Do you still need to go to Gym ?!

[Safroot]

I am just wondering if MA practitioners in general need to go to the gym to do weights or the training in the dojo / Practice at home is enough ?!

I have heard before that it's better for the martial artist not to be heavy as this helps them to perform better but not sure if this is true or not ?

Edited December 3, 2016 by Safroot

[bushido_man96]

It really depends on what your goals are. If you want to increase your strength, then MA training won't be enough. If you want to get stronger, then you will need to spend some time lifting weights. If you are satisfied with what you get out of your MA class, then there's no need to worry about it.

[Safroot]

My goal is to improve my fitness levels & to lose weight as well but does the one's muscle mass/weight affects his/her MA performance ?

[Wado Heretic]

So long as you keep your muscle mass proportional, then gaining muscle mass is not actually a bad thing. It is about a balance between body-fat ratio, flexibility, and muscle mass then anything else. It is gaining so much muscle as to lose flexibility, or gaining mass without reducing body fat that is troublesome.

If you want to lose weight, then you do need to do some degree of resistance training. Yoga, callisthenics (without and with weights), and light weights at your maximum range of movement, are perhaps your best bet for losing weight and improving your martial arts performance at the same time. You should also favour compound movements, though curling is good for grappling techniques, and perhaps use the Bruce Lee approach of sets going light-heavy-light in pattern. It is a useful method for developing strength without excessive muscle mass again.

[Safroot]

So long as you keep your muscle mass proportional, then gaining muscle mass is not actually a bad thing. It is about a balance between body-fat ratio, flexibility, and muscle mass then anything else. It is gaining so much muscle as to lose flexibility, or gaining mass without reducing body fat that is troublesome.

If you want to lose weight, then you do need to do some degree of resistance training. Yoga, callisthenics (without and with weights), and light weights at your maximum range of movement, are perhaps your best bet for losing weight and improving your martial arts performance at the same time. You should also favour compound movements, though curling is good for grappling techniques, and perhaps use the Bruce Lee approach of sets going light-heavy-light in pattern. It is a useful method for developing strength without excessive muscle mass again.

Balance between muscle mass & flexibilty is really good point & make sense. Thanks Wado Heretic

[DWx]

It depends on what you want from your training and what you do in class and outside already.

If Karate is just a hobby you enjoy and keeps you active, then probably no need. But if you want to go that extra mile, gym time is definitely advised. Alongside cardio like running, biking and skipping, weight lifting can really help.

Contrary to popular belief, muscle mass won't weigh you down. Look at some of the fastest people around in sport; sprinters, NFL players, basketball players, soccer and rugby players all do some form of weight training to develop that explosiveness. It is only when you get to an endurance sport like long distance running that the extra weight starts having a serious detrimental effect. As long as you continue to work on your flexibility alongside strength training you will be fine.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Depends, if your training for fitness you can train at a gym to improve your health. It can improve your MA training if you train at a gym right.

I train at a gym 3x weekly for weight loss and to improve strength and my aerobic fitness.

[Safroot]

It depends on what you want from your training and what you do in class and outside already.

If Karate is just a hobby you enjoy and keeps you active, then probably no need. But if you want to go that extra mile, gym time is definitely advised. Alongside cardio like running, biking and skipping, weight lifting can really help.

Contrary to popular belief, muscle mass won't weigh you down. Look at some of the fastest people around in sport; sprinters, NFL players, basketball players, soccer and rugby players all do some form of weight training to develop that explosiveness. It is only when you get to an endurance sport like long distance running that the extra weight starts having a serious detrimental effect. As long as you continue to work on your flexibility alongside strength training you will be fine.

Thanks DWx, yes my Karate practice is just to keep me fit as much as I can. we usually do about 30-45 mins of good Cardio every class so I guess I am ok with that but if I am going to compete at one stage better to add Gym sessions to my training then.

For me it's all about limited training time, is it better to do Karate in the whole available time (max 2-3 hours a week) or split it between Karate & Gym ? and that's why I started that topic.

Regarding the muscle mass, you have raised a good point which I guess is very true. I have a friend of mine who is pretty big muscular guy & he has won couple of karate competitions before & I can never say his flexibility was affected by his muscle mass but lots of people are saying the opposite !

[Safroot]

Depends, if your training for fitness you can train at a gym to improve your health. It can improve your MA training if you train at a gym right.

I train at a gym 3x weekly for weight loss and to improve strength and my aerobic fitness.

As I mentioned above Nidan , it is all about limited training time unfortunately I am trying to get the best out of the available time. I tried once before to do Karate & Gym at the same time but at one stage I lost interest in both & stopped training completely, that's in addition to the financial part of it to pay for both. I am trying to find a dojo that offers gym facility as well & I guess this might help.

[sensei8]

I don't need to go to the gym!!

I MUST go to the gym; my life depends on it, more now than ever!!

Before being diagnosed with Afib this past October, I'm on a mission to save my life, if at all possible. That means that I go to the gym! That means that I must adopt a much more healthy lifestyle across the board! That means that I must lose weight; from being 326lbs to 215lbs in one year!

No, the gym is where I must go on a daily basis!! In the past, the majority of where I'd do my training, gym wise, was either at the dojo and/or at the Hombu.