Optimal amount of time for training techniques daily?

[Ivan]

A while ago I made a post about the possibility of training for 6 hours daily. Clearly I had forgotten about the timeless adage about quality over quantity. Up until that point, I had been attempting to (unsuccessfully) go on diet/regime which involved skipping dinner, as well as practising my basic kicks - in more accurate terms, I dedicated 20-30 minutes of only working on my sidekicks as I have a long term of goal of completely mastering basic kicks. My front kick is great, and now I am working on my sidekick on my left side though my right side is already average at least.

Now, I have been trying something different which has been working out well for a week. Here it is (daily):
Calorie counting - 2000kcal or less
150 push ups - each day with a different variant until I loop back to the start
Weight loss sprints - which consists of 10x50-100m sprints and then a 20 minute slow paced jog
10 minute high intensity ab workout

This is fitness routine isn't specifically martial arts related - I gained 22 pounds since last summer, mostly in muscle and some in fat, which I am trying to shred to get my abs. However, I also want to add in my stretching routine (once in the morning and once before bed). I want to incorporate

 

[skribs]

I think some of it is going to depend on how much you know. For example, I can go through all of my forms in around 25 minutes, if I do them each once. When I was a white belt, I could go through my form probably 40 times in 25 minutes.

As a white belt, I knew a small handful of kicks, and barely any footwork. I needed to stretch more than I needed to practice the kicks themselves, because I could barely do a proper side kick above knee level. I have learned so much in the last several years. I've learned footwork, combinations, and several different kicks and punches. As a white belt, I'd just practice my basic skills: basic punches, basic kicks, basic blocks, basic forms. Now, I practice all sorts of things, including:

• Lots of forms to remember
• Lots of different strikes
• Different types of footwork before, during, or after a strike
• Combinations that rely on different principles to transition from one technique to the next
• Exercises to strengthen certain motions that I would use for my techniques

There's so much stuff I can practice now, that I could easily work for a few hours and still feel like there's stuff to do. Where before I could go for a half hour and run out of things to practice.

 

[Flying Crane]

If Im going through my complete workout at home, I typically spend about an hour on basics done in a variety of ways. I then spend about 30-40 minutes on my empty-hand forms. I then select one weapon and work the basics for maybe 20 minutes and then work through the form. Altogether, it's about 2- 2 1/5 hours.

I don't have a place to hang a heavy bad. If I did, I would like to spend a half hour or so a couple times a week on it.

In the end, balance your training time with other things in life. Your training should serve you, keep you fit an healthy and happy and inspired to keep doing it. You should not become a slave to your training. If you feel like you are always scrambling to finish your training, if you feel guilty for missing a part of your training, if you feel like you are obligated (unpleasantly) to get all your training in, then perhaps your training is ruling you, rather than the other way around.

I don't do that complete workout that I listed above, all the time. Often I do something shorter.

 

[_Simon_]

In the end, balance your training time with other things in life. Your training should serve you, keep you fit an healthy and happy and inspired to keep doing it. You should not become a slave to your training. If you feel like you are always scrambling to finish your training, if you feel guilty for missing a part of your training, if you feel like you are obligated (unpleasantly) to get all your training in, then perhaps your training is ruling you, rather than the other way around.

Very well said. A very overlooked aspect of training imo, the mindset and attitude towards it and surrounding it.

 

[_Simon_]

Ivan sounds good man, I admire your enthusiasm! Like Flying Crane said, balance is important, BUT that balance doesn't necessarily mean equal parts of everything. Moreso I think balance is specific to the individual, and what your priority is right now.

For people who train like crazy because of unhealthy obsessiveness and guilt probably need to look into that, and learn to ease up on themselves.

For those who hold back in training due to lack of belief in themselves could benefit from some intense, hard training.

But anyways, back to the main point!

How much to work on a specific technique or aspect of training depends I guess, to what level you want it to be at, and your current level. And of course this may take alot more time to get a technique really down pat.

I've spent an hour just on a simple reverse punch before, just as there was a specific nuance of it I was trying to feel into.

The other day I was planning on training, but I was feeling horrendous.. so I changed up what was going to be some rather intense training, to about 30 odd minutes, warmed up with my basic techniques, then the rest of pretty much just working on one form. Really enjoyed it and actually got alot out of that focused energy.

But yeah, you can segment a big portion of your training session on a specific thing, and then rest can be a little work on other stuff (eg. 15 minutes warm up and footwork drills, 30-45 minutes specific kick work you wanted to hone in on and mixing up different scenarios the kicks are used in, 15 minutes forms/bagwork/agility). Play around with it!