Hard on your self, good, or bad

[searcher]

If you're regularly training until you throw up...you have a problem. It's not even productive.

Read up about athletics and rest periods (e.g., in the context of bodybuilding for starters--that's easily accessible info.). Rest and recovery matter (as do sleep and nutrition). Maybe it's a hard time for you and you can't change all of that until you're on your own, but you can control the over-the-top training!

This is true. If you are pushing this hard then you are going to have more serious problems later on. It will not only effect your training, but will destroy your body in time. The body can only change just so fast. Trying to push yourself beyond what the body is actually capable of is a detriment. I am not talking aboput pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, but actually to the body's breaking point.

 

[Sarah]

It may seem a silly question, but why are you so pre occupied with how your body looks...are you looking at doing some body building?

If not, then maybe step back and take stock of other things that are important in life and stop obsessing about the package? Try and be satisfied that you are young, healthy and fit.



Of course that is not to say you shouldn’t work on improving the way you look if that is your desire, but when you get to a point when you are pre occupied with it....it may be a sign of other problems?

Good luck, hope you figure it out.

 

[Laborn]

I'm a confusing person, I want muscles, but only muscles that I can use for fighting, hard to explain, i dont want strength like muscle mass, that takes so long, I want strength I can use quickly. Not sure if that made sense. Everyone tells me how good I look, but I dont see it, i'm actually shy with my body, And I rarely let anyone see me with my shirt off, but im not really sure why lol, my mother says i should be proud that I have a body, but all i see is area's that need improved.

And i've thrown up so many times over the years, from fighting, sparring, training too hard, my last kungfu class, almost everytime we'd spar i'd puke, becuase we wouldn't wear any protective gear, we would just hit, and im hard on my self *obviously* so i always ask to fight the best guys in the class, it's better experience. But im also not a mental case, I love my body and I try not to damage it, I live on nutrition, sometimes i have a hamburger, but mostly nutrition. I donno I gues it's because martial arts has always been someone I enjoy doing, so I train the best I can, jsut to tell you guys lol.

Broken my arm, all my ribs, cracked a few, broken a few fingers and a few toes, dislocated shoulders, one shoulder is frigged and wants to keep popping out, scars...i have alot of scars, broken 2 growth plates in my fingers, and 6 growth plates in my toes, torn both hamstrings countless times, been to the hospital a few times, knee problems but that was because of a fight a few years ago, sucka had a bat. I jsut dont want to take martial arts to an abusive lvl, I want to train as hard as possible, but not abusive.

Laborm

 

[Laborn]

And I'm afraid im taking it to an abusive lvl, the more and more im in martial arts, the harder and harder, im training and pushing my self, i've accomplished things in taekwondo in one year, that it takes guys sometimes 9 years to accomplish, but it's because I train so hard, but I want to keep it as *training* not *abuse*

 

[Sarah]

And i've thrown up so many times over the years, from fighting, sparring, training too hard, my last kungfu class, almost everytime we'd spar i'd puke, becuase we wouldn't wear any protective gear, we would just hit, and im hard on my self *obviously* so i always ask to fight the best guys in the class, it's better experience. But im also not a mental case, I love my body and I try not to damage it, I live on nutrition, sometimes i have a hamburger, but mostly nutrition. I donno I gues it's because martial arts has always been someone I enjoy doing, so I train the best I can, jsut to tell you guys lol.

Broken my arm, all my ribs, cracked a few, broken a few fingers and a few toes, dislocated shoulders, one shoulder is frigged and wants to keep popping out, scars...i have alot of scars, broken 2 growth plates in my fingers, and 6 growth plates in my toes, torn both hamstrings countless times, been to the hospital a few times, knee problems but that was because of a fight a few years ago, sucka had a bat. I jsut dont want to take martial arts to an abusive lvl, I want to train as hard as possible, but not abusive.

Laborm

Sounds to my like you have gone WAAAY past healthy training habits....possibly even totally bypassing any kind of person and mental growth through your martial arts, especially if you are fighting people on the street.

 

[arnisador]

I'm a confusing person, I want muscles, but only muscles that I can use for fighting, hard to explain, i dont want strength like muscle mass, that takes so long, I want strength I can use quickly.

Muhammed Ali said something like, "I only want to do exercises that improve my ability to get my fist to his nose" (paraphrased).

You need a good coach. Speak to your phys. ed. teacher if nothing else.

 

[masherdong]

Self critiquing can be a good thing. If you have learned your techniques properly, then everything should come in place and when you feel that something is not right, then you can say, whoa, I am in the wrong position or my hands are not in the right place. You do not want to over exert yourself and be down on yourself too much because then, you develop a complex of never being able to do anything right. Just my dos centavos.

 

[Loki]

I also think being hard on yourself can be a great thing if you can see the bigger picture.

If you know your own limits, know when it's going too far and can understand that some things are beyond your capabilities (with a strong will, that's usually temporary), then it's good.

