Maito Gai's Basic Training

Before Rock Lee was the king of training, Maito Gai paved the way with his self-rule and devotion to Taijutsu. His father, though not a strong ninja, imparted to Gai the importance of hard work and effort and with very little talent, the young boy grew into the rival of the genius Kakashi.

Somebody had to be this awesome.
Guess it's me.

This workout is based on the training that we see Gai doing during flashbacks. As in everything, know your own body and stop if you have to.  You can always make the workout easier!

Maito Gai's Basic Training

1. Run 10km
2. Handwalk 500 Meters
3. 500+ Push-ups/Fingertip Push-ups 
4. One Leg Forward Hops- 100 Meters Each Side
5. Wall Sit- 5 Sets for MAX Time
6. Double Lateral Hops- 100 Each Side
7. 500 Punches to Striking Post/Heavy Bag
8. 500 Kicks to Striking Post/Heavy Bag

Notes:

• Do the workout in this order with 3-5 minutes rest in between each exercise. This workout will take you a few hours, so make sure you have water, electrolytes, and carbs to get you through it. Eat a good meal about two hours before you start training. Eat well after. 
• Feel free to scale this back, as it is quite a bit of volume. Try a quarter of the distances and reps at first and then work your way up. If that's too much, try 1/10th of distances and reps. 
• You may choose to use the concept of the Self-Imposed Rule during this workout. If you feel as though you may be coming close to a Personal Record on a particular exercise, but you are not sure if you can complete it, that would be a good time to challenge yourself. You can add it directly after whatever exercise you're doing or you can tack it on to the end of this workout.
• Vary your course on your run. Run on flats sometimes, run on trails, run on roads, run up hills. Make it different. 
• For the handwalking, it is very unlikely that you will be able to do all 500 meters of it in one go (at least not for a very long time).  Break it up as much as you need and remember that you can scale the whole workout back if you need to. 
• On the push-ups, you should try to do as many as you can before you fail. Getting 500 push-ups is one set is going to be very, very hard, so you can try to break it up into as many sets as you need. You can mix up the push-ups between normal and fingertip as you like. If you ever get to be able to do 500 normal push-ups in one set add a total of 500 fingertip push-ups following the completion of the 500 normal push-ups for a total of 1,000 push-ups. 
• One Leg Forward Hops are pretty simple. Stand on one foot and hop forward for the listed distance. Switch sides and repeat. 
• For the wall sit, your hand can be behind your head, crossed over your chest, or held out in front of you. Your thighs must maintain 90 degrees the entire time. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets. 
• For Double Lateral Hops, you'll get in a slightly lowered stance with your feet a little wider than shoulder width. Use on leg to push off to one side two times and then immediately spring off in the other directions twice. That will be 1 rep on each side. 
• With at least hand wraps on, hit a heavy bag or a striking post with 500 total punches and then 500 total kicks. 

That's all for today! Good luck and train hard!

The Daily Grind: Why You Don't Need a Rest Day

Do you need rest days?  Do you need days where you do absolutely nothing?  We've been told that rest days are necessary, and your body certainly does need to recover, but I think we've been going about this entirely the wrong way.

What images pop into your head when you think about a rest day?  Is it going for a nice walk in the park or the beach or is it you laying on the couch with dried cheese snack powder (you know the one) and a soda the color of radioactive sludge?  Whatever the case is, it's probably not what you should be thinking.

You've got this perfectly good day and you're not training?

(*too)  That's a damn shame.

At this point, I've probably got you wanting to comment or write me a nasty e-mail telling me about Overtraining Syndrome, DOMS, lactic acid, and micro-tears in the muscles.  That's fine. Write the e-mail if you need to: I'll be here when you get back.  However, wait to push send until you hear me out okay?

Recovery is Important

I'm not saying that recovery is not important. Of course recovery is important. We eat the right amounts of good, nutritious foods and drink a river of water to recover properly, relax when it's time to relax during the day, and sleep like a baby for 8-10 hours a night (if you're not sleeping, you're not recovering).  That's not even counting things like massage, ice baths, supplements, PEDs, compression, foam rolling, and however many additional things people do to speed recovery on a daily basis.  You have all of those things and you're telling me that I need to skip a day where I could be training?

I'mma go ahead and say, "No."



If you are doing all of those things, there should be no reason for you to take a day off from training, as long as you are doing the appropriate amount of work at the appropriate intensity. Obviously, if you train to the point that you can't even move the following day, you're going to have to take a day off. However, if you've pushed your body to such a point, you're no longer training effectively.  The purpose of training is to stimulate growth, not annihilate your body to the point that you can no longer use it. Acute overtraining keeps you from being able to continue your training and improving.
And the entire point is to continue improving.

One time, in middle school, I remember that I did legs so hard that I literally couldn't walk the next day. It was some stupid amount of volume like 6 sets of Squats, 8 sets of Leg Press, 4 Super-sets of Leg Extensions and Leg Curls, 4 sets of Calf Raises, 4 Sets of Weighted Bench Step-ups, and all of these were like 10-12 reps sets. I wasn't prepared for the volume by any means, but more must be better in a single training session, right?

Not at all. Unfortunately, because of that training session, I couldn't train at all for two or three days.  How much of a set back is that?!  I want to have the opportunity to improve something every single day.

Always Be Improving

There is always something that you can be working on. Think about all of the things you can improve during your training: strength, endurance, flexibility, mobility, technical skills, agility, balance, stamina, accuracy, coordination, and power.  You don't need a rest day, you need to work on something else. It really depends one what type of athlete you are or what your goals are that will determine how you change up your routine.  The times when you feel as though you've done too much of one thing, you need to work on other aspects of your fitness that falls into line with your goals.  Having an easy day of working on something is not the same thing as a "rest day," in my opinion, because you're still drilling motor patterns and working out the stiffness in the muscles and joints.  You don't need rest, you need to stop skipping important training days.

Athletes have been doing this for decades.  Training splits where an athlete trains different body parts is something that is seen in bodybuilding and various strength sports.  In team sports, athletes split up speed work, agility training, strength training, and skill work to develop every aspect of whatever game they are playing. With the every day athlete, however, you have so many more options, because you're not limited to improving performance for a game. If you find that a training session leaves you incapable of working on some aspect of your fitness, either by accident or design, merely switch to a different component of your fitness and train that.

Splitting up body parts and changing up the components of fitness are two ways that you can continue to improve while pushing your limits on a daily basis, but they are not the only ways. And that's where the next part comes in:

The Daily Grind

If you are specializing in something to any degree, be it strength, skill, or whatever, you would do well to adopt the concept of "The Daily Grind."  You see it in the training methodology of the Shaolin Temple and martial arts around the world and in various strength training camps from powerlifting to Olympic lifting. The concept of day-in day-out physical exertion bringing about an increase physical abilities is not a new concept.

