Issue 104

Submerged training may not be new to conditioning, but it is enjoying a revival. And if you’re sore from training camp there’s no better way to look after the body, says S&C coach Barry Gibson.

There has been a lot of buzz regarding training underwater this summer, yet it’s anything but a new concept. Most of you will recall BJ Penn running underwater carrying a rock in the build-up to his UFC title clash with Georges St Pierre, or Carlos Condit blasting out resistance punches in the pool during his own preparations for a GSP challenge.

Videos of both these training regimes, which can be found on YouTube, created a massive stir in the world of mixed martial arts strength and conditioning. 

However, submerged training in fight sports goes much further back than that. In fact, Muhammad Ali was famously photographed shadowboxing underwater. He reportedly used this to condition his body, and increase his lung capacity and stamina.

And if that isn’t enough, it also worked a treat for Jean Claude Van Damme in the movie Kickboxer then again, so did getting drunk, dancing like a berk and picking fights with local Thai blokes, but I can’t seriously recommend that.

Never fear, though, your favorite strength coach has an alternative that doesn’t require you to get your hair wet thus eliminating the need for a spotter in case you pass out.

The beauty about water is it takes a lot of the stress off your joints, which is a bonus when you spend the rest of your training camp sparring on the mats and in the ring.

And let’s face it, after years of training in combat sports, when most of us emerge from bed in the morning, and take our first few steps, we resemble the first two figures in the iconic ‘The Evolution of Man’ picture drawn by Rudolph Zallinger in 1965.

Plus, water is denser than air - so it lends an element of resistance to your muscles that you won’t find when training on dry land. Research recently proved that high-intensity exercises performed in water can build strength and improve neuromuscular fitness, whereas moderate intensity ‘grandma aquarobics’ kind of sucks.

Here are two workouts, I prepared earlier, that will have you feeling like the man from Atlantis in a couple of weeks. But remember, the first has to be performed in a swimming pool, the second at the beach.

POOL WORKOUT

You need to be in at least four feet of water the deeper, the harder. Perform the entire drill for one five-minute round, and perform three to five rounds with 60 seconds rest in between. The poolside muscle-up is best described as the way you would exit the pool if you were trying to impress the opposite sex.

You basically hold the side of the pool, drop down low and explode up out of the water performing a kind of pull-up, into a dip to push yourself out of the water. However, instead of exiting the pool, drop back down and repeat for the timed interval.

1: High Knee Sprints 60 secs 

2: Swim (Any Stroke) 60 secs 

3: Poolside Muscle-up 60 secs

4: Backward Sprint 60 secs

5: Swim (Any Stroke) 60 secs

BEACH WORKOUT

Our next workout is designed for the beach, although you can go for this one at a pool too. If you’re lucky enough to have a private pool, even better. For this workout you’ll also need a kettlebell.

Again, three rounds of these exercises will give you pause for thought. What you have to be aware of is the effect of the water on the kettlebell. The initial phase is a lot heavier, so use a lighter kettlebell than normal as the water adds a lot of weight.

Also, be careful when the bell emerges from the water as your muscles will snap into action and the effort to pull the weight out of the water will take some deceleration.

Submerge yourself in the water up to your waist. Perform the reps then rest for 30 seconds and repeat for a full five-minute round.

1: Two-Arm Swings 20 reps

2: One-Arm swings (Alternated arms) 10 reps

3: Clean and press 10 reps

You perform this exercise like you would a normal kettlebell press, but without placing the bells on the floor unless you want a mouthful of seawater.

Plus, your posterior chain will also see huge benefit, and I’ve said many times in the past that the back muscles are too often neglected by new trainees. But for combat athletes, in pursuit of all-round super cardio, this group of muscles is a must. So what better way to turn a family jaunt to the beach in to a cracking workout?