Postby Aaron Pynenberg » Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:06 pm
Training is always an issue dear to my heart-!
In my athletic career, it's always been something, football, wrestling, powerlifting Military, Police Training, WMA, all these things have taught me many important lessons about solo training.
There are numerous tricks of the trade that you pick up along the way, and I'll share a few of them with you then talk about my training expirences with WMA specifically.
Your eating, sleeping, drinking (if you do so) are more important than you think, once you start considering yourself an athlete, or a Martial Artist, you have to make certain rules to live by. Over-eating, under-eating, took much drinking, not enough sleep, too much sleep, all these things will add up if you are not attending to them. As far as what to eat, what not to eat etc...all that depends on who you are and what kind of furnace you are packing. I am blessed with a huge ability to consume just about anything and stay the same weight. I can also add muscle quickly, and I am able to recover easily from intense workouts. I will add however that this is also a natural ability I have enhanced through life-long training in diffrent areas..so you need to find understand and identify your body's natural abilities and work with them.
That all means that even though you may not "train" specific WMA tasks every day, you should strive to have some kind of exercise-every single day. If you don't then you should be watching your eating, sleeping, drinking etc..
On to other things..your body carries you through all tasks, if it's not strong, quick, and flexible-make it so, you can be working on stretching, and core body strength, (push-ups, sit-ups, etc) if not getting to WMA.
Regarding WMA- strive to get in drills every single day! If you are not then identify why not-(I have to work 15 hrs, I am sick today, etc) it should not be ahh I just don't feel like it- that equates to a modivation problem, and to address those are what an athlete, Martial Artist, professional, does with his/her time.
This craft should not be boring! no way no how! There's so much to study, longsword single sword rappier cut-thrust,dussack, harness fighting, dagger, wrestling, etc..etc..there's so much material for several lifetimes of study.
Establish a workout logbook, with specific drills you do, and special ones saved to break monotony- example- I have had the same type of workout routine (even though the specific drills have changed) for five years now- that's every single day accounted for in some way-(even if it was because I didn't feel like it) -in my logbook. I can look back and see high's and low's and the changing nature of my skills based on what drills I was performing. This is VITAL for beginers-(anyone under say 6 years of training)-myself included-
I look back at the logbook with pride as I have scribbled notes in there leading to new types of drills, comments on my fitness level at diffrent times, what has worked what has not- etc.
It's up to all of us to carry the torch in the most professional way that we are able, when you are set to begin a workout do not just "wing-it" have a set plan of attack and clear goals. The top of each week's logbook sheet has diet goals, training goals, and a quote of the week, each week I look up a new quote from the source works and dwell on it throughout the week, it builds a pretty large knowledge base and centers your thoughts for the week.
My last comment for the day is this: I was in the gym the other day and a guy came up to me telling me about his kendo days when he was in college, and how he loved to do his workouts- 500 vertical cuts-that's it-! no more no less, no moving, no lunging, nothing just stand there and 500 cuts. Now I bet that was a real great shoulder and arm workout, but where's the movement the energy, the rythm, and lack-there-of- ? If that was ARMA's standard practice then I could see people getting on here and saying "I'm bored" but not so my friends, you should not, ever be bored-!!- AP
"Because I Like It"
