Customer Reviews

Strength and Power Training for Martial Arts

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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 and Martial Arts Instruction; co-author of The Way of Kata, The Way to Black Belt, and The Little Black Book of Violence

If you already have even a minimal background in sports and fitness, I would not recommend spending the money to buy this book. While it is informative and well written, I found that I already knew most of the material even though I have no formal education in sports and fitness - I just got into weightlifting on my own and figured things out, sometimes by watching what other people in the gym were doing. However, if you are totally clueless when it comes to strength training, then this book would probably be useful for you.

Let me start off by saying that this book was literally packed with good solid information on resistance training for martial artists. Are there better books on resistance training? Yes, and there are also some that are a lot worse that are written by bodybuilders themselves, so that point is actually pretty mute at this point. Perhaps the better question would be, "Is there any better books on resistance training for martial artists?" I truly don't know as of the writing of this review, but suffice to say that if there is, then this book has got to be right up there with them.

The author begins the book by providing some really good background information before delving right into the "meat and potatoes" part of this book by covering a wide array of subjects such as; cardio, flexibility, resistance training, plyometrics, etc. Although the author goes into a fairly detailed explanation of a lot of the exercises, I felt that there were a few were the accompanying text was a bit brief. However, having said that, that is to be expected in a book with this type of format where the author is trying to give you a wide variety of techniques and exercises to perform.

Although there are a lot of other books out there that do cover the individual types of exercises to a much greater degree, this book is a very well done basic overview of the exercises that any person should do in order to improve not only their martial arts skill, but also their overall health and well-being.

Here are a couple of other books that I also recommend on the subject of resistance training.

Starting Strength (2nd edition)

Practical Programming for Strength Training

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Creator of numerous books and DVD's.

I have been doing martial arts for almost six years and bought this book looking for new ways to develop speed and strength that directly relate to martial arts. I found the book to be very elementary, it lists different suggested workouts for different arts, but they are just a different combination of simple exercises such as pushups and body weight squats. If you have never done martial arts or followed a workout plan before, this is a good beginner book. If you're already working out or have been doing martial arts for more than a year, I'd look elsewhere.

I am not a martial artist but I am very well educated about health and fitness matters. I am also very fit. This book has taken my routines to a much more beneficial level in terms of having useful strength and power.

Great book....simple to read....talks about the mechanics of all the strikes and kicks in the arts in addition to some outstanding exercises!!

While Martina Sprague has in a background in martial arts, she lacks in a knowledge of getting the maximum training benefits from weights and body weight exercises. The book is geared towards those who have limited physical fitness and have little to no experience in lifting or working out. Having said that, even then the program is lacking in multiple joint exercises, and exercises that involve more than one muscle group. While the cover lists suggest power training will be incorporated, there is NO Olympic lifts included anywhere in the book. The strength exercises listed in for each muscle group are very very basic and lacking the most beneficial movements for each group. Furthermore, the abdominal section was missing key elements in training the core, such as planks and/or bridges. Minimal conversation was given to cardiovascular conditioning, and is under the opinion that running is the best way to develop cardiovascular conditioning for martial arts, not high intensity circuits of lifting/body weight/dynamic movements. In conclusion, only beginners will find any benefit from this book. If your serious about your martial arts training, save the money. u

This book does and will provide the information you need to plan your strength training. I found it to be very help in targetting the areas I needed help with. If you are training this book is a great refernce.

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