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My Strength-Training program (you'll notice I don't refer to it as weight-lifting because...well...you do so much more than just lifting weights that it's actually insulting to my Strength-training program to call it that. Seriously. She told me she was insulted. We're all about new-age terminology 'round here) also follows a four-phase system.
Phase 1- Movement Prep
Movement Prep is SO much more than just warming up. It's about getting your body (with emphasis on legs + core) ready for the madness you're about to put it through while also raising your internal body temperature. You're going to perform the movements you're about to do but with body-weight.
The single greatest activity for Movement Prep is jumping rope. If you fancy yourself an athlete and jumping rope isn't a part of your routine then you are simply selling yourself short. Jumping rope for 10 minutes burns as much calories as 30 minutes of running. There's a reason jumping rope has been a staple of boxing and other sports for many, many years. Because to jump rope successfully your body must be in correct positioning. Everything from your head down must be in perfect alignment and your core holds your body stabilized while your legs are plyometrically and anaerobically moving. So you're warming up, getting lighter on your toes, and teaching your core it's proper alignment. Name me another activity that does all of that as effectively. Plus it's pretty f'ing fun when you can go for a couple of minutes and do all the many variations that there are. Still workin' on the double-jump crossovers though...not much luck there yet. Yet.
I like to mix in different body-weight functional movements in between my jump rope intervals. (Functional is defined as any full-body activity that resembles any movement either on the field or in your normal daily activity. Two examples would be a side-lung, such as when you're trying to stop a backhand break, or a deadlift, like when you're picking your grocery's up off the floor).
Last night's MP went something like this:
Jump rope TF (to failure)
body-weight lunges-10 reps
hand-stand pushups against the wall-10 reps
Jump rope TF
body weight side-lunges
hand-stand pushups against the wall
Jump-rope TF
1-legged squats
hand-stand pushups against the wall
Jump-rope TF
That's one set. In 7-8 minutes I've done 3 different types of full-body functional movements for my core and legs, an upper-body stabilization exercise that also hits the core, and done high-intensity anaerobic and plyometric movements.
For set 2 I switch the Hand-stand pushups for some variation of a plyometric pushup (like doing the "clap" pushup without the clap part, simply springing off the ground with your hands and landing back down into the pushup and plyometrically repeat) and mix-in hanging leg raises (for further core activation and to warm up my grip) or a pull-up set and some type of twisting activity with a medicine ball. The point is to do different activities, keep moving, and make sure every activity is functional and full-body. There is NO body-part training involved in these workouts. For further clarification on the reasons for that read my previous blog.
I usually do 2 or 3 sets depending on how I feel. I also like to grab a 25 or 35lb pound and perform the lunges and squats while holding the weight over my head with locked arms. This strengthens the abs and core at it's weakest point (fully extended upper-body) and works the stabilization muscles in the upper-body. If I'm doing a 3rd set I'll again change up the movements in between the jump-rope sessions. Inch-worms, backwards-walking lunges, cross-over squats are all examples of other body-weight activities.
Phase 2- Multi-joint full-body lifts
This, as my old football coach used to say, is where we separate the men from the boys. Phase 2 is the nitty-gritty. The emphasis on this phase is on working the Posterior Chain (from your Erector Spinae and Core down through the hip muscles and glutes (ass) through the hamstrings and calf). Your Posterior Chain controls all of your movement, especially running and jumping. The two exercises I always do religiously is the hang-clean and the squat. They are without a doubt the two greatest strength exercises ever. After that I pick 2 other full-body lifts to perform along with them.
Last night:
4 sets of hang-cleans @ 4 reps each
2 sets of dead-lifts @ 8 reps each
4 sets of squats @ 10-8-8-6 with increasing weight.
Also, every other workout I do front-squats to switch things up. If you've never done those, give 'em a whirl. They f'ing CRUSH. Usually by this time my legs need a lil' break before I can jump into the next full-body lift so I move into Phase 3, then come back and finish the last full-body lift. Cuz that's how I roll. :-)
Phase 3- Core and upper-body supersets
This phase is all about working your core, or what Mark Verstegen calls your Pillar Strength (core + hips + stabilization muscles in the legs) while also hitting the upper-body with supersets (moving from one directly to the other) to keep your heart rate up, to work when you're tired, and to push that threshold further, further, further. The only isolated upper-body work I do is body-weight activity (dips, pull-ups, push-ups...etc). Boxing takes care of the rest of my upper-body strength so I can focus on my legs and core. It's been a long time since I've bench-pressed anything, there's simply too many other better exercises to be done.
Last night:
Physioball push-ups- balancing on two physioballs, one for the hands and one for the feet TF
Pull-ups TF
Dips TF
Physioball Pikes TF
Chin-ups TF
Plyometric push-ups
Physioball Plank w/feet on bench TF
Close-grip pull-up TF
Dips TF
Twists w/medicine ball TF
All these exercises are done as a circuit, without a break. Keep moving, keep pushing. None of these activities are using weight so you've really got nothing to piss n' moan about. Pushing through when you're tired now means you won't be as tired on double-game point. Hopefully.
By now my core and stabilizer muscles are rocked so it's the perfect time for that last multi-joint lift. Here's where you figure out what kind of mental toughness you have. Walking lunges, step-ups, donkey-press (1-legged if you're a badass), squat-presses, straight-leg deadlifts...etc are all examples of full-body multi-joint lifts. Enjoy this last exercise knowing it's the last heavy lift of the day.
Phase 4- uni-lateral/stabilization training w/disassociation
Phase 4's emphasis is on performing 1-footed (unilateral) leg + core exercises intermixed with stabilization training with upper-body disassociation(being able to maintain an athletic position while your upper-body is moving independently and explosively...sound familiar?).
85% of your stride is done on one foot (think about it) so we want the body to be so unbelievably comfortable working on one foot that it's second nature. I usually pick 2 exercises and mix them in with 2 stabilization/disassociation exercises
Last night:
-1-legged russian deadlifts 2 sets @12 reps
-split-squat medicine ball presses (while in a lunge, hold a medicine ball and chest-pass it against a wall, catching it still in the lunge. Maintain the stance and hold. That. Core. Strong. ) 1 set w/each leg forward. 10-12 reps.
-Step-ups w/medicine ball toss (step-up onto a platform while pressing the med. ball up, catch and come down, repeat with opposite leg) 2 sets @ 12 reps
- split-squats w/overhead med. ball tosses (same thing but throw the med. ball like you would soccer-style on an out of bound throw-in) 1 set w/each leg forward. 10-12 reps.
Recovery
Eat. Eat. Eat. You have a 15-minute window from when you finish your workout for maximum amount of absorption of protein and carbs for muscle-building potential. Every 15 minutes after that window passes your body's ability to absorb that food is decreased exponentially. I know you're not hungry, but it doesn't matter. Food is not food anymore, it's fuel. And your body needs it irregardless of what your stomach or head says. So Eat, and eat healthy. Protein and simple carbs are essential right away. Follow with complex carbs and more protein. and Drink a mad grip of water, but you should be doing that anyway.
Rest, stretch, and buy a foam roller. It's like your own personal massage. LOVE those things.
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