New kung fu workout plan. Opinions?

Long time no see =)

I'm constructing a new kung fu workout plan that covers 5 training days a week for 6 months. The idea is to get some continuity and structure to the training. The goal is to enhance all-around fitness of the practitioner.

The plan is divided into 3 2-month periods. Each period has a theme that sets the pace for all training sessions during that period. So how one practises depends on the theme of the period.

I period - Endurance

II period - Strength

III period - Speed

During the training week each training session concentrates on a separate area.

Friday - Hand techniques, hand conditioning
Saturday - Kicking, leg conditioning and moving
Sunday - Forms and qigong
Monday - Sparring
Tuesday - Calisthenics and gam na
Wedneday - rest day
Thursday - rest day

So for example on the first period each friday you do hand techniques with tons of reps so you keep your heart rate up and build up endurance, which is the theme for the period.

During the second period you less reps with more power and try to build up explosive power.

What do you think of this? Are 2 month periods long enough and are they in correct order? Does the order really even matter if the practitioner is in decent condition to begin with?

I think two months is too long for a martial arts oriented periodization plan such as yours. By the time you rotate back to the origional "theme", you've allowed four months to pass, wich means your endurance gains will be shot.

I'd shorten each period down to two weeks so that you're running through each cycle every six weeks. Take a week off between cycles, then push on to the next one.

This would of course be better to keep up the interest of the people. But is two weeks enough for any progress?

Six months of these cycles is certainly enough, which is what you're proposing anyway, right?

Keep a log of your workouts to ensure continual success.

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Originally posted by Samurai Jack

I'd shorten each period down to two weeks so that you're running through each cycle every six weeks. Take a week off between cycles, then push on to the next one.

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So you mean it would go like this.

2 weeks - endurance
2 weeks - strength
2 weeks - speed
1 week - off?

But what's the point taking a week off of the program, if you're going to be training "normally" 5 times a week anyway? Why not just jump to the next cycle? After all were talking about "themes" for training sessions, not supplemental training.

Well, if you feel you've properly recovered, go for it. Periodization programs typically factor in a rest period. Without a rest period, you'll eventually find yourself overtraining, which is darn frustrating in the middle of a cycle, since you'll have to stop right there.

Now "rest for a week" dosen't mean "stop training". It just means take an extra easy week in order to recover. You could always just train three days that week instead of five, or go through your forms very slowly to work on technique.

Looking at what periods you've got planned there(endurance/strength/power), your technique may deteriorate over time. Each of those periods is VERY physically taxing (at least the way I train), which means that towards the end of an endurance or speed session, for example, your techniques may be getting sloppy. You don't want this to get hardwired in to your CNS.

To counteract this tendancy, you should throw in a rest period, or a period specifically designed to work on perfect execution of your form.

Now, back to the necessity of rest: Any way you look at it your body's going to need rest after going full bore for six weeks of hard training (let alone six months). You might as well factor it in with a short rest period, otherwise you'll be getting your rest propped up on a couch with an ice pack. An overuse injury could set you back months, if not years depending on the severity.

One of the main points of periodization is to avoid overtraining. Let it do it's job by factoring in a rest period.

I'm trying to come up with my own version of these type of workouts. So what do you have in mind to specifically hit endurance, strength and speed?

I haven't read the whole thread yet, so this may have already been said, but two months is too long...I'm not sure of the rate at which speed decreases, but the rate at which strength and endurance decreases is pretty quick. By the time your 2 months of strength are done, all of your endurance will be gone. By the end of the speed cycle, your strength will be gone as well.

yup, it's been said...

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Originally posted by Samurai Jack

Now "rest for a week" dosen't mean "stop training". It just means take an extra easy week in order to recover. You could always just train three days that week instead of five, or go through your forms very slowly to work on technique.

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OK. good point :) Thanks for the tip.

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Originally posted by Chief Fox
I'm trying to come up with my own version of these type of workouts. So what do you have in mind to specifically hit endurance, strength and speed?

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Well. Basically the idea is that for example during the endurance period, all training sessions aim to develope endurance. This means doing loads of reps of the techniques not necessarily that fast and powerful. So you try to keep up the heart rate through the session.

During the strength season you do less reps and concentrate on the power aspects of the techniques. Basically you try to do stuff full power most of the time. And of course you do a lot of calisthenics and weighted training when even possible.

When you train for speed you do even less reps but as fast and explosive as possible. A lot of plyometrics would be great too.

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Originally posted by premier

During the strength season you do less reps and concentrate on the power aspects of the techniques. Basically you try to do stuff full power most of the time. And of course you do a lot of calisthenics and weighted training when even possible.

what do you mean by "full power"?


When you train for speed you do even less reps but as fast and explosive as possible. A lot of plyometrics would be great too.

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I'm not sure about this... low, explose reps are for power training, not speed, I always thought. you are training your neuromuscular system to contract harder. The harder the contraction, the higher the power output. I can understand how this would increase speed, but it's really a power training regimen.

As far as speed training goes, I cannot recommend Loren Christensen's Speed Training highly enough. It's a great read and shows very clearly how speed training differs from other kinds of training.

He's also written a book on power which I enjoyed reading, but I disagreed with alot of what he had to say about weight training. You'd be better off reading Beyond Brawn by Stuart Mc Robert, or Super Squats by Randall Strossen.

Hope this helps.

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Originally posted by SevenStar
I'm not sure about this... low, explose reps are for power training, not speed, I always thought. you are training your neuromuscular system to contract harder. The harder the contraction, the higher the power output. I can understand how this would increase speed, but it's really a power training regimen.

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Sure. Maximum strength=explosive strength=speed. But there's really no other ways to practise speed. Or are you trying to say there's no need for separate speed period?

Anyway. The idea is to concentrate also on other things that makes one faster. Like timing, reaction time, relaxation etc.

Full power means doing techniques like really hitting someone, with full body strength, intent and concentration. Not just dancing around waving hands.

I wouldn't have a speed period. the best way to strike faster is to strike. when I'm in class, I get plenty of time on bags and pads, and plenty of time sparring. I can work speed, timing, distancing, etc. then.

As for full power, I dunno if I'd cycle that either - not when it comes to practicing strikes. Vary it when you hit the heavy bag - light, medium and hard strikes. in varying combinations, for example, light jab/hard cross/medium hook or hard jab/light cross to the body/hard body hook/hard uppercut. You could cycle the sparring intensity, as it's not good to go all out all the time with striking, but leave the full power padwork in there and just vary the strikes as I mentioned above.

After reading Speed Training, I would have a speed period, but I wouldn't approach it haphazardly. You really need to know what you're doing to properly tailor a training program that emphasizes speed since there're so many facets to pay attention to. If you get the book, you can just choose an exercise for every type of speed, I think Christensen devides speed into five sections or so, and then drill those five exercises as part of every training day.

OK. I just placed an order for the Speed training book. I ordered Pavel's power to the people, super-joints and bullet proof abs too. Maybe I'll get few ideas there. They better be worth all the hype... :)

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Originally posted by premier
I ordered Pavel's power to the people, super-joints and bullet proof abs too. Maybe I'll get few ideas there. They better be worth all the hype... :)

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They're alright. Expensive, but some good ideas. I follow PTP and do Jandas, full-contact twists and ab rollers from the BPA book. Sometimes I'll stretch using SJ and RIS exercises.