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A Case for Mini Workouts

May 5, 2010 By 2 Comments

These days everyone is short on time.  Most are content to allow the daily grind and family time to fill their days while lamenting about the fact that they have no time for working out.  The complaints are common and heard often.  But somehow these same people are able to find time to watch an hour or more of TV every night before going to bed.  Now, I’m not going to ask you to forego your Thursday night Lost episode in favor of hitting the gym for an hour, so don’t worry – just using the ability to watch TV as an example of “finding time”.  While it may be a stretch for many people to find 45 minutes to an hour each day for exercise or martial arts training, how about just finding 5 minutes?  Surely everyone can find a spare 5 minutes even a few times a day, right???

Recently, as my own daily grind has become busier and busier, I have been finding just how effective mini workouts can be to fill in the gaps in one’s training.  These types of workouts are often overlooked because their brevity.  How can one possibly get a complete workout in 5 minutes?!  Well, you can’t.  But that’s not the point.  The effects of mini workouts is cumulative.  In other words, they add up over time.  They are not meant to completely replace your regular training, they are meant to enhance it and compliment it.  They are an effective way to keep yourself on track and focused while short on time.  Remember, the goal of the mini workout is not to be too complicated or over-involved.  Make them short, sweet, and to the point!

Examples of Mini Workouts

Here are just a few ideas I’ve found that make ideal mini workouts:

  • 10 push-ups + 10 v-ups + 10 squats (repeat 3 x’s)
  • Finger tip push-ups (see how many you can do)
  • Tabata exercises (pick any one)
  • 5 Kettlebell Snatches (each side) + 5 Kettlebell Swings (each side) + 10 Hindu Push-ups (repeat 3 x’s)
  • Isometrics
  • Breathing exercises
  • Joint mobility work
  • Pull-ups (5-4-3-2-1 rep scheme)

Mini Workouts for Martial Arts

The mini workout should be an essential aspect of any martial artist’s training.  It is said that great martial artists are training all the time.  Well known and respected masters from Musashi to Tesshu to Ueshiba toHatsumi Soke have constantly extolled the importance of solo-training and dedicated practice.  While mini workouts do not form a complete picture of solo- training, they do play an important role.  In the future, I’ll be sharing a more extensive look at solo-training for martial arts, particularly for Bujinkan practitioners.  But for now, here’s a short list to get you started:

  • Ukemi practice – mix up rolls, change directions freely, roll over obstacles
  • San Shin no Kata
  • Solo flow drill – move continuously for 5 minutes. Flow from strikes to kicks to leaps to rolls, from kamae to kamae – be creative!
  • Kamae work in a mirror
  • Striking practice
  • Junan taiso (see above!)

Make sure to make time for mini workouts!

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Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #5

April 22, 2010 By 2 Comments

8 is Enough!

This week’s Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week:

  • 8 Pull-ups
  • 8 Burpees
  • 8 Mt. Climbers (left + right = 1 rep)
  • 8 Jumonji Squat Jumps
  • 8 Dumbbell Swings (4 each arm)

Complete 8 rounds as fast as possible.  Rest as needed.

Jumonji Squat

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jump!

 

Modifying Your Workout

Conditioning workouts are supposed to suck.  No doubt about it!  They push your body to its limits and increase mental toughness.  However, they should be approached incrementally, especially if you are not used to them.  In this particular workout, I’d recommend that beginners cut the volume of repetitions in half.  If you still find you are struggling, increase the rest period between rounds; try not to rest in between exercises, if you can help it.   Additionally, you may perform 4 rounds to start and work your way up to 8.  As you gain confidence and begin getting stronger, you can increase the number of repetitions and rounds, and decrease the rest periods.  Change one variable at a time so you are not forcing your body to adjust too rapidly.  Remember, injury is not the goal!

Notes: Make sure you warm-up with brief joint mobility session prior to the workout.  Remember that when you sign up for our mailing list you receive a free sample chapter on Joint Mobility from my Warrior Fitness book!

For further information on the Workouts of the Week, please see our User Guide here.

 

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Tabata for Kids!

