How to Integrate Tai Chi and Strength Training

Strength training is common to both martial artists and body builders. Both sports work to cause the body's muscles to grow and be able to lift more or hit harder. One of the problems with building all the muscles from these activities is that the body tightens and becomes less flexible. Use Tai Chi to keep the joints and muscles of the body limber and flexible.

Instructions

1. Begin each workout with a series of stretches for the major muscle groups of the body. Flexibility is a requirement to increase your agility in martial arts and without it you rapidly become a hulk with the inability to move or stretch your body in directions most people use in everyday life.

2. Take time at the beginning of your workout to warm up with tai chi. The movements of tai chi will loosen your joints and muscles before they are strained. Once you have been doing this for a period of time you will begin to be able to prepare your mind for your workout during the tai chi movements. It will allow you to relax and build inner strength.

3. Note the isometric types that are involved in tai chi movements. These movements will build your muscles in a different type of training than the more strenuous movements performed in body building and martial arts.

4. Develop and sharpen your balance and agility through tai chi movements. Every body-building schedule should let the body control itself by challenging its balance. Some of the movements in tai chi require a body with agility to perform. All of this plays on the maintenance of balance and agility.