Weightlifting for martial arts

[Danny T]

Have you seen Sylvester Stallone? In the last Rambo and Rocky films he was about your age and he was at least as big as he was in the first films, if not bigger.

Yes I have and I from what I have seen and read he was larger. Why? Because he was doing Body Building not Strength Training, Body Building is not the same as Strength Training even though they both involve lifting weights.

 

[Blindside]

If one does so, they are probably losing the Tao of Martial arts. They may need to meditate to think about it.

I have no idea what you just said here. Are you saying "if one does so (weightlifts) they are probably losing the Tao of Martial arts?"

What is the Tao of Martial Arts?

What would meditation do?

 

[hussaf]

I'm pretty sure he was being facetious. No one is that ignorant.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I'm pretty sure he was being facetious. No one is that ignorant.

Yes. There are people who are that ignorant.

 

[Buka]

Weights? Those are those heavy things, right?

Do any of you other old guys remember what we were told about weightlifting back in the fifties and early sixties?

"Once you stop lifting weights - all that muscle turns to fat."

Swear to God that was the prevailing attitude. See what we had to deal with back in the day?

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Yes I have and I from what I have seen and read he was larger. Why? Because he was doing Body Building not Strength Training, Body Building is not the same as Strength Training even though they both involve lifting weights.

Bingo!

Strength training generally is heavier weight and lower reps (say 3 to 5 reps per set) whilst BB'ing is moderate weight (less than maximal) for higher reps (say 8 to 12 reps). The number of sets differs as well. As mentioned on the first page, SL is a strength program and is 5 sets of 5 reps each. On the other hand, a common BBing program is GVT (German volume training) which is 10 sets of 10 reps each.

For those that 'fear' getting huge like Arnold, here's the deal, unless you're going to start taking steroids and working out 2-3 hours a day and consuming about 300 grams of protein a day (and about 3K to 5K calories) then you're not going to have to worry about it. Natural BB'ers workout for 45 minutes to an hour, strict diet, lots of protein and lower amounts of fats. They can get good size and very ripped but not the over-inflated look of the steriod-mutant.

Steroid mutant:

Natural body builder:

Note the natural guy is Micheal Ferencsik and he's in his mid-50's. Pretty darn good in my opinion.

 

[hussaf]

Weights? Those are those heavy things, right?

Do any of you other old guys remember what we were told about weightlifting back in the fifties and early sixties?

"Once you stop lifting weights - all that muscle turns to fat."

Swear to God that was the prevailing attitude. See what we had to deal with back in the day?

I was told you can turn fat into muscle in HS and that was the 90's

 

[PhotonGuy]

Well to everybody who does or wants to start lifting weights I will say this, weights can be dangerous so safety first. I know first hand since I once badly injured my arm in a weightlifting accident. So remember, weights are not toys, safety first.

 

[Danny T]

Well to everybody who does or wants to start lifting weights I will say this, weights can be dangerous so safety first. I know first hand since I once badly injured my arm in a weightlifting accident. So remember, weights are not toys, safety first.

Have a spotter and even better two, one on each side.

 

[AIKIKENJITSU]

Anybody lift weights as a form of cross training for martial arts? I've heard some criticism from martial artists against weightlifting, that it can make you too big and too musclebound which can sometimes be detrimental in that it can slow you down and hamper your movement.

I would not say that to Michael Jai White. His moves are unbelievably smooth and powerful--and fast. Yet he has a body of a bodybuilder. I think he works out on his martial arts along with his bodybuilding, so they are in sync with each other.
Sifu

 

[jks9199]

Well to everybody who does or wants to start lifting weights I will say this, weights can be dangerous so safety first. I know first hand since I once badly injured my arm in a weightlifting accident. So remember, weights are not toys, safety first.

Have a spotter and even better two, one on each side.

Depends on what you're doing. Many activities can be dangerous is you don't do them properly. Y'know... like, say, Martial Arts.

If you aren't familiar with weight training -- work with a trainer. Or at least take the time to research the proper form for exercises. Lots of great resources are available on the web; one place to start would be the Crossfit website, where they have a lot of video tutorials about various exercises. I also often recommend the book The New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove.

Spotters... You need to be using them if you're going really heavy -- but the wrong spotters are useless. Or worse. Some will give you bad advice (well meaning, but bad), some just don't do what you need. Some will put you in a more dangerous situation by the way they help you. Make sure you've got knowledgeable spotters, who will pay attention.

