Legal Stuff Copyright © 2015, All Rights Reserved All rights reserved. No part of this e-book e -book may be reproduced or transmitted transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the expressed written permission from Jonathan Haas. Disclaimer: You must get your physician’s approval before beginning this exercise program. These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting this program or if you have any medical condition condition or injury injury that contraindicates contraindicates physical activity. This program is designed for healthy individuals 18 years and older only. The information information in this e manual manual is meant meant to supplement, supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The author advises readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this e manual, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, aptitude, training and fitness. The exercises in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician. See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to your physician before starting starting any exercise exercise program. If you experience any light-headedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the movement and consult a physician.
Legal Stuff Copyright © 2015, All Rights Reserved All rights reserved. No part of this e-book e -book may be reproduced or transmitted transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the expressed written permission from Jonathan Haas. Disclaimer: You must get your physician’s approval before beginning this exercise program. These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting this program or if you have any medical condition condition or injury injury that contraindicates contraindicates physical activity. This program is designed for healthy individuals 18 years and older only. The information information in this e manual manual is meant meant to supplement, supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The author advises readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this e manual, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, aptitude, training and fitness. The exercises in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician. See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to your physician before starting starting any exercise exercise program. If you experience any light-headedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the movement and consult a physician.
Welcome to Integrated Strength! This program program is for the martial martial artist who who is a serious seeker seeker of total, all-around strength. Strength built through unconventional training from the outside – outside – in, in, and strength built through internal power training, from the inside – inside – out. out. We are moving into uncharted territory on the map of physical training; confronting myths and misunderstandings of the expression of overall strength of the body and slaying them. As the maps of the old time sea explorers used to caution when moving towards uncharted waters – waters – ““Here be Dragons!” Dragons!” Be careful. This program may forever forever change the the way you think think about strength and martial art training!!
– “Combining or coordinating separate elements so as to Integrated – “Combining provide a harmonious interrelated whole.” – “The “The a bility bility to exert a force against resistance. The ability Strength – to resist being moved or broken by a force.”
So What Are We Integrating? Traditionally adepts Traditionally adepts of martial arts arts and Internal Internal Power (IP) have have forsaken external strength training (conventiona (co nventionall and unconventional – unconventional – we we shall do both!) as not compatible and sometimes even harmful or detrimental to their practice. However, as I continue to integrate both aspects of Strength and Internal Power into my own personal training, I find this to not be the case.
In fact, using certain training strategies from Warrior Fitness I have been able to blunt many of the purported “negative” side-effects of external strength training upon the softer Internal Power training and combine the 2 for a fully integrated system of developing human strength potential. The goal of Integrated Strength is to become the strongest version of yourself, both inside and out – Iron and Silk. What is Internal Power? I think it’s best to start with the basics. What is internal power and how can it useful to the practitioner of martial arts? Let me state this at the outset to hopefully clear up a rather unfortunate misinterpretation of IP. Internal Power is physical. It’s not some mystical mumbo jumbo or a throwing chi balls type of nonsense. It is a way of conditioning the body through specific solo training exercises and paired partner training. The training method spans thousands of years and has been handed down through the ages within the warrior traditions of India, China, and Japan. It is a body technology with a set method and detailed process of instruction that simply cannot be learned by osmosis. It must be explicitly taught.
How Are They Different? Strength Training Strength Training method: force = tension. The more tension brought to bear by the muscles, the more strength that is produced. Learn how to contract your muscles harder and you will generate more force, i.e. – get stronger. This is a neurological phenomenon of increasing the percentage of muscle fibers recruited for a given task.
Internal Power Internal Power method: force = MA (mass x acceleration). Yes, we all remember this equation from physics, but what does it mean in this context and how is it applicable to internal power? I’m going to oversimplify this because it would take up way too much text to spell out what can be demonstrated and explained in about 5 minutes in person. Essentially, IP is about tissue movement. The exercises and drills connect the body through the fascial meridians (see the book Anatomy Trains) and strengthen, thicken, and condition connective tissue in the body. This mass of connected tissue is accelerated through sophisticated movement patterns, like spirals and dantien rotation, in a small space to produce massive amounts of force. The more tissue that can be recruited, the more mass that goes into the equation. The faster it can be accelerated through looseness which causes the tissue to snap, not tension, the more force that is produced, thus creating substantial internal power.
