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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Disclaimer
Bodyweight exercises
Squats
Squats with front-kick
With a log or some sort of a bar
Single leg
Push-ups
Diamond push-ups
Wide grip push-ups
Decline push-ups
Push-up from tree/handstand
Hindu/Judo push-ups
One hand push-ups
Rotational push-ups
The Superman push-ups
Grasshopper push-ups
Fingertips push-ups
One-leg-up push-ups
Side-to-side push-ups
Sit-ups
Sit-ups with alternate cross punches
Lying leg raise
Elbow-to-knee oblique crunches
Lying side-oblique crunches
Crab walks
Inchworm
Mountain climbers
Lunges
Back extensions
Bird dog
Pissing bird dog
Bear walk
Plank
Plank with leg lift
Plank with arm lift
The side-plank exercise
Alternating Superman exercise
Bridge exercise
Hip lift
Strongman training
Car push or pull
Farmers walk or variation
Specific training for kicking
Roundhouse kicks in different heights
Isometric exercises
Stand on your two front knuckles on a hard surface.
Isometric push-ups
Assume the deep squat position
V-Sit abdominal exercise
Assume the top sit-up position
Training with stones, logs, sticks etc.
Shadow-boxing with stones or pieces of wood in hands
Slam tree stump or stone into the ground
Also, throw it forward.
Put it down through your legs and perform the under head throw.
Another variation is the side rotation throw.
Use a stone or something heavy and practical, and move it around the
neck and down around the groin area.
Balance
Perform the one-leg squat and reach
Perform the one-leg squat on a tree stump.
Perform the kicking exercises without support from a wall or a tree.
Explosive power
Squat thrusts
Static jumping
Plyometric exercises
The plyometric push-up,
The clapping push-up
Introduction
Are you looking forward to having a well-built body and feeling good about
yourself? Have you started on some exercise regime and yet find no visible
results? Do you find the exercise regime too difficult to persevere?
Cast away your worries and find your solutions here! This book offers you all
you need to know on the most effective way to exercise, not to mention that
they will also be fun, easy and creative. The catch is: Don’t do the normal
stuff; do the most effective stuff! This book also includes plenty of pictures
that will guide you towards feeling better and more confident about yourself
through effective exercises. The exercises recommended in this book are also
cost-effective. So don’t worry about splurging a huge amount of money. A
little time is all you need for a well-built, healthy body.
In order to have an effective round of exercise, it is important to group these
exercises together into circuits. Pick, for instance 4-6 types of exercises and
then perform them in succession. After that, do them again with fewer reps
and then go through the entire circuit 3-4 times. Ensure there is a balance in
the parts of the body that you are training. If your body is expected to
perform at a high level, you have to make sure that things are even and
balanced. The great thing about bodyweight exercises is that they usually
don’t train one muscle group at a time. This is the same in fighting. That
being said, a sit-up works the abs more than a pushup, even though a
correctly performed pushup is regarded as a compound exercises. The
descriptions provided in this book should be able to help you feel your own
body and know just exactly which part of your body is being worked on.
There is another important point to note for an effective exercise. That is to
know your weaknesses. Work more on the part where you know are weak.
Where do you get especially sore? Make sure to include an exercise
especially for that area.
Therefore, when you select a circuit, pick perhaps, a pushup, sit-up, back
exercise, a squat, an explosive exercise and an isometric. Perform maybe 20
of each, and then 15, 10, so on and so forth.
When you administer your break, please keep in mind to what are you
training for. Are you training for some sort of competition or belt-test? If you
are going to be fighting a round of 2-3 minutes and then a break, incorporate
this structure into your training. If you are training for a belt-test where you
have to fight a number of people in succession with no break, then do all the
exercises without a break. You may not be able to do them as fast as the guy
with the break, but that’s okay. Just keep in mind as to what you are training
for.
Also remember to vary the exercises you are doing in your circuit and pay
attention to the order of it. It helps your motivation and your body won’t
adapt to it so easily. Therefore, you’ll get more out of your training.
