Something I recently noticed and need some advice please

[tkd_Jaz]

Hi everyone!
I've been lifting for a long time now and am 6' 164 lbs. I've got that body type that always looks kinda skinny and I've never really been strong as a child. Now I'm in an awesome shape and look really ripped (not bragging). The thing is though even though I can deliver strong kicks I seem to still be weak. What I mean by this is that it's like my muscles are strong and I can lift a lot, my body as a whole is not. If I need to use my whole body to push or pull something, I have a hard time with it even though I can lift more.For example, we were laying down cement and I was getting a bag of the cement powder which is like I don't know 70lbs and I was having a hard time with it. So it's almost like the muscle is there but the strength is not. I'm just wondering what I can do to improve this and any other input is appreciated!

 

[Twin Fist]

6 foot 165 is SKINNY

what muscle you have may be defined, but there just isnt much of it there.

 

[K31]

Are you doing any core exercises that work many major muscle groups at once? Too many people spend hours doing bicep curls (for example) and neglect the back and abdominal muscles. The legs as well, although it sounds like you are working those unless you are doing isolation exercises on those and neglecting exercises like squats and deadlifts.

 

[tkd_Jaz]

Are you doing any core exercises that work many major muscle groups at once?

Yes, most of my workouts are core and then I have a few that are focused on isolating. The big thing for me is that it's hard for me to put on weight than loose it. Also I don't want to be too big either I think if i could reach around 180 - 185 that would be good. I'm not really concerened if i'm skinny, I just want to be stronger overall. Thank You for your input!

 

[Empty Hands]

If I need to use my whole body to push or pull something, I have a hard time with it even though I can lift more.

It's just like TF said. You don't have much backup mass to put into something. I'm sure you're strong for your weight, but when you need your whole body for something, you only have 165 lbs to use. Try to put on some weight.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Hi everyone!
I've been lifting for a long time now and am 6' 164 lbs. I've got that body type that always looks kinda skinny and I've never really been strong as a child. Now I'm in an awesome shape and look really ripped (not bragging). The thing is though even though I can deliver strong kicks I seem to still be weak. What I mean by this is that it's like my muscles are strong and I can lift a lot, my body as a whole is not. If I need to use my whole body to push or pull something, I have a hard time with it even though I can lift more.For example, we were laying down cement and I was getting a bag of the cement powder which is like I don't know 70lbs and I was having a hard time with it. So it's almost like the muscle is there but the strength is not. I'm just wondering what I can do to improve this and any other input is appreciated!

Sports specific exercizes you ned Jas. I think you need to concetrate on exercises that work on sevearl body groups at once. It's not true gym work for building one set of muscles, but designing the workout the strain muscles that are used in karate exercies.

Deaf

 

[MBuzzy]

Core core core.

You may also consider altering the TYPE of exercises you do. For strength and bulk, you want high weight, low reps. Basically, you're going to have to start throwing up some major weight. Get yourself a trustworthy spotter!

 

[terryl965]

Core core core.

You may also consider altering the TYPE of exercises you do. For strength and bulk, you want high weight, low reps. Basically, you're going to have to start throwing up some major weight. Get yourself a trustworthy spotter!

This is exactly right or at least for me it is.

 

[exile]

Excellent, direct-hit posts, folks.

My take on the general strength-building/weight-training thing is this:

• Strength entails a lot of lean muscle mass. Strength-to-weight is great, but if your weight is low, that impressive strength-to-weight ratio still means you're weak. Not weak relative to weight, but weak in absolute terms.
  
  
• For efficient use of your weight resistance program to ensure strength gains, i.e. muscle volume size gains, you must do high intensity. Mike Mentzer has one program, Pete Sisco and John Little have one, Ellington Darden has one. I recommend the Sisco/Little system myself. I'm 6', and when I started my weight program I was a hard-gaining ectomorph weighing in close to what you are now. Currently I'm around 185, approximately 11% bodyfat—about the same percentage as I was when I started—and, at the top of my game, I could bench close to 400 lbs doing very, very, very short-range reps in a power rack. If you use a power rack you won't need a spotter and you can work entirely in your optimum leverage range (and thus really load on the weights) as per the S/L framework. I'm not gonna win any bodybuilding contests, but I haven't felt weak in a long, long time.
  
