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The MMA Warrior
By John Davies
Feb 22, 2007
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A slice before the midnight hour, I powered-up my phone on quickly to review any important calls that I had missed in my absence. A few moments later, the consistent drone of annoying hum of message alerts began. Scanning quickly through the myriad of texts, I stumbled upon one that stood out. Somewhere rolling along the 1,300 mile stretch of the I81 as they were headed home, Abbey and Jory Malone had sent me a text of their BJJ tournament. It was a humble message that noted their extraordinary triumph, the anguish of injury and the noble determination that only a great champion knows. I waited anxiously till the morn to call them.
"Pursue the enemy with the utmost audacity."
General George Patton It has become a darling of sporting media in the last few years, the modern gladiator, the combative athlete in the many fighting styles. Where once was a unique and rarely visited domain within the cages, octagon's or mat's has now all of sudden become, dare-I-say, become
popular in the mainstream. Oddly while there are few sporting activities that I feel were as overdue for acceptance and respect as the combative athlete, yet with this new found publicity, invariably some peculiarities would arrive with it as well. It wouldn't be too long before a hodge-podge of training equipment and theories would be pitched to the new found combative athlete market and possibly most disturbing is the modern profile of this combative athlete was decidedly different from the classic vision, which I whole-heartedly embrace. While it is without question beyond the standard realm of a "training article" I will none-the-less take the opportunity to acquaint you with the traditional warrior. The classic "warrior" mindset is one of honor and humility, a noble combatant seen in many versions historically, such but not limited to the romantic Athenian, the chivalrous Knight or a follower of the
bushido which reflects an organic code of conduct. These same traits have been immortalized through history, the folklore of the western gunslinger, the defender of good and against evil and are woven in western military regimes, once again as a code of honor, commitment and loyalty. While phrases such as noble, grace and honor may not be fashionable or marketable in the 21st century where substance has been set adrift and completely forgotten, it is a timeless quality that elevates society and one that makes the warrior a humble leader for others to follow. Simply and straight to the point, for those that now have become enamored with the
fight game they need to desperately understand truly what a
warrior is. Oddly as I write this, with Veterans Day and the 231st anniversary of the USMC just passed, it would seem more appropriate then ever to reflect upon this. And while I commented that discussing the moral fiber of the
warrior athlete may be beyond the typical scope considered in the development of a combative athlete, the psyche of this form of athlete may just be the most important consideration. This, in a highly circuitous route, returns to my original point that the new-found glamorous role of the sport is far from the original style and one that lends itself to failure. Ultimately the truly successful warrior is one that embraces the traditional version and learns
the secrets lay in the past. Why I bring the psyche of the individual attention is to immediately eliminate any thoughts of grandeur from those considering entering this genre as a sporting event. The glitz and the glamour marketing of the present-day sport is an extremely inaccurate portrayal of the sport. If you choose to go down the road, you will need to acquaint yourself will a combination of unrelenting bravery, overcoming fear, extreme tenacity in the face of adversity and simply getting the tough job done with your back against your wall.
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us--they can't get away this time." --General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, USMC This not a "cute" sport or something you venture into lightly and only those will iron will and rock-solid commitment will prove to be successful. Those failing to meet this criteria and show the slightest hint of weakness will meet an unfortunate and resounding demise that will not, I repeat, will not be
pretty and ought to consider if they truly have the mettle to take the next step. So, we've just passed the first roadblock and although you have likely rolled your eyes as I detailed what it takes to get into the ring, you are ready to proceed. With that in mind the work ahead will be brutally difficult yet diverse to reflect the broad athletic skills required for the sports as there is no "one exercise" that will make you better, it is the sum of the whole ~ "the one thing is the whole thing". Equally so and this
needs to be heavily stressed, skill work that not involves technical work but combative sparring situations must play an enormous role in your overall training paradigm. Regardless of your training success if you do not dedicate sufficient time and focus to your technical skill work you will learn a very hard and very painful lesson. These are two extremely important points that need to be emphasized and furthermore, expanded upon.
