# Road work?



## Hand Sword (Apr 14, 2006)

Is Road Work necessary? I know it's always been part of a fighter's training, but does distance running really apply. I, as well as, tons of others do it, or have done it. Still, during fights, events, or whatever, we all still get winded. I know that kind of stuff is anarobic conditoning as opposed to road work, which is aerobic. Therefore, is it time to leave road work for marathoners, and fitness people, and keep our focus to anarobic training?


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## bushidomartialarts (Apr 14, 2006)

nope.  you probably hate road work as much as i do, but wind will win your fight as often as not.

when i was wrestling (high school), my fall sport was cross country.  i always had a far better opening season because my wind was so much better than everyone's.  as the season progressed and the football players all got the same workout as me, my record would decline.

kickboxing in my 20s, i did lots of roadwork and it helped immensely.

gotta do the jogging.  gotta do the *&)#*&in jogging.


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## Hand Sword (Apr 14, 2006)

I know! I know! I guess I just wanted some re enforcement for my hatred of running. Seriously though, the anarobic stuff is still running. It just seemed that would apply to our stuff better. I just figured that road work is set in stone, when it comes to training, and has been around for so long that no one questions it.


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## bushidomartialarts (Apr 14, 2006)

i suppose you could do your jogging on a treadmill, in a fancy gym, while checking out the 26 yr olds fresh out of college in their spandex.

just be sure to set the treadmill on an incline, otherwise you don't work your hamstrings well enough.

i know...running sucks.  i learned how to fight so i wouldn't have to run.


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## Hand Sword (Apr 14, 2006)

Sometimes thinking of road work makes me feel like I'd rather get into a fight. At least it would be of shorter duration.

Again though, Not saying don't run. Just questioning roadwork as a theory. Fighting as well as everything else, excluding a marathon, is pretty much anarobic conditioning. Can one develop both? Do you have to go one way or another? I mean, think back, doing what you did, was the road work really influential? Or was the anarobic practice (techniques, etc..) the real key to your wind?


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## MJS (Apr 14, 2006)

Hand Sword said:
			
		

> Is Road Work necessary? I know it's always been part of a fighter's training, but does distance running really apply. I, as well as, tons of others do it, or have done it. Still, during fights, events, or whatever, we all still get winded. I know that kind of stuff is anarobic conditoning as opposed to road work, which is aerobic. Therefore, is it time to leave road work for marathoners, and fitness people, and keep our focus to anarobic training?


 
Not everyone is cut out for running.  I would think that any cardio, ie: bike riding, eliptical machine, etc. for a long period of time, would certainly help in the cardio area.  Its going for the long distance that'll help out the most IMO.  

As for getting winded...being able to regulate your breathing is also key.  

Mike


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## bydand (Apr 14, 2006)

bushidomartialarts said:
			
		

> i suppose you could do your jogging on a treadmill, in a fancy gym, while checking out the 26 yr olds fresh out of college in their spandex.
> 
> just be sure to set the treadmill on an incline, otherwise you don't work your hamstrings well enough.
> 
> i know...running sucks.  i learned how to fight so i wouldn't have to run.



Well now that you put it in that kind of light, I may have to explore this "running" thing.  LOL  

By the way, does running to get a soda and sandwich during breaks between Hockey periods count?  I'm trying to work up to the level of fitness I can do the same between innings of Baseball, but my time is still too slow.  ----------Just kidding!-------------  I really am trying to get back in shape, but still have to poke fun at myself once in awhile about how bad I let myself go the last few years.  Tomorrow is the first 5K of the season up here and although I'm not quite ready for it yet, I am going to run with my wife in the next one (she runs for FUN!, how crazy is that?)


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## Shirt Ripper (Apr 14, 2006)

I say you would be better served from some type of interval training with the timing based on the timing of you fights or competition (length of rounds and such).  I think this would be very effective for you and fighters in general.  And who says that you _always_ have to run.  Two minutes rounds:  Two minute run, 30 seconds off, two minute crab/bear crawl, 30 seconds off...etc.