If you find that you can’t perform with good form, stop. When you are
training on your own, you don’t have anyone to correct your mistakes but
yourself. So be wary of that. It is recommended that you do these exercises
outside or at the dojo. Don’t do these at home. You’ll definitely slack. The
ideal thing would be to do them at a public place. Human performs better
when other people are watching.
DISCLAIMER
The material in this book is for informational purposes only. You should use
proper discretion, in consultation with a health care practitioner, before
undertaking the exercises and techniques described in this book. The author
and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that
may result from the use or application of the information contained in this
book.
Bodyweight exercises
Squats: Bend through your knees until your thighs become parallel. Once
that happens you move upwards to standing position. Don’t go further down.
Always keep your chest up. Keep your head in line with your torso and look
forward. Heels should be shoulder-width apart. In order to avoid knee
injuries, your toes must always be aligned to your knees. Keep your hands up
and do NOT let your heels come off the floor. Don’t worry if you can’t get all
the way down to parallel, you will get there in time.
Squats with front-kick: When you come up from the squat, do a front-kick
with one leg. The front-kick is also called a push-kick. Use the other leg
when you come up the next time. Make sure you do an even number so both
legs get the same amount for training. Also make sure that when you are
squatting down, go straight down and not to bend to one side because you are
anticipating the front-kick. Don’t worry if you can’t perform the front-kick
perfectly. Just work on your flexibility and technique. Flexibility will be
extensively covered in another volume of this series.
With a log or some sort of a bar: If you can’t find a log or some sort of a
bar, don’t worry about it. This is only a type of variation. Just do more of the
other variations of squat exercises. But if you manage to find one, put the bar
on the top of your shoulder-blades and on your back muscles - NOT on your
spine. Your back supports the weight, not your hands. Keep your wrists in
line with your forearm, never bend them.
Single leg: Do the single leg version as a variation and emphasize on
balance.
Push-ups: Done properly, it is a compound exercise that uses muscles in the
chest, shoulders, triceps, back, abs and even the legs. Get on the floor and
position your hands shoulder-width. If possible, perform the exercise on your
knuckles with a tightly closed fist. Make sure it is the two front knuckles that
is in contact with the surface. This increases the distance you can cover with
the push-up movement and therefore gives you an opportunity to increase the
difficulty of the exercise. It also strengthens your knuckles and wrist.
Furthermore, you’re elevated further off the floor, so you can go down
further and get a deep stretch in your chest and shoulders. It also makes the
going back up more difficult. Don’t worry if it hurts in the beginning and you
can’t do it. It gets easier with time.
Rise up onto your toes so that you are balanced on your hands and toes. Keep
your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or
arching your back. Your feet can be close together or a bit wider depending
on what is most comfortable for you. Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows.
Exhale as you begin pushing back up to the start position.
Diamond push-ups: The diamond push-up is a killer. Place your hands
together on the floor so that they form a diamond shape. You can either put
your hands below your chest or head in order to hit different muscles. Once
your hands are in place, perform a push-up.
Wide grip push-ups: The wide grip push-up puts more emphasis on your
chest. Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and perform a pushup.
Decline push-ups: This is a more slightly more difficult variation of a pushup, performed with the feet raised up on a box, bench or tree. You can adjust
the height to increase or decrease the resistance using just your body weight.
Elevating your feet from the ground will work your shoulders more when you
perform a push-up. Put your feet on an elevated surface. Place your hands on
the ground. Perform a push-up.
Push-up from tree/handstand: To do a true handstand push-up, you’ll first
need to master the handstand, a feat of athleticism in itself. Start with a tree
or wall. To perform the handstand push-up, assume a handstand position.
Slowly bend your elbows and lower your inverted body towards the ground.
In order to maintain balance, you’re going to have to call on your core and
other smaller stabilizing muscles. This is for experts only. Don’t worry if you
can’t do this. You can become a great martial artist without being able to do
this.