- training in early development must be tremendously diverse to give the incumbent a foundation to build upon
- the athlete must utilize a broad selection of training mediums that will ensure that adaptation is minimized. Within this area, MMA athletes
need to make use of not only traditional barbell, dumbbells and advanced bodyweight movements but items such as but not limited to, kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, rope (i.e. climbing), batons (i.e. Indian Clubs), non-conforming objects (tires, kegs, logs) but equally involve "imperfect" environments
- Always prioritize your skill work first. Never compromise technical work with your strength and conditioning work.
- Understand the physical needs of your sport and ensure that your training is coordinated to match this.
It should be reminded that all programs strictly adhere to the
Renegade Concepts of TrainingTM which are:
- Movements trained, not musculature
- Efficiencies of movement reinforced
- Motor patterning and grafting
- Postural alignment is perfected
- Stabilization in the most destabilized training environments
- Force developed such that it can be projected, accepted and redirected at maximal levels.
- Adopt chaos as your "home". When Hell becomes the cradle I rest in - all else is easy.
With this firmly established the program must include equal components that I categorize under the
Renegade Wheel of ConditioningTM. Akin to the spokes of a wheel, each attribute (spoke) must possess equal strength or the athlete (the wheel) will operate fluid and efficiently. These attributes are:
- Drive, Determination
- Sport Specific Skill
- Work Threshold / GPP
- Range of Motion, Static
- Range of Motion, Dynamic
- Agility
- Linear Speed
- Strength
In the first part of this article series I would to address GPP, dynamic of motion and the overriding theme of the resistance work. In a future article we will consider more specific weight room situations.
General Physical Preparation Moving quickly past the first two concerns given the lengthy discussion, far beyond the scope of this article, we must first deal with General Physical Preparation. The role of GPP is intertwined with the idea of the "Renegade Wheel of ConditioningTM as each of these attribute's work in conjunction with each other. Simply stated a "un-fit" athlete will not be able to withstand the rigors of proper
Renegade TrainingTM and therefore the level of fitness must be unparalleled. The eight key points that GPP has classically targeted revolve around three that are typical concerns for any athlete and an additional five that uniquely work within the
Renegade TrainingTM systems.
1. increase work threshold, levels of fitness assist in muscular recovery from arduous training 2. provide a unique variation to training that may have become monotonous or routine 3. enhance motor skills, general grafting of movement 4. provide a conduit to sport-specific movement patterns 5. where appropriate or transitory effect during training macro-cycle 6. development of sub-maximal explosive work and introduction into "complex" styles of training 7. prepare the psychological process of concentration with the "fog of war" 8. development of esprit-des-corp and a relentless thirst for victory
The standard faire within the broad mma game varies upwards of 25 minutes but an extremely intense clip and thus the demands of what is termed "explosive endurance" within strength acronyms. GPP is performed in both
(a) Weighted and (b) Non-weighted variations.
Within the first Phase of my training programs, the non-weighted variation of GPP typically involves "simple" bodyweight calisthenics further broken down into active recovery (i.e. jumping jacks, shuffle splits) along with semi-explosive work (i.e. burpees/ squat thrusts and mountain climbers). Each section of "active recovery" and "semi-explosive" work consists of two consecutive sections of thirty seconds each and thus an entire "circuit" equals two minutes of consistent movement. For typical users of the
Renegade Concepts of TrainingTM system, other areas of training certainly will impact GPP, such as hip mobility work and tumbling, will impact upon generalized development but are considered more static in work are less quantifiable, but have a decided and notable cumulative effect. Foot contacts (sub-maximal) are generally in the 1:1 ratio in Active Recovery (30 movements per 30 seconds) with an acceptable range of .33-.5:1 (10-15 total movements per 30 seconds) and graphically training volume will exhibit a wave type pattern in both time duration and foot contacts. Total foot contacts will vary between eighty and ninety per two-minute circuit with recovery-based contacts representing 60-75% of that total. Sessions of this type of mixture should follow leg/hip dominant days. Additional days need to be implemented the day before or after these sessions which will substitute slightly less strenuous semi-explosive work such as (i)vertical hopping and (b) slalom side-to-side hops. Total work duration (in timed minutes) will be roughly 60% of more exhaustive daily proceeding. Within the
