Monthly Archives: March 2010

How to Train for the Endurance of a Ninja

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As promised, here is an example strength endurance workout to start you on the way to building ninja-like endurance.

We will work the upper body, core, and lower body for a complete, whole body workout.

The goal of this type of training is to improve the body’s general endurance capacity so as to increase our overall resistance to fatigue.  This will enable you to train longer, harder, and more frequently, as well as improving your ability to recover between training sessions and between exercises.

Instructions

Move from one exercise to the next with no rest between exercises.  Determine rest periods at the end of each set on your own.  If no rest is required then move back to the first exercise and begin again.  Strive to perform as many sets as possible in 20 minutes.

Upper Body:

  • Pull-ups – SM (submax)
  • Shuto Push-ups – 20
  • Fist Push-ups – 20
  • Hindu Push-ups – 20

Shuto Push-up

  
 
 

Core: 

  • V-ups – 20
  • Knee Hugs – 20

For reference, these exercises are illustrated and described here.

Legs:

  • Ichimonji Squats – 25 each side
  • Walking Lunges– 20 per leg
  • Mountain Climbers – 50 per leg

Finisher:  

  • Wall Sit for time

This last exercise we will perform only once when the main work above is complete.  The idea here is to provide a final challenge to both the body and the mind.  You will already be exhausted from all the prior work, so consider this an exercise in willpower and mental toughness.  This will require the mental fortitude to push yourself just a little bit farther!

Remember, it requires more than a black costume and funny split-toe shoes to be a ninja – train hard!

 

 

 

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Blueberry Almond Joy Protein Shake

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Looking for a quick and easy meal that’s healthy too?  Try this delicious recipe for a shake full of protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants!

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 Scoop natural whey protein powder
  • 1 Scoop Greens Plus powder
  • 1  Tablespoon almond butter
  • 1 Tablespoon shredded coconut (no sugar added)
  • 1 Cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 Cup coconut milk or organic whole milk (depending on preference)

Put all the ingredients in a blender.  Mix it up and enjoy!

 

So Ya Wanna Be a Ninja?

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Masaaki Hatsumi, Grandmaster of the Bujinkan Dojo, once stated, “endurance is of primary importance for the ninja.”  One definition of endurance is the ability to resist fatigue.  Looking at the kanji (Chinese character) for Nin, there is the ideogram for “sword” over the ideogram for “heart” giving Nin a meaning of, “even though you hold a sword over my heart, I will endure.” 

How many of us training in the Bujinkan, or any other martial art, can truthfully claim that ability?  How long can you train?  How far can you push yourself?  In martial art, endurance, or the ability to “keep going” is defined in years, not minutes, hours, or days.  How can we create an effective training program that will instill in us the ability to continue, to endure?

Physical Endurance

Let’s begin by examining the concept of physical endurance.  There are 3 basic types of physical endurance:

  1. Aerobic endurance
  2. Anaerobic endurance
  3. Strength endurance

We discussed the body’s 3 energy systems and how using the Tabata Protocol can effectively improve both the aerobic and anaerobic systems here.  Strength endurance is defined as the ability to effectively maintain muscular functioning under work conditions of long duration.  There are two basic ways to increase the ability of your body to do more physical work.  One is the continuous adding of weights, sets, reps, and time to push the body to create an adaptation to allow it to perform more work for a longer duration.  As we discussed previously in the article on GPP, the body’s capacity is expanded.  Progress is incremental and continuous for as long as one is able to keep increasing driving forces in the body.  The next one, however, is often overlooked in our “just add more volume” culture.  More is always better, right?  If one vitamin is good for you, take 4, that’s even better (please don’t!).  But, there is another way to allow the body to continue training in addition (no pun intended) to adding more work.  By removing restrictions in your body, like unnecessary tension or extra body weight or lack of flexibility/mobility in a particular area, you then free up resources in your body that were spent holding that tension that you weren’t even aware of on a conscious level.  These restrictions, once removed, allow even greater leaps in performance than simply adding more work.  When the 2 are combined, it’s a powerful combination!

How Do We Program It?