Hindu/Judo push-ups: Get into position by standing with your feet slightly
wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend down and place your hands on the
floor while keeping your arms and legs straight. You should look like an
upside down human “v” with your butt being the point of the “v” and your
head pointing down to the ground. To perform the Hindu push-up, you’re
going to make a sort of a swooping motion with your body. Bring your head
down and forward by bending your elbows. When your head gets close to the
ground, continue moving your torso forward by arching your back and
lowering your hips. Your hips will now be near your hands. Make sure to get
a good stretch in your back. The first time you perform a Hindu/judo push-up
you might find yourself falling on your face during the initial descent. Don’t
worry, you will eventually master this.
One hand push-ups: Remember to train both arms equally. Not only do you
need a brute arm, shoulder, and chest strength, but you also have to call on
several smaller muscles to stabilize yourself as you lift your bodyweight with
one arm. Assume the normal push-up position, but spread your feet wider
than shoulder-width apart. Place one hand behind your thigh. Lower yourself
slowly to the ground and press up. Work both sides equally. The more square
and level you keep your body, the more difficult the push-up will be. To
make it easier, turn your torso and legs away from the pressing hand.
Rotational push-ups: This push-up variation works your core. Assume the
standard push-up position. Lower yourself to the ground and push up. As you
come up, rotate your body so that your right hand comes off the floor and
your right arm extends overhead. You should look like a giant “T” tilted on
its side. Return to the starting position, lower yourself, push up, and rotate
until your left hand points up. Work both sides equally.
The Superman push-ups: This will work your abs more than 100 crunches.
It’s also an amazing back exercise. Lie on the floor face down. Instead of
placing your hands by your chest, lace them further out in front of you head.
Lift up. This is a very hard exercise.
Grasshopper push-ups: Assume the standard push-up position. As you
lower your body to the floor, step your right leg through the space between
your left hand and foot, and cross it all the way over to the left side, resting
on the outer edge of your foot. As you lift your body back up, step your right
foot back so you’re in the standard push-up position again. Repeat with your
left foot.
Fingertips push-ups: This is definitely advanced, so proceed with caution.
Instead of resting on your hands, rest your weight on your fingertips. This
works your forearm strength.
One-leg-up push-ups: Remember to lift both legs the equal number of
repetitions. The one-legged push-up exercises your core and gluteus, in
addition to your arms. Assume the standard push-up position and simply raise
your right leg straight up, so that now you are only balancing your weight on
your left foot. Do push-ups in this position and make sure to keep that leg
straight and in the air.
Side-to-side push-ups: This a great push-up to do to segue into one armed
push-ups. Assume a standard push-up position. Once you lower yourself to
the ground, lean onto your left. When you push back up, it should feel like
your left arm is doing most of the work and your right arm is there only for
stabilization. Return to the starting position. Lower yourself again, but this
time lean the other way.
Sit-ups: Doing sit-ups is a quick way to get stronger abdominal muscles.
However, they must be done properly to avoid any injury to your spine, neck
and head muscles. In addition, sit-ups are about using the abdominal region.
Therefore, close attention must be paid to ensure that you are not
compensating by using other parts of your body to perform sit-ups, as this
will diminish the effectiveness of the sit-up and may cause injury to your
body. It is not as harsh as it sounds, though. Always, always focus on the abs
and you are nearly there.
Have your knees bent and the balls of your feet and heels placed flat on the
ground. Place your hands on opposing shoulders, so that your arms are
crossed over your chest. Tighten your abdominal muscles gently by drawing
in your belly button to your spine. Keeping your heels on the ground and
your toes flat to the ground, slowly and gently lift your head first, followed
by your shoulder blades. Focus your eyes on your bent knees, all the while
gently contracting the abdominal muscles. Pull up from the floor until you are
at a ninety-degree angle, or when the elbows are on or past, the knees. Hold
the position for a second. Slowly bring your torso back to the floor but try to
keep it slightly elevated off the ground. This means not placing your back flat
to the ground but to keep a slight, yet relaxed, arch.
If you’re having a hard time keeping the balls of your feet or heels on the
ground, try to find a heavy object and place your feet under it. This will give
you support when you attempt to bring yourself up.
Sit-ups with alternate cross punches: Holding at the top of a sit-up and
doing a cross punch will make your abs hold a long contraction while you
work your shoulders. From the top of your sit-up, punch your right arm
diagonally across your body to the left, opening your elbow and almost fully
extending your arm as you punch. Your upper body can turn slightly with
your punch, but should not fully twist. Come back to center and punch your
left arm diagonally to your right, and then return to center. For variation, you
can switch the sequence of punches for the next rep.
