# How many times a week should a beginner train?



## whitebeltforever (Feb 3, 2019)

At the moment I'm averaging 2 - 3 classes a week, and was wondering if this is enough for progress? i have other activities too but was wondering, how many times everyone trains per week? 
What is your goal in judo, and does your training routine align with your goals? 
Are you training more or less than you would like?
What kind of progress can I expect in 1 year with regular 3 times a week training?
I'm not too interested in grading or comps, i just really love it because it helps with mental health and physical empowerment and guides me through life's hard times... but yeah i still want to progress in skill of course. 
Thanks in advance!


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## Headhunter (Feb 4, 2019)

As many as you want or as little as you want. Even if you train just once a week at least your out there training more than some people do


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## Bill Mattocks (Feb 4, 2019)

Three times a week of serious training is good. Gives your body time to heal and your mind time to process what you are learning.


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 4, 2019)

whitebeltforever said:


> At the moment I'm averaging 2 - 3 classes a week, and was wondering if this is enough for progress? i have other activities too but was wondering, how many times everyone trains per week?
> What is your goal in judo, and does your training routine align with your goals?
> Are you training more or less than you would like?
> What kind of progress can I expect in 1 year with regular 3 times a week training?
> ...


Depending on the school and their curriculum, all things being equal, 3 times a week should allow you to get to and maintain a level of physical fitness that will allow you to focus on techniques being taught rather than catching your breath.   This also depends on the emphasis on physical fitness expected in the class and the instructors particular style of teaching.  Younger instructors may spend time on fitness while older instructors may spend time on techniques.  Not always true but that is easily observed by taking classes with either or.  

I train in Kyokushin karate and started off going 3 times a week for 1-1/2 hours.  I was probably considered an average student in terms of physical ability and technique.  After a particularly tough grading, I realized I needed and wanted to be in better shape so I asked for permission to assist classes.  The extra time on the floor helped me physically and I noticed that the ability to sustain 2-1/2 hours allowed me to improve at a much quicker rate.   Our Shodan gradings were notoriously tough and were 5 hours long so I continued to train towards the ability to sustain this level of physical activity.  When the day came for me to grade to Shodan, it not only lived up to every expectation we trained for but exceeded it.  It took about 6 hours long (no breaks) and the kumite seemed to be an endless parade of opponents but we knew what we were in for and as my Shihan once said to me, 'All things have to end at some point in time, just keep training.'  

Do as many classes as you can even if it is only once a week.  That is better than someone sitting on the couch but realistically, 3 times a week is a minimum to maintain a reasonable level of physical fitness and allow you to focus on the class instead of focusing on catching your breath.


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## jobo (Feb 4, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> Depending on the school and their curriculum, all things being equal, 3 times a week should allow you to get to and maintain a level of physical fitness that will allow you to focus on techniques being taught rather than catching your breath.   This also depends on the emphasis on physical fitness expected in the class and the instructors particular style of teaching.  Younger instructors may spend time on fitness while older instructors may spend time on techniques.  Not always true but that is easily observed by taking classes with either or.
> 
> I train in Kyokushin karate and started off going 3 times a week for 1-1/2 hours.  I was probably considered an average student in terms of physical ability and technique.  After a particularly tough grading, I realized I needed and wanted to be in better shape so I asked for permission to assist classes.  The extra time on the floor helped me physically and I noticed that the ability to sustain 2-1/2 hours allowed me to improve at a much quicker rate.   Our Shodan gradings were notoriously tough and were 5 hours long so I continued to train towards the ability to sustain this level of physical activity.  When the day came for me to grade to Shodan, it not only lived up to every expectation we trained for but exceeded it.  It took about 6 hours long (no breaks) and the kumite seemed to be an endless parade of opponents but we knew what we were in for and as my Shihan once said to me, 'All things have to end at some point in time, just keep training.'
> 
> Do as many classes as you can even if it is only once a week.  That is better than someone sitting on the couch but realistically, 3 times a week is a minimum to maintain a reasonable level of physical fitness and allow you to focus on the class instead of focusing on catching your breath.


no three times a week isn't a minimum, its a maximum unless your obsessive or striving fo4 high level competition, people have to have balance in their lives, otherwise ma training risks, becoming not fun any more and spoiling other aspects of your life. and I'm not at all convinced that 4 or 5 is any better than three, you need time to take in what you've learnt and recover physically,

 improvements in fitness happen when your not training, if you don't have sufficient rest, then your progress will be limited


