fangshi

Have had a good deal of experience with tight hip problems that resulted from a disk hernination in my lower back a few years back . Here are a few stretches that work for me : 1) stand in a deep front stance and push forward with your hips and slightly lean in a backward motion with your back . The reverse of this movement is to stand in front stance but with your front leg on a chair and lean forward . 2) while siting on chair , put one ankle one other leg just above the knee . Push down on leg that is crossed . Do both legs . The reverse is to lift up on the other leg .

Sorry to hear that . I know how it feels . I actually had surgery to repair it . It is fixable . Physio helps some people , made mine worse so had surgery than did the physio . But have NO fear there is a light at the end of the tunnel . Stay plugged in to your doctor and physio therapist and stay positive . Light streching helped relieve some of the pressure on the nerve when I was injured . Good luck .

All of the above is awesome advice . Personally I combine the two . For example 1 set of squats followed by 1 set squat jumps *3 -1 set lunge followed by 1 set jumping lunge *3 - 1 set calf raise followed by calf or toe jumping *3 and so on . I like to follow this type of work out with a 3 to 5 rounds ( at least 1 minute a round ) on a heavybag (only kicks ) . Then dynamic leg streching ( leg swings or stretch kicks ) followed by lots of stretching ( VERY IMPORTANT ) . The three movements are only an example of the many movements you can do but you are looking for a match in the strength movement and the plyometric .

Wow !! Fitness is a huge industry with hundreds of different jobs available . There is the whole teacher/coach profession , the medical side of it ( doctor , physical therapy , nutrition ) . The business side (retail , marketing , service ) . And many others . Try talking to someone in your guidance dept. at school .

there are lots of differing opinions on this topic but for myself when it comes to pull ups or chins I start by setting a # of reps . When my form becomes an issue (not controlled 100% ) I rest , not long (10 secs or so ) and continue . At the begining of a body weight program I always shoot for the reps that I set my goal at not the # of sets (that will come with time ) . So if you want 45 chins then do 45 chins and don't worry about how many sets . Eventually you will get to 3 sets and beyond . I would suggest adding the other postions to your workout as well .

Being the holidays and all I had fallen into a slack and idle mode for a few days and had more aches and pains than while trainning 5 days a week and working full time at a physical job . Does anyone else get this way ? I know over trainning is bad but for me not trainning seems to hurt more . Not sure why , getting old I guess .

Don't need anything fancy . Get a rope , tie a loop at one end , throw the rope over a chin up bar ( kind of like a pulley ) . Put one leg in the loop and pull down on the other end of the rope . Use front , sideand back kick positions , use both legs . You may need something for balance ( a chair will do ) . Make sure to supplment with various streches to work all the muscles . Info is everywhere on that .

Looks more like an all in one , MMA type training facility as opposed to a muay thai gym . See if you can check out a class or two before you sign up . McDojo's typically have a ton of testing or promotion dates with coresponding fees so take a look at that , we have a local school here that has 13 tests with fees of up $200 in the first two years . The School has 5 or 6 instructors and about a 100 junior students with 3 or 4 being ranked high enough to attend intermediate/advanced classes and a kickboxing fitness/ aerobic class which looks to be filled with the weight lo$$ crowd and a kids program that costs about $200 a month when all is said and done and contracts coming from every which direction . By most accounts his former students look to have been promoted too fast and their skills seem to be a few belts behind where they should be (subjective opinion ofcoarse ) . Now that my friend is a McDojo .Talk to a few students current and past if you can find them , that will give you a good idea . Seeing as Lansing is not huge you should be able to get a good idea of the instructor and his schools reputation by asking around . On the face value of the web site it looks OK but anyone can put a twist on advertizing .

Body weight training does provide strength gains and in many cases is very effective . You do have to keep in mind that strength increases will plateau at some point and if you wish to continue to increase in strength you will need to expand your routine as the body adapts to the resistance provided . There are many , many ways to do this . Starting with standard body weight squats and then moving towards a single leg squat and then adding an isometric hold or even adding a balance or weight element to it . Adding plyometric reps at the end of a body weight movement can bring improovement . Bringing some balance element to the movement can increase difficulty as well . ( do 15 to 20 standard push ups and compare to 15 or 20 with hands on a stability ball . )

Absolutely , there is no one seceret excersize that gives you the perfect punch . Base level strength , balance and technique is a good place to start . Then go for the plyometrics and don't forget abs . Punching is a whole body thing .

Meditation can help in all sorts of ways , relaxation , stress reduction , mental focus . And read alot . Personnally I have hundreds of books on just about anything martial arts + years and years of back issues of my favorite MA mags . That will help get you through the bed rest periods . Sufferring from injury and recovering from the surgery was when I discovered this site and will help keep many topics fresh in your mind . And once your up and going , see if you can go watch a class or two . I like a good ( or even not so good ) martial art movie every now and again . Good luck with the surgery .

here is a link to an awesome product that helps me ALOT . http://www.rossboxing.com/punchingwithpower.html

always better not to fight . If he is taller he probably has better reach than you so keep moving , find your gap or opening and make the most of it . Never let him set his feet . And try not to get hit too much (it hurts ).

Creatine can be effective in assisting you with muscle endurance and an increased rate of muscle recovery . If you are in a style of martial arts that competes in strict weight classes you will want to watch your creatine intake before a fight as creatine has a tendancy to put on a few extra pounds . Mostly due to water retention .

Need to really focus on the basics at this point . Listen to your teachers as they will be able to help you greatly . Don't try for too much power or speed just doing it right , the rest will come . Flexabilty and balance are typically the greatest challenges for beginners . And never forget the #1 rule HAVE FUN . Good luck