Advices in increasing cardio conditioning for sparring?

[sopraisso]

Interval training ie sprint/jog/sprint/jog.
800m training is good as well, they don't call it the man killer for no reason.
Heavy resistance training, ie really heavy weights, low reps, lift explosively but with good technique.
Good shadow sparring, making sure that you use good strong technique.

I'd also say, don't ride a bike unless you have brilliant flexibility, it builds up the muscles on the inside of the leg which prevent good flexibility. The same can be said of running, so make sure you are stretching well before and after your runs.

Important advices about the stretching to prevent losing flexibility.

 

[sopraisso]

Thanks everyone for all replies. All advises seem very very useful. I think it will be easy to start shadow boxing, running (with sprints) and I'll have to pay a lot of attention to my breathing all along -- I'm not sure it's not an issue in my case. Other advises seem okay and I'll take note to try them when I have an opportunity. I believe this post could be useful for other people who could be having the same problems, too. Thank you!

 

[ETinCYQX]

All I mean is that flexibility is where my focus is at the minute, I know how to do it without causing damage to myself

The weights analogy is a good one, as it's so common for people to believe it.

You wouldn't believe how many people I can't get to understand this. Only so many times I can say "Go squat, damnit, it won't hurt your flexibility."

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Simply pick several exercises. My latest pyramid routine used the following, in this order;

• Regular squat
• Plea squat
• Lunge (or step-up)
• Calf raise (one-leg w/weight)
• Push up w/push up stands (Hindu push up, regular push up, wide grip, military, T-push up etc. Just vary them)
• Pull up or chin up
• Dip (w/weight)
• Hanging crunch (alternate w/ rope crunch)

A military 4-count can be used if desired on lower body and core exercises to increase intensity.

Now what you do is perform 1 of each exercise with good form. When you have completed each for 1 rep, you repeat and do 2 of each, and then 3 of each and on up to your target number. Once you've reached your target, you then begin down the pyramid by decreasing the number of reps in each set. A pyramid of 1 - 5 - 1 would look like this;

1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 for a total of 25 of each exercise. Going 1-10-1 would = 100. 1-20-1 would equal 400 of each. My personal best so far is 1-17-1.

This is a great program as it has built in a natural warm up and a cool down. You work throughout various rep ranges and it has a pre-exhaust as well. This will greatly increase cardio as well as increasing functional strength throughout your entire body.

Give it a try.

 

[puunui]

In addition to the other points here, whatever cardio training you choose, do it with your mouthguard! Breathing with that in your mouth is significantly different and you need to get used to it.

Good advice. Also, I would make sure to bite down on your mouth guard and breathe in and out through your nose. Too often people who breathe in through their nose and out through their mouths end up going in and out through your mouth, which is bad for a variety of reasons. In and out through your nose prevents that sort of thing.

 

[miguksaram]

Agree with all the advice here. Personally though...I have seen better cardio gains from swimming than I have from any other kind of training. Understandably...this can mean an extra expense, and extra scheduling apart from martial arts...but if there is a way you can reasonably work it in, I bet you would be very happy with the results

This last year I have adopted a more rigid swimming routine to help my sparring. I do 4 lengths non-stop as fast as I can then two at a regular pace then 4 at top speed again. Then I follow that up with taking one breath and trying to make it across the pool both ways.

Sprints, as it has already mentioned, is also good. Advice I was also given was to do touch and goes on the basket ball court. (This is the exercise where you run touch the free-throw line run back to the out line then run to half court then back then to the opposite free-throw line then back then all the way to the other out line).

A 30-40 minute jog/tread mill will help as well. Nothing really beats getting in the ring though. While all these exercises mentioned will help our endurance, being in the ring brings in other elements that effects your breathing such as the stress factor and quick explosion of movements moving the body parts in manners that you do not do during running. Good luck!

 

[puunui]

Agree with all the advice here. Personally though...I have seen better cardio gains from swimming than I have from any other kind of training. Understandably...this can mean an extra expense, and extra scheduling apart from martial arts...but if there is a way you can reasonably work it in, I bet you would be very happy with the results

What is the extra expense for swimming?

 

[Kenlee25]

You guys mentioned proper breathing, but I'm surprised you didn't mention how to properly breath

When you breath, while running or otherwise, use deep breaths and try to breath with your diaphragm rather than the top half of your lungs ( so when you breath in, instead of your upper chest puffing out, it's your abs area that moves ). This uses more of the lungs and allows you to suck in more air, it also decreases the chances of cramps and allows you to recover much faster.

you can teach yourself to breath like this normally, but that is difficult to do. Until then, just focus on doing those deep diaphragm breaths when you aren't actively striking. Just make sure that you are either A: out of striking range, or B: remember to exhale when struck so you don't get the wind knocked out of you.

