It has been a beautiful summer and I hope you all had a chance to enjoy yourselves and play some really good Capoeira.  With the change of the seasons come a time to refocus your energies, rethink and restart.  You want to create good habits for the holiday season and the upcoming winter months.  What can you do to improve your skills as a Capoeirista and to grow as an individual?  I may sound like a broken record but there is always room for improvement.  The actions you take upon yourself to continue your learning and growth in life will lead you to become a wiser and better Capoeirista in the long run.

 

Fall is a great season to get rid of bad habits and set some new goals for yourself.  Here are 7 ways to make the most out of this season.

 

1. Rejuvenate Yourself. 

Fall is the time to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.  Have you been going into Capoeira overdrive doing nothing but eating, sleeping and breathing Capoeira? This often tends to be the case especially with all the batizados during the summertime.  It's good to take a break every now and then so you can come back refreshed.  Treat yourself with other forms of activities that promote wellness, ie: swimming, biking, running, tennis, soccer,etc. so you can feel good mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Or you can learn to meditate or finally get that massage your body has been aching for.

 

2.  Travel

If you didn't get a chance to travel the last few months, plan a trip to your heart's desires.  If you are not able to take a long trip, even a day or a weekend getaway out of your normal environment can be a great stress reliever.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life that we get easily get swallowed in it.  Eventually you can get worn out and even lose motivation or concentration.  I am a firm believer of traveling to revive necessary energies in order to maintain balance and happiness.  Everyone needs a mental break and traveling is great for your soul.



3. Change Up/Incorporate a Good Cross Training Program

Good Capoeiristas know you must incorporate a good cross training program in order to improve your skills and to prevent injuries.  If you were not already doing this, now is a good time to start.  Please see previous article on Capoeira and The Importance of Cross Training.  If you have been cross training, it is important to evaluate your program every month in order to make improvements.  What is it that you are lacking in your game?  Is your inflexibility getting in your way? Do you need to work on your strength, speed, balance or timing?  We all have our weaknesses.  In order not to plateau, you must always analyze your strengths and weaknesses and work on balancing them out.

 

4.  Implement the 3 C's:  Commitment, Consistency, Convenience

All three factors will lead to a successful training program.  Perhaps you were a bit lax during the summer.  I'll admit the same happened to myself between work and play.  During the colder months, many of us work very hard to maintain our commitment to Capoeira but you also need to find the time to relax especially when the weather is nice.  Now you can get back to business with the busy fall season and plan ahead for consistency.  Time is always an issue.  There is never enough of it but you can make it work to your advantage.  What is it that you need to cut back on?  Throw those excuses out the door and refocus on what was lacking.

 

5.  Improve Your Nutrition

Soon those meals will start to get heavier as daylight fades.  Many of you are leaner during the summertime as you are more motivated to get into better shape and have less of an appetite than you do in the wintertime.  On the flipside, the rest of you have been drinking, partying and eating too much with all those never ending functions and weddings. Food also changes with the season and you may start to crave heartier meals.  Cut down on the alcohol and the junk food and incorporate more vegetables, lean protein and complex carbs.  Eat more wholesome foods, organic if possible and detox your body by starting fresh.  Smaller consistent meals throughout the day will keep your energy levels up.  Hydration is extremely important as well.  Try to scale back on the overdose of caffeine, soda and juice and drink more water and coconut water.   Please see previous article A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition.

 

6.  Think Outside the Box and Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

How you play in the roda often depicts how you live life.  If you are always in your comfort zone, you will never grow!  You need to put yourself in uncomfortable situations so you can continue your growth.  Take a dance class, boxing or do something completely random which you would never do.  Place yourself in situations where you will constantly be challenged so you don't get "stuck" in life whether it's work, personal or social.  Fall is a great time to learn something new and what you learn in one area, you can always apply it to other areas.  Challenging yourself mentally as well as physically will also build up your self-esteem and confidence, both of which are important elements in playing a good game.



7. Find Your Motivation

Different people are motivated by different things.  What are your individual goals? Do you want to lose weight, increase muscle mass, rehabilitate that injury, strengthen your moves, sharpen up your skills or prepare for another batizado?  These are all valid reasons to improve your training.  Once you have identified your motivation, set short term goals to accomplish them.  If your goals are too extreme and difficult to achieve, you will only end in setting yourself up for failure.  Smaller goals along the way are much more reasonable to a successful training program. 

 

The new season can become very fruitful when you apply a refreshed and new attitude towards capoeira and life.  It is time to get rid of the negativity  and bad habits and give yourself a clean slate to start with.  Balance is what you need to become a better individual and a wiser Capoeirista.  Take the time you need to reset yourself and evaluate what exactly you need to accomplish.  Relaxa, respira...so many of you have forgotten how to do just that which makes all the difference in the world.  Move forward with your new mentality and prepare yourself for some very positive changes.  Axe!


Previously:
How TRX Training Can Strengthen Your Capoeira Training
Capoeira and the Importance of Back Strength
How Plyometrics Improve Your Capoeira Fitness
Eating Right for an Excellent Batizado Season
Poor Posture and Its Affects On Your Capoeira Game
10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by Leonardo Ré Jorge, tombothetominator, and familymwr via CC BY-SA 2.0

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A wise Capoeirista understands that training does not only involve Capoeira.  As much as you need to practice your martial art, cross training is crucial in improving your physical capabilities and health.  Cross training helps to strengthen those neglected muscles, even out muscle imbalances, increase endurance, increase flexibility, mobility, balance, speed and to prevent injuries.  These elements are all essential in making you a stronger Capoeirista. I would like to introduce a very effective form of cross training which can take your fitness level up considerably.



What is TRX^® training? 

TRX^® is a suspension training system developed by former Navy Seal Randy Hetrick as an invention of necessity to keep the Navy Seals in peak condition while they were away on missions.   TRX^® training uses your own bodyweight and gravity to build strength in all the elements previously mentioned including core and joint stability.

The apparatus comes in the shape of two parachute-like nylon straps which you can hook up to any pullup bar, tree or behind a door.  It is basically a portable gym which you can take anywhere and uses minimal space.  The straps are easily adjustable to increase or decrease the load your body can handle.  The resistance is determined by how far away you are from the anchor point.  By changing foot, hand position, and distance you can determine how challenging you want the exercises to be.  There are over 300 exercises which cover total body conditioning.  Also, you can easily move from one exercise to the next without major adjustments which you would need to do in the gym.