The Problem is the Tension Tension and relaxation are both functions of the nervous system. Martial artists seem to be under the impression that if one trains for muscular strength then that person will only ever be able to move with generalized tension and lack the ability to cultivate the relaxed sensitivity required for higher levels of internal power training. But that’s far from true. It’s all about HOW you
train. Since tension and relaxation are both opposite poles on the same spectrum, the body can be taught to utilize both appropriately depending upon the situation. Over the coming months we will cover many strategies to remove and alleviate excess tension from the muscles after strength training: compensatory movement, mobility, breathing exercises, vibration training, and more! Another Issue There’s also a disconnect where proponents of soft martial arts (Bujinkan, Aikido, Systema, etc) and internal power training say that their training is only concerned with connective tissue (tendon, ligament, fascia) and that somehow strength training only works muscle to the neglect of connective tissue. Here’s my thoughts – muscle IS connective tissue. Rather than adopt the traditional body-builder belief system of each individual muscle in isolation, instead look at the body as ONE muscle with hundreds of insertion points. Adopting this belief system allows you to train the body together as one unit (as it was meant to be). So, rather than classifying resistance training and IP training as separate modalities, perhaps they can be trained together. Both require the load to be spread out across the system (biotensegrity ). The main difference is the belief system behind the training! Muscles do not know the difference between a bodyweight exercise, a barbell exercise, a kettlebell exercise, or a push test. They only know “on” and “off” – tension and relax. What you are training is actually your nervous system. Therefore, ideally you should be able to use intent to turn on and turn off muscle groups depending on what you are trying to do.
Integrated Strength Training – Part 2
Internal Power Training Theory As discussed previously, the method of Internal Power training has been handed down for thousands of years. The approaches are comprised of detailed step-by-step instructions that must be specifically taught. It is not possible (okay, maybe ‘highly unlikely’ is a better turn of phrase…) that they can be stumbled upon by accident or figured out by some sort of haphazard trial and error process. They cannot be reverse engineered simply by watching one’s teacher closely, nor can they be “stolen”. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…
Internal Power Model
Our model is based on In-Yo Ho: “The method of the union of opposites”. The pairs of opposites we will use to create internal power within the body are: up/down, left/right, front/back. This is commonly known as 6 Directional Training. Of note is the fact that the founder of Katori Shinto Ryu once remarked – “Once I understood 6 directions, my ken was unstoppable.”
Yi
Chi Li
As the maxim above states, Yi (intent) leads Chi (energy) leads Li (strength). Thus we see that intent is the primary driver, the prime mover of internal power.
Intent is the Bridge Intent is the connection between the thought to act and physical movement. It is the way we will begin connecting and uniting the entire body together to create intent-fueled movement.
The Body Must be Re-wired. The focus of Internal Power training is on changing the body. We utilize specific exercises to connect, strengthen, and condition the
tissues to remove slack from the body. This process strengthens the body in a new way that is vastly different from conventional training. It changes the way outside force acts on the body creating an unusual power within martial arts training. However, this is a slow and time-consuming process since we are working more with tendon and fascia rather than just muscle tissue. Overtime, with correct application of training, the body will change. It is a process, just like following a recipe – follow the steps precisely and get the results!
The Tension Paradox – Part 2 One of the most pervading issues facing the integrating of strength training with internal power training is the fact that traditional strength exercises leave residual tension in individual muscles. As discussed previously, we have several strategies to combat residual tension which allow us to retain the benefits of strength training while mitigating the unwanted aspects. The next strategy we will employ in an effort to better absorb the positive strength training effects and further integrate the external movements into internal power training is to work on focusing on movements, not muscles. Bodybuilding exercises which train individual muscles, and parts of muscles, in isolation are the complete antithesis of Integrated Strength. Instead, the exercises in Warrior Fitness tend to have a much broader, system-wide effect. Our exercises are always multi-planar, multi-joint, and 3 dimensional. They encompass whole body tridimensional strength, not individual muscles or even groups of muscles. So, in our system, the short answer to the question of which muscles do these exercises work is usually – All of them!
