So is it true that karate can help you can a lot of muscle?

Question

I'm going to sign up for karate and I really want to kind of gain some muscle and stamina for running and stuff in sports. So will that help because I really can't run well but I have to in sports.

Answer 1

Karate does not build your stamina so you can compete in running the style in not invented for that. But it will enable you to have greater muscle control, focus and reflexes which can help you in sprinting and running.

Answer 2

In my Taekwon-Do dojo the first thing that we did was to RUN for 15 minutes before every class.

We just did a standard warm up in Shotokan Karate.

Answer 3

Barbell exercise with proper diet and rest is the best way to build muscle. For endurance, do high repetitions with light weights, and for muscle bulk, do low reps with heavy weights. I used to run 3 miles 3 times a week. It helped me stay trim. I have competed in physique contests with extreme muscular definition along with massive muscles. You can find several magazines on barbells and some on running too.

Answer 4

Most martial artists I've met are rather lean, not muscular.  While they may have great stamina for doing their art, they are not good runners unless they practice running.

To get the stamina for running, the best thing to do is to run.  I build muscle, lift weights.

Answer 5

Yes, you will gain muscle and stamina.

though the muscle isn't bulky, it's more of a lean muscle.

It also depends on what style of karate you're planing on signing up for.. I've been taking karate for over 9 years, I couldn't run well when I started and I still can run very well, so you may want to consider just plain running instead of karate, if better running is what your aiming for.

Answer 6

I was never a runner, and I took Karate for over 40 years, and still not a runner. It doesn't put on bulk muscle. You have 3 sets of Muscles Prime Movers, secondary assist muscles and emergency muscles.

In order to develop the emergency muscles, the other two muscle groups have to be exhausted. The emergency muscles is what we use. Faster and hit harder.