Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Feelin’ Springy



Here’s the workout I put our test group through on Friday. It’s a combo for the upper and lower body, similar to what I’ll be doing when I move into “on-season” maintenance training next week. When I told Marcus he commented, “Beautiful. In a couple of weeks they should start feeling springy, loose.” This is how I feel right now, kind of like when I was a sprinter back in high school. I bounce around and feel like jumping on stuff.

I’ve been asked about how this will work into MC2 and the answer is that I’m not sure yet. You don’t want to train PAP only. It shines as a way to focus your strength into movement. It’s also not effective if you aren’t already fit because the contraction already causes all the stress a deconditioned person can handle. It will probably be introduced in the second block of training and never exceed two workouts per week, at least at this point: MC2. It will then move front and center as we build upon this toward sports specific training.

Warm-up

10 reps: heel walk, toe walk
Huggers, Shakers
10 salutation plank (P90X +)
10 forward lunges, reverse lunges, side lunges (5 each side)
10 Hindu (dive bomber) push-ups (one way, under, like in P90X+)
Speed skip (high knee skip) and crossovers (running sideways but 4 steps out, 4 back)
Sumo squat (Groucho walk) 4 out, 4 back, X 4
Scorpion (90X+), Fire hydrants (like a dog), 10 each side
Leg swings, front and side, 10 each

The warm-up is like a workout because we’re training power (1oo%) so you want to be WARM. It’s shorter when concentrating on only upper or lower body.

Warm-up II

3 X below series. Use bands for weight to create constant pull.

Side hops (over a line) .20, lat pull downs 10, forward/back hops .20, band military press 10, side jumps 6 (leap to the side, not quite 100%), busdrivers 10 each side (overhead ban, rotate and pull to each side using core)

Group was pretty sweaty after this warm-up, which you should be. Short water break.

Complex I

Bulgarians (weighted if possible) 8 each legs, Split jumps 6 at 100% explosion, side arm balance with leg raised .30, Wall slide .30 (hard to explain this movement, you’ll have to wait for video)

4 times without rest. Not rushing either. Each movement done to 100%. WAY harder than it looks on paper. Group was dying.

Water break.

Complex II

Curl to Press 5 reps max weight, Clap push-up 6 100% explosion, Towel pull-ups 5, Push press 8-10 or fail (an explosive military press using legs/core), wall clock 8 pumps each hand (focus on tendon inside of arm/elbow).

4 times without rest. Not rushing either. Each movement done to 100%.

Water break.

Physio ball complex (we skipped this but…)
2 sets of 10 reps all done on a physio (Swiss) ball: Pikes, side raise (both sides), roll outs (like an ab roller), extensions.

Cool down

A upper and lower body PNF stretching session using a band instead of a partner. More on this later.

How much the MC2 workouts mirror this is still up for debate, otherwise why have test groups? But as a first crack at something it went about as well as could be. Just wait until we get it dialed.

11 comments:

Josh said...

huggers? shakers? bulgarians?

Good god.

John Wayne didn't hug, shake or bulgarianize.

You cuttin' yer whiskey with acai juice too?

Ran 15k in the Hong Kong hills this morning with the remnants of a typhoon clearing out. 90 degrees and 95% humidity. Now I'm re-hydrating with a Tsing Tao, and rejuvinating with a glass of Early Times.

-J

Otto said...

You do a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this, it's a very interesting and exciting concept.

If I wanted to try this, where would it fit in a normal workout program? Is there a logical insertion point for this in something like the standard P90X program?

Also, how fit do you need to be to see the benefit? I've completed P90X, done some Insanity workouts, etc. but does that necessarily mean I'm at a level where this would be beneficial?

PAP has great appeal as I feel quite a bit stronger these days but not as "springy" as I'd like. My recent P90X really built up my legs but I feel kind of heavy and slow.

- Clint

Anonymous said...

Otto? Auto parts?

Steve Edwards said...

Clint,

"Getting slow" is a term my friends and I use for the hypertrophic stage of training. As your muscles grow they don't function as well. PAP will help these muscles get fast again.

Both 90x and Insanity have a lot of speed work--which is why they are good general conditioning programs. But the next round of 90x will target it further using PAP.

This would be a good time. Only problem is that I don't have too much info for you to work with. You'll have to be a bit of a test pilot. One of these workouts per week should help a lot. Start with the one above. If you don't know the moves Google them. I think they're all on the web.

Carlos Martinez said...

Hey Steve,

Speaking of hypertrophic phases, how early or late would you recommend doing a p90x hypertrophic phase focusing on it before p90x: MC2 to get the max benefits from it?


Also what kind of prep work should we do before we even consider doing P90X: MC2 when it comes out?

Steve Edwards said...

You can pretty much back them up to each other. Do take a recovery phase in between. But MC2 is not supposed to be totally next level, just a different level and a step toward the next level. So it will be harder overall but not ridiculously harder. The same demographic should be able to start the program, meaning that P90X is not a requisit but preferred for max results.

MC2 is for muscle confusion 2: more of the same, only different. In my mind it's a more efficient version of 90x. However, it will in no way antiquate X either. Undoubtedly some will prefer the original.

Hope that helps.

mizmazz said...

sorry - could you tell me what a Bulgarian is (difficult one to Google for obvious reasons! :)

thanks! looks like a great workout!

Steve Edwards said...

Look up Bulgarian squat and you'll get some vidoes. Like a lunge squat with your back leg elevated. Keep your hips squared up and don't let this dip as you get tired!

Duke said...

You say our names, we're gonna have to kill these people Archie!

Trainer T.s Fitness said...

This is a tough one, but I am willing to give it a go.

I have all the balls and weights, bc I love toys.