What can you do for strength in the class?

[premier]

OK. Here's the scenario. There's no equipment what so ever. Just you and your partner with your bodyweight. How do you work on the over all body strength? Or even better, power on the kicks and punches?

I guess the idea is to maximize the muscle tension somehow. So I'm thinking plyometrics, calisthenics with your partner resisting or his body weight on your shoulders? Is there any other ways to do it?

Any ideas on specific drills or exercises?

I'm wondering about the rep range too. How many repetitions?

[Chief Fox]

I've honestly never thought of this scenario but here's my thoughts.

1. Squats with your buddy on your back or in the fireman's carry position.
2. One legged squats.
3. fireman's carry lunges
4. stance drills with your buddy standing on your legs.
5. Frog jumps
6. push ups
7. one arm push ups
8. hand stands
9. walking on your hands
10. hand stand push ups

If you're going to be doing exercises with the added weight of a friend I would probably stick with the 8 to 12 rep range.

this could lead to some interesting combinations like try to do 8 push ups with your buddy on your back and then max out on regular push ups when he gets off.

Squats with your buddy on your back and then multiple reps of regular frog jumps.

You could also do a circut type thing where you spar for a minute then do push ups for a minute, spar for a minute and then do situps, spar and then do squats.

You could break it down into a split work out or do a full body workout.

Of course all of my suggestions could be crap so take this for what it's worth.

[_William_]

^ Yeah, what chief fox said. I think the buddy carries are especially useful.

Another idea:

Pick a short time interval(maybe 30 or 60 seconds) and do as many pushups as you can in that period, with your buddy sitting on your back or leaning on you. Rest and repeat.

Next training session strive to beat that record. This is key.

Hope this helps.

[Oso]

www.trainforstrength.com

[premier]

Originally posted by Oso
www.trainforstrength.com

Been there, done that.

IMO it's impossible to keep up with those programs and continue training normally. At least for your average joe. And me..

Besides, doing that many reps will only work on the endurance, not strength.

[Chief Fox]

I could see using the train for strength work out maybe once a week to supplement other training or maybe even once a month as a fitness bench mark test. But that's about it.

[norther practitioner]

Do you think it is too much?

[SevenStar]

that's the way it will be anyway, because the resistance isn't progressive, unless you are constantly gaining weight. hindu squats may be hard for you at first, but once you can do 20 or more, it just became an endurance exercise. that goes for any exercise where resistance isn't progressive.

[IronFist]

^ True.

[Serpent]

So you need a selection of friends of varying size so that you can progressively increase the overload by getting the next biggest friend to sit on you each week.

[Oso]

Serp !!!


ok, so this is a question I've been thinking about for a bit now:


Do bodyweight exercises provide enough strength training for martial artists?


I could expound upon my thoughts on this but lets start there.

My answer is: Yes.

[Chief Fox]

I think the body weight exercises can provide strength to a point. I did the trainfor strength workout for about 4 weeks and did notice strength increases in my bench press. BUT bench press has never been one of my strong points.

I also noticed that the amount of pushups I was able to do increased. On the other hand, I did so many freakin push ups on that workout that I developed tendonitis in my left rotator cuff. a problem that I'm still dealing with today.

Based on my own personal results I think that you can have strength gains from body weight exercises but not enough to reach your true potential and it is possible to over do it.

SO, I think the trainforstrength work out could be a part of a bigger workout routine to give your workouts more variety and be more well rounded.

Again, this is just my personal experience and I could be totaly full of crap.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Oso
Serp !!!


ok, so this is a question I've been thinking about for a bit now:


Do bodyweight exercises provide enough strength training for martial artists?


I could expound upon my thoughts on this but lets start there.

My answer is: Yes.

I say no. All the bodyweight exercises in the world won't give you the strength to compete with a weightlifter. If you have to manipulate an uncooperative 300lb dude on the floor and you're 140lbs and all you do are pushups and Hindu squats, you're not going to move him.

[premier]

So is adding your buddy's body weight to yours the answer?

Of course it will only help to a point, but it should be better than lifting nothing but your own body weight.

Isn't the rule of thumb that if you can do more than 15 reps it's a muscle endurance exercise? Or is it even less reps?

[Oso]

CF: good points. I'm taking your answer as a 'no', right?

IF: So, you think that a 140 pound guy can get strong enough to handle a 300 lb guy? I'm assuming you mean a fat 300 pounder and not a 300 pound weightlifter. All else being equal the 300# guy is going to beat the snot out of the 140# guy. Right?



A couple of things:

Let's not look at the far end of the curve, the sevenstars, the merrypranksters, and others here and out there that are competing at the top of their feilds.

wait, maybe we should because in competition you don't get extreme mismatches like 140/300.

While I basically agree that if you are going to train a martial art you should prepare yourself to take on any opponent, I feel that this type of workout can provide the needed strength to effectively apply any technique on the majority of opponents within 50 pounds of your weight.