Warm up:

For this workout I warmed up with 5 minutes of shadow boxing throwing a mixture of punches and knee strikes.

Round 1, 3 and 5

Here are the exercises I used for rounds 1, 3 and 5.

Lower body: Squat to step up and knee strike

Start with your left leg on the step and the other on the ground. Squat down and then explode up into a step up. As you step up throw a knee strike with your right leg. Second time around perform on the opposite leg.

Cardio: Knee ride to sprawl

Start with one knee on the bag and one off (Knee ride). From here perform a sprawl by dropping your hips to the floor before jumping back into knee ride on the opposite side.

Upper body: VIPR uppercuts

Start in your fighting stance holding the VIPR. Perform an uppercut movement bringing the VIPR up and over your shoulder. Not only will this work your shoulders and arms but it is great for your lower back and oblique’s. Again perform 30 seconds on one side and switch sides second time around.

Core: Hip drags

From a press up position drag the VIPR under your body to the other side by exploding through your hips. This exercise is great for the core as well as working the hips and will help a fighter when it comes to grappling and ground fighting.

Cardio: Single leg squat thrusts

From a press up position jump one leg up towards the chest and then back out again while the other leg stays in the air. Change legs second time around.

1. : 

Rounds 2 and 4

Lower body: VIPR Rotating lunge

This exercise not only hits your legs but will work your core and helps to mimic throwing a hook punch.

Cardio: 3 strike ground and pound

From the knee ride position throw one punch, elbow and hammerfist strike before switching sides and repeating.

Upper body: Walk over press up

Start with one hand on the floor and one on the VIPR. Perform a press up and then crawl over the VIPR performing press ups as you move.

Core: Plank with plate drag

Start in a plank position with a weight plate by your right arm. Drag the weight from one side to the other aiming to keep your body as still as possible.

Cardio: Lateral jogging

Using objects such as VIPR, hurdles, powerbags etc. Jog sideways over the objects keeping your knees up and holding your hands up in a boxing guard. This exercise is designed to help with a fighters S.A.Q (speed, agility and quickness).

1. : 

Warm up:

The warm up follows the same principles as before with you taking your members through a shadow boxing routine. We are sticking to four combinations but we are changing them slightly.

Combo 1: Starting off in the basic fighting stance with either the left foot (orthodox) or the right foot (southpaw) forward the first punch is again the lead jab. Throw the lead hand straight out turning the wrist as you do so your knuckles face forward.

Combo 2: This is a jab followed by a rear hook. For the hook keep the elbow up high and the wrist straight. Lift the back heel and rotate the hips as you throw the punch.

Combo 3: Jab, rear hook and front uppercut. The front uppercut is thrown by dropping the front shoulder slightly and turning the hips to throw the punch upwards. Keep the wrist straight and the knuckles facing up.

Combo 4: jab, rear hook, front uppercut and cross. With the rear hand throw a straight cross. Turn the hips as you throw the punch.

As before use front and rear knees as well as sprawls within the warm up.

Upper body:

Around the head plate rotations: Increased strength and mobility in the shoulders is very important for a fighter when throwing punches and grappling which is why this exercise is included. Hold a weights plate by the sides. Begin with it in front of your chest with your elbows bent. Take the plate over your shoulder and behind your head keeping it close to you. Rotate the plate round and bring it back over your opposite shoulder to the start position. Repeat going the opposite way.

Medicine ball slams: This exercise would help fighters improve their upper body’s explosive power. Hold a medicine ball at arms length above your head and then forcefully throw it into the ground. Catch the ball on the rebound and repeat.

Lower body:

Squats with knee strikes: The basic lower body exercise made more specific to the sport by adding powerful knee strikes. Perform a normal two legged squat, as you stand up from the bottom position deliver a knee strike. Repeat the squat and knee strike with the opposite leg.

Progression: Throw the knee strikes into a kick shield or focus pads.

Staggered squat with strikes: In this exercise the basic squat becomes a defensive manoeuvre combined with the jab, cross. Start in your fighting stance and throw a jab before bending your knees and squatting down as if you were ducking to avoid a punch. Come up and throw a cross. Repeat from the beginning.

