Warrior Fitness » Warrior Fitness Book

Imagine You With Less Pain

Jon — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:53:28 +0000

Many trainers and coaches tend to look at the current rage of joint mobility protocols as recent innovations in sports science and training. Everyone is talking about mobility for health, mobility for prehab or injury prevention, mobility for warm-ups, mobility for fending off the ravages of aging. Everyone is talking about the benefits of increased range of motion for sport performance and martial art training enhancement. And, just to be perfectly clear, this is a good thing. They are all correct. Mobility training is the rage for a reason.

However, as with many “new” types of training methods, mobility work is an ancient idea come full circle.

Hua Tuo (2nd century AD) was one of the patriarchs of Chinese Medicine and also the creator of the famous qigong set, The Five Animal Frolics. The Five Animal Frolics model movements from the crane, bear, monkey, tiger, and deer. Each animal emphasizes different health benefits and you can choose a specific animal for specific results. The movements form arcs, spirals, waves and spins, in order to accommodate all ranges of motion for the body.

Hua Tuo is famous for many sayings that have been passed down through the generations, but one of my favorite quotes from him is this one:

“Just as a door hinge will not rust if it is used, so the body will attain health by gently moving and exercising all of the limbs.”

Now what does that sound like? Health by moving and exercising all the limbs… hmm… reminds me of a certain new exercise protocol called joint mobility. And this quote from Hua Tuo is just one example. There are many more within Chinese Medicine as well as Indian Yoga that all point to the same idea – mobility is essential for health. Or, more crudely but succinctly put, move it or lose it.

Benefits of Mobility Training

Let’s list out some of the benefits of mobility training:

Lubricates joints and allows them to receive nutrition through synovial fluid
Aids in removal of toxins
Reduces joint pain and inflammation
Increases range of motion (flexibility in motion)
Increases energy by reducing unconsciously held tension
Prehab for injury prevention
Mobility is foundation of all sport, athletic, and martial movement
Decreased mobility leads to increased pain and stiffness

How Do We Do It?

Do you really need to learn an ancient qigong set and imitate 5 different animals to get all the benefits of mobility training though? Well, no. What if I told you it’s possible to get all the same benefits with just one short mobility routine that moves each joint in the body through all ranges of motion from head to toe in just 10 to 15 minutes a day?

Want to know more? Sign up for the Warrior Fitness Mailing List on the right side of the screen. You will receive a free copy of my mobility program. Want to learn more protocols and strategies for increasing your health, fitness, and conditioning as a martial artist? Check out my book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts. Or, if you are within driving distance of New Jersey, come on down and join us at Warrior Fitness Gym in Hainesport, NJ!

Why I Hate Working Out

Jon — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:57:06 +0000

It may sound strange coming from a guy who runs a fitness blog and owns a gym, but I actually hate working out. Is this some sort of blasphemy against the almighty deity of fitness? Is it hypocrisy? Do as I say, but not as I do? Nope. Not even close.

I hate working out because I believe it serves no purpose. Yup. You read that correctly. The man who spends most of his life studying, training, and teaching various forms of physical culture from around the world just said working out is a waste of time. Oh dear. What’s next? Twinkies for breakfast are the latest diet craze? Hardly.

Okay. Enough of the build up. What’s really going on here?

Let me explain because I’m sure by now I’ve got some splainin’ to do.

In my philosophy of Warrior Fitness Training, I use the terms Working Out and Training is specific ways. I do not consider them synonymous at all. And since how well we define terms determines their usefulness to us, allow me to define them.

Working Out, in Warrior Fitness vernacular, refers to exercise for exercise sake. No point. No goal. No destination. No training effect. A pointless run on a hamster wheel to nowhere done out of some misguided and nameless need to “have to” rather than a desire to “want to”.

Training, on the other hand, has a specific purpose. It is a process. It is transformative. The goal of training is to inculcate a specific attribute, characteristic, skill, or set of attributes and skills to the one being trained. It is not a disjointed collection of exercises thrown together without a destination for the sake of working out. Since our muscles adapt specifically to movements and our bodies don’t really know generalized adaptation, then fitness must have a purpose.

