# How often do you guys train?



## DanT (Feb 20, 2017)

I was wondering how often and when you guys train? For example I train usually 4-5h a day 5 days a week:

Mon-Thurs: 4:30-9:30
Friday: off day (1h of weights only)
Saturday: 10:00-2:00
Sunday: off day

I love training, and I've been doing this particular regimen for the last 5 years and I find that this is the most I am physically capable of doing. I wake up so freaking sore the next day. To sustain this regimen I usually eat ~5000 calories and it sucks because I eat so much at night after I'm done training (at around 10ish). For those of you out there who train more than me, how the hell do you do it?


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## Headhunter (Feb 20, 2017)

3 times a week 2 hours a time. May not sound much to some but I simply don't want to train more it'd cause me to burn out and honestly don't have reason to train more than that


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## KPM (Feb 20, 2017)

Heck DanT are you training for professional fighting or what?  You are training more than a lot of MMA fighters!


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## wckf92 (Feb 20, 2017)

I mostly train when I'm sleeping. Each night I drift off to sleep with a good Shaw Bros. good ol' school kung fu flick where I use my lethal WC skills to handily defeat any/all bad guys. It's tough...but somebody's gotta represent!


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## DanT (Feb 20, 2017)

KPM said:


> Heck DanT are you training for professional fighting or what?  You are training more than a lot of MMA fighters!


I guess I love what I do and I'm trying to become professional yes. I'm planning on competing at the world kuoshu championship in a year, and hopefully soon the world wushu championships.


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## DanT (Feb 20, 2017)

Headhunter said:


> 3 times a week 2 hours a time. May not sound much to some but I simply don't want to train more it'd cause me to burn out and honestly don't have reason to train more than that


Longevity is the most important aspect I think  .


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 20, 2017)

DanT said:


> I was wondering how often and when you guys train? For example I train usually 4-5h a day 5 days a week:
> 
> Mon-Thurs: 4:30-9:30
> Friday: off day (1h of weights only)
> ...


I don't really know how to count that time, Dan. I don't exercise for MA, so to me that's not MA training time, it's just time for my fitness. But I do stuff off and on all day when I'm at home, testing stances, working on ideas for teaching an application, practicing kata, practicing movement with the cowdog (she thinks it's playing). I've also worked some of the body mechanics into everyday practice (I open heavy doors with weight drops, blend through doorways, etc.).

As far as formal training, I teach 3 classes most weeks. I get to practice a bit during the classes, and usually have an hour for my own work beforehand. If I get an empty class (small program), that's another 60-90 minutes for my own work.


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## geezer (Feb 20, 2017)

I teach three hour-and-a-half VT and one Escrima class a week. And about once every-other weekend I train DTE with coach Jeff. I don't really consider teaching to be the same as personal training, but I do lead the drills, so I guess it is a way to practice the fundamentals.  I do practice on my own, but I don't have a set regimen these days. I really need to get back to that.

I was cleaning out a closet and found a huge stack of work-out logs from my younger days. For years I would chart all my fitness and MA training on a weekly sheet. Then family, work, injuries all intervened. After a back injury, I got rid of most of my weights. After knee problems, and later developing bone spurs in my heels, I stopped running, etc. Then I put on about 30 pounds. 

Maybe it's time to get off my duff and develop a regimen that _I can_ maintain with the conditions I have.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 20, 2017)

geezer said:


> `


Concise, and to the point, Geezer.


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## Danny T (Feb 20, 2017)

Everyday.
Something is trained everyday.


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## geezer (Feb 20, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> Concise, and to the point, Geezer.



That was a typo.

Sad when your typos are better than your actual responses.


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## Flatfish (Feb 20, 2017)

During the week about an hour per day for general fitness but focussed on stuff that would help my MA, including bag workouts, and 2-3 h MA classes per week.


Oh plus about 30h per week running after the kids.......


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## JP3 (Feb 20, 2017)

I put the 4 & 5 hour workouts away a couple of decades ago, just don't have the "life" for them to spare any more.  Pretty wife demands her share, kid demands hers, and that work thing the lion's share.

Early 20s ... I'd hit the gym for weight training 5, maybe 6 times per week.  Then, for additional aerobic training I'd play basketball 3, 4 times a week, usually for a couple-three hours at a time playing pick-up.  So there's the physical fitness/conditioning  portion.  My actual dojo time was highest when I was in Muay Thai (figures).  On top of the hoops and lifting, I'd do a 3-hour workout, which was a lot of hard drill work based on a ring round timer, doing an average of 22-25 2-minute rounds after a period of light cardio, like jumping rope, hitting bags, air kicking/shadowboxing, time bag work, then boxing drills, then about 45 minutes or so of sparring with a specific goal in mind to work on, i.e. working hand techniques in combos off a serious leg-kick attack. (In other words, taking turns working hand combos against a partner who was, in turn, working on leg-kick set-ups and combos).