Lying leg raise: Lie on your back on an exercise mat (or soft ground).
Wedge your hands under your butt. Slightly raise your shoulders and feet off
the floor. Keep a slight bend in your knees and that’s the starting position.
Using your abs, raise your legs to approx. 30 degrees. Keep the rest of your
body steady. Then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position, but
don’t let them touch the floor. Repeat until you complete your reps. Exhale as
you lift, inhale as you lower. Keep your lower back touching the floor and
your neck neutral, don’t let your chin move up or down throughout the
exercise. Focus on bracing your core and keeping your body balanced with a
neutral back.
Elbow-to-knee oblique crunches: Lie on your back and keep your feet flat
on the floor. Place your hands behind your head. Use your abdominal
muscles to pull your body upward. Bring your left elbow and shoulder across
your body while at the same time bringing your right knee in toward your left
shoulder. As you rise, twist the trunk of your body so that your right elbow is
pointed toward your left knee. If possible, touch your knee with your elbow.
Do not curl your neck forward to make this possible, as all the focus should
be on your abs. Lower your body back to the mat. Resist the pull of gravity
that will make you want to fall backward toward the mat. Instead, concentrate
on using your abs to lower your body slowly. This will also help prevent back
injuries. You can either do one side for all your reps then switch to the other
side, or you can alternate sides. Be sure to do an equal number of repetitions
for each side of your body.
Lying side-oblique crunches: Lie on your right side with your legs on top of
each other and your knees bent. Place your left hand on the side of you head,
covering your left ear. Crunch your side as high as you can, focusing the
movement to work on the obliques as much as possible. After doing the left
side, switch and repeat on the right side.
Crab walks: Get into the reverse push-up position then walk around on your
hands and feet. This exercise is excellent for arm endurance. To enhance the
full body stretch of the crab walk, try to raise your hips up towards the ceiling
as high as you can. You can walk forward and back, and then walk from sideto-side.
Inchworm: From a standing position with your feet together or slightly
apart, engage your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine. Gently exhale
and bend forward from your hips. Try to keep your knees straight (but not
locked). Slowly lower your torso towards the floor until you can place your
fingers or the palms of your hands on the floor in front of your body. If your
hamstrings are tight, you may need to bend your knees slightly. Try to keep
your spine straight. Slowly begin to walk your hands forward, away from
your feet. Your heels will begin to rise off the floor. Continue walking your
hands forward until you reach a full-push-up position where your spine, hips
and head are level with the floor. Maintain a rigid torso and keep your head
aligned with your spine. Do not allow sagging in the low back or ribcage.
Keep your hips level and do not allow them to hike upwards during this
downward phase.
After that, slowly begin walking your feet forward towards your hands,
taking steps without moving your hands. Maintain a flat spine throughout and
continue walking until your feet are close to your hands. Repeat this
movement and continue for as long as you choose.
Mountain climbers: Begin in a push-up position on your hands and toes.
Bring the right knee in towards the chest, resting the foot on the floor. Jump
up and switch feet in the air, bringing the left foot in and the right foot back.
Continue alternating the feet as fast as you safely can for 60-90 seconds.
Intensity can be increased by stepping faster.
Lunges: Lower your body by flexing your knee and hip of your front leg
until the knee of your rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to
original standing position by forcibly extending the hip and knee of your
front leg. Repeat by alternating the lunge with other leg. Remember to keep
your torso upright during the lunge. Your leading knee should point towards
the same direction as your foot throughout the lunge.
Variation: You can also step forward with a front-kick each time you perform
a rep.
Back extensions: The back extension is a more subtle movement targeting
the lower back. Many of us work our abs, but neglect to work the lower back,
which can lead to muscle weakness and imbalance. Lie face down on a mat
and place the hands on the floor or behind the head. Contract the abs and
keep them contracted throughout the exercise. Squeeze your back to lift your
chest a few inches off the floor.
