Help compile the noobs guide to MA training

[k3v1n]

For quite awhile, ive been trying to lose weight, get fit, and just to improve myself generally....i dont last more then a few days. But this time, ive sworn to myself i'l make a difference, but it seems to me that my search for training info is my main excuse in not actually working out.

Anyway, basically, i keep reading this that and the other, and most of the time, its quite contradictory. Even around this forum im pretty confused, so i'd like to make one quality concise thread about a little of everything around training. Please help!

For a start.

Stretching:

Theres all these types

ballistic stretching
dynamic stretching
active stretching
passive (or relaxed) stretching
static stretching
isometric stretching
PNF stretching

Strength training

Lots of reps and low weights?
makes you faster appently? more dense muscles?


Low reps and max weights?
better absolute strength? muscles are not very effective?

I try to do the max weight i can, for as many reps as i can, then lowering weight and trying as many as i can then etc. is that goood? and what for?

the sticky strength thread had lots of good info, but some of it was contradicted in places. Ive been told by others that lots of reps are the best ways for building dense muscle? please correct me >.<

Pre and post workout nutrition?

Particularly, (no meals after workouts which i keep hearing around the forum)
What should you eat before and after?

Example and explainations for the above?

At the moment, i feel like a know abit about everything, but not really enough to be sure. I do wing chun once a week, but am aiming to train at least 4 days out of 7. I seem to lose motivation as well which isnt good. My diet isnt horrible, but could be much better. Really, my goals are to lose fat, get stronger and to condition my body for wing chun.(which i guess are the basic goals for most regimes :rolleyes: )

It jsut seems like theres lots of little rules which kinda do and dont make sense like the ones listed below (some true?, but others im unsure):

Dont eat 4hrs before sleeping
No simple sugars (does that inculde fruits and their juices?)
Dont train on empty stomach?
Dont drink alot in a meal?
Eat many meals (kickstarts metabolism)
Work larger muscles first
Cut back on red meat, and alcohol
Sore is good?


Anymore to add?

Thanks

p.s. sorry for being a noob =p

[Adventure427]

I was once where you were so i beleive i can contribute.

Some of the rules you mention are helpful but none are end all be all...everything exsists on a continium. So i'll break each one down that i am CERTAIN of....not the ones i 'think' might be right (if i do, i'll tell u im not sure about it, or its just something i heard ect.)

Dont eat 4hrs before sleeping--- People say this so you dont put on body fat while you sleep...i personally eat before i goto bed everynight or i can't sleep, lol go figure, but im not fat, so i dont worry bout it (although im starting to get a little more body fat than i want (i want a sixpack) so i may start heeding this advice.

Dont train on empty stomach?---- This also exsists on a continnium, because if you trian while you're full you're likely to get cramps or throw up. The reason for this "rule" is so you have energy from the food you ate (say an hour ago) instead of working off of your bodys reserves right away. Plus you may get light headded if you train while your real hungry.

Eat many meals (kickstarts metabolism)----- Well think about this....this is a trend i've noticed amongst my overweight friends/coworkers ect. All of them who are fat/gaining fat say they only eat once a day (in an attempt to LOSE fat maybe?)...but what happens when you do this is your body goes into survival mode thinking "uh oh, i dont know when the next time im going to eat is" and so it stores the food (kinda like when a bear hibernates) and builds fat so you dont die. So when you eat several meals a day your metabolism is continiously burning the food so your RMR (resting metabolic rate) is higher, so when you're just hangin out you're metabolism is still burnin fat.

Work larger muscles first--- Well the reason for this is, let's say you decide to do wrist curls, calf raises, leg extensions, and tricep extensions FIRST.... So you got a nice workout, your small muscles have been worked and NOW you decide to lift some heavy weights over you're head....You're wrists are tired/weakened, so are you're legs/calfs and you're triceps too....so all these muscles that are meant to stabalize this huge amount of weight over you're head are either overworked or are about to collapse (because your large muscles aren't fatigued yet) and then you're gonna drop this weight on you're head (or your chest if you're benchpressing)......so even if you dont drop it on you're head, you are probably putting too much stress on these smaller muscles. So if you work the big muscles first and then decide you "still got energy" to do the smaller ones, go right ahead, that way you still work within your limits.