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## Christopher Adamchek (Feb 4, 2019)

2-3 is good for most all practitioners 
I train 4-5 times a weeks and teach about 4 classes a week
Im training about how much id like, maybe a little less than id like
you can expect good results from consistent weekly training sessions


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 4, 2019)

jobo said:


> no three times a week isn't a minimum, its a maximum unless your obsessive or striving fo4 high level competition, people have to have balance in their lives, otherwise ma training risks, becoming not fun any more and spoiling other aspects of your life. and I'm not at all convinced that 4 or 5 is any better than three, you need time to take in what you've learnt and recover physically


Hey if you can maintain a good level of physical fitness and not be focused on catching your breath by participating less than 3 times a week, more power too you.   When I was in my early to mid 40's, 3 times a week was just enough for me to maintain a reasonable amount of fitness and to progress at an average rate for my school.  

I do agree we all need to find a good balance between training and normal life.  We all may have different goals too.


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## jobo (Feb 4, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> Hey if you can maintain a good level of physical fitness and not be focused on catching your breath by participating less than 3 times a week, more power too you.   When I was in my early to mid 40's, 3 times a week was just enough for me to maintain a reasonable amount of fitness and to progress at an average rate for my school.
> 
> I do agree we all need to find a good balance between training and normal life.  We all may have different goals too.


 it depends where your starting from if the classes arnt intence enomuch so that 3 hours a week isn't improving your fitness, then doing 6 hours of low intensity training won't really help much, youl just get the ability to perform at a low level for longer, which isn't much good if what you want is 5 mins of high intensity for a match, fine if your going on a hiking holiday,
in which case a10 mins a day of high intensity training will help no end and use your low intensity classes as a rest day,

long , hard, often. you can only pick two


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 4, 2019)

jobo said:


> it depends where your starting from if the classes arnt intence enomuch so that 3 hours a week isn't improving your fitness, then doing 6 hours of low intensity training won't really help much, youl just get the ability to perform at a low level for longer, which isn't much good if what you want is 5 mins of high intensity for a match, fine if your going on a hiking holiday,
> in which case a10 mins a day of high intensity training will help no end and use your low intensity classes as a rest day,
> 
> long , hard, often. you can only pick two


HIIT is a good supplement for what I do.  Adding it to my regimen gave me a super boost to cardio but I'm still not convinced I can get away with just doing HIIT.   I have been speaking with people that believe that is the way to go and they are in great shape.   They don't do what I do either so I keep looking for people that have used that philosophy over a span of time and over a wide group of people to see if that isn't a more efficient way to allocate training time.   It could very well be but I suppose I would need to understand it more to use it in a meaningful way.


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## jobo (Feb 4, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> HIIT is a good supplement for what I do.  Adding it to my regimen gave me a super boost to cardio but I'm still not convinced I can get away with just doing HIIT.   I have been speaking with people that believe that is the way to go and they are in great shape.   They don't do what I do either so I keep looking for people that have used that philosophy over a span of time and over a wide group of people to see if that isn't a more efficient way to allocate training time.   It could very well be but I suppose I would need to understand it more to use it in a meaningful way.


people make claims for hiit that are a bit wooley, but at the most obvious, if you want to operate at close to maximum for a short period of time (and you can't operate at close to max for any more than a few mins) then that how you need to train. or you don't see sprinters training the 5000 meters


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 4, 2019)

jobo said:


> people make claims for hiit that are a bit wooley, but at the most obvious, if you want to operate at close to maximum for a short period of time (and you can't operate at close to max for any more than a few mins) then that how you need to train. or you don't see sprinters training the 5000 meters


Agreed, how you practice is how you perform and your practice should resemble how you WANT TO perform.  In my particular case,  preparing for a Shodan grading which is very much like a marathon, I needed to practice performing at a reasonable level over an extended period of time across a wide degree of disciplines within the MA.

Training for a competition is very different.  We train at a much higher intensity and in bursts to simulate the cardio and skills required within the match time limits.  The training is much more repetitive and focused.   Everyone can train this way as well but the results will vary on how they will progress within the given art.  Will they be more physically fit ?  Maybe.  Will they do well in various aspects of the art ?  Probably.   Will they be able to sustain a reasonable level of performance over a long period of time across all the disciplines within the art ?  Doubtful.  From what I've seen, most of the people that train in this manner, do not excel during the Shodan grading.


