If you’ve ever wondered what the best martial arts workout would be to get you ready for training, you’re asking the right question. When it’s time to punch, kick, and throw, every guy worth his salt stands in line. When it’s time to prepare for it all, you can hear the crickets. Consider yourself ahead of the game if you’ve thought, “How can I best prepare for my martial arts workout?”
Stretch – Ever wonder why there are almost no guys in yoga classes? We hate stretching. Of all the parts of working out that we may enjoy, we shy away from the most crucial part of any workout. It’s maybe because stretching is not immediately quantifiable but, whatever the reason, any martial arts workout must start with stretching. Before anything, especially martial arts, your body needs to be limber and ready to be resilient. You’ll be that much better at bouncing back from twists and turns, pains and sprains.
Cardio - Hate the treadmill? Swim. Hate swimming? Bike. Whatever way you get it, cardio is what you’re going to need for that upcoming session of martial arts. All martial arts, whether they’re “soft” like tai chi or “hard” like karate, require you to have serious stamina over the long haul. Sure, bursts of power are fun, but it’s the endurance that gets you through the hours of training that any martial art requires. Being in top cardiovascular fitness means you’ll be practicing your kata and taking blow and throws when men half your age are retreating to the locker room.
There you have it: the big two for any martial arts workout. Stretching makes you limber and ready to contort into martial positions that might not come naturally. Cardio expands your resource to breathe, perhaps the most important skill in any martial arts. Now get busy becoming the last man standing.
Thank you for this article. I am a green belt and so many times people think karate is just about the fighting and moves. Before you get to that there is a lot of preperation physically and mentally.