In my Kung Fu studio, there are several black belt students who still participate in classes as well as lead them.  I recently attended a class where one of them – who I had never received an official lesson from before – was teaching.  It provided a great reminder of how helpful it can be to learn in different ways from different people.

The workout was great, the lessons were helpful, and I was engaged.  It made me remember how important it is to have new material, new techniques, and a willingness to use them in your workouts.

At stake is not just my martial arts training, but also my health and level of fitness.

Mix It Up

Different instructors in our studio have different styles of teaching, and combining these styles can greatly enhance learning as well as fitness.  Changing to a different style can break up routine and keep you on your toes.  It can also help you focus on different details and round out your learning.

Perhaps most importantly, breaking out of a routine can help keep you engaged in your workouts.  That will keep you coming back for more which will ultimately improve your health and keep you in peak condition.

New Influences

New influences can also inspire greater enthusiasm.  When our instructors bring back new material to try from other studios, books, or just their imaginations it brings new energy into the studio.  This dynamic is a big part of what keeps people coming back and getting good workouts – the constant variation distracts us from the effort it takes to train and get a great workout.

The variety is an important part of our training for another reason – muscle confusion – but that is a topic for another post.

Suggestions

I suggest that you add some variety to your training program, if you don’t already do so.  It doesn’t have to be the main focus of your workout, but even small additions can have a positive effect on your fitness.  For example, add a few different core exercises to a cardio or running routine (see my previous post for ideas of what can go into a workout.  I also plan to list different ideas on types of exercises in a few future posts).

For example, add a few sets of bicycle crunches or the plank position with some reverse crunches or superman exercises to get your core muscles engaged.

Or, go crazy with your martial arts training and add a few minutes of jab-jab-roundhouse punches into a pad to wear yourself out more than just sets of punches would (ok, maybe that’s not really crazy at all).  It can be surprising how much more tiring (and therefore effective) it can be to chain several moves together rather than just doing uniform sets of a single exercise, then moving to another.

Try adding something new to your workouts today!