Renegade programs non-weighted GPP will start with 6 minutes of total work without rest in between sets in a highly periodized program that increases total duration over time to over 20 minutes in the first eight weeks. Recovery work must always be done in equal proportion to semi-explosive work from a timed capacity while always ensuring top quality form in all the movements. Never allow the athlete to do any of the work with poor form or bad postural alignment. For those who find a simple little 20 minute of GPP "difficult" it is time to "ring the bell" and move on. I have seen many athletes whine, whimper, complain about work being "too tough", with the knowledge is better they get weeded out now then go forward. If this training is "hard", then what lays ahead is far beyond you. Combative athletes don't whine nor whimper, they press-on where others dare not travel. The athlete should be distracted either visually or through auditory commands from the work load during the active recovery section as well as integrate deep restorative breathing and slower elongated movements to bring down the pulse rate. Teach the athlete to relax during actions, adjust them to dealing with a multitude of different and simultaneous stimuli and gradually learn to
make the difficult easy, turn "hell into your home". This will have a direct carryover to actual performance as they accommodate to the stress and chaos. Weighted variations of GPP offers greater latitude in exercise selection but should be less complication in design. Oddly enough this might be the area that offends me the most within the exercise industry as I had no idea when I began writing of GPP whether that was within sledgehammer or tire work many years ago I would spawn an entire industry but such is the case. Unfortunately this has again created a problem because it has derailed many efforts as the athletes are ill-prepared for the demands and not focusing enough time on the basics. In addition to this please let me remind you that you are training for the ring/mat/octagon and this section needs to employ a very broad selection of movements such as:
1. Kettlebell complexes (such as my recent "Dawn Patrol" dvd) 2. Medicine ball circuits 3. Wood Chopping (no, not the silly kind on a cable machine but I would suggest a fine Pulaski or if you really want to spoil yourself a Gr'nsfors Bruks is the sign of quality) 4. Sledge hammer 5. Sandbag Training 6. Tire flipping / Keg Throwing 7. Baton work (i.e. "Indian Club") 8. Bodyweight / Tumbling 9. Wheelbarrow Walks and likely one of the most efficient tools 10. Xvest walks
Total time duration of non-weighted to weighted GPP should be equal and likely by now you may have a greater insight into why I begin this article with a quote from the great General George Patton.
Range of Motion - dynamic Quickly moving we must address the needs of range of motion, in particular, dynamic range of motion which will directly impact upon performance. I cannot stress this area enough because if you are not fluid, limber and able to relax in the heat of battle, this once again will turn into an ugly, painful and bloody affair. At the start to each training session, all my athletes need to perform a dynamic hurdle and tumbling session to assist in loosening and preparing the hips, shoulders and back for the extensive training session ahead. As noted by my good friend and colleague, Dr. Chris Dougherty, the spine controls the position of the torso in space while the shoulder and hip respectively control the arm and leg in space. Therefore range of motion work is first directed to these to improve flexibility. Hurdles are set at roughly hip height and performed three to five sets of three to five hurdles and two exercises per day (noted below) with very quick pacing.
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Side movement, lead leg over; Stand to the right side of the hurdles. Raise your lead leg over, maintaining a slight bend in the leg. Proceed to the next hurdle with a slight skip; be sure to stay on the balls of your feet as you plant each leg.
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Side movement, cross-over leg over; Stand to the left side of the hurdles. Raise your crossover leg over, maintaining a slight bend in the leg. Again, proceed to the next hurdle with a slight skip, and stay on the balls of your feet as you plant each leg.
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Side movement, lead leg, then opposite; Stand to the right side of hurdles. Raise your lead leg over (again, maintaining a slight bend) and then off to the side. Proceed to the next hurdle with a slight skip; stay on the balls of your feet.
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Front movement, from side; Stand facing the hurdles. Proceed with one leg at a time by raising each knee over the first hurdle. Proceed to the next hurdle with a slight skip; stay on the balls of your feet as you plant each leg.
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Front movement, down center; Stand facing the hurdles. Raise your lead leg over the first hurdle, and then bring your trail leg over the second hurdle. (The hurdles must be set close enough to accommodate this.) Stay on the balls of your feet.
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Duck under, stay low throughout; Stand perpendicular to the hurdles. Duck under the first hurdle with your lead leg. Make sure your movement is initiated by pushing your buttocks back and that your feet always face forward. Stay in a low squat position throughout this drill.
