Working out and practicing karate

[Snowbat]

Hello all! I hope this is the right forum to ask this kinda stuff.

Anyway, 5 years ago, I used to practice karate (Uechi-Ryu style more precisely). I did it for several years but 5 years ago, I had to stop because it became too hard to combine with my new job.

But recently, they say wisdom comes with the years, I decided to pick it up again once a week. Not much, but better than nothing right?

Anyways, during these years where I didn't practice karate, I did some workouts at home. Mainly body weight compound excercices: pull ups, dips, squats. Just because I wanted to stay fit. And it also made me gain some weight which is good since I was always too skinny anyway.

But now, I'd like to continue doing those home workouts once a week and go to the karate training once a week too. Is that a safe thing to do? Will the strength workouts negatively impact my karate skills? I heard that when you get more muscle mass, you become slower. Is that true or should I not worry? I dont want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his peak days, but I dont want to be too skinny any more neither.

I know this might be a dumb question, but I just wanted to be sure.

Thanks for any replies!

[UselessDave]

That's fine. Once a week won't make a difference to speed. That would be when talking about big muscle mass. To the certain level it is only a good thing.

[bushido_man96]

It would be a good thing. In fact, if you had the time, another home session or two would benefit you more.

[brickshooter]

From my experience, as one gets older, one's joints are more sensitive to weight gain. In other words, walking around with a weightlifter's bulk is fine. But stomping around in them and doing all sorts of Karate motions tend to put more pressure on the joints.

I'm 5'7". 160lbs. At one point, I bulked up to 180lbs. And at that weight, Karate training started to irritate my knees and feet. I changed my lifting routine and came back down to 155lbs and the irritation went away.

[Snowbat]

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't think I'll reach a point where I become too heavy anyways: I'm a die hard hardgainer and I have an insanely fast metabolism

[brickshooter]

Wait till ya hit 40.

[sensei8]

Wait until you reach 50...scheeh.

But serious, what you're planning is quite ok across the board. Keeping in motion is always much better than not!!

Good luck and let us know how's it going.

[evergrey]

It'll be fine! There are a couple of power lifters in my particular training lineage- my Shihan can bench press 600 pounds! Crazy stuff! And he is not young. Well, not chronologically young. He can run rings around me, that's for sure!

The really important thing is to stretch after your workout. Otherwise, the muscles will tighten and become less flexible as you heal.

I myself am going to start lifting weights soon. I'm looking forward to the extra bit of power the extra muscle will give me!

OSU

[Snowbat]

Wait till ya hit 40.

Yeah probably.

My dad is still skinny too though. Oh man it feels so good to be practicing karate again. It literally makes me feel much better and in happier moods.

And I noticed I didn't lose the touch too much after all these years It's coming back pretty quickly.