Hey Sifu Davis

How do you avoid overtraining? I feel that sometimes my supplementary body training interferes with my jkd training when i feel too exhausted.

Also, how many hours do you workout at the gym a week, compared to training JKD each week?

Wei Lin

I know you were asking Sifu, but I thought I'd respond because I've had so many overtraining issues myself. I think weight training the legs can definitely hurt your kicking. I myself have stopped training legs so I can focus on kicking. When I feel as if I can truly execute the kicks competently, I will resume leg training.
But (to me) it's hard to do both. Upper body training doesn't seem to conflict with my JKD training at all, but the kicks are demanding and seem to require a lot of lower body stregnth.
Just don't push yourself too terribly hard. I wouldn't spend more than 4 hours a week lifting weights. And don't go too nuts on cardio. If you go to class 2-3 times a week that should be enough.

Hello Wei Lin!

I occasionally get somewhat burned out myself, and have to slow down and shift gears a bit! I am currently going to the gym four days a week, and training for 45 minutes to an hour each time. I train chest/shoulders/triceps and back/biceps alternating back and forth between the two. I work abs, forearms and calves everytime I go to the gym! I occasionally throw in a small amount of leg work (leg extensions, leg curls and leg press), but find that too much hinders my JKD. I will occasionally do some bench squats also, but NEVER just regular squats.

As for JKD workouts, between teaching and playing around in my private workout room at my kwoon, I get plenty of JKD work! In my private workout room I have two mook jongs (one JKD/one Wing Chun), a Trapmaster (custom made for me by the guys at Focusmaster), three level (head, solar plexus and groin) Wing Chun wall bags, finger jab targets, Century's BOB striking target, a 70 lb. heavy bag and a double end bag. All of that keeps me busy for quite a while!

I have found that a proper diet and nutritional supplementation go a LONG WAY toward keeping me from getting burned out as well! Make sure that your body is getting everything that it needs to keep going and be full of energy at all times! Diet has been one of my biggest problems on and off over the years, and I find that as I get older, proper diet becomes EXTREMELY important! Oh, and drink LOTS of water!

Keep Blasting!
Sifu Lamar M. Davis II
Senior Instructor
Hardcore Jeet Kune Do
Sifu@HardcoreJKD.com
JKD@windstream.net
http://www.HardcoreJKD.com
Phone (205) 296-7070 (Incoming Only)

"Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Hit First - ALWAYS!"

"The REAL future of Jeet Kune Do belongs to US, the few, the proud, the HARDCORE! Now, what are we going to do with it?" _ Sifu Lamar M. Davis II