Progression: Throw the punches into focus pads.

Core:

 Medicine ball twists: Strong obliques will help fighters to throw more effective punches. Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs in the air holding a medicine ball. Twist the ball to either side of the body while keeping your legs in the air and as still as possible

Regression: Place the feet on the floor.

Progression: Have your feet uncrossed.

Medicine ball crunch with elbow strikes: This exercise takes a powerful elbow strike thrown from the ground and turns it into a great exercise for the abdominals and obliques. Start with a medicine ball between your knees and your legs in the air. Perform a basic crunch, from this position bring one elbow across the body towards the ball as if you were trying to strike it. Perform 10 reps and then repeat with the opposite arm.

Regression: Perform with feet on the floor. Perform without holding the ball.

Cardio:

Ground and pound standing strikes to mount: Fighters need to be able to strike a downed opponent even when their arms are heavy and burning. Recreate the feeling with this simple cardio drill. Stand with your feet either side of a prone bag with your knees slightly bent. Throw 10 straight punches into the bag alternating between hands before dropping down into the mount position. Throw a further 10 strikes using punches, elbows and hammer fists. Stand up and repeat.

Hip escape:  Begin in a press up position. Take one foot of the ground and rotate the hips taking the leg under the body and out to the other side. As you rotate the leg through take the opposite hand off the floor and into the air. Return to start position and repeat to opposite side.

Regression: Keep the hands on the floor and just lift the legs. Perform a basic squat thrust.

Challenge round:

For this update we have included 2 new challenges for you to try.

Chest challenge: This challenge involves a press up with a kneeling sprawl. Start with one basic press up and then go into a kneeling position and perform one kneeling sprawl. Each time increase both exercises by one rep.

Ultimate Abs: This challenge combines a crunch with a guard sit up without a medicine ball. Begin by performing one basic crunch and one guard sit up. Each time increase the crunch by one but only ever do one guard sit up in between.

“Ok, so I arrive at Fitness First Wakefield to take part in a studio class called Strike Fit!

The advertisements say Train like a Fighter.

Today the class will be an event run/co-hosted by Mr. Richard Brewin (founder of the Strike Fit Programme.)

My First impression of Richard is good, he looks the part, looks fit! To be honest I half expected some guy who does not train trying to cash in on the MMA scene like so many others do, (I see this a lot some random trainer/club teaching MMA badly and simply getting off on hitting young lads.)

Anyway back to Strike Fit.

After speaking with Richard for a short while I realised this is no Bum trying to cash in but a serious Instructor that had clearly done both the groundwork and research to understand the concept that helped him formulate Strike Fit.

I decided I would take part in the session, even though I am sick as a dog and high on Lockets, HA!

What I see is a structured circuit layout with 5 – 1min stations then put into 5 rounds, just as a fight would be with 1 min rest between stations.

Sit-ups, sprawls, tucks, ground & pound, all totally authentic exercises that as a Pro-fighter I have used in training, the class is 100% MMA style training.

It is good solid work and I did get a good sweat on and feel the benefit of the session, and just when you think it’s over…the challenge round is thrown in, lol, awesome.

As a pro-Fighter I train 6 times a week and cardio is a big part of what we do, Strike Fit will allow you to ‘Train the way we do’ without the pain and commitment of the fight, it’s not for everyone.

You want to train like a Fighter? Get to a Strike session, and bring some guts with you”.

Mark ‘Superman’ Aldridge (Professional MMA Fighter.)

The class was 5×5 minute rounds of circuit training MMA style and included a mixture of aerobic exercises such as straddle jumps, explosive step ups and sprawls, ground and pound drills, abdominal exercises such as sit up with strikes and Russian twists and upper and lower body exercises such as medicine ball press ups and jump lunges. At the end of the 5 rounds we finished with a tough 5 minute challenge round. For more information on this class check out the link http://www.resultsconditioning.com/mma-conditioning or contact me direct.

Check out the below videos of the class in action.

Check out Mark “superman” Aldridge performing a sprawl with punch combination.

