There sleeps a hidden power, an untapped strength deep inside us all.
Some go their entire lives without ever realizing this, much less tapping into it. But it is there is each and every one of us, I assure you.
Right now it lies dormant, waiting to be discovered.
How do you unlock it and tap into it at will?
You train.
Building a stronger structure has multiple benefits for the martial artists and non-martial artist alike. Here are just a few of them…
1) Connecting and integrating the body so that the power of the whole is vastly greater than the sum of its collective parts.
2) Increasing resilience and resistance to injury, no matter how old you are.
3) Maximizing whole body strength and power delivery
4) Increased bone density and hormone optimization
A weak, or structurally flawed, posture will limit the amount of power delivered and reduce the effectiveness of every technique employed, or movement made.
Conversely, a strong posture is the key to the effective execution of all your techniques. A strong posture carries the support of the ground and efficiently conducts that power through the user with minimal noise creating, in effect, a transparent power.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to train for endurance. It will enhance all 3 energy systems in the body, as well as prime the nervous system to recover automatically during lulls in activity.
Simply put, HIIT alternates periods of high-intensity exercise with periods of rest and recovery. It can be performed with almost any exercise and can be utilized both with and without equipment.
The variety and adaptability of this style of training are second to none in results.
How else does improving your endurance through this type of conditioning aid your martial arts training?
I’m glad you asked!
If the benefits discussed above weren’t enough, consider that having a high level of conditioning also aids in learning new skills.
How’s that possible?
To put it simply, when the central nervous system (CNS) is fatigued, the body cannot effectively process new skills, especially technically advanced skills. So, in essence, your lack of a general level of fitness and conditioning will actually impede your learning process as you will tire more readily and not have the ability to recover quickly enough during training.
Let’s say you are working on a basic exercise, like the push-up, and you top out at around 10 repetitions in a set.
Here are 3 ways to immediately amplify your skill of strength to allow you to eek out at least 3-5 more reps than you thought possible:
1) Squeeze the ground as hard as possible on the way up.
2) Contract your glutes like you’re crushing a walnut.
3) Brace your abs super tight like someone was about to punch you
There is a certain kind of confidence that comes from being strong. I call it physical confidence.
It’s different than the confidence one feels by being smart or being good at a job, or being in a secure, loving relationship.
With physical confidence, you stand straighter and walk taller. Your head is up and scanning the horizon rather than being bowed and staring at the floor. You look people in the eye and with a nod, acknowledge them and let them know you respect them.
There’s a certain presence, a kind of knowing awareness, about a person with physical confidence. People somehow know that if the proverbial sh*t ever hit the fan while you were there, you would take care of it.
Strength holds us together. It is a quiet preparedness wielded by those who watch over and protect others. Strength and capability together create physical confidence.
So how do you become Strong AND Capable?
You TRAIN for it.
Stronger EVERY Day!
Remember
Strength begins in the mind and is expressed through the body. In order to be strong, you must first believe that it is possible for you to become strong.
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