TRX^® training requires several muscle groups to work together and your core to be constantly active.  The effect is even greater because you are working against gravity and need to apply tension to the TRX^® to hold it in place.  At the same time, your muscles will be lengthening.   Therefore flexibility and mobility are other components which are also factored in.  Whether your body is suspended in the air while you are doing planks or your posterior chain (all your back muscles) needs to stay contracted with any backward pulling movements, your body is working much harder to keep the form of the exercises intact.  The design of the TRX^® allows for many different elements to work in unison which why this training method is very different and functional unlike traditional strength training.

TRX^® training is a very dynamic modality of training which teaches your body to move and become stronger in all different planes of motion.  This type of functional training can definitely enhance your Capoeira since it is all about establishing a strong base while you are constantly moving around.  You are twisting, turning, changing directions from one movement to another which requires power and endurance amongst skill.



Types of Exercises

Since there are over a several hundred exercises, I will only name a few.   There are all many different variation of exercises, squats with rows, overhead squats, lunges combined with upper body, suspended balance lunge, back extension, back row, t,x,y, deltoid fly, suspended plank, suspended pushup, suspended pendulum, pike.  The unique aspect of these exercises is that you are always working with tension and gravity without loading your spine.  Because you are applying tension to the TRX^® the entire time, your muscles need to work even harder to maintain proper form.  Therefore, you are also lengthening your muscles and improving your flexibility and mobility at the same time.

Method of Training

With TRX^® training, you will normally execute a circuit of exercises for anywhere from 45 seconds to a minute with minimal rest in between. This will also depend on your fitness level.  You may need to start with a shorter time period until your body adapts to the exercises. 

Where can I find the TRX?

TRX^® has their own website, www.fitnessanywhere.com, where you can purchase the TRX^® and take a look at their promotional videos.  Since this is still a fairly new style of workout, it can be found in select gyms.  There are also many personal trainers who are TRX^® certified.



Conclusion

As a personal trainer certified in TRX^® and Kettlebells , I passionately believe in the effectiveness of these two different methods of functional training.  There are things you can do with kettlebells that you cannot do with the TRX and vice versa.  (Please see previous article 10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells)  As a Capoeirista, you need to train according to your martial art.  Traditional strength training at the gym will not give you the maximum benefits you are looking for to improve your Capoeira.

In the roda, you need to change directions swiftly, execute take downs, and increase your power or speed while you're switching movements.  Other times, you may do some floreios or throw in some kicks.  The entire time, you need to stay strong and balanced and keep your base. We all have our weaknesses.  Some of us lack the strength for some of the movements, others lack speed or endurance while others have poor flexibility or no mobility.  You can fortify your foundation by incorporating those elements missing in your training.  Everyone will benefit from dynamic cross training while preventing injuries at the same time. 

I wince over the number of injuries I have seen in the past years by those Capoeiristas who do not attempt to balance out their training.  More often than not, the inevitable needs to happen...the injuries must first occur before they change their outlook in life.  Physical therapy can be a long and painful process but avoidable if you learn to balance out your weaknesses in your program.

TRX^® training is an excellent way of preventing injuries by developing a strong and stable core while you are moving in multi-planes of motion through different exercises.  Not only are you training your body for daily activities but you can also tweak your program to benefit your martial arts training.

It has been tested by the military to ensure operation readiness in the field.  Today, the TRX^® is used by everyone from the military, police, elite athletes, to Olympians.  It is great for all fitness levels and one of the best inventions out there.  Just like the kettlebell, this is no passing fad.  It is a serious workout for serious people and it can be as tough as you want it to be.  Make no mistake, it will hurt, just ask my clients.

If you want to become a powerhouse in Capoeira, I would highly suggest you check out this form of cross training.  You will not be disappointed.  Train smart, train right and train wisely!


Previously:
Capoeira and the Importance of Back Strength
How Plyometrics Improve Your Capoeira Fitness
Eating Right for an Excellent Batizado Season
Poor Posture and Its Affects On Your Capoeira Game
10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by Ben30 and The U.S. Army via CC BY-SA 2.0

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The back, the second biggest and the strongest muscles in the body, is often neglected.  People focus so much on building the visual muscles; chest, biceps and abs but forget about the back, the key to many exercises that help to grow and support other target areas.  A strong and healthy back is essential in developing a more functional strength and improving your physical capabilities in your Capoeira training.  These muscles are key in strengthening your movements and important in preventing muscle imbalances which may result in injuries.  It will help to improve your posture and prevent lower back pain as well.  Throughout daily life and physical activities, the back is performing many complex movements involving the muscles in the stomach, hips and low back.  Therefore, building a strong back is crucial in establishing balance and ensuring longevity while training Capoeira for the long haul.

Composition

The back contains a group of muscles that support and link the shoulders and spine.  The  main muscle groups in the back are:

• Trapezius (traps) - which draws the shoulder blades upwards and together
• Rhomboids - which assist the traps and pull the shoulder blades backwards
• Latissimus dorsi (the lats) - the muscles down the side of the back which pull your arms downwards from above. The also stabilizes the torso during many movements.
• Erector Spinae (Lower back) - group of muscles that attach  to the vertebrae, ribs and pelvis which help support the spine

Exercises

Here are some of the most effective exercises for your back.

Pullup - this is one of the most challenging but effective exercises in strengthening your back.  It's considered by some to be the ultimate back builder and possibly the biggest test for your upper body strength.  It is the squat for your upper body as it is a compound movement which works several muscles at one time.  Grab a pull up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Pull your bodyweight up so that your chin is level with the bar.  Make sure you are not engaging your traps or your necks.  Drop your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades back and down as you pull up.  Extend your arms and lower yourself down slowly.  Use your full range of motion.  The biggest mistake I see all the time is that majority of guys will do half range of motion.  To get the best effect out of this exercise, you must execute the entire range of motion.  Focus on quality and not quantity.  To build strength, you can do anywhere from 6-10 reps and work your way up for 2-3 sets.

Modified pullups - can be done with assist machines found at the gym.

If you cannot do a pullup at all, start by just hanging off the bar with your arms extended.  You can start by learning how to activate your lats, pulling your shoulder blades down and back. With time, you will eventually build up the strength.

Another method of building the strength is to perform "negatives".  You can start from the top either with assistance or use a bench to step up so that your chin is over the bar.  Slowly lower yourself with control.  As you get to the end, step up again so that your chin is over the bar.  This method is very effective in building strength as it focuses on the negative contraction of the exercise which is much more demanding.