Gary Park:

Gary is one of the instructors at Fitness First who teaches the Strike-Fit class. He has a wealth of knowledge in both martial arts and health and fitness. Check out his website here.

http://www.twgpfitnesstrainingservices.co.uk/

Warm up:

Spend 5-10 minutes warming up with some gently cardio such as skipping, shadow boxing, S.A.Q drills etc.

Circuit:

Bear crawl with bag pull.

Bear crawl backwards while dragging the bag alternating which hand you use.

Sprawl to clean and press.  

Place the bag on the floor and perform a sprawl before jumping back up and doing one clean and press before repeating.

Knee ride switch.

Start in the knee ride position with one knee on the bag and one off. Switch from side to side as fast as possible.

Explosive walk over’s.

Start with both hands on the bag, drop one hand onto the floor and perform a press up before exploding back over the bag and repeating on the opposite side.

Side jumps.

Perform a 2 footed side jump over the bag landing softly by bending the knees on impact. Repeat as quickly as possible whilst maintaining good technique.

At the end of your 3-5 rounds spend 5 minutes cooling down before stretching.

I use fitness challenges with my clients as one way of monitoring progress and as a way for them to see firsthand the improvements they are making. Once a client has completed a challenge then their score will be recorded and then 4-6 weeks later they will attempt to improve on it. I have found the challenges a great way to get people to push themselves to their very limits. We all have a slightly competitive edge, whether it is trying to beat our own score or that off a training partner or fellow gym goer. The challenges help to bring that out in people often resulting in very intense and extremely effective sessions.

Challenges you will find in this book range from short 5 minute ones, through to ones that will take up an entire training session

While most of the challenges can be tailored to meet all levels of fitness some of them are very intense and not for the faint hearted! For each one I have included a part that recommends what level of fitness the challenge is best suited. Whether that is beginner, intermediate or advanced. I have also included targets for each of the challenges to give you something to aim towards; these are from both personal experience (I like to put myself through all the challenges to see what my clients are experiencing!) and from what my clients have scored.

I have included the first part of this e book below. If you would like to receive the entire book for FREE then simply contact me at resultspt@hotmail.com and I will forward it over to you. Enjoy!

Contents:

1. Introduction

. Rate your fitness level

. Challenge selection

. When to do a challenge

1. Bodyweight

#1 THE BIG 3

#2 BURPEE HELL

#3 10X10

#4 BODYWEIGHT BLASTER

1. Powerbag

#5 POWERBAG

#6 POWERBAG 2

#7 POWERPLAY

1. Barbell

#8 CLEAN AND PRESS

#9 300

#10 3 ROUNDS

#11 FOURWAY FUN

1. Kettlebell

#12 KETTLEBELL 660

#13 3 WAY PLAY

#14 SNATCH TEST

1. MMA Conditioning

#15 GROUND AND POUND GAUNLET

#16 SPRAWL AND BRAWL

#17 JUMP TO IT

#18 PUNCH OUT

#19 TABATA PRESS UPS

#20 TABATA BURPEES

1.  Other

#21 WEIGHT PLATE WORKOUT

#22 SATURDAY MORNING CIRCUITS

#23 CRAZY 8

#24 KILLER KICK SHIELD

#25 TOTAL SET

#26 TRX 40/40

#27 5X5

#28 DUMBBELL 9

#29 GYM TRIATHLON

#30 CARDIO CRAZY

1. 1.      INTRODUCTION:

Welcome to my Results Conditioning “Big book of challenges”. In here you will find a whole host of fitness challenges that will test your aerobic and anaerobic fitness, muscular endurance and stamina as well as pushing you to your very limits.

I use fitness challenges with my clients as one way of monitoring progress and as a way for them to see firsthand the improvements they are making. Once a client has completed a challenge then their score will be recorded and then 4-6 weeks later they will attempt to improve on it. I have found the challenges a great way to get people to push themselves to their very limits. We all have a slightly competitive edge, whether it is trying to beat our own score or that off a training partner or fellow gym goer. The challenges help to bring that out in people often resulting in very intense and extremely effective sessions.