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## JR 137 (Feb 4, 2019)

Everyone’s magic number is going to be different. We’ve all got different priorities. And we’ve all got different health issues. Train as often as you can without overtraining. There are signs and symptoms of overtraining. Train as often as you can without neglecting your other priorities.

When I was in college, I trained 4-6 nights a week. Why? I was in great shape, didn’t have kids, and easily balanced school, work, and training. The stars all aligned. 

With a full time job, a wife, and daughters age 6 and 8, getting in 2 nights a week is tough. I’ve been out a few months with a back injury, and the way I’ve been running around, it’s going to be tough to get back into the 2 nights a week routine again.

As Miyagi said, “balance, Daniel-san.”


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## JR 137 (Feb 4, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> Depending on the school and their curriculum, all things being equal, 3 times a week should allow you to get to and maintain a level of physical fitness that will allow you to focus on techniques being taught rather than catching your breath.   This also depends on the emphasis on physical fitness expected in the class and the instructors particular style of teaching.  Younger instructors may spend time on fitness while older instructors may spend time on techniques.  Not always true but that is easily observed by taking classes with either or.
> 
> I train in Kyokushin karate and started off going 3 times a week for 1-1/2 hours.  I was probably considered an average student in terms of physical ability and technique.  After a particularly tough grading, I realized I needed and wanted to be in better shape so I asked for permission to assist classes.  The extra time on the floor helped me physically and I noticed that the ability to sustain 2-1/2 hours allowed me to improve at a much quicker rate.   Our Shodan gradings were notoriously tough and were 5 hours long so I continued to train towards the ability to sustain this level of physical activity.  When the day came for me to grade to Shodan, it not only lived up to every expectation we trained for but exceeded it.  It took about 6 hours long (no breaks) and the kumite seemed to be an endless parade of opponents but we knew what we were in for and as my Shihan once said to me, 'All things have to end at some point in time, just keep training.'
> 
> Do as many classes as you can even if it is only once a week.  That is better than someone sitting on the couch but realistically, 3 times a week is a minimum to maintain a reasonable level of physical fitness and allow you to focus on the class instead of focusing on catching your breath.


Sounds like my shodan test when I was in a Kyokushin offshoot. 6 hours, no break. We ended with a 20 man kumite. We wore sparring gear for that (hands, feet and helmet), but I think it would’ve been easier without it. We somehow hit much harder with it on.


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 4, 2019)

JR 137 said:


> Sounds like my shodan test when I was in a Kyokushin offshoot. 6 hours, no break. We ended with a 20 man kumite. We wore sparring gear for that (hands, feet and helmet), but I think it would’ve been easier without it. We somehow hit much harder with it on.


Yes, we did 20 rounds of 1-1/2 minutes and no gear.  I think you are right about wearing gear though.  When people see you with gear they feel as if they can go harder.  They find out pretty quickly that even after a long grading, if you prepared for it, there is still enough juice in the tank to hit back .   Also at some point in time the shoe will be on the other foot and people at the dojo have long memories .


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 4, 2019)

I haven't caught up on all the posts, so I'm probably repeating some thoughts.

Most students in MA train twice a week, in my experience, and that's probably the minimum for making steady progress. Less frequent training than that, and you spend a lot of time trying to remember what you did a week ago.

Starting out, train what your body reasonably allows. Being a little sore is okay, so long as it's gone (or almost nearly so) by the next class. If you're sore at the start of every class, you're going to develop your fitness slower, and you're increasing the risk of pulls and such, which will really slow you down. So, for most beginners, 2-3 classes is about right.

If you're more fit than that, you could train more. But then we get into the question of priorities. You can certainly develop over time at 2-3 classes a week. To make big jumps, you probably need some intermittent periods of more classes, but it needn't be all the time. If your personal priorities favor more classes, and that interests you, then go to more classes. But don't feel like you "should" - do it because you want to train more, not because you oughta. (Note, don't apply that logic to going to class regularly - you do that because you oughta - that's part of the discipline of regular training.)


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 4, 2019)

JR 137 said:


> Everyone’s magic number is going to be different. We’ve all got different priorities. And we’ve all got different health issues. Train as often as you can without overtraining. There are signs and symptoms of overtraining. Train as often as you can without neglecting your other priorities.
> 
> When I was in college, I trained 4-6 nights a week. Why? I was in great shape, didn’t have kids, and easily balanced school, work, and training. The stars all aligned.
> 
> ...