What is the purpose of your fitness?

What are you fit for?

To Stretch or Not to Stretch

To Stretch or Not to Stretch

Jon — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:44:30 +0000

When it comes to the question of stretching, there are opinions all across the spectrum. Some experts contend that you should never stretch at all since it deforms the tissues, destabilizes the joints, and makes the body more prone to injury. Then, on the completely opposite side of the scale, is the other camp which swears that stretching is an absolute must prior to any activity (up to and possibly including sex) as it is a way to warm-up the muscles to prevent injury.

So, who is right?

Well, for me, the question really isn’t whether to stretch or not to stretch, but rather when to stretch and how to stretch.

When to Stretch

First let’s cover the question of when to stretch. This is easy. Never stretch before exercise. The anti-stretching pundits are right on here. Numerous studies have shown that stretching prior to exercise makes the body more susceptible to injury. Do dynamic mobility drills instead. Before your workout, concentrate on dynamic movements that prep your muscles for the exercises to come. It increases blood flow, jacks up your nervous system and lubricates your joints. Good stuff!

Save the stretching for after your workout. Here is where it’s beneficial. Post workout stretching helps to remove residual muscle tension leftover from your exercise and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

What’s the Best Type of Stretching?

When most people think of stretching, they think of static stretching. This involves holding a stretch for long periods of time to lengthen the tissues. This is actually the worst kind of stretching you can do.

Static stretching, or passive stretching, elongates the tissues by deforming them. Herein lies the problem. Anytime you voluntarily deform your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, you are reducing their natural elasticity. If you stretch a rubber band and let it go, it quickly snaps back to its original shape due to the elasticity inherent in the material. However, if you tack it down, stretch it to its limit and hold it there, it gradually loses that “natural” elasticity. You deform it. This is what you are doing to your muscles during a static stretch. This has the effect of weakening the entire structure and increasing the opportunity for injury.

Can you do this type of stretching and not injure yourself? Sure. But, I believe there are other ways that strengthen, as well as stretch muscles, that are more efficient and healthier. One of the best methods is yoga asana. They are a balance strength and surrender. For example, in a forward bend, you are not trying to “stretch” the hamstrings, but rather tense the quads to “release” the hamstrings – reciprocal inhibition. The muscles are already flexible enough, its tension that holds them in place. Relax the residual tension and suddenly you are more flexible.

Remember though that flexibility is a measure of range of motion in one specific direction. This does nothing for us in real life, it’s just a measure. Mobility is movement into the extreme range of motion of each joint through voluntary muscle control.

Static stretching pushes the muscle beyond what it’s able to do because you’re forcing it to lengthen until it changes shape and stays longer. This compromises the elasticity our muscles have, and need, in order to protect themselves. In order to increase our range of motion, it’s better to focus on regulating the tension in our muscles through mobility, breathing, and reciprocal inhibition where flexion of one muscle causes the release of its twin. Not by deforming our tissues causing micro-trauma which may catch up to us later in life.

To learn more about dynamic mobility drills and post workout stretching, see Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts. Or, if you are located in the New Jersey area, come check out Warrior Fitness Gym in Hainesport, NJ!

With It or On It

Jon — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:32:24 +0000

The ancient Spartan maxim, “with it or on it” is a very stark reminder that we must be fully committed to whatever battle we are waging. The full meaning of this phrase that Spartan mothers used to say to their sons before heading off to war is, to either come back with your shield – as a returning hero – or come back upon it.

There is no middle ground.

No room for wavering or debating.

No having your cake and eating it too.

When moving towards a goal, there must be no hesitation in your actions.

In the Bujinkan martial arts that I study, there is a similar saying, “Hell gapes beneath the upraised sword, step in to heaven.” This may seem like crazy advice, after all who in their right mind would step forward when faced with an opponent armed with a 3 foot razor blade?! But in training, through experience, one comes to understand and realize that the safest place when facing an upraised sword, paradoxically, is to move forward and step closer, thus finding “heaven”.

Again and again throughout warrior cultures, from ancient Greeks to Japanese Ninja and Samurai, we see this idea of complete and utter commitment, 100% determination in moving forwards towards our goals, no matter what they are.

