Kyle,
We're going to compose a medley of activities to get your GPP up for combat sport prep.
Twelve Weeks to a Lean, Mean Fighting Machine
You will work three sessions per day: 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the evening. You will do this every other day. On the in-between days, you'll have one session in the morning, with the option to move it to the afternoon if you need more rest.
Your morning session will be a
BWE Ratchet Circuit.
Your afternoon session will be a
Dynamic Range of Motion session.
Your evening session will be
Strength Endurance Resistance Training.
BWE Ratchet Circuit:
A Ratchet ladder is like two steps forward one step back. This produces a superior training effect because we adapt to linear progression in strange and idiosyncratic ways. Some people adapt to it in such a way that they are only marginally challenged and then suddenly meet with volume too overwhelming to perform. I used this method in my "slaughter circle drills" I would have my athletes do in Sambo and they met with great success for strength endurance. I called them "Ratchets" (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, et cetera) due to the similarity of the action of cranking back a ratchet to torque a step forward. Ratchets trick your CNS into slight recovery to diminish fatigue without significant decreases in activity. I'll be publishing an article about Ratchets in the next issue of CST Magazine, so stay tuned while you try them out.
The exercises selection is based upon the muscular action you'll need for Sambo competition - pulling power, yielding strength, stored elastic energy release for pushing power, and holding strength.
Do the following circuit one exercise after another without rest. When you complete the exercise series, that counts as one 'repetition.' Follow the Ratchet advancement scheme (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, et cetera) until you cannot possibly do any more. Take a 15 second break in between each set.
Pull-up
Drop down into a
Flat-Foot Squat
Touch the floor and push your legs back into a
Quad Squat
Quad Hop once
Quad Hop back into a
Flat-Foot Squat
From the Squat jump up and grab the Pull up bar and perform another
Pull-up
Repeat
Each session, your goal is to go one step farther with the Ratchet Circuit than the session prior. Push yourself. Watch your breathing. Exhale on effort. Stay relaxed and go for volume. Keep perfect form.
Dynamic Range of Motion session:
In the afternoon, find a quiet place where you can focus internally on your patterns of tension and resistance. Most people give the least amount of attention to this session because they don't feel like they're 'working out.' Unfortunately for them, without this sandwiched session, the quality of their work sessions is
severely diminished due to the Sensory Motor Amnesia and Residual Muscular Tension (read
Body-Flow™) which LIMITS work capacity in the work sessions.
If you can get a hold of the
Warrior Wellness™ courses. If not, just do some basic circles with every joint - head to toes (literally) - be thorough and keep moving them in slow and smooth circles until there are no clicks (crepitus).
Strength Endurance Resistance Training:
In the evening, you will do a Density Training scheme of dumbbell swings. You should be able to find the technique online, or if not, go to the
Olympic Clubbell® Sport official webpage and look at the Swipe video. The swing phase of the Swipe is similar to how you want to swing your dumbbell, except it will be between your legs and held with the handle pointing right-left not front-back.
Over the course of the next twelve weeks, you'll be compressing the rest periods by increasing the volume of your dumbbell swings in the following progression:
Week 1: 20 sets of 5 in 20 minutes
Week 2: 18 sets of 6 in 18 minutes
Week 3: 16 sets of 7 in 16 minutes
Week 4: 15 sets of 8 in 15 minutes
Week 5: 12 sets of 9 in 12 minutes
Week 6: 10 sets of 10 in 10 minutes
Week 7: 8 sets of 12 reps in 8 minutes
Week 8: 7 sets of 14 reps in 7 minutes (due to reps/minute this step should nearly be one full minute)
Week 9: 1 set of 100 (no time limit)
Week 10: 1 set of 100 in 12 minutes
Week 11: 1 set of 100 in 11 minutes
Week 12: 1 set of 100 in 10 minutes
You should begin with which ever weight you feel comfortable, but you may probably be able to start with 40-55lbs.
The entire program I designed for you is based upon
DOUBLE-D (or Double Density) method of
Recovered but not Rested. Read this to understand the method (and appreciate the sandwiched DROM session!)
The action of the Swings is the opposite motion of the BWE Ratchet Circuit, so you're conditioning symmetrically (like the symmetry of following a back bridge or arch with a Downward Facing Dog.)
Off-days:
Make sure that you complete a DROM session on your non-work days. You may also want to add one of these sessions before your Judo class. Take Sunday completely off. Perhaps go for a walk with family, or a swim.
Eat well, rest well, drink a lot of water. Don't get stressed out.
Yours in strength,
Scott Sonnon