To add difficulty, you can also lift your legs off the floor at the same time.
Bird dog: The bird dog is a great overall core exercise that not only
strengthens the abs and the back, but also involves the gluteus and improves
balance and stability. Begin on your hands and knees with your back straight
and the abs pulled in. Lift your right arm up until it is level with the body and
parallel to the floor. At the same time, lift your right leg up and straighten it
until it is also parallel to the floor. Hold for a moment, lower and repeat on
the other side, this time lifting your left arm and left leg.
Keep the movement slow and controlled, and try to keep your body straight
throughout the movement.
Pissing bird dog: This type of exercise works your buttocks. Prepare to get
sore. This exercise is harder than it looks.
Bear walk: On hands and feet, move forward just like a bear would.
Remember, this isn’t downward-facing dog on the move. Your knees should
be slightly bent in order to keep your butt low and even with, or slightly
higher, than your head. Your back should be relatively flat, not necessarily
arched, but definitely not rounded. Brace your abs. Keep your head up or
slightly neutral as you need to see where you’re going.
Plank: Begin in the plank position with your forearms and toes on the floor.
Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears
to toes with no sagging or bending. Your head should be relaxed and you
should be looking at the floor.
Hold this position for 10 seconds to start.
Over time, work up to 30, 45 or 60 seconds.
Plank with leg lift: Start in the same plank position as above with your
forearms and toes on the floor. Slowly raise one leg 5-8 inches off the floor.
Count to two and slowly lower your leg to the floor.
Switch legs and repeat.
Plank with arm lift: Start in the usual plank position. Carefully shift your
weight to your right forearm. Extend your left arm straight out in front of
you. Hold 3 seconds while keeping your core tight. Slowly bring your arm
back to starting position.
Switch arms and repeat.
The side-plank exercise: Begin by lying on your side on the floor. Position
your elbow on the floor just under your shoulder. Lift up on that elbow and
keep your body stiff from head to toe. Hold this position for a count of 10 and
then lower your hip to the floor. Rest and repeat. Switch sides and repeat the
exercise on the other hip.
You can increase the effect of this exercise by lifting the top leg up toward
the ceiling. Repeat the leg lift 10 times slowly and return to the start position.
Alternating Superman exercise: Lie face down on a mat with your arms
stretched above your head. Raise your right arm and left leg about 5-6 inches
off the ground (or as far as you comfortably can).
Hold for 3 seconds and relax.
Repeat with the other arm and leg.
Bridge exercise: The bridge exercise is a great way to isolate and strengthen
the gluteus and hamstrings (back of the upper leg). If you do this exercise
correctly, you also will find that it is a good core strengthening exercise that
strengthens both the abs as well as the lower back muscles. Furthermore, the
bridge exercise is considered a basic rehab exercise to improve core and
spinal stabilization.
Lay on your back with your hands across your chest, your knees bent and feet
flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles. Raise your
hips up. The goal is to maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your
knees and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. You may need to begin by holding the
bridge position for a few seconds as you build your strength. It’s better to
hold the correct position for a shorter time rather than holding a longer time
with the incorrect position. The bridge exercise is very hard for beginners.
To make it harder get up on your head and try to touch the ground/floor with
your nose/lips.
Hip lift: Another abs exercise to add to your routine is the Hip Lift. It
strengthens the rectus abdominis (the muscle between the ribs and hips), and
the obliques (muscles that run down the sides of the torso). Begin by lying on
your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing down. Raise your legs
so they are straight up toward the ceiling and perpendicular to your torso.
Pull your navel toward your spine and lift your hips a few inches off the
floor, keeping your legs pointed straight up. Then slowly lower your hips
back to the floor.
Strongman training
Car push or pull: You’re going to need a rope when you pull. Remember to
get down low. Be careful if you are pushing down the hill or a slope.
Farmers walk or variation: Find something heavy. Lift it and maintain a
good form (similar to squats) and carry it for as long as possible.