If you get frustrated over things you can't do, don't listen to your body and are hyper-critical of yourself, it's bad.

Your comment on getting mad at yourself for mistakes at tournaments is a sign that you have at least a tendancy towards the latter case. Analyzing your mistakes is probably the best method of self-improvement, but you should never get mad at yourself for giving it your best. Try to think about it objectively, incorporate the conclusions into your training and improve.

I also consider myself a perfectionist, but I've learned to see my limits and impose a break on myself every now and then. I see it as effective to think of my reaction to my instructor were he to push me as hard as I used to push myself. I'd probably quit. My "inner instructor" is still tough, but understanding and tells me that sometimes it's better to rest and not train to the burnout point.

The bottom line is that you should learn from your mistakes in your approach to training as well as your mistakes in training itself. Best of luck!

 

[Laborn]

Sounds to my like you have gone WAAAY past healthy training habits....possibly even totally bypassing any kind of person and mental growth through your martial arts, especially if you are fighting people on the street.

I only fight if I have to, and I try to talk my way out of it, but when you live in a backwater place, where there's 5 sexual preditors within a half of a mile from my doorstep, and druggies across the street, and well of course the gangs.

My problem is everyone knows im a martial artist, so i gues they wander *can he beat me, or can i beat him* so they challenge me *comon you ***** * that type of stuff, i jsut shrug at that, because words only hurt you if you allow them to hurt you, but when they jump me...i either fight back or get beat, so i have no choice really.

 

[Laborn]

Plus theirs some certain people who are trying to knife me, *things with my ex, which is partly why I have problems sleeping* so exactly what should I do if they jump me? I mean i've ran before, but it usually doesn't work, Im usually jogging so my leggs are already tired. Not being mean but if guys jump you, what else is there?

Btw thank you all,

Laborm

 

[Marginal]

What happened with the guy who wanted to fight you because of your ankle weights?

Your neighborhood sounds like something you'd only expect to find in Double Dragon.

 

[Laborn]

Well I took care of that problem. My mouth gets me into alot of jams heh.
Yes my neighborhood is quite rough

 

[Laborn]

But thank you guys for the help, i really appreciate it, but one more thing, have i taken training to an abuse? insted of training my mind and body, am i abusing my self?
some people tell me i am abusing my self, but others say ....oh please i can do that..no swet, i know their full of crap, but it still doesn't help you know lol, like i got 15 lbs weights i use, i run with 10 lbs dumbells, their hard enough, my friend came over and he said *oh dude thats wussy...i run with 20 lbs* i know he cant be serious, but after hearing it awile i gues you start to believe anything. So sopme of me thinks i trian too hard, but then some is like, o please you wussy others train harder.

 

[Flying Crane]

But thank you guys for the help, i really appreciate it, but one more thing, have i taken training to an abuse? insted of training my mind and body, am i abusing my self?
some people tell me i am abusing my self, but others say ....oh please i can do that..no swet, i know their full of crap, but it still doesn't help you know lol, like i got 15 lbs weights i use, i run with 10 lbs dumbells, their hard enough, my friend came over and he said *oh dude thats wussy...i run with 20 lbs* i know he cant be serious, but after hearing it awile i gues you start to believe anything. So sopme of me thinks i trian too hard, but then some is like, o please you wussy others train harder.

Only you can decide if you are overdoing it. If you are always in pain or suffering injuries, not just soreness from use, but actually getting injured, you are overdoing it. It's ok to push the limits to see what you can do, but if you get injured, it could last a lifetime so use some common sense, work up to it, and use some caution. It is important to let your body rest regularly, tho.

 

[Laborn]

True, but usually i get hurt from accidents, like if im tired really tired and kicking the bag, i mgiht hit it wrong and sprain my ankle...or slip and fall outside. and well sparring...we try to win but we hurt each other accidently.

 

[mantis]

find a balance
u need rest just as much as you need exercise
let me know when u become the next bruce lee

 

[Flying Crane]

True, but usually i get hurt from accidents, like if im tired really tired and kicking the bag, i mgiht hit it wrong and sprain my ankle...or slip and fall outside. and well sparring...we try to win but we hurt each other accidently.

OK, perfect example: you are too tired and continue to kick the bag, and sprain your ankle. time to back off and rest. Accidents like this are a message to you. Time to wake up and listen to what your body is telling you. you found your limit the hard way.

 

[Kenpodoc]

Better to train smart not just hard. The best training finds a balance between hard and easy and between intensity and relaxation. Human bodies can do more than most people believe but they also have finite limits. It's hard to describe how to find balance but if you look you'll find it exists.

Jeff

 

[Kenpodoc]

find a balance
u need rest just as much as you need exercise
let me know when u become the next bruce lee

Good point. Bruce is a good example of someone who trained hard and burned out before he could reach his full potential.

Jeff

 

[arnisador]

Bruce is a good example of someone who trained hard and burned out before he could reach his full potential.

Bruce Lee? Who died of a reaction to a drug?