Deadlift - one of the most popular of all back exercises great for building power.  This is an excellent compound movement where you are engaging several major muscle groups in your body; hamstrings, quads, hips, glutes, lower back, traps, and arms.  Grab an Olympic bar and start off with the bar as a warmup.  Place the bar on the floor at your feet which should be approximately shoulder width apart.  Bend forward from your hips as you squat down sending your hips and your glutes back at the same time.  Place your hands about shoulder width apart in an overhand grip position.  You should feel tension on your hamstrings and your shins should be up against the bar.  Look straight ahead as your keep your spine straight and flat.  Make sure your lower back is not rounded nor your shoulders. Bring the bar up towards your hips by extending your legs to your waist. Push up explosively through your heels as your contract your hamstrings and glutes.  The bar must remain close to your body at all times.  Pause, bend your kness and lower back and return to starting position.  Start with a bar to get the form right and adjust your weights accordingly.  Start with 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Hyperextension -  position yourself on a Roman chair facing forward.  Cross your arms in front of your chest and slowly lower your upper body down bending forward from the hips.  Imagine touching your nose to the floor.  Once your torso is completely bent over and practically perpendicular to the floor, slowly return to start position and repeat.  Make sure you contract your glutes and hamstring as your upper torso is in line with your lower torso.  Do not arch your back at the top. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.  As you get stronger you can add weight accordingly.

Superman - this is a bodyweight exercise which is similar to the hyperextension except you are lying prone (face down on the floor).  As you lie on your stomach, place both arms in front of your head.  Pull your lower ribcage to the floor while contracting your abs.   Take a deep breath and lift your arms and legs off the floor a few inches.  Make sure you squeeze your glutes and hamstrings as well.   Keep your head neutral and think about forming a slight "u" with your body.  You can start with 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps.



Pilates bridge - strengthens the glutes, lower back and abdomen, great for torso and core stability and for those who have a weak or injured back.  Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, approximately hip width apart. Feet should not too far from your glutes and not too close.  Keep your spine neutral with abs pulled in and a flat back.  Take a deep breath expanding into your back and lungs.  As you exhale, keep your torso in the same position, press your feet into the mat and squeeze your butt as you lift your hips off the floor.  Come up high enough so that your shoulders to your knees form a straight line. Inhale to maintain position, exhale and slowly bring your hips down to the floor.  Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

Conclusion

The back is the 2^nd biggest muscle in your body and is very important because it helps to generate power and improves your physical performance.  A healthy and strong back is necessary for you to perform many of the movements in Capoeira such as handstands, ponte, macaco and s-dobrado.  If these muscles have been neglected in training, then it stands to reason that this may be the place any injuries and pain will come from.  A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.


Previously:
How Plyometrics Improve Your Capoeira Fitness
Eating Right for an Excellent Batizado Season
Poor Posture and Its Affects On Your Capoeira Game
10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by gillesklein, didbygraham, Rocket Surgeon, and adrian valenzuela via CC BY-SA 2.0

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What are Plyometrics?

Plyometrics are explosive exercises used to develop strength and speed, build power, improve coordination and agility and enhance overall fitness performance.  This type of training involves high impact exercises used to generate maximum amount of power in the shortest amount of time.  As a Capoeirista and a martial artist, you can benefit from this form of cross training since you need to be able to change directions quickly as well as increase your explosive power (strength and speed) in the roda.  Most likely you already do some form of plyometrics in class.  For example, any time you switch kicks for 30-60 seconds at a time, this reflects plyometrics.  You may also be familiar with some of the general training used by athletes such as squat thrusts, mountain climbers and box jumps.  For the purpose of this article, I will focus on specific plyometrics which can help improve your capoeira fitness level.



Safety Precautions

1. You should have a strong foundation of strength - if you do not have adequate lower and upper body strength, you must establish this first before you can proceed to this more advanced form of training.  Make sure you are well balanced in your posterior muscles: hamstrings, glutes and back as well as your anterior muscles: chest and quads, and core strength. Muscle imbalances can only increase your risk of injury.  Plyometrics are also best when combined with a strength training program as they are not as effective on their own.
2. Start slow and increase gradually - as with any fitness regimen, your body needs to be familiarized with the exercises before you can take it to the next level.
3. Always warm up thoroughly - not only will it prevent injury but it will help increase the effectiveness of the drills.  Recommended time is at least 10 minutes and warmup can be jogging, jumping jacks and dynamic stretches for the upper and lower body.  Kicks and leg swings, arm circles and upper body rotation are some examples.  (For further reading, see my previous article on The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility)
4. Form is everything - good posture is critical for each exercise. Hunched shoulders, rounded upper back, arched lower back, improper placement of hands and feet can all contribute to injury.  You should maintain an erect torso where your core is constantly being engaged.  Think neutral back and neutral pelvis.
5. Landing surface - it's best to use a soft or cushioned surface which will be easier for your joints.
6. Landing technique - land softly to absorb shock and to dissipate impact forces on your joints.  Proper landing is very important to avoid twisting or sideway motion at the knee.  For the upper body, don't lock out your elbows or over tighten your body when performing the explosive movements. 
7. Should be done in short intervals - start with 10-30 seconds and work your way up to 1 minute for 1-2 times per exercise.  Rest for anywhere up to a few minutes and recover by walking in place.  The goal is not to fatigue but to complete each repetition with the maximum amount of speed  and intensity.
8. Rest between workouts - make sure you have adequate amount of rest between plyometric workouts.  Practice this training  no more than 2-3 times a week for the best benefits.  Over training will backfire and decrease your strength gains over time.
9. Be careful when adding extra loads - ankle weights and weighted vests can increase your chances of injury and negatively effect the quality of the drills.

Plyometrics for Lower Body

1. Squat jumps - stand with feet about hip width apart, and arms behind your hips.  Bend your knees sitting back onto your heels and jump up as high as you can.  Raise arms up overhead as you jump up, land on the balls of your feet and roll back towards your heels.  Land with your knees bent to protect your joints, bring your arms back behind you and immediately go into a squat. Repeat for 10 seconds up to a minute.  Make sure your knees are not over your toes.
2. Reverse squat jumps - same exercise as above except you are landing in the opposite direction from starting point.   For example, when you land your squat should be in the reverse direction (from front to back and vice versa).  This is useful in the roda as you often need to switch positions quickly before executing your next move.
3. Ginga jump lunges - stand in split stance, right leg forward, left leg back on the ball of your left foot.  Bend your knees 90 degrees, keeping knees behind toes and explode up as high as you can.  Switch legs in the air and land with opposite leg forward (left) and opposite leg back (right).  Go as slow as necessary to find your balance first, then faster or lunge lower for more of a challenge.
4. Ginga lunge to kick - start in the split stance with right leg forward, left leg back, lunge low on your left leg and jump into a kick: martelo, pisao, or gancho.  Land your left leg where your right leg was positioned.  Practicing this movement will help develop your speed and precision when playing Sao Bento Grande.
5. Tuck jumps - you need height if you're jumping over your opponent in the roda.  Bring both knees into your chest and explode off the ground as high as possible, landing with both knees bent to absorb shock.
6. Box and Depth jumps - similar to tuck jumps except you are using a piece of equipment such as a jump box, step, bench or a platform which can be at varying heights. Start from the floor with feet hip width apart and hands by your side.  Jump up onto the box making sure knees are not past toes, hold for a second and jump back down with knees bent to absorb shock.  For depth jumps, you start at the top of the platform and jump down.  This is much more challenging as this requires a good amount of explosive power and muscle contraction of your lower body. Make sure you gradually build up your height on your jumps if you are not used to this.
7. Single leg lateral hop - single leg exercises require greater strength and balance and therefore more advanced.  Start by standing on 1 leg and hope side to side with hands at your waist or side and maintain your balance.  Repeat continuously to build your precision and timing as well as your stability.
8. Switch kicks on kicking bag or mitts - you can practice kicks from left to right side such as martelos to improve your precision and timing.  Find a target on the bag if you are not practicing with a partner using mitts. Start from ginga position and execute one kick, switch sides and execute kick on the other side.  You can also do the same exercise with a bencao.