Challenges you will find in this book range from short 5 minute ones, through to ones that will take up an entire training session. I have split the challenges down into sections; you will find ones that use just your bodyweight while others will use equipment such as Powerbags, kettlebells and barbells.

While most of the challenges can be tailored to meet all levels of fitness some of them are very intense and not for the faint hearted! For each one I have included a part that recommends what level of fitness the challenge is best suited. Whether that is beginner, intermediate or advanced. I have also included targets for each of the challenges to give you something to aim towards; these are from both personal experience (I like to put myself through all the challenges to see what my clients are experiencing!) and from what my clients have scored.

Many of these challenges you will find already on my website at www.resultsconditioning.com under the Results blog. Here you will also see short video clips showing the challenge in action. For those who visit my site regularly will find many more challenges in this book to enjoy that are not yet on the site.

RATE YOUR FITNESS LEVEL:

For each of the challenges you will see they have been rated beginner, intermediate, advanced or a combination of the 3. If you are not sure which of these you fall under then use the chart or workout below to help you decide.

The chart below is just a rough guide as there are many different variables in terms of rating somebody’s fitness level such as past exercise history, injuries, age, weight etc.

Beginner: I would normally class a beginner as someone who I have been training for up to 6 months and who has been doing some form of training at least 3 times per week.

Intermediate: For this I would class anyone who has over 6 months worth of training behind them.

Advanced: I would normally start using advanced challenges with clients who have at least 12 months of regular training behind them.

If you want another way of rating your fitness level then try this simple challenge below. Perform all the exercises listed with a 30 second rest in between each one. At the end check your score on the chart to see where you rate. The challenge is designed to test your upper and lower body strength as well as your core strength and cardio fitness.  

Press up: Perform as many repetitions as you can of a full press up. Take 2 seconds to lower yourself and 2 seconds to push back up to the start position. Once you reach fatigue and cannot perform any more reps with perfect technique then record your score.

Plank: Lie on your front and support yourself on your elbows and toes. Maintain a flat back and keep your abdominals tight and hold this position for as long as you can up to a maximum of 60 seconds. The length of time you hold it for is your score for this exercise so if you hold it for 30 seconds then give yourself 30 points.

Wall squat: Stand with your back against a solid surface with your feet hip width apart. From here lower yourself into a squat position so your bottom is parallel to the floor and your knees are over your ankles. Hold this position for as long as you can up to 60 seconds maximum. Again turn your time into points.

Burpee: Bend down and place your hands onto the floor then jump your legs back so your body forms a straight line. From this position jump your legs back in and stand back up.  Perform as many of these as you can within 1 minute and record your score.

Crunch: Lie on your back with your knees bent and rest your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the side. Crunch up so your shoulder blades leave the floor. Return to the start position and repeat, completing as many reps as you can within 1 minute.

Jumping jacks: Stand with your feet together and your hands by the side of your body. From here jump your legs out to the side and raise your arms to shoulder height. Return to the start position and repeat, completing as many reps as you can within 1 minute.

Once you have completed all 6 exercises add up your scores and see how you rate on the chart below.

Beginner: 140 points or below

Intermediate: 141-264 points

Advanced: 265 Points or more

Challenge selection:

When it comes to choosing a challenge make sure you pick ones that uses exercises that you can perform safely and correctly. For example I would only use Ketlebell challenges with people who have been training with this piece of kit for a good few months regardless of fitness levels, and had perfected the techniques of all the exercises used within that challenge. Another point concerning technique is to make sure you perform all exercises with proper form throughout the entire challenge. Even though in many of the challenges you are trying to complete as many reps as you can or perform a certain amount in your quickest time make sure you do not lose form whilst doing so.

When to do a challenge?

Since the idea of a challenge is to get the participant to work at their maximum intensity you do not want to be doing them every week as this can lead to burn out, injuries and diminished results. Normally once a client has completed a challenge then they will not do this one again for at least 4 weeks although normally it is closer to 8 weeks. In between they may do a different challenge but they will usually have at least 2 weeks off from doing any kind of fitness challenge.

