Strength and power are essential attributes for any martial artist, affecting everything from how hard you punch to how high you jump. Whether your goal is to defeat an opponent in the ring or on the street, the stronger you are, the better the odds of walking away as the victor.
Strength and Power Training For Martial Arts is a total approach to building your strength base. Learn how to use free weights, machines, body weight exercises and plyometrics to build your muscles while increasing speed and flexibility. Each muscle group is discussed in detail - how it's used in martial arts, how to develop it, which exercises are most effective, and most importantly, how to take advantage of anatomical strengths when striking, blocking, kicking and grappling.
Beyond muscular strength, this book looks at the concepts of cardiovascular strength endurance, the impact of flexibility on strength, mental approaches to training, and the anatomy, physics and biomechanics of power. Strength and Power Training For Martial Arts wraps up with training plans for karate, taekwondo, hapkido, judo, jujitsu, aikido, muay thai/kickboxing and mixed martial arts as well as advice on designing your own personalized strength training plan.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Made a difference after two weeks Comment: Great book....simple to read....talks about the mechanics of all the strikes and kicks in the arts in addition to some outstanding exercises!! Customer Rating: Summary: Worth the money Comment: I have been weight training for years. Thought this might just be another copy of every other weight training book I ever bought. I was pleasantly surprised to find new information and new ways to weight train (and plyometrics) to complement my recent entrance into the exciting world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Wes
City Boxing, San Diego Customer Rating: Summary: Ideas that really work Comment: Martina Sprague's scientific approach to martial arts is a breath of fresh air in a field often filled with hype and hyperbole. Her writing is insightful, easy to understand, and, most importantly, her ideas really do work. The photos are clear and do a good job of reinforcing the text.
Strength and power training is important--if you want to perform in the ring, on the street, or in just about any martial endeavor, functional strength is an essential component of success. As the author so eloquently states, martial arts skill, background and experiences are not substitutes for strength; they are complementary qualities. If you are overweight, under-conditioned, or lazy, you must condition yourself above the basic requirements of your art, regardless of what kinds of hurdles stand in your way. So how do you build muscular strength, endurance, and power? By reading this outstanding book, of course... Well, that and making a concerted effort to regularly perform the exercise routines contained herein ;-).
The book begins by debunking common misconceptions about strength training then briefly covers important anatomical facts you'll need to take best advantage of the rest of the materials. Ms. Sprague's in-depth knowledge really shines through, explaining how each muscle group is used in the various martial arts, how to develop it effectively, and how to take advantage of anatomical strengths when striking, kicking, or grappling.
Topics include bodyweight and mechanical weight exercises, muscular endurance, strength and flexibility, upper body strength, abdominal strength, plyometrics, cardiovascular endurance, breathing, and flexibility. The mental approach necessary for successful training programs is also laid out. One of the biggest gems in this fine work is right at the end of the book where the author describes how to tailor a training plan for your art and designs a couple of martial art specific programs for karate, tae kwon do, hapkido, judo, jujitsu, aikido, muay thai, and mixed martial arts. Her own training program is also included.
This is a great book for the novice and expert alike. Well laid out, easy to read, and straightforward to implement. Heartily recommended!
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction Customer Rating: Summary: Get strong, get explosive, get fast Comment: As one of the busiest writers in the martial arts today, Martina Sprague never fails to nail a subject like a well-placed front kick. In her latest book Strength and Power Training for Martial Arts, she tackles the subject with knowledge gained from years of training experience and practical application in the ring.
I've been training since 1965 and over the years I have learned that there are few absolutes in the martial arts. But there is one that's close: fighters who train with resistance - weights, machines and Swiss ball - are almost always superior to those who don't. It just makes sense: resistance exercises, properly done, increases your power, explosiveness, and speed. Not a bad deal for two or three 30-minute sessions a week.
Now, there are definitely wrong ways to go about resistance training, but fortunately Sprague shows you how to do it right. She discusses the various muscle groups, explains how they are used in the martial arts, and then shows you the best way to develop them. She also discusses concepts of cardiovascular training, the impact of flexibility on strength, and how to use your mind in training.
No matter what your fighting art, this books works.
Loren W. Christensen - author of Solo Training and Solo Training 2.
