martin
Martin, On the Vertical DVD you have plate pushes and weighted plate pushed. What is the difference between the two and what if you don’t have a turf field to push weights on? I am looking to add this to my training to improve my speed but I don’t know where to. How do you all use plate push at Parisi? Scotty K.
Pictured is Marco Barcellona of Seton Hall Prep blasting out a plate push at the end of his session with Ed Grayer. Marco has been working hard and shows his time spent in the program with the classic white Parisi Tee.
Scotty,
Great to hear from you and thanks for writing in. Over the years, we have experimented a lot with this exercise and my thoughts on it have evolved.
For those that have not done this exercise, the plate push involves an athlete placing a weight plate on the floor (hopefully one with a good coefficient of friction in that the plate is able to slide), and then the athlete pushes the plate a prescribed distance. This is a killer on both the legs and the heart and the best way I have heard it described was by one of my fighters long ago. “man, this exercise is like a kick in the groin….It is much worse when it is over and you lay down”
At first, I primarily used this exercise as a finisher. What I mean here is that I would finish either a speed or lower body strength day by bringing out the plate and crushing my athletes with a final few sets for the burn and the mental toughness that came along with it.
After time, I started to see that this was intimately related to relative body strength and that the shoulders, traps, and core was worked just like the legs (especially the quads). From here, we then started performing sets with adequate rest, worked on turns, rotations and started adding weight to the exercise. We sometimes add up to 150 pound sandbags to the drill to make it really tough!
Now, today we had added the element of time and time our reps as well. So, we will use time for certain distances and make the pushes into either speed or endurance events.
In your case Scotty, you may have to adapt if you do not have a turf surface or somewhere to push a plate. One way we have done this is to place a heavy plate on a towel and then do pushes on a hard wood gym floor. This way, you get the slide and some resistance too. I have also seen a wooden block wrapped in a towel also used this way. You could also get a plastic lid from a 3 gallon bucket and try that as well but watch you don’t ruin the floor in any case listed above.
I hope this helps.
Martin Rooney
Comments Closed
Martin and Parisi. I have all your DVDs and they have helped my training and all my clients. The warmup and deceleration method dvds have been my favorites for things to add to the way I train and think. With the deceleration training do you ever use different stances? I have been following just what is on the DVD if that is ok. I look forward to the response and more products! Chris B.
Pictured is Parisi Trainer Ron Hackaspker showing our next stages of total body deceleration training. If you don tknow how to fall, land, and roll, you are missing some important motor skills (and it is a motor skill) from your repertoire.
Chris,
Thanks for writing in and I am so glad that you are enjoying, using and implementing the DVDs. The reason we put out all the info was two-fold: To help trainers personally improve and to allow athletes and trainees across the country (and now world) to take advantage of the training information.
Funny, but of all the emails I field every day, everyone has different favorites in the now 9-Part series. The warmup and Warrior DVDs are very popular, but also the Agility and now Strength Training for Speed are topping people's lists. In any case, I am glad that everyone is getting the info and to help raise the training collective in some small way to another level.
As for the Deceleration Method (which is one of my personal favorites due to the paradigm changing info included on the disc) we are always improving and challenging how we think here. Specifically, the concept of deceleration started to resurface with me when I started taking judo very seriously. When I started training with high level players, one thing stuck with me: They were all much better at taking a fall than I was. In fact, it is said that the level of a player can be known by watching how he takes and practices his (Ukemi) Breakfalls.
I took this to heart and realized even more that Jigoro Kano (founder of judo) was again ahead of his time. Before he let people move on in training, he made sure they were first proficient in falling. Not only does this decrease the chance of injury, but it also takes inhibitions of getting thrown away and now the judoka can play more relaxed and aggressive.
Now I see that in some way, we were recreating this wheel. Our athletes are first taught to land and stop so that they can be less injury prone and to help performance! Now, we are adding different foot positions and actual forward, backward and side rolls into the training as well. When you watch a football, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, basketball, tennis, baseball, softball, volleyball, field hockey, rugby, etc. game, you see athletes falling, getting hit and falling, diving and rolling. So since we can all agree on this, it doesnt hurt to practice this type of deceleration a bit. Without it, more injuries are bound to happen.