I remember working on construction sites during summer and winter breaks throughout high school and college.  Even though I stayed in shape during the school year, the first week back doing hard framing or roofing was always hell.  Everything hurt and you just felt beat up.  Two weeks into it, though, you didn't even notice anymore and you're already back to doing your normal workouts on top of hard 10 hour days in the hot sun.  Your body is enormously adaptive and capable of so much more than we give it credit for, as long as we give it the tools and the time necessary to improve.

There are things that you could do every day that seem hard right now, but in a few weeks will just become another routine part of your life. In order to push yourself in your training, think about what things you could do. I'll give you some examples of training programs and workouts:

1. Cory Gregory's Squat Every Day- At first glance, this sounds insane. Squatting heavy, in some form or another, every day of the week. And, yet, there are athletes around the world who do just that and make monumental gains in strength, size, and mobility from doing just that.  The argument is that the squat is a primal human movement and we were made to do it, just like walking. It follows a plan of using 11 variations of the barbell squat in a relatively short session every day. It really is quite amazing how your legs feel. Cory Gregory did not invent the idea of squatting heavy every day, but he's certainly spreading the news about it. If you're a strength athlete, I recommend you look into it.  I've recently begun adapting it to the Gravity Room Method, myself. 
2. Narushimo Ryo's Basic Training- If you are a martial artist and not practicing your techniques every day, you are doing yourself a disservice. That doesn't mean that you have to practice them all or that you have to be beat up all the time, but it does mean that you should be training them. Starting off with a smaller number every day and then gradually adding volume to your skill work is a great way to improve without overdoing it by trying to jam 100,000 reps into two hours.  Life is not a montage.  These things take time. 
3. Kamishiro Yuu's Basic Training- Drilling your techniques will make you better. Drilling them tens of thousands of times will make you a master. You will have to start slowly, but you'll be able to do more and more over weeks and months of training. 
4. Saitama's Training- There are some basic movement patterns that we just do all the time. Push-ing yourself off the ground, sitting up from laying down, squatting down, and running are some of the most basic things that we can do.  As a beginner, those things can be a little daunting, but in just a few months, those movement become as natural as breathing and you wonder how you ever lived your life so sedentary. Here's a video to show you options to increase the variety of your training. 
5. The 72 Arts of Shaolin- (Look under "Retsu Kaioh") These specialized exercises are the pinnacle of the Daily Grind. Taking a very simple exercise and using it to gradually turn your body into a weapon is trademark of the Shaolin Temple, kung fu, and martial arts in general. The author of the "72 Arts" recommends that you do not try to do them all, but instead commit yourself fully to two or three training methods to achieve greatness. (I've not yet posted all of the parts to this.)
6. The Self-Imposed Rule- Pushing yourself in your daily training comes in many forms.  The Self-Imposed Rule is a way to push yourself when you aren't meeting your own standards of performance. Your mental and physical prowess can become much greater when you set your mind to the idea that you can always train yourself beyond your failings and limitations. 

Using these methods directly or as an example, you can take your normal program and push it into the realm of extraordinary.  Starting gradually and adding volume and intensity over time will allow you to take simple movements and techniques and absorb them into your very being. Bruce Lee said, "If you always put a limit on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."

You don't need a rest day: You need consistency, proper nutrition and sleep, and the drive to always be improving, even if it's just by one more rep. If you push yourself a little too hard in a training session, remember that you can always train another aspect of your fitness. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

How to Get Fast like Sonic and Rainbow Dash | Tough Like The Toonz: EP 1

JaxBlade is a long-time reader of Real Anime Training and is a Certified Personal Trainer.  Some time ago, Jax started putting together some workouts/training videos for cartoon characters.  In this first episode of the series, he tackles the speedsters Sonic and Rainbow Dash and gives us a good breakdown of exercises necessary to build speed, endurance, and agility.

Also, he reminds us to run... because f#$%ing zombies.






Pay my boy some love and go subscribe and share his stuff all over.  That's all for today. Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Vegeta's Gravity Room Workout

We have Goku's Gravity Room Workout and The Super Saiyan Workout, but we don't have a workout specifically for Vegeta.

Let's fix that.

When Vegeta saw what hardcore training in a Gravity Chamber did for Kakkarot, he threw himself into it full blast, even to the point of being almost constantly injured. He eventually beat himself to the point where he practically had no choice but to become Super Saiyan. If there was a book called, "How to Become a Super Saiyan," Vegeta would have written it in his own sweat and blood. Goku trained hard to get where he is, but Vegeta trained to the point of downright insanity. 400x gravity is pretty ridiculous, if you ask me. Some of the exercises here were not explicitly shown, but are extrapolations of the kinds of training Vegeta did and what he would need for full body training. Vegeta needed a Real Anime Training workout and he's going to get one right now!

Do... push-ups... Beat... Kakkarot...

Vegeta's Gravity Room Workout

Bodyweight Exercises (Choose 3 to do 3 sets of MAX Reps)

1. Push-up
2. One-Arm Push-up
3. Handstand Push-up
4. One-Arm Handstand Push-up
5. Squat
6. One-Legged Squat
7. Pull-up
8. One-Arm Pull-up
9. Body Row
10. One-Arm Body Row

Anti-movement Core Training

1. Plank- MAX Time
2. 30 Seconds Rest
3. Side Plank- MAX Time/each side
4. 30 Seconds Rest
5. Straight Bridge- MAX Time
6. 30 Seconds Rest
7. Handstand- MAX Time (or 1 Min Total)
8. 30 Seconds Rest
9. One-Arm Plank- MAX Time/each side
10. 30 Seconds Rest
11. One-Arm Handstand- MAX Time/each side
12. 30 Seconds Rest
13. One-Arm Hang- MAX Time/each side

Combat Skills (Choose 1)

1. Shadowboxing- 30 Seconds Hard/30 Seconds Easy for 4 Minutes x 3 Rounds (1 Minute Recovery between rounds)
2. Agility Practice- 30 Minutes (see notes)
3. Dodging Practice- 3 x 5 Minutes 

Notes:

• You have the choices of bodyweight exercises, so that you're not always killing the same movement pattern, but you are still able to make progression. Also, you have single-limb variations for strength work. 
• I understand it is probably unlikely that Vegeta had a pull-up bar considering how much he would have weighed in the Gravity Room, but let's just assume Dr. Briefs made a material strong enough to deal with the gravity. 
• If you are working on one-arm push-ups, start with your legs spread wide and work on slowly moving your feet together as you get better at it. 
• You may do handstand push-ups against a wall to start with, but eventually you should work to doing them without support. 
• On one-legged squats, you can use support to help you work on technique in the beginning. 
• The middle section of the workout is based on the time Vegeta was spinning while hovering in the air of the Gravity Room. He would have had to maintain core tension in each position to keep himself from bending one way or another. 
• A straight bridge is just the reverse of the plank. Your body is facing upward, with your hands flat on the ground. 
• Practice the handstand freehand. If you can't hold the handstand continuously for 1 minute, break it up into sets so you can get in some practice. 
• For the one-arm handstand, you can do it against the wall until you feel more comfortable with it. 
• Try to keep from spinning while hanging from the bar/rope with one arm.
• In the last portion of the workout, for Agility Practice, you can work with an agility ladder, you can walk on your hands, roll or flip around, jump from place to place quickly, use fast fighting footwork, or combine your fighting techniques with any of these motions. 
• Dodging Practice works will with dodgeball, tag, having tennis balls thrown at you, or dodging various attacks. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Batman: The Complete Program

Gene Starwind's Training

Gene Starwind runs a jack-of-all-trades business, taking any job he can get. In the story, he comes across a ship, taking him out into space and forcing him to butt heads with a variety of opponents and pushing him into a lot of dangerous situations. This workout is designed to mimic the types of activities that Gene would have to do (and is seen doing) during the course of the series.

