Weights

John

You're a big fan of weight training by all accounts, since you own a gym with a lot of modern gear and such. Also having met you quite a few times I can attest that you're a fit bloke with quite a bit of power. It also has to be said that though you can see you're in good nick that you don't have one of those daft bodybuilder builds where they fill themselves full of steriods on a morning.

Anyway flattery over answer a few questions mate. What do you think of other kinds of resistance training such as lifing sand bags, farmer lifts, tyres and all that sort of stuff. What kind of comparisons can you draw to gym weight lifting.

Also what kind of workouts do you reccomend. I'm imaginign you'll have a few different kind depening on what peoples goals are so lets say a weights course for the following.

1) Someone interested in self defence
2) Someone interested in compeditive grappling
3) Someone wanting to build up stregnth and fitness (you can make this one two if you want
4) A Boxer, either compeditive or someone who only uses boxing to enchance fitness.

Also do you do any other resistance exerices other than the weights and the hill sprints?

I'm trying to get my capoeira group into hill sprints at the moment but they're resisting. One dropped out when he saw your videos on it lol.

I believe that any exercise must have a practical purpose to it. I do one weights circuit a week at the moment all upper body. I tie this in with bag work and rowing.
Rowing 4x500 meters in-between each 500 I perform 25 press ups at speed with a slight lift to the push up (my hands leave the floor), I then perform a heavy round on the heavy bag. = 2000 METERS, 4 ROUNDS BAGWORK, 100 PRESS UPS
I then start the weight circuit.
shoulder press,
chest press,
rear deltoid flys,
pec flys,
tricep press down,
seated row,
lat pulldown,
I start each exercise using weight which feels uncomfortable to lift. I perform 15 fast reps on each machine with no rest inbetween and finish the circuit with a heavy round on the heavy bag. I then repeat the circuit twice more, ten reps, then five reps adding weight each circuit. so that the five rep set is really hard to do!
I then get back onto the rower and repeat the first routine swopping sit ups for press ups. = 2000 meters, four rounds on the bag and 100 sit ups
I finish off the routine with five mins on the speedball and some kung fu sets to keep it in the martial spirit of things.

Total routine 4000 meters rowing, 100 press ups, 100 sit ups,three weights circuits, and ten rounds on the heavy bag. This is my monday mid morning workout


My other routine is based on the three top exercise routines pull ups, dips, and chins. I do this routine the day after the weights circuit. I start out on sevens of each and work my way back down to one. Inbetween each circuit I perform medicene ball throws at the heavy bag after doing some isometric punch presses on the wall (ross boxing routine). On completion of the routine I will have performed 84 exercises coupled with isometric holds. And 60 medicen ball throws at the heavy bag. I also throw a few single right and left hand punches into the heavybag. All the routines are explosive as I can make them.
these workouts keep me fit and strong enough to participate in any of the arts. They are practical to my needs.

I find progressive resistance training in circuits performed explosivly gives good allround conditioning for combat.
Lifting sand bags, tyres and the like add a different feel to your training and is in some cases very practical. A mate of mine would dig holes in the ground for a living he became very strong from doing just that and his grappling grip and hold strength was amazing.

I do other routines but if i list them all now I won't have time to train!

As for sprinting start off in the gym with some basic wind sprints 30 sec sprint 10 sec rest 20 sec sprint 10 sec rest 10 sec sprint finish. You will scare people off if you don't bring them on slowly.

Hope this helps you
take care
John

John mate.
How long does your Monday mid-morning workout take?
Respect.
Kemlyn.

Hi Kemlyn
It takes me around one and a half hours without interuption.
John

Fair play,mate.
This reminds me that I've got a bit lazy in my 'old age'!
Take care.
Kemlyn.

As martial artists it is our duty to push our own personel boundries, as we get older our workouts should intensify and we should train as hard as we can regardless of age.
take care and train with that in mind and then you will inspire!!
John