Should I Lift Heavy Weights

[georgie]

just wonderin if i should lift heavy weights in conjunction with martial arts. ive been lifting for 17 years consistently and have gotten descent size and stength without drugs. im benching 380lbs & 225 for 28 reps at a bw of 195lbs. so im pretty strong but recently i decided to take another path of martial arts. i love it and i want to put the same dedication and commitment into it as much as lifting weights. will it slow down my punches and kicks? i want to study boxing and jeet kune do as well. but you guys know your shit and im a newbie so any advice for me would be greatly appreciated.

[LoneWolf1]

When u lift weights and your looking for strength try lifting your max a few times it will increase your strength more than doing multiple reps of a lesser weight. And since you can lift a fair among right now and are worried that you will be slowed down, all I can say is practice. What ever MA you do doing it again and again builds up muscle memory and and cuts out unnessesary movement. Thats when your speed will start to steadily increase.

[Hardball]

Once I started martial arts training; I cut my heavy lifting to once a week. Then as I approached 40........I cut the heavy lifting to every couple of weeks. If you throw and do mat work the heavy lifting will be extra stress on your shoulders. Heavy lifting is o.k. but I would recommend you phase it out gradually and go with low weight high reps.. I don't know your age but you have to listen to your body.

[SamTheMan]

Well - back in fitness classes we were always tought that many smaller reps are far better than fewer large weights. Perhaps the key is to find a balance between the two. I do know for certain that lifting heavy weights is much more damaging in the long term than light weights.

[Hardball]

Well - back in fitness classes we were always tought that many smaller reps are far better than fewer large weights. Perhaps the key is to find a balance between the two. I do know for certain that lifting heavy weights is much more damaging in the long term than light weights.

If you are a young guy, I WOULD lift heavy occasionally. It builds incredible strenghth.

[pureenergy555]

avoid soarness

I think the point is not to try to punch and kick hard and fast when the muscles are sore.

[Daddy_Cool]

As long as you follow a weight program that benefits power as opposed to hypertrophy, you have nothing to worry about. Lifting weights is excellent for your muscles, as well as your skeletal system. I would seriously advise against phasing them out. There is no reason one can't lift weights and train in martial arts. If Bruce Lee was an advocate for weight training in conjunction with martial arts... that's good enough for me.

[Tupacalypse]

I`ve been weightlifting for 2 years now, and I go for Mass workout. Fewer reps but higher weight to develop muscle strength. Then I change to higher reps and lower weights to develop strenght. This I believe is crucial for gaining strength. With a bit of Zen, you could become unbelievably strong. But since you've been lifting weights for quite a while, I wouldn't worry at all. You know your stuff, and it can only help your martial arts.