Upper Body Plyometrics

1. Plyo pushups - go into a pushup position with hands underneath shoulders, lower yourself to the ground and explosively push up so that hands come off the ground.  Catch your fall with your hands with elbows bent and immediately lower yourself and repeat for 10 seconds to a minute.  Start on your knees if you are not used to this exercise.
2. Advanced plyo pushups - there are many different formats which add to the challenge.  You can add a clap with your hands in the air before you land, you can start with hands in a narrow position, explosively pushup and land in a wider than shoulder width position.  You can use a platform like an aerobic step or 2 solid boxes. Start with plyo pushups on the floor and explode up with your hands wider on each platform.  All of these exercises will help improve your level of fitness.
3. Negativa de bimba negative pushup - you are actually exploding down and catching yourself in this position.  Many of you are familiar with this as you may have practice this in your takedown movement.  As an exercise, you can go start on the right side, explode down and hold yourself in a negativa de bimba, come back into a low squat position on the balls of your feet and explode down to your left side.  This explosive movement will help you in the roda while you are trying to escape your opponent's kick and take him/her down instead.  To perform this exercise on a more advanced level, start from an esquiva lateral or esquiva baixa and explosively go into a negativa de bimba.  This exercise requires a lot of upper body and core strength so please make sure you have a solid foundation first.

Kettlebells

This advanced form of training uses a lot of explosive and ballistic movements in addition to strength, endurance, balance, coordination and core movements to give one of the best fully functional workouts for overall body conditioning.  This is an excellent tool for martial artists as many of the movements increase one's power and speed in multi-planes of direction which is essential when you move around in the roda.  Please see previous article on 10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells for further reading.

Conclusion

If you have yet to incorporate this form of cross-training into your regiment, I would highly recommend you do so to improve your overall fitness performance and skill.  The benefits of plyometrics are plentiful: strength, muscular endurance, precision, timing, balance and speed all help to build power in the roda.  As important as it is to learn how to play the game, your fitness level is equally as important to help you progress as a better capoeirista.  There are many forms of cross-training you can integrate into your training and plyometrics are one of the most useful for a martial artist.  Being strong is not about how much weight you can squat or bench but about how powerful you can become (= strength + speed).  How many times have you seen bigger capoeiristas being taken down by smaller capoeiristas?  Think about it. Is this what you lack in your training?  It's not about how big you are, it's how strong you can become in every aspect.  We are here to play capoeira for life.  If you are going to do it, do it right!


Previously:
Eating Right for an Excellent Batizado Season
Poor Posture and Its Affects On Your Capoeira Game
10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by rtilden, lululemon athletica, mangpages, and sglickman via CC BY-SA 2.0

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It's that time of year again when the vast majority of batizados are taking place over the next several months.  You're putting more time into training, adding a few extra days to your schedule.  You're more focused as you want to improve your game and become ready for the intense workshops taught by visiting professors, contra-mestres or mestres.  You're going to pick up the slack and will be getting more serious than ever.  You're determined.  "A day off" ceases to exist in your vocabulary.   You're not sleeping as much as you should and are consuming the same amount of calories as you were when you were training on a normal schedule.  As the days and the weeks pass by, your body breaks down and you feel drained.  You get sick more frequently and it takes you longer to recover.  Sound familiar? 

We've all done it at some point knowing that our batizado are weeks or months away.  You may be training anywhere up to 7 days a week because you want to be your best and get your game on.  The biggest mistake you can make is by not taking care of your health and nutrition in the process.  How can you expect to be 100% if you cannot properly fuel your body and replace the nutrients it's missing?  External factors such as work and your personal life may place added stress to your health.  Lack of sleep and recovery will only accelerate the breakdown of your immune system.  As I explain to my clients and my students frequently, we are not machines.  We need nourishment to refuel, rest and recovery to re-energize our minds and our bodies. There are always things you can do to improve your training progress which will prepare you for the big events to come.  Here are some helpful reminders of what you can do to ensure you are in the best shape during this intense training period.



NUTRITION

This is always the key to a successful fitness regimen.  Food is the energy and fuel you need to operate functionally.  If you are not already eating 5-6 healthy and well balanced meals throughout the day, you need to start now. Incorporate lean protein such as grilled chicken, turkey, lean red meat, fish, tofu, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, nuts, complex carbs such as oatmeal, whole grain cereal, whole wheat products, brown rice, sweet potato, legumes, healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, almond or peanut butter, and a variety of fruits and vegetables in your meals.  An example of a good ratio would be: Carbs 55-60%/ Protein 20-25%/ Fat 15-20%.  This will vary according to each individual's needs, body type and level of activity.   See what works best for you.

The worst thing you can do is not eat within an hour after working-out.  Have a banana or an apple handy to replace the glycogen stores immediately after training (within 15-20 minutes).  How quickly you replace your glycogen stores will determine how much energy you have for the days following training.  A sports drink, lowfat chocolate milk or soy milk is also a good source.  During prolonged exercise your glycogen levels in your liver and muscles are tapped.  If you don't replenish them right away, you will be fatigued the next day.  Having simple carbs which are fast digesting will spike insulin levels, replenish muscles with glycogen and help prevent the release of cortisol (hormone that increases muscle breakdown).  The best combination is to have a complete meal with lean protein and complex carbs within the hour following your workout.  This provides optimal muscle glycogen stores rather than carbohydrates alone.  Protein provides the amino acids necessary to rebuild lean muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise. The amino acids in protein can also stimulate the immune system, making you more resistant to colds and other infections.

