I am always evolving my core workout, from tweaking to making new additions. Without question, the core workout is at it's best point yet and I think it features a nice balance of flexibility, cardio, endurance, and strength/power training.
The bulk of it is Krav Maga, with loads of drills in combatives, heavy bag work, working with a training dummy, Retzev segments and working in new techniques. At this point the core workout features a very good range of drills and techniques, and I believe strongly in the drill, drill, drill approach when it comes to techniques. This can make for a very solid pace and level of intensity as the workout flows through the combatives and techniques.
I always have a good warm-up segment and flexibility work prior to getting into that phase of the workout. I've recently added a few more movements and types of stretches in this part of it and I've come to appreciate just how important and vital the warmup/flexibility part of the workout is to everything from injury prevention, to recovery, to progress in training and to getting me prepped for the more intense parts of the workout. Warming up properly and giving time and attention to stretching matters.
I also work in a nice dose of body weight exercises, with a few types of pushups and several types of pullups, mixing those in with some of the combative segments. I recently added another type of pullup, bringing my total there to 5 different types/grips of pullups making for a pretty good range of coverage on that type of exercise.
The other part of the core workout that I began integrating in December of 2015 were kettlebell exercises. I have carefully built onto that since beginning with some basic movements, and just this week added the kettlebell version of the viking push press and single arm swings (I've been doing the two-arm swings since December). I've found the kettlebell training to have an art of its own, and it is a type of training that is very compatible with martial arts with its ability to offer powerful movements that make us of multiple muscle groups, especially the core. I've seen the benefits of the kettlebell training integration already, in terms of speed, power, and strength improvements. I've been studying all I can about kettlebells and find them very fascinating. I'm looking forward to learning more, improving my use of them, and reporting on the progress in that area as well. I really hope to give the NuHealth folks another progress photo in the near future. They recently ran the advertisement below that shows 4 images, with a before and 3 progress photos. The final one is about 2 months old as of now and I have made more strides since then, but want to be sure I give them an image that shows a very noticeable jump forward.
The training is going very nicely, though, and the core workout has advanced to its best level yet. Onward and upward. ;)
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