Cut back on red meat, and alcohol ---- Well i'll atleast comment on the alcohol.......if you're going out drinking beer all the time you'll get a beer gut, or if you are getting drunk off ANYTHING on a regular basis you're going to be putting your liver to work and it just plain old isn't good for you... (although i heard wine in moderation is, but i wont go there)

Sore is good? See my thread about this "DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness)"

[Adventure427]

Now to comment on motivation...I guess i can do this because i goto classes 4days a week and and have lost fat and got stronger and train outside of school...so i've been there....you said:

" At the moment, i feel like a know abit about everything, but not really enough to be sure. I do wing chun once a week, but am aiming to train at least 4 days out of 7. I seem to lose motivation as well which isnt good. My diet isnt horrible, but could be much better. Really, my goals are to lose fat, get stronger and to condition my body for wing chun.(which i guess are the basic goals for most regimes)"


Ok here's something that may change you're life (it did mine)....

Realizing the reasons you want to acheive a goal will help you be, not only motivated, but DRIVEN to acheive it. Lets look at Martial arts for example...

What will hapen if you DONT train 4 days a week? Are you trainning to keep yourself and family and community safe? To be one of you're creators protectors? (if you beleive, that is....) Well what'll happen if you DONT train as often as you want? Steven segal even said "The weak will get warred upon" (i think he's who said it).....if you want to keep peace you have to be strong. Think of the rewards now and in the afterlife (again if you beleive)

Are you trainning so you can look cool and get chicks? Imagine trainning in your ideal location with a chick or (chicks) watching as you effortlessly perform you're deadly moves (if thats what you're after) with you're physique in amazing shape. Imagine how others will look at you. And if you do nothing, imagine how they'll look at you...

Why do you want to lose fat and get stronger? To attract that special someone? To be the protector in you're family? To be more confident socially? To save lives better cuz you're a fire fighter (obviously im just throwing stuff out there)... find you're reasons and most importantly ACT ON THEM and you'll form a habit.

[golden arhat]

i think flexibility has to come before anything
flexibility is the key to so many doors and the results become apparent relatively shortly so on the motivation front its good also

i barely eat any meat (fish or chicken if at all) and i eat alot all the time i dont know what it is but i dont gain any weight (weither or not thats because i'm 16 i dont know)
anyway thats al served me well (i could go on about my training in detail but i wont lol)

on the motivation front however i believ this is important

what i have always done is kept a list of everything i wanted to accomplish with my MA and updated it as it changed and constantly reaffirmed it to myself
i started reading alot of philosophical works,religious works,and just generally fought battles in my head and just kind of taught myself how to draw strength from within and thats where i really hit a turning point

then the flood gates came down and the boundraries between life and MA became really blurred

now it really is my life and of course imagining yourself with the girl of your dreams or doing something u r proud of really helps along with encouragement (and i have to stress that i do really find it very helpful)

i think the real change has to come from within before u can really start to progress

[bodhitree]

edit- ops i only read ga's response, not the thread which makes what I wrote not related

[Ni Jian mu]

Great comment golden arhat spot on about self belief before you can progress. As for the weights front k3v1n you should really start on lower weights and then progress steadily on to heavier weights rather than the other way round. A good diet is also important and then again back to self belief. If you dont feel you can do it then it aint going to happen. My workout consist of 1 day off one day on. So i would workout on monday and then break on tuesday then back on wednesday and so on. Although i do practice my martial arts every day. I usually just warm up, workout and warm down (very important). I rarely eat any meat but i do at least once a week as i find my body misses it and sometimes i can feel drained. But i have found alternatives such a soya which has a very high protein content but very low fat, tofu and quorn as well make excellent meat substitutes. Like golden arhat said and i am sure others would say is that unlocking your mind is the first step to success in whatever you want to do. Meditation helps :D

Cheers
Jamie

[k3v1n]

thanks guys =]

its great to find theres such a supportive crowd out there on the net. about the flexibility though, i keep hearing from people that wrong types of stretching can lead to inflexibility if anything.

whats the right kind of stretch? and is stretching cold really bad for you?

thanks again.

kevin

[Royal Dragon]

To help with consistancy and motivation, drink a glass of Ginseng tea about an hur before you train. It will get your motor running and make it easier to get your self practicing.

I have alllways been an evening trainer, but due to my schedule and such, i am now working otu on the mornings. I'd never be able to get it in gear and do anthing if i don't have a good strong glass of Ginseng as soon as I wake up.

I put it in the cup the nite before, and drink it as soon as I am awake, before anything else. By the time I am dressed and to the car, it's kicking in and I start feeling the levels of energy that are more common to me later in the day...as opposed to being the walking Zombie I normally am in the mornings.

[golden arhat]

as for stretching i tend to avoid things like touching your toes as this can lead to back injuries (trust me i'm not just saying that i actually got one)
i actually dont know the names of the stretches that i do

but i know that i do them

i take alot from yoga and the type of stretches that modern wushu people do