karate workout

my name is frankie romeo. i am a certified personal trainer andsoon to be graduate of virginia tech. as a combat sports enthusiastand fitness professional, i've put together a martialarts inspired workout with unique exercises thati'm excited to show you.

the first exercise is the lunging knee strike. this is inspired by kickboxingand muay thai techniques. from a standing position, take a largerthan normal step forward with one foot. lower your back knee towards the groundso that both legs form a 90 degree angle.

to avoid unwanted stress, make sure yourfront knee doesn't surpass your toes. press through the front heel tocome forward out of the lunge. as you exist the lunge, shoot your backknee forward to simulate a knee strike. then bring both feet to theground and begin the next lunge. alternate sides and perform 3 setsof 16 total reps or 8 each leg. for beginners or those who face kneediscomfort, try squatting knee strikes instead. stand with your feet roughlyshoulder width apart. hold your arms out in front of yourbody to counterbalance the movement. first tilt your hips back.

follow by bending your knees to lower your bodyso that your thighs are parallel with the floor. actively keep your knees wide throughout thesquat to incorporate larger muscle groups. similar to the lunge make sureyour knees don't surpass your toes. as you rise out of the squat shootone knee forward towards the center of your body to simulate a knee strike. regain the squat ready position. after each squat perform a singleknee strike in alternating fashion. complete 3 sets of 10 total reps or 5 each leg. second is the push up alternating touch.

this challenges coordination andcore stability which is essential when defending yourself from the ground. obtain a push up ready position. hands should be below your shoulders. legs should be straight and hips off the groundso that your backside forms a straight line. to begin the push up bend yourarms to a 90 degree angle. your chest should be withina foot away from the floor. on your way up bring one hand and the oppositeknee off the ground and touch them together. repeat and alternate opposite hand and knee.

perform 3 sets of 10 reps or 20 total touches. a more simplistic variation suitable for less experienced individuals isthe knee push up alternating touch. obtain a push up ready positionwith your knees on the ground. make sure your backside stillforms a straight line. perform a push up. when you return to the top positionreach across your body with one hand and touch the far side of your hip. complete 3 sets of 10 reps or 20 total touches.

next is the elevated single leg hip bridge. this promotes strength in the glutes andhamstrings which builds speed and explosiveness. find a stable platform about 1 foot high. a plyobox, step, or bench is ideal. lie on your back so that your legs form a90 degree angle on the top of the platform. only your heel should be touching the platform. raise one leg straight in to the air. with your arms at your side,press your heel in to the platform and extend your hips in to the air.

the raised straight leg shouldmove towards the ceiling. perform 6 reps on one leg beforeswitching for a total of 12 reps. complete 3 sets. to build a foundation of strengthfor the single leg hip bridge, the fore hip bridge is a suitable modification. lie on your back with your legs bent at90 degrees and both heels on the floor. with arms at your side, press with yourheels to extend your hips in to the air. this will create a bridge, meaning your torso,hips, and thighs will form a straight line. perform 3 sets of 15 reps.

to finish the workout is amedicine ball pivot punch which utilizes torque toenhance upper body power. stand with a staggered stance,one foot in front of the other. hold the medicine ball, preferably withhandles, up against your chest with both hands. using a light dumbbell or resistance band, attaching that shoulder heightbehind your stance will also suffice. come on to the toes of yourback foot to pivot or rotate and press the medicine ball out in front of you. bring the medicine ball back against your chest

as you reverse pivot backto the starting position. be careful and press towardswhere your front foot is facing to avoid over torquing your front knee. perform 3 sets of 15 repsalternating your stance between sets. to familiarize yourself with thismovement and build muscle memory, perform the same pivot movement froma staggered stance without weight. perform multiple reps with each stance untilyou feel comfortable performing the exercise. i hope you enjoyed this video. please rewatch as needed to fully grasp how

to perform these movementsfor an effective workout. thank you for watching.