Strength vs Cardio training
Out_of_Bubblegum
Posts: 2,220 Member
I've been thinking a lot about what my fitness goals are in relation to my MA performance lately. I want to improve my cardio endurance (mine is OK, but not great), as well as strength.
I'm wondering though, how does everyone balance the strength training vs. Cardio training? If we listen to the lifting crowd, most of them scoff at cardio in favor of "mass gains, bro! Lift heavy or go home!" - but without regular cardio training, I gas out fast in a match.
I'm open to ideas and suggestions.
I'm wondering though, how does everyone balance the strength training vs. Cardio training? If we listen to the lifting crowd, most of them scoff at cardio in favor of "mass gains, bro! Lift heavy or go home!" - but without regular cardio training, I gas out fast in a match.
I'm open to ideas and suggestions.
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Replies
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Functional fitness rules! If the goal is to be a better Martial Artist with the endurance to complete longer matches and to strike with power throughout, then I agree that activities to increase endurance are important. But there are ways to structure lifting to gradually increase strength while simultaneously building endurance (think along the lines of circuit training - which can use any sort of lift or cardio, not just machines).
Folks in the "lifting crowd" or "bodybuilding crowd" have different aims. They want to be able to do something big and difficult once or twice, rather than being able to provide power over time, so you are right their standard strategies/advice may not apply directly. Especially as a person over 40, lifting to the point of "mass gains" needs to be done very carefully and activities to build lifelong fitness are probably better.
It is a hard thing to try to balance the gains we want to make with the available time (says the person whose short term goal is just to keep up with 2 Kempo classes a week + PT to build knee stability through my January work crunch).
Bodies respond best to regular changes in routine. So think in 8 - 12 week cycles, pick something to focus on for now and plan to prioritize the other when you change it up. (I'm a wuss and despite the January crowding in most gyms would recommend focusing on strength - which is typically indoors - for the winter and cardio once the weather gets nicer in the spring).
Stepping down from the soap-box now.
Ari
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I have a lot of ideas and comments about supplemental weight training for martial arts.
Obviously all martial artists need to develop and maintain a base level of strength, endurance, and general fitness in order to compete. Which is the greatest factor and how should we concentrate our training? Endurance is important, but with experience we learn to fight more efficiently and stay more relaxed compared to a beginner who expels all their energy quickly. Strength is important, but strength and increased muscle mass doesn't always contribute to striking speed.
I believe kendo is similar to many martial arts in the sense that the overwhelming factor needed to score (and win) in competition is speed (assuming all other factors such as experience and execution of technique are equal). We use bamboo swords in kendo, so force (muscle strength) is not a big factor in itself.
For increased speed in striking and blocking the greatest factor is flexibility. Greater range of motion allows our muscles to accelerate our movements more. Resistance training can help increase speed especially when we train the muscle to contact quickly. From what I have read, part of your weight training workout should include lifting the weight quickly, exploding into the lift (so to speak), when this can be done safely. Similarly, exercises such as plyometrics are helpful in developing speed.
In general I agree with mixing up weight training routines to avoid plateaus. When I am attending the gym regularly, I rotate through four different workouts that concentrate on different body parts. Every four weeks or so I change up the routine. Phase 1 is general conditioning. Phase 2 is high weight low reps for strength. Phase 3 is trying to develop power with explosive lifting. Phase 4 is then more functional training, concentrating on those major muscles used in the most basic movements in my art. As a tournament rolls around, I cut back on weight training and just try to maintain whatever progress I might have made and concentrate on kendo techniques and sparring.
As I get older and cannot lift really heaving amounts of weight safely. I have been making gains with lifting lesser weight and doing more reps until the muscle is exhausted. Then I do a superset again to exhaustion.
I have read a lot of articles about keeping cardio separate from weight training days, but I dont think it is a problem to do small amounts of cardio every day mixed with any workout.0 -
It seems to me you need 4 factors to perform well:
1)skill- to be good at your chosen Martial art
2)strength- The ability to produce physical force
3)power- the ability to produce said physical force quickly
4) endurance- The ability to continue to perfom at a certain level for as long as you need to
Obviously skill is gained by training in your martial art
strength is gained by lifting progressively heavier weights, and recovering from doing so.
Power is gained through "explosive movements" be they olympic weightlifts, plyometrics or something else. It is worth qualifying that you can't produce force quickly unless you can produce force, so strength is required before power can be built.
endurance for an activity is built by firstly doing the activity (if you want to box for longer, box more) and supplemented by cardiovascular exercise, eg. running.
The way you balance these will be based on which area you need to improve most- do you gas, get manhandled in the clinch, not kick hard enough, or does your kicking technique need work?
Hope this helps.0
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