Moderate weights with a high number of reps, or high weights with low number of reps?
speed strength and speed endurance
It is not and has never been an either/or situation.
Depending on what you are working to improve, that is what you focus on.
If you are at the stage were you want to develop strength, then high weights and low reps.
Developing muscle mass - moderate weight and moderate reps.
Working on muscular endurance - light weight and high reps.
Different types of strength development require different protocols.
The thing is that ALL must be done to develop the different types of strength.
Neglecting ANY is wrong.
Lately I’ve been in love with resistance bands. I’ll burn out as many reps as I can with curls and such, then I’ll put them around my back to do shadow boxing and push ups, then I’ll hook them to a door to do kazushi drills. They’re just great IMO, but I wouldn’t mind hitting the weights again.
[QUOTE=MightyB;1236514]Lately I’ve been in love with resistance bands. I’ll burn out as many reps as I can with curls and such, then I’ll put them around my back to do shadow boxing and push ups, then I’ll hook them to a door to do kazushi drills. They’re just great IMO, but I wouldn’t mind hitting the weights again.[/QUOTE]
Bands allow for resistance over a range of motion that is outside the ability of DB to provide, that said, the amount of resistence is not really the best “curve” possible for building strength ( fine for endurance though).
The bands have the most resistance at their most stretched, so you must either START to move with them at THAT point or you will not get full range of motion resistance through the whole move.
About a month ago, I read the autobiography by Arnold Schwarnegger. I was much motivated to beef up my fitness training. So right after reading the book, I read another book by him - New Encyclopedia of Body Building, in order to get the detail methods. Fitness training has always been my secondary physical exercise, since MA is my primary one. That is why I have not put much effort into it. Even I have not got improvement out of it for years. But after just three sessions, I could see noticeably improvement in the shape of my chest and my biceps. These are the two muscle groups that I am not satisfied with their shape and performance. So what have I changed? I have increased the weight of some exercises, to 80% of my maximum.
Back to the original question of the thread, IMHO, doing moderate weights with a high number of reps is better for martial arts. Our performance is always more important our look. And for martial arts, agility is most important, next is endurance, and last is strength. Though all three attributes are important.
Regards,
KC
Hong Kong
Try to be the master of the weight and not the slave of it. For MA, you have to enjoy your weight and not hate it.
Most people are weak as hell and need to work max strength first as it is the cornerstone of both explosive strength and strength endurance
And if we look at most MA classes people get enough endurance work and never really touch getting stronger inside class so it makes sense to work on that which your class does not cover
[QUOTE=Frost;1237396]Most people are weak as hell and need to work max strength first as it is the cornerstone of both explosive strength and strength endurance
And if we look at most MA classes people get enough endurance work and never really touch getting stronger inside class so it makes sense to work on that which your class does not cover[/QUOTE]
What’s the best way to increase strength without adding bulk?
[QUOTE=Empty_Cup;1237399]What’s the best way to increase strength without adding bulk?[/QUOTE]
lifting weights without eating a lot of food 
lift heavy, 80% or above of your 1 rep, keep the sets short 5 reps or so,
so squat ,deadlift bench and pull up, each for 5 sets of 5, two warm up sets then 3 sets with the same working weight
And push away from the dinner table
[QUOTE=Frost;1237403]lifting weights without eating a lot of food
lift heavy, 80% or above of your 1 rep, keep the sets short 5 reps or so,
so squat ,deadlift bench and pull up, each for 5 sets of 5, two warm up sets then 3 sets with the same working weight
And push away from the dinner table[/QUOTE]
it really is simpler than you think.
all u need is zercher squats
[QUOTE=Oso;1237437]it really is simpler than you think. :)[/QUOTE]
yep I was talking to one of the guys in our gym who has been a world record holder in 3 weight catagories and held titles for 40 years. I asked how to get my deadlift up as it was not going anywhere (I was hoping for a secret assistance exercise or a secret programme) he just looked at and said just deadlift more…
After I became a vegetarian, no matter how much weight that I worked with, my muscle size no longer increased. Ancient Chinese believed meat can build muscle. It may have some truth in it.
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1237532]After I became a vegetarian, no matter how much weight that I worked with, my muscle size no longer increased. Ancient Chinese believed meat can build muscle. It may have some truth in it.[/QUOTE]
reg park was a lifelong vegetarian
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1237532]After I became a vegetarian, no matter how much weight that I worked with, my muscle size no longer increased. Ancient Chinese believed meat can build muscle. It may have some truth in it.[/QUOTE]
You need to eat more.
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1237532]After I became a vegetarian, no matter how much weight that I worked with, my muscle size no longer increased. Ancient Chinese believed meat can build muscle. It may have some truth in it.[/QUOTE]
ancient times you eat meat only once a month. but you eat lots of tofu. and don’t wash your rice. the “murky” rice water is all protein.
What needs to be made clear is this:
Body building type strength training is only ONE strength protocol and it happens to build muscle mass AND strength WITH proper eating ( you can’t get big unless you eat to get bigger, period).
People that are concerned ( for whatever reason) about “bulking up” need only to NOT eat more and to either keep the weights heavy and reps low like Frost said ( this will make you stronger and NOT bulky) OR if they want to focus on muscular endurance ( which for a MA I think is not needed since we already do quite a bit of muscular endurance work as it is), keep the weights low and reps high.
Honestly, I don’t really understand when people say they don’t want to get too bulky or muscular because:
If you are already bulky (FAT) then at least you will be good bulky ( muscle and not fat).
If you are thin, then you put on lean muscle mass and LOOK better and will be STRONGER and did I mention, look better?
:eek:
FYI:
VERY FEW people need to “worry” about getting “too big” like pro bodybuilders because for the vast MAJORITY of the population, it just won’t happen.
And NO, your buddies telling you that you are “packing on the muscle” doesn’t count cause that is just them blowing sunshine up your ass.
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1237532]After I became a vegetarian, no matter how much weight that I worked with, my muscle size no longer increased. Ancient Chinese believed meat can build muscle. It may have some truth in it.[/QUOTE]
You Don’t Want to Gain Muscle? Then You’d Better Avoid Animal Protein.
You can gain muscle as a vegetarian, but I think it may be more difficult.