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Duck under, pop up; Stand perpendicular to the hurdles. Duck under the first hurdle with your lead leg. Make sure your movement is initiated by pushing your buttocks back and that your feet always face forward. Pop up from the squatting position after you clear each hurdle.
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Duck under, twist, stay low; Stand perpendicular to the hurdles. Duck under the first hurdle with your lead leg, and then twist to lead under the second hurdle with your opposite leg. Make sure your movement is initiated by pushing your buttocks back and that your feet always face forward. Stay in a low squat position throughout the drill.
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Duck under, twist, pop up; Stand perpendicular to the hurdles. Duck under the first hurdle with your lead leg, and then twist to lead under the second hurdle with your opposite leg. Make sure your movement is initiated by pushing your buttocks back and that your feet always face forward. Pop up from the squatting position after you clear each hurdle.
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Forward zigzag duck under; Stand facing the hurdles, which are arranged in a zig-zag pattern, each successive hurdle offset one length from the previous hurdle. Duck under each hurdle, and pop up between them.
A suggested daily work pattern for hurdle work is as such:
- Monday movements 4 and 5
- Tuesday movements 1 and 2
- Wednesday movements 5 and 6
- Thursday movements 7 and 8
- Friday movements 9 and 10
Please note the pacing on this is quick and this entire area, including tumbling drills, should take no more then 12-15 minutes or you are moving too slow.
Renegade Concepts of TrainingTM makes extensive use of "simple" floor and tumbling exercises to enhance total body harmony, relative strength and kinetic awareness. Perform 2-3 sets of 2-3 repeats daily.
Forward Roll to Stand: From a standing position, squat down and place both hands on the ground. Slowly roll forward and contact the ground with your head, tucking your chin to your chest and doing a somersault. Accelerate enough while doing the somersault so you have sufficient momentum to get on your feet and return to a standing position
Backward Roll to Stand: From a standing position, squat down and begin to roll backward. Place the palms of your hands on the ground behind your head, and as you begin to somersault backward, apply enough pressure to push off with your hands from the ground ,get on your feet, and return to a standing position
Tripod to Stand: From a standing position, place both of your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Squat down and form a tripod by bringing your knees up on your elbows. Roll forward slightly, curving your back and tipping your head to the ground. To move out of this position, gently roll your head back and up, straighten your back, and bring your legs down. As you roll out of the tripod, accelerate with your hips with enough momentum that you get on your feet and stand up.
Spider lunge: From a position in which you are on all fours but nearly lying on the ground, "climb" along the ground, keeping your body very low, arms and legs spread as wide as possible.
Bear Crawls: on all fours, back straight and head up, walk along on all fours, kicked heel to butt as you advance
Resistance Training The success of your resistance program will in essence be based upon your ability to move and react in an explosive manner to ever-changing situations. The paradox of our work is that, that the only thing certain is that chaotic events are in fact certain to occur and hence only the unpredictable can be predicted. The actual strength program which will cater immensely to the development of the broad posterior chain of muscles will also recognize possibly the oldest consideration within classic MA training, the notion of "rooting" and extreme stability under duress. The key factors of our training
- Focusing on the control and speed of eccentric components of lifts as greater the speed of eccentric action (kinetic energy) will result in faster concentric, enhanced factors of RFD and in-turn reactive strength.
- Imperfect environments in the most finite of terms to enhance both kinetic, reflex and neural adaptation. This adaptation is an extremely misunderstood area that can be confused because training stimuli often cross over and are interconnected with motor patterns and neurological efficiency.
Our resistance plan is divided into two major sections of lifts:
- Focus Lifts; which are based upon the classic Olympic lifts as they are the finest route in resistance training to promote teaching the body to move as a single harmonious unit
- Supplemental lifts (which are equally broken into hybrid lifts and pre-habilitation movements from the Renegade FIXTM program. The first section of "FIXTM" on shoulder capsule strength was published here and can also be seen on
DVD.
It should be noted and implicitly understood that while I have noted "Olympic" lifts, in should not be assumed that said movements are only performed with a barbell. In fact all lifts should be performed with a broad selection of mediums to assure adaptation to one medium does not occur. A properly training athlete, barring injury, should have no problem, moving from one medium to another without any issues.