April 12, 2010 By 1 Comment

Usually my favorite place for the kids to exercise is outside.  There’s nothing like running around, climbing on the jungle gym at the local playground, or just enjoying a walk on a beautiful day in the  fresh air and sunshine to fulfill your children’s daily recommended allowance of exercise.  But how about those dull, rainy days when the kids are cooped up indoors?  For some reason, indoor activities always seem to lend themselves to sedentary type things, like: video games, watching tv, surfing the Internet, playing cards or boardgames, and reading (although my kids and I all love to read, and it is fundamental, of course), for example. 

Break Up a Boring Day with Exercise!

One way I’ve found to insert a daily dose of exercise that’s fun for the kids and short enough to hold thier attention span is working on Tabata Intervals with them.  Click here for a more in-depth discussion on Tabata.  These don’t require a lot of space so they are a perfect indoor, rainy day workout to get the kids moving.  Check it out -

The Exercises:

  • Jumping Jacks
  • Lunges
  • Base Switches(Start from all fours on hands and balls of feet. Lift right hand and left foot together.  Switch to crab walk position.  Pick up left hand and right foot. Switch back to base position. Continue.)
  • Mountain Climbers

Per the Tabata Protocol, each exercise is performed for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds.  Rest for one minute and then move onto the next exercise.  Try not to push them too much or provide too much instruction.  Just enough for them to get the form down.  Let them move at their own speed through the exercises and they will gradually pick up the pace on their own  This workout provides 16 minutes of high intensity exercise for any kid.  Get them off the couch and away from the TV to get their daily dose of exercise!

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What’s Tabata You?

March 23, 2010 By 10 Comments

If you have been keeping up with the latest trends in conditioning research then you probably already know that interval training is the most efficient way to train.  Interval training alternates periods of high intensity exercise with periods of rest to produce gains in both aerobic and anaerobic systems.  Forget about those long slow distance runs to improve aerobic fitness!

The Body’s 3 Energy Systems

To briefly summarize, the body has three energy systems, 2 anaerobic, or non-oxidative, and 1 aerobic, that serve to create ATP (adenosine triphosphate).  ATP is utilized by every cell in your body; it fuels muscular contractions, cognitive processes, and internal regulatory functions.   Both anaerobic systems fuel maximally intensive activity, while the aerobic system fuels sustained low to moderate level activity.

The ATP-PC system provides immediately available energy for high intensity efforts from ATP stored within the muscles.  This system is the most powerful, but least enduring of the three, lasting only about 10 to 30 seconds max. 

The Glycolytic system, the second most powerful, is only slightly more enduring than the ATP-PC system.  It derives energy from glycogen stored in the muscles and liver converting it to ATP in a process called glycolysis.  Its capacity is approximately 90 to 120 seconds.  Rest intervals allow the body to recuperate and restore ATP.

Lastly, the Aerobic system uses proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to produce ATP.  As the intensity of the effort increases, the aerobic system relies more on glycogen for energy.  If the intensity continues to increase, the anaerobic systems must kick-in to provide energy.  The important idea to realize here is that all 3 energy systems are always supplying the body with the energy it needs for any activity, at any level of intensity.  It’s just that one may be more dominant than the other 2 at a specific time.

If Anaerobic is ‘Without Oxygen’, Why am I Sucking Wind?

If you have been following the Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week installments, you are probably pretty familiar with examples of anaerobic exercises and how they affect the body.  Have you noticed how after even a brief, but intense anaerobic session you are breathing heavily?  If anaerobic really means ‘without oxygen’, how come you are so out of breath?  What happens is that your aerobic system is trying like heck to help restore your anaerobic systems.  All that extra oxygen is being used to metabolize the lactate that’s accumulated in the muscles during the bout of intense activity.  In order to continue to supply energy for all-out, intense efforts, the anaerobic system must be replenished.  Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) is the term used to identify this process of extra oxygen being taken in to restore all systems.  So, basically, as the intensity of your exercise increases, so does your EPOC.  And, that’s why you’re sucking wind!

Tabata Protocol

No discussion of interval training would be complete without touching on Tabata.  Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan performed perhaps the most well known study on interval training.   A group exercising with moderate intensity endurance training was compared to another group using high intensity intermittent training.  Each group exercised 5 days a week.  The moderate intensity group exercised for 60 minutes, at 70% VO2 max.  The high intensity group did 8 intervals of 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of recovery.  They operated at 170% VO2 max.

