You’ve seen them – the huge arms, the wide v-shaped back, and thighs the diameter of a basketball wearing an Ahnold Rules! sweatshirt. And you secretly wish you were them (well, maybe not you ladies). As a TKD practitioner, you might be afraid that extra muscle will slow you down or have a negative effect on your flexibility. Our next few articles will focus on some of the positive aspects of resistance training, some do’s and don’ts, and probably some more don’ts after we think about it some more...

Resistance training is an important element of any serious athlete’s training regimen. Done correctly, lifting weights will help you to kick and punch with greater speed and power without losing flexibility. If you’re working with a trainer at a health club, just be sure to tell them you’re not interested in becoming Bulk Hogan. Goal setting and communication is a big part of doing this the right way.

If You’ve Got a Door, You’ve Got a Gym

There are all kinds of ways to create resistance; free weights, machines, even carrying your backpack to school. Any added weight increases the stress placed on your muscles, which in turn makes them stronger over time. As with Taekwondo training, working with resistance is a marathon not a sprint. So be patient, and concentrate on good technique using a program designed to complement your TKD training. Following are some things to consider and set the stage for upcoming articles.

Benefits of resistance training:

•      increased strength/power
•      joint stabilization
•      improved anaerobic capacity 

 Cautions:

• Age. There’s not much benefit to resistance training until kids reach that most pleasant stage in life (no I’m not talking about retirement). Until the body is able to produce testosterone, stick with training that focuses on improving Taekwondo techniques. In other words, just come to class more!
• Experience. Never begin any training program without proper supervision/instruction. This is especially true of weight training. Improper technique or the lack of understanding of how to use the different pieces of equipment can lead to serious injury.

Successful weight training tips:

•      Log your progress-keep track of your repetitions and how much weight you lift during each session.
•      Focus on the quality of your repetitions, not the number of them by concentrating on these important points:
  •  Each repetition should take 4-5 seconds to complete, dividing the time evenly between lowering and raising the weight. The same applies to other forms of resistance producing tools where extension and contraction are used to stress the muscle.
  • Movements should be smooth – don’t pause or bounce at the bottom of the movement, or bounce the weight off of your body. By keeping constant tension on your muscles, you reduce the risk of injury dramatically.
• Breathe! We discussed the dangers of holding your breath during exercise in a previous article. When performing any resistance movement, exhale during the exertion phase of the movement and inhale during the lowering phase. So if you’re performing a bench press movement starting with your arms extended upward, exhale completely, and as you slowly lower the weight inhale deeply. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, exhale while you lift the weight upward to the starting position. If you don’t have much experience with this, don’t worry – it will become second nature after just a few sessions.
• Train different body parts each training day. Your muscles need to time to recuperate, so allow at least 48-72 hours between training sessions. This is especially important when resistance training is combined with Taekwondo training. Don’t over train!

If you’d like help setting up a training program that combines resistance and Taekwondo training, please contact Master Wray for more information.

다음기사: the basic program

Disclaimer: the information contained in this article is based on the USTKD staff members’ many years of fitness and training experience. Although we have a pretty good idea of what we’re doing after all this time, this article is not intended to substitute for any certified professional training which may be available through various health/fitness clubs. Therefore, USTKD Murrieta does not assume liability for any injuries that may result from the use of these articles.