Issue 136
December 2015
Get heavyweight explosiveness and generate maximum power, whether you’re big or small
Kevin Kearns
Boston’s own strength & conditioning guide has been sculpting athletes for 25 years and has helped 15 fighters prepare for the Octagon
We two heavyweights meet in the cage, you know there’s potential for something big to happen. With up to 265lb behind every strike, you can be sure someone will be going to sleep in a hurry if 4oz of leather connects with their chin. If you’re one of biggest men in MMA, you need to make sure you’re first to the punch so you don’t end up on your back. But even if you’re smaller in stature, wouldn’t you like to pack power like that?
Here’s a circuit workout to build speed and explosiveness, so you can roar out of the blocks at 100mph. You’ll unlock the agility to get into your groove when the opening klaxon sounds – without sacrificing any of that crushing power – whether you’re mixing it up with the big boys or just trying to pack a punch on the lighter end of the scales.
WHAT TO DO
Complete five grueling rounds made up of eight exercises each.
Do each exercise for 35 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds before the next.
Aim to do 30 reps of each exercise.
Take a one-minute active rest between rounds by balancing on a BOSU.
Do the first circuit in rounds one, three and five, and the second circuit in rounds two and three.
YOU WILL NEED
Agility ladder
Resistance bands
Atlas ball
BOSU
Fitness trampoline
Suspension trainer
Slosh pipe
Circuit 1
1. Ladder run
With a fitness ladder laid out in front of you, move laterally in and out of the rungs from one end to the other.
2. BOSU sprawl
With the BOSU held out in front of you in both hands, throw your legs back and drop onto your chest into a sprawl.
3. Power jumps
With the trampoline on front of you, jump with both feet onto the surface then straight back to the floor as quickly as possible
4. Air rippers
Grab both handles of the suspension trainer, lean back, then alternate pulling from side to side.
5. Med ball smash
Raise the medicine ball over your head and smash it down. Try to catch it on the bounce to keep your momentum.
6. Resistance punches
Stand on one leg and place your other knee on a Swiss ball. Alternate punches while holding onto an anchored resistance band.
7. BOSU elbows
Take up a push-up position over the BOSU. Alternative driving elbows onto it.
8. Trampoline jump to sprawl
Jump laterally onto the trampoline and bounce to the opposite side. Sprawl when you land, then repeat in the opposite direction.
Circuit 2
1. Ladder turns
Rotate your body 180 degrees in alternate directions to move along the ladder, stepping in each box as you go.
2. Swiss ball knees
Take hold of a Swiss ball in both hands and hold it up against a solid wall or cage fence. Drive alternating knees into the ball with power whilst keeping a solid rhythm.
3. BOSU ground ‘n’ pound
Squat and hit the BOSU with two hammerfists. Jump 90 degrees around it and repeat.
4. Trampoline ground ‘n’ pound
Hold a small medicine ball in one hand and place the other on the trampoline in a push-up position. Work your way around the trampoline as you slam the ball into the middle without releasing.
5. Battering ram
Hold the slosh pipe to one side of your body. As you step across the gym, thrust the pipe forwards with force as if you were trying to batter down a door.
6. Suspended knees
Put your feet in the straps of a suspension trainer and your hands on the floor in a push-up position. Alternate bringing your knees to your elbows.
7. Band pull-downs
With the resistance band fixed high out in front of you, rotate your hips and pull the handles down to one side, then the other.
8. Band curls
Anchor a resistance band in a low position. Bend your knees slightly, then curl one handle to your chest as you extend the other band. Alternate arms. This is a dynamic move so use speed.
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