Why Weight Training

© COPYRIGHT 2010 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives

THERE are, unfortunately, some outright charlatans claiming to be offering "special combat fitness" programs, or "their unique" exercise plan that will enable you to become a virtual superman "with ease". As is the case with close combat and self-defense techniques, there is nothing secret, mysterious, complicated, hidden, or even particularly new under the sun.

Weight training, or progressive resistance exercise, has actually been around for thousands of years. It was utilized in various forms by the ancient Chinese ch‘uan fa masters, and by Indian and Korean martial arts practitioners. The barbell per se did not exist in ancient times — but the principle of progressively increasing the muscles‘ work load so as to gradually build the desired physical attributes has long been acknowledged and used by intelligent, serious-minded people; and that principle is the one upon which the plate-loading barbell is based.

Around 1970 the brilliant innovator Arthur Jones created the Nautilus Machines. These machines are based upon the exact same principle that the barbell is based — and that ancient methods of resistance exercise that preceded the barbell, were in turn similarly based, earlier in history.

Nothing new. Just new ways of applying an old, proven principle. And it IS proven. And there are no "experts" or "innovators" who have come up with any better or "superior" principles; and any who claim to have done so are, in our personal opinion, self-serving, commercializing con artists. (That some of these con artists may wear black belts does not grant credibility to their chicanery!)

We cannot emphasize too strongly how important a good, well-planned training program of barbell and dumbell exercise is for the student of close combat and self-defense. It is the single most valuable supplementary exercise for any combatant. In real hand-to-hand combat you need all of the strength you can bring to bear! Do not deceive yourself.

Weight training is simple, inexpensive, safe, efficient, and provides comprehensive physical training when properly done. This means that an all round, sensible routine of weight training exercise builds all of the necessary physical attributes: strength, more efficient coordination, agility and athleticism, toughness, well-being and rugged good health. After a few months of weight training a person who is new to the activity will be shocked at the progress he has made and how much the program has given him.

The psychological benefits of weight training are at least as great as the physical benefits. Becoming fitter, stronger, more able to do anything of a physical nature better, and feeling wonderful increases your confidence, poise, self-image, and readiness to apply yourself with assurance to your technical combatives work.

Please, for your sake, get started on a good, sensible, all round weight training program. The exercises you want to include in your routine are:

The regular or behind the neck press

Heavy barbell or dumbell curls

Bench pressing

Bent over single dumbell or barbell rowing

The squat

The dead lift

Abdominal exercise

There are other excellent exercises, but that provides a foundational schematic that will insure you work everything well, and reap the fullest measure of all round possible benefits from training.

Keep sets and repetitions reasonable: Between 1 and 3 sets — no more. And about 6 to 8 reps per set, when working more than a single set per exercise, with anywhere from 8-10 to 20 reps per set of squats.

"WHY" WEIGHT TRAINING? Because you need it!

That‘s a rough outline of the way to go. Now GO!