up, i want to stay lean and fast, not big and bulky.
I just got a job this week actually. I only work saturday and sunday mornings.
Ill definately have time for MA. I love it so much, more so than boxing.
I like this IronFist character. He knows what he’s talking about ;).