Integrated Strength Training Workout Plan
Internal Power Training
Internal Power training will be performed daily over the course of this program. As discussed above, these exercises re-wire the body over time to change how force is absorbed, retranslated, and projected in a combative interaction. Explanation of Wuji Standing Wuji translates to “without poles” or “pre-heaven” meaning that yin and yang have not yet been determined. It is a pure untapped potential and possibility. It is from this untapped potential that we will begin to form a relaxed, connected body primed for internal power training. Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart. The weight is balanced behind the ball of foot, on the bubbling well point.
Head is lifted up from the crown. Shoulders are relaxed with the arms held at the sides. Pelvis is neither tucked under nor tilted back; the tailbone pulls straight down. The feeling is like you are sitting on a high bar stool. The knees are neither bent nor locked, but relaxed. Scan your entire body, starting from the head. Look for areas of tension – shoulders, low back, legs, etc. – and consciously relax and release the muscles. Once you feel relaxed, relax more. The feeling should be like you are a dot of ink diffusing into an ocean of water. The body is open, full, and feels like it is spreading outwards in all directions. Maintain this feeling for as long as possible.
Supercharge Your Wuji Practice 1. Mentally scan the body for areas of tension. The usual suspects will be the neck, shoulders, low back, and the quads. 2. Begin to actively release each area of tension one by one with your mind. For example, think of the tightness in your shoulders and mentally relax it by telling yourself “the tightness in my shoulders is letting go and relaxing”. Then proceed to the next area until you have systematically gone through them all. 3. If one particular area is giving you trouble work on breathing into it. Inhale into the area, hold for a few seconds, then exhale from the area to release it. Use this process over and over again until the tension has let go. 4. Once you have removed all the residual tension in the body continue to stand holding that relaxed feeling. Think of your
body as a drop of ink dissolving in the ocean, spreading out in all directions. 5. Start with 10 minutes of Wuji standing. Work up to 60 minutes.
Zhan Zhaung Here we will begin adding in specific requirements for intent driven standing. Watch the Zhan Zhuang video. The video covers all the requirements of structure and intent for the Zhan Zhuang standing practice. As with the Wuji Standing last month, start slow and build your practice gradually. Try to stand for at least 10 minutes and work your way up to 30 minutes on a daily basis.
Ba Duan Jin
The Ba Duan Jin, or “Eight Pieces of Silk Brocade” are one of the oldest and most well-known forms of qigong. They first made their appearance in an 8 th century Daoist text called, Xiu Zhen Shi Shu (The 10 Treatises on Restoring Original Vitality). Daoist tradition attributes the creation of these exercises to Chong Li-Quan, one of the 8 immortals of Chinese legend.
The 8 Brocades consist of gentle twisting, stretching, and lengthening exercises which condition and strengthen the muscletendon meridians. Each exercise is repeated 8 times – or 9 if you are a ninja!
Generally the exercises are regarded as a warm-up, or simply stretching/mobility type work. However, we will apply all the prior principles and conditions of Internal Power training to increase the effectiveness of the exercises. Also, I suggest that rather than using them as a warm-up, they be used after your standing practice to take all the neuro-stimulation accrued from the Zhan Zhuang and put it into motion.
Unconventional Strength Training Workouts These workouts are designed to build a base of whole body strength and conditioning, coupled and balanced with relaxed power. We will maximize our training time by utilizing minimalist strength training workouts while performing longer duration internal strength training exercises.
Workout Notes Perform workouts as per the Integrated Strength Workout Schedule. Continue to do joint mobility on a daily basis, in the mornings as part of your Morning Recharge, as well as pre-workout. Stretching should be performed after each workout as part of a proper cool down routine. Sub Max (SM) effort means do not go all out; leave 1 to 2 reps in the tank. Max Effort (ME) means do as many reps as possible in that set. Supersets (A, B or A, B, C pairs) are alternating between 2 or more exercises for the duration of the set. The exercises will often be placed as antagonistic movements opposite each other, like a pushpull combination.
For all squats keep weight mid-foot balance, back straight from crown to tail, and knees out over the toes. Always exhale on effort and focus on keeping the core, glutes, and quads braced tightly, as if expecting to be gut-punched on every exercise. All power and strength originates from the core and is expressed from center out to the extremities. NOTE: If the exercises are too difficult, use a lighter weight or lower the number of sets/reps until you can complete the entire workout as written. If, on the other hand, it is too easy – use a heavier weight. Remember – everything is easy until it gets heavy!!