With this point I need to address one of the great problems within the marketing toward the MA crowd as many complicated lifts are being shown that are far beyond the requirements of many athletes whose training work is still in the early developmental stages. All lifting should be in simplest forms, pushing, pulling and squatting with the correct adherence to posture alignment. In today's well-marketing venues, athletes attention is being diverted to inconsequential movements prior to possessing a baseline strength such as being able to comfortably Squat twice their bodyweight or Power Clean bodyweight ten times. While I prefer not to quote base-line strength, I would assume this is not a difficult test. As we begin our work it is important that you have paid attention to the "Focus lifts", understand how they are executed properly in adherence to the "Renegade Concepts of TrainingTM" and ensure that you are always satisfying the needs of every "spoke" of the "Renegade Wheel of ConditioningTM". The basis for development starts with a sound foundation and patience must be observed. Simply stated, good things take time.
I poured myself another cup of coffee, sat outside and dialed Abbey and Jory Malone up at their Team Revolution facility. The night had seen a long drive for them but one that left them determined more then ever. And yet with a trophy case brimming with the success of being hailed as champions, they knew all glory is fleeting and were back at it the next day. Quietly, humbly dedicated to the pursuit of excellence as true warriors of another era. Prior to digging into the meat of this article I need you to consider your venture into combative events with extreme prejudice. In my past I have had the luxury of training alongside some of the best in this genre long before it developed into the cult-like circus following it has today. This was of course prior to anyone who wanted to venture into the ring / on the mats thought of it as "entertainment" and a conduit to wealth, fame and beautiful starlets. Back in the day, I suppose you could say that these warriors were exorcising some personal demons using their intense grit and brick-like bare knuckles to make a bare-to-the-bones living. While today's game has thankfully taken these great athletes / warriors out of the backroom unsanctioned bouts where lives hung perilously on a string, still the memories of those are clear to me every time I am approached by a young man or woman regarding
MMA training today because it will take a level of dedication, brutality and tenacity that few can perceive. Simply stated amongst the glitz, glamour and ridiculous publicity shots that are cultivated for the present-day blinged-up sport, this is a sport that separates the wheat from the chaff very quickly because this isn't one of those cute boxercise classes that are followed up with a chai latte and cranberry scone. No, this is a venue where chaos rules supreme, where blood and sinew are par for the course and who you go toe-to-toe with can and will inflict serious damage to you that will last a lifetime if you are not prepared for the ultimate of tests. So along with drive, determination and dedication, preparation is the key to survival and conquering your opponent. And yet as I say this, with a precautionary word of advice, let me also state that failure is oddly part of the equation. I have on many occasions seen and read how my training regimes are "too tough". It is more accurately stated that from time to time, some wannabe who thinks he's tough whines about the training being "too tough" and quickly bails out. For anyone who bellyaches about training being too tough, the moment they step in the ring with someone who has something to prove, they will quickly find their face resembling steak tartare and it is best that they did "ring the bell" and not go forward.
Failure is inevitable for those who aren't prepared mentally and physically for the utmost challenge. And while I have stated this, let me also state that champions are built from many other things, including getting off the canvas and rising from a temporary set-back. Remember these simple concepts for it will pay you rich dividends throughout your life; always pick yourself off the canvas, never stay down and never be vanquished. Victory stands before those who get off the canvas again and again and again. Adversity is something you overcome. It is the air that you breathe and all that you are. In this section we will deal with strategic issues within agility training and resistance work. Future installments will specifically build up proper restorative measures, the appropriate GPP and finally a working template to get you into the ring.