Gene Starwind's Training

1. Headbutt- 10+ Strikes to Heavy Bag
2. Dodging (Single)- 3 Hits  
3. Sprinting- 100 Meters
4. Dodging (Multiple)- 3 Hits
5. Hurdles- 100 Meters 
6. Head Movement Practice (Weaving)- 1 Minute
7. Heavy Bagwork- 1 Minute
8. 24-32" Box Jumps- 20 Jumps
9. 10 Forward Rolls (each side) 

--5 Rounds, then

• Long-Range Accuracy Training- Using a ball, shuriken, knife, or even a gun (don't use any real weapons unless you have been specifically instructed in their use. In cases where you are using real weaponry, it is best that you go to a location specifically designed for their use, like a shooting range. No definite time for practice, but 30-60 minutes is a good length if you aren't sure what to do. 

Notes:

• With the headbutts, you should start very light and only hit with the very top of your forehead or the top of your head, where it is the hardest. What "10+" means is that you will start with 10 the first time you do the workout and then add one more strike every time you do the workout after that. You'll be doing a total of 50 strikes the first time you do the workout, anyway. 
• Single Dodging just means you have one thing being thrown at you. Since it's only one thing, a larger projectile, such as a dodgeball, soccerball, or something of the sort would be a good choice. You will continue dodging until you are hit three times. After that, move on to the next part of the workout. You can have one person just throwing it at you, in which case your back should be against a wall or you can be in the middle of a few people as they toss it at you. 
• Try to go all out on the sprint. 
• Multiple Dodging is dodging several projectiles. The best option here is probably tennis balls because you are not likely to hurt yourself. Once again, you can have one person throwing them at you with your back against a wall or a group surrounding you. 
• Hurdling requires a lot of technique and, well, hurdles. If you have neither, then you may just want to settle on trying to clear a few obstacles along a running path. Jumping over a small fence or climbing up a wall would be sufficient. If you actually have access to hurdles and the have the skill to hurdle, you can do that, too. 
• With the head movement drill, you'll need someone to throw punches at your head (slowly at first), while you dodge them. They can be standing in front of you or mounted on top of you. Either way, start slow and progress slowly. You don't really want to get hit in the face. Honestly, it's best if you have mats and both of you wear gear as well: gloves, mouthpiece, and headgear.
• You can throw whatever strikes you want for the bagwork. 
• On the box jumps, you need to make sure that once you jump on the box, you stand all the way up before you jump or step back down.
• The forward rolls will be from one shoulder down to the opposite hip, making your body into as much of a circle as you can to turn the downward force of gravity into forward motion. If you are not used to rolling, start on mats or sand and then you can eventually move to harder surfaces once you have the technique down. 

Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Luffy's New World Training (One Piece)

After the showdown at the end of the Marineford Arc, Luffy and the others go off a two year training journey, each to different locations. Luffy trains in the wilderness with the help of Rayleigh, attaining new levels of power and ability by mastering his Haki. This workout is based on that training time.

Luffy's New World Training

Strength and Conditioning

1. Heavy Stone Lifts- 10 Reps
2. Heavy Stone Carry- 100 Meters
3. Muscle-ups- MAX REPS
4. 100 Meter Sprint
5. Full Power Push-ups- MAX REPS
6. 100 Meter Sprint
7. High Jump Squats- MAX REPS
8. 100 Meter Sprint
9. Long Jump Squats- MAX REPS
10. 100 Meter Sprint
11. Heavy Stone Lifts- 10 Reps
12. Heavy Stone Carry- 100 Meters

Combat Skills

1. Full Power Striking to Heavy Bag- 3 x 1 Minute Rounds
2. All-out Heavy Bag- 3 x 1 Minute Rounds
3. Stick Dodging- 5 Minutes
4. Tennis Ball Dodging- 5 Minutes
5. Target Practice - 5 Minutes
6. Sparring- 3 x 5 Minutes

Notes:

• For the stone lifts and the stone carry, you'll try to lift whatever stone you have as high as you possibly can, with the eventual goal being locking the weight out directly overhead. The heavier the stone or weight is the less likely you will be to raise it to full lockout and that's okay. We're looking for a weight that's very heavy to begin with so you can gradually build up your strength over time. During the stone carry, you may carry the stone or weight however is most comfortable for you. 
• For stick dodging you will need some sort of padded stick, or you can actually use a real stick if you are okay with getting hit (not really recommended, but I can't stop some people). All of the strikes will be swings, so do not have your partner thrust at you. The swings will come down or across and will be aimed at the head, in which case you will either move your head to the left or right or duck. Please, please, please begin slowly.
• For target practice, you can use a speed bag, focus mitts, a tennis ball hanging from a string, several tennis balls thrown at you, a double end bag or anything else that is difficult to strike. You'll want to throw as many types of strikes at the particular target as possible. 
• For sparring, you can go against one or multiple opponents, but if you are new to sparring, please go slow and hit softer. You will want to use gear, such as headgear, a mouthpiece, a cup, gloves, and shin guards in order to protect yourself during sparring. The main purpose of sparring is skill development. This is no time to get injured. 

Until next time, good luck and train hard!

2nd Star Commander Junas' Training (Psyren)

Junas is the 2nd Star Commander under Amagi Miroku and is one scary guy. He's super fast, incredibly agile, very skilled at combat, and has an ability that allows him to cut through virtually anything with his Psi. Junas' most impressive attribute is his speed, but he's not just fast. He has an incredible endurance that allows him to keep his speed for a long period of time. When Kagetora was chasing him in the Present, Junas ran (while carrying a child) for 3 whole days!

We do need to remember that these abilities are all Psi based and not necessarily based in a training program. However, I've built this workout based on the attributes Junas displays throughout the series. It will focus on speed and speed-endurance (which is the ability to maintain speed for an extended time.)


