Conditioning for the "older" MA practitioner

[hammer]

I started in TKD in my mid 30s and studied for 14 years. While we did the occasional board breaks, the sparring was non to light contact and we never did any kind of conditioning.

I switched to Kyokushin just over a year ago and I'm now trying to do some level of conditioning. My concern is that now that I'm in my early 50s the body doesn't rebound from training as much as I'd like. I'm not sure if I'm holding back too much, however.

The best example I can think of is hand conditioning...I've tried some knuckle pushups and we do heavy bag work, but I don't feel like my knuckles/hands are getting any better. It could very well be that I'm not hitting it hard enough but in all honesty I don't want to risk actual injury.

Is this an area where at this age I should just manage expectations?

[Spodo Komodo]

I have always been sceptical of hand conditioning. I know roughly how it is supposed to work by strengthening the connective tissues and encouraging bone density but those are things that are going to decrease after the mid 30s anyway. Starting conditioning at 50 is going to be an uphill struggle and you might get as much out of bog standard weight training to keep up bone density and keep everything moving as you would striking hard surfaces and traditional hand conditioning. I did a fair bit of hand conditioning when younger and now I am finding that other bits are starting to go, my knuckles are solid but my elbows are very painful after a heavy bag session. I think that middle age is the time for moderate overall training not intensive focussed conditioning. So don't go mad at it and enjoy your training.

[Nidan Melbourne]

To be honest with you it is going to be tough for your body to rebound at your age. As the older you get the longer it will take for you to get back to 100%. Especially in regards to injury where it can take twice as long as when you were younger.

Don't just focus on hand conditioning, instead focus on whole body conditioning.

[bushido_man96]

To be honest with you it is going to be tough for your body to rebound at your age. As the older you get the longer it will take for you to get back to 100%. Especially in regards to injury where it can take twice as long as when you were younger.

Don't just focus on hand conditioning, instead focus on whole body conditioning.

Great point. The main thing would be to listen to your body, and make sure recovery is an important part of your program, as well.

[Bulltahr]

I'm 50 very soon, I train twice a week and to be honest I need the 3 days in between to recover, and it doesn't seem to have changed, 2-3 days to recover with no sign of my body becoming more accustomed, therefore any extra training is either stretching, light bag work or revising katas......................

[ninjanurse]

After 50 it comes down to proper diet and listening to your body...one joint at a time-lol!!!

Through careful nutrition (including hydration) and proper rest I am able to run 3-4 miles daily, train BJJ for 4-6 hours a week, kickbox twice a week, and actively teach 25 hours of classes each week. Granted, I am no longer the fastest nor as agile as I used to be but I am holding my own.

It comes down to your training AND lifesyle goals...and sometimes changes need to be made in all areas of your life-nutrition being the hardest for many.

Oh, and BTW, I am 53.

[tallgeese]

Rest. Recover. Everyone is giving sound advice. Give your body time to recover. It's going to be one of the largest problem areas. Go slow, build up, Don't ballistically do things like you would have at 30.

[Alan Armstrong]

Almost 60 and train about 30 hrs 5 days per week. Every one I know cannot believe how old I am. To them I look like I'm in my late 40s. Past injuries remind me how old I really am, with a few recent ones to remind me what not to do in the future. Most of my training is conditioning with Chi Kung and Yoga exercises. Flexibility exercises for about 4 hrs per day. Core practice 1 hr per day. Eating right is what keeps me healthy. Gave up driving for walking. On a good day I practice sprinting and some stair sprinting with ankle weights. Agility and balance practice occasionally. Also go for long walks, resistance training with weights in a back pack and use heavy ankle weights. I do some Tai Chi in the park and TKD kicking exercises for limbering up the old joints. Forarm and Hand conditioning on wooden posts when they have healed from the last session. Wing Chun practice also on wooden posts and sometimes on metal lamp post. Am I getting old... I still can Hip Hop.. "old school" the kids call it. I can do Flamenco and Batuka semi-professionally! I don't do knuckle pushups I just tap them on hard surfaces. I don't do heavy bagwork; seems unrealistic to me, as I do my conditioning on wooden posts. My doctor gives me about 35 more years to live; so I my need to give up or retire the metal lamp post forearm conditioning practice soon.