Well said. I trained 15-25 hours a week at the dojo in my late 20's/early 30's. I do not do that now.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 4, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> HIIT is a good supplement for what I do.  Adding it to my regimen gave me a super boost to cardio but I'm still not convinced I can get away with just doing HIIT.   I have been speaking with people that believe that is the way to go and they are in great shape.   They don't do what I do either so I keep looking for people that have used that philosophy over a span of time and over a wide group of people to see if that isn't a more efficient way to allocate training time.   It could very well be but I suppose I would need to understand it more to use it in a meaningful way.


I saw a research write-up recently that suggested how we respond to exercise might be more individual than previously thought. It seems HIIT is all that and a bag of chips for some folks, and not nearly so useful for others. The same holds true to varying degrees for other types of exercise (stamina cardio, weight training, etc.).


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Feb 4, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> I saw a research write-up recently that suggested how we respond to exercise might be more individual than previously thought. It seems HIIT is all that and a bag of chips for some folks, and not nearly so useful for others. The same holds true to varying degrees for other types of exercise (stamina cardio, weight training, etc.).


Any chance you've got a link to this, or know a name or journal I could find it under?


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 5, 2019)

kempodisciple said:


> Any chance you've got a link to this, or know a name or journal I could find it under?


I'll have to go back and try to find it. I rarely take actual notes of these things anymore (I used to keep a list of useful articles, until the list got too long to be useful, itself). PM me if you don't hear anything in a few days, as it probably means I lost interest and wandered off to read about Joe Pesci or something (Aziz Ansari reference).


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## JR 137 (Feb 5, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> Yes, we did 20 rounds of 1-1/2 minutes and no gear.  I think you are right about wearing gear though.  When people see you with gear they feel as if they can go harder.  They find out pretty quickly that even after a long grading, if you prepared for it, there is still enough juice in the tank to hit back .   Also at some point in time the shoe will be on the other foot and people at the dojo have long memories .


And when people have gloves and foot pads on, they think they can hit harder. I had the same mentality.

What goes around definitely comes around. But it wasn’t like that during my test. They were all trying to push me right to my breaking point. There’s a fine line there between enough and too much. They didn’t cross it. They were all black belts who’d been through it themselves and knew me well enough. I did the same thing when others were coming up. That builds the family atmosphere. People taking advantage certainly doesn’t. Anyone who took advantage was dealt with accordingly by the head honcho. Didn’t happen often, but it wasn’t pretty the very few times I saw it happen.


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 5, 2019)

JR 137 said:


> And when people have gloves and foot pads on, they think they can hit harder. I had the same mentality.
> 
> What goes around definitely comes around. But it wasn’t like that during my test. They were all trying to push me right to my breaking point. There’s a fine line there between enough and too much. They didn’t cross it. They were all black belts who’d been through it themselves and knew me well enough. I did the same thing when others were coming up. That builds the family atmosphere. People taking advantage certainly doesn’t. Anyone who took advantage was dealt with accordingly by the head honcho. Didn’t happen often, but it wasn’t pretty the very few times I saw it happen.


Yes, the funny thing about going through the grading is that it is a reflection of everything you have gone through up until that point.   It not only considers what you know on the day but it brings out how you prepared and the will that was forged from hundreds and thousands of hours polishing your craft.   It is a kind of rebirth as you now have the understanding of what it takes to succeed so when you look at someone else going through it, you know intimately what they are going through and how well they prepared.    The tests may vary slightly but you understand what is being asked of you and what it will take to pass.

People that take advantage at a grading show more about themselves than the person they are taking advantage of and either are oblivious as to what is going on (which shows they have missed the concept of 'showing the way') or they are so insecure that a minor victory in someone else's test gives them the little boost of confidence to make their own lives bearable.   Sad either way......


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## JR 137 (Feb 5, 2019)

Yokazuna514 said:


> Yes, the funny thing about going through the grading is that it is a reflection of everything you have gone through up until that point.   It not only considers what you know on the day but it brings out how you prepared and the will that was forged from hundreds and thousands of hours polishing your craft.   It is a kind of rebirth as you now have the understanding of what it takes to succeed so when you look at someone else going through it, you know intimately what they are going through and how well they prepared.    The tests may vary slightly but you understand what is being asked of you and what it will take to pass.
> 
> People that take advantage at a grading show more about themselves than the person they are taking advantage of and either are oblivious as to what is going on (which shows they have missed the concept of 'showing the way') or they are so insecure that a minor victory in someone else's test gives them the little boost of confidence to make their own lives bearable.   Sad either way......


Also reminds me of something related...