 

[Deleted member 32980]

Sorry, I was in a bad mood when I wrote that. Anyways. I restate my answer:

I think one shouldn't use weights if they are trying to accomplish the true Tao of Martial Arts. I'm not saying it's bad at all because two favorite martial artists of mine used weights: Bruce lee and Jackie chan

What is Tao of martial arts? That's the question we all ask ourselves.

Mediation? Well, it is like yin/yang. Yin is your martial arts, yang is focusing on humility. (Does that make sense I'm in a hurry)

 

[MJS]

Anybody lift weights as a form of cross training for martial arts? I've heard some criticism from martial artists against weightlifting, that it can make you too big and too musclebound which can sometimes be detrimental in that it can slow you down and hamper your movement.

If you look at some of the guys in MMA, they're pretty big, and it doesn't seem to hinder their movement much.

I lift weights in addition to doing body weight workouts. Personally, I see nothing wrong with this, and given the fact that there are literally hundreds of workouts out there, it's simply a matter of picking one that'll be best suited for your needs. The amount of weight you lift, the number of sets, reps, as well as the overall workout, all come into play.

 

[MJS]

I agree, that weightlifting can bring tremendous benefits for martial arts although Im not sure that everybody who is against it is because they're lazy. Some martial artists are concerned about becoming too much like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime which would be detrimental. I myself am a big fan of weightlifting. That being said I also agree with you about most of the weightlifting exercises you recommend particularly the back squat, my all time favorite weightlifting exercise although also one of the most hated. I am not a big fan of the bench press and lots of weightlifters will say that particular lift is highly overrated. I used to bench press but now I do flyers with dumbbells instead, I find it overall better and it hits more muscles. Sometimes I will do flyers with kettle bells which I find works better still.

I agree that a 5x5 program is really good, particularly for somebody just starting out. Powerlifting, where you lift as much as you possibly can for just a few reps is probably not a good idea for the martial artist as it can be detrimental and you can hurt yourself. And rest is important, I would recommend lifting three days a week so you get good rest.

Just a quick note about Arnold. It's highly unlikely that the 'average Joe' is going to have the dedication that Arnold had. That said, no worries about the average MAist, looking remotely like him. Of course, the topic of steroids is another issue.

 

[Transk53]

I also do a lot of kettlebell weight training. Excellent strength and cardio workout.

What sort weight range do use with the workout. Do you treat it the same as working out with the loose weights. Like starting lighter then going heavier, or do you use the weight kettlebells every sesh

 

[PhotonGuy]

I would not say that to Michael Jai White. His moves are unbelievably smooth and powerful--and fast. Yet he has a body of a bodybuilder. I think he works out on his martial arts along with his bodybuilding, so they are in sync with each other.
Sifu

In the pictures I've seen of Michael Jai White I must say he's really ripped and he's got a great body but he doesn't look as big as many of those competitive bodybuilders. He doesn't look like he would be on the cover of Flex magazine.

 

[PhotonGuy]

Just a quick note about Arnold. It's highly unlikely that the 'average Joe' is going to have the dedication that Arnold had. That said, no worries about the average MAist, looking remotely like him. Of course, the topic of steroids is another issue.

I was exaggerating when I said that lifting will make a person look like Arnold. Some people might be able to get that big with enough lifting but much of it is genetics, you have to be born with the proper genes to ever hope to get as big as a Mr America contestant no matter how much lifting you do. Lifting will certainly make you stronger and you will but on size and definition but as for getting super big like those guys in the muscle contests, part of that has to be natural.

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Sorry, I was in a bad mood when I wrote that. Anyways. I restate my answer:

I think one shouldn't use weights if they are trying to accomplish the true Tao of Martial Arts. I'm not saying it's bad at all because two favorite martial artists of mine used weights: Bruce lee and Jackie chan

What is Tao of martial arts? That's the question we all ask ourselves.

Mediation? Well, it is like yin/yang. Yin is your martial arts, yang is focusing on humility. (Does that make sense I'm in a hurry)

The 'Tao' of martial arts is an esoteric add on that isn't required for proficiency or mastering ones art of choice. Training with weights is viable addition that dates back centuries IN the martial arts. Pangainoon jars are just one example or resistance (weight) training.

 

[Deleted member 32980]

The type of training that just popped in my head was straw hat put on your chest and running fast enough so it doesn't fall off. (Ninja training)

I hope that was entertaining...

 

[ballen0351]

part of that has to be natural.

And drugs dont forget the drug lots and lots of drug