So how about you? How committed are you? How much do you talk about taking action rather than actually taking action? Do you step forward into heaven and achieve your goals when confronted with difficulty and adversity? Do you walk the razor’s edge in life, or just in your mind?

It’s time to step forward. Take action. With it or on it.

Click HERE to take action on your health and fitness goals today!

What Does a Ninja Need?

Jon — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:10:29 +0000

Historically, ninja were the consummate combination of super spy / super soldier. They possessed outstanding levels of fitness due to their intensely physical training and highly demanding mission requirements. Their levels of fitness and training have been the subject of many stories and the genesis for many myths surrounding them. How did they do it? How did they train? What type of methodology did they employ since creating this kind of warrior certainly required a very diverse fitness profile?

Ninja fitness needs were much more multi-faceted than most physical pursuits. They had to be as they were at once a combination of Olympic decathlete, Navy Seal, and martial arts master rolled into one. Let’s examine this a little more closely though, what kind of qualities did they possess and what did they need to be able to do?

Ninja Must Possess …

Strength
Agility
Coordination
Excellent balance
Flexibility / Mobility
Whole body power
Endurance

Ninja Must Be Able to….

Move silently
Run fast
Walk far
Leap high
Climb trees, walls, castles fortifications, etc.
Wield weapons
Fight unarmed – striking, kicking, grappling, locking, choking, etc.
Roll / fall / dodge / avoid
Crawl
And more…

As you can see from the 2 lists above, the ninja had a wide range of skills and abilities that had to be supported by a comprehensive fitness program keeping him at the top of his game. Remember that for a ninja, fitness wasn’t just a nice to have; it was an absolute necessity to accomplishing his mission and getting him home safely. And the kicker is, they did it all with little to no fitness equipment. Certainly a 16^th century ninja did not possess a Gold’s Gym membership. Nor did he own an Olympic weight set or have a stair master at his disposal. And, while kettlebells and dumbbells would have been great, he most likely had never laid eyes on either one. So here we have one of the most highly trained and fit agents the world has ever seen created without the use of modern training equipment or modern training methods. What might some of this training looked like? I’m glad you asked. One of my favorite scenes in Hatsumi Sensei’s early Bujinkan training videos (DVDs now for you younger folks!) comes from Shinden Fudo Ryu. Here’s a short clip I found on Youtube. This stuff is seriously old school!

“One trains using the things of nature to make the body strong” – Hatsumi Sensei

What if we were to take the spirit of historical ninja fitness training and combine it with a little modern sports science and know how? Modern methods allow us to take advantage of periodization, or programing and organizing training, to create a comprehensive fitness plan which will apply logical sequences to get the most out of each session. Protocols like HIIT, high intensity interval training, will be utilized to maximize both aerobic and anaerobic endurance in the same short, high intensity session. Advances in recovery work from such sessions will allow us to recover faster thus making gains greater, and increasing our overall general physical preparation (GPP) will allow us to push higher into more sophisticated training. Effectiveness and efficiency will be combined in order to allow for shorter training sessions which maximize the use of one’s time. As the ancient ninja did, we will create a strong, supple, highly conditioned warrior and accomplish this with little to no fitness equipment. We will, as Hatsumi Sensei says in the video clip above, use the things of nature to make the body strong.

If I were able to point to just one resource for the warrior that combines old school training with modern sports science, I’d look here at the book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts.

However, keep your eye on Warrior Fitness because what we have coming out in the next few months will blow your mind!

Tools of the Trade

Jon — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:37:36 +0000

Every warrior requires certain tools to assist them in honing their craft. Each tool is utilized in a specific manner to create a specific outcome. In the upcoming Warrior Fitness Guide to Striking Power, we will use several different tools to accomplish the task of super-charging your striking effectiveness.

The Warrior Fitness Guide to Striking Power will utilize a 4-pronged based assault to increasing striking power, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Sledge Hammer
Medicine Ball
Resistance Bands
Bodyweight Exercises and isometrics

Get ready to change everything you think you know about training your striking ability!