You will more than likely always feel different int he fight than you do in training (on the road) simply due to the fact that _your fighting_ not jogging peacefully.  Hormones, beating punched, etc will effect your performance.

...the whole wake up and run for an hour thing kind of stems from the Rocky films and is generally given too much credit for the training of fighters anyway.  Please, for the love of God and all that is holy, cook your eggs.

Also, running sucks.:2xBird2:


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## Shirt Ripper (Apr 14, 2006)

Hey Shirt Ripper, nice spelling...loser.


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## IcemanSK (Apr 15, 2006)

I think cardio (whether running, bike, etc.) is a very important part of MA training. I didn't think so until I began kickboxing traing years ago. I actually love running now. *ducks as the tomatos fly*


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## RoninPimp (Apr 15, 2006)

I would say that some kind of sprint conditioning is very important for fighting. That can be had on the road or a rowing machine or in a pool. It should be interval type training no matter what it looks lik though. LSD doesn't help much and can lead to overtraining.


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## Shirt Ripper (Apr 15, 2006)

IcemanSK said:
			
		

> *ducks as the tomatos fly*


 
No tomatos, that's all well and good, but I am talking of specificity or training for the specific effect of your competition.  Including some traditional "road work" certainly isn't _bad_ I just think that the bulk of ones work would be better suited as described above...


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## Hand Sword (Apr 16, 2006)

So, are you saying go for the anarobic stuff, as that is more what we do?


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## RoninPimp (Apr 16, 2006)

Hand Sword said:
			
		

> So, are you saying go for the anarobic stuff, as that is more what we do?


-Yes, that would be my opinion.


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## Shirt Ripper (Apr 16, 2006)

Hand Sword said:
			
		

> So, are you saying go for the anarobic stuff, as that is more what we do?



Try it.  Mix it up.  No ones is saying you have to go one way or the other.  I would say, however, that if you were to take one approach, it would be the specific.  If I am a bench press competitor is it in my best interest to spend hours pumping my biceps?  No.  Will some bicep development hurt things?  of course not, it would likely help.  Balance is key (Danielson...:ultracool).

Basically if the activity I am competing in requires certain abilities of me, I am going to focus on gaining or improving those.


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## Hand Sword (Apr 16, 2006)

Also another good point to bring up. Can someone really train aerobically and anarobically at the same time? Or, do you have to speacialize one way or the other? I mean, if you do "jogging" for miles, your body adapts (slimming). If you do the "sprints", you get bigger. Can you do both?


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## lonecoyote (May 3, 2006)

I think so, I do fartleks, doesn't have anything to do with farting, rather, during certain specific points, or break it up by time or whatever, during your jogging, sprint like hell, I usually do it between telephone poles. That is actually pretty realistic training, I've found, because you'll notice that in sparring or rolling, there are times to cruise and times to pour it on. You don't just pour it on and then stop, you have to keep going. So I've thrown sprints in, but I'll still do a few miles. I can't stop running distances, I've become addicted to to the feeling. After a run is probably when I'm mellowest, its regular life that pisses me off.


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## Shirt Ripper (May 4, 2006)

It kind of a defference in training intent and training affect.


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## Marginal (May 7, 2006)

Hand Sword said:
			
		

> Also another good point to bring up. Can someone really train aerobically and anarobically at the same time? Or, do you have to speacialize one way or the other? I mean, if you do "jogging" for miles, your body adapts (slimming). If you do the "sprints", you get bigger. Can you do both?


 
In regards to running, a boxer's roadwork usually involves running for two to three minutes and then jogging for one minute during the course of the run. (The idea being to better replicate the cardio demands of the ring.)


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## Hand Sword (May 8, 2006)

Thanks for the replies!  I brought it up because I used to run 3 -5 miles every other day. Fell out of training for a while. Started running again, also, was doing weights (squatting). Now, I wasn't lifting for size, just to tighten up. However, I found the jogging difficult, as my legs lost power pretty fast. I thought, maybe it was the squatting interferring with the running, causing only enough leg strength for quick bursts. So, That led me to think, can you do both? (or am I just out of shape--LOL)


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