Vibration Exercises – How to Release Residual Tension These are very simple, yet highly effective exercises which have been used for centuries in yoga and qigong to shake out and release residual muscle tension in the body. The premise is that all muscles vibrate at a certain frequency. When tension is introduced into the system via strength training or stress (physical, mental, or emotional) the muscles contract and retain residual tension. The vibration exercises literally shake out that tension bringing the body back into balance. So how do you do them? Stand naturally, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Spine straight. Lift up from the crown of your head. Begin to bounce gently with the legs shaking the whole body up and down. On each down bounce allow the body to exhale – don’t force it. Don’t try to breath, just let the body be breathed by the motion. Slightly round the shoulders and tuck the pelvis to help the motion push air out. Continue shaking the body up and down for about 30 seconds to a minute. Stay loose. Stay relaxed. Shake out the tension. The vibration training exercises may be performed at the end of a workout, in between sets of exercise, or anytime during the day to release residual tension and aid in relaxing the body. See the Vibration Training video for a complete demonstration.
Strength Training Workout - Day 1 1) Trapbar or barbell Deadlift – 4 x 5, 3, 2, 1 (increase weight every set after warmup) 2A) Mixed Grip Push-ups - 4 x 10-15 (change hand position each set) 2B) Mixed Grip Pull-ups or Recline Rows - 4 x SubMax (pullup grip, chin-up grip, commando grip, close grip pull-up) 3A) Kettlebell Goblet Squats - 3 x 10 3B) Box Jumps (or squat jumps if no box) - 3 x 10
Strength Training Workout - Day 2 1) Kettlebell Clean & Press – 4 x 6-8 each arm (go progressively heavier) 2A) KB Goblet Squat – 3 x 10 2B) Jumping Lunges – 3 x 10/10 3) 2 Arm Kettlebell Swings - 3 x 25 4A) Ab Wheel – 3 x 10 4B) Leg Raises – 3 x 10 4C) Spinal Rocks – 3 x 10
Turkish Get-Up The Turkish Get-Up (TGU) is an exercise in structure and stability. It is technically classified as a pressing movement, but to me it is much more of an overhead support that lights up the whole body and develops the structure extremely well. There are several variations to this movement, but we will start with the most basic one, as illustrated below. To begin, lie on the ground next to the kettlebell. Roll towards it, placing your right hand deeply in the handle. Use both hands to lift it overhead as you roll to your back. Keep the right wrist straight (there are no bent wrists in kettlebell training!!), and the elbow locked. Maintain eye contact with the bell. Roll to your left side, dropping open the left leg. Come up the left elbow. Then up to the hand. Get your left knee underneath you as you come to a kneeling position. Then stand up. From the standing position with kettlebell locked out overhead, reverse the movement and come all the way back to laying down. Keep your eye on the kettlebell at all times! Note that there is always a direct connection of the kettlebell to the ground through the cross-body alignment of your structure as you perform this exercise.
Strength Training Workout - Day 3 1) Turkish Get-Up – 5 x 2 (each side) 2A) Spiral Push-ups - 4 x 10/10 2B) Mixed Grip Pull-ups or Recline Rows - 4 x SM (pull-up grip, chin-up grip, commando grip, close grip pull-up) 3A) Kettlebell Goblet Squats - 3 x 10 3B) Wall Sit with Kettlbell - 3 x 30 to 60 seconds 4) 2 Arm Kettlebell Swings - 3 x 25
Strength Training Workout - Day 4 1) Spiral
Kettlebell Clean & Press – 4 x 10-12 each arm
2A) Sit Thru Press – 3 x 10/10 2B) Super Slow Squats – 3 x 10 3) Single Side Farmer Walk 4 x 50 ft. 4A) Straight Leg Sit-ups – 3 x 10 4B) Knee Hugs – 3 x 10 4C) Spinal Rocks – 3 x 10
Sit Thru Press Weight is equally distributed on hands and balls of feet. Knees and elbows are turned out 45 degrees to create a stable support. There should be buoyant and elastic feeling in the muscles and connective tissue. Bend both arms and legs at same time to lower the body down. Press up with an exhale. As you are pressing up, pick up the right hand and kick out the left leg, exhale on the twist to wring out the core. Repeat on opposite side. Again, make sure to take note of the cross-body support in the exercise.
Sledge Hammer Cast Begin in a natural posture with the hammer held in one hand at your side. Repeat the same motion as the hammer clean, but continue through the order position to bring the hammer behind your back. Exhale, contract the core and “draw” the hammer over your shoulder stopping in the order position.
