Adding a finisher to your Martial arts Workout will provide a great challenge both physically and mentally. Fatigue should already be setting in from the rest of your workout and the finisher forces you to give it your all one last time, pushing through that fatigue. 

Instead of trying to reinvent your training sessions every time you come across something new, simply make a few tweaks here and there. Adding a finisher to your Martial arts workout can give huge benefits. 

It is important to combat athletes to have the ability to fight through the pain of fatigue, it will come to you at some point and when you have been there time after time in training, your mind will help you push through it in competition. 

This finisher (The “Ton Up”) was given to us by my former Boxing Trainer – Charlie Marshall. It is really simple yet really effective. It is 100 exercises, hence “Ton-Up” carried out in a sensible order. 

These exercises need to be carried out as fast as possible yet keep your form as correct as possible throughout – 

10 x Sit-up Twist 
10 x Push Up 
10 x Squat Thrust 
10 x Burpees 
10 x Squat Jumps 
10 x Knees to Chest 
10 x Push Ups 
10 x Mountain Climbers 
10 x Bent Knee Sit-up 
10 x Pike Sit-up 

Repeat these again 

If you have anything left, do it a third time. 

This type of Finisher can be applied to training for any physical sport where physical fatigue is a possibility.

If your are just starting weight training for Martial Arts then seek expert advice to ensure you are getting the most from your efforts and also to ensure that you are lifting safely. If you learn to lift correctly right from the start, then injuries will be avoided.

Do not forget to warm up well and stretch before any resistance exercise. This will help towards injury prevention.

Do not lift alone! Accidents do happen and athletes have died after getting trapped under a weight that they could not lift back up.

Do not lift weights heavier than your program calls for. You want your weight training for Martial arts to benefit your progress not to cause injury.

Do not work your legs before running as tired leg muscles leaves the joints less protected and can cause jarring on the joints.

Do not forget to use the safety devices provided such as locking collars.

Do not unload a bar one end at a time. It may seem obvious but I’ve seen it done and the bar go flying.

Do not train with weights just before skill training as fatigue will hamper your efforts to learn a new skill.

Do not neglect any part of the body. A neglected muscle could become a weak point for you.

Weight Training for Martial Arts is great but always make sure you train safely!

Core Training is an essential area of conditioning for Jiu Jitsu at any level. Core training is in fact an essential area of training for any athlete, so be sure to incorporate it into your schedule.

The foundation of your body is your midsection, this not only includes the abdominals, obliques and back but all the muscles that lie deep within the torso. The stronger your torso is, then the more support it can offer to the rest of the body.

On the other hand, if these muscles are weak and unable to give stability to the rest of the body, injury is much more likely to occur.

In Jiu-Jitsu, core training will drastically help to improve your throws, your striking, your ground techniques and even your breakfalls when being thrown.

Core training will in fact improve your posture in all you do, inside and outside the dojo.

There are many exercises beyond sit-ups and crunches that you should work into your core training sessions, such as leg raises, hip raises, pikes, oblique crunches, dorsal raises and many variations of exercise on the Bosu or Swiss ball. Load and challenge these muscles just as you would other muscles in the body.

If you have been negecting your core training then get back on track now!

In competitive Martial Arts, your goal is to be at a peak for competition so your training is structured to make that happen. For each fight, your condition should be at a peak. Afterwards, you would take a short time time off to recuperate and assess where you are, then the process starts again incorporating any necessary changes as required.

Even Recreational Athletes and Traditional Martial Artists should structure their training around a goal. In traditional martial arts it would be an upcoming grading or a particular demonstration where you would want to peak.

To work flat out, day after day, month after month, year after year just would not work.

Welcome to MalcolmBale.com. I’ll be posting many articles on Jiu-Jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu techniques and Fitness Training for Jiu-Jitsu.

Jiu-Jitsu comes in many forms, many styles have been developed from it. Jiu-Jitsu forms the basis of Judo, Karate and Aikido. There are many different aspects to the art itself with Throws, Joint-Locks, Groundwork, Escapes and Strikes.

Once you become involved in Jiu-Jitsu, it is so much more than just a Martial Art or form of Self Defense, for many of us it really does become a way of life.

Like many combat sports, there are many areas of physical conditioning to develop for maximum effect. Skills and conditioning compliment each other, you would never reach anywhere near your potential if you do not have both. Strength, Endurance, Stamina, speed, power and agility are all areas that can be worked on to help improve the effect of your overall game plan.