| Should You Add Supplementary Weight Training to | | | | good martial artist, so if you do decide to add |
| your Martial Arts Training? | | | | supplemental training, it should be to improve this |
| There are four things you should consider before you | | | | balance. Is there a part of your body that is not up to |
| add supplementary weight training into your workout | | | | par with the rest of your body? Do you have plenty of |
| schedule: | | | | endurance but lack speed? |
| Speed | | | | Here's an example of what I mean. I had a student at |
| Flexibility | | | | my Bellevue Academy of Kempo Martial Arts school |
| Endurance | | | | that had perfect form. She was worried that her |
| Strength | | | | technique wouldn't work in a real situation. She |
| Martial arts training will naturally help you improve in all | | | | practiced slow and accurate movements, so the |
| of these areas, but many people wonder if they need | | | | answer for her was to start training for power or |
| to add supplementary weight training to increase these | | | | speed to make her movements more real-world |
| areas. The answer is maybe. | | | | applicable. |
| The first determination of whether or not you should | | | | In the "old days" martial artists were not purists if they |
| do separate weight training is how it will affect your | | | | did strength training along with it. The thing is, even in |
| martial arts training. If weight training will take the place | | | | the Shaolin temples, the Kung Fu practitioners had |
| of your martial arts training, then I don't recommend it | | | | exercises like moving granite balls and doing hundreds |
| (especially for beginners). Advanced martial arts | | | | of movements with iron rings on their arms it sounds |
| students can make the determination depending on | | | | like a form of weight training to me. |
| their personal goals. | | | | If anyone tells you that weight training will harm your |
| When you're making the decision, consider this: | | | | kung fu or martial arts training, they are only right if you |
| You can add weights if you have your martial arts | | | | stop or reduce your martial arts training to weight train. |
| training regime down cold you don't want your martial | | | | If you break your training down into sections and focus |
| arts training to suffer so that you can weight train on | | | | on the parts of your body or goals that you need to |
| the side. | | | | balance your body, then you can train accordingly |
| If you do choose to weight train, educate yourself or | | | | without affecting your martial arts training. If you're still |
| get a trainer so that you get the most out of your | | | | not sure whether or not you're weight training |
| training. | | | | affectively, just make sure you do an hour and a half |
| Make a plan before you begin anything. | | | | of martial arts training for every hour of weight training |
| To make a plan, you need to figure out where you | | | | you do. |
| want to improve. You need a balanced body to be a | | | | |