Building muscle/excercise, will it effect my martial arts in any way?

[BradderzH]

Recently i've been thinking about joining my local gym. My reason for joining is primarily because I would like to build some more muscle on my upper body (arms and chest), as I'm quite a thin guy and i'd just like to flesh out my frame a little more. I don't want to gain much more mass, but I have been told that gaining more mass could effect my martial arts (karate), for example: slowing my punches and general movement down. I rely a lot on speed and technique because of not being very strong, and I don't want this to suffer as a result of doing the wrong workout.

I know bigger does not mean stronger, but I would like to gain some more muscle mass, I have done for a while now but have been putting it off for this reason. I do want to get generally more fit too, but my main reason for wanting to start working out is to gain muscle.

Does anyone have any advice/experience on this? are there any workout routines that you found have helped with your martial arts?

Thanks for reading, any replies will be very much appreciated.

 

[Xue Sheng]

The Fighter's Body: An Owner's Manual: Your Guide to Diet, Nutrition, Exercise and Excellence in the Martial Arts

I'm sure there are better books out there, but it is a place to start

 

[drop bear]

OK stronger means stronger though. And you get that from weights. Pretty much.

An increase in mass generally has more benefits than side effects. This slowing down stuff is nonsence. But you may loose some cardio at an elite level. And if you compete the other guy will be taller.

You also won't explode into a body builder the first time you lift a weight. The cardio from training will even things out a bit.

We do mostly plates and kettle bells.

I have heard strong lifts are pretty good.

StrongLifts 5x5: A Simple Workout To Get Stronger

 

[donald1]

Drop bear makes a good point lifting weights is good but cardiovascular helps make it more efficient

Size doesn't matter if you know how to use your sized and the opponents against them, size does help but it's far from being the most important factor

It's going to help a lot you'll see improvement in your style you'll notice that you stay energized longer

 

[skribs]

There's also a difference between weight training for bulk and for definition. Look a some of Bruce Lee's movies, particularly when he stretches his back muscles. He was not bulky, but he was probably all muscle, and he was fast.

Regardless of whether you want bulk or tone, you need weights. There's a big difference between doing 6-8 reps of a heavy weight vs. doing 15-20 reps of a lighter weight.

 

[Xue Sheng]

There's also a difference between weight training for bulk and for definition. Look a some of Bruce Lee's movies, particularly when he stretches his back muscles. He was not bulky, but he was probably all muscle, and he was fast.

Regardless of whether you want bulk or tone, you need weights. There's a big difference between doing 6-8 reps of a heavy weight vs. doing 15-20 reps of a lighter weight.

Bruce Lee books on working out

The Art of Expressing the Human Body


Bruce Lee's Fighting Method: The Complete Edition

 

[donnaTKD]

in addition to weights - rowing machines give the body a complete workout you need the cardio for stamina and to stop fatigue setting in too quickly

you also need to consider your diet very carefully - you need to move to a high protein and carb diet --- bit complicated to explain --- if you can get whey protein then that's a good start

i use 3 products - the first is called Superpump 3.0 - it's a preworkout high energy mix that helps you to perform for longer, number 2 is CNP's Pro Recover for immediately after workout --- they both contain very high levels of everything that your body needs - the third one is CNP's creatine tablets - for healthy muscle production - i use these both before and after a workout

make sure that you read as much as you can into the area of supplements before splashing the cash

 

[K-man]

There is an answer that fits almost every question. "It depends". The answer to this question depends on a number of factors. For example, what do you need the extra weight/bulk for? Are you going to be competing in a grappling environment? Are you anticipating competing in point sparring tournaments? And so on ...

Many years ago I was a reasonably high ranked gymnast. We were totally discouraged from using weights. The reason being, using weights might develop muscle that we did not use in gymnastics, therefore it was extra weight that we did not need. To an extent I still agree with this idea. I do go to the gym almost every day but I don't use heavy weights. I do a lot of grappling so I have developed the muscles that help me in that situation.

