Here is a challenge

[jarrettmeyer]

OK, here's the issue:

You actually have two kinds of muscle fiber. You have "Slow twitch" fibers and "Fast twitch" muscle fibers.

If we hooked up a machine to read muscle output, we'd know the answer, but here's what I bet happens....

(1) When you start this, your squat is really deep, and you launch yourself as high as you can. This is working fast-twitch muscles, same as sprinting.

(2) As you continue, your squat is higher and your launch is lower. Eventually, you are working slow-twitch muscles. You will settle into a rythm.

Depending on the capability of your muscles, you can stay explosive longer. Maybe the first 20 are explosive, the next 20 are trading off, and the last 460 are endurance. If you have better energy control, you might be able to maintain the explosiveness longer. Example: If you do 150 pound squats and weigh 170 pounds, that's a big difference from being able to do 240 pound squats and still only weighing 170 pounds. The second guy can stay explosive longer. Because his body weight is a more suitable proportion of his maximum ability.

Pushups are the same way. If I do clap pushups, where you pushup hard enough that you have time to clap at the highest point, then catch myself as I come back down, I can only do about 20. If I settle into a rythm - up, down, up, down, 1, 2, 1, 2 - I can do about 50. I'm working two types of muscles.

Everyone should recognize that you need to work both types of muscles. A good alternative to this would be to do one super deep, super high vault, then follow that by 4 rythmic vaults. Work a cycle. This is the same idea behind a previous thread that said walk 60 seconds, jog 30 seconds, run 30 seconds, sprint 60 seconds, run 30 seconds, jog 30 seconds, repeat. Continue this over a 2 - 3 mile stretch, and it's the best of both worlds. (If you're really good, get rid of that walk part altogether and join the to jog parts into one 60 second job.)

[Mr Pockets]

I am not talking about the kind of power and strength needed to lift massive weights, that is useless to the MA. I am talking about the kind of power needed by a MA.

Apparently you've never taken hits from a really big guy.

Sure it will.

Power = (mass) * (distance)^2 * (time)^(-3)

big mass = more power

more distance covered = more power

shorter amount of time = more power

Don't confuse power and force. If I do this with a backpack full of cinder blocks, that's force.

God, I hate how people in here try and talk physics all the time. Don't take any personal offense by that- it's just that people define things in ways that aren't relevant. Power is also the derivative of energy, but who cares? The power we talk about when we talk about wanting power in martial arts- a more powerful punch or kick, whatever... comes from hitting hard. How can you train to hit hard? Bigger, STRONGER (that one's more important) muscles are important. A slow big guy actually hits harder than a faster smaller guy. Sure speed has its advantages, but guess what! big guys can develop speed too. And it doesn't even sacrifice their lifting ability (strength). If you want to be a great, hard kicker (first of all, kick correctly), you need to develop a lot of muscular strength (lift heavy) and also learn to kick quickly (practice kicking.) There's nothing wrong with endurance training, or the exercise described in the first post here... but let's not start spouting facts that aren't true.

[jarrettmeyer]

God, I hate how people in here try and talk physics all the time. Don't take any personal offense by that- it's just that people define things in ways that aren't relevant.

I apologize that you were offended by my comments. Physics, biology, statistics, chemistry, computers - this is what I know. MA - that I'm new at. This is what happens when engineers start hobbies.

Let's just take 100 of these. (Since I tried 40 and my legs were on fire after that, so 500 seems like an enormous number right now.)

It should be apparent that if you do 100 in 400 seconds, that's a big difference than doing 100 of the same quality in 100 seconds. The second version will generate and develop more power than the first. The post I was responding to said that this exercise won't generate power. I disagree.

The problem when you start dealing in very large numbers is that most people will settle into a rythm that is less than maximum ability. The same thing happens when you lift. My friends and I used to take some time on the bench press, put on 75 pounds, and keep going until we couldn't - one set. That was doing something entirely different than working our standard 80% max press.

That being said, if you really can do 40 or 100 or even 500 of these full speed, full explosiveness, this will build power, just like doing squats and hip sled.

[Mr Pockets]

No offense taken or intended. I'll repeat, it will build some power, but not like heavy squats would.

[SevenStar]

God, I hate how people in here try and talk physics all the time. Don't take any personal offense by that- it's just that people define things in ways that aren't relevant.

I apologize that you were offended by my comments. Physics, biology, statistics, chemistry, computers - this is what I know. MA - that I'm new at. This is what happens when engineers start hobbies.

Let's just take 100 of these. (Since I tried 40 and my legs were on fire after that, so 500 seems like an enormous number right now.)

It should be apparent that if you do 100 in 400 seconds, that's a big difference than doing 100 of the same quality in 100 seconds. The second version will generate and develop more power than the first. The post I was responding to said that this exercise won't generate power. I disagree.

The problem when you start dealing in very large numbers is that most people will settle into a rythm that is less than maximum ability. The same thing happens when you lift. My friends and I used to take some time on the bench press, put on 75 pounds, and keep going until we couldn't - one set. That was doing something entirely different than working our standard 80% max press.

That being said, if you really can do 40 or 100 or even 500 of these full speed, full explosiveness, this will build power, just like doing squats and hip sled.

muscles are lazy by nature. what makes them grow is maximal effort. high repetitions build muscle endurance, not strength, as the muscle doesn't have to exert maximal force to lift itself. As pockets said, squats would work better here.

[SevenStar]

Everyone should recognize that you need to work both types of muscles. A good alternative to this would be to do one super deep, super high vault, then follow that by 4 rythmic vaults. Work a cycle. This is the same idea behind a previous thread that said walk 60 seconds, jog 30 seconds, run 30 seconds, sprint 60 seconds, run 30 seconds, jog 30 seconds, repeat. Continue this over a 2 - 3 mile stretch, and it's the best of both worlds. (If you're really good, get rid of that walk part altogether and join the to jog parts into one 60 second job.)

actually, I think that supersetting weight bearing exercises and plyos is a good idea.

[SevenStar]

I am not talking about the kind of power and strength needed to lift massive weights, that is useless to the MA. I am talking about the kind of power needed by a MA.

Albeit, use your own body weight and see how many reps you can do until your legs muscles burns with pain. After enough reps I am sure you will soon see exactly how hard it is.

This exercise is one most the top champion boxers and their coaches call "The King of All Exercises" because of its difficulty.

those same coaches also advocate that their boxers lift weights...all of these exercises are just parts of a bigger picture.

[JusticeZero]

Right, the thing is that your muscles are in essence two types of muscle operating in the same place. One generates a lot of power over a short time period, the other generates a lower level of power but can do it for a long time. It's assumed you want to develop power in the former, but the exercize is structured to use low power for a long time.

[mlee]

Is this whole body weight squatting based on the Matt Furey Combat Conditioning principles? I do his combat conditioning workout...haven't made it up to 500 squats yet, only about 125 or so....it is hard. Not sure if its as effective as doing a weighted squat, but they do work your legs like crazy.

[AnonymousOne]

Is this whole body weight squatting based on the Matt Furey Combat Conditioning principles? I do his combat conditioning workout...haven't made it up to 500 squats yet, only about 125 or so....it is hard. Not sure if its as effective as doing a weighted squat, but they do work your legs like crazy.

No it isnt and I have never heard of him sorry