For those of you who live an hour away from class or wind up getting home too late, you can have a protein shake with fruit right after class and have a light meal when you get home.  Timing is everything.  Also, if you are training harder than usual, you will need to add more meals or snacks to your daily nutritional needs.  Those one or two meals will make a big difference in terms of your energy levels throughout the week.



HYDRATION

Just as important is hydration.  Are you drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day?  You may need more depending on your level of activity.  Water cleanses your system, helps prevent muscle cramps and fatigue. As you sweat, your body rids your system of toxins and loses electrolytes such as calcium and excess sodium. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day as well as before, during and after training. Cut down or eliminate too many diuretics such as coffee, tea and alcohol as well as sugared beverages.

Coconut water and Gatorade can help to replenish the lost electrolytes.  Any time I've taken a workshop which lasted a few hours or attended endurance events or conferences, Gatorade has been my salvation.  I wouldn't worry about the high sugar content if the rest of your nutrition is on par and you are not over consuming sugar.

VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS

The more you train, the more your body is depleted of nutrients.  You may not be getting all the vitamins you need daily, especially if you are not eating a well balanced diet.  Check with your doctor first for an evaluation.  Also if you are vegan or vegetarian, you may have deficiencies in calcium, iron, b-12 and vitamin D.  For females, having insufficient calcium (recommended dosage: 1200-1500 mg a day) may lead to risk of osteoporosis.  As mentioned above, sweating depletes your body of calcium.  Make sure you get enough calcium from dairy products such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, skim milk or non dairy products such as soy milk, collard greens, kale or arugula. You can take a calcium citrate supplement with vitamin D.

There are a variety of multi-vitamins at Vitamin Shoppe or GNC.  You can take a men's or women's active multi-vitamin for your daily needs.  I personally like the liquid multi from Source of Life or the Alive Whole Food Energizer tablets from Nature's way.  Both have more nutrients from natural sources.



SUPPLEMENTS

Whey protein - the best source of protein since it has the highest value in providing branched chain amino acids, resulting in building and retaining muscle tissue.  This protein comes from milk.  Although protein is found in a variety of foods, it's a good snack or post workout meal after training especially when it takes you a while to get home (like me).  My personal favorite is Designer Whey Protein which is a higher grade of protein and contains l-glutamine, mentioned below. 

For those who cannot consume whey protein, you may want to consider soy, vegan or hemp protein instead. 

L-glutamine - is an amino acid, just like protein and plays an important role in preventing muscle breakdown.  It is the most abundant amino acid in muscle cells and is released during time of stress such as intense workouts and dieting. It is also a key amino acid for intestinal stress and maintaining the immune system.  Whether you are under stress at home, work, or dealing with a cold or flu, you may run the risk of your body becoming depleted of l-glutamine needed for muscle maintenance.  Taking l-glutamine can help in quicker muscle recovery. 

L-glutamine can be found in chicken, fish, beef, eggs, milk, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, betas, beans, spinach and parsley.  This amino acid also comes in a supplement form in powder or capsules (glutamine peptide is the best).  Depending on your training intensity and goals, you can start with 3-5gms daily taking dosages before and after your workouts. 

Amino Vital by Ajinomoto - which comes in powder or liquid form, provides you anywhere from 2400mg of amino acids or more including arginine and glutamine which will deliver the power your muscles need for sustained exertion.  It ensures fat absorption to prevent dehydration, it increases fat burning with exercise, helps maintain focus during workouts and encourages muscle recovery and repair.  This is a good sports drink to enhance performance and recovery.



SLEEP, REST AND RECOVERY

There's never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you need to do.  Sometimes you may be overwhelmed not only physically but mentally as well.  Don't be so tough on yourself.  You will benefit more from taking a day off rather than killing yourself.  If you don't give your body time to recuperate, the extra day of training may do more damage than good.  Continue like this for an extended period of time and overtraining may occur.  This may result in a lack of motivation, depression, loss of muscular strength, fatigue, delayed recovery and/or poor physical performance to name a few.  Listen to your body.  When all you do is eat, sleep and breathe Capoeira, you may need to take a little mental break so you can come back stronger than ever.  When it's crunch time, you may not understand the meaning of moderation.  Start by preparing early and balance your training with rest in between.  When you are "resting", you can use that time to work on the areas you're neglecting which will still help with your fitness and performance in other ways such as stretching.

I wanted to recap all the important things you should reconsider while you're preparing for upcoming events.  It's so easy to just train and not think about what we put our bodies through.  Ultimately, you will wear yourself down if you don't have a good game plan.  Every individual is unique in the way he or she adapts to the physical and mental demands placed upon them.  What may work for one person may not work for another.  As difficult as it may seem during this phase, work on your discipline and try to balance out your weaknesses. 

Proper nutrition will be crucial in helping you maintain your energy levels.  Supplement where necessary but don't overdo it. Try to stick with whole foods as much as possible.  It's time to tighten up your regimen but don't forget the elements that will strengthen your training routine as a whole... cross training, stretching, rest and recovery. Your chances of injury will decrease as well.  You cannot afford to be dragging behind everyone else when all you want to do is move forward.  Do it wisely, do it safely, and do it with Axe!


Previously:
Poor Posture and Its Affects On Your Capoeira Game
10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by sryffel, thebittenword.com, Darwin Bell, infliv, and pedrosimoes7 via CC BY-SA 2.0

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Poor Posture and How it May Affect Your Capoeira Training

Over the years, as technology has dominated our world, there have been an extraordinary amount of problems associated with poor posture.  Whether you are sitting, standing, driving or sleeping in the wrong position for an extended period of time, doing so will have negative long-term affects on your health and fitness.  This will not only impact how you look but how your body feels.  If you continue to exercise with poor posture, you will recruit all the wrong muscles and create more muscle imbalances which leads to a higher risk of injury.

Posture refers to standing or sitting in a way that supports your upper and lower back, spine, hip and ankle joints.  Think of how you sit behind that desk 8-10 hours a day.  Do you consistently carry a laptop or heavy shoulder bag on one side of your body? Do you wear high heels and footwear that may cause you to tighten your calves and force you to use more of your lower back?  Are you cradling the phone between your head and shoulders?  Are you driving while hunched over?  Sleeping patterns may affect your posture as well...do you sleep on your stomach?  The way you carry yourself daily will have a huge impact on your capoeira training.  With all the extra load and tension your body handles from work or school, you load your body even further when you exercise.

Causes and Effects of Poor Posture

Poor postural habits - may increase pain, discomfort, stiffness, reduced motion and improper biomechanics.  Muscles, joints and ligaments take more stress than intended.  Function of major organs may be affected as well as compression of blood vessels.