By programming our workouts so that we effectively build in both the removal of restrictive forces, while also increasing driving forces, we can maximize our progress.  This idea is present in traditional methods of Hatha Yoga in the form of balancing strength and surrender.  Contrary to popular opinion, yogi’s do not simply work to become more flexible.  They actively work to increase both strength and flexibility as complimentary opposites in order to achieve a state of balance.  Now, I’m not asking you to become a yogi here, merely pointing out that this is not a new concept at all, but has been used by traditional arts for thousands of years.  Our program for developing ninja-like endurance will utilize both joint mobility exercises and yoga asana (poses), as well as breathing exercises, to aid in the removal of restrictive forces binding your training and slowing your progress.  Next week I will be putting out an article on breathing exercises that can be used for relaxation, stress management, removing residual tension, and also for increasing energy – keep your eyes out!

For an example of some easy yoga postures that can start helping you right now, head over to my good friend Josh Sager’s excellent blog, Fretterverse, and check out my article on Yoga for Guitarists.   A free sample joint mobility training program can be obtained simply by signing up for the Warrior Fitness Mailing List at the top right of the page.  Sign up now and begin working on removing restrictive forces today!

And, don’t forget to check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Artists for more exercises, options, explanations, and program design!

Stay tuned for a sampleStrength Endurance Workout coming soon!

What’s Tabata You?

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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 any of the Warrior Fitness Training Programs, you are already 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 Post-exercise 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
  • Sprawls
  • Renegade Rows
  • Sandbag Shouldering
  • Mountain climbers
  • Jumping

These are just a few examples of exercises that can be used with Tabata. Just make sure you don’t overly complicate it because you do have to be able to perform several reps within the 20 seconds!!

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!

To seriously amp up your conditioning, learning how to use various breathing techniques to restore yourself quicker, lower your heart rate, and increase the effectiveness of your conditioning sessions is a MUST!

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Top 5 Mistakes When Starting an Exercise Program

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In my experience there are several things that can contribute to failure in an exercise program, or any other goal for that matter.

In the past when I would fail to achieve a specific fitness goal or suffer a setback, minor or major, I’d chalk it up to fate and just try harder the next time.

As I grew older, and smarter, I began to see a pattern emerge.  These things didn’t just happen, there were particular sets of circumstances, most often at the outset of an exercise program, that combined to allow them to happen.

The list below comprises what I consider to be the top 5 mistakes.

You may have discovered others, and I would encourage you to share them in the Comments section below, but in my mind these are the most critical errors.  As Saint Thomas Aquinas rightly taught many times, “An error in the beginning is an error indeed.” 

An Error in the Beginning

1.  Too much too soon.

Everyone wants results NOW!  The problem here is that when talking about results, incremental progression reigns supreme.  Let’s face it, if you are trying to lose weight, for example, it took a long time, maybe years, to get to be over-weight.  Losing fat is not going to happen overnight, no matter what the TV ads tell you.  It took time to condition yourself to be out of shape, it will take time to re-condition your body to be in shape.  Be patient.  Focus on the process – you’ll get there!

2.  Lack of a training plan.

In my mind, it is essential to have some knowledge of how to program an exercise selection to correlate with the goals to be achieved.  Without this it’s pretty much hit or miss as to whether you achieve your goals, or even remain consistent.

3.  Lack of effective warm-up and cool-down strategies.

This goes hand-in-hand with lack of a training plan above.  DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, is a significant contributor to people actively deciding to not pursue their fitness program.  When joint mobility as a warm-up, and yoga postures, as a cool-down, are effectively combined with the exercise selection needed to be successful, they tend to reduce or eliminate DOMS.

4.  Nutrition that does not support the exercise program.

While the diet OR exercise approach has some merrits, it’s simply not enough.  Get your eating in line with your workouts, and in line with your goals.  Diet AND exercise is a powerhouse combination.

5.  Quitting.

Yes, this will really ruin an exercise program.  But seriously, how many people begin a regimen with the best intentions yet due to other life pressures, lack of motivation, lack of results, or lack of interest, fail to be consistent? What’s the best, most effective way to prevent quitting? Have a coach who will hold your feet to the fire!