The Top 7.5 Reasons Warrior Fitness is for You

Jon — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:47:17 +0000

Since Top 10 lists have been so overused of late, especially in the internet blog area, here are 7 and a 1/2 reasons why the Warrior Fitness program is for you.

1. No gym memberships required! Still paying for a gym membership you don’t use, or not getting the results you want from your gym? Start thinking outside the gym with Warrior Fitness!

2. Low-tech fitness solutions. Don’t have the budget for expensive training equipment? Warrior Fitness offers a complete body-weight workout for strength and conditioning.

3. Quality workouts that work around your schedule. It doesn’t take hours in a gym to achieve the results you’re looking for. Our program encourages quality over quantity. Got 15 minutes? Then you have time for a workout.

4. Lose fat, gain lean muscle. Our workouts are short, but intense to encourage lean muscle growth while stimulating fat loss. No more boring hours of mindless cardio!

5. Sample workouts and programing guidance. Do some fitness training manuals you’ve purchased in the past leave you wondering how to put it all together or how to fit into your schedule? Warrior Fitness provides sample workouts you can follow or use as templates to create your own.

6. Ongoing support and new ideas. Got questions? Send us an email. Post a question in the comments section. We’re here to make sure you are successful!

7. Fully integratable with your martial arts training. Ever wonder which fitness programs make sense to use within the context of your martial arts training? Ever feel like you may be hindering your progress by the type of workouts you’re doing instead of enhancing it? Since the program is designed by a martial artist with 30 years of experience and a fitness training background, Warrior Fitness provides a clear path to integrating your fitness and martial arts.

7.5 Comprehensive! Warrior Fitness covers not only strength and conditioning drills, but joint mobility, flexibility, breathing exercises, workout recovery, and more!

Warrior Fitness Book FAQs

Jon — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:06:50 +0000

1. Are the Warrior Fitness workouts applicable to beginners?

Absolutely! The workouts in the Warrior Fitness program are completely scalable based on your level of fitness. Each exercise is explained step-by-step.

2. Is nutrition covered in the book?

Nutrition is an important aspect of a complete, healthy lifestyle, but is not discussed in the Warrior Fitness book. My own personal ideas about nutrition can be summed up fairly simply though. Eat lean proteins, lots of fruit and vegetables, and some complex carbohydrates. Eliminate or reduce white sugar, white rice, and white flour from your diet. Drink plenty of clean water and green tea.

3. Does the Warrior Fitness program teach Amatsu medicine , a traditional system of Japanese Natural Medicine taught by Hatsumi Soke?

No. I have not been taught any Amatsu medicine within the context of my Bujinkan training.

4. Is this program just Junan Taiso (basic stretching exercises used as warm-ups for martial arts practice)?

No. The Warrior Fitness book provides a comprehensive program consisting of joint mobility, flexibility, strength, conditioning, breath work, and recovery. Much more than simply junan taiso exercises.

5. Do I have to workout every day?

You do not need to do a full workout, but I highly recommend doing some movement everyday! Joint mobility work, combined with breathing exercises can take as little as 15 to 20 minutes in the morning. It’s a great way to start your day!

6. How much time do the Warrior Fitness strength and conditioning workouts require?

The workouts contained in the Warrior Fitness book are designed to be fast and effective. You can achieve a quality workout in 15 minutes, if you are short on time. Longer workouts can also be programmed, depending on how much time is available.

7. Do I need a gym membership for this program to work?

Definitely not! Warrior Fitness workouts are designed to be done anywhere with little to no equipment necessary.

8. How do I fit in working out and the skill training for my martial art?

Excellent question. This is where scheduling and time management skills come in handy. Time will not simply appear out of thin air. You must make time. However, the most important advice I can give on this topic is that if you do not have time for both skill work (martial art training) and conditioning, skill work must take the priority! You are training to be a martial artist after all.

9. Is this book applicable only for those training in the martial arts?

No. This book is certainly not just for people in the martial arts. The exercises and ideas contained within are applicable to anyone of any range of fitness and ability. Pick up a copy today and see for yourself!

Please feel free to email me here with any additional thoughts or questions concerning the book.