Poor ergonomics - for example, sitting behind your computer when your body is not properly aligned will most likely create a "forward head, rounded shoulder" syndrome.  This will add to constant tightness in your neck, shoulders, traps and lower back.

Muscle imbalance/weakness - shortening or weakening of certain muscles over time will shift major alignment of neck, shoulder girdle, spine, knees and pelvis.  This may also cause fatigue and muscular strain.

Prior injury - depending on the type of injury, your body learns to compensate accordingly and becomes stronger on one side.  Unless you have done a substantial amount of physical therapy and have maintained it, you may be overcompensating on that side while tightening your muscles on the opposing side of your body.  This will further increase muscle imbalances leading to possible re-injury.

Excessive weight gain  - can cause your posture to change and place unnecessary stress on your back, neck or knees.  You could be eventually setting yourself up for osteoporosis.

Humans are not meant for long periods of inactivity.  Remember the caveman days?  One of my favorite and most visual references I like to use when explaining posture to clients is that ape evolved into man but has reverted back to the posture of an ape because man now sits behind a computer desk all day long.

Muscles support the spine which keeps it in proper alignment and prevent lower back pain.  Since poor posture is a major factor in back problems, too much stress on the spine over time can change the anatomical structure of the spine.  Your body basically adapts to this position which becomes your "normal" posture.  The more stress your spine endures, the greater the possibility is of degeneration to the bone, joint, discs and the spinal nerves which may also be affected.

Muscle Imbalances

For the purpose of this article, I would like to go more into muscle imbalances and how this impacts your exercise and training.  Below are some of the most common issues you may face.

Weak and lengthening upper middle back - Often referred to as upper cross syndrome indicating rounded shoulders and forward head.  This is the repercussion of a sedentary lifestyle or just sitting behind a computer desk all day long. Your lower and middle trapezius and rhomboids that support shoulder retraction become lengthened and weak. As a result, your opposing muscles; your chest and anterior (front) deltoids gets tight and pulled forward. Also, the more your head protrudes further away from your neck, the more chances you will experience neck pain along with discomfort with your shoulders, chest and back.  Adding pushups or too many chest exercises without properly strengthening your back will be a disaster waiting to happen.

Tight hip flexors - This happens when you are sitting for a long period of time.  Your hip flexors become shortened and your pelvis becomes anteriorly rotated.  Think of your pelvis as a basin holding water. As it tips towards the front, the water pours out the same way.  This causes your lower back to arch excessively therefore creating lower back pain. Because you are using more of your lower back, you will be using less of your abdominals.  This constant pain may prevent you from getting the most out of any abdominal work.  In addition, this posture can cause your thoracic (upper spine) to round and create the forward head syndrome. 

Tight hamstrings - Basically, your hamstrings are lengthened when you stand and shortened when you sit.  Again as you sit for extended periods of time, you will have chronic hamstring tightness.  If your hip flexors are already tight, your hamstrings will work to become the primary hip extensor instead of the gluteus maximus (largest muscle in your body).  If your glute max cannot extend your hip, the hamstrings, which are not as powerful as this muscle, will kick in and will be forced to do work which they are not designed for.  Not only will you have a hard time doing butt and leg exercises, you will also be more prone to pulling your hamstrings and sciatica.

Tight piriformis - This is a deep muscle located within the hip and buttocks region and is the most powerful external rotator of the hip.  A tight piriformis may lead to knee problems and piriformis syndrome.  Piriformis syndrome is when the piriformis irritates the sciatic nerve and sends a shooting pain from glutes down the back of the leg. This is otherwise known as sciatica.  This is a more common for men as they need to sit with their legs apart for obvious reasons.

Tight adductors - These muscles are part of your inner thigh that pull your legs together and also stabilize your legs and hips.  Tight adductors can cause your femur (upper leg bone) to become internally rotated.  This will most likely lead to kneecap pain because the joints of the knee will no longer line up properly.  An example of tight adductors is a knock-kneed appearance.  Women tend to experience more issues in this area as they constantly sit with their legs crossed.

Tight calves - Women who wear high heels are more likely to be tight in the lower leg muscles including the gastrocnemius, soleus and peroneals.  Tightness in the calves can be demonstrated by externally rotated or flattened feet. This can also be a major cause of plantar fasciitis (heel pain), which is extremely painful.

Any of the muscle imbalances stemming from poor posture will prevent you from optimally using the targeted muscles during exercising.  You want to improve your kicks but tightness is preventing you from doing so or even straightening out your legs.  Your armada, queixada or meia lua de compasso could be so much better if your hip flexors or hamstrings weren't so tight.  Your ginga could look more flowy if you weren't carrying so much weight on your neck and shoulders.  You'd be able to execute the ponte more efficiently if you weren't so tight in your chest and upper back.

Yes, your posture has a major impact on the way you will train and play Capoeira and any other activities.  Your body works very hard to maintain the current alignment it has adapted to over the years.  If you don't correct the issues now, you are setting yourself up for health problems and injuries in the future.  Below are tips you can start with.

How to Correct Poor Posture?

STRETCH! - this is first and foremost.  You are constantly loading your body between sitting or standing at work, carrying objects and intense training.  Just because you stretch in class does not mean this is enough to balance out your workouts.

Assess your situation - evaluate how you sit behind your desk.  Is your computer at eye level?  Are both feet flat on the floor and the weight evenly distributed on your hips.  Is your chair ergonomically positioned? Is your lower back arched?  Simple corrections can be to adjust the height of your desk and your chair.  A Swiss ball works for some people in helping them sit upright.  Make sure you are not hunched over your desk and get up every hour to stretch your legs and release your spine.  Do stay in one position for too long. 

The same applies when you're standing.  Do you know how to engage your core so your pelvis is not tilted forward?  You should be in neutral pelvis at all times.   This means the ASIS (front of your hip bones) is level with your pubic bone.  Stand in front of a mirror on one side.  Place the heels of your hand on the front of your hip bone, your thumbs connected towards your belly button and your fingertips towards your pelvis forming an inverted triangle.  You want to tuck your buttocks underneath and pull pelvis in towards your navel so that your hands are flat and leveled.  If you were to place one hand on your lower back and the other on your stomach, both hands would lie flat in neutral pelvis and spine.  You don't want to arch your back or tuck your pelvis too far inwards.  Again, imagine the pelvis as a basin.  You do not want the water tipping over the basin or behind it.

Are you carrying a heavy shoulder bag or laptop only on one side?  Switch to a backpack if you can or try to switch shoulders all the time.  If you're already lopsided, you will need to work on releasing tension on the tighter side. Try to use your weaker side for any activities to strengthen that side: opening doors, carrying objects, brushing your teeth, etc.