Junas' Training

Sprint/Explosive Movement Complex

1. Light Jog- 5 Minutes
2. 8" Hurdle Hops- 5 x 20 Reps
3. Slalom Run- 5 x 25 Meters
4. Agility Ladder- 2 x 3 Drills (see notes)
5. High Jump Squats- 3 x 10 Reps
6. Box Up-and-Overs- 3 x 10 Reps
7. 50 Meter Sprint/Walk Back
8. 100 Meter Sprint/Walk Back
9. 50 Meter Zig-Zag Sprint/Walk Back
10. 100 Meter Zig-Zag Sprint/Walk Back
11. 90 Degree Sprint- 1 Set Each Side
12. 100 Meter Sprint/Backpeddle
13. 50 Meter Sprint/Backpeddle

Additional Attribute Training (Choose 1)

-Sword Work

1. 100 Downward Swings
2. Draw Sword-Block-Parry-Strike- 25 Times (each side)
3. 100 Downward Swings

-Speed-Endurance

1. 15 Second Sprint/15 Second Walk
2. 30 Second Sprint/15 Second Walk
3. 45 Second Sprint/15 Second Walk
4. 60 Second Sprint/15 Second Walk
5. 90 Second Sprint/30 Second Walk
6. 120 Second Sprint/30 Second Walk
7. 180 Second Sprint/30 Second Walk

-Endurance

1. Running- 30 Minutes+10%
2. 40# Run-Carry- Until fatigued

Notes:

• For the hurdle hops, you'll keep your legs mostly straight, but with knees soft. Using as little motion as possible, hop over an 8" hurdle for listed number of reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
• For the Slalom Run, you'll put cones every few feet for the listed distance and you'll alternatively run through them. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
• Here is a video of some agility drills. Pick 3 and do 2 sets each. Rest 30 seconds between each drill.
• Box Up-and-Overs, you perform a box jump and then hop off the box on the other side. That's one rep. Turn around and repeat for listed reps. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
• Sprints should be 90-100% effort. The walk back is your rest period.
• For Zig-Zag sprints, you will turn at a 45 degree angle and start your sprint. On your fifth step, you will turn 90 degrees and run back toward the center line of the field or road you are on. On the fifth step of that, you will reverse and repeat this every fifth step to cut a zig-zag back and forth across the listed distance. The walk back is your rest period.
• For the last sprints, the back peddle does not have to be a sprint, but should at least be at a nice run-like pace.
• After the first part of the workout, rest 5 minutes and pick on of the attribute trainings.
• For the sword work, you can use a sword, a wooden sword, a stick, or even a sledgehammer. 
• During the speed endurance, you will not rest between sets except for the allotted time for walking. This training is designed to push your lactate threshold higher so that you can sustain a higher intensity for a longer period.
• For the endurance portion, "30 Minutes+10%" means that when you first do the workout, you will attempt to run for 30 minutes straight. When you are capable of doing this, add 10% more time to this. That means you will run 33 minutes if you can run 30 successfully, approximately 36 Minutes and 15 Seconds if you can run 33, 39 Minutes 45 Seconds if you can run the 36'15" and so on. It doesn't have to be as precise with the seconds. You can certainly round up or down to the nearest minute.
• The second part of the endurance training is done right after the first. Using any compact weight: a medicine ball, a plate, a backpack-- you will carry it with your arms however you need to and run as far as you can go without stopping. If you stop or have to drop the weight even one time, you are done for the day.
• When you pick an attribute, try not to train that attribute two workouts in a row. 

Kaoru-chan Training Special (Submission for KSKM)

This workout was submitted by Adam Gorman for "Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru." I liked it, so I didn't really feel like I needed to make modifications and so the text is almost entirely as it was submitted to me. 

Kaoru-chan Training Special:

Physical Conditioning

1. 25+ Knuckle Push-ups (build up to say 100 then do 1 handed)
2. 25+ Sit-ups (if you reach 100 do decline or weighted)
3. 25+Jump Squats (build up to 100 then 1 legged)
4. 20+ Split Squats (build up as high as you can)
5. 15 Dumbbell Punches (each side)

Technique

1. 4 x 3 min Speed Ladder Work
2. 4 x 3 min Slip Bag Work
3. 4 x 3 min Thai Pads
4. 4 x 3 min Boxing Mitts
5. 5 x 3 min Muay Thai Sparring, Kumite or Heavy Bag
6. 50 reps of "Kaoru-chan Missile" (http://mangafox.me/manga/karate_shoukoushi_kohinata_minoru/v14/c148/2.html) see through this chapter for explantion
7. 50 reps of "Hyakuman Goku Upper" (http://mangafox.me/manga/karate_shoukoushi_kohinata_minoru/v14/c149/10.html) same as above
8. "Kaoru-chan Machine Gun" (1-2s as fast as possible)
9. Lunging upper to an overhand right (later becomes his signature technique) (http://adamg8.tumblr.com/post/54476183806)
10. Shrimp Attack (http://adamg8.tumblr.com/post/54477001004/hamadas-prawn-shrimp-combo)
11. 2-4 x 3 min of "Speed Hell"  (http://adamg8.tumblr.com/post/54476614310/footwork-used-by-hamada-shadow-patterns-similar-to)

Notes:

• This workout is aimed at building the speed and explosive power Hamada had as well as conditioning your body in a way similar to his, as well as having you practice his signature techniques.
• It's likely he weight trains as he goes from a lightweight to middle in a year.
• (From here on the notes are all from Real Anime Training)
• We've pretty much covered everything in the first part, except for split squats. A split squat is done from the top of a lunge position. You squat down to the bottom of the lunge, with knee touching the floor, then you stand up. You feet will remain with one leg out front and one leg back. When you complete all of the reps, do the other side. 
• The punches with the dumbbell should start out light, like 1 or 2 lbs. 
• For the speed ladder, here is a video with some good drills.
• Below is a picture of a slip bag, if you didn't know what it was. You hit it and then practice slipping to the side like a punch is coming in. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard! If anyone has character or anime workouts they want to submit, please do so at realanimetraining@gmail.com! 

OnePunch-Man: Superhero Registry Exam Workout

Saitama learns that he is not as famous as he would like to be since he is not listed in the National Superhero Registry, so he and Genos go to take the test head-on. There is a written portion and a physical capability portion. Genos scores perfect scores on both, but Saitama barely passes because of his written test. However, he crushes the physical portion, breaking every record the organization has. This workout is based on the Exam.


OnePunch-Man: Superhero Registry Exam Workout

1. Side-to-Side Jumps- 30 Secs
2. 1500 Meter Run
3. Clean and Press- 1 Rep Max, 3 Attempts
4. Squat High-Jumps- 50 Reps

Notes:

• This workout is more for testing than for training, but that doesn't mean you can't use it to train. 
• Go all out on the 1500 Meter Run. If you are not used to running, take your time and just get used to the distance. 
• If you aren't used to the clean and press, or if you've never done a 1 Rep Max, I would recommend using a very light weight and focusing on technique for 12-15 reps.
• On the squat high-jumps, you'll focus on jumping as high as you possibly can for each of the repetitions. Squat down, jump high into the air, and land immediately back into another squat and repeat. You should not be standing back up in between reps. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Request: Mulan's Training (AKA: The "I'll Make a Man Out of You" Workout)

I got a request for a workout based on Mulan's training and I though, "Why the hell not?!"

Mulan is a legendary figure from ancient China and the subject of a number of poems and stories, as well as a Disney movie.