Agility Training I would be remiss to not point out that within the
Renegade Concepts of TrainingTM concepts all training is done to promote agility. At no stage is training done that doesn't recognize this highly important concern. In fact, every aspect of our work, whether it is dynamic range of motion or the methodology to our resistance work, is clearly designed to improve this attribute. And while I would prefer to dispense with categorizing training concerns, within our direct agility work we will utilize two major mediums:
{the following section on rope skip and agility ladder is an excerpt from "The Beautiful Game" by John Davies, Renegade Style Publications. 2006. To purchase this book, please visit www.renegadetraining.com/soccer_book.html}
Rope Skip Rope skip is a consistent and dependable exercise medium with many benefits such as:
- foot and hand speed
- cardiovascular efficiency
- improved motor skills/muscular harmony
- reduced body fat
- strengthened soft tissues
- increased work capacity
Your choice of rope should be simple and I tend to prefer the inexpensive plastic models. Make sure the rope is long enough so that when it's looped under your feet, it will reach chest height. There is no right or wrong way to position your hands when skipping. However, while most will allow their hands to naturally drop to their sides, I prefer to pinch my elbows at my sides and position my forearms parallel to the ground. In an optimal situation this will increase rope speed. Once you have progressed to the point that you are able to skip with good technique over a three minute period I would suggest using the following pattern for a more aggressive approach.
Renegade Rope Skip PatternTM -time per (in seconds)
| 0 to 15 |
basic 2 feet together |
| 15 to 30 |
Crossover |
| 30 to 45 |
Ali shuffle |
| 45 to 60 |
double skips |
| 60 to 75 |
side to side slalom |
| 75 to 90 |
crossover |
| 90 to 105 |
hip turn |
| 105 to 120 |
Crossover |
| 120 to 135 |
hip turn, to left only |
| 135 to 150 |
crossover |
| 150 to 165 |
hip turn, to right only |
| 165 to 180 |
high knees |
Rope work is performed daily after the dynamic warm-up of hurdle and tumbling drills with three to five 3-minute rounds.
Jory Malone, champion BJJ athlete, founder of "Revolution Fight Co" and certified Renegade Coach running through agility ladders.
Agility Ladder Ladder drills teach a tremendous variety of skills, including foot positioning, quickness of feet, efficiency of movement and even a unique carryover to sport specific movement if trained with proper joint angles. Ladder work should be performed in the most sport-specific manner possible, head up at all times. Each drill is performed twice daily immediately after completing Rope work. Perform the following introductory ladder work three to five times per week with each drill being done up and back twice. The entire ladder work session should not take more than twelve minutes. As with all our work, ensure proper posture is maintained and keep your eye up -- never reinforce a habit that will negatively impact sport specific characteristics. The basic ladder session that you want to start with follows. As you progress we will add additional work and varying stimuli.
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One Foot per set of Rungs; run such that you place one foot between each successive set of rungs
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Two Feet per set of Rungs; run such that you place two feet between each successive set of rungs.
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Inside Foot In and Out, Side-to-Side Fashion; run in a side-to-side fashion, starting to the side of the ladder. Place your inside (lead) foot between the first set of rungs, and then place your outside (back) foot between the same set of rungs. Next, step with your lead foot outside the ladder, followed by your back foot. As your back foot comes down outside the ladder, it becomes your lead foot, and the same sequence of movements is repeated.
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Crossover Foot In and Out, Side-to-Side Fashion; Run in a side-to-side fashion, starting to the side of the ladder. Place your outside (lead) foot between the first set of rungs by stepping across your inside foot; then step with your inside (back) foot behind your lead foot to place it between the same set of rungs. Next, step with your lead foot outside the ladder, followed by your back foot. As your back foot comes down outside the ladder, it becomes your lead foot, and the same sequence of movements is repeated.
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Lateral Run; perform this drill in a sideways position to the ladder. Sit back on your hips, buttocks out, emulating a two-point positional stance. Move to the side, placing both feet between each successive set of rungs.
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Lateral Up-and-Back Run; perform this drill in a sideways position to the ladder. Sit back on your hips, buttocks out, emulating a two-point positional stance. Start at the top of the ladder. Moving to your left, perform this series of steps: Attack forward by placing your right foot between the first set of rungs and then your left foot between the next set of rungs. Next, move your right foot back, stepping between the previous set of rungs. Attack forward again, starting once more with your right foot, and stay low in a two-point positional manner.
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Lateral Shuffle; perform this drill in a sideways position to the ladder. Sit back on your hips, buttocks out. Moving to your left, perform this series of steps: Place your left foot between the first set of rungs, and then place your right foot in the next set of rungs. Repeat the same two steps but beginning with the opposite foot each time. Keep your feet and hips pointed straight ahead. Shuffle on the balls of your feet, and perform quick movements that are initiated from your hips.