When it comes to structuring a challenge into a clients session this will depend largely on what the rest of the session is going to involve and the length of time of the challenge. Some of the shorter challenges that take only 5-10 minutes may be done either at the start or end of a session. If the challenge is mainly cardio based then I may do it at the end of a resistance workout. For any challenge that will take longer than around 25 minutes are normally done by themselves. For all challenges make sure you spend 5-10 minutes warming up beforehand and around 5 minutes cooling down and stretching at the end.

For this evenings session we were again focusing on circuit training to help with Marlons cardio fitness, stamina and muscular endurance. Tonight’s session would follow the format of my R.E.P’s (Register of exercise professionals) MMA conditioning class. This circuit-based workout is currently being run by Fitness first health clubs around the UK on their exercise class timetables under the name Strike-fit. The workout uses a mixture of fight specific movements such as ground and pound and sprawling etc alongside plyometrics and resistance exercises to give you a high intensity session. Participant’s work through 4-6 rounds with each round lasting for 5 minutes. Rounds are made up of 5 exercises with each one either being done for 1 minute or for 30 seconds with each of the exercises being done twice. For this workout Marlon would be spending 30 seconds on each exercise. Rounds 1 and 3 would consist of one lot of 5 exercises with rounds 2 and 4 being made up of 5 different exercises. Once all 4 rounds were done we would finish off with a gut busting 5-minute challenge round.

Warm up:

For this workout the warm up is made up of shadow boxing. I would call out numbers 1-4 and Marlon would throw the corresponding combination, so for example number 1 was a single jab and 4 was a jab, cross, lead hook, rear uppercut.  As well as the numbers I would also call for front and rear knee strikes as well as the sprawl to help warm up the entire body.

Main workout:

The MMA conditioning class follows a set structure so that within a 5-minute round you will perform 1 exercise for upper body, lower body and core and 2 cardio based exercises.

Rounds 1 and 3.

Lower body: Step up to knee strike

Place one foot onto a step box. Push off the leg that’s on the step and as you do so bring the other leg up, forcefully driving the hips through to deliver the knee strike. Step back down and repeat, aiming to spend as little time with your foot on the ground as possible.

Cardio: Ground and pound

From either the mount position (knees either side of bag) or knee ride (one knee on, one leg off) throw a mixture of punches, elbows and hammerfists.

Upper body: Walk over step

Begin with both hands on a low step. Take one hand off the step and place it on the floor and perform a press up before returning your hand back onto the step and repeat to the other side.

Core: Crunch with med ball between knees.

Perform a basic crunch whilst keeping your legs in the air and holding a medicine ball that is positioned between your knees. This not only works your abdominal muscles but also the muscles used when holding someone in guard.

Cardio: Lateral jumps

Stand next to an object such as a low step, hurdles, powerbag etc and perform a 2 footed side jump. Aim to land soft by bending your knees on impact.

Rounds 2 and 4.

Lower body: Step jumps

Jump up onto a step box that is positioned in front of you, aiming to land soft by bending your knees on impact. Step back down and repeat.

Cardio: Ground and pound with armbar

Start in the mount position and throw 10 strikes before pushing yourself off the bag and throwing your left leg over the bag and falling to the left hand side. This forms the armbar position, which is a submission technique, used within MMA. From here scramble back onto the bag and repeat with an armbar to the right.

Upper body: Medicine ball strikes

Standing at arms length from a punch bag. Hold a heavy med ball in both hands and rapidly tap the bag. After each strike against the bag bring the ball back and tap your stomach. This exercise will help to improve the stamina in your forearms, which can benefit a fighter when it comes to grappling and clinching. It also gives your abdominals some impact training.

Core: Guard sit up

From a crunch position hold a medicine ball across your chest and then scramble to your feet without using your hands. Return to the floor and repeat.

Cardio: Sprawling.

From a standing position drop your hips to the floor as if defending a takedown. From here explode back up onto your feet. For this workout Marlon would throw a jab, cross into the focus pads each time he stood up.

Challenge round:

At the end of a MMA conditioning workout there is a 5 minute challenge round. This is designed to push people to their limits and simulate how it feels in the last few minutes of a MMA bout when faituge and latic acid really kicks in.