Specific training for kicking
Stand sideways against a wall or tree. Slowly perform a front-kick. Force
your leg all the way out. Slowly bring your leg back and then without putting
it on the ground, perform a side-kick with the same leg. Once again, force it
all the way out. Pull it back and without touching the ground, slowly perform
a back-kick. Remember to turn your head to see where you are kicking. To
make this exercise harder, simply hold the leg out in the outer position for a
longer time, for instance, 30 seconds or more.
Roundhouse kicks in different heights: So as to not ruin your running
pants, use shorts or gi-pants for these exercises.
Isometric exercises
Stand on your two front knuckles on a hard surface. Make sure to keep
your butt down. Start from 1 minute and then gradually increase.
Isometric push-ups create constant tension on muscles and are great for
developing muscle endurance. Assume a standard push-up position. Lower
yourself to the ground, and hold the position there instead of pushing yourself
back up. Hold for 10 seconds, or longer if you want. Flex and unflex your
muscles while you’re holding it for an even deeper burn. Push back up and
repeat.
Assume the deep squat position and hold it for a period of time.
V-Sit abdominal exercise: The v-sit is an effective abdominal and core
exercise. Begin in a seated position, contract your abdominal muscles and
core, and lift your legs up to a 45-degree angle. Reach your arms straight
forward or reach up toward your shins as you are able. Maintain good core
posture and a strong spine. Hold this “V” position for several seconds to
begin. As you get stronger, hold the position longer.
Return to your starting position slowly. Just before you reach the floor, stop
and hold the position for a few seconds. Repeat this entire movement several
times.
Assume the top sit-up position and hold it for a period of time.
Training with stones, logs, sticks etc.
Shadow-boxing with stones or pieces of wood in hands: Find some stones
or pieces of wood and have them in your hands as you shadow-box. Make
sure to switch halfway so that you don’t train your sides unevenly.
Slam tree stump or stone into the ground: Find a tree stump or a heavy
stone and slam it down onto the ground using your legs and arms.
Also, throw it forward. You can choose between an under head or overhead
throw. This is a great core training.
Put it down through your legs and perform the under head throw. Use
the momentum to jump forward while in a squatting position. Land deeply.
Another variation is the side rotation throw. Make sure you train both
sides equally so that there is no imbalance in your body.
Use a stone or something heavy and practical, and move it around the
neck and down around the groin area. Do this both ways. Keep your arms
bent.
Balance
Perform the one-leg squat and reach: Place an object on the floor about 2-3
feet in front and to the left of your left foot.
Balance on your right foot; raise your left foot off the ground. Slowly bend
your right knee and lower your torso. Reach forward with your left hand and
touch the object. Maintain your balance by extending your left leg slightly.
Be sure to keep your right knee over your right foot. Touch the object, pause,
and return to the start position. Maintain a slow and controlled movement
throughout the exercise. Do the exercise with both legs.
Don’t worry if you can’t touch the object. Just trying is in itself a great
training.
Perform the one-leg squat on a tree stump.
Perform the kicking exercises without support from a wall or a tree.
Explosive power
Squat thrusts: Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on
the floor, in front of your feet. In an explosive movement, jump and stretch
your feet backwards into a push-up position, and jump again, feet back
between your hands and then stand up. You can add more intensity by adding
a jump-up after you stand up.
Static jumping: Helps build explosive power. This is very important for
martial arts. Use your thighs when you jump, which means that you jump
from a deep position. Also, it’s very important to land softly, i.e. also a deep
position.
To make it more difficult, you can try to jump from a starting position of
having your hands touching your feet. When you land, do land back into the
starting position, by having your hands at your feet level.
Plyometric exercises: Plyometric exercises can help increase speed and
explosiveness by loading and contracting a muscle as fast as possible.
Plyometric exercises are particularly useful for athletes. You can get the
explosive benefit of plyos in your upper body workout with a Plyometric
push-up.
To perform the plyometric push-up, assume a normal push-up position.
Lower yourself to the floor. With explosive force, push off the floor with
enough force that your hands leave the floor. Repeat.
The clapping push-up is similar to a plyometric push-up. The only
difference is that when you explode off the ground, you clap your hands
while you’re in the air. In addition to the benefits of the plyometric
movement, I’ve found that adding a clap in the middle can help increase hand
speed.