Advice on SCA fighting workout?

[Mrs. W]

Given the following constraints, what would you do for the most effective workout possible to further SCA fighting?

Time: 35-40 minutes, five days a week

Space: an empty gym (15 laps around the gym equals one mile)

Equipment:
basketball and hoops
one stationary exercise bike
several 20# medicine balls
one "IronMan" station that allows for pull-ups, dips, and vertical crunches

Yourself

I work at a secure facility and can't bring any other equipment into the gym, so no rattan, shield, etc. I can only work with what is there. I have to be back at my work station promptly, plus the time it takes to change clothes, so I can't really squeeze in more than 40 minutes per session. Usually, I am alone in the gym during lunch.

What can I do to get the most benefit to my fighting with the time and equipment that I have?

Thank you in advance,
-Woolery

P.S. All slow work, pell, and fighter practice time is done outside of my work time, so please don't think that this is the only time that I train.

[DELETEMYACCOUNT]

Cardio. Whatever it is within your phyisical scope to do, be able to do it for a real long time with no damage to your body.

[Aaron]

For pole-arm I would suggest using the bars or sticks gyms often have.

I've tried doing shadow boxing with pole-arm, nothing jerky, always smooth...and after 20 minutes I was getting tired!

I run 5 miles of hills, and I'm somewhat tired. 20 minutes of shadow-boxing and I'm sweating.

It might sound silly, but take up juggling. It's good for hand-eye coordination, and it really can burn the calories. Ever see a fat juggler?

-Aaron

[co10Broek]

How about:
Shuttle Runs
Hindu Pushups
Hindu Squats
Pistols
Hanging Leg Raises
Chin ups
Sit ups
tumbling and falling (if you know how)
Core exercises with the medicine balls:
Twist from side to side with the ball
lift the ball from the ground to over your head in one motion build this one up into an explosive movement that throws the ball.
Throw the ball and catch it

Jean-Michel

[Vebrand]

Honestly ....anything to start with. Cardio at least 3 times a week and trying core exercieses to start with.

Find what works and what is comfortable to you as part of a routine. Add things in as you get stronger and build up your endurance.

Vebrand
who is out of shape right now and should get himself back to the gym

[Baron Alejandro]

I use this book.



The guy writes like a bad used car salesman in heat, but his program is great, and you can do it on all the equipment you have. I substitute fighter practice for the cardio bit. Although I gotta find something different. Need to increase cardio depth & longevity.

[Kilkenny]

Given the following constraints, what would you do for the most effective workout possible to further SCA fighting?

Time: 35-40 minutes, five days a week

Space: an empty gym (15 laps around the gym equals one mile)

Equipment:
basketball and hoops
one stationary exercise bike
several 20# medicine balls
one "IronMan" station that allows for pull-ups, dips, and vertical crunches

Yourself

I work at a secure facility and can't bring any other equipment into the gym, so no rattan, shield, etc. I can only work with what is there. I have to be back at my work station promptly, plus the time it takes to change clothes, so I can't really squeeze in more than 40 minutes per session. Usually, I am alone in the gym during lunch.

What can I do to get the most benefit to my fighting with the time and equipment that I have?

Thank you in advance,
-Woolery

P.S. All slow work, pell, and fighter practice time is done outside of my work time, so please don't think that this is the only time that I train.

Take a look at the thread "a training idea" for numerous suggestions. I would also say read this article http://www.achieve-fitness.com/ideal.htm for some interesting information about increasing both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.

A very important aspect of answering your question is understanding what kind of condition you are in to start with and what your goals are for your training.

For SCA fighting purposes, it's useful to work on conditioning that increases peak performance and reduces recovery time (that article looks more interesting suddenly, doesn't it ? )


Gavin

[Gethin]

Footwork.
Practice moving off the centerline.
Read this and specifically this.
Find, read and incorporate any balance/movement excercises.
Good luck.

[Thaddeus]

I do this.
http://www.ayri.org/index.html
At this point the primary series pretty much kicks my butt. I can get through sun salute A. and B. a couple of standing postures in about 45 minutes.
Look for a school or instructer in your area.

[Johann ColdIron]

I work at a secure facility and can't bring any other equipment into the gym, so no rattan, shield, etc. I can only work with what is there.

Can only work with what is at the secure facility or within the gym?

I have used cardboard tubes for mailing design plans and such as a slow work swords in locations that would not allow weapons.

[Mrs. W]

Thank you for all of the information.

To clarify a couple of things:

I can't bring anything extra into the gym because it's in a juvenile detention facility. They aren't jerks about it, but anything that can possibly be employed as a weapon is not allowed. No sticks, free weights, etc. If they have floor mats, they are put away somewhere.

I am not in bad shape, aerobically. I have been training the past two months for a staff vs. youth basketball game that happened Dec. 19. I felt very good about it, lasted the whole game, wasn't sore after. Most of my workouts have been geared to that, so lots of dribbling, shooting, running around, but not constant movement.

Looking at what has been said here, I will be adding more running at the end of the session where I had been fast-walking. I have been working on strengthening my upper body (something I will always be working on, just to approach what you guys have to start with ).

Pull-ups are TOUGH. I estimate that I am about halfway to being able to do a full one. Chin-ups the same. I had to leave off dips until I learn the proper form: I am not able to keep my wrists straight for some reason. Vertical crunches are no problem, and I do sit-ups and push-ups at home, along with curls and rotator cuff exercises.

I'll be looking up medicine ball exercises to try, too. Thank you for the Bellatrix links, I will be studying those at home.

Is the _Body for Life_ author the same guy who was in the latest Outside magazine? I noticed that he worked with very simple equipment, too.

I have heard many times how effective yoga is. Alas, it costs money for an instructor, and the gym at work is free.

I did revisit the "Training idea" thread. Thanks for the tip: I had written it off after getting bogged down in the early chat about imbibing and other, less savory things...

Do you guys focus more on aerobic or anaerobic training?

-Woolery

[Euric Germanicus]

I train 5 days a week, and it gets very heavy before war season.

My advice for fighting, train your entire body, head to toe. End your sessions with 15 minutes of cardio. Work on your core strength, ie stomach, as it will help every aspect of fighting.

Train on off days of fight practice, overtraining can hold you back.

The most important aspect is eat right! All that hard work can go down the drain if your eating Burger King and downing cookies. (Not saying you are, but I used to train with someone who thought because he worked out, he could eat absolute junk. He didnt last long)

Grab a subscription to Mens Health. Workouts in there are great, as is their advice on food and ladies

Oh, and I train for power and strength (heavy weight) for tourney season, then switch over to speed and endurance (light weight many reps, tons of sprinting) for war.

[Mrs. W]

Grab a subscription to Mens Health. Workouts in there are great, as is their advice on food and ladies

Workouts: check. Food: check. But since I already am a lady, I don't think that the other advice will profit me.

I wish that we had more than one fighter practice per week, but our group is small and our fighters few, and Sunday is the only day we fight.

You are so right about diet. My family is on a limited budget, so we pretty much have to eat home cooking all the time. I tend to crave protein, not sweets so much, so that helps.

-Woolery

[paulb]

In regards to aerobic vs anaerobic training, my practice has been to train only aerobic until I get into decent shape for aerobic exercise, then I start mixing in anaerobic. As I get in better condition, I increase the percentage of anaerobic work.

Paulb

[Euric Germanicus]

I don't think that the other advice will profit me.

lol

My girlfriend reads my Mens Health before I do. She uses the workouts, food plans and highlights the artices she wants me to focus on.

It would make a good gift for the man in your life, just dont tell him your secretly using it yourself