So whether bulking up is going to benefit you depends on your situation. Personally I'd be working on developing strength rather than bulk.
:asian:

 

[DaleDugas]

If you want to get strong, then you want to squat, and dead lift. These two lifts will get you whole body strong quicker than most.

A well trained big guy will ALWAYS destroy a well trained little guy. It is physics. More mass at speed means more power. Little people cannot make up for their lack of mass, no matter how fast they move. At a certain point they cannot make up for this lack of physical mass.

There is nothing wrong with being strong.

 

[donald1]

Preferably having someone spot you when you squat or deadlift

It's also good to mix it up, if one day you lift weights, the next day cardio, then the next run laps or miles, and so on

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Many years ago I was a reasonably high ranked gymnast. We were totally discouraged from using weights. The reason being, using weights might develop muscle that we did not use in gymnastics, therefore it was extra weight that we did not need. To an extent I still agree with this idea. I do go to the gym almost every day but I don't use heavy weights. I do a lot of grappling so I have developed the muscles that help me in that situation.

Agree with you 100% there.

My daughter is both US and international pole dance champion. As long as she can hold on her own body weight by her arms, that's all she need (That was me in the background).

 

[K-man]

If you want to get strong, then you want to squat, and dead lift. These two lifts will get you whole body strong quicker than most.

A well trained big guy will ALWAYS destroy a well trained little guy. It is physics. More mass at speed means more power. Little people cannot make up for their lack of mass, no matter how fast they move. At a certain point they cannot make up for this lack of physical mass.

There is nothing wrong with being strong.

Then there is no point in little guys training, or women for that matter. It might be news to you but big and strong does not always win.

About 30 kilos difference here.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWVCSHymgE

About 15 kilos here.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UJWjo3dGcyA

And more than 100 kilos here.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W5WfWmISKrk

Good job nobody told these little guys that they would ALWAYS lose to a well trained bigger guy.

 

[drop bear]

There is an answer that fits almost every question. "It depends". The answer to this question depends on a number of factors. For example, what do you need the extra weight/bulk for? Are you going to be competing in a grappling environment? Are you anticipating competing in point sparring tournaments? And so on ...

Many years ago I was a reasonably high ranked gymnast. We were totally discouraged from using weights. The reason being, using weights might develop muscle that we did not use in gymnastics, therefore it was extra weight that we did not need. To an extent I still agree with this idea. I do go to the gym almost every day but I don't use heavy weights. I do a lot of grappling so I have developed the muscles that help me in that situation.

So whether bulking up is going to benefit you depends on your situation. Personally I'd be working on developing strength rather than bulk.
:asian:

Which is kind of strange considering.

 

[K-man]

Which is kind of strange considering.

And your point is? I had the same physique totally developed from gymnastics as I would have no doubt this guy has done.
:asian:

 

[jezr74]

Arms like tree stumps and chicken legs.

 

[Buka]

If you want to get strong, then you want to squat, and dead lift. These two lifts will get you whole body strong quicker than most.

A well trained big guy will ALWAYS destroy a well trained little guy. It is physics. More mass at speed means more power. Little people cannot make up for their lack of mass, no matter how fast they move. At a certain point they cannot make up for this lack of physical mass.

There is nothing wrong with being strong.

I agree with the wight training advice.

But the "ALWAYS", nah. - If a well trained big guy fights a well trained little guy who's a lot smarter....you sometimes get a chance to yell TIMBERRRR!

 

[MJS]

Recently i've been thinking about joining my local gym. My reason for joining is primarily because I would like to build some more muscle on my upper body (arms and chest), as I'm quite a thin guy and i'd just like to flesh out my frame a little more. I don't want to gain much more mass, but I have been told that gaining more mass could effect my martial arts (karate), for example: slowing my punches and general movement down. I rely a lot on speed and technique because of not being very strong, and I don't want this to suffer as a result of doing the wrong workout.