Other Suggestions:

Use a headset instead of cradling your phone. 

For ladies, wear sneakers to work and change to your heels at work, or find cuter, flat shoes. 

Never lock your knees when standing.  There should be a slight bend. 

Always bend your legs to pick up heavier objects, never use your back.

Incorporate a corrective flexibility program - if you are not sure what proper posture is, you can work with a professional such as a personal trainer or physical therapist to help determine your issues.  Otherwise, stand in front of a mirror and take a good look at yourself from the front and the side.  Is one shoulder higher than the other? Is one hip higher, do you have a longer limb on one side, is your head so far from your neck you feel like a giraffe?

For upper cross syndrome, you may have a winged scapula look which means your shoulder are completely rounded forward.  You want to work on shoulder retraction - pulling the shoulder blades back.  One exercise I like to do with my clients is to have them get on their hands and knees.  Maintain a flat back, keep the knees underneath the hips and hip width, and hands shoulder width and underneath the shoulders.  Without moving the rest of your body, focus on squeezing the shoulder blades back while keeping your arms straight.  This may be very difficult if this is your major issue and will take time to fix.  Sometimes it takes me months just to work on one person's flexibility and there are numerous exercises I will need to incorporate to establish full range of motion and strength.  Other back exercises such as (assisted) proper pull-ups, pull-downs and seated rows may help as well.

Pilates and Yoga - Pilates is an excellent way to work on your misalignments and previous injuries as well as strengthening your core.  You will learn neutral pelvis and neutral spine which is crucial to your health!  Many of the exercises I use in my corrective flexibility programs are influenced by pilates.  It is very specific in helping one determine the weaknesses and muscle imbalances.  You will relearn and become more body conscious which will help you in any sport, activity or Capoeira training.  Yoga provides similar benefits.

Change your sleeping habits - stay away from sleeping on your stomach which places stress on your neck and shoulders.  If you are used to sleeping on your side, place a pillow between your knees to open up your back Are your pillows too high or too soft? Do you wake up with a sore neck?  Is your bed not firm enough?  You'd be surprised to learn how so many people can develop a bad back from the way they sleep.  The best way is to sleep on your back with the proper pillows.  Another option is to place a rolled up towel underneath your neck if you experience chronic tightness.  Try not to sleep on your shoulder as this will irritate your shoulders over time and may cause constant pain.

I can write a whole book on poor posture but don't want to bore you to death.  The first thing that I look for when I assess a potential client is his or her posture.  Just standing upright will not do anything if you do not implement a good program to help you fix your issues.  What you do day in and day out, you carry with you to capoeira class.  Over time you may be excessively loading your spine, your knees, your hips or ankle joints if you do nothing to correct the situation. 

I cannot tell you how many times I've squirmed when I see Capoeiristas doing the ginga with their severely hunched shoulders or the fact that some can't even esquiva properly because they are so tight in their lower back, hip flexors or weak in their core.  I can't even begin to count the number of times I've seen bad kicks because of tight hip flexors or inflexible hamstrings.  Because some people have no rotation in their upper body from being cramped in an office environment all day long, they can't properly execute an armada or a ponte.  Too many injuries have happened during training without evaluating the root of the problem.  One way you can evaluate yourself is to have someone take a video of you while you're playing in the roda.  You don't even realize how bad you may look until you see that footage.

You've heard the underlying message throughout this article.  Take better care of yourself if you want to continue to play better Capoeira and to be healthy for life.  Stop neglecting yourself and doing so much damage that you will only become more prone to injuries, muscle imbalances and health problems if it hasn't already happened.  It's never too late to fix your situation, but the longer you wait, the longer it will take to repair.  Sometimes, the effects may even be irreversible or you will live in some type of pain for the rest of your life. You are too young for this but keep doing nothing and you will feel like a 80 year old in another few years.  As you've heard many times before, a wise Capoeirista is a smart Capoeirista.  Learning how to balance your training will help you maintain a higher level of fitness and awareness in your mind, your body and your soul. 

Now let's get ready to ginga!


Previously:
10 Reasons A Capoeirista Should Use Kettlebells
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by firefly7834, Brett L, quinn.anya, pawpaw67, pescatello, lululemon athletica, and soaringbird via CC BY-SA 2.0

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What is a Kettlebell?

I am asked that question at least several times a week and it never ceases to amaze me how so many people do not know what a kettlebell is.  A kettlebell or "girya" (Russian) is a traditional Russian cast iron weight that looks like a cannon ball with a handle. This is the ultimate tool for extreme all-round fitness. Due to its design and manner in which training is performed, it helps to train virtually all the muscles in the human body.



History

The kettlebell has been used for centuries as a dynamic tool to develop strength and power.  The origin is still a matter of speculation but archaeological records show evidence of their use in Ancient Greece, Persia, and through the Middle Ages.  They made their way to Russia around 1700 where they were used as a weight measure for grain and goods.  At the end of the day, farmers started swinging and lifting kettlebells to compete and test their strength against each other.

Kettlebells have also been used by the Russian military, artillery soldiers, police, laymen, professional athletes and wrestlers as early as the 18^th - 20^th centuries to gain strength, agility, power and endurance.  To this day, kettlebells have become the conditioning tool of choice for the Russian army and many countries on the Eastern Bloc for their military and athletes.

The Russian government also recognized the multiple health benefits kettlebells would provide the men and women who worked as laborers in their economy. As a result, the first official Kettlebell Commission was formed in 1981. The Commission enforced mandatory kettlebell exercise and conditioning for the population with the understanding that this useful tool would keep its people fit, increase productivity, and decrease healthcare costs.

In the early 1900's, circus athletes, bodybuilders and strong men of Europe, Canada and America (Arthur Saxon, Sig Klein and Eugene Sandow, to name a few) all trained with kettlebells just like the Russian strongmen and athletes. Kettlebells were also very popular amongst Olympic lifters in increasing strength and power.

In the western world the kettlebell is now used by the US Marines, Special Forces, FBI, and the Secret Service. Kettlebells are for everyone, from the professional athlete that wants the edge for competition, the martial artist who wants flexibility, speed and power to dominate his or her opponent, the average person who wants to get fit, to the grandmother who wants to play with her grandchildren for many years to come.  It has become more popular over the years, with even Hollywood actors using them as part of their fitness regimen. 

I've been teaching kettlebells for the past several years and have seen first hand the rapid results for my clients and for myself in a solid training program.  Make no mistake, this is not a passing fad you will see in an infomercial but an effective workout which would only supplement your capoeira training.  Many of the top strength coaches in the world such as Coach John Davies, Christian Thibaudeau and Steve Maxwell have incorporated kettlebells as a necessary part of their athletes training regimens.



