One of the best exercises a Taekwondo athlete can use in the gym as a part of their Strength & Conditioning program (and again even pretty much all year round!) is the flat benchpress.

In our last Strength & Conditioning articles [ Taekwondo Strength Training Basics – The Back Squat and Taekwondo Strength Training Basics – How To Perform The Back Squat ] we covered the Squat, it’s benefits and then how to do it. In this article I’m going to cover the Benchpress and in the following article, I will cover how to execute it best.

In the previous article [Taekwondo Strength Training Basics – The Back Squat] we discussed the benefits and uses of the back squat within a strength training program. In this article we will address how to perform the movement correctly and safely. To perform the movement using a barbell (either fixed i.e. Smith machine or free) we need to focus on five distinct phases as follows:

One of the best exercises a Taekwondo athlete can use in the gym as a part of their Strength and Conditioning program (and even pretty much all year round!) is the back squat.

There are many variations of the squat movement and the back squat is what is regarded as the “classical” all round movement for lifting with legs. Here I will discuss how the squat movement works and what benefits you gain from performing it.

In Taekwondo training, a good Strength and Conditioning program is a vital component to your success, both short and long term. To gain a better understanding of a proper Strength and Conditioning program we need to understand some of the key elements that is in one.

Firstly as stated in previous articles we need to know what we are training for. What is our goal and what do we need to do to achieve it? Once we know this we can then start to periodize our training. We cover this in more detail at Taekwondo Training – Periodization I and Taekwondo Training – Periodization II.

Then there are different types of training protocols for different training goals. Power lifts use exercises such as clean and jerk, core lifts use exercises like squats and benchpresses and then we have assistance lifts (such as dumbbell curls) which isolate singular muscle types.

In the last article – Taekwondo Training – Periodization – we had a brief introduction explaining what periodization is and why it is important. Hopefully you have written your goals and your training elements down as advised.

However we now have all of this information and need to put it into a coherent plan that works in one direction taking us step by step closer to our ultimate goal. Whatever your goal is, whether it be making National Team for the Olympic Games or winning a local competition, the planning process is quite similar… getting to the Olympic Games just takes a little bit longer that’s all

The underlying principle of periodization is to ‘train smart, not hard’. It is not about going out there and training yourself into the ground and bashing your body to oblivion.

OK, so we understand it is necessary to be doing Strength and Conditioning in order to be a more proficient athlete or even to meet your weight loss/fitness goals in Taekwondo etc.

But the biggest question I get asked by Tae Kwon Do athletes and coaches alike is where to start? What do you need to do first? This is where periodization takes the forefront.

Periodization is essentially ‘athletic planning’ that explains your long term schedule to reach your ultimate goals.

In a previous article we learned about the ATP-PCr energy system and how this is important for Taekwondo. As previously mentioned there are actually three separate energy systems through which ATP can be produced. A number of factors determine which of these energy systems is chosen by the body, such as exercise intensity.

Remember that the carbohydrates we eat supply the body with glucose (the body’s fuel), which can be stored as glycogen in the muscles or liver for later use.

Ok, so most people will have heard about these but one of the most common questions I ever get asked is what is the difference between the two and what are they? So lets set the story straight…

As mentioned previously Lactic Acid is a by product of Pyruvic Acid during the use of the Anaerobic Glycolytic System (without the presence of oxygen – around 30 seconds of high intensity exercise).

Lactic acid and lactate are two terms which are used interchangeably but are in no way the same substance. When the glycolytic energy pathway produces lactic acid, it quickly dissociates releasing hydrogen ions (H+). The remaining compound then combines with Sodium Ions (Na+) or Potassium Ions (K+) to form the salt base called lactate.

In the previous article we learned about Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) the body’s “energy currency” and how the body uses certain sources to replenish this.In this article we will look at how ATP is actually produced by the body and how this is important for Taekwondo.

There are actually three separate energy systems through which ATP can be produced. A number of factors determine which of these energy systems is chosen by the body, such as exercise intensity.

As most good coaches know Strengh & Conditioning (S&C) for the Taekwondo athlete is an absolute must in any training programme. Some of the greatest Taekwondo athletes in the world are massive advocates of this discipline including Steven Lopez the 2 x Olympic – 5 x World champion. Every top Taekwondo national team in the world has an S&C coach employing this training methodology… it is just a greatly under used resource at the club and national levels.

Strengh & Conditioning is a very broad term which covers a multitude of different disciplines within sport. S&C within Taekwondo covers and includes some of the following key areas…