Somebody's about to catch a beat down.

Mulan becomes an amazing warrior, but like any good warrior, she needs a training montage and that's where this workout comes in. Really hope you enjoy this one!!

Mulan's Training (AKA: The "I'll Make a Man Out of You" Workout)

1. 30 Minutes Martial Arts Practice
2. 10 Minutes Blocking Practice (Strikes or Tennis Balls)
3. 10 Minutes Dodging Practice (Strikes or Tennis Balls)
4. 3 Mile Hike/Trail Run with 20lb Weighted Pole on Shoulders*
5. 10 Minutes Sparring Practice
6. 20 Minutes "Breaking" Practice/Body Conditioning

Notes:

• The martial arts practice can be reps of techniques, shadowboxing, bag work, mitt work, forms,  two-man sets, or weapons practice. 
• Use whatever blocking techniques you have for the blocking practice, but your primary goal is to  deflect or stop the incoming attack (or tennis ball) with an arm/hand or leg/foot.
• In the dodging practice you can stand against a wall or run around while your partner throws tennis balls at you. Alternatively, you can merely practice dodging incoming blows by swaying, bobbing, weaving, using your footwork, jumping, or any other movement. 
• Reference the video for an example of the Weighted Pole. You could also use a backpack or a weighted vest.
• Sparring can be No-Contact Sparring, Light to Full Contact Sparring, a two-man set, point sparring, grappling, or mixed sparring. If you're doing an kind of contact, it's better to wear gear for safety's sake, since it's just practice.
• For "Breaking" or Body Conditioning you can use an Iron Palm Bag, an Iron Claw Bag, do 3-Star Training on a pole or tree, hit a canvas bag, hit a hard heavy bag bare-handed, use a body-conditioning bar, or actually practice breaking pine boards or concrete blocks. Whatever you do, start slow and remember that this kind of training takes a long time, because bone hardens very slowly.

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Korin-sama's Training

At the top of a tall tower, below Kami's Palace, lives the "God of Martial Arts." He's strong. He can read minds. He's also a cat. Goku climbs Korin's Tower in order to retrieve the "Holy Water," which is supposed to make the person who drinks it super strong. It takes Goku a full day of climbing, even with his incredible strength and speed, to reach the top. Once he gets to the top, Korin informs him that he can drink the Holy Water only if he can grab it from the Cat Hermit. Goku fails repeatedly, learning that it took Muten Roshi 3 full years to grab the Holy Water from Korin. Goku eats a Senzu from Korin, restoring his strength, allowing him to continue trying for the Water.

After Goku fails to grab the Holy Water, Korin takes Goku's Dragon Ball and throws it out of the Tower, forcing Goku to climb down to get it and then climb all the way back up. This time, however, it only takes the young warrior 3 hours to climb down and back up. Eventually, after 3 days of trying, Goku is able to grab the Holy Water. It is then that Korin reveals that it is just ordinary water and that the training of climbing the Tower and trying to grab the Water from Korin is actually the true secret of strength.

This workout is based on the training methods employed by Korin. It is slightly modified, because climbing Korin's tower is nearly a human impossibility due to the fact that you would need to eat and sleep during the journey and it would take you far more than a day of climbing to reach the top. Given Goku's strength and speed, it's a good indication that it would probably take an in-shape human being 3-5 days of continuous climbing to reach the top of the tower-- a feat of unimaginable endurance.


Korin-sama's Training 

1. 30 Minutes Climbing
2. 15 Minutes "Grab the Water"

AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)

Notes:

• For the climbing, it is best if you used a rock wall or a tree. Please use proper safety equipment and supervision. If you fall, that doesn't mean you are done. Climb for the allotted time. 
• "Grab the Water" is an open concept. Mark off a circle with about a 40ft diameter. Get a training partner or two (or three).You can play tag, chase the partner(s) while they wear a flag that you have to grab. Chasing multiple people will mimic the sheer speed of Korin. You don't stop when you tag your partners or grab the flags, because you have to train for the whole time period. If you catch your partner(s), you should rotate who is "Goku" and who is "Korin." 
• The AMRAP is limited by two things: You and your partners' ability to continue and the amount of time you have to train. Obviously, if you only have an hour to train, you'll only get through one cycle and through half the climb, before you have to stop. 
• The combination of climbing and sprinting, agility work, and maybe jumping will increase your strength, speed, and reaction time. Especially if you're using the flags, since you can't just get away with touching your training partner, but you'll actually have to grab something. 

How many people visit Korin just to say, "Hi."?
Poor kitty.

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I really love this workout. Didn't think I'd like Korin's training that much, but it's in line with the spirit of most of the Dragon Ball workouts (i.e.- Do a really hard thing for an extended period of time.).

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Retsu Kaioh's Training- Part 12

It's been a while, so I thought I'd get back into the 72 Arts for you guys!

#32: Exercise "Soft Bones" (Rou Gu Gong)- This training is relatively simple and is centered around flexibility. The first stage of the training utilizes a dynamic kicking motion. The kicking leg is kept straight and swung up in front of your body as high as it will comfortably go. Don't push yourself to the point of injury. You should do 100 kicks on each leg in the morning and evening. You can do them in a row on each leg or alternate legs in a kind of walking motion. After a year of training, the first stage of training will be complete.

The second stage is working on splits. The exercise is called "Bench Facing the Sky." Your supporting leg will be straight and you will lift your other leg as high as you can in front of you. After you cannot raise it anymore, pull your leg up with your arms as high as you can. At the end of the movement, you should be standing up straight, your raised leg flat against your chest and the sole of your foot facing the sky and near your ear. Train both of your legs in this fashion. The author doesn't give a time limit or number of sets for the training, so I suggest holding the position for no more than 2 minutes at a time and alternate your legs in this training. I would spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes on this training, depending on your soreness from other training. The author says that after several months, you should be able to start training for a split.

For a front split and a side split, you will spread your feet out as far as they will go on either the front or the side and the lower yourself as far as possible, keeping your upper body vertical all the while. When you are able to completely lower yourself into both positions, you'll focus on staying in the position for up to 30 minutes at a time. After you are able to hold these positions for these extended periods with your body vertical, you'll focus on lowering yourself into a bridge position from standing. You'll bend backwards and place both palms on the ground and stay in this position for a while. You'll also begin bending your body at the waist from side to side, in order to increase the flexibility of your upper body. The author says you'll be able to "roll yourself up into a ball in a lying position." You can also warm up your body with a hot cloth or a warm bath before training.


#33: Exercise "Frog" (Hama Gong)


The author calls this "Lifting a Stone Block." It's actually not described very well, in my opinion, and that might be due to the author or the translator. Either way, this one is a little vague. I'm going to try my best to give you my understanding of it. It appears that you will try to lift a stone block, in between your hands, off the ground for many repetitions. Like, a cinder block for instance or even an atlas stone. You'll start with 30 or 40lbs and work your way up once you can lift that weight, as the author says, "without appreciable effort." You can lift it like a Deadlift or Squat Clean or Clean and Press. I'm giving some leeway in that. He says when you can lift 100-110lbs "without appreciable effort",  you can move to the next stage of the exercise, which does not include any apparatus. I would be hesitant to completely eliminate your previous training, so I would still utilize the 100-110lbs for your lifting.

