I didn't intend that mean lifting weights adds no value to fighting.

I lift weights 4 times a week!! I I can see some big changes in my performance abilities.

HOW you lift weights makes a differance though. Note Spidas Combat Fitness thread.

You can train a muscle to be smart (functional) and you can train a muscle to be stupid (just look good).

The reality is the body learns from doing and from movement. Doing curls on a machine will NOT teach for biceps how to work in a punch, never mind how to link the lower body to push from the ground, through a functional core, linking to hips, shoulders, back and arm and timing and co-ordinating, through the nervous system. the team work of all these body parts.

Chek likens it to a rowing team. Where you have 10 huge rowers and train them all seperatly. Well on race day thier timing is out, no matter how big and strong they are (by themselves) they can't co-ordinate and work together. Then a boat with a bunch of little guys kicks thier ass cause they trained together.

The body learns from DOING... from movement. A strong muscle in one way does not mean it is automatically good at producing power in another way. Never mind co-ordinating function of the whole body.

Bench press (can have a time and place ina building phase for example. But if you only benched for pushing strength (simplifying) then you your pushing strength standing would be very poor (unless you had your back to a wall and didn't have to link your lower and upper body through your core and didn't have toco-ordinate the whole body.

Kinda make sense?

Machines, most of the time are CRAP!!!!! IMO They generally not only don't require core function (or co-ordination or stabilizers etc etc) but they actually promote core DISfunction.

Training smart mucles and lifting weights in a manner that supports ones objectives is wonderful. Lifting weights like a body builder whos function is only to pose is pretty silly IMO

Know how you practice and practice something physical (like a punch) to get it? Well strength/power are like that. Now that doesn't mean you have to punch with weight but you do want to teach your body how to twist and lunge and push (all aspects of a punch) functionally, and with co-ordination and speed and power...

Sitting on a machine will not add function to your punch or at least minimal strength carry over plus create weakness as you are isolating certain muscles (weak link breaks). How many muscles do you think there are in the body? How many do you isolate on machines?

On top of all that one isn't only training muscle..also connective tissue etc etc

One needs to train the nervous system, especially for power and co-ordination.

The body needs to work together. Not seperate and swell.

If you want to gain weight and function-you can
If you want function and power without weight gain-you can (train the nervous system... example being 2rep in a power snatch.. You won't be getting a celuular response and gain weight but you are training the nervous system to co-ordinate muscle fibers firing(increasing strength of the muscle without changing size), get more to fire at the same time (increasing strength without changing size) etc etc

Also something like olympic lifts trains the body to work together and teaches it speed and power (intention is important-if you think and try fast you recruit more fibers)

So basically lifting a weight (especially with a built in stabilization system (bolted to the ground) that tells your very efficient body not to waste energy trying to stabilize cause there is nothing to stabilize in ma movement pattern that has no relation to anythig you would do in life or sport in an manner that isolates it from the rest of the body so it can't work as a team-yeah "no fighting value" IMO

But do it right-weights(read strength and conditioning) rock!!!!! In my opinion and experience.

tri-ceps never work in isolation. Infact, unless there was a specific weakness in the area I can't think of any reason to do tri-ceps alone. Lifting, pushing, pulling, twisting, throwing etc etc will use them and teach them how to be strong and powerful in a way that helps.

If you want size in the tri-ceps alone then isolate them.

IMO