Best Martial Arts Exercise Program - Part 1: Strength Exercises Martial Arts Strength Training »

I have been a long time advocate that strength training greatly increases your martial arts ability not only physically, but mentally as well. There are many, many, MANY different philosophies on strength and many different people trying to sell you the quick way to achieve it. I’m actually somewhat “lucky” where I have the body type that I am able to put on mass fairly easily, but with that I also put on fat very easy. My diet needs to be right on when I am trying to be at a certain weight. If you are hardgainer and looking to put on some good mass, check this guy out. His site is a little “selling” but I’ve actually read a good deal of his articles and have seen him published before. Hes got a great program for strength training, and the “correct” way to take supplements, have the right diet, and good lifting principles. It’s called No Nonsense Muscle Building and it’s worth a good look at.

What I liked about No Nonsense Muscle Building is that it is focused around the big three and compound lifts. The big three being deadlift, squat and bench. Personally, I have stopped benching. Mostly because I can’t with my shoulder (just had surgery) and heavy benching took its tool. I have fell in love with heavy dumbbells. The only problem is that getting a good spot, with a bum shoulder is hard to come by.

Those 3 are the core exercises, but I also would like to add Push Press, Power Cleans, Pull-ups, Dips, and Power Curls.

• Deadlifts: If I could attribute ONE exercise for transforming me from a decent 200lb guy, to a 250lb brute, it would be the deadlift. This exercise has made my neck,traps,back,and legs very “thick.” Which makes me a pain to choke out and finish, but also very strong grabbing and pulling power. I have no problems picking up people bigger then me (we have a few in our school) and taking them to the mat. My lower back is rock solid and strong and it’s all from deadlifts. If anyone wants to put on serious muscle, and develop real man strength, the deadlift is the way to go (so is the squat, but I LOVE the deadlift).
• The Squat: You have to call it “The Squat”. I’m sure some of you are already thinking of an excuse why you don’t want to do the squat. You have bad knees, a bad back, and you’re only 20 years old right? You know what…. the people with the excuses need to stop being pussies. The squat is one of the best exercises for your whole body. You may only think you’re using your legs, but you are actually triggering your whole body to grow. The squat and other heavy lifting exercises causes your body to release endorphins, which trigger growth. Also, when the legs and core body grow, the rest of your body grows too. If you squat heavy and properly, you will get bigger.
• Push Press: This exercise is meant for overall power and strength. Start by standing up with a barbbell in your arms across your chest. Now, dip your legs around 8-10 inches and drive upwards. Use a powerful movement to get it up to the top. Activate your shoulders and triceps to make it lock out.
  Push Press Videos
• Power Cleans: The clean is an Olympic lift where the lifter takes barbell loaded with weight from the ground and the explosively brings it up to the shoulder level. There is no better exercise for developing explosive power, then the power clean and/or hang clean. The only drawback is that it is a complex exercise and many lifters have problems executing it properly… including myself. I know I need improvement on this exercise. To substitute or to change things up, I use sandbag cleans and kettlebell cleans.
  Power Clean Videos
  Kettlebell Videos
  Sandbag Training Videos
• Pullups, Dips, and Pushups: These are your tried and true bodyweight exercises. You should be able to easily rep out in each of these exercises, which is why I recommend strapping on some weight. Get a dipping belt, and load up the weights. It changes the whole dynamic of the exercise and makes it a lot of fun!
• One of my new favorite exercises is the Power Curl. I think this is one of the best exercises for grapplers, especially takedown style grapplers like myself. It is basically a combination of a power clean, and a barbell curl. The weight starts on the ground, and you explode in your hips and curl the weight up. It is a fun and great exercise. I particularly like it because I hate wasting time doing bicep curls, because I mainly view them as vanity muscles, but the Power Curl is a full body explosive exercise that utilizes your arms…. perfect arm exercise.
  Power Curl Videos

Next installment, I’ll go over putting a program together for serious strength and power for martial arts athletes.