The next stage of the training, starts with the hands, wrists, and forearms. You will clench your fists together and squeeze the muscles in those three areas with maximal effort and then release a short while later. You will then clench your fists with the backs of your fists facing the ground and tighten your arms and the neck and head muscles. Next is your shoulders. Then pull your shoulders back and tighten your chest. You should train in this order until you gain the ability to fully contract all the muscles of your arms, shoulders, neck, and chest with maximal effort on command numerous times (I wish the author was a little more specific sometimes).

The next stage is training your midsection by contracting your core muscles on every side with maximal effort. I imagine that the core training is in addition to the the upper body training. The last stage of the training is merely staying in the horse riding stance for extended periods of time, while practicing "concentrating force" in various parts of your body, which is squeezing the muscles as previously indicated. The author says that this ability will make you capable of repelling blows by "concentrating force" into areas of your body upon impact.

#34: Exercise "Piercing the Curtain" (Chuan Lian Gong)


This training is about acrobatics and leaping. The first stage of this training involves leaping from about 20ft over a long pit filled with about 4 feet of sand. There is a stake driven in each corner of the pit, with a net of thick cords draped about 2 feet above the sand. It appears as though you will squat down and leap with your hands out in front of you, almost like Superman in flight, over the pit and land in the net. This is kind of crazy to me, so if you get wild enough to try it, be very careful and make sure you have safety equipment. I wouldn't really recommend this one, myself.

The next stage is placing a plank (like a 2 x 4) at about 40 inches high in between two poles. This should be placed in front of the pit from the previous stage. You'll start about 20-30 feet away from the plank, start running and leap over the plank in a completely horizontal fashion, like in the previous training. After you are able to leap over the plank with relative ease, you should replace the plank with a board about 2-3 feet wide, so you have more to clear in your horizontal leap. After you are able to do this, you should encircle the board with a circular frame so that you have to jump straight through, instead of just jumping high. You'll be "piercing" through the center (thus the name) and you'll add additional frames as you get better at flying through the section until you get to 6 or 7 frames. The author also mentions something about adding knives to the inside of the frames but DO NOT DO THAT! No, seriously, that's like the least intelligent thing I've seen this guy say. If you screw up once, you're done for good!

In general this skill would be good for an acrobatic feat of leaping through a small hole as straight as possible or through a window without breaking the glass or hurting yourself. However, it's kind of a dangerous training.

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That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Batman's Training- A Snapshot

At the request of a reader, I'm going to be posting some of Batman's training. The training schedule below is a week's worth of Batman's workouts. It contains a general outline of the exercises completed by Bruce Wayne and doesn't necessarily mean that this is all that he does. I'll do my best to start from the basics and build up to the level presented in this schedule, which is at a level that (in my opinion) absolutely above world class. Batman pushes all aspects of fitness to their absolute maximum. His strength, speed, balance, flexibility, accuracy, power, endurance, and skills have been honed through hours of constant, deliberate training and a defined goal of having a body capable of defending the streets of Gotham. 

Here's the snapshot. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting the stages leading up to this starting from a base level of fitness and athleticism. You've heard of going from "fat to fit," now see how you go from "fit to Bat." (Corny? Yes. Awesome? Absolutely.)

Ponder this one for a while, why don't you? Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Sena's Basic Training (Eyeshield 21)

In Eyeshield 21, Sena is beyond frail, but he has ridiculous speed from being an "errand boy" for so many years. Because of this, he gets roped into playing for the American Football team in his high school. The training he undergoes at the beginning of the series is very simple, mostly because of his lack of ability to do anything other than run really fast. 

Here's the workout.

Sena's Basic Training (Eyeshield 21)

1. Jog- 5 Minutes
2. Crossover Step with Agility Ladder- 30 Times Each Direction
3. 40 Yard Dash- 3 Sets
4. Pushing- 3 x 30 Yards (1 Minute Rest Between Sets)
5. Bench Press- 3 x 10 Reps (1 Minute Rest Between Sets)
6. 40 Yard Agility Dash- 5 Sets (1 Minute Rest Between Sets)
7. Run and Catch- 5 Sets

Notes:

• An agility ladder is laid flat on the ground and each step goes in between two rungs of the ladder without skipping a space. You'll move laterally with your steps, crossing one foot in front of the other. Moving laterally is important to becoming more agile. 
• You'll really have to push yourself in the 40 yard dash. It's all about acceleration. You need to be fast RIGHT NOW. You don't have time to get in a groove or build up speed.  So, think about exploding off the line, dig in, and run as fast as you can!
• For pushing, it's best if you had an actual American Football sled, with the pad on it, but if not, you can push against a weight sled or even some larger tires. 
• On your bench press, the amount of weight you pick should be so that the first two sets are build-ups to the last set and on the final rep of your final set you are pushing as hard as you can. 
• The 40 Yard Agility Dash- You sprint your 40 yards and immediately turn around and sprint back. That's one set. 
• The Run and Catch is very simple. You run out ahead of someone with a football and have them throw it so that you have to turn around and catch it. This will help with your hand-eye coordination and agility. 

That's all for today. Hope you guys enjoy this workout, since it's a little bit different. Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Retsu Kaioh's Training- Part 10

It's been a while, so here's some more training from the great Kung Fu Master, Retsu Kaioh.

#26: Exercise "Pipa" (Pipa Gong)- This is a very specific training for the outsides of your fingertips and nails. The training develops what the author refers to as "flicking force" of the fingers. The name of the exercise is given after the "Pipa" or Chinese guitar and comes from the similar flicking motion used to play upon the strings. You must train all four of your fingers in order to gain this skill and must do so on a regular basis. The author talks of a recipe to create a hard object to flick. However, it seems a little much given today's accessibility to materials, so you could just put some quick-set concrete into a bag and let it set up to give you something to train on. The training method is thus:

You will take turns flicking the bag with each of your four fingers, starting with your forefinger and ending with your little finger and repeat the process until you have gone through it 108 times over the course of a day. The author says that after three years of training your finger flicks will be extremely powerful and actually capable of causing internal harm and, in some cases, death. While I find the death portion just a tad exaggerated, I do think that it would definitely give you a stronger finger flick and harder fingers. The author warns against the abuse of this skill because, "two fingers" can wound your opponent in such a way that he will not recover.

#27: "The Pole of a Falling Star"-  This is a very simple training method. You dig a hole for a thick bamboo trunk, approximately 10-12 inches in diameter and wrap the pole lightly with a thick hemp rope. After you do this (I imagine all the way up and down the length of the pole, which I also imagine must be at least your height), you will strike it in every way that you can think of with every part of your body. Every kick, punch, elbow, knee, headbutt, hip or shoulder strike, body check, palm strike or push that you have in your arsenal and probably some you just make right the hell up on the spot.

