I need some help with everyday strength training ideas and structure. Here's the deal, i'm 46 years old and have always been pretty lean/skinny (6 foot, approx 180lbs). I walk, don't drive, and have little by way of equipment- a heavy bag, currently under wraps, and hope to invest in some free weights and a pull-up bar soon. So here's my quest- to find exercises (probably bodyweight) that i can do in the short periods i have free most days, that will 1 increase upper body strength (and some weight gain would also be good) 2 generally increase things useful for my martial arts- punch speed, power etc. Not only would ideas for exercises be good, but some idea of structure? I would be looking to do the exercises whenever the time arose during the day, so maybe 1 or 2 10/15 mins slots during the day then, a run pm? Maybe with a longer session once a week? I have a copy of Martin Rooney's 'Training for Warriors' and a couple of other general fitness books, but most involve equipment and or lengths of time i simply haven't got consistent access to. Any help would be appreciated, or even just a point in the right direction- book or website? Things like road or trail running, push ups, sit ups etc i can manage, but need some idea of intensity, variations and structure. I realise this way of working is not ideal but i figure something is better than nothing, right? Thanking you in anticipation.
Ross Enamait gets good reviews for his book "Never Gymless," although I've never read it. Might be worth a look? You could look at the article I wrote on traditional training tools for making some training tools for nothing at home. Mitch
grab a door or doorframe and do pistols also pushups with your feet elevated. if nothing else you can use the wall. if you have a sturdy bench or something similar, grab the sides and lift yourself over it for a good isometric workout for your arms. after you manage to keep yourself up, you can move a little to target different muscles by changing the leverage. also check the workout thread sticky
Ross Enamait gets good reviews for his book "Never Gymless," I have adapted the beginner workout from this book ^ to structure my own workouts. I do mine at a local playground rather than at home but the principal remains. I do 5 sets of exercises in a sequence. One pushing outward movement (some sort of press-up variation usually), a core/torso movement (sit ups, ab wheel), a shoulder press exercise (reverse or pike press-up, handstand or similar), a squat/leg movement and finally a pulling movement (some sort of chin up or row). I do these for reps (so I don't have to watch a clock) each time with no rest in between. So 10 press-ups, straight over for 20 crunches, turn over into 10 pike press ups, up for 20 hindu squats and finally onto a low bar for 10 rows. Then I rest for about a minute. Then I do it all over again. I repeat that 5 times. I try and vary the exercises each "round" so each bout of exercise is different. Different press-ups, different height squats, different grip rows and chins, different torso exercises. I keep the structure the same but make it up as I go generallly. Takes maybe 20+ minutes or so to do. That seems to target the main areas of the body and certainly puffs me out. Obviously fitter types can up the reps or do it for time (30 seconds per exercise will make a rough 3 minute round including transitions). Without equipment pulling exercises are pretty hard to improvise so if I'm at home I sometimes drop that set off.
Maybe doing greece the grove on a couple of movments? If like me you spend most of your days waiting fo a kettle to boil I've a fun game*. As the kettle boils do pushups untill it clicks, wet the bag and squats till it is brewed add milk and enjoy. not a full or particually great work out but gets the heart going and as they say in tesco, every little helps *my idea of fun may differ from sensible peoples
Thanks for all the advice so far, i had looked at the workout thread sticky, thanks Fish and at the 'making your own tools' (ooh-er) stuff Mitch. What i'm thinking at the moment is something like: Monday am (different kinds of) push ups pm 3 mile run Tuesday (different kinds of) pull ups pm 20 min run/sprints Wednesday am Abs pm skipping/Karate Thursday am overall combo routine (like suggested by PASmith) pm run Friday am Heavy bag (punches)? pm Karate in the dojo Saturday am run pm heavy bag (kicks?) Sunday Rest? Kata practice? This is the kind of thing i mean but i'm not sure about - how often to have rest days? how to space out running days? maybe repeat activities EG 2 sessions punching per week? should i increase protein intake, particularly after big muscle/cardio type stuff if i want to increase weight gain? what about reps? Less reps more resistance for strength? i've read amout working to exhaustion rather than reps, sounds effective, but again i'm not sure about structure- just keep doing push ups, then rest, then more, or all in one go??? The 'never gymless' book doesnt seem to exist on Amazon, any other suggestions? Cheers.
Do strength and cardio on different days. Add resistance not reps for strength. Google "Ross Enamait" and look at his website. Kata is cardio if you do it right. Hope that helps Mitch
I just posted this in my book thread, funny that it applies here as well. The first "fitness" or rather lifting book I ever bought was 'Power Training in Kung fu and Karate'. First printed in 1974 the book takes a very basic approach to weight training but even today some 30+ years later, when I look through it, nothing is obsolete or would seem ridiculous. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if all you had was that book today and followed it exercise for exercise you'd lack for nothing. WELL worth the money for any martial artist or for anyone on a budget that wants a great beginners reference guide to weight lifting and I still recommend it today. Also, if training out doors is an option, heres a good read: http://thefitnessfocus.blogspot.com/2009/05/spring-fever.html
Get a bergen (backpack) and do Pull ups/chin ups, push ups, rope climbing etc. fantastic for strength gains.