Before my test, there were a few black belts in the dojo who I questioned why anyone give them a black belt. After I took my test, it made me realize they definitely earned it.

If all goes well and my back issue straightens out, I’ll hopefully test for shodan by the end of the year. Not that it’ll be the same test I took back then, but from what I’ve heard it’s the same thing at its core. Different techniques, different format, same challenge of bringing you to that breaking point.

I don’t care about the rank. Been there, done that. I really want the challenge of the test itself. Not to walk out with a new belt. Not to learn new stuff. Just the test in and of itself. My shodan test was the single most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done. I was 22 years old. At 43 by the time the test is available, it’ll be interesting to see how I’ve changed, physically and mentally. I’m pretty sure I’m far more mentally tougher now. Only one way to find out. My test at 22 was on a Saturday. I was back in the dojo Monday night. I wonder how long it’ll take me to recover this time around.


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## Yokozuna514 (Feb 5, 2019)

Hopefully your back will allow you to do the grading the way YOU want to do it.  I agree, it is not about the new belt or the new rank, it is about proving to yourself that all the time spent training was worth it and that you are capable of doing what you set out to do so many years before.

Many different people approach the test in different ways with varying results.  Some just look to survive and that is fine if that is what THEY want to do.  I was 51 when I graded for Shodan and I wanted to prove to myself that all the hours training at the dojo would allow me not only to survive but to thrive regardless of what was asked of me on the day.  I wanted to excel and set a new standard of what it means to be a 50 year old doing the test.  I didn't want any allowances for age because truly I did not want anyone to look at me in my new belt and say, 'well his test was easy'.   I was the oldest person taking the grading that day and it does make me feel good when the other people taking the test who were much younger said they gained encouragement seeing and hearing me push through the difficult portions.   There was a particularly difficult part of the test that I struggled with.  Everyone was finished far ahead of me and were able to do it easily (holding a belt taught in two hands and jumping over it without letting go x 10).  I tried backwards, then forwards but fell many times.  The last 3 were extremely difficult as I pretty much hit the floor on every attempt.  If it wasn't for the encouragement of my Shihan and the other students, I would probably still be there trying to do it.  All he said, was I had taken enough practices now it was time to do it.  So just do it.

Spend the time to get ready, JR137 and do the test the way you want to do it.  If you want to be back in class on Monday, you will.   I know I was.  I also came back to teach the kids class right before my own because being 50 to me doesn't mean people should take it easy on me.  That would just piss me off.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Feb 5, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> I'll have to go back and try to find it. I rarely take actual notes of these things anymore (I used to keep a list of useful articles, until the list got too long to be useful, itself). PM me if you don't hear anything in a few days, as it probably means I lost interest and wandered off to read about Joe Pesci or something (Aziz Ansari reference).


I'll do that, if I dont get distracted and forget about it. I'm half tempted to pm the hobbit to remind both of us...something tells me that will be more effective


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 5, 2019)

kempodisciple said:


> I'll do that, if I dont get distracted and forget about it. I'm half tempted to pm the hobbit to remind both of us...something tells me that will be more effective


That's my usual strategy.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Feb 9, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> I'll have to go back and try to find it. I rarely take actual notes of these things anymore (I used to keep a list of useful articles, until the list got too long to be useful, itself). PM me if you don't hear anything in a few days, as it probably means I lost interest and wandered off to read about Joe Pesci or something (Aziz Ansari reference).


Any luck on this?


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 10, 2019)

kempodisciple said:


> Any luck on this?


Not yet. I found several articles that came close, but none were about the individual differences. I'll try a different search today. Heck, maybe I'll check my saved notes...maybe I did save the article to OneNote or something.


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## dvcochran (Feb 10, 2019)

@jobo said it well. For everyone, training of any kind goes smoother and is more effective and productive when it is balanced with the rest of a persons everyday lifestyle. Age is definitely a factor, meaning the younger we are the easier it is for most people to handle physicals stresses. Conversely, as we age we should be able to handle mental stresses better. In regards, physical exercise (martial arts) as a pastime or hobby, 3 times/week is a very good target number. All the martials art I have experience in require copious amount of muscle memory to be effective. So repetition is vital for success. Something that doesn't seem to be emphasized any more is how important personal training is for maintaining and progressing in MA. I often tell people they can practice the pattern of a form in a box in their office, mentally going through the form with tiny steps. Practice like this is only a supplement to regular classroom practice, but if time and lifestyle are a issue it is better than nothing. 

