[makdaddy03]

What do you guys and gals do for strength training? Im interested
in hearing strength training for grapplers and knife fighting techniques. Any info? Also any ideas for the "on the go person"?

[JShirley]

I believe that weight training in moderation is important. You need to keep your speed as well as strength, so interval training is good. For fighting, you have to be sure to cultivate both fast twitch (burst speed) and slow twitch (endurance). One excellent way to do this is to go on a long, slow run with occasional sprints tossed in. (With a training group, do a "last man up" drill; run at a steady pace, with the last man in the group sprinting to the front. Keep a steady pace for a minute or so, then the next man sprints to the fore.)

Good luck!

John

[Bonker]

In a nutshell, this is what I teach my students...

Read a website, get a book, or hire a trainer that can teach you "Periodization."

Periodization is how the Communist Block athletes used to get so strong compared to us.
It's how today's best athletes train.

You'll see the most results in the least time.

If you don't have a lot of time then do excersizes that work the most muscles at ones such as Squates, bench press, rowing, dips (my favorite), etc...

Don't over-train.

Get in plenty of cardio.

Eat healthy. Avoid health store voodoo supplements.

[kannonfyre]

*deleted*

[kannonfyre]

..when in the gym, I do 30 - 45 mins of cardio on the skiing machine/threadmill.

Bench press in sequence 15 reps of 125lbs
12 reps of 145lbs
10 reps of 165lbs
10 reps of 125lbs

Lateral pull down in sequence 15 reps of 107.8lbs
12 reps of 138.6lbs
10 reps of 154lbs
10 reps of 107.8lbs

about 100 crunches

and 30 reps of dumbell curls with 22lb dumbells.

I'm not sure of this actually makes me a better knife user but then again, it's my $0.02 worth that speed, agility, reflexes are more crucial in a knife altercation than strength. Afterall, it only takes a few ounces of pressure for a knife to inflict a wound.

[Don Gwinn]

Lately I've been doing what some people call "Dinosaur training." This is the concept of using irregular, heavy, everyday objects to do large compound lifts with the goal of developing functional strength. It is believed, and I believe it from my experience, that some people develop strength only in narrow "grooves" when they train with traditional weights and lifts. The irregular objects force the use of lots of support muscles, work the grip, and force the lifter to use his limbs at different angles at different times. No smooth, more-or-less straight groove is allowed to develop.

This has the added advantage of being cheap if you're fairly resourceful, and fairly simple. Of course, it's a bit more dangerous than barbells or dumbells are, because your grip is critical. It's easy to injure yourself, and it's not something you should try with really heavy objects before you're pretty confident in your ability (but then, you could say the same thing for all the power and Olympic lifts.) And there are a lot of small scrapes and bruises involved.

Right now I have my rock, my big log, and my smaller log. I don't know what they weigh. I lift the big log and the rock to shoulder height. I press the smaller log overhead and do a bent over row with it, and I do front squats with the bigger log. When I get strong enough to press the big log and the rock over head, I'll make charcoal out of the smaller log and start looking for a bigger rock. ;) I create progression by the number of repetitions. This is not that different from the high-rep "super-squat" programs advocated by the guys at Ironmind.

Do a quick search on Brooks Kubik and Dinosaur training if you're interested. Sacks of flour or sand are also good, as are metal drums.

[Drjones]

Me lift big rocks.


:D

:neener:

Seriously, to touch on what Don said; he is right. I have heard that George Foreman didn't lift weights; instead he would dig holes/ditches and then fill them back up, chop wood, and do all manner of HARD physical labor.

Don is also right that it is very possible to get a very narrow development with weightlifting, which is why you should use free weights and get professional advice if you don't know what you are doing.

That said, I started taking some supplements I had lying around, and I lift hard. I'm trying to gain weight, but I've got the metabolism of a gerbil in heat on a treadmill. :(

[Bruz]

For grappling and being able to hold onto the knife you need good hand and wrist strength...the best exercise is to get about 12 inches of wood (like the end of a broom handle), tie 3-4 feet of string or rope on the handle, and some light weight (dumbbell, rock) tied to the other end.

Standing up with your arms straight out, thumbs touching, roll the rope around the handle by twisting your wrist back and forth till the weight is all the way up. Then, slowly twist your wrists and lower the weight back down. Sounds easy huh...do a few reps of that with the other exercises mentioned.

[JShirley]

No, doesn't sound easy at all, Bruz. That HURTS, quick.

Don makes a very good point about functionality. I like training with very heavy training weapons (custom bo's and bokken, for instance) to work on useable strength through the range of motion.

John

[Soap]

I normally lift 2x per week, but just for an upper body workout. Running long distance comprises 3x per week. I also dryfire and practice with my blades everyday.

