Tag Archives: workout of the week

Ninja Endurance – Part II

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In part one of Ninja Endurance called,  How to Train for the Endurance of a Ninja, we discussed strength endurance and I provided a sample workout to help you build yours.  Here in part 2, I ‘d like to delve a little deeper into the whys of endurance training and how specifically high intensity interval training is an excellent choice for it.

What is Endurance?

Endurance is defined as being able to keep going without fatigue setting in, or being able to push oneself through fatigue.  Essentially, it is the ability to resist or bear fatigue.  What is fatigue?  Fatigue is weariness or exhaustion from exertion, or the temporary loss of power to respond.  An equally critical corollary to the definition of endurance, especially for the warrior,  is that your level of endurance also determines how quickly you are able to recover between bouts of activity.  Combat, like life, does not happen at one constant rate of speed.  It is multi-faceted in nature.  There will be periods of brutally intense activity followed by lulls in the action, again followed by another flurry of activity.  Being able to use those lulls in action to recover is a critical ability for the warrior.

Steady state cardio, Long Slow Distance (LSD) training simply will not cut it.  Running on a treadmill may be appropriate for a hamster in a cage, but human beings require more.  Long distance running can be beneficial for mental toughness and/or active recovery, but it should not be the primary focus of a warrior’s endurance training.  So then how should we train to maximize our ability to endure?

Warriors Need to HIIT!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to train for endurance.  It will enhance all 3 energy systems in the body (2 anaerobic and 1 aerobic – see here for an overview), as well as prime the nervous system to recover automatically during lulls in activity.  Simply put, HIIT alternates periods of high intensity exercise with periods of rest and recovery.  It can be performed with almost any exercise and can be utilized both with and without equipment.  The variety and adaptability of this style of training is second to none in results.

How else does improving your endurance through this type of conditioning aid your martial arts training?  I’m glad you asked!  If the benefits discussed above weren’t enough, consider that having a high level of conditioning also aids in learning new skills.  How’s that possible?  To put it simply, when the central nervous system (CNS) is fatigued, the body cannot effectively process new skills, especially technically advanced skills.  So, in essence your lack of a general level of fitness and conditioning will actually impede your learning process as you will tire more readily and not have the ability to recover quickly enough during training.  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?  Get yourself in shape!

There are several sample conditioning workouts here on the Warrior Fitness site.  Here are a few examples:

Workout of the Week #1

 

Workout of the Week #5

 

Stay tuned for more Warrior Fitness style conditioing workouts to help you get and stay in fighting shape!

Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #5

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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.

 

Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #3

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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!

 

 

Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #2

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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!

Warrior Fitness Workout of the Week #1

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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.