After 6 weeks, both groups experienced improvements in maximal oxygen uptake.  The biggest difference between them was that only the high intensity group gained improvement in anaerobic capacity.  The high intensity group actually realized a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity AND a 14% increase in VO2max.  So, the study concluded that high intensity intermittent training can improve both the anaerobic and aerobic systems simultaneously.  Very impressive results!

How Can I Use Tabata?

I knew that after reading the amazing results achieved by Dr. Tabata you’d be ready to try using his protocol, I sure was!  The protocol itself is pretty simple, in theory.  Choose an exercise – say sprints, for example.  Perform the exercise for 20 seconds as fast as possible while still keeping good form.  Rest 10 seconds.  Complete 8 rounds.  Sprints are an easy example, but really the Tabata Protocol can be applied to almost any exercise.  Try some of these:

  • Bodyweight squats
  • Burpees
  • Kettlebell swings or snatches
  • Sledgehammer swings
  • Push-ups
  • Mountain climbers
  • Jumping

What other exercises do you use with Tabata?

Additionally, try grouping together 4 to 6 different exercises to increase the effectiveness of the workout and create a synergistic effect where the total combined effect is greater than the sum of the individual exercises.  This, I think, is where the real fun begins!

In a future post I’ll be talking about breathing and how to use various breathing techniques to restore yourself quicker, lower your heart rate, and increase the effectiveness of your conditioning sessions.

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How Dense are You?

March 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In today’s hectic world it seems we are all continually struggling to fit more and more into less and less time.  Whether it’s squeezing more work into a 9 to 5 day, cramming more activities into a 2-day weekend, or condensing a week’s worth of email posts into a digestible digest version, it seems we are all trying to become more dense.  In that spirit, I’d like to offer the option of Density Training.  This is by no means the only way to train, nor is it recommended to use it as your sole form of conditioning, but when you are short on time and are looking for ways to do more with less, Density Training is definitely a viable option.

Density Training Concept

The concept of Density Training is pretty simple.  Do more work in the same amount of time or do the same amount of work in less time.  So, for example if you were using  push-ups as the exercise and the last time you used this protocol you managed to do 100 push-ups in 10 minutes, then this session you would either try to increase the number of push-ups you can do in 10 minutes or strive to do 100 push-ups in under 10 minutes.  Not rocket science, right?  What if this is your first time attempting this type of training?  Pick your exercise, let’s stick with push-ups for continuity’s sake, and pick an amount of time, say 10 minutes.  Then try to do as many push-ups as you possibly can in that 10 minutes.  Crank them out.  Push yourself (pun intended).  Remember the time limit used and amount of reps achieved, or preferably write it down, and the next time do more.  Simple as that.

More Options

Density Training can be used with almost any exercise.  Here are some additional examples:

  • Sprints – pick a relatively short distance, maybe 30 to 50 yards, and see how many sprints you can complete in 10 minutes
  • Rope Skipping – not my thing really, but hey, who’s discriminating?
  • Heavy Bag punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing, or any combination – how many strikes can you throw in 10 minutes (Yes I know I keep using 10 minutes, but you don’t have to.  Find something that works for you.)
  • Any Bodyweight exercise – Burpees are great for this!
  • Make it martial arts specific and see how many sword cuts you can do in 10 minutes.  Just remember to keep the technique level high or you’re wasting your time!!

Remember, this is not the only option out there for those short on time, but it is a good one.  Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.  Try it with different exercises.  Experiment.  Have fun!

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Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #3

March 6, 2010 By 1 Comment

Let’s change it up a little bit this week and spend some time focusing on our core.  Since all movement originates from the core of the body, it makes good sense to target it specifically and ensure our cores are strong, mobile, and integrated with the rest of our body.  Instead of wasting time doing endless crunches, or spending crazy amounts of money on relatively useless tummy flattening gimmicks (as sold on late night TV), try this functional core workout instead! 

