Conditioning Routine & Exercises to Increase Striking Po
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:33 pm
Here are some more routines from Bud Jeffries that I thought some folks might be interested in.
CONDITIONING ROUTINE
Start off with 100 swings using a moderately heavy kettlebell or dumbbell
Next do the following sets:
20 bodyweight squats
Jog in place for 50 steps
15 jumping jacks
Jog in place for 50 steps
10 sit ups
Jog in place for 50 steps
5 push ups
Jog in place for 50 steps.
Finish with 50 KB or DB swings
Try not to stop moving. As soon as you finish your set start jogging in place, and as soon you finish jogging hit your next set. Try to beat 15 minutes for the whole workout. You should be breathing very hard and you will have worked every muscle in your body along the way.
HEAVY HITTERS DUMBBELL COMPLEX
Here is a quick dumbbell complex you should try; especially those of you who want to increase your striking power, strength and stamina throughout the whole body at the same time.
1. One arm press/push press
2. Windmill
3. One arm high pull/snatch
4. One arm bent row
5. One arm, one leg deadlift
6. Lunge or Bulgarian Squat holding dumbbell
7. Two hands one dumbbell swing
Unlike most complexes that are purely for conditioning this one can be done heavy and should be done both for high and low reps. Begin with a one arm press depending on how heavy you go, possibly a push press and while you’ve got the bell over head drop immediately into a windmill. Then switch hands and repeat depending on how heavy your dumbbell is you go immediately to a one arm high pull or if you can, full snatch. From there immediately to the one arm bent row, then the one arm, one leg deadlift which you can do either bent or stiff legged style.
From there pick the dumbbell up with both hands, hold it at the waste and perform either an alternating lunge or a Bulgarian squat. (Place a bench behind you, put your right foot up on the bench, then squat down with your left leg – alternate one leg at a time). From there finish with a full dumbbell swing using both hands to hold the dumbbell. With this complex you can go heavy and build both explosive strength and endurance at the same time. I’ve done it with a 150 and could do it heavier.
For a rep scheme with this you might 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1 or simply 3 sets of 3 or you could alternately go with higher or lower reps depending on how hard the individual exercise is for you. For instance press x 2, windmill x 1, high pull x 4, etc.
The other great thing about this is that it builds your ability to unify the power of the entire body behind a single limb. A big key to both hitting harder and your ultimate strength levels and you’ll breath like a steam engine while you do this.
TOP TEN EXERCISES FOR STRIKING POWER:
1. The one-arm dumbbell press. There are multiple styles of the one arm press done with a dumbbell from strict to explosive. All styles will help because they all overload the body in a way to unify it behind one limb which is a key in striking. Putting your whole body behind the striking arm. This will strengthen your upper body better than any other exercise as well as teaching unified movement of the upper back and coordinated movement of the core and legs.
2. Full Squats or Deadlifts. If you’re really going to learn to hit hard you have to be doing full body training. The kind that makes your body function as one piece and adds to the power of every muscle in the body, not just some isolated exercise. Maybe not everybody prefers squats like I do, but one or the other is a must for building an extension of the legs, hips and back to generate real power for striking.
3. The kettlebell swing. This exercise gives you not only explosive, extending power of the hips, legs and back, but endurance to boot which is a huge plus in any kind of striking style. Intent is everything in training. Something that’s big on the agenda for super martial artists like Steve Cotter. When you do the swing think no only of crisp, snappy, powerfully explosive movements, but of the same powerful body extension that you would use in throwing a strike. Breathe deep. Deep breathing adds to your internal energy as well as health.
4. The Sledgehammer Swing. Swinging sledgehammers for building muscle, strength, conditioning and striking power was a tremendous secret of the old time boxers. Guys who could hit REALLY hard. It’s also symbiotic with the kettlebell swing. Working a total body explosive movement with heavy emphasis on the shoulders, wrists and abdominals. Teaching your body the correct explosive sequencing to hit harder while at the same time building its physical powers.
5. Isometric Strikes. There are many ways to do this, but I’m going to share with you one way. I put a chain around an immovable object (low for kicking, high for punching), and attach either a strap to put around my foot or a handle to grab with my hand and then as closely as I possibly can I simulate the exact path a correctly thrown strike would take pulling against the chain. I make sure that my body as well as the limb that I’m striking with follows all the actions that a correctly thrown strike would take. I work the isometric along multiple parts of the path of the strike starting at the generation and going out along a link or two on the chain until I get to the finish. Be sure to work both hands or legs. And you can hold for whatever time or reps you see fit, just work it hard.
6. The Dennis Rogers Lever Wrist Curl. I’m probably not supposed to let this cat out of the bag, but I’m going to sneak around and share it with you. Dennis is as you know, probably one of THE world’s foremost authorities on hand strength. He has some absolutely unique exercises that you’ll be hearing about from him very soon. I’m going to share with you a variation of one he taught me, because I think it’ll be one of the greatest hand and wrist strengtheners you’ll ever do and because it will be a big key towards strengthening your hand and wrist movement to protect it and empower it for incredible striking.