Check out the elite Warrior Fitness Distance Coaching Program HERE!

How about you?  What things contribute to derailing you from the fitness track?  And, more importantly, how do you remain focused?  I’d love to hear from you!

Fitness Requirements for Bujinkan Martial Arts Training – part 2

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In part one of this series, here, we discussed why it makes sense for Bujinkan practitioners, and indeed all martial artists, to include a fitness regimen as part of their training.

We also reviewed the basics of General Physical Preparedness (GPP), and why it is necessary.

Today, I’d like to talk about some specific examples of GPP type exercises and how to incorporate them into an overall training plan for both martial arts and fitness.

If you are attending classes and training on your own outside of dojo (highly recommended by the way), then you probably already have a pretty full schedule.  Add in a full-time job, spouse and kids to the mix and any extra time you may have dwindles down fairly quickly.  What is required is a way to obtain the benefits of this supplementary training without consuming more time you just don’t have. 

Therefore, let’s make it easy and eliminate a few of the top time-consuming excuses right off the bat:

Time Saving Strategies

 

1.  No gym will be required.  Right here you save the time it takes to commute to and from the gym, waiting for equipment, and the general socializing chit-chat around the water cooler.

2.  Virtually no space required.  We can do these exercises anywhere from a park and backyard to a small apartment living room or hotel room.

3.  No (or minimal) equipment required.  We can begin training right now with only our bodyweight as resistance and obtain amazing results.  Adding in portable equipment like clubs, sandbags, kettlebells and dumbbells will also add to the results!

So, we have pretty much eliminated time constraints, space constraints, and financial constraints from the equation.  No more excuses!  Let’s get down to work!

Oh, did I forget to mention that this workout will be brief, but intense,  and help to build whole-body functional strength?  Another time management function brought to you by Warrior Fitness.  The only caveat I have is this – remember that GPP exercises are not sexy.  Yes, they will help you to look sexy, but the exercises themselves don’t get seriously cool until we move up to Specific Physical Preparedness and beyond.

Exercise One

Push-ups.  Do them on your fists to strengthen the structural alignment for striking.  We will be incorporating the Dynamic Effort Method here, which is basically lifting a non-maximal load (your bodyweight) as fast as possible.  Begin in the top portion of the push-up.  Descend in a slow, controlled manner.  At the bottom portion of the exercise, explode upwards as fast as possible.  Do 10-25 repetitions.  Rest 60 seconds, then move on to exercise two.

Exercise Two

Bodyweight Squats.  Do them in Jumonji no Kamae, as shown below.  Utilize the same protocol as above.  Descend in a slow, controlled manner.  At the bottom of the squat, explode back to standing.  Do 25 repetitions.  Rest for one minute, then move on to exercise three.

Exercise Three

Straight Leg Sit-up.  Lie flat on your back.  Exhale, contract the core, and begin to sit up slowly keeping your spine straight.  Inhale at the top of the movement.  Exhale again and slowly lie back down.  Perform 5 repetitions of the straight leg sit-up.  Rest for 60 seconds and return to exercise one.  Continue until you have completed 5 sets of all 3 exercises.

How Often?

This workout can be performed 3 times a week, depending on your schedule and your fitness needs.  If you are including conditioning work as well, for an example see the WarFit Combat Conditioning System then this strength based GPP workout should only be done twice a week.  Here is an example of what a weekly schedule may look like:

  

Monday
  • Joint mobility warm-up
  • GPP Workout
  • Class training
Tuesday
  • Joint mobility warm-up
  • Solo Training
Wednesday
Thursday
  • Joint mobility warm-up
  • Solo Training
Friday
  • Joint mobility warm-up
  • WarFit Conditioning Workout
  • Yoga for compensatory movement

 

This is just one option of how fitness and marital arts can be combined in a weekly schedule.  If you have the luxury of being able to do a conditioning workout after your martial arts class instead of on a separate day, you can save more time.  Or, try getting up earlier and doing the workouts in the morning so your evenings are free for family time or more budo.

Future articles in the series will look at Specific Physical Preparedness, as well as Activity (martial art) Specific Exercises for Bujinkan training.  Additionally, I will expand on GPP, showing new exercises, and how to increase the difficulty levels of the exercises discussed today.

