Simple martial arts conditioning for beginners

Simple martial arts conditioning for beginners

As a Black Belt in Martial Arts and a certified fitness trainer, I am constantly asked what is the best workout or routine for a beginner or someone who has trained before and is just starting out again. There are so many answers to this, but I usually tell them that the easiest way to get back into training is to make it as easy as possible...especially when it comes to martial arts. I've never seen more injuries than in class when someone is doing a new technique and giving it their all after a long break.

Now I have been strength training most of my life and martial arts conditioning for 8 years. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for others, but there are many things a person can do from a generic form that work well for basic conditioning and cost nothing more than that person's time and energy. Since we are basically the same physiologically (we have to be or modern medicine might not exist), there are many ways to achieve what you want in terms of fitness and conditioning that will work regardless of the type of exercise you choose. regardless of body type or your current condition.

For my aerobic training, I find that I do well in this arena if I kick the heavy bag, jump a rope and do kata for 30-40 minutes. For my strength conditioning, I either lift weights or do some form of bodyweight exercise, but since this mostly has to do with martial arts conditioning, I lean more towards bodyweight exercises such as push-ups (various types), bodyweight squats, core training such as lying and standing, and back or shoulder bridges, which allow for strengthening and stretching of the spine for greater flexibility. Functional strength is infinitely more important in martial arts than brute force because it causes your body to stabilize itself in unstable positions. In all of this, please remember that this is what I do and there is no need to engage in “Banzai” conditioning just because you think it is necessary to excel in martial arts. Depending on what shape you're in, you could start with something as simple as walking. At this point I should say that before beginning any conditioning program, you should contact your doctor to arrange a complete physical examination. It's a very good idea and can eliminate any concerns you may have before starting your workout. The most irresponsible thing a person can do is start out at full strength without a “clean bill of health” only to be incapacitated with injuries or worse. Since your training and all of life is a process, so is your conditioning. Take your time and be safe.

Next, I want you to understand that this type of exercise and conditioning doesn't just have to happen in a gym or dojo. This type of training can be done anywhere. The main thing is that you have to get up and do something... ANYTHING... just to get it going. Thinking really hard about training is not exercise. Everything is a process and what I've found is if you make it through the first four weeks of training, you've made it. I always tell my clients that when they start a workout they will be sore for the first few workouts, but that I hold to the idea that knowing you are going to be sore can get the pain out of the way as quickly as possible by making sure you do your next workout...and the next...and the next.

Here's a possible strength/cardio/mental training program you can use as a template:

Monday: Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats or shoulder bridges,

Abdominal cramps or a total body weight workout.

Tuesday: Cardio training...jumping rope, bag work, running, power walking, kata, etc.

Wednesday: rest

Thursday: Cardio exercise...choose what works best to safely get your heart rate up.

Friday: Strength training...again, choose what works for you, bodyweight exercises or weight

Training

Sat./Sun.: Take time for yourself and your family.

Here are some other simple programs you can run at home. These are great workouts to start with, and once you get started they can become nice little routines. I use these with many of my clients who are just starting out or returning to their training. The best part is…it costs you nothing but time and effort! They are as follows:

If you're watching a 1-hour television program, every time a 2-minute commercial appears, drop down and do as many push-ups (ankle, straight, fingertip, etc.) as you can in 2 minutes. The next commercial has you doing as many squats as you can, the next, as many crunches as you can, etc. etc. When the program is over, you have a nice little conditioning program that doesn't require you to go anywhere or spend money to achieve it. Another method is to take a simple deck of cards and turn them over one at a time. Whatever number comes up (the ace is worth 11, not 1!!), that is the number of reps you do for whatever exercise you choose. Try to get through the deck as much as possible, but if the entire deck seems overwhelming, and this will certainly be the case in the early stages, take as many as you want and yes, you can choose which cards and their values ​​you want to work with!

By using these simple techniques when conditioning, you'll be well on your way to achieving your training and conditioning goals. However, remember, start slowly and work at your own pace. If you can only do a few reps of an exercise...even if it's just one rep...start there and build from there. Also, make sure you do a stretch after your warm-up and incorporate it into your cool down at the end of your workout. Nutrition is also a HUGE component in all of this. I will address this in my next article.

Now as far as the specific conditioning and body hardening of martial arts, I would say that the heavy or hanging bag for conditioning the feet and shins, even the hands, is a great place to start. A Makawara board is also a good starting point for conditioning your hands (either with canvas or leather), but Century Martial Arts also makes a training bag called the BOB...Body Opponent Bag. It's like a Wavemaster, but has a life-sized human torso instead of a bag made of very hard rubber. You can punch from the midsection to the head and since it is anatomically correct, you can also work on your target with hand strikes and kicks. It stings a bit at first, but again, this is a process that allows you to work your way up to a harder hit. All of these methods are easy to implement and allow you to accelerate your training at your own pace.

If there is one thing I can tell you about all of this it would be, PLEASE listen to your body. If you're doing something that really hurts you, stop. The last thing you want to do is take time off from training because of an injury that you could have prevented with a little forethought. There is so much information on this topic. Read and study a little about how the body works as this can help you decide what you need to do for general conditioning. In martial arts, your body moves as one, so you must train the entire body to respond as one. You can ensure this by gaining as much knowledge about conditioning as possible before starting your program.

As much as it is important that we exercise to achieve physical fitness, it is equally important that we take time to rest and recover from all the stress (remember that positive or negative stress is still stress), and part of that recovery includes spending time with our family and friends. This gives us time for the mental and emotional side of things and lets us examine why we do what we do. Total fitness of body…mind…spirit. This is what martial arts and life are about. Tie it all together and see how easy it is to achieve your training and life goals!

Inspired by Tim Gannon