Issue 137
January 2016
Even when he’s snowed under in the Swedish winter weather, Alexander Gustafsson embraces the grind
Winter Warmer
Eaten to excess over the holidays? Training in the cold could help you shed some extra pounds. Your body will work harder to regulate its core temperature, so you’ll burn a few more calories.
When the snow falls in Sweden, boy, it really falls. But a little cold blast doesn’t get in the way of Alexander Gustafsson’s strength and conditioning routine. While these days ‘The Mauler’ resides in Stockholm, his family still lives in the countryside village of Arborga. So when he returns home for a vacation he needs to do something to stay in shape.
Over the years Gustafsson has devised a series of maintenance exercises to ensure his cardio and strength training doesn’t suffer when he’s at the family home. “This is not the kind of training I do to prepare for fights, it’s just to stay in shape when I go to visit my mother’s house,” he says. “It’s really about keeping my fitness up and I hate running, so this is a great outdoor workout to stay in shape.”
But don’t be fooled into thinking this is some easy-going exercise just because the UFC light heavyweight contender isn’t in full fight-camp mode. There are no fancy machines or state-of-the-art hardware here. All he has to work with is the most basic equipment while he does battle with the elements.
1/ Barrel press
8 reps x 5 sets
Using a clean & jerk motion to do the lift, this full-body movement is perfect for engaging your legs, core, back, arms and shoulders. It’s a complete workout that’s ideal for inhibited training programs like this.
THFE tip
Add some water or sand to the barrel to increase its weight.
2/ Log carry
50m x 5 sets
This is old-school training at its best. Pick it up, walk with it and throw it down. Use a zercher carry – both arms under and squeezing the log into your chest, to avoid injury. Or if you can handle the weight throw it over your shoulder, fireman’s carry style. This is another full-body exercise.
3/ Rock throws
10 reps x 3 sets
Great for improving stamina and punching power. The key is to move quickly to the stone once you’ve released it and repeat at speed. The bigger the stone, the tougher the drill, but this shoulder, tricep and core builder offers big results.
4/ Sprints
50m x 5 sets
Gustafsson isn’t the type of fighter who enjoys plodding on the tarmac for hours on end. Instead he focuses his stamina training on short, sharp bursts and sprints in the cold air are a great way to get the heart racing.
5/ Tire squats
8 reps x 5 sets
Like the barrel press movement, squats should be the cornerstone of every athlete’s S&C program. Another perfect posterior chain blaster, this junkyard training drill may look bizarre but it’s actually perfect to ensure Alex stays in top shape when he’s out of the city.
6/ Pole strikes
3 x 5 min rounds
With so much muscle building going on Gustafsson has to keep his hands sharp too, by running striking drills on a wooden pole.
THFE says
Drilling combinations on a pole is a classic training method used throughout martial arts history.
