Hey guys. Have a situation on my hands. One of my bosses at work studies martial arts … has a belt qualifying event in about 2 weeks. Came to me (since I am a big guy who’s “into working out”) and asks me for some advice. He works out already, not very educated or well planned routines though (basically like every routine your average joe does). I know nothing about martial arts, the movements involved, or training that can optimize performance in this category.
He says that he wants a routine that can give him the most “bang for his buck” since he doesn’t have a lot of time. I figure that it is like any other sport and multi-joint, explosive movements would be the way to go. Any martial arts guys out there? Do you know any performance specific exercises … or any routines that you found to help you? Thanks for any help.
I am probably going to get crap for this, but I think Pavel’s PTP routine is great for martial artist whom wnat to getstronger but remain in the same weight class. Deadlift and sidepress work great.
Another alternative is pushups, pullups and then either DB swings or snatches.
If he has a fight soon the second would be the better choice. Afterwhich he could swithc between the two every three weeks or so.
I?m going to assume that your boss is asking this to primarily assist with his test. If this is the case, he will not be able to develop an appreciable amount of strength in 2 weeks to help. Don?t panic, most MA tests I?ve experienced or seen (JKD/MT, BJJ, TKD and judo) are based around multiple rounds of sparring/grappling, repetitive demonstrations of technique (i.e. pad or bag work) and forms/katas. These tests last anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on level and style. Given this basis set and the time frame (2 weeks), the biggest bang for the buck would focus on training the appropriate energy systems, improving muscular endurance and of course working on his testing material.
I suggest looking at running intervals, HIIT or fartleks. He should also be incorporating intense heavy bag sessions if he studies a striking style (Bas Rutten?s workout tapes are great for this). If he?s already lifting, maybe Tabata?s. A high rep body weight routine would be excellent as well.
In evaluations, my instructors not only look for correct execution of a specific technique but how well (good form) are you throwing after a few rounds or drills and are you still able to keep your guard up towards the end of the test. A classmate of mine described our MT test as a “marathon of sprints”.
If he wants to develop a sane plan to incorporate with his training I would say regular squats would be the number one exercise.
If he wants to get in better shape for his test I would say calisthenic type stuff mixed with martial arts (burpees and kicks, squat-presses and punches, jump kicks and power cleans), tests totally range depending on the school but more endurance will probably help. If it’s hard, my experience is that most people won’t do it, so this advice is probably going nowhere.
Thanks guys. I have been searching around for some info in this type of training and find out that it is a highly debated topic. HIIT has come up a lot, though. Thanks again.
As a martial artist, I can tell you that 2 weeks of training will not give him any advantage before his test. It is unrealistic for him to believe that anything you tell him would help for that test. It takes time for these things to kick in.
The only thing he could probably do for now is to work on his energy system for the long rounds that he will need to do for his test and make sure that he gets plenty of rest and a solid nutrition program prior to the test. These are things he should be doing long before 2 weeks out but they might help him now. After he is done, he needs to work on his long term goals. Integrating multi-joint explosive movements, basic heavy multi-joint movements and continuous improvement on his energy system would be the way to go.