Now?  Shoot.  Two official classes a week, 2 hours in length, spent in "teaching" mode usually, with some participation each time, demonstration, and "I don't really know, let's find out." sort of stuff.  Treadmill for an hour 3x a week if I'm lucky, and in the gym with hot wife working legs 2x a week, again if lucky.  And, oh yeah, I'm lucky and can walk to work which adds almost a mile of walking 5x days a week to my mostly office-chair bound life.


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## Kenposcholar (Feb 20, 2017)

It's tricky to balance martial arts, family, friends, work, educational reading, relaxing, etc. I used to train much more than I do now with weighted vests, daily yoga, gym, and running along with hours of training. That just didn't give me the energy and time needed for devoting myself to other things in life that are important. Currently, I teach 2-3 hours 5 days a week along with an hour or two every other day for myself. About 30 minutes of stretching and 30 minutes of weightless workouts everyday to keep my body in shape somewhere in between. It's my second hobby after academia and what I have got going right now works well for me.  Everyone has their own thing that works.


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## ks - learning to fly (Feb 20, 2017)

Typically - 2 classes a day, Monday - Saturday and
the gym on Sunday


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## Dirty Dog (Feb 20, 2017)

I teach 3-4 hours a day, 3 days a week. That's mental training, especially with the advanced classes, but it's not really physical training.
I train typically an hour at a time, 3-4 days a week.


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## Juany118 (Feb 20, 2017)

On a good week 2 formal 90 minute classes (my work schedule SUCKS!!!!!!)

Beyond that it's hard to really calculate.  I try to spend 30 minutes a day doing body weight and flexibility training after which I spend about another half hour working the heavy bag.  3 days a week I will do various forms, shadow boxing, etc for about an hour as well BUT here is where it gets dicey.  

Before I took a break I was sitting here watching "Starship Troopers" while doing a 6 point dexterity drill I do with a knife for the Kali I also study both left and right handed.  I do a lot of this... not a scheduled training time but since I am alone (the wife went to bed early), and the movie or TV show that is on doesn't require much thought, why not squeeze in some training time?


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## anerlich (Feb 20, 2017)

Four MA classes a week, as student or instructor.
Two strength training sessions a week, one kettlebell simple and sinister, one bodyweight.
One solo training session of forms, etc.
Mobility and breathwork daily.

On top of this I've had one, sometimes two seminars with various high ranking BJJ black belts every weekend for the last four weeks, plus refereeing a BJJ tournament. Next weekend, I have a five hour Qigong seminar with Steve Maxwell's Qigong teacher and China's first BJJ black belt, Stanley Tam. Weekend after, John Will for BJJ. I may end up teaching an extra BJJ class next week to help out a friend who will be taking his honeymoon.

Doing OK for a dude in his early sixties.


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## Bill Mattocks (Feb 20, 2017)

Twice a week, 4 hours each. I'd love more but I work for a living and have a life.


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## Juany118 (Feb 20, 2017)

anerlich said:


> Four MA classes a week, as student or instructor.
> Two strength training sessions a week, one kettlebell simple and sinister, one bodyweight.
> One solo training session of forms, etc.
> Mobility and breathwork daily.
> ...



I hope in 15 years I am still keeping up as well.  Tonight at class I realized at one point... oh crap I left my knee sleeve at home.


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## Tony Dismukes (Feb 20, 2017)

I try to get in 4-5 days per week, 2-3 hours per day. That means it can range from 8-15 hours per week, but it typically works out to 10-12 hours most weeks.


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## Syed01 (Feb 21, 2017)

Six Days a week, 3/2 hours duration. After I come back home, i try to review what i do in that day before sleep.


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## wingerjim (Feb 21, 2017)

DanT said:


> I was wondering how often and when you guys train? For example I train usually 4-5h a day 5 days a week:
> 
> Mon-Thurs: 4:30-9:30
> Friday: off day (1h of weights only)
> ...


I simply do not have that kind of time. I train 4-5 hrs per week at my school and study a good bit but my goal is 1 part fitness, 1 part self defense, 1 part camaraderie, 1 part interest, 1 part continue to challenge myself. I am way past any competition given my age and the fact I like to be healthy and able to walk in the morning. lol


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## GENS_WT (Feb 21, 2017)

what would be a good 1-2hour work out? Would it just consist of repeating forms and techniques?


