How much is too much weight to lift for martial arts?

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by tooksomechin_na, Jul 24, 2017.

  1. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    I'd like to eventually be able to bench press 300 pounds easily (say do 5 reps) , but I've heard if you're training in any kind of striking martial which (Which I also want to do) that you shouldn't do this, being bulky means punches and kicks you throw will be slower, as weight lifting is a pushing motion while punching and kicking is a snapping motion.

    Also, is there any kind of weight press where you hold your arms out so your wrists are facing each other, grab 2 bars of the machine and lift the weight straight up. Doing a military press is somewhat like this except your arms are out forward to the sides, wrists down and lift the weight straight up.
     
  2. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    Can't edit, but I meant a military press on a machine at least, not with a barbell
     
  3. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    Being strong is never going to be a handicap for martial arts. In competition based arts you'll compete in weight categories. Imagine you're in the heavyweight category: do you want to be the strong guy or the fat guy?
     
    axelb likes this.
  4. Arcaderat5

    Arcaderat5 Member

    From my own experience, no it wont but it can hinder.

    If you preform strength training and practice the arts then your strike will be fine, if not better.

    However, it can affect your recovery due to DOMS and what not, depending on how you workout.
     
  5. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    Stretch loads and learn proper technique when striking and your strength wont negatively impact your skills at all.

    More knowledgeable posters than I could likely advice a specific set of weight training protocols that would give you strength and explosiveness that you could complement your striking with... Icefield and fishofdoom seem likely candidates.
     
  6. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    When it comes to more muscle, they only set back this will have is it becomes harder to keep going, more energy is required so you can gas quicker.

    That being said, the amount of time and dedication required to get to such a size that would be detrimental to your performance, it is likely that you would not have the time for martial arts itself.
    There is a balance, and it often comes down to the time you have available for strength training, and the timing of the training (so it doesn't impact your lessons).

    As a very generic view on the program, as long as you are doing compound lifts with planned progression you will make your body stronger.
    Try not to become to specific to areas of the body, of your body is stronger all over, your execution of techniques will be stronger, don't forget that legs, hips, core are fundamental to punching power, and not just arms/shoulders/chest.
     
    cloudz likes this.
  7. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    Yeah, you won't get slower if you keep training correctly. If anything, if you weight train correctly you might get faster.

    The second kind of press you describe, if I'm reading you correctly, I think probably does exist in some seated shoulder press machines, but more often than not will have to be improvised. I've done something similar on a calf raise machine a couple of times for fun :p (like this)
     
    axelb likes this.
  8. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    Everything FoD says. After weights, I tend to do some padwork to loosen everything up if I'm training with a partner. If not I go home and do what stretching I can.
    I can only do Shoulder/Military press whilst seated. Properly anyway. When I do it standing my posture is all over the place.
     
    axelb likes this.
  9. YouKnowWho

    YouKnowWho Valued Member

    If you can

    - lift X lb, try to lift X - 5 lb.
    - repeat it Y times, try to repeat it 1.5Y, or 2Y times.

    You have to "enjoy" what you do. You don't want to "force" yourself to do it. It's not important whether you are doing today. It matters whether you will still do it when you are 70, or even 80.
     
    axelb and Fish Of Doom like this.
  10. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    Here's something I looked at, that said it's not a good idea. Heck, I'm go more than 300 pounds to 500 if I could, or however much I could lift, but don't want to be a boulder, plus too muscle can be unhealthy. Body builders don't live longer, or are the longest lived people.

    Why Lifting Weights Won’t Increase Punching Power
     
  11. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    Just because certain types of weight lifting programmes won't translate directly to aiding punching power doesn't mean weight lifting full stop is detrimental.

    Intelligent goal orinentated programming and proper punching mechanics FTW.
     
    Dead_pool likes this.
  12. Rataca100

    Rataca100 Banned Banned

    The only issue is if you do body building, granted your muscles can get too big and there is a limit to how much weight the human body can take anyway. But only people who do body building really need to worry about that and from what i know it just stops range of motion somewhat. Take it from somone who has bigish muscles or they are padded with fat that chafing is bad. XP


    Just dont forget, your power comes from the entire body not just the arms. :p
     
  13. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    I think once you hit a certain strength there's reducing returns in getting stronger.

    For example, if you can squat twice your weight, being able to squat three times your weight doesn't make you 50% better at fighting, it's probably a better use of your time to then work on single leg squats quality and strength, etc or focus on another primal movement.
     
  14. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    Full stop? Don't you mean full speed? As in full speed ahead, pretty much?
     
    Knee Rider likes this.
  15. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    Ha! Why not.
     
  16. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    Guess it depends, look at sumo wrestlers that are fat and strong, they beat bodybuilders at sumo at least, not that it's really a martial art, more of a sport, get him off his feet or out of the ring to win.
     
  17. Rataca100

    Rataca100 Banned Banned

    Train for how you fight. Applies to all sport, thats why you dont see many cross athletes unless they specfically do muitiple sports. Body builders who only do that loose in basically everysport but bodybuilding related ones. also big muscles does not equal strenght you can have pretty scrawny and strong people.
     
  18. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    One thing I thought of instead of lifting the full 300lbs, I could do more reps with say, 150, and see how much I can lift every now and then with heavier weights.
     
  19. AndrewTheAndroid

    AndrewTheAndroid A hero for fun.

    300 is a lot of weight. if you want to lift that much weight you have to work up to it in a progressive manner.
     
  20. tooksomechin_na

    tooksomechin_na Valued Member

    Yes, obviously. But, what I mean is after I get to 150 lifting for a couple weeks, instead of changing to say 160 and doing the same amount of reps, I could just do more reps with 150
     

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