  
• You need to work not just on strength, the size of your engine so to speak, but on force delivery—how fast off the mark you are. My 4-cylinder Prelude routinely outperforms 6 and 8 cylinder cars simply because of the incredibly good design of its power delivery. In the same way, you need to work on delivery of energy to a target in a manner that ensures maximum transfer from you to that target. There's been an interesting discussion on ammo rounds on one of the other MT threads, underscoring the fact that impact force itself isn't necessarily the whole story, you have to ensure that the force you actually transfer is maximum, corresponding to maximum damage to the target. Accuracy and timing are crucial here.

So there's a lot going on.

(BTW, have you tried talking to your instructor about this problem you've noticed?)

 

[FieldDiscipline]

If you're going to be doing low rep high weight to gain weight and size, then the diet you eat is going to be important too.

I'll try and find a link later to a good site on nutrition.

 

[mook jong man]

Have you tried a kettle bell ive gotten pretty strong from using one mines 16kg only a baby compared to what some people use . I also do chin ups and pullups , benchpress, deadlifts and squats etc.
I think you need a variety of things to get really strong, the body weight exercises have made a big difference for me.
But ive always been pretty stocky so im always trying to reduce bodyfat. Maybe you should try drinking more milk, or a body building weight gain formula.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Hi everyone!
I've been lifting for a long time now and am 6' 164 lbs. I've got that body type that always looks kinda skinny and I've never really been strong as a child. Now I'm in an awesome shape and look really ripped (not bragging). The thing is though even though I can deliver strong kicks I seem to still be weak. What I mean by this is that it's like my muscles are strong and I can lift a lot, my body as a whole is not. If I need to use my whole body to push or pull something, I have a hard time with it even though I can lift more.For example, we were laying down cement and I was getting a bag of the cement powder which is like I don't know 70lbs and I was having a hard time with it. So it's almost like the muscle is there but the strength is not. I'm just wondering what I can do to improve this and any other input is appreciated!

I see a numer of different issues here. One, you seem to indicate that even though your'e ripped, you had a hard time with seventy pounds. Consider that seventy pounds is nearly half your body weight. Keep in mind that being ripped is more a reflection of low body fat rather than high muscle mass.

Two, you can deliver strong kicks, but that is technique, not a feet of strength; Barry Bonds was hitting them out of the park when he was still relatively thin.

Three, what I see in your statement is that you're in very good condition, quite strong pound for pound, but lacking in poundage. Not really a bad place to be. Others here have already posted good suggestions for building up overall strength, so I don't really have too much to add. Pull ups are good for the core and for the arms. They work the biceps and lats and don't require much in the way of specialized equipment.

My question to you is this: What do really want in terms of strength? Just to be 'stronger'? A vague goal. I'd suggest setting some concrete and attainable goals; up your maximum liftable weight in a number of given exercises by a certain amount within a certain amount of time. Keep the goals for your max weights reasonable; if you bench 150, try to get to 160 over a two month period. If you bench about a hundred, make a goal to be able to bench your body weight by the end of the year. You can also try rep increases on certain exercises; if you can only do ten pullups without getting tired, try to up it to fifteen or twenty over a month or two.

Having concrete goals always helps in attaining the results you're after, particlularly with strength training.

Best wishes!

Daniel

 

[shesulsa]

To increase your *total* strength - your allover body strength - you need to do exactly what you find difficult. Move those bags of concrete around. Carry wood and other heavy objects. Move heavy furniture.

You will notice, over time, your overall body mass will increase and your power will *have* to engage at some point.

What you have is definition and task-specific strength - not body strength. Remember: George Foreman refused to lift weights for a long time, favoring cutting, chopping and carrying firewood for his overall power and strength. The man ... is a tree. My husband is much the same way - he hadn't lifted in over a decade but he cuts all our wood, hauls it, his job involves heavy physical labor. These tasks involve the core yes, but all muscle systems working together.

Keep on lifting and stretching and doing your cardio but do something involving your entire body. Just keep on trying, you'll get there.

 

[exile]

TThese tasks involve the core yes, but all muscle systems working together.

Keep on lifting and stretching and doing your cardio but do something involving your entire body.

Absolutely. Compound beats isolation every single time. Look at the big-gain exercises—bench presses, shoulder presses, squats. Seriously compound exercises, every one of them. Or again: if you do chins (especially weighted chins), your biceps will grow much faster than if you do concentration curls even with the same weight (body weight + whatever you've got chained round your waist)—even if you can do equivalent weight in the latter, which a lot of people probably can't.

