Finally Started Training

[jarhead]

I finally started training last week. I love it and really am looking forward to becoming proficient.

How long did it take you guys to feel like you weren’t going to keel over in class. I felt bad last Thursday, because I had to rest for a couple of minutes. The instructor was understanding and told me I could go when I was ready, but man, I am sucking wind from about the first few minutes on. I don’t want to hold up the other students, but my fitness level is not what it should be.

I work out lifting weights on a regular basis and do some cardio workouts, but I am definately going to have to increase time and intensity of cardio workouts away from Krav class. Any suggestions on cardio? I have trouble running because of BAD shin splints, but will try anything to get into good enough shape to make it through class without feeling like I am going to pass out.

All in all I am loving the real world examples and scenarios. Thanks for all of the posts on the board. I have really enjoyed reading and learning from all of you.

Thanks

[emil]

Jarhead, glad you’re enjoying it. As for getting your conditioning up to speed, it all depends where you are coming from and how committed you are. If you can’t run, there’s gotta be other alternatives for you like swimming, stairs, heavy bag punching etc. Find something that works for you and try to do it outside of class. Start off slow and build it up little by little every day.

[garddawg]

JarHead,
Check out http://www.CrossFit.com . You will find the site is heavily travled by Mil and LEO types. If you have any questions on how to get started email me. Happy to help you out.

[jarhead]

Thanks for the link it looks like a good site.

I do a lot of stepmill and precor machines. I think that I need to increase my length of time and intensity. I take heart medication which kind of jacks with things sometimes also. Pretty much just excited to be training and looking forward to class tonight.

Thanks again

[garddawg]

Jarhead,
I’m not a Doctor, don’t even play one on TV, so I cannot speak to your med. condition. I’m assuming you have an okay to take part in an intense physical activity. Having said that you said \” I need to increase my length of time and intensity.\” This is very hard to do and one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when trying to \”get in shape\” for Krav Maga. They generally confuse working longer with working intensely.

Let’s put this out there and see what others say

When you say intensity in physical training what do you mean? Define the word, and apply it to the training you do.

[ryan]

\”They generally confuse working longer with working intensely.\”

I agree. I constantly hear people bemoaning their conditioning, because they’re sweating profusely or breathing hard. Many students want to know when their conditioning will \”improve\”.

The example I tend to give is an Olympic sprinter. At the end of the 100M, he’s prone on the track or grabbing his knees in exhaustion. Is it because he’s out of shape? Of course he isn’t–this is his life, this is all he does. However, he gave everything he had in those 100M.

If you don’t leave your KM class feeling like you’ve done something, you probably didn’t work hard enough. No matter if I’ve been training in KM three days, three weeks, or three years, if I do a burnout drill of punches on a tombstone for 30 seconds, I better be exhausted at the end, or I didn’t work hard.

Thoughts?

[jarhead]

I have been cleared by my doctor to do physical activity. I wear a heart monitor during weight lifting and normal cardio and monitor my heart rate. When I say increase my intensity I mean make my heart rate increase and then work up to more time. I am not going to try to do both at the same time.

I currently keep my heart rate around 135 to 145 for 20 minutes or so when I do cardio, but I am pretty sure it is quite a bit higher than that while doing Krav. I haven’t worn my monitor while training yet and don’t know that I really could. I think that it would get in the way. It is one of the ones with the chest strap and wrist monitor.

I am currently taking one medication that holds my heart rate down and this causes my body to starve for oxygen. It makes working out a little more challenging, as it also causes me to feel tired 99.9% of the time. My resting heart rate is generally about 45-50 beats per minute. It has been as low as 37 while I was being monitored at the doctor’s office. To make a long story short, the doctors have pretty much told me to just work through the medication and the more exercise I can do the better off I will be in the long run.

Until I am more used to the intensity level in Krav I guess I will just need to keep taking breaks.

Does anyone else take similar medication? If so I would be interested to see how you have progressed. I take a beta blocker and blood pressure meds. I had a mitral valve prolapse brought on by intermittent hypertension. No family history of this problem and military had no idea how it happened. It went from fine to needing surgery within 6 months. I was 24 years old and thought I was in good shape. They have several theories on the cause, but nothing concrete.

[kravmdjeff]

I have recently been answering my students who ask \”When will classes get easier?\” with the thought that \”Really, it won’t get much easier, but you’ll be able to do a lot more while getting as tired as you are now. If I trained you to be comfortable without giving your all…you’re not doing what you came here to do, and i’m failing you as an instructor.\”

[siayn]

I concur Ryan.

If you want to run a marathon, then train for a marathon. If you want to be a sprinter, then train to be a sprinter. Both of them are exhausted by the time they are done. Its not about length time or distance, but intensity.

If you have access to an elliptical or stairclimber, put them on the hardest setting and do it for 2 minutes until your legs are jello. While Krav classes are intense, I find that (at least at my school) you are doing something intense, then resting for a minute or two while instruction is given, then you are back at it again. It reminds me more of multiple sprints than the constant running of a marathon. Burst training seems like it would be most effective to get you better in class.

Anyway, no matter what you do outside of class to be healthy it is going to help you. Just talk to a doctor about that heart thing, cause ultimately even if there are real doctors on this forum, they are not going to give you medical advice without knowing you…and for the rest of us, we are just talking out our backsides without having a true understanding of your condition.

[jarhead]

Ryan,
I had mentioned to my intructor that after a couple of months was I still going to feel like my heart was going to explode every class. His response was that if it didn’t he wasn’t doing his job.

As far as the sweating goes, I feel sorry for anyone that I have to partner with. I am one of those guys that if he is breathing he is sweating. I have always been like this even as a young Marine.

I see your point about the intensity. I am sure that my fitness level will increase dramatically as I continue training. But if I don’t leave feeling exhausted I should really be looking at the effort I put into the class.

I appreciate the insight it does hold a lot of truth.

[garddawg]

\”Dont wish the Krav Maga class was easier, wish you were better .\”

[jarhead]

Point well taken. 😀

[garddawg]

For me intensity is working at a pace I cannot maintain. I know I will make some enemies here, but exercising with intensity is NEVER aerobic.

[dkst]

I bring two shirts to class I sweat so much. My first class the second half was spent on the floor trying to stop the spins. After 7 or 8 months I’m still as sweaty and still about to die, but it feels good. Just remember the way you train is the way you will fight. I’ve only had one girl say something about the sweat, but she was really young. Most people understand, your are working hard, your giving it your all, there is nothing you can do. Hell, I call it my natural defense:)

[andre]

No enemies here, that’s the kind of statement that put many of us onto plyometric drills and so on. It makes all the difference in the world when it comes to improving your training.

[Author]

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