V-up

  • 10 V-ups 

Lie flat on your back with arms stretched out over your head.  Exhale, contract the core and lift arms and legs together.  Inhale as you lay back.  Repeat. 

  • 10 Knees to Chest 

Sit with legs extended straight.  Lean back slightly and lift legs, bringing knees to chest.  Exhale as you contract, inhale as you straighten. 

Knees to Chest

  • 10 Crunches with 3 second isometric hold

Yes, sometimes even crunches can be useful.  Just depends on how you do them!  In this case, perform a normal crunch, but as you lift off the ground exhale, contract the core tightly and hold for 3 seconds before descending.

  • 10 Pendulum Leg Lifts (side-to-side) 

Pendulums

 Lie flat on your back with your legs straight up in the air, knees locked.  Exhale and slowly drop your feet to the left side, back to center, then the right side.  This is one rep.  

Instructions

Complete 5 rounds. Rest 90 seconds between each round; no rest between exercises.  

Need a Finisher?

Finishers are used to squeeze just a little bit extra out of the workout.  They are awesome for increasing mental toughness as well!

  • Finisher Exercise: Plank hold for time – get in position and hold as long as you can.  See if you can last 5 minutes!

Plank Hold

 

For more information on the Warrior Fitness Workouts of the Week, please see our User Guide.  And, as always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments.  Reach me here or leave a comment below. 

Want to know more?  Check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts!

 

 

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Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #2

February 25, 2010 By 2 Comments

Commando Pull-Ups

This week’s conditioning workout will push your anaerobic threshold to the max.  Endurance is defined as the ability to resist fatigue – how resistant are you?

  • 10 Commando Pull-ups (switch grip every 5)
  • 10 Burpees
  • 10 Lateral Jumps (jump over medicine ball or other small obstacle)
  • 10 Fudo-ken (fist) Push-ups
 Complete 5 rounds as fast as possible with good form. Rest 1 minute between rounds.

 How Do I Do a Burpee?

 

Burpees are a great, whole-body conditioning exercise that will really challenge your cardiovascular fitness.

Begin in a standing position.     Drop down to a squat on the balls of your feet.  Place your hands down in front of you and jump your legs back to the lowered portion of a push-up.  Jump your legs back to the ball of foot squat, then leap into the air as high as possible.  Repeat rapidly!

Burpees -Squat down from standing

Burpees - Jump back to push-up

Burpees - Leap as high as possible!

Modifying Your Workout

 

Conditioning workouts are supposed to suck.  No doubt about it!  They push your body to its limits and increase mental toughness.  However, they should be approached incrementally, especially if you are not used to them.  In this particular workout, I’d recommend that beginners cut the volume of repetitions in half.  If you still find you are struggling, increase the rest period between rounds up to 2-3 minutes rather than the prescribed 60 seconds.  Additionally, you may perform 3 rounds to start instead of 5.  As you gain confidence and begin getting stronger, you can increase the number of repetitions and rounds, and decrease the rest periods.  Change one variable at a time so you are not forcing your body to adjust too rapidly.  Remember, injury is not the goal!

For more information on the Warrior Fitness Workouts of the Week, please see our User Guide here.

Want to know more?  Check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts!

Filed Under: Body, Bodyweight Conditioning, Express Workouts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

User Guide to the Workouts of the Week

February 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I received several emails this morning after yesterday’s post on Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #1 from people who wanted more information on how to implement and program the workouts of the week.  So here it is!

The Workout of the Week section is designed to give you insight into the Warrior Fitness training method.  We will cover topics such as joint mobility, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and the Tabata Protocol for conditioning, strength endurance, explosive strength, core work, yoga, and martial arts. 

1.  How often should I do the Workout of the Week (WOW)? 

This depends on the intensity level of the prescribed workout.  For example, if the WOW is an illustration of a yoga compensatory routine, you can do it daily, but if it’s a high intensity conditioning workout, you may only be able to perform it 2-3 times a week, depending on your recovery levels.   These workouts are short; usually, under 30 minutes.   You should have plenty of time to squeeze them into a busy schedule!

