I need some help toning up and help with a technique.

[Ryokeen]

Here is my normal routine for a daily basis with some things weekly, if that makes any sense..

I try to do 350-500 knee pushups one handed on finger tips, Mainly for the purpose of building muscle in the hand and fingers, it also helps my legs stretching as I stretch my legs out while doing them.

I do a combination of kicks, including the snap kick(a forward kick that kind of snaps with tows bent back), Roundhouse (Most people have the same roundhouse as my style XD.), and Side Kicks(JKD styled).

I also streatch for 30 mins to an hour a day, although I don't seem to get any progress... (Help on this would be great!)

In adition to those pushups, I do a routine of 15(complicated to explain pushups) then 15 crunches with my feet in the air and me doing a rotation form left to right. I do about 3-6 sets fo these daily.

Right now I weigh roughly 127 lbs.

But I came to find out that little of that is muscle. I'm roughly 30% body fat.

I'd like to densify my muscle and maybe drop down 10-15% of body fat and replace that with muscle. In a sense I wanan stay the same, gain a bit of weight but not fat.

I do 15 miles of canoeing a week, in one setting no resting... for more than 5 mins.

Any tips would be great.

Also my sidekick on my left foot is horrible. I don't get the knife edge that I should at all, I fear in next months competition I'll hurt it. I don't want that so i need tips on getting that to work out.

Thanks!

Learning from you guys rocks.

Aaron

[Kaminari]

A big part of any kind of training is nutrition. You want to eat the right amounts of food, and the rightkinds of food. Start by cutting sugars and unnecessary fats/starches (potato chips, other junk foods). Also, try to eat 5-6 smaller meals a day, high in protein and high in carbs (the good kind, from wheat bread and such. Carbs from healthy things, etc.). This will raise your metabolism, and if you're looking to lose fat, that's a good idea. However, it sounds like you've got pretty good cardio with the rowing. Weight training will be most beneficial to gaining size and weight in muscle, but if you don't have equipment like that, or don't have access to any, you have to intensify your workout each time to shock the muscles into getting stronger. Try doing those pushups on your feet, not your knees, or elevate your feet, or do them with only one leg, etc. This is rough advice, only knowing what I do about your situation.

The side kick: Try forming the knife edge without the kick. If you can, then try the kick slowly, and work on it until you can get it faster. If you can't, try stretching out that foot for a while, and hopefully you'll get the needed flexibility.

Try switching up the daily stretches for a greater effect. Don't do the same ones every day, or every day for more than a week or two.

Hope this helps with your situation.

[Ryokeen]

A big part of any kind of training is nutrition. You want to eat the right amounts of food, and the rightkinds of food. Start by cutting sugars and unnecessary fats/starches (potato chips, other junk foods). Also, try to eat 5-6 smaller meals a day, high in protein and high in carbs (the good kind, from wheat bread and such. Carbs from healthy things, etc.). This will raise your metabolism, and if you're looking to lose fat, that's a good idea. However, it sounds like you've got pretty good cardio with the rowing. Weight training will be most beneficial to gaining size and weight in muscle, but if you don't have equipment like that, or don't have access to any, you have to intensify your workout each time to shock the muscles into getting stronger. Try doing those pushups on your feet, not your knees, or elevate your feet, or do them with only one leg, etc. This is rough advice, only knowing what I do about your situation.

The side kick: Try forming the knife edge without the kick. If you can, then try the kick slowly, and work on it until you can get it faster. If you can't, try stretching out that foot for a while, and hopefully you'll get the needed flexibility.

Try switching up the daily stretches for a greater effect. Don't do the same ones every day, or every day for more than a week or two.

Hope this helps with your situation.

The only wieght lifting I'd consider is the old way. wrap a rope around a weight sling a rope over a branch and go to town.

As fars as those pushups go somewhere in there I thought I mentioned I did about 90 to 180 (oops guess I only said 90) Very hard ones daily, not all in one gulp as I can only manage 90 every 30-45 mins. I don't want size, I just want more density in my muscle there for increasing my wieght. Maybe a little bulk wouldn't hurt but not much.

But I think I will try some light wieght lifting.

If you can't tell by now I beleive in not changing the arts to western style, i feel I'll get the best benefits from eastern, as that si where they origionated... it only makes sense..

But I will try to add more streatches to my routine. And I was also told to find some slippery floor, place on foot on the wall and one foot on some cardboard. Slide as far as I can and rest there for a while until it hurts to bad or I fall over and after a week I'll get about 3-7 inches better.

