What to train when you only have a few minutes?

[Troubadour]

So right now I work 10-12 hour days, with a day or two off here and there. I can't get to my normal classes very often (Once or twice a week at most right now), and I definitely don't want to lose anything from not training. So basically, if I can get in a few minutes every morning, any suggestions on what would be best to train?

My wife and I just bought a house, so I was able to set up a room with my weights and such, so right now I'm basically doing a few bench presses, pullups, and leg stretches (One of my eventual goals is to be able to do the splits. Haven't made much progress. )

Will a few minutes of that stuff be of any use, or should I work on anything else?

Thanks!

 

[Tony Dismukes]

You practice TKD, right? If you have just a few minutes each day, that would be enough time to go through one or two of your forms. Alternately you could just get some reps in on your kicks. Slow motion kicks with full extension focusing on balance and form are a great thing to practice.

 

[Troubadour]

I just set up a heavy bag, so trying to do more kicks. I was talking more about physical exercises, so not necessarily forms (I love practicing forms, so trying to branch out, actually )

 

[drop bear]

You can do a hundred kicks each kick each leg in about 10 minuets.

Otherwise lots of cardio options which we do timed in 5 minute intervals. Or tabata.

So one we have been doing is. 30 seconds exercise 10 seconds off. 6 repetitions of each exercise.

Jump sprawls.
V snaps.
Strict push ups.
Fast punching.

But you can mix and match.

 

[crazydiamond]

With only a "few mins" I agree with Drop Bear - Tabata or some basic stretches and then something like burpees.

If you can find 30 mins in the mornings in your basement - then some weights, yoga or other things could be alternated each day. Having a home gym in my basement was what allowed me to get back into shape after years.

 

[Buka]

It's difficult to practice Martial techniques in ten minutes or less. Part of it's lack of a warm up and part of it's what we are used to when we get to class everyday, which we have trouble changing in a different setting and in a different time frame.

But there are things you can do to stay in basic Martial shape, or at least stop that skid of going backwards from lack of time.

Set a timer for five minutes. Ready? Now drop and do ten push ups as fast as you can, I mean really burn those suckers - immediately flip to your back, not slowly move to your back, I mean flip like your shirt's on fire, bang out twenty sit ups (any kind, especially ones you hate.) As you finish the last one - explode back to a prone position, I mean fast, bro, do those ten push ups again. Flip to your back and do those twenty sit ups even faster. You're racing the clock now, sucker, let's see what you're made of. On the last one, flip over to prone and bang out ten push ups, not like you did before, but faster! What? Making too much noise in the house? Go faster.

Try that for five minutes. Seriously, don't just read this, actually try it. If you aren't sucking wind and shaking before that timer goes off..

Now.....work up to ten minutes, one minute at a time. Go get em, bro.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

if I can get in a few minutes every morning, any suggestions on what would be best to train?

My suggestion is:

1. Face east, drill your technique 1 (or combo 1).
2. Face south, drill your technique 2 (or combo 2).
3. Face west, drill your technique 3 (or combo 3).
4. Face north, drill your technique 4 (or combo 4).
5. Repeat 1 - 4 for the amount of time that you have.

For example,

- technique 1 can be just side kick (combo 1 can be side kick, turn back kick combo),
- ...

This way, you will have at least 4 techniques (or 4 combos) handy and fresh in case you need. You can change your 4 techniques (or 4 combos) weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or ...

 

[JowGaWolf]

Not enough time just means that you have to train harder during the short amount of time that you have. Think of it like a high intensity martial art training.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Ignore all these responses. You train perfection of stance, and transition.

 

[Gnarlie]

Form. Chamber position, path, end position. Especially important for hand techniques in Taekwondo. Is everything twisting? Are you using two hands? Are you applying your waist? Is the movement relaxed up until the peak phase?

 

[Midnight-shadow]

I personally would focus on core and flexibility. A quick warm-up, then some stretching and core strength exercises. Flexibility is one of those things that takes ages to develop, and yet is one of the first things you lose when you stop training. And for someone who specialises in kicks, you need that flexibility and core strength in my opinion.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Do kata.

 

[Deleted member 34973]

Any totalbody/body weight routine...there are hundreds of them.