To learn more about the Warrior Fitness training method, exercises, and programming options, check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts.

 

 

Makko-ho: Five Minutes Physical Fitness Book Review

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Special thanks to guest author, Tony Notarianni for another excellent contribution!

Recently I read a book called, Makko-ho: Five Minutes Physical Fitness, by Mr. Haruka Nagai.

Summary:

Makkō-Hō is a system which through regular practice can produce a huge range of benefits for just about anybody at any age.  This book gives a good clear breakdown of the four main exercises and also some detail on the science behind the purpose and results of the exercises.  Although not a complete guide to the system (which would be an impossible feat anyway) the material provides a great opportunity to begin study and try for yourself. 

So first of all what is it?  Makkō-Hō is a complete system of exercises for wellbeing created in Japan during the mid 1900’s by the father of the book’s author.  The main benefits of this system are: increased flexibility, symmetrical skeletal alignment, nerve stimulation, improved circulation, overall good health, and even increased libido.  The founder invented this system after having been paralyzed across half of his body and seriously ill after a stroke.  He was told that he would probably never work again and would need constant care for the rest of his life even though he was only 42.  Being a very independent character he was not ready to accept this future of boredom or to be a burden upon his family.  He obtained the idea of certain postures from Buddhist prayer positions which he maintained regularly.  Over time these prayer poses developed into four main exercises which are the core of Makkō-Hō today and at the same time he managed to heal himself dramatically.  In other words the system is on first glance extremely simple and capable of remarkable regeneration.  The exercises themselves are probably familiar to students of Yoga or Japanese martial arts.  In fact I have personally seen and practiced these exercises several times in the past in different settings.  However this book clearly demonstrates that in order to really get the full benefits the student needs to study very hard and if possible find a qualified teacher to help them have the correct form.  This book is in fact not just a list of exercises.

What is in the book? Chapter Breakdown

Two Kinds of Love: Overprotection and Discipline

The introductory chapter highlights all that is wrong with many aspects of society, such as our lack of willingness to experience hardship for the sake of long term benefit.  Essentially this early truth sets up the reader for the arduous nature of what will be required later.

Lack of Use Leads to Aging and Functional Failure

In this section Mr. Nagai describes much that most of us should now know. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that this was written in 1972 describing trends of modern living and predictions that have since born out.

God Planned the Human Body as a Delicately Balanced Machine

For me this was quite an important section of the book.  Looking at the body as a whole system with constantly regenerating living cells creates a perspective that helps the reader to get an understanding of how Makkō-Hō actually works.
Maintaining Good Circulation

At this point the book introduces some basic concepts about the major role of healthy circulation and nerve tissue in the body.  Using common analogies these concepts are clearly presented to generate recognition of the importance of these systems.

The joints: Inspecting and correcting
In reading this area I had an epiphany of study.  Quite bluntly Mr. Nagai points out that if you can’t demonstrate full hip flexibility then you are, in a sense, out of shape.  I had to re-read this several times while I internally argued that only a small percentage of the population can do these stretches however I soon had to concede that going by averages in fitness is not going to get us all very far.

Structure of the pelvic zone and the hips
This section through diagrams gives some rudimentary understanding of the lower body.  It seems that a key component of Makkō-Hō is the importance of maintaining a healthy, aligned and supple structure in this area.

Makkō-Hō Exercises

 
This section includes the 4 main exercises of Makkō-Hō.  There are photographs and diagrams demonstrating both correct and incorrect form.  The information is extremely clear and well written.  It left me with little doubt as to the intended objective however I did find the exercises very hard to perform even with the constant encouragement that repetition would work eventually.

Some Rules for Practicing Makkō-Hō Exercises

Here the author again covers the strict nature of doing the Makkō-Hō correctly, but also provides some guidelines on how and when to practice.  The basic rule of course being “Keep doing it right, and keep doing it daily”.

Effects of Makkō-Hō Exercises

The effects range from physical to psychological benefits.  Obviously when dealing with exercises that improve stability, flexibility and circulation the noticeable changes will be small but accumulative.  They will also benefit in a wide range of situations.

