What do you do for Cardio? [Archive]

r4bid

09-Mar-2003, 10:45 PM

yeah kyokushin my problem is high impact stuff too. I don't have any real problems now but my knees do bother me from time to time.
I am considering one of those eliptical trainers, low impact and definitly good cardio.

Bon

10-Mar-2003, 05:13 AM

Swimming is one of the most awesome forms of cardio IMO!

I don't really do any cardio, I have 5 training sessions a week, where 3 of them are really intense.

Mike Flanagan

10-Mar-2003, 08:49 AM

If you have knee problems I'd really recommend the 'cross-trainer'. That may be the same as the 'elliptical machine' that someone mentioned. Basically your feet are on pedals but you're stood up, so the knee is not placed at such an acute angle, so there is less stress on it. Your arms go backwards and forwards on handles that make the whole thing look a little like skiing. I think its great myself. I do 20 minutes about 5 times a week.

As for swimming I don't see why it should count as CV. Personally though I don't find that I work my heart rate up enough when swimming. Anything should be good for CV as long as:
1. it gets your legs moving
2. it gets your heart-rate up to between 60% and 80% of its theoretical maximum
3. you do it for at least 20 minutes
4. it is not of a stop/start nature, it must maintain the heart rate at a relatively high level for the whole period that you're doing it

Point 4 is the reason that I don't personally use kata as a CV exercise. I'm not saying it can't be done that way, its just that its stop/start nature means its not as efficient as other forms of CV.

Mike

pgm316

10-Mar-2003, 09:34 AM

The cross trainer is a great workout Mike. Keeps constant resistance unlike running and without the impact.

The constant impact of jogging is something I don't like and my knees even less! :(

Been doing a bit of skipping lately which is great when you can skip properly. I've ended up with shin splints after two sessions of it. Now a bit painfull, anybody with any shin splint advice?

Cain

10-Mar-2003, 09:57 AM

Cardio? It means to get the heart real pumpin' rite?

Guess that would be swimmimg n LOTS of skippin' n drills like punching or kicking that goes on for ages [at least when I am in class ;) ]

|Cain|

Darzeka

10-Mar-2003, 12:59 PM

Rolls and strikes, Rolls and strikes, Rolls and stirkes.

More Rolls and strikes, throws, punchbags and more rolls and strikes.

Get a few bags close to each other. Roll to one of them and strike it. Move away, roll to a bag and strike it ad infinitum.

Half an hour of this at an intense level will have me soaking with sweat.

Also to keep it interesting, ad in benches to dive over, off and onto. Mix up the strikes, do multiple strikes and combos over a number of bags. Imagine you are fighting off an army of evil henchmen in the biggest, cheesiest martial arts movie ever.
Basically just run around hitting things. The rolls just increase the intensity.

KickChick

10-Mar-2003, 01:09 PM

I teach an hour long all bag/glove cardio Kickbox class that many of our TKD students take in order to work on their cardio endurance.
I offer each student a choice of movements/kicks ... either high impact or low.
You are dripping with sweat at the end of the session and we then end with strength and stretching routines. (pushups, crunches, static stretching, tricep dips etc. etc....)

I also run on the treadmill daily each morning at least 20 min. or more

Acekicken

10-Mar-2003, 01:52 PM

Originally posted by r4bid
I don't get enough cardio in because its usually boring for me. Right now I do a little running and run through my kata/strikes really fast to get my heart pumping.

What do you do?

Try Wrestling & Submisson wrestling
They are Great for Cardio.:) :)

Joe karate

10-Mar-2003, 07:06 PM

C-a-r-d-i-o?

I don't do anything specifically. I just do it. Play football after school with friends, spar my brother at home, hit the bag alot. But i don't do it because i need cardio in particular I do it because i want to play football. I enjoy sparring or i need to work on my punch/kicking on the bag. The cardio is an unintended side effect.

Maybe that's why people get bored with excercise? They do it specifically to do cardio and not for fun.

Labatt

11-Mar-2003, 01:28 AM

Cardio, hate it, never want to do it.

However, I do get some cardio, which I don't mind. Fast Paced Cardio like Sparring, gets your blood pumping.

