intro & question

Hi everyone,

I don’t spend that much time online, so I can’t promise to visit the forum very often, but I had an important question and I’m convinced people here will have some answers, so here I am!

First of all a bit more about myself.

I grew up in Roeselare (Belgium), but I moved to Gent (also Belgium) in 1990 and have lived here since.

I never ate that healthy during my childhood. I never did any sports as well. Merely because I had severe asthma, and doctors discouraged me from taking up exercise. So I was a very weak kid…

I started doing a bit of powertraining and a bit of jogging/swimming in my late teen-years. I got some more self-confidence, but because of the asthma I didn’t really enjoy working out that much yet.

When I moved out of my parents house to attend university however, things changed for the better. I ate vegetarian for 99% of the time (although it remained junk-food half of the time), took up a martial art, and started to enjoy working out, running and swimming. I also read a lot about positive thinking and self-confidence. As a result I could throw away all of my asthma-medication!

However, after a few marvelous years of glory I got lazy again. And now, more than a decade later (I’m 34 now), I’ve gained about 25 extra kilo’s. And they’re not muscles. The medication’s back, along with some other health and life-style problems.

I’m convinced I should go as raw and as vegan as possible, but haven’t succeeded yet. “Yet”, because rest assured, I will make it!

Anyway – I started out by saying I had a question…

I’ve re-entered the gym, and they gave me a “wellness”-program to begin with. Some stretching, some ab-exercises, some cardio, and a bit of weight-training (machines only, no free weights). The training program is: 12 reps (70% of my maximum weight), 1 set, 1 exercise per muscle (or muscle-group). That’s it.

While this is ideal for people who’re totally out of shape, after some time, I of course wanted more! No problems, I’ve got several bodybuilding books laying around, so I could design my own program. Training became harder, I felt the pump/burn again, so everything went more than okay.

Well – not exactly everything. You see, I also picked up a martial art again. Combining the martial art with the beginners-program of the gym went fine. But combining it with my own more bodybuilding-oriented program – now there was a problem.

For example, we do a lot of low stances and repeat them a lot– I couldn’t go as low anymore because my body hurt so much from my workouts in the gym! While it felt great to feel the burn again, really making you aware that you’ve really had thé best workout, it also resulted in me barely being able to move during the martial art sessions.

So I need a new program.

I don’t necessarily have/want to look like a bodybuilder. I don’t have to bulk up or gain weight – on the contrary, I need to lose a lot of it. I need a program that’ll provide me with lots of explosive power, one which’ll help me in my martial art instead of hinder me beacuse of too much soreness. A program which also helps me become as flexible as possible. But of course still a program that permits me to spend lots of time in the gym, allows me to build a fine strong cut body.

Any help – tips – recommendations – book titles are greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks for reading & responding,

Kurt

p.s. For anyone wondering about the martial art: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinenkan

Hi Kurt,

welcome to the forum.

Thanks for taking the time and introduce yourself

How long have you been working out now? How long the "wellness" workout, and how long your plan? Could you give us an idea of what you do?

Generally, martial arts can well be combined with bodybuilding. Depending on when you have the MA classes, you should time your weight training. For example, do the legs on friday when you have MA on monday and thursday, to give them the maximum rest.

Another point worth considering is that you're doing too much for your legs in one session. Try doing legs two or three times per week, but with lower intensity and volume, thus you'll be fresh for the MA.

I don’t have to bulk up or gain weight – on the contrary, I need to lose a lot of it. I need a program that’ll provide me with lots of explosive power, one which’ll help me in my martial art instead of hinder me beacuse of too much soreness.

Okay, you want to concentrate on the MA, right? I'd recommend to hit the weights "only" 2 times per week for a whole body workout. For explosive power, compound exercises are best, you should try to find someone experienced to show you the moves. I'm talking about squats, deadlift, benchpress, dips, pull ups for the start. Go down slowly and up explosively but CONTROLLED.

A program which also helps me become as flexible as possible.

Then you need to stretch a lot

Stretching you should do as often as possible, every day, when already warm, not for warm-up.

But of course still a program that permits me to spend lots of time in the gym, allows me to build a fine strong cut body.

Okay, so maybe not 2 times per week?

Depending on the intensity you can workout as often as you wish. Maybe you try this program:

Split A:

Dips.

Squats.

Pull ups.

Crunches.

Split B:

Bench press.

Deadlift.

Barbell row.

Work out every other day, the program alternating. Do general warm up, then warm up sets on each exercise and 2 work sets each. Stop one rep short of muscle failure and keep a strict form.

