Gone are the days where athletes focus on one sport and one sport only. As long as an athlete’s recovery game is strong, we highly recommend pairing CrossFit training with Martial Arts training. Both place a strong emphasis on mastering basics before advancing to another level. Here are 6 ways Martial Arts and CrossFit are great complimentary styles of training.
Pro Tip: Progressions for both types of training can be tracked with Wodify. For CrossFit, you can take advantage of tracking the movements and PRs (with Wodify Perform) and customizable levels. Athletes can also book classes and appointments easily through our app as a way to keep track of how many intro classes they have taken, before advancing! For Martial Arts, you can easily track belt progressions and customize it for your business (see below!). For our business owners, this can all be done through Wodify Core.
Mental toughness is HUGE in both the Martial Arts and the CrossFit world. Have you ever been on the first set of 100 wall balls only to check the board and there’s another round of 90, then 80, then 70, and so on? You decide to push through and not throw in the towel. The same holds true for Martial Arts. You’re in a choke hold and want to tap out, but you find more fuel in the tank and fight back. Either way, mental toughness is a must. They easily carry over to the other.
Martial Arts, no matter the type, places a strong emphasis on mobility and flexibility. You must be able to get in (and out) of sticky situations when squaring up against an opponent. You’ll often find yourself in positions and question how your body could move in such a way. This type of flexibility and mobility training is great for CrossFit training. You need to drop down into the bottom of a squat clean with stacks of weight? Not a problem when hip mobility is on point.
CrossFit is known for lifting heavy and also lifting heavy - fast. This builds not only strength in the muscles, but also power. This power and strength easily carries over to Martial Arts training. There’s nothing better than powerful striking when you’re in the middle of a round.
According to WOD Tools, CrossFit doesn’t “train speed per se, but it does place a lot of emphasis on power movements, agility, and flexibility. Improvements in all three areas give athletes a speed boost”. Speed is a must when training in Martial Arts.
Every athlete tends to have a “dominant side” and a “weak side”. When training in CrossFit you will find yourself training a lot of unilateral movements. (Think pistols and single-arm snatches.) The ability to eliminate muscle imbalances is a huge advantage to Martial Arts athletes. You have the upper hand no matter which side your opponent decides to attack from.
Any kind of cardiovascular exercise is a great compliment to both Martial Arts and CrossFit training, but with these two specific sports, while training your cardiovascular system, you are also strengthening your muscles. These muscles are also getting stronger and tougher as you complete repetitive movements.
Do you train in both Martial Arts and CrossFit? Make sure to drop us a comment on social media, @wodify, and let us know how your training has been taken to the next level since exploring both!
Want to learn more about how you can track both your Martial Arts and CrossFit workouts in Wodify? What are customizable belt progressions all about? Book a demo here!
Interested in hearing more about technology in fitness? Take a listen to Effort over Everything Podcast with Jason Khalipa and our CEO Ameet Shah! You can listen on Apple, Spotify, or Youtube!
