Gym Exercises Overview

Weight training does not necessarily mean bodybuilding. Weight training or resistance training makes us stronger, faster and more powerful.  These are critical points for any athlete or anybody who wants to achieve peak performance. Weight/resistance training belongs into any athlete’s workout routine, including (traditional) karate. Do not let anybody who is not educated tell you that weight training would make you slow. These are the words of somebody who has missed the chance to educate him or herself but also has not followed science or sports medicine or any progress in sports for the last 50 years. Excessive bodybuilding and bulk muscle mass can slow you down at a certain point but that is not the same as sports specific weight training.

In addition, without a change in your diet and eating habits you will NEVER be able to gain as much weight as a professional bodybuilder, no matter how heavy and how much you lift.

Use weight training to improve your sports specific movements and movement patterns. The key is to make your muscle stronger, faster, smarter and efficient. That is the way and key to perform better in your sport.  Include  sports specific weight training into your workout and you will immediately see benefits in your karate.

Weight and resistance training can also be a great way to keep your muscles in good shape. The high numbers of repetition it takes for an elite Karateka to challenge his/her muscles might not always be the best way to train since this not only can be very time consuming but can also put a lot of stress on joints and ligaments.

While at a younger age it might be crucial to max out the repetitions to build up strength, endurance, stamina and will power, it might get counter productive for an older athlete. Training smarter and including a weight training program can be much more beneficial with less risk for injuries