The Influence of Bodybuilding on Martial Arts Training

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The Influence of Bodybuilding on Martial Arts Training
Charles I. Staley, B.Sc., MSS

Ever since I can remember, martial artists have had few options regarding where to find valid information on strength training, nutritional supplementation, and other training concerns. Virtually the only periodicals (until now, of course!) featuring strength training information were bodybuilding magazines. It's not surprising then, that this sport and its training methods have had a significant impact on the way that martial artists train.

In my estimation, this influence has been more negative than positive- just as you would expect if the situation was reversed. Could you imagine bodybuilders training through the use of kata, breaking techniques, or no-hold-barred sparring?! Nevertheless, the present situation, although just as ridiculous, doesn't seem to catch the attention of most martial artists. This month I'd like to present a summary of these prevalent (and inappropriate) practices, beliefs, and notions which martial artists would be better off avoiding

1) Excessively high volume of strength training: because bodybuilders do not have additional training tasks beyond lifting weights, they can often afford to strength train nearly every day, sometimes even twice a day. In addition to this high frequency of training, bodybuilders often train for two or more hours per workout. Let me tell you an inside secret: this is too much training, even for bodybuilders- they often manage to get away with it because they have superior genetics and a recreational interest in pharmacology. For a martial artist to follow this type of a schedule would be athletic suicide.

I have consulted to scores of martial artists- several of them World and National champions- and the first step I usually take is to significantly reduce their volume of strength training. In virtually every case, these athletes notice that long-standing nagging injuries disappear, their energy and enthusiasm for training increase, and usually, their sport results improve right away. A golden rule of training is: no amount of quantity can replace a high level of quality.

2) Excessive use of machines: several manufacturers make excellent strength training equipment (my favorite machines are those made by Atlantis Fitness Equipment, Inc., based in Ontario, Canada), but relying on machines alone is a big mistake for athletes interested in performance. The problem is that machines lock you into a narrowly defined path of motion, rather than your body determining the ideal movement pattern. A second problem is that machines make little or no demand on the stabilization function of your body's muscles. The martial arts are performed in a three-dimensional, unpredictable environment, with movements being performed against the field of gravity. This environment makes considerable demands on the stabilization and corrective adjustment capacities of the neuro-muscular system, yet these capabilities are not trained with machines.

Machines also encourage the "more is better" syndrome, since the relative safety of a machine allows an athlete to use inappropriately large weight loads without fear of serious injury. This lack of serious acute injury may be offset by the risk of long term damage to joint surfaces when the athlete fails to position him or herself properly in the machine, or when the machine itself is poorly designed. In my own work with athletes, machines comprise about 1/3 of all sets performed by any given athlete.

3) The Pill mentality: the bodybuilding industry is literally driven by nutritional supplements. Almost every bodybuilding magazine is owned by a major supplement company. The underlying message is that every problem bodybuilders have (or think they have) has a cure in one supplement or another. Of course, there are a handful of supplements which have a positive effect for athletes, however, the overwhelming majority of them are useless. Whenever an athlete asks me about supplementation, I interview him about his training and nutritional habits. Usually- in fact almost universally- the athlete is making numerous mistakes which, if corrected, would yield a far more profound improvement than any supplement- including illegal steroids- ever could. I suppose bodybuilding is simply reflective of the society at large, where people subconsciously expect that any ill has a solution in the form of some drug or vitamin pill.