Combination of Strength & Cardio Training for Martial Arts

Martial arts demands speed, strength and stamina combined. Regular practice can be a workout in and of itself. But added cardio and strength conditioning can help enhance your performance and complement your skills. The combination of extra conditioning with regular practice can help make you a well-rounded and solid martial artist.

  1. Interval Training

    • High intensity interval training pushes the threshold of your anaerobic capacity while improving your aerobic endurance. Martial arts uses both aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways. Anaerobic bursts of energy are needed for quick combinations in a sparring round. But aerobic conditioning is necessary to make it through three to five rounds of sparring, or to keep your energy going through a long and complex form, or kata. Interval training involves alternating between periods of activity at 85 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate followed by a recovery period. Start with just three or four repeated intervals of one minute of speed followed by two minutes of recovery. Gradually work your way up to more intervals and increase the amount of time you spend pushing maximally for speed.

    Lower Body

    • Regardless of which discipline you study, a grounded stance is a universal principle across all of them. A strong lower body allows you to bend at the knees to keep your center of gravity low. Squats and lunges effectively build strength in the large muscles of the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. Box jumps and low hurdles simultaneously build lower body strength while developing explosive power combined with speed and agility. Ladder drills for speed sharpen your footwork and coordination, and running on a bungee cord or with a resistance parachute develops explosive power in the legs. These types of plyometric and speed agility drills combine cardio conditioning with strength training all in one.

    Core

    • Your core is both your anchor and your engine in martial arts. A strong core works with a strong lower body to help you keep your balance. Your core also works as the powerhouse for all your punches and kicks. Activating your core and rotating from the hips is the start of a withering roundhouse kick. Hanging leg raises and reverse crunches on a balance ball develop core strength while training your muscles to work around an unstable environment. Planks and ab wheel roll-outs target the core by forcing you to remain stable against the extreme pull of gravity. Cable rotations and wood chops build a strong core while simultaneously emulating the torso rotation needed for strong kicks and punches.

    Upper Body

    • Your shoulders and back add snap to your punches. The deltoid muscles of your shoulders engage every time you lift your arm to deliver a straight punch or a hook and your back activates to draw your arm back in again. Your biceps add snap to your uppercuts and give your arms the strength to keep your guard up. Throwing punches holding a light dumbbell in each hand builds strength in these muscles and helps increase the speed of your delivery. Medicine ball chest passes increase the explosiveness of your arm extension. Pullups and chin-ups help build strength through the back and biceps while also activating the core.

    Considerations

    • Traditional strength training using dumbbells, weight bars and cables can effectively develop strength. However, bear in mind that developing bulk will only get in the way of your movements. Keep your weights lighter and work with eight to twelve repetitions for strength gains and repetitions of 15 or more for muscular endurance. Resistance training, plyometrics and speed drills are effective conditioning tools to enhance your skills, but there is no replacement for regular practice of your martial art for effectively applying your conditioning and improving your skills.