So, the moral here is we are always looking on how to get better. One idea leads you to another and another. The key is to start somewhere and never get comfortable or complacent.
I hope this helps.
Martin Rooney
Martin, you say on your DVDs and in your writings that body weight strength is one of the most important athletic qualities. Over the years, has this thought changed for you? If not, what have been some thinking shifts you have made recently when it comes to training? Thanks, Kim Burch
Pictured is World Champion Delson Heleno showing off some of his capoeria moves at the gym. Not only is Delson incredibly strong for his weight, but he is also a rare mix of flexibility and endurance that comes with a lifetime of hard training. Hard to believe, but he is able to hold the position above with his feet off the floor!
Kim,
Great to hear from you and thanks for writing in. As I get more DVDs, books and articles out there, I am glad to see that people are not only getting my points, but a bit inside my head on how I think as well.
To answer the question about relative body strength (how strong you are for what you weigh), yes, I still think it is a critical component for sport performance. The most important piece of equipment you can work on is your body, and if you cant use that well, who cares what you try to do with weights. Being strong for your weight will allow you (with the right technique of course) to overcome intertia and support your body with all movements to improve performance and prevent injury. If you are not strong, you cannot then exhibit power since power is a derivative of strength and speed.
Look at a Olympic gymnast and what they can do with their body. Now imagine them with that developed body strength applying it to other sports. With the right training, they have a huge edge in their favor over the technical yet weak athlete. The great news is that this strength can be worked on at any age. My daughter, who I featured a few weeks back may only be 3, but body squats, pushups, chin up holds and running sessions are staples in her exercise routine already. For those that think this can only start when a kid is 10, 12 or even 14 is missing the boat and the years of inactivity, probable TV and poor diet will take their toll. Take home message, get kids moving and monitor how strong they are for their weight.
When you ask about how I have changed how I think about training over time, I have to say that I am always learning and adding to what I previously thought. I think that the day you think you know everything is the day you ahve strayed off the path you were originally on. TO be honest, the more I study, the less I realize I really know. The key is never to be satisfied and always push the envelope.
Topics that I have really put more time into and seen as more important are anaerobic endurance work, flexbility/yoga, proper timing of nutrition, mental aspects of training, and heart rate monitoring during all exercise. These are all areas I am continuing to expand on and increasing my knowledge in the areas.
Overall, body weight strength is critical, and the only way you go from the picture above of my daughter to 20 years later the picture below of Delson is through consistent physical work, nutrition and mental training.
I hope this helps
Martin Rooney
Martin. I read your hurricane article on graciemag.com. I have been trying to work up categories in it and it is tough. How much rest do you take inbetween the sets of treadmill and the sets of lifts? I am already feeling my wind is improving. How many times a week do you use this training? Jason W.
Pictured above is the rage and aftermath of the Hurricane this week that hit on Wednesday at the facility in Fair Lawn. The top pic shows Ricardo Almeida, Marcio Feitosa, Fabio Leopoldo and Delson Heleno blasting and then below is Daniel Gracie, Mark Colangelo, and Foca reporting on the damage.
Jason,
Thanks for writing in and I am glad to see that the training is inspiring you to go to another level. As I read yesterday, the best move you have in a fight is your conditioning. That makes sense to me having experienced training with fatigue, and now we are doing what it takes to remove that issue from our athletes.
For all that dont know about the hurricane, below is the article Jason is referring to:
Rock Your Endurance like a Hurricane
Martin Rooney PT, MHS, CSCS, NASM
Over the last number of years, there have been some incredibly powerful hurricanes that have hit the US, and they have left devastation in their path. This year was a record year not only for the number of storms, but also the severity of them. As devastating as these hurricanes were, the people involved have shown their resilience and the world has rallied around them. In many ways, these storms have been some people’s opportunity to reflect on what is truly important to them and to rise above situations when they become most difficult.
Over the last few years, I have changed what I thought about “endurance” or energy system training. Years ago, I actually didn’t really put much stock in this style of training at all. I felt that just by performing your sport or your martial discipline, you would be getting the specific energy system work that you needed. Because of this belief, my training focused mostly on speed, strength and power work. When I started to work with a number of high level fighters, and started training in jiu jitsu and judo myself, I now saw that specific endurance work was not only important, it was essential.
