Types of training

To excel in capoeira, practitioners need a well-rounded training regimen that includes various types of training. Here's an explanation of each type and its importance in capoeira, along with tips on how to improve them:

Strength Training:

• Importance: Strength is crucial in capoeira for executing powerful kicks, flips, and supporting your body weight during acrobatic movements.

• Improvement: Include resistance exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, and weightlifting in your routine. Focus on compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups.

Physical Resistance Training:

• Importance: Building endurance is essential for sustaining capoeira movements, which often involve continuous, high-energy dancing and acrobatics.

• Improvement: Incorporate aerobic exercises like running, swimming, or cycling into your training. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can also improve cardiovascular endurance.

Strength training or resistance training

Strength training or resistance training involves the performance of physical exercises that are designed to improve strength and endurance. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate a variety of training techniques such as bodyweight exercises, isometrics, and plyometrics.[1]

Training works by progressively increasing the force output of the muscles and uses a variety of exercises and types of equipment. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, although circuit training also is a form of aerobic exercise.

Strength training can increase muscle, tendon, and ligament strength as well as bone density, metabolism, and the lactate threshold; improve joint and cardiac function; and reduce the risk of injury in athletes and the elderly. For many sports and physical activities, strength training is central or is used as part of their training regimen.

Flexibility and Mobility Training:

• Importance: Capoeira demands a wide range of motion, so flexibility and mobility are vital for executing kicks, spins, and acrobatics gracefully.

• Improvement: Practice dynamic stretching, yoga, and foam rolling to enhance flexibility. Include mobility drills and joint rotations to improve joint mobility.

Mobility vs Flexibility

Flexibility is defined as “the ability of a muscle or muscle groups to lengthen passively through a range of motion”, whereas mobility is the “ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion”. Many additional structures define how good a person’s mobility is. It is not only the muscles stretching over a joint but also how far the joint moves within the joint capsule. Mobility also takes into account the component of motor control within the nervous system.

Mobility tips:

• Joint range of motion is king – move your joints first

• Move with strength, control and stability to maintain gains

• Use a foam roller only as an adjunct to your mobility program

• Move gently and regularly – if you don’t use it, you lose it

Stability and Balance Training:

• Importance: Capoeira requires precise balance during kicks, handstands, and flips. Stability is crucial to prevent falls and execute moves effectively.

• Improvement: Use balance boards, stability balls, and one-legged exercises like single-leg squats. Include exercises that challenge your core stability.

Movement Control Training:

• Importance: Control over your body movements is essential in capoeira for fluid transitions between kicks, spins, and acrobatics.

• Improvement: Practice slow and controlled movements, emphasizing precision and coordination. Break down complex movements into smaller parts for better control.

Agility Training:

• Importance: Agility is key for quick dodges, evasions, and rapid changes in direction during capoeira games.

• Improvement: Incorporate ladder drills, cone drills, and shuttle runs into your training to enhance agility and quickness.

Power Training:

• Importance: Power is essential for delivering strong and effective kicks and flips in capoeira.

• Improvement: Include plyometric exercises like box jumps, medicine ball throws, and explosive bodyweight movements to develop power and explosiveness.

Speed Training:

• Importance: Speed is crucial for executing fast kicks and evasions, which are integral to capoeira.

• Improvement: Train with sprinting exercises, agility ladder drills, and speed-focused calisthenics to enhance your quickness.

Reflexes and Time Reaction Training:

• Importance for Capoeira: Quick reflexes and reaction times are crucial in capoeira for evading your opponent's attacks, countering effectively, and maintaining a dynamic flow during the game.

• Improvement:

  1. Reaction Drills: Use partner drills or online reaction training games to improve your reaction time. These exercises can simulate capoeira movements or quick changes in direction.

  2. Coordination Drills: Perform drills that require you to quickly transition between different capoeira movements, such as dodging, spinning, and kicking. This enhances your coordination and responsiveness.

  3. Visualization: Mentally rehearse capoeira scenarios to enhance your anticipation and reaction speed. Imagine your opponent's moves and practice your responses.

  4. Sparring: Regularly engage in capoeira sparring sessions with partners of varying skill levels to sharpen your reflexes and adaptability in real-time.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic

Aerobic exercise:

Aerobic exercise is any physical activity that increases your breathing and heart rate. It involves using large muscle groups to move your body for a sustained period. It's called cardio for a reason. The movement is designed to strengthen your heart and lungs. Also reduced risk of chronic illness, less stress, weight management, bbetter sleep.

Examples of aerobic exercise:

• Hiking

• Jogging or running

• Cycling

• Swimming

• Rowing

• Dancing

Anaerobic exercise:

Anaerobic exercise refers to physical activity that you can only maintain for a short period. It involves quick bursts of high-intensity movement. When you exercise, your muscles need more oxygen to sustain the movement. But when you do anaerobic exercise, your muscles work so hard that your heart and lungs can't keep up. 

Examples of anaerobic exercise:

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

• Heavy weightlifting

• Sprinting

• Plyometrics 

• Squat jumps

• Box jumps

Most of the health benefits of aerobics also apply to anaerobic exercise. This includes reduced risk of illness, improved weight management, and better sleep. But there are unique benefits of anaerobic exercise, including:

• Better VO2 max: VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses for energy during intense exercise. It measures your cardiorespiratory fitness, which is essential for endurance. And studies show that HIIT may be better at improving VO2 max than moderate, steady-state exercise. 

• Shorter workouts: Ongoing research suggests that HIIT is an effective way to boost your health in a short amount of time. One study found that as little as three weekly HIIT sessions (10 minutes or less per session) may improve aerobic capacity and endurance.

• More muscle power: For people looking to make athletic improvements –– like swinging a bat harder –– anaerobic exercise might help. One study found that anaerobic training increases muscle power for athletes. 

Font: https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/movement-exercise/aerobic-vs-anaerobic-exercise

In capoeira, a well-rounded training approach that incorporates all these types of training is essential for becoming a skilled and versatile practitioner. Mixing and matching these training methods in your capoeira regimen will help you improve your overall performance and excel in this dynamic martial art.