WhiteWizard

27-Mar-2003, 09:55 PM

I used to do a lot of Cardio work very good if you are looking to lose weight. I lost 3 stone in 4 months but i was doing a 5km run 7 miles on the bike and a mile in the pool. it really does help though.

WhiteWizard

27-Mar-2003, 09:59 PM

aparently muy Thai is excellent for cardio conditioning also

WhiteWizard

27-Mar-2003, 10:01 PM

oh no i spelt that wrong how dumb am i

Mo Lung

27-Mar-2003, 10:13 PM

Nobody's mentioned cycling. The best for cardio without high impact on your knees (very important for MA's) and you get to go somewhere to boot!

Swimming is also excellent CV exercise and about the only zero impact, all body exercise there is.

Cycling and swimming rule, especially if you live where I do!

Jogging infrequently is ok, but I hate the stress on my ankles and knees.

Tosh

27-Mar-2003, 11:11 PM

The problem I had with cycling is that continued cycling can lead to all sorts of problems...

ranging from testicular to kness to hamstrings

cycling is great but (as with everything) moderation is key!

pgm316

28-Mar-2003, 11:32 AM

At the gym I'll use the rowing machine, gives a good non impact workout. And it exercises the top half as well unlike cycling!

Mike Flanagan

28-Mar-2003, 01:37 PM

Originally posted by Mo Lung
Nobody's mentioned cycling. The best for cardio without high impact on your knees (very important for MA's) and you get to go somewhere to boot!

True, it is low impact. But it is not without risk of injury. If you have your seat too close to the pedals then you're bending your knees through too acute an angle. This places inappropriate stress on the knee joints every single time you push down on the pedals. To avoid this you should have the seat as high as is feasible.

I prefer the cross trainer for this reason. Like cycling its low impact, you're feet are peddling in the same way, but because you're stood up your knees are not moved through a very sharp angle at all.

Mike

TkdWarrior

29-Mar-2003, 06:30 AM

somebody tell me, how many stones in a 1 KG??
-TkdWarrior-

Cain

29-Mar-2003, 06:38 AM

Me too...I had a calci b'fore but I had taken a new PC and it's gone now...

|Cain|

Sweeet

29-Mar-2003, 08:56 AM

Personally, I don't think you can get genuinely excellent and consistently good cardio from attempting to work on it by just doing excercises specifically for it.

I'd think it more effective to follow your interests in the way of something that would help your cardio in general.

Like football? Join a couple flag football leagues.

Like Badminton, Squash, Tennis, Mountain Biking, Soccer, Rugby, Swimming, Diving, Marathons..........?

I suppose if you don't have any interests in a sport that would be helpful, there are plenty of excercises and suggestions in this thread that would work.

Cougar_v203

03-Apr-2003, 02:43 AM

I'm not sure if this is a cardio workout but I usually Do Footbag (Hacky Sack).

Mo Lung

03-Apr-2003, 03:16 AM

Originally posted by TkdWarrior
somebody tell me, how many stones in a 1 KG??
-TkdWarrior-

1kg = 2.2lbs

1 stone = 14 pounds

Therefore: 1 stone = 6.36kgs

Mo Lung

03-Apr-2003, 03:20 AM

Of course, one of the best and most relevant cardio exercises out there is form practice. Go through your forms over and over at full speed and you should be getting one hell of a CV workout.

I tend to practice my forms nice and slow at first, concentrating on the fine detail and technique, a couple of times through, then I hammer through them at full speed and power a couple of times. Then I have a rest and go onto the next form - or start over with the same form if I feel like it needs it. This is especially good with weapon forms if you're using a big weapon like the gwan do!

Not only is it CV, but you're practising your kung fu (or whatever) and you're working all the right things like stances, power, breathing, etc.

TkdWarrior

03-Apr-2003, 03:58 AM

hey Thnx MoLung... i always hav probs with stupid calculations ;) :D
-TkdWarrior-

Mo Lung

03-Apr-2003, 04:16 AM

No worries. I grew up in England and now live in Australia, so I grew up in an Imperial country and now live in a metric one. I am the Conversion Man!