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 21, 2017)

GENS_WT said:


> what would be a good 1-2hour work out? Would it just consist of repeating forms and techniques?


That depends what your objective is. If I have a couple of hours to dedicate to my training, I'll probably use forms to warm up, then do some dynamic stretching and HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and either another form or some breath work to catch my breath. Then I'd settle into working on strikes with a heavy bag for a while. Then maybe back to forms to settle down and get my breath back. Sprinkle in some ukemi practice, some shadow boxing/shadow techniques, and maybe some light weapons on the bag, and I'm probably done.


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## GENS_WT (Feb 21, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> That depends what your objective is. If I have a couple of hours to dedicate to my training, I'll probably use forms to warm up, then do some dynamic stretching and HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and either another form or some breath work to catch my breath. Then I'd settle into working on strikes with a heavy bag for a while. Then maybe back to forms to settle down and get my breath back. Sprinkle in some ukemi practice, some shadow boxing/shadow techniques, and maybe some light weapons on the bag, and I'm probably done.


Sounds like a good day spent


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## JR 137 (Feb 22, 2017)

I'm jealous of the amount of time you guys have.  Not being sarcastic here.

My job, wife, and beautiful young daughters (4 and 6), leave me just two dojo sessions per week - 90 minutes one night and 60 minutes on Saturday morning.  No realistic complaints though, they're the love of my life.  

I'm getting a punching bag for the basement so I can run down there for a half hour a few more days per week.  Now to get the idiot tenant who's got his stuff there to clear out some space.  Gonna call the hoarders show soon.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 22, 2017)

GENS_WT said:


> Sounds like a good day spent


"Spent" being the operative word.


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## marques (Feb 22, 2017)

10h/week, the maximum. And it was looong time ago.


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## Bkouba (Feb 24, 2017)

About 30 - 60 minutes everyday, that's warm up and cool down. Used to do longer sessions but in my opinion  if your doing anything longer than that, your probably not going hard enough or you'll lose focus. Our normal drilling sessions never go over an hour, I feel it's better to do a little, often. Rather than try cram as much as you can into each session - I know of some coaches who make a point of their teaching to go through X amount of Y in each class. But then again, the main thing is sustainability, if you can only train 2 - 3 times per week then I understand why you would want to train longer. Quality over quantity will always win out though.


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## Buka (Feb 26, 2017)

Here and there, once in a while, every so often and when I feel like it.

Spent ten years training my butt off, then twenty years doing it professionally, sixty+ hours a week. Real easy with no kids, a small mortgage, a lot of students and a lot of good teachers. It would have been crazy not to have taken advantage of the opportunity.

I think about everything concerning training all the time, though. And this fricken' forum is like living next door to your heroin dealer.


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## JP3 (Mar 5, 2017)

Kenposcholar said:


> It's my second hobby after academia ....



KenpoScholar, you said Academia...

I went to school at Missouri State, which was Southwest Missouri State when I was there.  Where are you?


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## JR 137 (Mar 5, 2017)

Buka said:


> Here and there, once in a while, every so often and when I feel like it.
> 
> Spent ten years training my butt off, then twenty years doing it professionally, sixty+ hours a week. Real easy with no kids, a small mortgage, a lot of students and a lot of good teachers. It would have been crazy not to have taken advantage of the opportunity.
> 
> I think about everything concerning training all the time, though. And this fricken' forum is like living next door to your heroin dealer.



I don't do heroin, so I don't have a dealer.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 5, 2017)

After I had retired from my full time job, I don't have anything else to do. My MA training become my full time job. My question to myself is "What should I do if I don't train?"


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## dudewingchun (Mar 6, 2017)

Well im definitely training a lot harder and smarter after losing that fight.


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## Kenposcholar (Mar 8, 2017)

JP3 said:


> KenpoScholar, you said Academia...
> 
> I went to school at Missouri State, which was Southwest Missouri State when I was there.  Where are you?



I currently live in Springfield and attend MSU in the physics department. When were you up here?


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## JP3 (Mar 9, 2017)

I was there in 1989 to 1992.


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## Grandmaster Yue men quan (Mar 17, 2017)

Ah yeah! Martial arts isn't about partying till you puke! For all the guys spending 4 hours punching and kicking keep doing that it makes me feel safe.


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## geezer (Mar 18, 2017)

Grandmaster Yue men quan said:


> Ah yeah! Martial arts isn't about partying till you puke!



Nor is it about secret techniques, advanced forms, or learning from the true grandmaster.  I guess in the final analysis it's not about how much you have been taught or who you trained under as much as what you can do. 

Me. I'm a self-taught Grandmaster of the_ Saturday afternoon nap_ style. Now I'm off to practice my skills!


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