944 Magazine
Water Workout
How to Put the "Kick" into a Kickass Body in Karate Champion StyleGlitz, glamour, recognition and clout. There is no downside to winning. It feels forever fabulous, and next moth - July 11 and 12, to be exact - 26 students from the United States Karate Academy in San Diego will bask in that glory at the World Tang Soo Do Association Championship Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
While no on is wasting time claiming their bragging rights, Sal Convento, two-time karate world champion and owner of the United States Karate Academy, prepares his students through what he calls "Gold Medal Training" and shares his team's tips for sculpting a bangin' beach body.
"Your heart doesn't care what kind of cardiovascular workout it gets just so long as it gets a workout, so why stick with the same old routine of running or cycling when you can throw on a bathing suit and play in the pool," says Convento. "Pool training not only adds variety to your workouts, but can also help to strengthen several different muscle groups at the same time."
Unlike most cardiovascular workouts, swimming works all the major muscles. It is particularly good for building lower body strength. It also increases the body's capacity to attract more oxygen from the lungs, which can greatly improve cardio workouts. When you are in the water, your body is supported and your movements are slow so that you are also less likely to get injured," explains Convento.
According to Convento's students, the pool is an enjoyable environment for leg exercise because of the freedom of movement and the comforting effects of the water on the body. When exercises such as kicks are performed with the muscles submerged in water, the water's buoyancy reduces the amount of stress, strain and impact on related joints.
"The workouts in the pool are great because you have natural resistance and can extend your legs for more efficient kicks, but you don't feel the impact on out joints and you don;t sweat," says David Rangel, a participant of Gold Medal Training.
The Front Kick
Looking to recreate your own personal martial arts pool workout? Start by walking slowly back and forth across the pool. Concentrate on keeping your back as straight as possible, lifting your leg at the knee and moving it up to the chest.
Next, life the knee directly toward your chest and extend the leg toward the imaginary target in front of you. Pull toes back to kick with the ball of the foot. The planted foot should rotate 45 degrees in the direction opposite the leg whit which you are kicking.
The Side Kick
Try a series of side kicks by holding onto the side of the pool for balance. Bring a bent knee to 90 degrees, thigh parallel to the ground, similar to a baseball pitcher. Kick to the side, impacting with the heel, with the toes slightly pointed toward the ground while rotating the planted foot 180 degrees from the imaginary target.
The Roundhouse Kick
This kick is performed by bringing your shin parallel to the bottom of the pool and your knee perpendicular to the direction you are kicking. Use thee instep of the foot to impact your imaginary target, using a sequence of bending the knee, impacting the imaginary target and retracting the leg so that the heel comes back to the glute. Simultaneously rotate the planted foot 180 degrees from the imaginary target.
What to Keep in Mind
Maintain a steady breathing rhythm by exhaling as you perform each kick. Keep all kicks below the water for maximum resistance. Tighten your stomach muscles.
"The pool training helps achieve higher and stronger kicks, but martial arts is all about the core of the body," says Convento. "This is where all the power in kicks, punches and throws is generated. Building up your abdominal muscles helps greatly in martial arts. For longer, leaner abdominal muscles, you should do ,more reps - we're talking sets of 152, 20 or 30 repetitions. For building size and deeper cuts, do fewer reps with more wight resistance. An exception to this rule is when doing stability exercises, such as planks, where you will hold a single position anywhere from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes."
Supplement with Weight Training
To round out your regimen, Convento suggest weight training twice a week, 30 minutes each time, and also suggest performing the following sets and reps to maximize your Gold Medal workout:
- Squats, three sets of 12
- Bench presses (inclines and declined) two sets of six
- Barbell curls, two sets of eight
- Tricep dips, three sets of 15
- Push-ups, three sets of 30
- Rope-skipping, six minutes per day
"Spend quality time on your workout so that you can be a lean, mean, fighting machine," says Convento. "If you take all of these tips in account, the ideal plan would be to alternate two to three days of high-intensity strength training with two to three days of high-intensity cardio."
Channel you inner Karate Kids at 2590 Truxtun Road, NTC, Point Loma, www.uskasandiego.com
