Intelligent training: fitness - Dax
One of the many reasons people give for taking up martial arts is to get fit
or to improve their standard of fitness. Aikido is unusual in that it is the only art
that I know of where the required level of fitness to do the techniques is quite low
but to receive the techniques demands quite a high level of fitness. Of course the
techniques can be slowed down and performed more slowly so that uke does not need to
work so hard, but an intense and continuous practise can be quite demanding.
The question then arises are we doing aikido to get fit or should we get fit to do aikido? In
my opinion it depends upon what you want out of aikido and what you are prepared to put into your
training and practise. For example if you want to be "super uke" and fly around the dojo taking
big breakfalls continuously for two hours then just training twice a week will never get you to
the required level of fitness. However if you enjoy just practising gently at a slow pace then a
minimal level of fitness will be sufficient.
The question you must ask yourself is what are your aims and can you achieve them with your
current training regime. Think about your current fitness level and the amount and types of
workout that you do. If you are happy with what you are currently doing and can realistically
see yourself achieving any aims that you have, then you do not need to change your training
routine, after all it is your aikido and your aims are not anyone else's. However a reasonable
level of fitness will make your aikido sessions more enjoyable as you are able to do more for
longer and rather than having to stop for a breather now and again you can keep going.
The constant getting up after taking a breakfall becomes less tiring as your fitness improves.
If however you want to improve your level of fitness so that you can do more within a lesson
then there are several things to bear in mind. The first is that it is aerobic fitness that is
the main area of concern and so your workouts should centre on this, for example supplementing
your regular practise with running or cycling. The amount of exercise will depend upon how quickly
you want, or are able, to improve. You should be trying to do some form of exercise every day, a
little and often is far better than a lot all in one go and then doing nothing for the rest of the
week.
Set yourself realistic goals that can be used to help monitor your progress,
and to inspire you if you feel that you are not getting anywhere. Make time to do your exercise,
whether it is before or after work or during your lunch hour.
When training imagine the level of exerciseon a scale where 1 is easy and can be done by you
continuously with out any difficulty and 10 is all out maximum effort (your maximum effort).
This is the perceived level of effort (PLE) and should give you an indication of how hard you
are working.
Training and fitness development is a personal thing that is specific to the individual, for
example a dumbbells curl with 15kg may have a PLE of 3 by one person who regularly works out,
but have a PLE of 10 someone who is visiting the gym for the first time. You should aim for a
PLE of 6 to 7, so that you are working enough to benefit from the exercise but not working so
hard that you will be put off doing any exercise the next day. Remember that you should be aiming
to do something every day (with possibly one or two rest days a week if you are working hard),
even if it is just half an hour so you need to pace and plan out your exercises.
When you start getting into a regular routine remember to continually reassess the exercises
that you are performing. For example if you start running and turn in 4km in 30 minutes and
you put the PLE at 7, several weeks later you will probably find that doing the same distance
in the same time will have a PLE of 3 or 4. So to keep improving you will either have to increase
the distance or decrease the time, or both, until the PLE is again raised to 6 or 7.
Think about the type of exercise required to meet the aims that you have set for yourself.
For example if you want to improve your cardiovascular system then doing a weight training
session will not be of any use, however no matter how many miles you run, your grip strength
will not improve.
In general a balance of exercises is probably a good idea, running or cycling for aerobic
fitness, a weights routine to strengthen the arms, legs and grip strength and a session of
some other sport or circuit training to add variation. Boredom of doing the same routine over
and over is one of the main reasons why people stop doing exercise so do not stick religiously
to a routine. Also try to vary the parts of the body used so that you work legs one day, the
upper body the next.
There are many books to provide you with different exercises and exercise routines, however most
offer a "one routine fits all" program and the routine may not suit you. The book that I would
recommend is the Men's Health Guide To Peak Performance, -please note that despite the title of
the book, it is suitable for ALL aikidoka not just the men- because it offers a wide range of
exercises put into various categories and it is left to you to pick which particular exercises
suit you, your aims and your lifestyle.
The road to better fitness is not always easy, but it is worth it and I think that it will
enhance your aikido practise. However you need to be critical about what you are doing, how
you are training and make decisions based on an honest appraisal of what you are doing, in
short you need to train intelligently.