My martial art strength training practice: strength day exercises (part 3)

Calisthenics exercise will be in green font. I will end each section with my recommended workout programme.

Here are list of strength exercises to do:

Joint strengthening:

Rotator Cuff Exercises:

(…)

Elbow Joint Exercises:

(…)

Knee Joint Exercises:

(…)

 

Front & Side Shoulders (for guard):

Shoulder muscle is important to keep your guard up, especially for competitive trainer who needs to last throughout the rounds. Exercises that involve shoulder pressing such as handstand push up or shoulder press are useful for the pushing strength useful in striking. When pressing outward, you want it to be relatively faster to activate relatively more explosive fast twitch muscle. However, it should not be too fast or explosive because you want to also develop muscular strength and be more easy on the joint. Explosive fast twitch exercise will be focused on power training day.

Front shoulder:

• Shoulder Pike Push Up
• DB Hex shoulder press:
• DB Uppercut:
• Reverse Grip DB Front Raise:
• Plate Front Raise:

Side shoulder:

• Handstand Push Up: 
• Shoulder Press:
• Neutral Close Grip Shoulder press: Neutral grip is safer on the shoulder joint than the normal pronated grip because the shoulder isn’t locked.
• Isometric DB Lateral Raise:
• DB Lateral Raise:

Recommended shoulder workout:

a) Press:

• Shoulder Press or Neutral Close Grip Shoulder press (15kg) – 5 sets x 15-20 rep
• DB Uppercut (10kg) – 5 sets x 15-20 rep

b) Isolated shoulder exercise:

• Isometric DB Lateral Raise – 3-5 sets x 1-3min
• DB Lateral Raise (5-10kg) – 5 sets x 15-20 rep
• Reverse Grip DB Front Raise (5-10kg) – 5 sets x 15-20 rep

 

Chest/Triceps (for pushing strikes):

Fly:

Fly exercises mimic hugging movement in grappling and stabilises hook punches.

• Ring Fly
• Incline Bench DB Fly
• Pec Dec Machine
• Cable Fly (Levelled, Low-to-High, High-to-Low or Scissors)

Press:

Pressing or pushing exercise mimic straight motion strikes which should be a core practice. Move relatively faster when pressing or pushing outwards to get a bit more explosive power but not too fast or explosive because you want to focus on building strength and be gentle on the joints with weights. Save the explosive training on power training day.

I have been debating whether to do bench press in a traditional way by keeping scapular (shoulder blade) contracted or keep the shoulders protracted outwards like a real punch. I have decided to keep the scapular contracted and depressed because I heard it is less likely to cause injury to your shoulders or rotator cuff unlike the shoulder protracted version.

To also prevent shoulder or rotator cuff injuries, keep your elbow 45 degrees or less from the torso so their won’t be pressure on your shoulders or rotator cuff. And also neutral grip (Hammer Press) and reverse grip (Reverse Grip Press) will also not likely to cause shoulders and rotator cuff injuries because the shoulders are not locked with that hand position.

• Push Up (Decline, Flat, Incline & Diamond) 
• Chest Dips
• Bench Press (Decline, Flat & Incline):
• DB Reverse Grip Press (Decline, Flat & Incline): Avoid using barbell as it is dangerous
• DB Hammer Press (Decline, Flat & Incline):
• DB Hex Press (Decline, Flat & Incline):
• Pec Dec Machine
• Chest Press Machine
• Landmine Press: Use V-Bar in kneeling position. This is effective for the upper inner chest muscles.

Recommended Chest/Triceps workout:

a) Fly (pre-exhaustion):

• Pec Dec (20-30kg each arm) – 5 set x 15-20 rep

b) Press (i):

Option 1 (mix):

• Chest Dips – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
• Flat Bench Press (40-60kg) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
• Incline Bench Press (40-60kg) or DB Hammer Press (20-30kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
• Incline Reverse Grip DB Press (20-30kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
• Incline Hex Press (20-30kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep

Option 2 (calisthenics):

• Chest Dips
• Push Up
• Incline Push Up
• Incline Diamond Push Up

Option 3 (Bench Press):