The challenge I used with Marlon used lateral jumps over a kick shield and ground and pound strikes. Place a shield on the floor and stand next to it. From here jump sideways over it and then back to your start position (this counts as 1 rep) then drop down and throw 5 strikes. Each time increase the jumps by 1 rep and the strikes by 5. I set Marlon the challenge of reaching 10 jumps with 50 strikes within 5 minutes. He completed it in under 4!

The video shows Marlon working through round 3.

: 

I am pleased to announce that Fitness First health clubs will be launching Strike-fit in the following  clubs in the next couple of weeks.

Mansfield

Solihull

Stoke

Manchester Gorton

Pontefract

Wakefield

Bradford Horton park

Moston

Manchester Central

Leeds

Chesterfield

For any more information regarding courses or classes please contact me.

Upper body: Rotational medicine ball slams

Hold a medicine ball above your head at arms length. Rotate at your hips and slam the ball into the ground by the side of you. Catch the ball on the rebound and take it back over your head before repeating to the other side.

Lower body: Stand to kneel

Hold a medicine ball in both hands at chest height. From a standing position place one knee onto the floor followed by the other. From this kneeling position, stand back up again and repeat.

Regression: Perform this exercise without the medicine ball.

Core: V-ups

Lie on your back with both your arms and legs extended. Crunch up and lift your arms and legs together. Return to the ground aiming to keep your feet just slightly off the floor whilst maintaining a flat lower back.

Regression. Lift one leg at a time.

Progression. Add resistance by holding a medicine ball or weight plate above your head.

Cardio: Straddle jump with switch stance.

Stand with your feet either side of a step. Jump onto the step and land in your combat stance with one-foot forward and hands up in guard. Jump back off and land back in your start position before repeating, landing this time with opposite leg forward.

Regression. Use a lower step or perform step-ups rather than jumps.

Progression. Increase the step height or the speed of the movement.

Cardio: Transitional elbows.

From your knee ride position throw one elbow strike. Use the same arm for the strike as the knee that is on the bag. So if you have your right knee on the bag you would strike with your right elbow. Switch to the opposite knee ride position and throw another elbow strike. Repeat this as fast as you can; only ever throwing one strike.

1. : 

Warm up:

Combo 1: Jab

Combo 2: Jab, descending elbow. (Bring the elbow up and over the shoulder and strike down. You are aiming to strike with the point of the elbow).

Combo 3: Jab, descending elbow, hook.

Combo 4: Jab, descending elbow, hook, ascending elbow. (Bring the arm up as if throwing an uppercut but strike with the point of the elbow).

Defensive technique: Duck

From your combat stance perform a squat by sitting your hips and bottom back and down. Keep your guard up when performing the duck.

: 

I am pleased to announce that Fitness First health clubs will be launching Strike-fit in the following  clubs in the next couple of weeks.

Mansfield

Solihull

Stoke

Manchester Gorton

Pontefract

Wakefield

Bradford Horton park

Moston

Manchester Central

Leeds

Chesterfield

For any more information regarding courses or classes please contact me.

Warm up:

For this session we started off with some S.A.Q (speed, agility and quickness) using a mixture of cone drills,

1 In: Jog through the cones placing 1 foot in each gap

Lateral jogging: Jog sideways through the cones placing both feet in each gap

2 In: Jog through the cones placing 2 feet in each gap

Weaving: Weave in and out through the cones

2 Footed diagonal hops: Start on the right hand side of the first cone and jump forward 2 footed to the next cone landing on the left hand side. Continue jumping diagonally from cone to cone landing soft each time by bending the knees on impact.

Side crawls: From a press-up position crawl sideways through the cones by moving the same hand and same leg. Aim to maintain a flat back throughout.

Each exercise was completed for 30 seconds and the circuit was performed twice through for a total of 5 minutes. In between rounds there was a 1 minute rest.