 

[Logan]

Previous posts (especially Exile's) are spot on. There is a difference between power, muscle size, strength, and strength-endurance. They can interlink but it depends on what the task you want to achieve.

If you want strong kicks, you kick a bag and can use strength exercises as. supplementary. If you want to lift heavy things, you lift heavy things.

 

[bluekey88]

I'll also chime in that you need to change your workout regimre AND your diet. A Hight weight, Low rep (larger number of sets) routine focused on 3-6 compund bodty moevemnts...with an emphasis on Squats and deadlifts is ideal.

As for diet, you need to eat more. LOTS more if you want to gain muscle mass. You need to take in an excess of calories to put on weight....lots of extra protein in particular.

The book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe is a great place to start. It'll cover how to change your excercises and how to set up your diet to more effectively gain size and strength. There are plenty of other sources as well. Jason Feruggia has a lot of good info on his sight, his e-books are reasonably priced and full of good info as well. Also google "west side for skinny bastards" it's a workout routine for the so-called "hard gainers." Skinny guys who don;t put on weight easily.

Bottom line, it's going to take some hard work and some lifestyle changes...but it's totally doable.

Peace,
Erik

 

[K31]

If you haven't seen a doctor in while, you might want to tell him about your problem. There are a number of problems that cause fatigue that are not normally checked for, vitamin B-12 deficiency and hypothyroidism to name two.

 

[tkd_Jaz]

I did go to a doctor but not for that. I've been battling strep throat for a few days and had the whole package of symptoms. I'm feeling better now but I lost a lot of weight. I'm 153 lbs now which sucks because now I really look skinny! The good thing is thought after reading these posts I have a good starting point to build myself back up! Thank You everyone!

 

[AJPerry]

Hey Dude

I can relate to your problem. I am 6'2" and now weigh 200-210lbs but I was always skinny as a young guy. I had heart surgery when I was 18yo and was 6'2" and 140lb (I had pnumonia at the same time and couldn't hold down food for a week).

My best advice for you is eat good protein, go get a protien powder with 30-50% carbs if you want to bulk-up, or less than 20% carbs if you want to build lean muscle.

get in the habit of drinking protein shakes between your main meals and one more before you go to bed. If your meals and shakes are spaced around 3hrs apart you will actually get hungrer even though you are eating more, your metabolism will speed up.

Also consider a Zinc Magnesium supplement at night to help with muscle recovery and a deeper sleep to release your natural growth hormone. I strongly disagree with the use of steroids but there are supplements like ZMA and Protien that can help your body sustain a higher level of training.

As everyone else has said to you... Do some Core Exercises, Deadlifts and Squats are great but there is a whole world of other exercises you can do to keep your training interesting. Body Weight exercises with high reps will give you the explosive power you need for good punches and kicks while kettlebell training and core exercises will let you throw the big guys around the room like ragdolls.

I have made a link on my own website for the best info I have come across for Core Strength Training. I didn't write it, the guys who did train harder than me and the book has so many ways to train that I am still just scratching the surface.

If you're still looking for ideas on how to get explosive power for your MA training there is a link to the info on my site www.rainingbombs.com

I hope this doesn't violate any forum code but the info is great ad I hope it can help you meet your goals.

 

[PEP-REP]

Hi everyone!
I've been lifting for a long time now and am 6' 164 lbs. I've got that body type that always looks kinda skinny and I've never really been strong as a child. Now I'm in an awesome shape and look really ripped (not bragging). The thing is though even though I can deliver strong kicks I seem to still be weak. What I mean by this is that it's like my muscles are strong and I can lift a lot, my body as a whole is not. If I need to use my whole body to push or pull something, I have a hard time with it even though I can lift more.For example, we were laying down cement and I was getting a bag of the cement powder which is like I don't know 70lbs and I was having a hard time with it. So it's almost like the muscle is there but the strength is not. I'm just wondering what I can do to improve this and any other input is appreciated!

I would ask what do you want the strength for? do you want to kick hard? or lift alot of weight? if you want to lift alot of weight you need to be heavier.. need mass to move mass..

however if your looking to kick hard.. then no mass is needed just proper technique and resistance training. Using bungy cords for resistance traing will increase the speed of your kicks there by increasing power.

I could go on for days lol but I will wait for your response

Glenn