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Lateral Shuffle and Turn; perform this drill in a sideways position to the ladder. Sit back on your hips, buttocks out. Moving to your left, perform this series of steps: Place your left foot between the first set of rungs, and then place your right foot in the next set of rungs. Repeat the same two steps but beginning with the opposite foot each time. To do so, turn your hips/torso such that your right foot and body not completely face left far side of ladder. With the next motion, turn your body back straight ahead. Keep your feet and hips pointed straight ahead. Shuffle on the balls of your feet, moving across the rungs, and perform quick movements that are initiated from the hips.
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One-Foot Hop; hop forward on one foot between successive sets of rungs, making solid contact on the ball of your foot. Repeat with opposite foot.
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Two-Foot Hop; hop forward on both feet between successive sets of rungs, making solid contact on the balls of your feet
{we recognize following written description of ladder drills is difficult if not impossible. For an easy to follow-along training DVD, visit www.renegadetraining.com/agility.html and order the two part series on developing maximal speed and agility} Ladder work should be done in a rapid-fire pattern in roughly 1-2, 6 minute blocks. Agility work should immediately follow your dynamic range of motion work in the form of hurdle mobility drills and tumbling. Depending upon the individual's needs and overall theme of training period, non-weighted GPP should follow this prior to entering resistance work.
Resistance Specifically as we look towards the issue of enhancing agility it must be clearly understood most resistance regimes do little to actually enhance this quality and in fact derail most efforts. Of the many keys to developing agility is to emphasize speed of eccentric action and ground force application while always maintaining proper posture and movement generation. Please note I said "key factors" which are far easier said then done. After reading the first part of this article you should recall that all basic lifting is and should be done with a variety of mediums whether it is traditionally Olympic bars, kettlebells, sandbags or other non-conforming objects without negative impact towards training. All lifting is tremendously simple compared to technical finishing holds and loosely categorized as pushing, pulling and squatting with the correct adherence to posture alignment. As noted previously, our lifting regime is basically divided equally into two major sections; "Focus" and "Supplemental" lifts with the "Supplemental" side broken equally into hybrid lifts and pre-hab movements (very typically involving the shoulder capsule).
Focus lifts are performed with an intensity level between 40 to 65% with rest range between 35 to 45 seconds. Each weight training session will contain three total "Focus lifts", of four sets of six repetitions for a total of twelve sets and twenty-four repetitions. Please note these are "light" sets but extremely fast, mind-numbing explosive lifts. Focus lifts will involve the six classic lifts with derivations primarily involving starting sequence and particular style. These six lifts are:
- Squat
- Power Snatch (Snatch)
- Power Clean (Clean)
- Push Jerk / Push Press
- Deadlift
- Squat
Supplemental lifts are a mixture of "hybrid" lifts or derivatives of the "Focus" lifts and movements of a pre / re-hab nature from the Renegade FIXTM program of pre/re-hab. Each weight training session will contain four total "Supplemental lifts" divided equally between "hybrid" and "pre-hab" movements. Each of these movements will be three sets each of varying repetitions ranging from 70-95% depending upon the movement for a total of 12 total sets. Hybrid lifts, as simplified versions of "Focus lifts" are performed explosively in the 85-95% range of very low reps while pre-hab work is typically 70-75% of 12 reps. Training sessions are also designed such that the order of lifts are in a descending nature with the most complex lifts first. In this manner, technical aspects of the most complicated and demanding lifts are done when the body is at its highest energy levels. Hopefully now you should understand why not only are high work thresholds needed but why less complicated weighted GPP is done at the end of your training. Seems complicated? Well likely so, however this easy to follow chart should explain the basics and help you understand the secret to the balanced attack of Renegade athletes.
There is one exception to this lifting template and it is a complex one. It lies in how we work in twisting motions that are part of the Rotational Axis ProgramTM of Renegade Training that you've seen in my articles here on core / trunk development. Check back soon as we'll put this together with Med ball and GPP work for a concise training program. Along with the diet-plan and the "Renegade Stack" of supplements that you found in three-part
"Simplicity" series and one that I will stress heavily, you'll be ready to step onto the mat. Now lets bring it! |
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