Also, think of deep breathing as realeasing the bad chi and bringing in the good chi. I don't believe in that stuff, but I do know that calm down and taking deep long breaths can even decrease pain and alter your emotional state.

breathing man...it's almost like its your means of living or something..

 

[puunui]

When you breath, while running or otherwise, use deep breaths and try to breath with your diaphragm rather than the top half of your lungs ( so when you breath in, instead of your upper chest puffing out, it's your abs area that moves ). This uses more of the lungs and allows you to suck in more air, it also decreases the chances of cramps and allows you to recover much faster.

you can teach yourself to breath like this normally, but that is difficult to do. Until then, just focus on doing those deep diaphragm breaths when you aren't actively striking. Just make sure that you are either A: out of striking range, or B: remember to exhale when struck so you don't get the wind knocked out of you.

Also, think of deep breathing as realeasing the bad chi and bringing in the good chi. I don't believe in that stuff, but I do know that calm down and taking deep long breaths can even decrease pain and alter your emotional state.

breathing man...it's almost like its your means of living or something..

We practice that at every training session during meditation, how to breathe properly.

 

[mastercole]

Personally I would get my weight training advise from a professional with a proven track record. Just like when I search for Taekwondo information, I don't ask those who have never achieved anything in Taekwondo, I ask the professionals. Smart don't you think?

Bad advise on martial arts training, just like bad advise on weight training, can be detrimental to your health.

My athletes take a particular liking to Mr. Rippetoe's advise. But of course, always check with your doctor before beginning any type of physical training program

http://startingstrength.com/

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Personally I would get my weight training advise from a professional with a proven track record. Just like when I search for Taekwondo information, I don't ask those who have never achieved anything in Taekwondo, I ask the professionals. Smart don't you think?

Bad advise on martial arts training, just like bad advise on weight training, can be detrimental to your health.

My athletes take a particular liking to Mr. Rippetoe's advise. But of course, always check with your doctor before beginning any type of physical training program

http://startingstrength.com/

That is actually very good advise, for the most part. The OP or anyone in this thread should feel free to contact me via pm, email or in a post. I've trained hundreds of individuals and helped them reach their personal goal(s). Additionally, though I started out in strength and power lifting, I've moved to BB'ing and I'm currently prepping for a contest in September. Feel free to contact me and I can go over several aspects that can greatly assist you in cardio as well as other aspects that can fit right in with your MA training.

One thing though, Starting Strength is an excellent program but probably not what the OP is looking for based upon his initial post. And to be honest, while SS is fine for those more interested in PL, a program like SL 5x5 is much better in general for the vast amount of people outside of PL, but that wish to gain core and functional strength. It does not however address the cardio issue directly, which is what the OP was asking.

So feel free to give me a shout. I've trained strength, PL, BBing, P90X, CF and taught at our local college for nearly a decade. I can also direct you to numerous on-line resources, support systems and training logs to chart your progress and other professionals.

 

[andyjeffries]

What is the extra expense for swimming?

Ha ha ha, we don't all live on gorgeous islands like you

For me, it either means paying to go to the public swimming pools, paying for a private gym membership or the fuel costs for travelling an hour to the nearest beach.

I have a gym membership, but swimming is definitely an additional cost for most people in the UK above their martial arts tuition fees.

 

[andyjeffries]

You guys mentioned proper breathing, but I'm surprised you didn't mention how to properly breath

The reason I didn't mention it as that it's less important IMHO.

Compared to people holding their breath (all too common), adding chest breathing gives them 80-90% of the benefit, deep diaphragm breathing gives a benefit (to bring them up to 100%), but it's not as much benefit as just actually breathing in the first place.

I remembering being taught proper breathing technique by GM Kim Yong Ho when I was young. I dismissed it at the time thinking "yeah, yeah, I know how to breathe...", but as I got out of my teens I gave it more of a shot. It's surprising what a difference it makes, particularly in post-round/drill recovery. However, going from nothing to any breathing brings the most benefit.

 

[puunui]

Ha ha ha, we don't all live on gorgeous islands like you

For me, it either means paying to go to the public swimming pools, paying for a private gym membership or the fuel costs for travelling an hour to the nearest beach.

I have a gym membership, but swimming is definitely an additional cost for most people in the UK above their martial arts tuition fees.

I guess that is another thing I take for granted. In addition to the ocean, there are a lot of public swimming pools as well as a lot of pools at people's home's here. Swimming is free in Hawaii.

 

[andyjeffries]

I guess that is another thing I take for granted. In addition to the ocean, there are a lot of public swimming pools as well as a lot of pools at people's home's here. Swimming is free in Hawaii.

As if I'm not jealous enough of you living in a gorgeous place like Hawaii, you have to say this!

(I LOOOVE swimming, I'm not an amazing swimmer, but I really enjoy it and both my kids seem to have inherited that)