What is Missing?

For some of us even the beginning postures may be very difficult to get into.  You may have bad form before you even begin to perform the movement in which case the exercise may seem impossible.  Mr Nagai does give us some clues about using cushions in some of the exercises but unless you have some confidence and imagination you may get stuck.  There are other books I have seen in Japanese that show progressions for all of the exercises and it is a shame that these are not included in this English book.  Also, although essential, I think these exercises need to be supplemented with other activities.  Five minutes a day may not make you ‘fit’ but they certainly can give you a solid base of fitness.

Real Makkō-Hō?

As with all systems it is easy to get fooled by those who do not have the required qualification to teach.  This book is from the son of the founder of the system and quite legit.  If you do pursue a study of Makkō-Hō then be sure of where you get your knowledge from.  The Makkō-Hō headquarters website is here (Japanese only so use Google translator at your peril).

In the US there are two qualified instructors listed there.

Overseas
New York 多田　千恵子 Tada Tieko   212-980-0088  
Chicago 堀川　智子 Horikawa Tomoko  312-545-8221  

 

I have personally met and had a lot of great advice (plus encouragement) from Tomoko Horikawa.  She has a website that canbe found here, and is extremely knowledgeable.

Hopefully this relatively unknown art will spread more globally in the coming years.

About the Author

Tony Notarianni has been training in martial arts since the age of 12.  Up to this point, although quite active, he had very little interest in sports and fitness but that all changed over the coming years.  He started studying Sport as a subject at school and finally graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 1998.  Although not a typical sportsman and not a great fan of any one sport, Tony was always keen to try new activities and considers the world to be literally full of physical experiences to explore.  Before graduation he was working at a sports complex where he was a lifeguard and could join and observe many different forms of exercise.  He also taught circuit classes and was a qualified personal fitness instructor.  After graduation he chased the dollar and ended up working in Software Development.  Although becoming more sedentary he still has a deep rooted interest in improving himself physically and developing his knowledge.

Fitness Requirements for Bujinkan Martial Arts Training

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As a 25 year veteran of Bujinkan martial arts training, as well as being the creator of Warrior Fitness Training Systems, one of the things I pride myself on is my ability to access the fitness needs of my fellow martial artists, particularly those who train in the Bujinkan.

A common misconception that you’ll hear bandied about from dojo to dojo all across the world is that strength, and by association overall, general fitness, is not required.

I think this has to do with a fundamental misunderstanding of how we train.  In class, when practicing techniques, it is imperative to be as efficient in one’s movement as possible, and thus avoid using excess, unnecessary power (read – strength).

In order to isolate the study of distance, timing, angling, and space management, one must put strength on the back burner in the dojo to avoid powering through the movements and missing all the wonderful subtleties that taijutsu has to offer.

However, in an actual conflict, you can and in fact, you must, use all your power, including strength, to survive.  As Jack Hoban said in his interview here, “real fights are very physical – tiring and punishing”.  Anyone who thinks physical fitness isn’t required in the traditional martial arts is really just kidding themselves.

Bujinkan Practitioners and Fitness

Why do Bujinkan practitioners need fitness training?

“Optimal physical conditioning provides the platform from which the skills can be used.”  

– Fred Hatfield, aka Dr. Squat

Meaning that the specific physical skills of taijutsu MUST be built upon a solid foundation of basics, like sanshin no kata and kihon happo, and even more fundamental, a strong budo-body.  Without this platform in place your martial art skills are like a house built on sand.

From my book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts:

 “Since combat occurs in a volatile and unpredictable atmosphere, training must prepare the warrior to adapt. Remember that the goal of all the exercises in this manual is to develop the ability to control the degree of tension in our body and be able to utilize just the right amount of force at the appropriate moment. This way we may be able to sustain activity for longer and longer periods of time without exhausting ourselves.”
 

The first step in ensuring you are building skill on top of a solid foundation is General Physical Preparedness (GPP).  The goal of GPP is enhanced work capacity.  This is the ability to run faster, jump higher, and hit harder.

