Do Other Martial Artists Use Isometric Strength Training Exercises

[rimam1]

I studied Shaolin Kung Fu in high school and most recently Wing Chun and have always heard that lifting weights is a bad idea for marital arts.

I've always done isometric exercises for strength training and purposely avoided weights. I found this video combining isometric strength training exercises (http://www.isometricexercisesite.com/isometric-exercises/how-to-turn-regular-exercises-into-isometric-exercises) with "regular" exercises and thought he put an interesting twist to traditional strength training exercises combined with isometric exercises.

Does anyone here do isometrics? Do you find them worthwhile for building strength?

[Dean Winchester]

Someone should tell all those MMA guys to stop lifting then.......

Ok so why is lifting weights bad for MA?

[pecks]

Some of the more traditional Chinese martial artists think that weight training will slow you down. I think that most people would agree that this is rubbish, unless you're built like Arnie.

[d0ugbug]

As long as you stretch and work on your flexibility while using weights, it should not change or have a negative effect on your MA training.

[slipthejab]

I studied Shaolin Kung Fu in high school and most recently Wing Chun and have always heard that lifting weights is a bad idea for marital arts.

Ahhh... not surprising. Often this sort of misinformation is part and parcel with Chinese MA's. Many practitioners simply refuse to embrace advances in modern sports science. There are some who are smart enough to combine modern methods of training with their Kung Fu practice but still lot of people who are busy buying into white whispy beared mysticism.

I've always done isometric exercises for strength training and purposely avoided weights. I found this video combining isometric strength training exercises (http://www.isometricexercisesite.com/isometric-exercises/how-to-turn-regular-exercises-into-isometric-exercises) with "regular" exercises and thought he put an interesting twist to traditional strength training exercises combined with isometric exercises.

Does anyone here do isometrics? Do you find them worthwhile for building strength?

Why would you avoid weights? Is that down to having trained with the lot that is severely misinformed about how weight lifting actually relates to performance?

In terms of isometrics... Pavel Tsatsouline has covered a fair bit of stuff regarding training using isometrics.

[Fish Of Doom]

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/strengthtraining.html

this is relevant

[Journeyman]

Lifting weights didn't seem to slow down Bruce Lee.

[Frodocious]

Isometrics can be a good tool to use in combination with other strength training methods (weights and bodyweight stuff) but I wouldn't use it on its own.

[Moi]

Isometrics can be a good tool to use in combination with other strength training methods (weights and bodyweight stuff) but I wouldn't use it on its own.

I see you made the jump. How's your Polish?

[Frodocious]

Przepraszam, Nie mówię po polsku!

My Polish is rubbish, but supermarkets with electronic checkouts (so I can read how much I owe) are a lifesaver!

[Yohan]

I studied Shaolin Kung Fu in high school and most recently Wing Chun and have always heard that lifting weights is a bad idea for marital arts.

I've always done isometric exercises for strength training and purposely avoided weights. I found this video combining isometric strength training exercises (http://www.isometricexercisesite.com/isometric-exercises/how-to-turn-regular-exercises-into-isometric-exercises) with "regular" exercises and thought he put an interesting twist to traditional strength training exercises combined with isometric exercises.

Does anyone here do isometrics? Do you find them worthwhile for building strength?

They've pretty much already covered it. Isometrics are just resistance training anyway (so is weight lifting), but isometrics primarily increase strength at a specific joint angle, and secondarily at other joint angles.

[Knight_Errant]

technically speaking, I do use isometric exercises. L-sits and stance work...

They are worthwhile, I think. But I think they're no replacement for weights. They're supposed to exist side by side.

[Kuma]

Sanchin kata (Sam Chien in kung fu I think) is a dynamic tension exercise. A good one, but if that was the only thing you needed they wouldn't have hojo undo. If you type in "Shaolin weight training" you'll see the Shaolin monks have many resistance training exercises available to them.

[IronWolverine]

I studied Shaolin Kung Fu in high school and most recently Wing Chun and have always heard that lifting weights is a bad idea for marital arts.

I've always done isometric exercises for strength training and purposely avoided weights. I found this video combining isometric strength training exercises (http://www.isometricexercisesite.com/isometric-exercises/how-to-turn-regular-exercises-into-isometric-exercises) with "regular" exercises and thought he put an interesting twist to traditional strength training exercises combined with isometric exercises.

Does anyone here do isometrics? Do you find them worthwhile for building strength?

Isometric is a key part of developing strenght.What it does is:it strenghten the tendons&ligament.That play a great deal with your strenght training.

[Yohan]

Isometric is a key part of developing strenght.What it does is:it strenghten the tendons&ligament AT A SPECIFIC JOINT ANGLE.That play a great deal with your strenght training.

I corrected your post for you. Isometrics develop strength at the specific joint angle you practice it at. The strength it develops drop off outside that joint angle. So if you practice an isometric bench press push at 90 degrees, you will develop strength at that joint angle, but less at 45 degrees and very little at 10 degrees.

Doing full range resistance exercises will develop strength at all joint angles. This is why people have basically said "isometric exercises are part of a strength training regime, but don't cover all your basis."

I watched some of your training videos. They were awesome! I was curious, how's your deadlift?

[IronWolverine]

Thanks! For the correction.Im not a trainer.I know what work and whatdon't.
Not to big on deadlift.

[Yohan]

Thanks! For the correction.Im not a trainer.I know what work and whatdon't.
Not to big on deadlift.

hm. ok

[Knight_Errant]

Thanks! For the correction.Im not a trainer.I know what work and whatdon't.
Not to big on deadlift.
I only wish I knew what this meant.

[spg]

I do belive that over developing the biceps will slow your punch down as seen on "mind, body and kick ass moves", i forget the name of the Wing Chunh guy who said this but i've read it elsewhere too and makes it perfect sense to me. The biceps work like breaks on a car while the tricep is trying too push the punch out the bicep stops it, however bicep is useful for pulling. A balance too everything me thinks (Ying & Yang).

[Kuma]

I do belive that over developing the biceps will slow your punch down as seen on "mind, body and kick ass moves", i forget the name of the Wing Chunh guy who said this but i've read it elsewhere too and makes it perfect sense to me. The biceps work like breaks on a car while the tricep is trying too push the punch out the bicep stops it, however bicep is useful for pulling. A balance too everything me thinks (Ying & Yang).

Strengthening antagonist muscles won't affect your technique in the way you're describing. If that were so, all the squats we do in MA training would negatively affect our kicks as they would slow down our hamstrings. Antagonist muscles naturally relax so they don't work against the other muscles when you use proper technique. You can see this by doing a standing toe touch and comparing your hamstring tension to your quads, and then doing a kiba dachi and comparing your quad tension to your hamstrings. You'll see a difference.

A strong biceps will help you retract the punch faster, which will add more snap to the impact. Nothing wrong with adding power in my book.