Don, believe it or not, but I used to do stuff like that when I was in highschool. My parents had some name for it...chores...yeah that's what they called it! ;) :D Kidding aside, I got stronger cutting/moving downed trees, stacking stones, moving large amounts of building materials, etc. than I ever did in the weight room.

[Tamara]

Every house has a "booger corner". You know, that place where purses get set down, the mail gets laid for recipients to pick up, change gets emptied, et cetera.

Ours is in my roommate's apartment downstairs, on the corner of the kitchen table by the coat tree. That's where I keep a 5-lb and 10-lb weight (one of those nerf-covered "mini-dumbbell" gizmos from the local MegaSportingGoodsORama). Every time I pass that corner of the table (probably a dozen times a day) I pick one or the other up and do some reps of one kind or another with my strong or weak arm and/or wrist.

Why the 5- and 10-lb weights? Well, how much does your favorite rifle or pistol weigh? I've noticed it's a lot easier to toss a fully-loaded HK91 around, lately... ;)

[Don Gwinn]

I can't remember who it was, but there was a very famous old western gunfighter and lawman who used a wrist roller even back then! I remember being impressed with Milo when I read about it. They were talking about athletes throughout history who had used weight training. I thought it was great that they weren't worried about seeming politically incorrect.

If you haven't seen Milo, you owe it to yourself to read an issue. Milo deals with strength in all its forms--Olympic lifting, powerlifting, highland games, strongman contests, armwrestling, weight training for athletes--everything except sports that involve shaving your legs, putting on a speedo and rubbing Pam and Crisco all over yourself so you can strike a pose on a stage in a thong. There are no ads except on the back cover; the rest is all information, and it's usually great stuff. It's put out by Ironmind, the same company that makes the Captains of Crush grippers, the Apollon bar, the Buffalo Bar, kettlebells, and other cool stuff.

http://www.ironmind.com

[BenW]

Why the 5- and 10-lb weights?
Because you're a girl?:neener:

(Where's the running for cover smiley when you need it?):D

[Soap]

Oh, one thing that did wonders to strengthen my wrists is to do shadowboxing using 2-10 lb weights in each hand.

Tamara- KSFreeman introduced me to "working out with your weapon". It works quite well and it breeds familiarity with your primary guns.

[JShirley]

Oh, yeah. Nothing like a rifle run. Also practice tactical reloads while using the other arm to keep your weapon leveled at the target. Build muscle memory and strength at the same time. (Be sure to practice "reloading" while in other positions than just standing up- behind "cover", lying prone, etc.)

One can get training mags that simulate the weight of a fully loaded mag, or go the cheap route, if you use something with inexpensive mags (like a FN FAL): fill a mag with quickcrete!

John

[AnklePocket]

Push Ups
Pull Ups
Abs and
Plyometrics
Shadow Boxing with Dumbells and Ankle Weights

I find weight lifting to be tough on my joints and spine. I used to lift insane weights for wrestling. Unfortunately it didn't help, but intense aerobics did.
Everyone's different so this is just me, but my time is better spent on aerobics (running, machines, swimming, ect.) and sport specific training. I get a good muscular benefit as well.
A strong weightlifter will be stronger than me for maybe a minute or so. At a certain point his strength will drop below my constant level (in most cases) as he gets winded and I don't.
Nothing against weight lifting - it's just not in my long term plan. People with more energy than me can maybe do it all very effectively.

[Bonker]

"Shadow Boxing with Dumbells and Ankle Weights"

My advice...never EVER wear ankle weights. Remember the equation that force = mass times velocity squared?
That means those 5 pound ankle weights are REALLY hurting your joints and feet.
Wear them on your wrists but never on your ankles.

Injuries suck :(

[AnklePocket]

You are correct, Sir. When shadow boxing with ankle weights and dumbells my movements are strictly in slow motion to include holding the leg out for a few seconds every now and then.

[Soap]

I never use ankle weights simply because my knees are a little messed up from doing an Asian kicking art for five years. Big mistake...

[AnklePocket]

I'll bet my knees are worse. Done with strict form under total control will strengthen the muscles and connective tissues around the knee.

[makdaddy03]

Lol! Tamara said "Booger Corner".:)

[rebbryan]

Periodization is how the Communist Block athletes used to get so strong compared to us.

no, that was called steroids :p

i do regular weighlifting using a bench and barbells, etc. i've also heard that weight training can improve your sight picture by making it more steady

[Bonker]

"no, that was called steroids "

Ok that too :)

But periodization is now used by virtually all American Olympians and by many NFL players. The pros who make their living by being strong might call it by another name, but periodization (coupled with good eating habits and cardio) is the only way to go if you want to build serious muscle.
It will keep you from hitting that wall where you can't seem to gain any more muscle. You'll also get visible results very quickly.