Need your help

[tkd_Jaz]

It's been a while since I posted anything but I need some help and I though who better to ask than my fellow friends on MT. So here it is: I am testing for my 1st Dan on December (I'm so excited) and I want to prepare my cardio. I've never had good cardio and sometimes I would puke after doing intense cardio workouts.Also I am not a big fan of running and I think that it won't help me too much because I need to be able to go all out, rest a few seconds and do it again. I would like to ask you if you could give me some workouts that I can do outside and some that I can do inside to prepare for my test because I don't just want to pass I want to stand out from the other students =D Thank You

 

[wade]

What kind of cardio are you looking for? There are so many different kinds it isn't funny. There is running cardio, there is point sparring cardio, there is TKD full contact cardio, there is high intensity weight training cardio, there is forms cardio, there is, well, you get the picture, eh? So, what do you need cardio for?

 

[WMKS Shogun]

Firstly, you might as well practice what you will be tested on over and over to get the best, most accurate workout. As far as methods of evercise, jumping rope, jumping jacks, Christmas trees (20 jumping jacks, 20 mountain climbers, 20 push ups, 20 crunches/sit ups; then 19 jumping jacks, 19 mountain climbers, etc. until each rep you do one of each). If i think of anything more, I will add to this short list.

 

[Last Fearner]

I am testing for my 1st Dan on December (I'm so excited) and I want to prepare my cardio.

Congratulations, Jaz, and good luck on your test!

I am not a big fan of running and I think that it won't help me too much because I need to be able to go all out, rest a few seconds and do it again.

Even though you are not a big fan of running, do it anyhow. It will help you! If you have the time, and area to run long distance, cover two to four miles per day at a moderate pace. If you work your way up to six to eight miles per day, even better (depending on what you can handle). Running up and down hills with a burst of energy is helpful. If you don't have time or space to run outdoors, try to get access to a treadmill, and cover similar distances.

Also, do some "sprints" where you dash for a set target a short distance away, then dash back. Get your heart rate up for a few minutes then take a short break and do it again. Jumping rope will increase your cardio endurance drastically. Perform your forms vigorously, and work out by sparring on a bag or with a partner. Do several 3 to 5 minute rounds with a 30 second break between each round. Push yourself a little harder, and longer than you would be required to do at your test.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

Firstly, you might as well practice what you will be tested on over and over to get the best, most accurate workout.

I agree with this, gain specific fitness and practise your stuff.

In other ways, try Fartlek training http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=722

 

[Kacey]

Firstly, you might as well practice what you will be tested on over and over to get the best, most accurate workout.

I agree. If you're going to do forms for a long time, then do all of your forms, without stopping, several times a day. If you're going to be doing kicks for an hour, then kick, non-stop, for longer than you think you will have to during the test. If you're going to have to spar 5 3-minute rounds, then spar 10 4-minute rounds when you can find partners, and shadow spar (no opponent) when you can't find partners. And so on...

 

[shesulsa]

If you're not gifted with cardiovascular fitness, you will have to train it all the time to keep it up. Remember to train for endurance, too, because the specifics to these types of training are not necessarily the same.

What you need to do is yes, train for your test, but also get a consultation with a fitness trainer. They can identify your specific needs and help you address them so you don't puke everytime.

If you have lung issues, talk to your doctor.

 

[jks9199]

Based on my personal experience...

Running, biking, using an eliptical trainer, or any other form of relatively long, steady effort is important to establishing a base resevoir of endurance, but it's not enough by itself. I doubt you need to go much longer than 30 or 40 minutes of that sort of cardio, about 3 days a week.

But you also need to do "burst" endurance and recovery. That comes from doing things like rounds of shadow boxing or jump rope, interval training & sprints, doing a form all out followed by a brief rest then repeating, and so on. Remember, specificity is important; you've got to train what you're going to do.

 

[exile]

The interval training that several people have mentioned is important. It's not much fun, but it's very effective and the cardiovascular capacity gains and metabolic boost you get from intervals, or Fartlek (= `Fast leg') occur much more rapidly and persistently than slower and steadier kinds of training. The downside of this kind of high-intensity aerobic training is, as I say, that's it's very unpleasant and hard on morale, so you probably don't want to be doing it more than a couple of times a weak, which is just as well since it requires a longer recovery time. But if you run intervals twice a week or so for twelve weeks—say, all-out sprint for 10 seconds out of every minute, for twenty minutes—you'll see a really dramatic boost in your aerobic capacity by the the end of your prep time.

 

[agemechanic03]

Too piggy back on some others that have talked about form training. It works! My advice is to put lots of power into your motions. I do Tang Soo Do, which as you know, has a lot of similarities. In my Dojang, we are all about twists and power. Even when doing a form slow with a lot of power will really work you out. Then gradually start speeding your forms up with the power. So it's kinda like 2 in 1, an aerobic workout plus allows you to work on power with speed. I know that if I do it right, I will be short winded and sweating my butt off after two forms and I'm in pretty decent shape and do not sweat much at all, oh and this is in a cold room too.