Issue 151
March 2017
By now you should be fully aware of the benefits of calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises, on the body. It’s considerably less taxing on your joints than lifting weights and comes with the added bonus of not requiring any kit.
When the cold winter nights have closed in, calisthenics is exactly what you need for a home a workout that can still push you as if you were at your usual fighting academy.
You can also take your training to the next level by adding a weighted vest. It’s an easy way to give yourself a greater challenge when you’re doing simple exercises.
Sambo practitioner and MMA strength and conditioning guru Barry Gibson is a huge proponent of the weighted vest and he’s designed two programs that will slip effortlessly into your regimen. Now, get your vest on and get to work.
WHY WEIGHT?
- SYSTEM SHOCK
Your body will adapt to some movements over time, which can halt your progress in training. Adding extra weight will switch things up and help you improve.
- CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS
Your muscles and cardiovascular system will have to work hard to adapt to the extra resistance you’ve added to your body. That help increase strength and endurance, which will help you fight longer.
- CHALLENGE YOURSELF
If you’re starting to coast through the workout, it’s easy to make things harder by adding weight to your vest.
WEIGHTED CONDITIONER
Do the following routine twice, which will add up to a five-minute round. Repeat for three or five rounds.
- Burpees: 30 seconds
- Split squats: 30 seconds (15 secs each leg)
- Spiderman push-ups: 30 seconds
- Push-ups: 30 seconds
- Ab-wheel rollouts: 30 seconds
LEG & LUNG BURNER
Do this workout twice. “It’s very low-body dominant so there’s a good deal of hydrogen build up waiting to happen,” says Gibson. “That translates to burning quads and you.”
- Bear crawls: 50m
- Squats: 10 reps
- Lunges: 10 reps
- Jump lunges: 10 reps
- Jump squats: 10 reps
- Tuck jumps: 10 reps
- Kettlebell rack walks: 50m