So you can answer the question better than anyone else. Can you afford 3-4-5 classes/week? Does it affect getting to work, taking care of the kids, or other daily life matters of higher importance? Then the answer is easy. The excitement of being a new student in MA can shroud this obvious answer because it is fun and exciting. But MA should be a long haul endeavor. Finding a workout schedule that doesn't cause friction with the rest of your lifestyle makes the ride much easier.


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## whitebeltforever (Apr 5, 2019)

dvcochran said:


> @jobo said it well. For everyone, training of any kind goes smoother and is more effective and productive when it is balanced with the rest of a persons everyday lifestyle. Age is definitely a factor, meaning the younger we are the easier it is for most people to handle physicals stresses. Conversely, as we age we should be able to handle mental stresses better. In regards, physical exercise (martial arts) as a pastime or hobby, 3 times/week is a very good target number. All the martials art I have experience in require copious amount of muscle memory to be effective. So repetition is vital for success. Something that doesn't seem to be emphasized any more is how important personal training is for maintaining and progressing in MA. I often tell people they can practice the pattern of a form in a box in their office, mentally going through the form with tiny steps. Practice like this is only a supplement to regular classroom practice, but if time and lifestyle are a issue it is better than nothing.
> 
> So you can answer the question better than anyone else. Can you afford 3-4-5 classes/week? Does it affect getting to work, taking care of the kids, or other daily life matters of higher importance? Then the answer is easy. The excitement of being a new student in MA can shroud this obvious answer because it is fun and exciting. But MA should be a long haul endeavor. Finding a workout schedule that doesn't cause friction with the rest of your lifestyle makes the ride much easier.



that's such good advice! i mean if i were to do this for the rest of my life i can't just sacrifice my life because ultimately i'l start wanting to do those things and resent MA lol  so so tru that it should be a life long pursuit... this is also why i try to train smart like cycling through training routines to recover better... because its during recovery that you build strength... so that can def be applied to the can i afford this many classes a week question... thanks again that was really helpful!


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## Buka (Apr 5, 2019)

My advice is to play the long game. Train when you can, don't let it interfere with everything else in your life, make training a fun supplement.

And doing it just a little less than you want.....making you want more, is a good thing. Stoke that fire for the long haul.


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## spidersam (Apr 5, 2019)

dvcochran said:


> @jobo said it well. For everyone, training of any kind goes smoother and is more effective and productive when it is balanced with the rest of a persons everyday lifestyle. Age is definitely a factor, meaning the younger we are the easier it is for most people to handle physicals stresses. Conversely, as we age we should be able to handle mental stresses better. In regards, physical exercise (martial arts) as a pastime or hobby, 3 times/week is a very good target number. All the martials art I have experience in require copious amount of muscle memory to be effective. So repetition is vital for success. Something that doesn't seem to be emphasized any more is how important personal training is for maintaining and progressing in MA. I often tell people they can practice the pattern of a form in a box in their office, mentally going through the form with tiny steps. Practice like this is only a supplement to regular classroom practice, but if time and lifestyle are a issue it is better than nothing.
> 
> So you can answer the question better than anyone else. Can you afford 3-4-5 classes/week? Does it affect getting to work, taking care of the kids, or other daily life matters of higher importance? Then the answer is easy. The excitement of being a new student in MA can shroud this obvious answer because it is fun and exciting. But MA should be a long haul endeavor. Finding a workout schedule that doesn't cause friction with the rest of your lifestyle makes the ride much easier.



Definitely sound advice. When I first started, I was going 2x per week. A few months in, I started 3x per week. Now I’m a couple years in and I have high goals, so I do 3x MA classes per week plus 3x exercise/training in between (cardio, core, body weight exercising). Do what you enjoy and add more or less as you desire. In the end, it’s just you, your journey, and your life experiences.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Apr 5, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> Not yet. I found several articles that came close, but none were about the individual differences. I'll try a different search today. Heck, maybe I'll check my saved notes...maybe I did save the article to OneNote or something.


I had to read through the thread again to remember what I was even asking you for. Turns out I was right with "'I'll do that, if I dont get distracted and forget about it."


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## Gerry Seymour (Apr 5, 2019)

kempodisciple said:


> I had to read through the thread again to remember what I was even asking you for. Turns out I was right with "'I'll do that, if I dont get distracted and forget about it."


Yeah, I looked a bit more as tried some likely searches, but I can’t seem to scare up any reference to the article I have in mind. If I manage to come back across it, I’ll let you know.


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