For some reason weight training and martial arts do not seem to be friends. Walk into any martial arts gym and talk about weight training and the “experts” will likely tell you it is not a good idea to mix weights and martial arts. They are wrong.
Weight training can form a very important part of your martial arts development. In this post I will be looking at how you can weight train for martial arts and why it is a good idea.
Bruce Lee and Weight Training for Martial Arts
One of the first and certainly the most well known martial artists to step into the modern training arena was Bruce Lee. Lee was famous for adding modern training styles to his traditional kung fu background in order to better his own fighting technique and body.
Many people saw this as a break of tradition and an insult to the martial art. This is a little sad, however, as Lee’s goal was to try and better himself and the martial art. The world had evolved so why shouldn’t the martial art?
One of the most important steps that Lee took in his career was when he decided to start adding weights into his daily routine. This helped him build a strength and power that he had never had before. When he mixed this muscular strength with the power that came from perfect kung fu technique he really became a pretty dangerous weapon.
There are two important points I want to get straight here.
1. Bruce Lee had a strong foundation in Wing Chun (kung fu) before he started adding weight training. This shows that traditional technique is the most important step.
2. He did not leave it at just the traditional style. He added weight training and other strength exercises to get a more “total” approach to his strength and power.
It is important for all the traditionilists out there to realize that this is not always a bad thing as long as the original technique is not corrupted.
So Why Should Martial Artists Train With Weights?
When you are a martial artist you usually have three things in mind:
1. Strength
2. Speed
3. Technique
When you put those three together it generally equals “power” and this is the holy grale of martial arts. Sure you can talk about fighting technique and the mental aspect of martial arts but that is something you have to do for yourself. Strength, power, etc., however, can be influenced by your training.
Training with weights adds a new dimension to your martial arts. It creates a “brute” force style of strength which, when mixed with the loose muscled technique of the art, can create some amazing results.
It also helps to keep your muscles toned, healthy and protects your joints from excess damage.
Conclusion
In the next post we will look at what kinds of weight training exercises are good for martial arts. Should you do high reps or low reps? Fast reps or slow reps? These types of things are important.
October 14th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Hello Ramsay
finally a item is talking about the combination off strengthtraining and martial arts.
I can hardley wait for the next chapter because I know you can explain so well why to do things (or why not).
The biggest problem that I have with combining strengthtraining and martial arts is that most off the times I end up spending much more time at the strengthtraining routine then on my martial arts.
I have read that Bruce himself had a 3 times a week 20 minute workout.
Do you think such a workout is good?
Manay, many people are sying that the workouts from Bruce Lee are outdated but I think that if he had results with any one else can to.
Again, can wait for the next chapter.
Take care mate
October 16th, 2007 at 1:14 am
Wim!!! Long time no see buddy!
I think it is both true and false that Bruce’s system is out of date. Like you say, he got amazing results so how can we say it isn’t a good way of training?
The biggest problem is about finding balance. Some people will weight train and then be too sore or tired to train martial arts. You have to find what works for you.
More to come…
RT
October 16th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
He Ramsay,
How could I forget you :-))
Yes its true, its hard to find a balance between martial arts training and weighttraining, running etc (supplementary training).
Hope you can give me some good advice (as always) in the next chapter off this item.
Take care my friend
October 16th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
P.s. do you still think that the routines for martial artist in your book Real Muscle and fatt loss are good to start with?
October 16th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Wim -
Yes those old routines are still very good. I use one of them to this day.
The next post should be up today.
RT