CMAA Challenge- June 2012
CMAA Challenge- June 2012
A new challenge has been issued for the month of June! Have you ever heard of “Tabata”? Learn more about a new method of Japanese conditioning designed to get you in awesome shape – in just 4, grueling, minutes. Keep reading to learn more about this month’s challenge!
The first month’s challenge focused on improving flexibility by following a simple, daily stretching routine. The second month’s challenge addressed meditation for greater focus and clarity with an easy 5 minute a day meditative practice. June’s challenge will be focused on strength and conditioning.
“Many martial arts practitioners seem to have an aversion to strength training. They think strength training = big, “slow” muscles. They think Bruce Lee, and Shaolin monks didn’t lift weights, and that they shouldn’t either. Well, without spending too much time refuting this, suffice it to say this couldn’t be more false. There are a ton of great strength and conditioning exercises you can use to become more EXPLOSIVE! Many of these exercises target your nervous system and don’t necessarily have an impact on hypertrophy (muscle size) if your rep/set scheme and diet don’t dictate it” - Shifu Lucas Geller (“GET STRONG- Jump Higher!” http://www.martialartsalbany.com/get-strong-jump-higher/)
Want to get in better shape? Want to be a better conditioned? Want to get fit without spending all your time at a gym!? Enter Tabata.
What is Tabata?
Tabata is the name of a Japanese researcher who discovered an interesting way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic pathways at the same time. It's one of those strange training programs that seems to fit across disciplines: it's excellent for bicyclists, speed skaters, Olympic lifters, or the person looking to lose fat quickly.
This training method is so simple, yet so incredibly difficult, that athletes tend to try it once, acknowledge its greatness, and then vow to never speak its name again. What is it? It's simple: take one exercise and perform it in the following manner:
1) For twenty seconds, do as many repetitions as possible.
2) Rest for ten seconds
3) Repeat seven more times!
That's it!
Try the “burpee”.
To perform a burpee with a pushup, you will begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you (1). Kick your feet back, while simultaneously lowering yourself into the bottom portion of a pushup. Your arms will not be extended. (2). Immediately return your feet to the squat position, while simultaneously pushing "up" with your arms. You will perform a pushup as you return your feet to the squat position (3). Leap up as high as possible from the squat position (4). Repeat, moving as fast as possible.
For an example of what it should look like watch this!
(feel free to do a pushup on your knees if you aren’t comfortable with full body weight pushups yet).
For the actual challenge, maintain your current workout program and simply add in 3 Tabata workouts a week! That’s only an extra 12 minutes of training weekly. Feel free to consult with me on different exercises ideal for Tabata, mix them up and see how much you improve by the end of the month!
To make keeping time easier, heres an online Tabata Timer you can use:
Enjoy!
For more ide’s on strength training for martial arts please check out “GET STRONG- Jump Higher!” by Shifu Lucas