Top 10 Benefits of Kettlebell training

"Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics," reported Russian magazine Hercules in 1913.

1. Total body functional strength and conditioning

Due to its displaced center of gravity, the kettlebell forces you to use more of your stabilizer muscles (core, hip, back) and strengthen every muscle from head to toe.  Kettlebell training involves fundamental movement patterns making everyday activities easier and injury less likely. Every lift with the kettlebell engages the entire body. The kettlebell movement is never a single joint movement. Every swing, lift, or press engages many joints and muscle groups forcing the body to always work as a unit.

2. Kettlebells are much more effective than conventional weight training

Kettlebells focus on compound, whole body movements, not machines. The unique value of kettlebells are derived from ballstic (fast exercise) work such as snatches, swings, cleans and jerks.  Performing ballistic exercises will train your body as one unit instead of isolating muscles as traditional weight training and machines.  You may be able to bench press or shoulder press a large amount of weight but try doing 20 snatches in a short amount of time and feel your entire body get shocked while your heart jumps through the roof.   Traditional weight training will not hit your stabilizer muscles in the same manner that kettlebells do.   In real life or in any martial arts or sports, you are constantly moving around.  How can you develop real strength and power and engage all your muscles while you are staying still in one plane of motion? 

3. Develop Core Strength

Kettlebells require you to engage your core in every exercise.  Building a strong core means you will create a strong foundation which is essential to your physical well being.  Furthermore, the kettlebell exercises in which you will move in different planes of motions will strengthen you in those specific planes of motions.  Whether you are bending down to pick up your kids, carry packages, or move boxes, you will learn to engage the correct muscles and your core in that position.  The same applies to sports and martial arts.



4.  Increase Endurance

Kettlebell training is not your typical cardio workout.  You may be able to run or bike for miles but this type of training will build your stamina and endurance like no other.  This is an intense workout where your entire body will be completely shocked and pushed beyond a certain threshold you will not be accustomed to.

5.  Multiple benefits = shorter and more effective workouts

You will also develop explosive power, improve agility, improve balance, coordination and mental focus while strengthening your joints at the same time (resulting in less injury and prevention of osteaoarthritis).  The unique form of training combines many elements into an "all-in-one" workout. As a result, you will have shorter but more effective, time efficient workouts.

6.  Builds Mobility

Kettlebell training provides mobility, stability and strength due to its design as an off-centered weight.  If you have muscular flexibility without developing joint stability or muscular strength, you may be on the road to injury!

7. Correct imbalances

Kettlebell training will quickly reveal the weaknesses and the imbalances of your body. There is no escape! Since most kettlebell exercises are performed with a single limb, you cannot help but get both sides of your body equally functional.

8. Extremely versatile

KB's can help you lose weight, build muscle, enhance sport performance or maintain fitness level, as well as improve quality of life as you age.

9. Heals aches and Pains

Whether you have a bad back, chronic shoulder pain or knee joint pain, kettlebell exercises reveal misalignments, compensations and weaknesses in the body and proceed to fix them.  Your body learns to adopt a more correct and powerful movement pattern in everything you do.  If you didn't know how to fire up your glutes or hips before, kettlebells will teach you how to use them correctly so you don't use your back instead.  Rehabilitating the shoulder requires mobility, stability and strength for which kettlebell training provides.

10. Better posture

Kettlebells strengthen the entire posterior chain that is key not only to athletic performance, but for simply standing up straight and effortlessly.



Kettlebells for Capoeira

Kettlebells are perfect for Capoeira or any other martial arts because they help to develop a great deal of explosive, functional strength and coordination. They also help to develop a great deal of strength endurance and superior conditioning through the use of kettlebell circuits.

All these factors are of paramount importance to a martial artist of any discipline.  Forget about training in the old bodybuilding style while isolating your muscles with machines or dumbbells.  You want to develop overall power and strength as you play in the roda to help increase your fitness level.

Performing hip swings at high repetitions can help with your endurance in the roda especially if that is not your key strength.  This will be especially helpful when you are playing Sao Bento Grande and have to be quick on your feet during a short time span.  Again, kettlebell training will shock your traditional cardio level and make you rethink your max heart rate!

If you need to develop speed in cases, for example, where you have to switch stances from an esquiva lateral to any of the kicks, using a kettlebell (with its off centered gravity) in the same manner will train your body to become more stabilized, coordinated and quicker to increase the speed and power you need to optimize your game.



This also applies to your upper body as well.  Whether you're doing a queda de rins, au or a handstand, you can balance yourself on kettlebells with the same movement on the floor, do a double snatch or just press up two kettlebells with an underhand grip.  You can mimic similar movements with the kettlebells to challenge all the muscles in your body to work harder and increase your strength.

In my Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning class for Capoeiristas, I took movements from Capoeira and combined them with kettlebell exercises for the best supplement to a Capoeirista's training program.

In Capoeira, you always need a strong base to function optimally as a whole.  Kettlebell training is excellent cross training to supplement your workout and even out your imbalances.  You can easily make up for what you lack and strengthen your weaknesses at the same time. 

Of course proper instruction is needed, as you do not use the kettlebells in the same way in which you would use traditional weights.  Technique is everything and your best bet would be to seek out a certified kettlebell instructor for the proper guidance.  As much as kettlebells help prevent injuries, you may incur them if you do not have the right instruction.

A good martial artist needs a solid exercise strategy which will help strengthen the muscles, joints and cardiovascular system in an integrative fashion.  Exercising this way creates the ability to better stabilize your joints, improve flexibility and enhance mobility which is all necessary to work together effectively for the best results.

There are endless amount of benefits of kettlebell training waiting for anyone who is willing to give them a try.  This has been around for centuries and the results have been undeniable.  Their benefits have been proven in research and experience of elite athletes.  The old-time strongmen knew this and the Soviets swore by them.  You have the ability to increase your fitness level phenomenally.  Remember, a healthy and strong Capoeirista is a dangerous Capoeirista.


Previously:
A Capoeirista's Guide to Energy and Nutrition
Overtraining - Symptoms, Dangers, and Remedies
Core Strength
Why You Should Warm Up (Especially Now)
A Happy Holiday Survival Guide
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central Park that incorporates all the above elements, a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training, and a seasonal kettlebell conditioning and strengthening class for Capoeiristas. She has been certified by Kettlebell Concepts for the past several years and continuously attends workshops and conferences dedicated to this unique training method of kettlebells. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by soaringbird, kl.fitness, and bepositivelyfit via CC BY-SA 2.0

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