• Decline DB Bench Press:
• Flat Bench Press or DB Hammer Press
• Incline Bench Press or DB Hammer Press
• Incline Reverse Grip DB Press
• Incline Hex Press

Option 4 (Machine):

• Decline Bench Press
• Chest Press Machine
• Unilateral Chest Press Machine
• Incline Hammer Press Machine
• Unilateral Incline Hammer Press Machine

c) Fly (ii):

Option 1 (Weights):

• Incline Bench Low-to-High DB Fly (10-15kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
• Incline Bench Low-to-High Single DB Fly (15-30kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep

Option 2 (Cable Fly):

• Cable Fly
• Low-to-High Cable Fly
• High-to-Low Cable Fly
• Low Chest Cable Fly

d) Press (ii):

• Kneeling Landmine V-Bar Press

 

Triceps:

Training the triceps is the key practice because it involves pushing and hammer strikes movements. There are 3 muscle parts that makes the triceps. There are various ways to train the triceps depending on where the elbow is positioned.

Some triceps exercises are likely to cause injuries if not done properly. To prevent injuries from happening, here are some tips:

• Save exercises that puts a lot of pressure on the elbow joint for later when the muscles and joint are properly pumped up and activated. These exercises includes overhead triceps extension, skull crushers and JM press. NB: I said pumped up and not warmed up, so this does not mean just a light warm up set.
• Use light-medium weights that you can do higher rep range when performing exercises that put a lot of pressure on the elbow joint.
• Be aware that some elbow positions can really take off the pressure on the elbow joint, i.e. flaring the elbow outwards when doing the triceps overhead extensions reduces the pressure on the elbow joint.

Press:

• Diamond Push Up
• Bench Dips
• Triceps Dips
• Close Grip Bench Press: Press from shoulder width to avoid press on elbow joint
• Close Grip Hammer Press: Press from shoulder width to avoid press on elbow joint

Pulldown:

• Cable Triceps Pulldown: similar to Cable Straight Arm Lat Pulldown but elbow bent
• Dumbbell Pullover:

Overhead extension:

• Single Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: Cause pressure on joint so save it later on the workout when muscle and joint are pumped up.
• Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: Use 2 dumbbells. Better than Single Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension because the elbow can naturally flare outwards to reduce pressure on elbow joint.
• Cable Overhead Triceps Extension:

Horizontal extension:

• Triceps Extension Push Up
• Triceps Pike Push Up
• Bar Triceps Extension 
• Bar Reverse Grip Extension 
• Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers: Cause pressure on joint so save it later on the workout when muscle and joint are pumped up.
• Standing High Cable Skull Crusher:
• JM Press (on Smith Machine): Cause pressure on joint so save it later on the workout when muscle and joint are pumped up.

Back:

• Cable Crossbody Triceps Extension
• DB Kickback

Downward:

• Front Bar Dip 
• Cable Triceps Pushdown

Recommended Triceps workout:

a) Press (if you have not done chest/triceps press workout):

Option 1 (Calisthenics):

• Diamond Push Up
• Triceps Dips

Option 2 (weights):

•   Close Grip Bench Press (40-60kg) or Close Grip DB Hammer Press (20-30kg) – 5-10 sets x 15-20 rep

b) Isolated Triceps:

• Cable Triceps Pulldown (10-20kg each arm) –
• Cable Overhead Triceps Extension –
• Standing High Cable Skull Crusher –
• JM Press (on Smith Machine) –
• Cable Crossbody Triceps Extension –
• DB Kickback –
• Cable Triceps Pushdown –

 

Back:

Reverse Fly:

• Back Reverse Pec Dec (…) –

Vertical Pull:

Option 1 (calisthenics):

• Wide Grip Pull Up – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Pull Up – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Neutral Grip Pull Up – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Chin Up – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Clinch Pull Up – 3 sets x 15-20 rep

Option 2 (weights):

Lat Pulldown Machine:

• Mid Range Neutral Grip Pulldown (80-100kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Wide Range Normal Grip Pulldown (80-100kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Mid Range Normal Grip Pulldown (80-100kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Close Range Reverse Grip Pulldown (80-100kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Close Range Neutral Grip Pulldown (80-100kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep

Diagonal Pull:

• Standing Diagonal Lat Pulldown (60-80kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Single Arm Kneeling Pulldown (30-40kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Cross Body Lat Pulldown (30-40kg) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep

Horizontal Row (Pull):

Option 1 (calisthenics):

• Inverted Row (…)

Option 2 (weights):

• Single Arm DB Lat Row (30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• DB Arc Row (10-15kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Cable or DB Bench Row:
  1. Wide T-Row (25-30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
  2. 45 Degree Row (25-30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
  3. Low Row (25-30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
  4. Reverse Grip Row (25-30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
  5. Close Neutral Grip (V-Bar) Row (25-30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep
• Meadows Landmine Row (25-30kg each arms) – 3 sets x 15-20 rep

Low-to-High Row (Pull):

Option 1 (calisthenics):

• Inverted Row (…)

Option 2 (weights):

These rows can be do with a Cable or Incline Bench

• 45 degree Row
• Low Row
• Reverse Grip Row
• Close Range Neutral Grip Row

Face Pull:

• Shoulder Level Face Pull (from Shoulder Level)
• Reverse Grip Head level Face Pull (from Eye Level)

Straight Arm Pulldown:

• Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
• Straight Arm Side Lat Pulldown

Lower Back:

• Hyperextension or Lower Back Extension Machine

Rear Delts:

a) Rear Delt Reverse Fly Machine or Bench Reverse Fly:

• Reverse Fly
• Standing Reverse Fly
• Unilateral Reverse Fly

b) Rear Delt Row (with Cable, Bench or Bent Over):

• High Wide Row
• Rear Delt Row
• Single Cable Rear Delt Row
• Reverse Grip Rear Delt Row

c) Hyperextension Raise or Bench Raise:

• Reverse Arc Fly
• Bent Elbow Reverse Fly
• W Raise
• Y Raise
• Skier Raise

d) Cross Cable Reverse Fly:

• Cross Cable Reverse Fly
• Cross Cable Low-to-High Reverse Fly
• Cable Straight Low Reverse Fly
• Cross Cable High-to-Low Reverse Fly

e) Rear Delts Face Pull:

• Shoulder Level Face Pull (from face level)
• Neutral Grip Face Level Face Pull (from face level)

 

Biceps:

Target: 15-20kg or body weight with Chin Up

Option 1: Essential bicep workout

1. Barbell Curl (30-40kg) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
2. Standing DB Curl (15kg DB):
   • Hammer Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
   • CrossBody Hammer Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
   • Reverse Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
   • Zottman Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep

Option 2: Extensive workout (for Grapplers)

1. Preacher Curl (15kg DB) – 3 sets x 15 rep
2. Crush Grip DB Preacher Curl (20-30kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
3. Incline Bench Curl + Hammer Curl (15kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
4. Barbell Curl (30-40kg) – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
5. Standing DB Curl (15kg DB):
   • Hammer Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
   • CrossBody Hammer Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
   • Reverse Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
   • Zottman Curl – 3-5 sets x 15-20 rep
6. Concentration Curl (15kg DB) – 3-5 sets x 15-2 0 rep
7. Bicep Curl Machine (15kg DB) – Until Fatigue

 

Core (Hip, Rotation & Abs):

Hip:

• Glute Bridge
• Barbell Hip Thrust

Rotation:

1. Cable Woodchopper:
   • Shoulder Level Woodchopper
   • Low-to-High Woodchopper
   • High-to-Low Woodchopper
2. Cable Cross Punch [Optional]
3. Landmine Oblique Twist [Optional]

Core (Abs):

Basic/Essential Core Workout:

1. Plank:
   • Normal Plank
   • Side Plank w/ Hip Flex
2. Sit Up
3. Leg Up
4. Flutter Kick
5. Crunch Machine
6. Oblique Hyperextension

Extensive Core Workout:

(…)

Leg:

• Deadlift or Sumo Deadlift [Optional]
• Squats
• Lunge w/ DB Grip (Nigiri Game) [Optional]
• Flutter Kick
• Cable Hip Flexion (Kick & Knee) [Alt: Leg Extension]
• Hamstring Curl
• Lying Side Leg Raise
• Heel Up
• Prowler Push [Optional]