Today’s martial artists are facing a greater number of competitors than they ever have in the past, and so they strive to become as powerful as possible. It’s not surprising that many find themselves asking, “what are 3 muscle building techniques that are good for a martial artist?” This article will cover precisely that topic, and the answer might surprise you!

You may as well know the truth right up front. Lifting heavy weights is not going to help you. Sure, you’ll be able to grow larger muscles that way, bu t this will actually impede your progress as a martial artist and create new stumbling blocks between you and your goals. You need a way to gain muscle that isn’t just about mass.

What do we need to do in order to achieve this? The answer is simple if you think about it. Ever wonder why a bodybuilder can lift more weight than a well-built construction worker of about the same size? This is because the bodybuilder has built muscles specifically trained to lift heavy weights. As men of karate, we need to develop muscles specifically trained for karate!

That’s right. The most effective muscles you can build for the martial arts are those that are developed by performing the techniques of the martial arts themselves. If, during your practice, you perform the stances and blows of your style with the proper amount of resistance and dynamism, then you will naturally build muscle, and you will find that that muscle is demonstrably different in both feel and use than you’re accustomed to. This is because you’re largely building what the kynesiologists call long-fiber muscle; muscle that is good for expanding and contracting quickly, not just taking up space.

So, having established that the very best way to develop muscles in the martial arts is simply to practice the techniques of your art, it follows that upholding the traditions of your art will have strong merit as well. If you’re doing a Japanese martial art, you can make use of the makiwara, a tool developed in antiquity for the purpose of transforming the karate-ka’s hands from the soft and delicate hands of a mortal man and into the twisted and gnarled talons of the merciless killer.

The way to use this tool is repetitive striking it with good form and with force. Enough strikes will develop those muscles. A ‘makiwara’, like many Japanese tools of this kind is both simple and elegant. A wood post driven into the ground, it is then wrapped in rope. The students strike the post as they would an opponent.

Lastly, be cognizant of what muscles you are building. Many martial artists just build up the major muscle groups and call it a day, but they will soon face defeat, if not against an opponent, then against the spectre of the “them” they could have been, if only they’d trained their fingertips and toes. This can’t be stressed enough. Working out the tips of your toes by doing toe raises and lifting up your whole body weight onto your tiptoes will enable you to leap great distances, and working out your fingertips and grip by carrying heavy grain-filled jars by the rim will give you a crushing grasp.

So… What are 3 muscle building techniques that are good for a martial artist? By now, you’ll have realized that the possibilities are endless. The real beauty of the martial arts is that you don’t need to go out of your way with an expensive and time-consuming gym membership to excel at it. Just practice the art itself as diligently as you can, and as your spirit grows stronger, your body will follow!

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