Round 1 Upper body:

Recline rows

Sledgehammer strikes onto tyre

Medicine ball strikes onto bag (Standing at arms length from a punch bag. Hold a heavy med ball in both hands and rapidly tap the bag. After each strike against the bag bring the ball back and tap your stomach. This exercise will help to improve the stamina in your forearms, which can benefit a fighter when it comes to grappling and clinching. It also gives your abdominals some impact training).

Walk over press-ups on low step 

Dumbbell punches

Round 2 Lower body:

Medicine ball jump squats

Knee strikes onto prone bag (place one knee onto a punch bag on the floor with the other leg extended back. Drive your free leg into the bag striking it with your knee. Then switch legs placing your striking knee onto the bag and throwing the strike with opposite side).

Box jumps

Powerbag alternating leg front lunge

Jump lunges

Round 3 cardio:

For this round we performed 3 exercises and completed 3 circuits. The first exercise we did a different version on each circuit.

Version 1: 3 punch combo with sprawl

We threw a jab; cross and lead hook onto the focus pads followed by 1 sprawl.

Version 2: 3 punch combo with shoot

Same punch combo and then the guys would shoot in for a takedown and grab me around the legs and lift me off the ground before stepping back and repeating.

Version 3: Alternate between sprawls and shoots

Throw the 3-punch combo and alternate between a sprawl and a shoot after the punches.

Resistance band ground and pound: From the mount position they threw continuous punches while holding a heavy-duty resistance band that was hung from the wall. 

Lateral jumps over kick-shield: Stand next to a kick-shield that’s stood on it’s side and perform a 2 footed side jump over it aiming to land soft by bending the knees on impact.

At the end of the 3 rounds we finished with a punch out drill.

Punch out drill:

We stood an upright Powerbag against the punch bag so that it hung at a slight angle. The aim then was for each guy to perform 20 seconds of continuous jab, crosses to keep the punch bag from touching the Powerbag. Any time the 2 bags touched then rather than having the 20-second rest period they had to perform 5 burpees with a press-up at the bottom and a vertical jump as they stood up.

At the end of this we cooled down and stretched.

Warm up: Tonight’s warm up involved body weight movements such as squats with rotation, lunges and side crawls as well as active stretches for the lower back and hip flexors.

Main workout:

For this workout we used supersets, performing one strength exercise followed immediately with one power movement. We had a short rest between sets and completed 3 supersets of each.

Hang cleans

Jump squat with press

TRX rows

Hammer strikes onto tyre

Incline bench press

Explosive press ups

Powerbag lunges

Jump lunge

Core superset:

This session we used a more sport specific exercise alongside an explosive one.

Guard get ups: This exercise helps to simulate being on the ground and having to scramble back up onto your feet. Lie on your back holding a medicine ball across your chest. Sit up and extend one leg out while pulling the other one into your body and then scramble up onto your feet without using your hands. Return to the floor and then repeat off the other leg.

Explosive sit up with medicine ball throw: For this exercise Marlon got into a basic sit up position holding a medicine ball above his head. As he sat up he threw the ball to me a couple of metres away. He stayed up until the ball was thrown back to him. When I threw the ball back it was slightly above his head meaning Marlon had to catch it before slowly lowering himself back down using his abdominals to resist.

Below is a short video showing the power movements.

We warmed up using a mixture of medicine ball exercises such as swings, rotations and lunges with rotations alongside bodyweight movements such as press-up with rotation. The main workout consisted of the following exercises.

Deadlift

Powerbag squat

Barbell push press

Superset: Alternating arm kettlebell floor press with Press-up to knee strikes on floor bag.

 Underhand grip recline rows

Core superset:

For today’s session we focused on 2 rotational movements that would not only work the core but also help to improve punching power.

Standing weight plate rotations

Medicine ball Russian twists with chest pass (For this exercise Marlon got into a position to do a Russian twist and I stood in front of him. I threw the ball to Marlon, alternating the height and direction each time. Each time Marlon would catch it and then perform a twist on each side before throwing the ball back to me. The aim was for Marlon to keep his lower body as still as possible, maintain a straight back and not lose his balance.)

For our next session we will start to bring in more power-based exercises such as jump squats, plyometric press-ups, sledgehammer strikes etc.