karate weight training question..

[JissenKumite100]

Im my style the nessesity of being fit and strong is essential. I have learned that flexibility is one of the most important things to have when training. The next is indurence, and the last is strength. You may face somone who is very strong, muscle wise, but has no indurence. I guarentee that they will get very tiared very quickly and you will gain the upper hand. I find that a mixture of jogging, weight training and tons of stretching works best for me. When i weight train, i dont lift with the goal to gain power. I lift with the goal to gain speed and muscle stamina. This means doing lots and lots of reps on a less weight. You will find that the result is that you will gain alot of speed and still obtain lots of power. Thats basically my "out of dojo" training, hope it helped answer your question .

[Saotome]

I don't use weights much any more. I've become a believer in mostly bodyweight exercises - pushups, dips, lunges, plyometrics, and that sort of thing, done with explosive movements.

I'd rather gain a little more speed, for closing distance and hitting hard, and getting back out again, than gain a little more static lifting ability.

Explosive leg strength is really important for quick movement. Being able to shift in and out quickly is about power-to-weight ratio. If you're not strong enough relative to your mass, you'll be too slow on the attack, relatively speaking.

Everything you do, do it with good form, and every time try to do it more quickly...without ripping something loose.

[kenttiensankari]

Training with weights, I do little work out in home, not with heavy weights, since muscles doesnt bring that kind of strenght that karate requires.

Though few extra kilos could do just fine in my body, perhaps I should train little more with weights.

I also like ice fishing, getting swet in dojo is kinda nice comparing to sitting in a -20 celsius degrees out in a lake when snow is raining like it would be last day on earth. Ice Fishing also rises menthal fitness, it is not easy to sit hours out there in cold.

[mai tai]

saotone

while bodywiegt excercises are good. i do them when im traveling, for light days most lift you should progress beyond your bodywieght.

also your body has no idea if you are using your bodywieht or not. all it knows is that it is external resitance. if you are doing a pull up or or using the cable your body does not know the difference.

anonomus one i was with you all the way...but then you lost me.

what about the king of the jungle THE SQUAT and his little brother the deadlift

[Saotome]

while bodyweight excercises are good. i do them when im traveling, for light days most lift you should progress beyond your bodyweight.

also your body has no idea if you are using your bodywieht or not. all it knows is that it is external resitance. if you are doing a pull up or or using the cable your body does not know the difference.

Think about exactly what you are trying to train, though. Training for maximum static lifting ability isn't as helpful for a martial artist as training for explosive movements. Explosive movements are easier and more effectively trained with just bodyweight. Plyometric pushups, sprints, standing leaps, and the like.

It's like most teachers say..."If you want to get inside faster, practice getting inside faster!" - that is, practice the exposive footwork that you need to get in and out. For delivering powerful punches, you have to hit the heavy bag (or makiwara, or other resisting target of your choice).

Cable pulldowns and the like are generally slow, controlled motions, at the least so that you don't bang the plates. Doing pull-ups, perhaps pull-ups with a weighted belt, you can be explosive, pulling yourself up as fast as possible - and, you could choose to do a slow negative, slowly returning to the rest position.

Fast-twitch versus slow twitch, pick which fiber you'd rather improve.

what about the king of the jungle THE SQUAT and his little brother the deadlift

If I were to return to basic plate work, I would do Olympic-style lifting. Squats, deadlifts, the clean-and-jerk.

[mai tai]

i agree. i didnt realize you were refering to plyos. i do my plyos with bw too. (most of the time)

[Saotome]

I read a lot about training, when I'm not training.

I found some really insightful information on strength training for male gymnasts that I think could apply to us.

Their goal is to train for maximum strength with minimum muscle growth - so that they get stronger without getting bulkier.

Turns out, they get the most benefit with powerlifting-style training. That is, doing maximum weights with minimum reps.

USA Gymnastics was alternating high-rep, low weight with low-rep, high weight, and completely avoiding the standard 'bodybuilder workout', with mid-rep sets.

Link: http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/publications/technique/1996/8/strength-training.html

The article is ten years old, but I think it's interesting. Mai Tai, you're right - time to hit the squat cage for some heavy lifting.