NeilT

Does anyone have any good links for websites listing decent fitness workouts i.e. do this on monday, this on weds etc etc

I've my brown/black belt karate grading in 4 weeks and although I'm pretty fit, trail running 6-10 miles a week (on top of karate training) I need to get myself in absolute peak condition.

Also, anyone take any supplements here? Obviously the legal type that you can buy in sports shops - using Lucasade powder and bananas at the mo which work pretty well, but wondering what the energy bars etc are like?

Any links appreciated.

ta

Neil

Matteeboy

What do you need to achieve?
Increase cardio fitness, or coordination (unlikely) or strength/stamina?
Is there any serious sparring involved (the most tiring thing ever - sparring for a grading!)?
Would have thought practising the katas again and again is the main priority?

NeilT

My cardio is ok, and co-ord fairly spot on, so mainly stamina training, the runnings helping but want to improve.

Yep, some fairly full on sparring involved in this one (same as last), which is always the most tiring part, and it comes at the end, when I'll be quite worn out anyway.

SiPie

Agree with Matteeboy

In my Kung Fu days Master Yau asked the class what they thought the best physical training for Kung Fu was...?

'Press ups' said some, 'sit-ups' said some, 'pad work' etc etc etc

His answer......

Kung Fu is the best training for Kung Fu

Makes sense really, if that's what you are training for then do exactly that..

It's like a colleague of mine who wanted to strenghten his fingers and hands so he could play guitar more, he's a gadget freak, so wanted to buy a feckin hand grip strengthener thingy, he ignored my advice to just play the feckin guitar more

So he went to the guitar shop, where the guy effectively laughed at him and told him to go and play the guitar more ...

Makes sense really

NeilT

yes, agree with above, but when i'm training every karate class there is (within our club) I still need something to fill in the gaps, i.e. apart from practising at home I can't train any more. I'm finding the runnings helped alot with the stamina, so what next, apart from running further distances, which I'm not sure will help?

Tobisausage

There is such a thing as over-training, make sure you have at LEAST one day where you don't do anything to give your body a chance to recover and repair itself.

SiPie

Mountain biking and Cycle commuting of 20 miles every day had the biggest positive effect on my stamina levels

Matteeboy

Neil - You got a heavy bag?
Possibly the best martial arts targeted exercise you can do!
Annoyingly I can't find a good place for mine in this new house but I've had one up for years and it's great. Really get to feel the power of decent kicks and punches in your own home.

Other than that, trail running, which you are doing already is very good - any way of making it more intense? I like aiming up a steep hill "digging in" and getting myself up the bugger.

Needed a lot of that "digging in" in some of the kickboxing comps I did but they are quite different to karate comps (did Shotokan to brown belt when I was a nipper).

SiPie -Same here (cycling) - gone from "fit" to (hopefully) very fit in a year or so thanks to daily cycle rides.

Anyway, good luck!

NeilT

Not really got anywhere to hang a bag, so unfortunately not.

Got 4 really nasty hills on my run, all off road and all a complete bitch to get up, only managed to conquer the fourth without stopping for a breather recently.

The grading doesnt involve 'points fighting', as its a very traditional style and tends to stay away from that, just several (4 last time) 2 or 3 min bouts with no rest in between. When I completed the last grading (brown to brown & white) my legs were like jelly when I finished the last one - hence the need for more stamina.

There must be a website somewhere that lists "for stamina....run 3 miles, break for 2 mins, sprint for 30 seconds etc etc" or that sort of thing?

Neil

SiPie

It's just a forum but this question seems quite specific to your needs

Hello From a Taekwondo Enthusiast

Matteeboy

Neil - Some good stuff on here - I did the Royal Marines POC (and passed) so have a few people I still keep in contact with.

Military Fitness & Training :: Index

InaPickle

I'm sure i read somewhere that multiple short bursts of intense cardio really help stamina - more so than long runs etc. So for example, stationary cycling for 30 seconds at your absolute max or sprinting (could try sprinting with one of those parachute type things?? But you have to do like ten or twenty of them with 30 seconds rest.

Alternatively try and mirror your energy output in your sparring. If it tends to be lots of feeling out and then short bursts of attacking try and mirror this in your exercise. If its all out for 2/3 minute rounds again try and build up exercising at your max for that amount of time - 60% of your max, then 70% of your max etc.

Good luck

Pickle

NeilT

cheers, all good advice, will check out the military fitness forums later.....

off for a trail run tonight - hope the temp cools down a bit

Neil