The author says that if you neglect no part of your body, in three years you will have built a body of iron. The initial stages of the training will hurt, but it should subside after some time in practice.

#28: "Poles of Plum Bloom"- This training method is actually also the base requirement for another skill called "Flinging on the Cornice and Climbing the Wall." The training uses poles and seeks to develop balance, lightness of the body, and jumping ability, as well as training your eyes and perception of distance. The first stage is very simple. All that is required is that you paint "Plum blossoms" on the ground at a distance of about 2 and a half to 3 and a half feet apart. There will be five circles about four inches across and spaced about a foot apart in the arrangement of a flower. You will have multiple groups of these "flowers" in the distance of 2 and a half to 3 and a half feet apart and the groups of circles will be numbered as well as the circles themselves. For instance, "Blossom two, pole one" as the author puts it.

One of the poles on each of the blossoms will be marked as a "false pole" and should not be jumped upon. The training is accomplish better if you have someone to tell you to leap from one pole to another on each of the blossoms. When you step on a "pole," the big toe of your foot should be in the exact center of it with no deviation to one side or the other. When this becomes simple, you can actually graduate to using real poles, but it is much, much more difficult. You will fall. A lot. It is inevitable. When you start the second stage, be easy and begin with just walking the four poles of a single "blossom" and when you get better you can move to eight poles of two "blossoms" and continue in this manner. Do NOT start this training until you have completely mastered the first stage on the ground. You should be able to move quite easily across the painted poles, before even considering the next stage.

The poles themselves will be made of hard wood of about 3 and a half to 4 feet in length. You will dig to place the poles where you originally painted them for your first stage of training. The poles will stick out of the ground about twenty inches or so. The top of the poles must be flat and completely level. The false pole will be about 1 and a half to 3 inches out of the ground. With time, (when you can freely move across the poles) you can raise the height of the poles and even carry heavy objects or wear weights while training. When you have trained diligently for 3 years, you should have amazing agility on your feet and greatly improved body control. You may also cross train by walking on bricks standing up long-ways, but the author says that poles are the best.


That's all for today. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed these three additional Shaolin Arts. Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Dragonball- Goku's Early Training

I was thinking the other day about the kind of training that Grandpa Gohan would've put Goku through in his early years and that it might be an interesting subject for a workout. Grandpa Gohan was trained by Master Roshi, so obviously that training method it burned in his body, but I doubt he did anything quite as vicious with Goku, because the little tailed warrior is plainly surprised by the ferocity of Master Roshi's training.

So, I took a look at some of the things you see Goku doing in the first episode of Dragonball and I thought about some other things a young man living (alone) on a mountain may have to do and this is what I came up with.  Check it out and consider supporting our work!

Dragonball- Goku's Early Training

1. Run 1 Mile
2. Wood Cutting- 30 Minutes
3. Heavy Object Lifting- 15 Minutes (Throw object every 10th lift)
4. Tree Punching/Kicking (As is comfortable)- 10 Minutes 
5. "Playing" (see notes)- 15 Minutes 
6. Practice Martial Arts- 30 Minutes
7. Walk 1 Mile

Notes:

• The run can be at whatever pace you like. 
• For wood cutting, you can use an ax, a hatchet, or a saw. Please be careful not to cut yourself, however. 
• Heavy object lifting is kind of open, you can lift stones, logs, sandbags, or whatever you have. The general point is for it to be moderately heavy and slightly awkward at the same time, so you can build real-world strength. And on the 10th lift of whatever it is you are using, you will attempt to toss the weight in any direction you choose, just be careful not to drop it on your head. 
• For tree punching/kicking, I would recommend as smooth a tree as possible. Perhaps even a flat surface from where you were sawing a tree previously. Hit at your own comfort level. It shouldn't really be painful, but you should also know you are hitting something. Remember to use proper striking form and restraint. If you slam your fist into a tree as hard as you can the first time... that will probably be the last thing you hit with that hand for a while, so be careful.
• "Playing" is also a rather open concept. You can run around, practice jumping or climbing or swimming, spin around in circles, hang upside down, balance a stick on two fingers, throw a ball up in the air and catch it, balance on a fallen tree... I think you get the picture. The point of the training is both a reminder of the different kinds of training that exists and each of their uses and also to remind you to keep things fun!
• For martial arts practice, you can pick a couple of techniques you would like to practice and hammer them out, you can work any drills you know, you can shadowbox, practice forms, or whatever you like. The only catch is that your practice will be solo. That means you will not have a partner for practice time. Sometimes it's good to just sit back and practice whatever you would like to train.
• On the last mile walk, just take your time and enjoy the scenery of wherever it is you are walking. Plus, nobody said you had to stop walking at a mile. Let this last part be a peaceful time of meditation for you and try to observe your natural surroundings, whatever they may be. 

That's all for this one, guys! Until next time, good luck and train hard! If you enjoyed this workout, consider becoming a Patron!

Ultra Red Workout- Sumeragi Sen's Basic Training

Ultra Red is a great manga... that ends way too early. It needs a sequel, so if anyone has connections in Japan-- make it happen!! The story follows Sumeragi Sen, who is a thirteen year-old kid trained in an ancient martial art called Haikaiken, which utilizes finger strikes to the joints of the opponent, dislocating them in an extremely painful fashion. That's gotta suck. 

Anyway, here's the workout!

Sumeragi Sen's Basic Training
(Remember to check out the notes)
1. 50 Fingertip Push-ups+
2. 50 Sit-ups
3. Practice Gymnastics- 15 Minutes
4. Practice Handwalking- 15 Minutes
5. 4 x 50 Meter Sprints

Notes:

• For the fingertip push-ups, use all five fingers until you can get to 50 without stopping, then drop the use of the pinky and do 10 more. That's 60. Then drop the ring finger and do 10 more. That's 70. Then drop the middle finger and do 10 more. That's 80. Now, bring the middle finger back in and do 10 more. That's 90. Lastly, do 10 with just the index finger on each hand. This will take a very, very long time to get to the point where you can do this. Do not drop a finger until you can complete all previous reps without stopping. That means if you can do 50 with five and then 9 with four, without stopping, go ahead and complete that 10th rep, but stop right there. At any point, though, you should stop if you feel real pain. You don't want to break your fingers.
• With the sit-ups, when you get to the point you can do 50 without stopping, you should use a declined bench, gradually increasing the angle each time you get back up to 50 reps. Eventually, you'll be doing hanging sit-ups, which for this instance, I'm going to make an exception to a rule about looping your legs over a bar or a tree limb. When you get to this point (please have a spotter and a mat under you), you may hook your legs over a tree limb (that's obviously big enough to hold you) or a bar (preferrably with a pad on it) and hold yourself there as long as possible. Although your abs may be tough enough to take this, your hamstrings and backs of your knees will not be ready. So, hang for a while and rest, hang for a while and rest... then do your sit-ups back on the declined bench. When you feel strong enough, you can attempt the hanging sit-ups like this. Otherwise, use gravity boots or something.
• By "Gymnastics," I don't necessarily mean to go and take a gymnastics class... although you are certainly welcome to do so. Mainly, what I mean is to practice various jumps, flips, and other gymnastic-like movements. You should have a mat to practice on, for safety's sake. If you know nothing about this stuff, I recommend seeking the guidance of a professional gymnastics instructor.
• With the handwalking, you'll just go as far as you can in 15 minutes. Eventually, you'll be very very good at walking on your hands and (eventually) you'll also have fairly decent finger strength because of the fingertip push-ups. At this point, you can start practicing fingertip handwalking and then decrease fingers (over a long, long time) until you are using only the index and middle fingers. This is something that will require dedication, patience, and a knowledge of your body. Know when to stop-- and know the difference between uncomfortable and painful in your training.
• With the sprints, put absolutely everything you have left into it.
• This workout starts simple, but can be as hard as you make it.