Dennis does it with a short barbell, but I prefer to do it with a dumbbell just for convenience sake. What you basically do is overload one side of the bell by 3 to 10 pounds depending on your strength and the length of the bell you use. You then perform a normal one arm wrist curl with it. Alternating between the overloaded side being on your thumb side or on the pinkie side. By doing this you are strengthening the wrist, but in essence performing a levering and wrist curl at the same time. The unbalanced load puts extra stress on the fingers as well making it a very complete hand strengthening movement. Very powerful and a lot of bang for your buck.
7. Cable Resisted Strikes. There is a ton of argument back and forth over whether or not adding some resistance to your punching, striking, kicking, etc., will actually add to your power. I believe that it will, but I think you have to use the right kind of resistance. Coincidentally so does Pat Militech who knows a thing or two about combat. I don’t think using hand weights does the job, because the resistance isn’t in the right path. While they might add great endurance to your shoulders I don’t think they really add to your power. I like to take a portable power jumper and attach it to some immovable object. Then I can either grab the handle or place the strap around my foot and do resisted punching or kicks with real high level resistance in either path for a strike. Because of the stretching resistance of the cable you emphasize speed, and follow through because the resistance grows the further you move the cable.
8. Upper body partials. I prefer to do one arm overhead or two arm overhead press/support partials. By doing them you involve the rest of the body as well as high level resistance for the rest of the body in a way that adds to your striking power. You could also do incline, or flat, or floor one or two arm press partials, but I believe the standing version is superior. Much of the power generated in strikes comes from the last few inches of the movement. The real “burst” if you will. Partials train this along with accustoming your body to massive resistance and strengthening your tendons and bones. Also very crucial to striking power.
9. Partial Squat or Deadlift. As we discussed earlier the real striking power is developed through explosive motion of the legs, hip, back and abs. By overloading the body and working through the short range of one of these partial movements, you prepare the body to exert as much pressure as possible out of the right muscles and in the right range. As much as full range lifts are necessary, nobody squats to the bottom to begin to throw a kick or start a punch. It’s a short popping/turning motion with the legs, hips, abs and back. Exactly what you’re training with these partials.
10. The full contact twist. This is an excellent exercise brought to light by Pavel Tsatsouline. Taken from Russian throwers and fighters. It specifically targets the abs in a motion that develops real power against real resistance in a coordinated turning/lifting effort. Exactly the prescription for striking power. Plus it really does strengthen the abs which is key to every component of lifting and life and especially the martial arts.
CONDITIONING ROUTINE
Start off with 100 swings using a moderately heavy kettlebell or dumbbell
Next do the following sets:
20 bodyweight squats
Jog in place for 50 steps
15 jumping jacks
Jog in place for 50 steps
10 sit ups
Jog in place for 50 steps
5 push ups
Jog in place for 50 steps.
Finish with 50 KB or DB swings
Try not to stop moving. As soon as you finish your set start jogging in place, and as soon you finish jogging hit your next set. Try to beat 15 minutes for the whole workout. You should be breathing very hard and you will have worked every muscle in your body along the way.
HEAVY HITTERS DUMBBELL COMPLEX
Here is a quick dumbbell complex you should try; especially those of you who want to increase your striking power, strength and stamina throughout the whole body at the same time.
1. One arm press/push press
2. Windmill
3. One arm high pull/snatch
4. One arm bent row
5. One arm, one leg deadlift
6. Lunge or Bulgarian Squat holding dumbbell
7. Two hands one dumbbell swing
Unlike most complexes that are purely for conditioning this one can be done heavy and should be done both for high and low reps. Begin with a one arm press depending on how heavy you go, possibly a push press and while you’ve got the bell over head drop immediately into a windmill. Then switch hands and repeat depending on how heavy your dumbbell is you go immediately to a one arm high pull or if you can, full snatch. From there immediately to the one arm bent row, then the one arm, one leg deadlift which you can do either bent or stiff legged style.
From there pick the dumbbell up with both hands, hold it at the waste and perform either an alternating lunge or a Bulgarian squat. (Place a bench behind you, put your right foot up on the bench, then squat down with your left leg – alternate one leg at a time). From there finish with a full dumbbell swing using both hands to hold the dumbbell. With this complex you can go heavy and build both explosive strength and endurance at the same time. I’ve done it with a 150 and could do it heavier.
For a rep scheme with this you might 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1 or simply 3 sets of 3 or you could alternately go with higher or lower reps depending on how hard the individual exercise is for you. For instance press x 2, windmill x 1, high pull x 4, etc.
The other great thing about this is that it builds your ability to unify the power of the entire body behind a single limb. A big key to both hitting harder and your ultimate strength levels and you’ll breath like a steam engine while you do this.
