Thursday Aug 23rd, 2012

Group 1: Complete 3 cycles through this group - High Tempo!

Olympic Bar Push (only the push, not the cross body pull, so add some weight to this one, should be a multi joint exercise, hard on shoulders through to gluteus and calves

x 10/side

Cross Body Plate Drive x 10/side

Contralateral Split Squat to Shoulder Press x 10 -as an alternative, complete the split squat with weights at side, between each leg complete 10 pushups (total of 20)

Wide Lateral Squats with Rainbow x 10

Group 2:(complete 3 cycles, do NOT stop between exercises)

Superman Kneeling on Bosu x 10/side

Frogger x 25

Side Plank x 45 seconds/side

Burpees x 10

Weighted crunches (hold med ball in hands at head level while performing crunch) x 20

Load the sled. 5 or more plates. 

Goal:

Walk/speed walk/move as fast as you can pulling the large load. Travel 50yards. 

Leave the sled, sprint to your start point.

Complete 8 Broad Jumps- measure them as you do them, make sure you beat your distance the next time through.

This is one round.

Complete as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes. Rest 60 seconds.

Start over, for 5 minutes -try for more rounds then you managed in the first 5 minutes.

If numbers of participants dictate that you are waiting on the slide, either add a round of running/broad jumps, or burpees, or skipping while you wait your turn.

Stretch - focus on posterior chain.

Spartan Training -Day 1 -Aug 20, 2012

Ok, maybe a little early for the 2013 Spartan.

But in the mean time, lets try this take on a pyramid style.

Remember, Joe knows intensity. Use it.

Warm up, prehab

-Start with Tabata on bike/treadmill when you are warm.

Complete 2 Tabatas -on bike or treadmill:

20s work: 10s recovery x 8

Pyramid!

(#reps/set = 10...9...8...7...6...STOP!...Abs...Abs...Done)

Tire Flips

Olympic Bar Push/Pull (rep# = per side)

Pushups on one leg

Speedskaters

Frogger x 10 everytime

Pull ups or Intverted Rows

Wall Ball

Hammer Curls (remember to increase the weight as the reps drop)

Split Lunge Jumps

Tabata Abs x 2!

Stretch, hydrate, stretch.

Spartan Training Day 14 -Aug 14, 2012

4 Days to go.

I highly recommend stretching the hammy's. I hear they can blow at any minute.

As stated before:

"it would be wise to work on keeping your muscles active the next 2 shifts without pushing yourself to the point where you are in pain after the workout."

So there will be two options posted for this shift. One for those building towards the Spartan on the 18th, and one for those still looking for a hard workout as they are not competing in a race this weekend.

Spartan's:

Warm up/Pre-hab

Spend some time on the roll, if you're not familiar with what that means, see here: Brad has highly recommended this video. He says it helped with his Rainbow Squats. Try not to mock how skinny his legs are, but I personally find it disgusting. 

Ok, seriously, take some time to warm up on your favourite piece of cardio equipment. Take 5-10 minutes of slow warm up, then 15-20 minutes of moderate (6/10) intensity, followed by 5-10 minutes of cool down as you slow the pace until your HR is below 140. 

Stretch, work on tight areas, and we will do some core exercises, continuing to stretch in between when needed.

Core: 3 rounds:

Deadbug x 45seconds

Push ups with arms opening to the sky x 10

Frogger x 25

Wide Knee Abs x 40

The "I'm better than a Spartan and don't need a competition to prove it" option:

Pick your favourite cardio/shuttle we've tried the past few weeks

-Spartan shuttle with sled pull, duffle, sprint x 10 min

-Sled pull/sprint for 6min:60sec, 5min:60sec, 3:30, 3:30, 5:60

-Tire flips/sled pull/broad jumps

Or create something new.

Complete the pyramid:

Pyramid:

Reps/round: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 (up the weight if the rep range is not challenging enough)

Box Jumps

Push ups with one med ball under both hands

Ham curls on ball

Pop Squats

Pop Pushups

Manmakers or burpees

Abs/Arms: Cycle through each, complete minimum of 2 cycles.

Frogger x 25

Bicycle Abs x 25

Hanging Abs x 15

Down the rack (6 reps per weight, start high, drop 5 llbs and complete another 6 until you get down to 15llbs)

Hydrate.... stretch...., stretch some more.

Spartan Training Day 13 -Aug 12, 2012

One Week to go.
That doesn't mean training stops -for those in the Spartan race that is. But it would be wise to work on keeping your muscles active the next 2 shifts without pushing yourself to the point where you are in pain after the workout.

So there will be two options posted for the next 2 shifts. One for those building towards the Spartan on the 18th, and one for those still looking for a hard workout as they are not competing in a race next weekend.

Spartan's:

Warm up/Pre-hab

Goal:

Walk/speed walk/move as fast as you can pulling a light! load. (probably 2 plates will be adequate)

Travel 50yards. Leave the sled, sprint to your start point, turn and sprint back. Complete 5 point lunge x 2 on each leg. -If the 5 point lunge usually leaves your legs screaming, complete 2 walking lunges per side. This is one round.

Complete as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes.

If more than one of you are doing this together, add a third station with a Farmer Carry (min of 45llbs), completing the same distance, followed by the sprint there and back.

Alternate between the carry and the pull.

Any others can alternate between sprinting/5 point lunge as many reps as they can while waiting on their  turn to pull/carry.

