Introduction

Weight training is a double edged sword for Martial Arts athletes due to their need to maximize a smorgasborg of physical attributes which at first glance do not seem to marry well together.

A karate athlete must be fast and flexible, so large, heavy and bulky muscles like those of a body builder are obviously probably not the best road to high perfomance and victory in the ring.

Yet a karate athlete must be strong and powerful... hmm... what to do? You must work out and develop strong muscles which are "large, heavy and bulky" right? This in turn will make you more powerful right? Yes and no...

Lets examine what you need this strength and power for: Stength, for the occasional quick grapple and Power for the "ouchie" or kimae at the end of your punches, kicks and blocks. That's it broken down very basically. Without getting into a long-winded disertation on physiology, biomechanics and physics, let me simplify it all and cut to the chase.

Mass X Velocity = Power

You can make up for less mass (those bulky muscles) with the increased speed you will have due to having to move less weight in a more flexible environment (i.e. your muscle size will not get in the way of your movement).

(Please note that the above equation also has a longer brother which shows that retraction speed increases the power delivered by the technique.)

Now here's where it gets tricky... we are all individuals with different physiological make ups. We will each react differently to exercise. I, for example, am prone to bulk up extremely quickly if I lift weights. (A body builder's dream) I therefore prefer to use my own body weight with occasional weights for specific areas of need. Other athletes may not be so lucky and require more routine weight training programs involving bench presses etc. As a rule of thumb, for karate, it is better to have lower weights and higher repetitions when planning a work out routine.

The tricky part is finding the right formula for you where you have a maximum of strength without compromising your speed and flexibility. While I will list exercises and their benefits below, this is clearly a very personal issue which you and your coaches need to figure out on your own.

One extremely beneficial use of weight training is in rehabilitation after injuries. It is easier to single out a set of muscles effected by an injury and focus on them with weight machines or free weights.

Generally speaking here are the benefits of weight training:

+  Helps control blood pressure
+  Reduces body fat
+  Improves posture
+  Increases muscle strength
+  Raises Basal Metabolic Rate
+  Increases bone density
+  Injury prevention from normal activities
+  Physical appearance

For those of you wanting to lose fat, weight training does indeed help. Spot reduction is not possible, however, adding lean muscle raises the Basal Metabolic Rate and therefore burns more total body fat.

Circuit Training
This is similar in principle to the Circuit Training described in another section in this Training Center. The two main differences are that this one is done using weights or weight machines and has less aerobic benefits. The principal is however the same: gyms usually set up weight circuits to target specific muscles in a predetermined order. Generally, the exercises are done quickly without a great deal of rest in between sets. One set is performed on a machine and followed by a set of different exercises on the next machine. When all the machines in the circuit have been used the round is completed again from the start until three complete sets have been executed.

Circuit Weight Training does not provide an effective aerobic workout. Studies evaluating circuit weight training showed an average improvement of only 6% in cardiovascular fitness as measured by VO2 max. Circuit training was described as continuous exercise with moderate weights using 10 - 15 repetitions with 15 - 30 second rest periods.

Overload Principle
Each individual's capabilities are determined by their genetic makeup. Individuals with increased neuromuscular efficiency incorporate greater numbers of muscle fibers during contraction and therefore have the advantage in strength potentials.

Muscles have a tendency to adapt to repeated stimulus, thereby, requiring less energy and effort to execute the same task. This can inhibit muscle growth (hypertrophy) or fat loss that we are trying to achieve. There are two types of overload principles:

Increasing Weights - increases muscle size.
Increasing Repetitions - increases muscle strength with less growth in size.

If you over-stimulate the muscle, growth in strength and size will be inhibited. The levels of over-stimulation are dependent on each individual. It would be unreasonable to double the amount of weights. Make sure that you can do at least 4 to 6 repetitions.

Specificity Principle
Muscle training for a specific task is called specificity. Although each person has individual variations in movement for sports related activities, specific training essentially involves working the muscles in the same manner as it's expected use.

Muscle design evolves for a specific use. Care must be used when isolating specific muscles not to create an unbalanced condition. Unbalanced muscles may allow a particular muscle to work harder than the supporting and stabilizing muscles, thereby, increases the chances of injury. Types of Specificity Principles:

Resistance - resistance is identical to or greater than encountered during the activity or sport.
Movement - movement patterns mimic that encountered during the activity or sport.
Muscle - specific muscles are exercised that will be used during the sport or activity.
Speed - movement matches speed used during the activity or sport.