2.  Should I change my workout every week to correspond to the WOW? 

Not necessarily, no.  The workouts change weekly in order to showcase various aspects of our training methodology, but that doesn’t mean you need to change it up on a weekly basis.  Workout programs should be designed with specific goals in mind and crafted to meet individual needs.  Your body needs time to adapt to your exercise selection for it to elicit the planned response, usually about 4 to 6 weeks.  If you find a something that you like, stick with it.  If you have a more detailed question about how to program a specific workout, or even a series of workouts, let me know.  I can help you.  That’s why I’m here.

3.  What if I already have a workout program?  How can incorporate the WOWs? 

 If you currently have a training regimen that you are happy with, but want to give one of our workouts a try, you can definitely do that.  Simply replace one of your conditioning days with one of our conditioning workouts.  Or, add in our joint mobility exercises as a warm-up.  Remember, you receive a sample chapter on joint mobility  from the book, Warrior Fitness, when you sign up for our mailing list.

4.  I am just starting to exercise, can I still use the WOWs? 

Absolutely!  Start slowly.  Begin by doing our joint mobility exercises on a daily basis to prime your body and help you regain lost range of motion.  Each of our workouts contains instructions on modifying the workout to scale it for any level of conditioning.  Also, if you have further questions about modifying workouts, or programming workouts, contact me.  I’ll be glad to help you.

5.  Will I lose weight with these workouts? 

 Yes!  Our conditioning workouts are designed to turn on your body’s metabolic furnace and torch unwanted fat, while building lean muscle. 

6.  How can I find out more?

My ebook, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts, is available for direct download.  It contains the background, philosophy, and methodology behind Warrior Fitness, as well as an ample exercise selection and a chapter on program design.

Want to know more?  Just ask!

 I hope this has been a helpful introduction to the Warrior Fitness Workouts of the Week.  What other questions do you have?

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Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #1

February 17, 2010 By 1 Comment

For 15 minutes, perform the following:

Chin Up

 

  • Chin-ups
  • Hindu Push-ups
  • Jumping Jacks
  •  Ichimonji Jump Squats (can be replaced with non-jumping squats as fatigue levels rise)

 

Hindu Push-up

 

Ichimonji Jump Squat

Do them in any order for any number of reps at a time as long as you continuously move for the full 15 minutes.    

Modifying Your Workout

Not quite ready to jump into the full 15 minutes yet?  This workout can be modified depending on your current level of conditioning.

For example, you may break up the 15 minutes into 5 rounds of 3 minutes each and include a rest period of 1 to 2 minutes between rounds.  As your conditioning levels increase, begin increasing the length of the rounds and decreasing the rest period.  Remember, the goal is to exercise for 15 minutes straight.    

Additionally, if you do not have a chin-up bar, you can try  towel pulls instead.  Wrap a towel around a pole in your basement, or around both door knobs of an open door, sit all the way back until your arms are straight and pull yourself forward.  You can make this exercise more difficult by grasping the towel with one hand which also provides a great grip workout to boot!

Enjoy!    

Notes: Make sure you warm-up with brief joint mobility session prior to the workout.  Remember that when you sign up for our mailing list you receive a free sample chapter on Joint Mobility from my Warrior Fitness book!

For further information on the Workouts of the Week, please see our User Guide here.

Filed Under: Body, Bodyweight Conditioning, Express Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

Conditioning for Striking

January 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Looking for a great way to spice up your conditioning work and make it more martial arts specific at the same time? Give this workout a try! What you will need – wave bag, double-end bag, heavy bag lying on the ground (you can make substitutions as needed). 

There is no real set/rep scheme for this workout. Just perform three 5-minute rounds, or five 3-minute rounds, depending on your level of conditioning, with 60 seconds of active recovery in between.

You are free to move from one piece of equipment to the next and back, as you like. Spend as much or as little time with each. The goal is continuous movement. Use any strike or kick you like on any and all of the stations. The heavy bag lying on the ground provides not only a way to practice choking, striking and kicking on the ground, but an obstacle to leap over, roll over, and maneuver around while working the other bags. If you get stuck and don’t know what to do next, do body-weight squats or jumping jacks until you figure it out. Don’t try to think so much! If you get stuck again, do push-ups. Be creative. Have fun!

Notes: Make sure you warm-up with brief joint mobility session prior to the workout.

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