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Go Gaga over Krav Maga

Can you really benefit from the martial art that many claim is one of the world’s deadliest? Yes, you can.

Do you have nerves of steel? Because this workout is for bravehearts and might scare away the beginners! There is shock value and surprise element, but who knows, you may seriously go crazy with Krav Maga this season.

What is krav maga? It is an offspring of martial arts like Muay Thai, boxing, Kung Fu, wrestling, et al. Primarily a self-defence system, Krav Maga was actually developed for carrying out military operations in Israel and Hungary. This apart, it consists of a wide combination of very intense moves sourced from Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-jitsu, grappling, alongwith realistic-fight training.

Exercise plan: It’s important to warm up before a Krav Maga session. It helps prevent injuries. Five minutes of light and fast shadow-boxing with kicks, knees and punches can be effective enough to gear up for the heavy-duty workouts.

Some basic exercises at home like shoulder-press, squats, bench-press, curls, press-ups, burpees, et al can also induce the much-needed energising factor to get ready for a challenging Krav Maga class. A few of these activities may require some simple equipment at home, while others are designed to suit one’s own bodyweight.

Two common core strength and resistance workouts:

Seated Balance

  • Sit with your feet out in front of you and knees bent.
  • Lift one foot up off the ground followed by the other.
  • Try to lengthen the spine and open up the chest.
  • With both arms parallel to the ground, turn the palms up and stretch the arms forward.
  • Try holding for at least 5 seconds in the beginning, then build up to at least 30-second sets.

Straight-leg Sit-ups

  • Start seated with both legs straight and your arms reaching up towards the ceiling. Inhale.
  • As you exhale, stretch your arms forward. Try to round your back down one vertebra at a time, while allowing the arms to move out in front of you.
  • Inhale as your arms reach over your head by extending the spine
  • Exhale as you reach your arms forward and pull your body up off the floor without lifting the legs to come back to your starting position.
  • You can begin with 4–5 reps and as you become stronger, don’t forget to work upto 10–12 repetitions per set.

Diet diary: Eat the right mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to build up stamina for this challenging workout. However, always consult your family physician before you start this workout.

( Source : dc )
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