At first, I followed some of the archaic endurance training methods that have persisted over the years from road work to stair climbing to hill runs. Granted, these were all tough at first, but my instincts told me that this was not enough. It was then that I started to “experiment” on myself with circuit style training.
To me, when I use the terms “circuit style”, I am describing a series of like or unlike exercises all combined one after the other with minimal or no rest for a certain period of time. Choosing the time for the circuits was easy. What I would do was take the maximal amount that a fight or match could last, and then either add time to it, or rest in between and do multiple sets of that time. This way, I would have the athletes be able to give maximal performances for the same period of time that they would be expected to compete.
When you start getting into this style of training, or start to surround yourself with people that enjoy this style of training, you see nothing but gluttons for punishment. Hard anaerobic work for 5 to 10 minute bursts is nothing sort of a form of self torture. As my athletes and others involved in this style of training will say though, once you get used to this type of work, it really becomes a sense of enlightenment. This style of training will teach you more about yourself than lifting or sprinting. This type of training tells you who you are, what is important to you, and how skillful you are at pushing yourself to the limit.
When I started the circuits, we always began on the conservative side. As our bodies, hearts and minds got tougher, however, we started to see how far we could actually push on the first attempt of something. This ability to attack and go through pain to learn about what we were doing to ourselves was another step in our enlightenment.
The circuits started with combinations of ladder drills, hurdle drills, box jumps and med ball work. We had stations set up, and performed the prescribed number of reps at each station until the set time had elapsed. If we were doing multiple sets, we then would attempt to beat the original volume of work in the same amount of time. After this, we started working on high speed treadmills and started interspersing exercises in between the sets. From here, we started incorporating in sparring with the sprints as well. It was around that time, that things started to get crazy. Enter the strongman circuits and the hurricane analogy.
When I write “strongman” I am talking about exercises like the giant tire, farmer’s walk, sandbag carry, thick rope pull drags, heavy sled or car pulls and the like from television fame. We had used a number of these pieces on a separate training day than the endurance work, but the group was ready for a new challenge. That is how we created the Category 5 Hurricane. We started performing these sessions every Tuesday at the facility and it was the one day of the week I looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. After one particularly tough session, World Champion Grappler Roger Gracie stated that “he felt like he had just been hit by a Category 5 hurricane”! Right then, we all understood, and started to classify the level we took a session to by the 1-5 Hurricane Category scale. I have broken down this style of training into 5 categories that can be completed over 12 weeks. The progression is as follows:
Category 1
Indications:
This level is used as the introduction to lactic circuits for your beginner athletes with little experience. This can also be used as a recovery type session if you back down the intensity either if the athlete is feeling overtrained or is coming off a competition.
Methods:
I use the high speed treadmill alone with 10 second sprints at a low to moderate intensity. The athlete’s heart rate is monitored and after each rep on the tread, the athlete’s heart rate (HR) must return to 120 beats per minute (BPM) before getting back on the tread for another sprint. This way, the athlete can do 6-10 sets comfortably with little fear of nausea. The rest periods should be timed and recorded with the goal of each subsequent training session to have less recovery time per set.
Time Frames:
The athlete should perform this style of training for the first few weeks (2-3) of training.
Sample Circuit:
Treadmill at 9-10mph and 10% grade for sets of 10 sec with adequate recovery to reach 120 BPM.
Category 2
Indications:
As the athlete’s recovery time improves, abdominal med ball exercises are introduced during the recovery portion between the sprints. The sprints can be up to 12-15 seconds.
Methods:
I use a number of different weighted med balls and perform 3 sets of 2 different ab exercises after the first 3 sprints. Then I choose 2 new exercises for the next 3 sets and then 2 final exercises for the last 3 sets to equal 9 total sprints and 18 sets of abs. The speed can increase every 3rd set on the treadmill. All of the sets are performed as quickly as possible. HR can still be monitored, but 120 is not required to start the next set.
Time Frames:
This training can be performed for the next 2 weeks of training.
Sample Circuit:
9.0mph X 10% grade for 15sec for 3 sets with 50# toe touches X 10 and 30# pike ups X 8
10mph X 10% grade for 15 sec for 3 sets with 10# Russian twists X 50 and slams X 10
11mph X 10% grade for 15 sec for 3 sets with 25#Triangle abs X 12 on each leg
Category 3
Indications:
Now sparring exercises (boxing, muay thai, pummeling) are now introduced for a specific timeframe between the sprints. The sprints are 15-18 seconds.
