Whenever I start a new martial art like Kung Fu I frequently find myself overtraining and going to way too many classes. With each martial art the ideal training frequency can change, so how often should you train Kung Fu for the best results possible?
You should train in Kung Fu at least twice weekly if you want to improve. Training twice per week allows you sufficient time to recover in between sessions and enables you to stay fresh and train at full capacity. You can from more frequently as long as you recover enough between training sessions.
Keep reading for a breakdown of how to decide the ideal Kung Fu training frequency to match your goals and how to factor in learning speed against recovery time in more detail. We will also go over other means of supplemental training that might help you to improve your Kung Fu skills at home.
How Often Should You Train Kung Fu?
Many martial arts students often ask themselves if they’re training frequently enough, and some students may wonder if they are overdoing it in training frequency. The truth is that there are many factors that change the ideal training frequency at an individual level for students training Kung Fu. However, we can make some generalizations based on the population.
You should train Kung Fu at least 2 times every week. If you are able to recover from training more than twice a week or if you are an advanced student you can increase your training frequency and learn Kung Fu skills and progress more quickly.
Other factors like training for tournaments or competitions also play a role in identifying ideal training intervals. For instance, if you are training for a Kung Fu competition, you may wish to train 3 or more times per week for several months leading up to the contest.
Can You Train Kung Fu Every Day?
You can train Kung Fu every day, provided you are capable of recovering quickly in between sessions. Occasional days off can still be valuable even if fitness and recovery are not barriers to training since these breaks can help with the learning process.
If you’re in good shape or can recover quickly from hard training, then daily training will accelerate your learning rate to an extent. Everything you learn in training can be reinforced daily, speeding up the learning process. As a result, training in Kung Fu daily can help you master your skills more quickly.
While there are many benefits to training in Kung Fu every day, not every student can do so. The risk of injury quickly rises if insufficient recovery time is taken. In fact, neglecting recovery increases your chances of injuries that will force you out of your training routine and can result in lost training time.
If you are feeling constantly sore or tired, or even start to lose motivation you could be overtraining. Taking occasional breaks will allow you to maintain motivation, and avoid accumulating too much fatigue and injuries, which can actually result in slower progress than a steady sustainable schedule.
Can You Get Better Training Kung Fu Once a Week?
Not everyone has enough free time to attend more than one Kung Fu class per week. People have busy lives with many commitments that need their attention. If you find yourself only able to train once per week, is there any point in taking up Kung Fu?
You can get better at training Kung Fu once a week. However, if you only train once per week, it will take longer to progress in Kung Fu. Training twice a week would be ideal, but doing supplementary training at home can help to mitigate the class frequency being at once a week.
Training in Kung Fu is ultimately only a hobby for the vast majority of students, so if you can only make it once per week, then just go once a week and make progress over a longer timeframe. Generally speaking, progress will be slower, but if training is simply a hobby activity, then it isn’t as relevant as how much you enjoy learning and training.
If you are approaching Kung Fu more seriously in terms of wanting to do competitions or get a black belt on a certain time training, training more than once a week would be very helpful. If class time slots don’t allow you to make it more than once a week, consider doing a private lesson with your instructor or implementing a home training supplemental routine.
Can You Train Kung Fu at Home?
If you’re eager to progress at Kung Fu but can’t make it to classes or sessions more than once or twice a week, training Kung Fu exercises and skills at home is an option to help to solidify skills that you already understand.
You can train Kung Fu techniques and forms at home. It is best to practice skills already understood and not learn new skills at home. Hands-on experience from trained instructors in class is essential to learning new Kung Fu skills to a high level. Working on conditioning can also carry over.
Executing techniques and flowing through forms on air at home can help to reinforce Kung Fu skills. This also includes integrating footwork and potentially doing the Kung Fu equivalent of shadow boxing.
Ultimately, it would also be best to own some type of punching bag to practice these skills on with some force at home as well.
If practicing skills or direct Kung Fu training is not feasible due to how your space is set up or your lack of Kung Fu experience, working on basic conditioning will always help you to get the most out of your training time when you do manage to get classes in.
Simple calisthenics workouts or cardiovascular conditioning workouts can directly benefit your Kung Fu training as a supplemental activity and do not necessarily need for you to get any equipment or have dedicated space to practice in. Ultimately, being in shape is almost always helpful when practicing any form of physical activity like Kung Fu.
Final Thoughts
There isn’t a cut-and-dry answer to training frequency that applies to everybody. In general, training at least twice a week will get people results that are satisfying enough to continue training in Kung Fu. Training more frequently is ideal as long as recovery time is understood and respected by the individual student.
Additionally, finding ways to get additional repetitions in at home or making sure that you are in peak physical condition can be quite helpful in terms of speeding up your Kung Fu progress.
For more check out Do You Need to Be Fit to Start Kung Fu?