;)

Telsun

03-Apr-2003, 05:51 AM

I use a rowing machine for cardio, not as often as I should mind you. I chose a rowing machine because it works the whole body, as mentioned above.
We go for a run at karate, only about a mile but I do struggle with it. I am relatively fit in most respects but always struggle with that run.:( I don't think everyone is cut out to run.........or am I just making excuses?
I also train in my chosen art. Forms, bagwork, air techniques (shadow boxing), sparring, etc, whatever area of training I am doing I always get to the point of being breathless. I think that this is the best way to improve your martial fitness. After all, I struggle on the run but I outlast all of them in the dojo!!:D

And of course skipping. 15 minutes of skipping is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging.

But it's all so boring thats why I generally go for the training.;)

Cougar_v203

03-Apr-2003, 09:16 PM

whats the purpose of shadow boxing? I've been doing sb for about 2 years without nowing what the purpose of it was.

Telsun

03-Apr-2003, 10:38 PM

whats the purpose of shadow boxing? I've been doing sb for about 2 years without nowing what the purpose of it was.
Damn shadow, follows me everwhere:mad: I'll kick his butt oneday and that'll get rid of him for sure. Too good for me though.

(please excuse my rather poor attempt at humour, never been much of a strong point!:rolleyes: )

How/Why have you done something for 2 years without knowing the benefits?

It is not a strong point of mine but I would say the advantages are: timing, imagination, combinations, coordination, cardio, muscular endurance, I am sure there is more.

YODA

03-Apr-2003, 10:49 PM

Two years without knowing why? Man - you need to learn to ASK!!!!

Many benefits (Timing isn't one of them though! Timing with what?)

Flow, body mechanics, form (use a mirror).

Telsun

03-Apr-2003, 11:03 PM

Many benefits (Timing isn't one of them though! Timing with what?)
What I meant was the timing of 1 technique following another, I suppose that that would be coordination.

Cougar_v203

10-Apr-2003, 12:58 PM

inbetween those 2 years i've been doing sb out of boredom so I didn't fully understand what it was for until I read the post Telsun made.

hehe my parents worry about me when i start swinging in mid-air :) they think I lost my mind and have gone insane. Which is probably true since i've been kinda acting a little crazy lately.
hmmm I guess that explains why i run into walls alot :)

KickChick

10-Apr-2003, 01:56 PM

Shadow boxing is an excellant form of cardio if performed in extended rounds....other benefits not mentioned include improved speed and accuracy.
What could be better than performing cardio and at the same time improve many of the components of your sparing techniques?

... not running into walls ;)

Cougar_v203

10-Apr-2003, 07:09 PM

man! I can't help running into walls its like a habit.

Kat

18-Apr-2003, 01:29 AM

Finding an excerise that you like to use in increasing your cardio fittnes is up to you.But in order to monitor and increase your cardio threshold I would recomend buying a Heart Rate Monitor.Learn how to use it, and apply the formula to the excersise's that you have choosen.

Sean O

18-Apr-2003, 03:29 AM

I bike ALOT, and I can tell you it's only really a good cardio workout if you don't have strong legs. After years of doing it, I can bike against the wind on the toughest speed and not get a huge increase in heart rate, I just feel a workout in my legs is all.

I think that Darzeka has a good idea though. I'll have to try it.

Adam

02-May-2003, 11:31 AM

I made a habit out of biking to and back from school (30 kilometers total) Has done wonders for my cardio.
Please delete this if you find it inappropriate, but isn't sex a good way to stay in shape too?

Saz

02-May-2003, 01:30 PM

yes it is, but can you get it for 20 minutes a day, every day? :D

Brad Ellin

02-May-2003, 05:35 PM

Not much cardio right now, not until knee heals. But before surgery I was using my elliptical trainer for 10 minutes in the AM before work, 10 minutes after work and 15 minutes about an hour before bed. Always starting and ending with stretching. Twice a week at class practicing ukemi, and 2 times a week at the house. Right now, I have enough problems climbing the stairs, that's aerobic enough.
Tonight, I'm going to see X-2, that oughts get my pulse up a few notches... does that count as aerobic?