Training Smart

Structure is great but be careful of becoming too caught up in the structure that your workouts and practices either become identical or have no room for change to address something you would like to improve on or discovered you need improvement on.
It is easy to get into the “going through the motions “ to satisfy a structured plan.
For example I need to complete 100 push ups, run 2 km, 50 round house kicks and 4 forms.
If the focus is to complete your structured training(get through the hour) you can easily get lost in the numbers.
Ask yourself why you want to complete your training.

Is there something in the form that I am not sure about or doesn’t feel right? Should I slow down a feel what is happening when I train. Why run 2 km? Should I time myself when I run to see if I am progressing with my cardio? What muscles make the push up happen?
Was my first roundhouse as strong as my last one, what about the other leg?
Etc, etc.

Put purpose in your training so its not just about accumulating.
I only say this because for years, long before kung fu, I would go to the gym and workout and not really know what I did. I put hours on treadmills and barbells but cant really tell you what happened while I was there. I was a master of mindless training.
Even a simple exercise in the gym should be something you are engaged with., if I would have engaged myself with a goal and a purpose I could have trained with more efficient results back then.
The point is, don’t turn off the brain just because you went down for pushups or start hitting the bag. This is when you need full focus and listen to what your body is telling you so you can look for ways to improve, especially over a shorter period of time.
Focus, measuring improvement and challenging yourself will bring you to another level with the most efficiency.
So train hard but train smart…and don’t forget about the recovery time!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada