Issue 092

September 2012

The Olympic motto – faster, higher, stronger – should form the backbone of any training camp

Barry Gibson BSc and MMA-CSCC is the owner/founder of GrappleFit Training, and an S&C coach focusing on combat sports.

The world has sports fever. We’ve had the best summer of sport for a long time with the NBA playoffs, Stanley Cup finals, Euro 2012, the Olympic Games – and, let’s face it, some of the tastiest UFC matchups for quite a long time. 

As a strength and conditioning coach, and competitor, I’m really looking forward to the London 2012 Games. The diversity of the Olympics and all the events makes for fascinating viewing, and I’m definitely one of those people that will watch as much as possible – whether it be in the pool, on the track or inside the arenas.

What makes an athlete achieve the aspects of the Olympic motto – faster, higher, stronger? Is it genetic? Is it illegal? Is it innate? I believe certain aspects of these qualities can be trained and therefore improved. After all, if they can’t, why train at all?

So, here’s the plan: over the next couple of issues I’m going to focus on workouts to improve the three aspects of the Olympic motto. I’m going to focus on drills and movements to turn you into the next Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps or David Beckham.

Let’s start with speed, and ways to improve your movement to ensure the very best outcome inside the cage. Speed kills, and what athlete worth his or her own salt doesn’t want to get faster?

FIVE DRILLS TO MAKE YOU FASTER

Sled Push

Load a sled really heavy and get low and drive. Dead weight simple…

Hill sprints

This improves hip flexor and posterior chain strength through the massive drive to power you up the hill. It’s also great for conditioning.

Resistance band sprints/bear crawls

Another excellent partner drill to mimic, resist and therefore develop the posterior chain to allow the athlete to train the ability to burst out of the gate, so to speak, and explode through their opposition!

Sand Bag Death March

This was covered last issue – and is a firm favorite of my gym’s athletes. Pick up a heavy sand bag and walk forward for a specific distance. The catch is you need a partner standing in front of you resisting the forward drive as you try to walk forward. This is harsh.

Glute/ham raise 

I had some awesome success with this as a way to train the hamstrings. This is the only time I really train them as a knee flexor – the hamstrings’ primary movement is as a hip extensor. But the glute/ham raise is awesome to use. I load up my trap bar to perform them but you can easily use a partner to do these, or go to a gym with a specific bench.

You may notice that all of the drills in this list hit the posterior chain almost exclusively – that is no surprise. The forward drive we crave so much as athletes, and fighters particularly, comes from the hamstrings and glutes. These need to be trained and strengthened if a fighter is to develop break-neck speed.

Add these drills into your training program and watch your speed improve at a rate

of knots.