I have trouble even making ti with my left foot, but yes I can do it. It just bothers me, my right was perfect from day one, but my left... well...

Instead of 5-6 little meals I eat when I am hungery, usually 1-2 medium meals. They consist of a salad with a little bit of dressing, and maybe some potatoes and a few slices of oven baked ham.

As far as the sugars go all I drink is water and the most sugar I get is sugar free popsicles. I have to be eating right, I don't eat fast food but once a month because mom says that if your body doesn't get use to it, the body will suck out all the fatty out of it. She's a nurse anddid a great deal of nutrition study.

Thanks for your help!

[busling]

For your stretching you should be doing Dynamic Stretching, check out

Dynamic Stretching and Kicking

by Bill Wallace

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/0865680183/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/104-8223718-2204753

[elbows_and_knees]

The only wieght lifting I'd consider is the old way. wrap a rope around a weight sling a rope over a branch and go to town.

First, that's not "the old way" - as if that was the only thing they did. They did all sorts of weight training, from lifting stone locks to carrying water filled vases. Second, if you don't want to lift, then you don't really want the results you claim you do...

As fars as those pushups go somewhere in there I thought I mentioned I did about 90 to 180 (oops guess I only said 90) Very hard ones daily, not all in one gulp as I can only manage 90 every 30-45 mins. I don't want size, I just want more density in my muscle there for increasing my wieght. Maybe a little bulk wouldn't hurt but not much.

that is WAY too many pushups to gain strength or size. What you are doing is training your muscle endurance... you are training with the wrong goal in mind.

But I think I will try some light wieght lifting.

If you can't tell by now I beleive in not changing the arts to western style, i feel I'll get the best benefits from eastern, as that si where they origionated... it only makes sense..

Do you think that how the eastern arts today train is the exact same as it was when they were created? I can guarantee you that it is not. Change is inevitable. Also, weight training and MA training don't have to be intertwined. If they are not, then you technically are not "changing" anything. And no, it didn't really originate there, actually... different cultures originated there own arts. There was stickfighting and wrestling in africa long before the first documented chinese martial art...

But I will try to add more streatches to my routine. And I was also told to find some slippery floor, place on foot on the wall and one foot on some cardboard. Slide as far as I can and rest there for a while until it hurts to bad or I fall over and after a week I'll get about 3-7 inches better.

that sounds like a good way to pull/tear some muscles.

Instead of 5-6 little meals I eat when I am hungery, usually 1-2 medium meals. They consist of a salad with a little bit of dressing, and maybe some potatoes and a few slices of oven baked ham.

this is the incorrect way to do it. The reason they stress more frequent meals is that frequent eating keeps the metabolism high, which in turn burns calories. by only eating twice, you aren't keeping your metabolism high. Also, what you stated is SEVERELY lacking in protein... you won't put any muscle on with that diet.

[Kajukenbopr]

instead of the 500 finger pushups(if you are doing them on your knees, its not as hard so....), do 200-350 normal ones.

Instead of throwing side kicks at face level for practice, throw them at knee level until you can take the edge out like you should, then work on height. (Every kick should be trained like this so u know you are kicking the right way)

try doing 40 crunches sets(5-6) instead of only 15.

Do not diet if you dont want to lose the weight.

and if this is not enough for you- try weights- go to a gym and start bulking up.

For stretching, butterfly stretch and whatever else your instructor recommends.

[Menjo]

Iam not sure if this has been mentioed but i know swimming is really great for toning...

[Ryokeen]

I can see I made many mistakes, fixed my diet now into 54-6 balanced small meals with protein,calcium, fruits ect all balanced out.

I also talked to my sensei about using weights and I am not to sue any more than thsoe that you wrap around you wrists and ankles, He showed my many different exercises to work a large veriety of muscles, from handstand pushups to wierd ones that work everything.

I am more soar than ever before right now .

About the side kick. I can only do it about ankle hieght at a decent, not very good side kick.

Also, something else came up in my new kata. I swear I'm gonna cut off my left leg and save me the trouble..

When I do it my legs not strait, its well wierd and low. I can stretch furth on my elft leg than my right so why is this happening? I can also kick higher with my left.

Thanks for all your input, I did have a questiona s to how much protien ect I should keep in my 4-6 small meal diet.

Wasn't quite sure.

Thanks . I'm glad you guys straitened my out on alot of things.

[makiwaraman]

Try skiping it been working for me to lose fat and improve co- ordination.

regards maki

[Kajukenbopr]

well, about the right side-kick : talk to your sensei, ask him for help on stretching. seems you have neglected that if you can only kick at ankle level. he will help u out.