Group 1: 3 sets. (rep # in brackets)

Push ups -with med ball under one hand, passing from one hand to the other with each rep (10, then 8, then 6)

Inverted Row (10, 8, 6)

Frogger (20 each time)

Group 2: 3 sets

Step ups with knee drive (6, 8, 6)

Supermans (10 each time)

Dead bug (45 seconds each time)

Group 3: 3 sets

Ham curls on ball (10 each time)

Hammer curls (10, 8, 6)

Weighted crunches (20 each time)

Spend some time stretching, cooling down on a bike, and using the foam roller.

Hydrate well and get out for a run on your days off.

The "I'm better than a Spartan and don't need a competition to prove it" option:

Goal:

Walk/speed walk/move as fast as you can pulling the large load. 

Travel 50yards. Leave the sled, sprint to your start point, turn and sprint back. Complete 5 point lunge x 2 on each leg. This is one round.

Complete as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes.

If more than one of you are doing this together, add a third station with a Farmer Carry (min of 45llbs), completing the same distance, followed by the sprint there and back.

Alternate between the carry and the pull.

Any others can alternate between sprinting/5 point lunge as many reps as they can while waiting on their  turn to pull/carry.

Pyramid:

Reps/round: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 (up the weight if the rep range is not challenging enough)

Box Jumps

Push ups with one med ball under both hands

Ham curls on ball

Pop Squats

Pop Pushups

Manmakers or burpees

Abs/Arms: Cycle through each, complete minimum of 2 cycles.

Frogger x 25

Bicycle Abs x 25

Hanging Abs x 15

Down the rack (6 reps per weight, start high, drop 5 llbs and complete another 6 until you get down to 15llbs)

Hydrate.... stretch...., stretch some more.

Spartan Training Day 12 -Aug 7th, 2012

Warm up, Hydrate.

Group 1: (perform each 3 times)

Pull ups x 10

Pushups x 25

Walking Lunges x 10 (5/side)

Group 2: (perform once)

Partner pass with Med Ball x 25

Burpees x 25

Spartan Shuttle. Be warm before you start this. Really warm. Take a lap around the hall, do your prehab... come into this ready to hit top gear early.

Spartan Shuttle:

Mark out 50m in the parking lot.

At one end place the duffle bag with at least 70llbs in it.

At the other end place two DB's of at least 45llbs or two foam pails.

Depending on numbers, you may have to adjust the rep numbers or the placement of equipment, but the idea is:

Carry the duffle to the DB's.

Carry the DB's back to the start.

Sprint to the duffle.

Now do it again.

One FF can do this on his own.

As you add FF's to this, you can add an extra section of Sprint or DB's with extra weights to make sure everyone has a station to complete at all times.

When you are at the point where you are begging for a break, feel free to stop, and allow your legs and arms to recover while you do Frogger for 45 seconds. Now get back in the game.

How many times? Complete this rotation of activities for 5 minutes, then rest for 60 seconds, continue for 6 minutes, rest for 60 seconds, continue for 3 minutes, rest for 30 seconds, continue for 3 minutes, rest for 30 seconds, finish with 5 minutes hard. With these work rest ratios, you should be able to perform in high gear for the entire work period... don't slow down!

If that looked complicated, here's your timing for the Spartan Shuttle:

5 min WORK

60 sec rest

6 min WORK

60 sec rest

3 min WORK

30 sec rest

3 min WORK

30 sec rest

5 min WORK

2-5 min recovery, walking, rehydrating.

Hydrate... stretch... hug it out, that should have been pretty hard.

Spartan Training Day 11 -Aug 4, 2012

Warm up, hydrate. Pre-hab.

Group 1: 3 sets:

Banana Rock x 30

Wide Knee Abs x 40

Instead of lying there complaining, this time, get up and do some hanging abs, then go back to exercise #1!

Group 2: 3 sets of each.

Tire Flip.  5 Flips.  

Pull Ups to Max (or rows of whatever you can bench if you're at 89)

88: 1 Lap around the hall, through the bay doors, outside, across the tarmac, up and down the stairs, return to the back lot

87: 1 Lap around the hall, up and down the stairs, return to the tire

89: Run around the hall to the front, up and down the stairs, return around the hall to the back for the tire.

Group 3: 3 sets of each, 10 reps (except down the rack: 6 reps per weight)

Broad Jumps

Pop Pushups

Down the rack

Group 4: 2 sets

Med Ball Partner Pass x 25

Front and side planks: 45 sec each

5 Point lunge x 5/side

Hyrdrate some more.

Spartan Training Day 10 -July 9th 2012

Only Spartan 19 Days to the 2012 Spartan Race!
Time to start seriously training maybe?

Group 1: (due to popular demand/whining, complete 3 cycles through this group - should be able to keep the tempo higher this time!)

Olympic Bar Pull/Push x 10/side -as an alternative, only complete the push, omit the cross body pull, but add more weight for this

Cross Body Plate Drive x 10/side

Contralateral Split Squat to Shoulder Press x 10 -as an alternative, complete the split squat with weights at side, between each leg complete 10 pushups (total of 20)

Wide Lateral Squats with Rainbow x 10

Group 2:(complete 3 cycles, do NOT stop between exercises)

Superman Kneeling on Bosu x 10/side

Frogger x 25

Side Plank x 45 seconds/side

Burpees x 10

Weighted crunches (hold med ball in hands at head level while performing crunch) x 20

Load the sled. 5 or more plates. 

Goal:

Walk/speed walk/move as fast as you can pulling the large load. Travel 50yards. 

Leave the sled, sprint to your start point.

Complete Broad Jumps back to the sled. This is one round.

Complete as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes.

If numbers of participants dictate that you are waiting on the slide, either add a round of running/broad jumps, or burpees while you wait your turn.

Stretch - focus on posterior chain.