Hello.I have some questions.If it help I'm doing Tae-Kwon-Do and I'm 16. 1)I'm doing push-ups on concrete.My fists are really hard becuase I don't feel any pain.Should I continue doing them? 2)One of my friends said that the squats are not good for articulations so they more damage my body.Is it true? 3)Where I do my personal training there , on the floor, is concrete.I've read that if I'm training barefoot I can strenghten them.Is it healty to do all my routine with barefoot on concrete? 4)Becuase of my limited martial arts schools in the city I have two choices.I've heard that in the city is an MMA school.At the moment I'm doing Tae-Kwon-Do but with a trainger that disapoints me.Results of what I saw on youtube videos I have an image of MMA.It is kind of brutal ,there is no ... how should I say,philosophy,there is no any poomsae,there are no spiritual things.If I'm wrong please tell meSo it's good to leave the TKD and go to MMA? 5)I've read that for doing strenght I have do to exercises at which I can't do a lot of reps.But what is the limit for an strenght exercise to strenghten your muscles?Is it a good ideea to to first some bodyweight exercises and when they becom very easier to start with free wieghts? 6)I want to train my technique too.Poomsae,kicking,punching,stances.How should I order them reporting to my workout? Thank you!
Who ever said Squats are bad for you is a huge moron. Squats are the single best compound exercise for your body. Some would argue deadlift, bur you should be doing both anyway. Everything must be done with good form though. Low reps high weight/intensity is required for making strength gains. Especially with compound movements such as Squats, deadlift, standing press, bench press, bent over rows, pull ups, dips etc. If you are interested body weight exercises look into HIIT training or plyrometric training. I can't comment on training barefoot on concrete since I've only trained on matted floors.
Gains from different reps schemes breakdown as follows: Strength/power: 1-5 reps (optimal strength range) Strength and size: 6-8 reps Size with some strength: 8-12 reps (optimal body-building range) Local endurance with little strength or size: 13-20+ So for strength, you're best using 1-5 reps per set. A lot of people use a 5x5 or a 8x3 routine. http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki http://www.startingstrength.net/