TOP TEN EXERCISES FOR STRIKING POWER:
1. The one-arm dumbbell press. There are multiple styles of the one arm press done with a dumbbell from strict to explosive. All styles will help because they all overload the body in a way to unify it behind one limb which is a key in striking. Putting your whole body behind the striking arm. This will strengthen your upper body better than any other exercise as well as teaching unified movement of the upper back and coordinated movement of the core and legs.
2. Full Squats or Deadlifts. If you’re really going to learn to hit hard you have to be doing full body training. The kind that makes your body function as one piece and adds to the power of every muscle in the body, not just some isolated exercise. Maybe not everybody prefers squats like I do, but one or the other is a must for building an extension of the legs, hips and back to generate real power for striking.
3. The kettlebell swing. This exercise gives you not only explosive, extending power of the hips, legs and back, but endurance to boot which is a huge plus in any kind of striking style. Intent is everything in training. Something that’s big on the agenda for super martial artists like Steve Cotter. When you do the swing think no only of crisp, snappy, powerfully explosive movements, but of the same powerful body extension that you would use in throwing a strike. Breathe deep. Deep breathing adds to your internal energy as well as health.
4. The Sledgehammer Swing. Swinging sledgehammers for building muscle, strength, conditioning and striking power was a tremendous secret of the old time boxers. Guys who could hit REALLY hard. It’s also symbiotic with the kettlebell swing. Working a total body explosive movement with heavy emphasis on the shoulders, wrists and abdominals. Teaching your body the correct explosive sequencing to hit harder while at the same time building its physical powers.
5. Isometric Strikes. There are many ways to do this, but I’m going to share with you one way. I put a chain around an immovable object (low for kicking, high for punching), and attach either a strap to put around my foot or a handle to grab with my hand and then as closely as I possibly can I simulate the exact path a correctly thrown strike would take pulling against the chain. I make sure that my body as well as the limb that I’m striking with follows all the actions that a correctly thrown strike would take. I work the isometric along multiple parts of the path of the strike starting at the generation and going out along a link or two on the chain until I get to the finish. Be sure to work both hands or legs. And you can hold for whatever time or reps you see fit, just work it hard.
6. The Dennis Rogers Lever Wrist Curl. I’m probably not supposed to let this cat out of the bag, but I’m going to sneak around and share it with you. Dennis is as you know, probably one of THE world’s foremost authorities on hand strength. He has some absolutely unique exercises that you’ll be hearing about from him very soon. I’m going to share with you a variation of one he taught me, because I think it’ll be one of the greatest hand and wrist strengtheners you’ll ever do and because it will be a big key towards strengthening your hand and wrist movement to protect it and empower it for incredible striking.
Dennis does it with a short barbell, but I prefer to do it with a dumbbell just for convenience sake. What you basically do is overload one side of the bell by 3 to 10 pounds depending on your strength and the length of the bell you use. You then perform a normal one arm wrist curl with it. Alternating between the overloaded side being on your thumb side or on the pinkie side. By doing this you are strengthening the wrist, but in essence performing a levering and wrist curl at the same time. The unbalanced load puts extra stress on the fingers as well making it a very complete hand strengthening movement. Very powerful and a lot of bang for your buck.
7. Cable Resisted Strikes. There is a ton of argument back and forth over whether or not adding some resistance to your punching, striking, kicking, etc., will actually add to your power. I believe that it will, but I think you have to use the right kind of resistance. Coincidentally so does Pat Militech who knows a thing or two about combat. I don’t think using hand weights does the job, because the resistance isn’t in the right path. While they might add great endurance to your shoulders I don’t think they really add to your power. I like to take a portable power jumper and attach it to some immovable object. Then I can either grab the handle or place the strap around my foot and do resisted punching or kicks with real high level resistance in either path for a strike. Because of the stretching resistance of the cable you emphasize speed, and follow through because the resistance grows the further you move the cable.
8. Upper body partials. I prefer to do one arm overhead or two arm overhead press/support partials. By doing them you involve the rest of the body as well as high level resistance for the rest of the body in a way that adds to your striking power. You could also do incline, or flat, or floor one or two arm press partials, but I believe the standing version is superior. Much of the power generated in strikes comes from the last few inches of the movement. The real “burst” if you will. Partials train this along with accustoming your body to massive resistance and strengthening your tendons and bones. Also very crucial to striking power.
9. Partial Squat or Deadlift. As we discussed earlier the real striking power is developed through explosive motion of the legs, hip, back and abs. By overloading the body and working through the short range of one of these partial movements, you prepare the body to exert as much pressure as possible out of the right muscles and in the right range. As much as full range lifts are necessary, nobody squats to the bottom to begin to throw a kick or start a punch. It’s a short popping/turning motion with the legs, hips, abs and back. Exactly what you’re training with these partials.
10. The full contact twist. This is an excellent exercise brought to light by Pavel Tsatsouline. Taken from Russian throwers and fighters. It specifically targets the abs in a motion that develops real power against real resistance in a coordinated turning/lifting effort. Exactly the prescription for striking power. Plus it really does strengthen the abs which is key to every component of lifting and life and especially the martial arts.