I know bigger does not mean stronger, but I would like to gain some more muscle mass, I have done for a while now but have been putting it off for this reason. I do want to get generally more fit too, but my main reason for wanting to start working out is to gain muscle.

Does anyone have any advice/experience on this? are there any workout routines that you found have helped with your martial arts?

Thanks for reading, any replies will be very much appreciated.

There are literally thousands of workout routines out there. You just need to pick the one that meets your needs. I would focus on a light to moderate weight, with reps in the 8-15 range, again, depending on your goals. As for cardio...I'd focus on interval training, as well as the 'steady state' as it's called. In other words, pick some days where you do sprint work, and other days where you just go out and run a mile or two. Of course, you can always do other things aside from running. If your gym has those ropes, that is one hell of a workout. My gym has 2 sets of them in one of the rooms. I set a timer for 20 sec, and do intervals. You can also use a stationary bike and do interval training. An elliptical machine is also good. Check out bodybuilding.com. They have a spot on the site, in which you can input information, ie: the type of workout you're looking for, how many days, etc, and it'll design a workout for you. I've used it, and I've got some great workouts. Lately, my workouts are full body. I'll pick 1 exercise for each body part and do 2-3 sets, with reps ranging in the 10-12 range. I keep my rest short. Other days, I'll do a full body, but it's a faster pace, which is good, because you'll hit some cardio as well. For example: I'll pick a light weight dumbbell. Some exercises are body weight only. I'll set the timer for 30sec, and start, basically going from 1 to the next, with no rest in between. One workout I do is: bent over rows, upright rows, curls, squat into an overhead press, push ups, close grip push ups, mt. climbers, and crunches. 2-3 sets of this, non stop, and you'll get a hell of a workout.

 

[geezer]

Sometimes weight training and bulk do not help your martial arts performance. When I was younger I could put on muscle pretty quickly by lifting. Knowledgeable trainers assured me that I would not lose flexibility and actually gain speed. Well, they didn't train WC. While I did not actually lose flexibility in how high I could kick and the like, by bulking up, I lost some range of movement, especially in my arms. Also by becoming heavier, my movements became more ponderous. Slow, heavy movements do not make for good WC --no matter how powerful! I didn't really care though. I'd always been a bit small and skinny, so having a little more muscle felt good. And on the other side, if you decide you don't like the bulk, just stop lifting and it goes away in a hurry.

Or sadly, in my case, it went away and was replaced by an equally bulky pot belly. Alas, getting old is not for the faint of heart! LOL

 

[PhotonGuy]

Recently i've been thinking about joining my local gym. My reason for joining is primarily because I would like to build some more muscle on my upper body (arms and chest), as I'm quite a thin guy and i'd just like to flesh out my frame a little more. I don't want to gain much more mass, but I have been told that gaining more mass could effect my martial arts (karate), for example: slowing my punches and general movement down. I rely a lot on speed and technique because of not being very strong, and I don't want this to suffer as a result of doing the wrong workout.

I know bigger does not mean stronger, but I would like to gain some more muscle mass, I have done for a while now but have been putting it off for this reason. I do want to get generally more fit too, but my main reason for wanting to start working out is to gain muscle.

Does anyone have any advice/experience on this? are there any workout routines that you found have helped with your martial arts?

Thanks for reading, any replies will be very much appreciated.

The important thing is to stretch so that your speed won't diminish. Weightlifting is good and will not necessarily make you slower, but its good to do low weight and high reps.

 

[drop bear]

And your point is? I had the same physique totally developed from gymnastics as I would have no doubt this guy has done.
:asian:

That he is still pretty bulky. As are a lot of sports that rely on speed.

Now if he got there through body weight fair enough. There is that body weight king videos.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy7-SO7TsoE

Although the suggestion is it is body weight and growth hormones.

But regardless. There are plenty of speed athletes who rely on muscle. And weight bearing exercise.

Usain bolt fastest guy alive.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KOC7O9JOY3Y