That's all for today. I'm sure you guys see some similarity between this and the Tough workout from a couple of days ago. That's not on purpose, that just happens to be how the training goes in the series.

Hope you enjoy it! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Retsu Kaioh's Training- Part 5

Here are a few more of the 72 Arts of Shaolin. I really hope you guys are enjoying these!

#11: Exercise "Sweeping with an Iron Broom"- This skill is about strengthening the legs or, more specifically, the shin for which the purpose is to sweep an opponent's legs or disarm an opponent. The first stage of the training is to sit motionless in a horse stance. Your leg positioning should be approximately one and half times your shoulder width, feet pointed forward, knees bent, your butt low enough to be uncomfortable (but not below parallel), back naturally straight, and your arms loosely held up in front of your body.

As an example, go to page 5 of this document-http://home.earthlink.net/~wushujia/articles/bashi2009final1.pdf

Stand in this stance as long as you comfortably can and stand when fatiqued and take a little walk. Come back to it later in the day and continue training. This training should be accomplished day after day, the author says. When you can stand in the horse stance for 2 hours without stopping, you have mastered the first stage of the training.

The next stage of the training requires you to place a wooden pole (or several) in the ground and to make sweeping blows at it with your legs. You are to use all four sides of your leg and it will hurt initially, but your legs will become tougher. There is no definite succession of blows to be delivered, you may kick at any height, any frequency, any number of targets.

When you can shake the poles loose from the ground and break the end off, it will be necessary to put a larger pole in the ground and continue the training. The author says eventually, you should work your way up to a tree of some size. At this point, you should be very careful. You will not be able to deliver the same types of blows to the tree, but continue your training in this fashion for three years and leaves will be shaken from the tree. Continue your training, the author gives no time frame, and the trunk itself will shake. Remember that results do not come overnight and that it will be painful. Finally, the trunk will move when you kick it and eventually will fall. You can probably move to another tree after the first one falls. At this point, you will be able to break the limbs of your opponents. This training is difficult, but the author urges a strong spirit.

#12: Exercise "Hand- Bamboo Leaf"- For this training, the author says you need to fill a linen (I'm sure it could be something else, too) bag with iron filings and deliver palm strikes to it. He also says it will cut you, so you should be ready with medicinal tinctures... I think we're just going to skip that altogether and just move onto steel shot. Tie the bag with a rope to strong tree branch or hang it where you can hit it easily from a horse stance. The initial weight of the bag should be approximately 15kg (33lbs). You should strike repeatedly, driving your power to throw the bag back and you can also catch it on its return. If you hit the bag so that it spins, strike it oppositely so that it returns to its normal position.

When you feel during the practice of this exercise, that it is becoming relatively easy (meaning you can strike at it for a long period of time without tiring), add 10kg (22lbs) to the bag and continue your training. Make sure your bag is tough enough to take the beating. You may need to replace it with canvas. When the training once again becomes relatively easy, add 10 more kg and keep training. Repeat this cycle until you reach 60kg (132lbs) and when you can freely deliver blows to the bag without tiring, you will have achieved mastership of this art. It should take 3-4 years, says the author, by which time you should be able to break an object in front of you and seriously injure your opponent.

#13: Exercise "Jumping Centipede"- The starting position of the exercise is much like a push-up. Palms on the ground, raised on your toes, body 2-3 inches off the ground. You will bend slightly at the hips and push off explosively with your arms and toes so that you "hang over the ground" and then, moving forward as well, land back in the starting position.

When a certain level of skill has been attained, you can also do this on your fists and your fingertips (using less fingers as you get better-- until just your forefingers are used) and even raise one leg. You will build explosiveness, stamina, finger and toe strength, and agility--especially on the ground. You can even jump in mulitiple directions with you get better at the exercise.


That's all for today! Let me know if you guys are doing any of these arts so far. I'd love to have you document any and all of the training that you do. Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Dragonball- The Super Saiyan Workout

This is kind of a combination workout of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Future Trunks, Goten, and Trunks. It focuses on the training they did just before and beyond becoming Super Saiyans. If you like the training, support us on Patreon!

It's the a tough workout that will take the things you've done in Goku's Gravity Room Workout, Vegeta's Gravity Room Workout and their variants and put them all together into a really rough workout!

The Super Saiyan Workout


1. MAX One Arm Push-ups
2. MAX Pull-ups
3. MAX Handstand Push-ups
4. MAX Hanging Sit-ups
5. MAX Push-ups
6. MAX Sit-ups

--3 Rounds, then
7. 3 Minutes Punching
8. 3 Minutes Kicking
9. 3 x 5 Minutes Shadowboxing
10. 3 x 5 Minutes Sparring
11. 3 x 3 Minutes Dodging Practice
12. 3 x 3 Minutes Agility Practice

Notes: 

• The One Arm Push-up should be done with your feet together and your shoulders parallel with the floor. Place the hand that is not pushing behind your back. If you have to start with your feet spread apart, that's fine, but work your way to having them together.
• Your Handstand Push-ups should be done freehand (that means no support). If you can't do any like that, practice staying in a handstand for as long as you can.
• I'm giving the option of pull-ups to make it a little more rounded as a workout and to give a little bit of an option if someone were to make this workout a staple in his or her training.
• We've covered Hanging Sit-ups, Push-ups, and Sit-ups previously.
• You may do any punches or kicks for the Punching, Kicking, and Shadowboxing Rounds
• If you don't have a sparring partner, you may use a heavy bag, shadowbox, or merely skip that part of the workout.
• If you don't have a partner for your Dodging Practice, you can skip that portion. You may either do Dodging 1, which is essentially dodgeball, or Dodging 2, which is pretty much having someone throw tennis balls at you while your back is against a wall.
• Agility is essentially practicing flips, rolls, and other "flashier" movements while punching and kicking. It also applies to practicing your techniques while running and jumping.
• If you start banging out this workout with 100s of reps of the exercises and beasting your way through the rounds, you can start wearing weighted clothing such as vests, ankle weights, or wrist weights, but please advance slowly.

That's all for now. Until next time, good luck and train hard!