Weights, will it increase my strengh?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I have been doing calisthenics for quiie awile now and I feel much strenger thanhwen I used to be on weights because I am strong through mastering my own body weight thus increasing FUNCTIONAL strengh like an animal. But could you increase strengh by doiung weights as well? In my Goju lesson we use power stones (large stick with a slab of concrete on the end) as weights and we do drills with them, and I feel amazing after them. I thought I could just make one which is excellent due to the cheapness and ease to add weight i.e. put more concrete on. So using weights will increase strengh but will it impend my functional strengh? Is it better just to stick with the combat conditioning exercises calsithenics?

 

thanks for the input

[Bretty101]

I am currently doing more weight training then any thing else. My strength has improved immessurably.

 

Only side effect i have noticed is i'm slightly more rigid, which i put down to doing back work and deadlifts. however i know with practice and some twisting work this will come back to normal and the good side is my posture is great and i now have no back trouble.

 

I've also noticed a loss of flexibility in my shoulders (ie when trying to scratch my own back there are some places i can't reach)

 

I have found however the benefits by far outway the disadvantages and i can jump higher and still kick well.

 

Bretty

[Xtreme Fury]

yes of course it will increase your strength and also muscle endurance. I think you should do calithenics(sp) and maybe try weight training once or twice a week to see if it helps any.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I'm gonna continue doing the combat conditioning exercises by Matt Furey (calisthenics), and am going to start using the Goju Ryu power stones as weights. I'm not going to but any fancy barbells or dumbells as you cant really keep adsding weigfht without investing a lot and I am goiuing to do the exercises the traditional way for pure raw strengh. The calsithenics build functional strengh and endurance and are the most important, I'l use weights to help increase overal strengh but done in the traditonal maner by just lifting them rather than doiing things like boicep curls which are better for body building as opposed to gaining raw strengh. First I'l have to make one which I will do this weekend.

[chh]

If you're gonna make your own, you oughtta know those power stones are called "chi-shi"

[G95champ]

It can't hurt

[Jack]

I don't see how holding a weight in a fixed position just because it is "traditional" will build more "raw strength" than weight training which involves moving the muscles through a full range of motion. Do you have any studies to show that holding a weight above your head or infront of you for a period of time builds more strength than moving a weight through a full range of motion?

 

Traditional ways are not always better than more modern ways.

[ZeRo]

im with jack on this one.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I'm sorry if I said that but no you dont hold it you move it in range of motion. I firmly beleive from experiance that things like exercise just seems to be better than modern exercises sorry Mr Scientist but thats coming from a person that has tried a lot of exercises and I cam tell you those fancy barbell curls and other related weight lifting exercises are krap for strengh compared to any of the 'traditional' methods I have tried, sorry say what you like but that what works for me, especially the Martial Arts.

[Xtreme Fury]

I'm not sure who's right on this but a "friend" of mine weight lifted for 3 years. But then he had another friend who had this book called Combat Conditioning which consists of different bodyweight exercises(calithenics?). Anyway he tried those and he said he thought those were better for strength and endurance for sports and fighting... or whatever. I believe he also said his body felt more in control or something. I'm not sure if that's exactly what he said, something along those lines, I really don't know him much though.