Alrighty, keeping with the weekly(ish) theme, here we are again to have a (fairly) quick run through of some hacks I’m using currently! Im currently gearing up for a return to the ring in the shape of a Muay Thai fight. With this in mind, I’m pretty focused on my conditioning which is probably reflected in this weeks review..
What am I listening to?
Joe Rogan Experiance podcast #650 Nick Curson
This was one of the rogan podcasts I inexplicably missed first time round as it contains some absolute golden nuggets for those weight training for crossover into martial arts and, for me, specifically in the striking arts.
Nick’s focus is on ‘functional’ strength & mobility predominantly by way of plyometrics but certainly not through traditional heavy weight training. He interestingly even states he considers it to be counter productive for explosive athletes!
Not all will conform to this way of thinking but his stable of fighters include ex world champ UFC lightweight MMA fighter Raphael Dos Sanjos and ex WBO light welter weight boxer Ruslan Provodnikov. Both fighters whom historically had issues with appearing flat footed and not very dynamic. Recent fights will however show a considered improvement in this area!
So, is he inspiring? Yes! Did I change much as a result? well, yeah. I have previously cycled my heavy weight training and this time have eased off with just some squats with plyos in the early stage of the fight camp. Will it work? Guess we’ll see.. Do yourself a fave though, give this podcast a couple of hours of your life..
What am I using?
My five finger Vibram shoes
And hell yeah I’m using them like crazy man. These lil bad boys have been a staple in the gym for me for a while but now ive started using them for running, sprints and appreciating their importance in my weight training. This has taken a little adjusting too!
Having mentioned about about Nick Curson, I wanted to really improve my foot strength for the upcoming fight. As well as getting ideas from Nick’s instergram page (@speedforsport) I picked up some great exercises from the Gymnastic bodies Instagram page (@gymnasticbodies) also to build up strength in my legs in some of the areas missed by some of the more classic squat and kettle bell swing type exercises. For a bit more info on Gymnastic Bodies, check out their head dude; Coach Sommers, on the Tim Ferris podcast.
I’ve taken some of these foot and leg exercises for my circuits as well as also using the vibrams in my sprints. In conclusion, it’s pretty difficult to imagine using anything else now. The improvements within my ankle strength, full overall movement and strength of arch are especially good. You’re just not gona get this from using chunkie trainers though. It’s well and good to incorporate this stuff but until your able to really feel the foot free from cushioning, you can’t build the foundation strength and as such, put yourself at risk of injury. This is especially true for the sprints, it’s amazing how you pay much more attention to technique when at the mercy of the track!
So, in summary; Vibrams have been around for a while, as has the research backing there use (or more the use of bare foot training). Yes, you do look a tad like ‘that guy/girl’ when running and training, but hey ho, thou who laughs last, shalt laugh the loudest!
Nutrition 4 Fighters 