Sifu Z’s Basic 4-day a week, 20-minute workout plan that includes a warm-up and cool-down routine:
Day 1 – Upper body workout:
Warm-up:
• Arm circles (1 minute)
• Shoulder taps (1 minute)
• Jumping jacks (1 minute)
Workout:
1. Pull-ups or inverted rows (3 sets of 10 reps)
2. Plank (3 sets of 30 seconds)
3. Dips (3 sets of 10 reps)
4. Chin-ups or Australian pull-ups (3 sets of 10 reps)
Cool-down:
• Triceps stretch (1 minute)
• Shoulder stretch (1 minute)
• Chest stretch (1 minute)
Day 2 – Lower body workout:
Warm-up:
• Leg swings (1 minute)
• High knees (1 minute)
• Squat jumps (1 minute)
Workout:
1. Squats (3 sets of 10 reps)
2. Lunges (3 sets of 10 reps)
3. Glute bridges (3 sets of 10 reps)
4. Calf raises (3 sets of 10 reps)
Cool-down:
• Quad stretch (1 minute)
• Hamstring stretch (1 minute)
• Calf stretch (1 minute)
Day 3 – Cardiovascular workout:
Warm-up:
• Jumping jacks (1 minute)
• High knees (1 minute)
• Butt kicks (1 minute)
Workout:
1. Jumping jacks (20 minutes)
2. Burpees (20 minutes)
3. Mountain climbers (20 minutes)
Cool-down:
• Hamstring stretch (1 minute)
• Quad stretch (1 minute)
• Calf stretch (1 minute)
Day 4 – Full body workout:
Warm-up:
• Jog in place (1 minute)
• Leg swings (1 minute)
• Arm circles (1 minute)
Workout:
1. Plank (3 sets of 30 seconds)
2. Push-ups (3 sets of 10 reps)
3. Squat jumps (3 sets of 10 reps)
4. Leg raises (3 sets of 10 reps)
Cool-down:
• Butterfly stretch (1 minute)
• Glute stretch (1 minute)
• Full body stretch (1 minute)
The way you approach this routine is important. Your Wing Chun Form training alone is far more superior in developing overall balance. Yet we can use these simple exercises to gauge where our bodies are at in reference to a general level of fitness. For instance, knowing what exercises you feel weak on informs us of where we should be focusing in our Wing Chun postures. If your abs are weak you would focus more on your core when doing your Wing Chun forms.
As you establish gains in one area you can then start working the next weakness, say your arms hands or wrists. This Wing Chun approach to exercise also assures you don’t dogmatically repeat your fitness routine (or Life) without dynamic regard to what’s happening to your dynamic body. Mindless repetition eventually creates more injury than body strength. This mindless approach comes with diminished returns.
Remember to always listen to your body and adjust the intensity and difficulty of the exercises as needed. Incorporating a warm-up and cool-down routine can help prevent injuries and improve overall flexibility and mobility. On your off days you can perform your Wing Chun postures, which also take no more than 20 minutes to perform the entire traditional system. Again this is a basic routine that creates a solid foundation to build upon and refer back to when needed. In Wing Chun we always refer back to the basics. The roots must never be neglected. – Sifu Z
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