Strength Training Workout - Day 5 1) 2) 3) 4)
Dragon Press x 10/10 Hindu Push-up x 10 Sledge Hammer Cast x 10/10 Fist Plank x 60 seconds
Perform 3 to 5 rounds. Rest for 60 seconds between rounds. Core Work: A) Straight Leg Sit-ups – 3 x 10 B) Leg Raises – 3 x 10 C) Spinal Rocks – 3 x 10
Strength Training Workout - Day 6 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Kettlebell Climb x 5 (all the way down + up = 1 rep) Spiral Kettlebell Row x 10/10 Alternating Lunges x 10/10 Squat Jumps x 10 Sprawls x 10
Perform 3 to 5 rounds. Rest for 60 seconds between rounds.
Core Work: A) Straight Leg Sit-ups – 3 x 10 B) Knee Hugs – 3 x 10 C) Spinal Rocks – 3 x 10
Shovel Lift The shovel lift is a seriously old school strength exercise that is little seen (and little performed!) in the modern training world. As you will see though, it is a fantastic way of training the entire body in a non-standard fashion that is perfect for Integrated Strength. Add weight to one side of a barbell. Hold the barbell with one hand in the middle and one near the opposite collar, on the unloaded side. The shovel lift can be performed in a variety of ways. Here are some different ideas to start with:
Stand up with the weight, just like a deadlift Twist to the sides and diagonals Thrust the weight forward like a spear Turn over the weight as you raise it like you were dumping a shovel load Lift it overhead by pressing one hand down and the other one up
Change your hand position for better or worse leverage
This can be done with a light weight for many reps or very heavy weight. Make sure you build up in working with heavy weights slowly. Because of the leverage disadvantage you want to be sure your body is capable of handling the weight and will not be pulled out of place. This is the perfect exercise to practice your stability in motion. Do not allow the weight to pull you off center!
Strength Workout 7 - Hold Out Training with 2 Dumbbells & Shovel Lift 1A) Arms to the Side Neutral 1B) Arms to the Front Neutral 1C) Arms to the Side Palms Up 1D) Arms to the Front Palms Up 1E) Arms to the Side Palms Down 1F) Arms to the Front Palms Down Perform each exercise for one set. Start with 10 second holds and try to work up to 30 seconds. Rest 2-3 minutes between exercises. Perform Vibration Drills during the rest periods. 2) Shovel Lift for time Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and work through all the Shovel Lift variations shown in the video. Play, explore, have fun!
Strength Workout 8 - Carry & Bodyweight Medley
1A) Double Kettlebell Deadlift x 5 1B) Farmer Walk x 35 Yards 1C) Double Kettlebell Deadlift x 5 1D) Spiral Push-ups x 10 1E) Double Kettlebell Deadlift x 5 1F) Farmer Walk x 35 Yards 1G) Hindu Push-ups x 10 Rest 1-2 minutes 2A) Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5 2B) Rack Walk x 35 Yards 2C) Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5 2D) Spiral Push-ups x 10 2E) Rack Walk x 35 Yards 2F) Hindu Push-ups x 10 Rest 1-2 minutes 3A) Double Overhead Carry x 35 Yards 3B) Spiral Push-ups x 10 3C) Double Overhead Carry x 35 Yards 3D) Hindu Push-ups x 10
Additional Recommended Resources Warrior Life Transformation Program Sick of being average? Ready to begin living an extraordinary life? Tired of being an amateur in the matter of physical training? If you are ready for a Warrior Life, click HERE
Ninja Mission Program 1 (Video and Manual) You will train like the ninja of feudal Japan preparing body, mind, and spirit through rigorous physical training and martial practice. Budo Power Packs In an effort to provide you with greater value and service here at Warrior Fitness, I am introducing the Budo Power Packs option available for a limited time only! Now you can bundle our awesome products together at 50% off the regular prices! Get a jump start on building your budo body today!
Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts (e-book) The flag ship book that started it all! Warrior Fitness will help you and your students attain a new level of strength, flexibility and endurance — quickly and with little chance of injury. Warrior Fitness combines old school fitness with modern exercise science. Martial Power Program (e-book and video) The Martial Power Program is for those traditional martial artists committed to taking their body, mind, and spirit to the next
