Spartan performance coach Jack Lovett shows you how to improve your MMA strength with the prowler shed.

Simple yet brutally effective, the prowler sled is an essential tool in my training arsenal. There is nothing quite like it for separating the ‘men from the boys.’ Prowlers are a true test of an athlete’s mental strength and when the going gets tough it’s the ‘men’ who push through, whilst the ‘boys’ find a reason not to.

It's also an incredibly versatile training tool which can be used for various applications. It can add volume to weaker athletes’ routines, by helping to increase muscle mass. Their non-eccentric nature (the same as lifting a dumbbell but not lowering it) is ideal to increase training volume without over-stressing the athlete. It's especially useful for athletes who want or need to train multiple disciplines every week on top of strength work.

Benefits of the prowler:

• Easily taught with little learning curve.
• Excellent conditioning tool that does not negatively affect strength levels.
• Easily adjustable load (excellent for training groups of fighters).
• Little to no danger of injury.
• Applicable to the injured athlete who is unable to effectively perform lower-body exercises such as squats, dead lifts and single-leg work.
• As well as aiding the recovery of injured athletes, prowlers can also be used to facilitate recovery in healthy athletes through increased blood flow which flushes out lactic acid.
• The prowler stimulates many of the movements used in contact/combat sports (such as pushing, grappling and controlling an opponent).

I frequently have my athletes use prowlers alongside each other in order to maximize both training efficiency and competition. It is not ideal if one prowler is more resistant than the other, thus affecting balanced assessment.

SPARTAN PROWLER WORKOUTS

Below are three ways in which I incorporate prowlers into my MMA athlete training programmes. The following workouts are executed with either (or both) High or Low hand positions:

Start with your hands in the low position for 20 meters, then switch, returning the prowler in the high position. Rest 60–90 seconds and repeat. Sounds basic, but this is more than sufficient to start out with. I look for my athletes to perform 10 sets of this with a minimum of 10kg per side with 60 seconds' rest and build from there.

1: Sled Pull/Prowler Combo for maximum strength

The development of maximal strength is crucial for most athletes. Generally these are performed with barbells – dead lift, squat, overhead press, bench press etc. However in strongman-style maximum-effort exercises can also be utilized. These are often more functional for athletes, helping bridge the gap from the gym to the cage. Of which, the sled pull/prowler push combo is a great option. 

Have the athlete push the prowler (high handles) whilst pulling a sled behind them. This is attached via duplex straps and a weight belt. Essentially the athlete is being pulled back whilst attempting to drive forwards. With the resistance coming from the sled and prowler, there is also a lot less stress to the athlete's joints (compared to squatting or dead lifting) as there is no load on the spine. Such reduction in stress is highly beneficial to the MMA athlete training multiple times per day.

2: Prowler Suicides

Inspired by my good friend and renowned US strength coach Joe Defranco, prowler suicides are just that – suicide. Not for the participant, but for their opponent. A fighter who excels at these will not suffer the fate of the likes of BJ Penn and Shane Carwin, allowing premature fatigue to dictate their performance. 

Set up cones every five meters from a starting line for 15 meters total. Load the prowler with a minimum of 10kg per side. We use athletic turf at my facility. Different surfaces will provide different resistance, so adjust accordingly. Start with your hands in the low position, push the prowler five meters, jump through the vertical handles and push the prowler back to the start line in the high position. Repeat to the 10-meter mark and back, then the 15-meter mark. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat.

The aim is to minimize the drop in time it takes to complete the subsequent rounds (in-shape fighters will keep this to five seconds or less). I look to start my fighters off at three rounds and build to five. My more advanced athletes perform five rounds of the above with 20kg per side.

The above workouts are samples that I successfully implement with my fighters. However, they are just that: samples from a structured and progressive program. They are not performed constantly. At all times the athlete's needs, ability and recovery levels dictate exactly how they incorporate the prowler. 

YouTube is filled with videos of participants collapsing after or during use and vomiting with the infamous ‘prowler flu.' Prowler suicides are particularly effective at this. Hence the need for caution. Maximize your potential through the smart addition of the prowler but do not overuse or abuse it. 

Prowlers help push the level of my fighters’ strength and conditioning to new highs time and time again. Don’t be the opponent left ruing ignoring them; incorporate prowlers into your fight preparation today.