At Black Belt Trek, we talk about all things martial arts, from fitness to techniques. If you’re not yet into martial arts, you’ll be amazed at how your body will come alive, even with the most straightforward training. It just takes consistency to get started.
You are capable of much more than you probably realize. Start small and build your way up from there. 🥋
Table of Contents
What to Expect on Black Belt Trek
On Black Belt Trek, you can expect the following:
- Thousands of hours of fitness research and practicability.
- Hundreds of hours of martial arts research and practicability to the most common questions condensed into some killer articles.
- The best resources for getting your body and mind into peak shape.
- Paths from White to Black Belt and what you can expect on your journey.
- Tips from pros who have done this before us.
More specifically, here are the types of content you can expect:
- Exercises and conditioning drills.
- Speed and agility drills.
- Favorite forms of exercise like calisthenics, isometrics, and running.
- Fun tools and training gadgets.
- Self-defense items.
- Martial arts philosophies, training tips, and techniques.
- And more!
Stick around to see what we’re covering and learning about fitness and martial arts, and get training nuggets of wisdom. If you want to reach out, head over to the Contact Page.
Check out the Blog and recommended resources to get started.
About Black Belt Trek Contributors
Black Belt Trek was started in 2020 as a martial arts information site. We grew to include other important related topics such as fitness, health, and nutrition. One of our main content creators is Roy, who you can read about below.
Contributor – Roy
Hey folks, Roy here. I’m an IT person and engage in various forms of exercise throughout the day. I have exercised since middle school, going to the marine gym on base with my father. I started martial arts in late high school and absolutely loved it. I found it a better fit than football and weightlifting.
I created Black Belt Trek to get more people to join martial arts. Exercise has undoubtedly changed my life, and I find martial arts my favorite form of exercise.
Besides, I need something to help hold me accountable as well.
You will find articles here discussing multiple aspects of martial arts, including some of my favorite forms of exercise.
I created a fitness blog in 2008 dedicated to getting back into shape. I had come off from being in the best shape of my life to battling high stress and mental torment. It didn’t take long for me to balloon up to the size of a Macy’s Day parade float.
Of course, that’s a slight exaggeration; even so, I seemed to be making friends with obesity rather quickly. Just when I thought I had a handle on fitness, I let stress and negativity swallow me whole, just like I did to cheeseburgers and ice cream.
Not mixed together, that would be disgusting.
I wanted to develop a way to hold myself accountable and help those struggling with fitness and weight loss. It’s funny; I’ve probably gained and lost more weight than most, except for wrestlers who used to do crazy things to cut weight all the time. Take heed, my pearls of wisdom, and we’ll get through it together!
This site will be frequently updated to reflect my knowledge and fitness progression. You can also expect more features to come as well. If you can relate to my story or need additional information or even motivation, I hope you stick around. It will be worth it.
Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your day!
All the best,
Roy
Starting Details
- Starting weight – 365 lbs (originally 274 lbs back in 2010).
- Goal weight – 235 lbs (originally 205 lbs back in 2006).
- Plan to improve the quality of diet.
- Plan to use my running program, drills, isometrics, and calisthenics (overall fitness, martial arts based, combat based).
- Former short race (5K and 10K) runner and recreational cross country runner.
- Hwa Rang Kwan (formerly Kyuki-Do) 1st Dan Black Belt.
| Acquired | Belt Description | Belt |
|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | 12th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 11th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 10th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 9th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 8th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 7th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 6th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 5th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 4th Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 3rd Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 2nd Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 1st Kup |  |
| ✔️ | 1st Dan |  |
| ❌ | 2nd Dan |  |
| ❌ | 3rd Dan |  |
What Was Gain the Lead, Run Roy Run, and Back Into Shape?
You will probably see these projects mentioned somewhere on the site. These were earlier attempts at fitness sites cataloging workout tips and training regimens. The earlier focus was strictly fitness in the running and workout sense.
The best articles from these projects, including mindset tricks, pain management, workout motivation, and the Couch to 5K program implementation, have been migrated to Black Belt Trek.
The goal is to continue to talk about fitness and conditioning on multiple fronts, along with a great way to exercise, martial arts. Sometimes instructors gloss over conditioning, so keeping up with it is important. You can also expect common questions and topics in the martial arts space.
Running is one of the first exercises Roy performed regularly, so expect some content on that for cardio. Running is good for you, even though most people hate it. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week.
To see some existing running content, check out Roy’s training log of going from sedentary to running a 5K in less than 3 months.
Final Thoughts: Know Your Health
Please get to know your body and listen when it tells you something is off. Don’t push yourself too hard in the beginning. Start small, then find out what your limits are.
There’s no excuse for letting yourself go, even if you are under pressure, under stress, and underappreciated. You are still responsible for your health and well-being. You may not be responsible for what happens to you, but you are responsible for how you respond. Right?
Be cautious about coasting along in life, sporadic exercise, and applying healthier eating habits. Meh, sounds boring, right?
Decide that enough is enough! Commit to results.
No more scattered exercising. Be consistent and follow through with intent.
The materials on Black Belt Trek are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or used in place of consulting a licensed medical professional. Consult with your doctor to determine what is right for you.