Weight Training for Martial Arts

Adding weight training to your workouts will definitely enhance your martial arts ability level.  Whether you study Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Boxing, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Silat, Krav Maga, Aikido or a combination of these self defense styles, adding weight training to your workout regimen will produce many benefits.   

To supplement Brazilian Jiujitsu, for example, bench press exercises are incredibly helpful for developing strength in side control escapes, making and keeping frames from a guard position and bridging. Also, pull ups and rows help with overall upper body and grip strength.  Utilizing the abdominal machines and exercising with a medicine ball will help develop your core, which is crucial in the sport. 

To complement Boxing, Muay Thai, Karate and Kung Fu, consider incorporating deadlifts, dumbbell rows, squats with a barbell, and military presses into your workout.

Consistently lifting weights a couple of times a week will certainly pay off and improve your agility and ability in the martial arts.  Gaining lean muscle mass also helps in weight loss by burning fat and improving your metabolism.  Make sure to space out your workouts and avoid working the same large muscle group two days in a row.   Don’t overdo it, and give yourself time to rest in between your sessions.  Before you know it, you will see results and an overall improvement in your martial arts training.

We hope to see you on the mats in class, AND we hope to see you in the fitness center!

The above contribution was submitted by Professora Marlene.