Issue 039
July 2008
By Barry Gibson.
For years combat athletes, most notably boxers, have used medicine balls as a staple of their conditioning. They’re becoming high profile again thanks to the work of people like Ross Enamait of rossboxing.com, the brains at Crossfit, and JC Santana of the Institute of Human Performance.
Essentially a leather or rubber ball that comes in various weights, this little space saver can be used for a variety of drills and exercises. JC Santana formulated a nice little upper body circuit that is an absolute killer, and is second to none in terms of anaerobic capacity and combating the heavy feeling in the shoulders that kicks in as lactic acid builds up in your muscles. That is going to form the basis of some of this article.
The exercises are as follows:
- Push offs: 5 each side
- Close grip push-ups: 15
- Power overs: 10
- Depth drops: 5
The exercises are performed back to back without resting. Only rest when you’ve completed a trip through the circuit. As fatigue builds in the shoulders and arms, you’ll find you lock up much sooner as the lactic acid accumulates. This endurance circuit will build the capacity to keep throwing punches and pummelling for a clinch as long as you need it.
HOW ARE THEY DONE?
Push offs (5 reps each side)
Place one hand on the ball and the other on the floor. The hand on the ball is the working hand. Lower the body down as in a normal push-up, then explosively push off the floor with the non-working hand. The hand on the ball stays put until you’ve finished your reps for that side. There is a lot of stabilisation involved in this drill, which is a bonus for combat athletes.
Power overs (10 reps)
Next up we have these beauties. If you have seen clips of Randy Couture training then you may have seen these already. Again, start with one hand on the ball and the other on the floor. Lower into a push-up and as you extend, power over the ball to the other side so that your hands have changed position. Emphasis should be placed on fast hands, moving quickly from one side to the other for the desired reps.
Close grip push-up (15 reps)
These are fairly simple and yield great results. You need to force your core to work hard to steady yourself on the ball. Place both hands on the ball and simply drop into a push-up. Rise and repeat, keeping your hands on the ball at all times. These really fry your triceps too. At this point your shoulders will also be begging for a rest.
Depth drop push-ups (5 reps)
As soon as you’ve finished the close-grip push-ups, keep your hands on the ball then simultaneously drop them to either side of the ball, you do not need to drop down into a full push-up due to the ball being there, but there should be an element of elbow flexion. Try to imagine the floor is very hot so you need to explode back up onto the ball. Repeat these at a rapid pace.
Complete four sets of the above with 45 seconds rest between sets. This protocol will really stress the anaerobic energy systems. It will help you prepare for the heavy feeling you feel in the arms and legs ‘in-fight’. Keep at it and your legs and arms will go and go, and the next time some moron says they don’t have time to train, show them this article!
Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor based in North East England. A strength and conditioning trainer to MMA fighters, he holds a third dan in judo. Any questions or queries can be directed to [email protected].
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