When work capacity increases, it allows the budding warrior to adapt more easily to increases in both mental and physical demands.  In other words, it increases your capacity and level of readiness to absorb higher levels of specificity.  In a martial art as seemingly limitless as Budo Taijutsu, one must possess the endurance to “keep going!”

In Part 2 of this series on fitness for Bujinkan practioners, we’ll look at some examples of GPP type exercises and how to incorporate them into an overall training program.

  • Looking to increase your level of readiness for martial arts training and fitness?

 

Want to train more, at a higher level, for a longer period of time?

 

Want to get more out of your training time both at home and in the dojo?

 

Want to build new skills and enhance your technical arsenal?

My brand new program, The Power Protocol, will show you how!

Warrior Fitness Recommended Equipment

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A question I often receive through email (which, by the way is great, please keep them coming!) is whether or not Warrior Fitness is strictly a bodyweight training system.  In short, no it’s not, but let me expand on that.  Bodyweight training is an outstanding way to exercise.  It requires absolutely no equipment, no gym membership, a small amount of space, and can be done virtually anywhere.  It works equally well for the business traveler, the stay at home parent, or the vacationer.  In my opinion bodyweight training should be the foundation of your fitness program, especially if you are just starting out.  My rationale behind this is a simple one: if you cannot master your own bodyweight first, you really have no business adding weight.  Now, obviously there are exceptions to this rule.  For example, if you are being treated by a Physical Therapist and they recommend a weighted exercise to help your condition, then you must follow their advice.  Additionally, I said it should be the foundation of your program, but that doesn’t mean equipment cannot be added for variety, to increase the combined exercises effectiveness, or to shore up a particular strength or mobility deficit. 

With that out of the way, here is a short list of the equipment I do use for myself and with my clients and highly recommend.

The Equipment List

 

1.  Sandbags – Cheap and easy to make yourself.  Great for taking strength and conditioning outside the box.  Want to make one?  Get an army duffle bag, two 50 lb bags of sand from your local Home Dept, a box of gallon freezer bags, and some duct tape.  Fill the freezer bags with sand.  Double bag them, then duct tape them to make sure they are secure.  Place the duct-taped, sand filled freezer bags inside the duffel bag (make heavier or lighter depending on your preference), zip up the bag, secure it, and you’re good to go!

2.  Kettlebells – I got my first kettlebell from Dragondoor back in 2002 when they were the only supplier outside of Russia.  Nowadays kettlebells have gone mainstream and can be found at your local Walmart (along with pretty much anything and everything else!).

3.  Dumbbells – The cheaper kettlebell alternative, just not as cool looking.

4. Clubbells – These are excellent for targeting angular and rotational strength, as well as sport or activity-specific performance enhancement.  They are currently only available through RMAX.

5.  Resistance Bands – Can be obtained from Elite Fitness Systems here. 

6.  Pull-up Bar – I made my own in the basement from a couple pieces of wood, some rope, and a metal bar, but there are also portable pull-up bars you can buy for under $40.  Here’s an example: EZ Chin Up Bar – Portable, Powerful, Personal and Effective Exercise Machine.  The other option is to train outside and use a sturdy tree branch.  This is an excellent alternative when the weather turns warmer!

7. Medicine Balls – Can be found at Sports Authority,  or most other sporting good stores, for about $30.

8.  Sledge Hammer and Tire–  Hitting a tire with a sledge hammer is not only an incredible conditioning exercise, it’s also really fun and great stress relief!  Make sure you do this outside though!  Pick up a sledge hammer from your local Home Depot or Lowes.  I got mine for about $25.  Tires are usually free.  Stop by any Tire and Auto shop and ask them for a used tire.  Since they are disposing of them anyway, they are more than happy to allow you to take one.   

As you can see, each piece of equipment is portable, able to cover a wide array of exercises and levels of ability, and, with the exception of clubbells and kettlebells, are all inexpensive to make or buy.  Which one is best?  All of them and none of them, depending on the specific goals you set for your health and fitness.  They are all tools in the Warrior’s arsenal to be used as needed.  Stay tuned for more information as to how the Warrior Fitness Training System utilizes all of the above fitness equipment!