Methods:
I have my fighters do 10 “rounds” between the treadmill and pad work with a partner next to the treadmill. The sparring aspect of the training should be 1 minute in length between sprints and each round should have a particular focus from the person holding the pads. This is all now performed continuous with no rest.
Time Frames:
At about 5-6 weeks in the athlete can start to experiment here, or he can move to a lower version of Class 4.
Sample Circuit:
10mph X 10% grade for 18 sec with 1 minute of sparring. (total time of the circuit is 15 min)
Category 4
Indications:
Now the athlete is prepared to tolerate high levels of lactate and his/her mind is strong. At this time free weights are introduced between the sprints. The sprints are 20 seconds.
Methods:
Perform 3 blocks of 3 sets of sprints with 2 different exercises each set. For each sprint, the speed will now increase. The intensity of the weight will determine the overall difficulty of the circuit. The rule of thumb is to start with 30-50% of your max weight on the exercises and perform 8-10 reps on each. The exercise sets can be either agonistic or antagonistic.
Time Frames:
This is reserved to about 7-8 weeks in the athlete’s training cycle.
Sample Circuit:
9, 9.5, 10mph X 20 sec at 10% grade for 3 sets with bench and chin ups
10.5, 11, 11.5mph X 20 sec at 10 % grade for 3 sets with dips and curls
12, 13, 14mph X 20 sec at 10% grade for 3 sets with gi rows and high pulls
Category 5
Indications:
This is reserved for the athletes with the highest level of lactate tolerance. Now strongman, full body activities are introduced between sprints. The sprints are 20 seconds.
Methods:
Perform 3 blocks of 3 sets of sprints with 2 different exercises each set. For each sprint, the speed will now increase. The intensity of the strongman exercise will determine the overall difficulty of the circuit.
Time Frames:
This is performed at 9-12 weeks into the athlete’s training.
Sample Circuit:
9, 9.5, 10mph X 20 sec at 10% grade for 3 sets with tire flips and sandbag carry
10.5, 11, 11.5mph X 20 sec at 10 % grade for 3 sets with farmer’s walk and arm over arm rope pull
12, 13, 14mph X 20 sec at 10% grade for 3 sets with sandbag lift and sled drag
This training is like a hurricane, when it passes through your area, things are never the same. The effects of hurricane training are long lasting and something you will not forget. After 12 weeks of training, you will be physically and mentally stronger than ever before.
So, to answer your question, the goal is no rest between sets! The rest is the time it takes to get from one to the other. We use this training 2 times per week when other training is light and 1 time per week with heavier work.
Samples of the hurricanes can be found on the Training for Warriors DVD.
I hope this helps.
Martin Rooney
Parisi School and Martin. I really enjoy the site and the depth of information is excellent. Thank you for taking the time. I can only imagine what goes into the constant updating. My question is about training the calves. I have read that some coaches dont feel you need to train the calves if you are running. I would like to know your thoughts on this. Jeremy Perillo
Pictured is Parisi Trainer Ron Hackaspker blasting some calves at the facility. Not only is Ron the fastest trainer, he's got sick calf development too. Does anyone else see the coincidence?
Jeremy,
Thanks for writing in and thanks for the kind feedback. I see that our supporters continue to figure out more ingenius ways to get our attention every day with a great combo of flattery and interesting questions!
As for your question, I too have either heard coaches and athletes state that training of the calves is either not that important, or they just dont fit in the training of this area of the body in their workouts. I will say this, what is so magical about the calf muscle that if you run you dont need to train it, but still need to train the hamstrings, glutes, quads or low back? Everyone seems to agree that these muscles need tons of extra work, but the calves dont. Very interesting.
Here at our school, we train the calves like other muscles involved in speed. If you dont think they are that important, imagine severing your Achilles tendon and then see how fast you would run to wonder if the muscles are important. Simply put, the calf is critical in sprinting, jumping and landing. Without it, you are in trouble, so why not get it stronger too?
I hope this answers the question, now go hit some calves.
Martin Rooney