If it's not enough for you, this is a modification on it:

Split A:

Bench press.

Dips.

Squats.

Crunches.

Split B:

Pull ups.

Barbell row.

Deadlift.

You can do A and B on two consecutive days, then one day rest, then again. If you feel worn out, slide a day rest in between the two. Don't rest for two days in a row.

If you want to lose weight faster, add some cardio (in extra session or after the weights for 30min).

There are a zillion good workout plans out there. Some are good, some are bad, but every single one has to be adjusted to suit your individual needs and preferances.

Have a good workout,

love and peace,

Daywalker

Hi,

Thanks for responding! (& Sorry for the late reply)…

As for an answer on your questions…

I’ve now been doing the “wellness”-program on and off for the last year or so. “On” meaning that I visit the gym on an almost daily basis. Once I get into the habit, it’s the first thing I do in the morning!

“Off” – well, once I skip the gym a couple of times, it’s harder to go back. So it’s possible that I train almost daily for a couple of weeks, then don’t go for a couple of weeks, and so on. Frustrating, but I’ve still got the martial arts to keep me moving, and I’m working on really making it a habit… (The same is true for eating healthy – once the habit kicks in it’s great, once I begin to “sin” that becomes the habit again).

Generally, after a week or two of the wellness-program, I do my own thing – a split routine, a bit more weight, including free weights instead of only machines, and more sets with fewer reps but increased weight. It really is a great work out – except for the martial arts problem then.

Yes, I see your point about eg. training the legs on Tuesday when I had the ma on Monday.

However, there’s just one problem: the martial arts training is every evening of the week.

Normally 1,5 hours of training, but I also teach the children’s group 3 times a week, so at those days the training for me lasts 3 hours.

Sometimes there are extra trainings in the week-end as well (there’s a seminar coming up next Saturday which is 4,5 hours of training).

This might seem like a lot, but it’s manageable. Ideally, my day consists of going to the gym in the morning and having the ma in the evening. With sometimes jogging, swimming and/or cycling during the week… (I’ve been unemployed for a while now, so I’ve got all the time I want (though financially it’s a bummer of course)).

I think what I’m looking for is a program which allows me to visit the gym very often, while ensuring that I’m not too sore for a daily ma workout… Still, I wouldn’t wanna work out without feeling the burn neither, so it’s a bit of a pickle.

I guess what I need is the work-out/program/body of a dancer, gymnast,… So also including exercises with your body-weight instead of just barbells, dumbbells, and machines. I haven’t found any decent books about that (yet). The general opinion which I normally get in the ma-scene is just not to visit the gym, but get everything I need from the martial arts themselves. Well – I enjoy the gym, and feel/look much better when including weight training.

The stretching is a problem. I’ve been stretching several times a week for the past years now (gym + ma), and I haven’t gotten more flexible. Maybe it’s time to visit a professional. I also get back pain a lot when trying to stretch.

Hope that answers your questions a bit? Thanks for the suggestions already made, they’re certainly useful!

Kurt

Hi again.

However, there’s just one problem: the martial arts training is every evening of the week.

Normally 1,5 hours of training, but I also teach the children’s group 3 times a week, so at those days the training for me lasts 3 hours.

Sometimes there are extra trainings in the week-end as well (there’s a seminar coming up next Saturday which is 4,5 hours of training).

 

This might seem like a lot, but it’s manageable. Ideally, my day consists of going to the gym in the morning and having the ma in the evening. With sometimes jogging, swimming and/or cycling during the week…

 

I think what I’m looking for is a program which allows me to visit the gym very often, while ensuring that I’m not too sore for a daily ma workout… Still, I wouldn’t wanna work out without feeling the burn neither, so it’s a bit of a pickle.

 

Hope that answers your questions a bit? Thanks for the suggestions already made, they’re certainly useful!

Okay.

I still think you should try my 2-split program i mentioned above: You can work out often, you won't be sore, you'll certainly gain, you should be fresh in the evening. I used to have the same "problem", i did 6x1.5 hours MA per week plus the BB, but it showed that it didn't hinder me to gain.

A high intensity workout might also be possible, but i can't see the benefit from it (except the feeling during the workout, the burn, and the exhaustion afterwards...). A slightly sore muscle shouldn't hinder at the MA, and i think the muscle will even benefit from being worked again light while still slightly sore.

Please keep us informed on your progress

Have a great workout,

Daywalker

Please keep us informed on your progress

I promise to post some 'before & after'-pics as soon as the "after" is worthwhile enough!