Weightlifting is a controversial topic amongst most of the fitness industry. Should you lift weights? Heavy or light? Many reps or few? How many times per week? And the discussion continues ad-nauseum. For many martial artists, this results in confusion and indecision. In fact, there are schools that completely avoid strength or cardio training to focus entirely on skills acquisition. However, if we look back at the history of martial arts, and we look at those who excel in the martial arts world, we almost always find that resistance training of some sort is a part of their regimen. Now, I don’t claim to be an expert on weightlifting or even general fitness training, but I would like to give you some reasons why weightlifting might be worth adding to your martial arts training schedule.
1. Mass moves mass: In other words, your ability to deal with an attacker could be limited by your size. I know we like to say that martial arts can help a smaller defender against a larger attacker, but in reality, there is no magic pill. That is why divisions based on size are necessary in sport martial arts. If you want to be able to defend yourself well, having a bit of high-density muscle mass can be very beneficial.
2. Bone density: Do you remember all of those “bone conditioning” drills you have done or seen others performing? Maybe you have a makiwara in your school or home gym. Those tools can be helpful for strengthening you and improving your pain tolerance, but believe it or not, they aren’t the most effective for increasing bone density. Scientific studies have revealed that people who lift weights or do other forms of resistance training (body weight calisthenics, resistance bands, etc.) improve and maintain bone density significantly more than people who don’t.
3. Flexibility: Yep, you read that right. People tend to think that weightlifting causes a reduction in flexibility. Depending on what your weightlifting goals are, that may be true. However, if you continue your flexibility training in addition to resistance training, you are likely to see improvement in BOTH. You see, flexibility also requires that you have the necessary muscles to support the joints as your body is being placed in awkward positions. I personally found that my ability to make progress in the splits increased when I started doing weighted squats regularly. Strange but effective.
4. Long-term health: Scientific studies have shown that people who do some kind of resistance training 3-5 times per week tend to live healthier, more productive lives after age 40 than those who become more complacent. Some have suggested that you will lose approximately 5% of your muscle mass every year after turning 40 (varies by individual) unless you spend time lifting weights of some kind.
5. Injury prevention: In martial arts, we tend to move human bodies frequently, whether that means hitting someone with a punch, or throwing someone onto the ground, or wrestling for position on the ground. Many martial artists end up getting injured while moving another body (even just helping a friend get up off the floor). Proper weight training will strengthen the muscles most likely to be injured as well as the connective tissue around your joints.
Finally, if all those reasons aren’t enough motivation for you to start resistance training, think about this... If you want to hit stuff harder - lift weights. If you want to throw people easier - lift weights. If you want to jump higher - lift weights. The answer is evident that martial artists should also be training their bodies with resistance, and weightlifting is one of the most efficient ways to do so. I hope that you will find a trainer, coach, or teacher who can help you start, or improve your weightlifting journey. I haven’t regretted it since I started, and, most likely, you won’t either!
References:
Manske SL, Lorincz CR, Zernicke RF. Bone health: part 2, physical activity. Sports Health. 2009 Jul;1(4):341-6. doi: 10.1177/1941738109338823. PMID: 23015892; PMCID: PMC3445123.
Webber BJ, Piercy KL, Hyde ET, Whitfield GP. Association of Muscle-Strengthening and Aerobic Physical Activity With Mortality in US Adults Aged 65 Years or Older. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2236778. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.36778