When most guys hit the gym, we prioritize our workouts to accomplish goals on becoming bigger and stronger. But how many of us leave athleticism off the list?
Becoming more athletic is the necessary yet sometimes overlooked component in our quest for total functional fitness, according to Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., and celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, C.S.C.S.-CPT.
So what does it take to look like you’re effortlessly gliding across the court like an NBA point guard or the ice like an NHL defenseman? According to Peterson, who served as the Los Angeles Lakers director of strength and endurance training, it all starts with movement and footwork patterns. He says incorporating various dynamic movements can be shuffled into any micro or macro cycle of your training program.
If your workout is already heavy on the big strength training movements like squats and deadlifts, that’s okay. Keep them, as strength training remains a major player to overall fitness—but Peterson suggests adding this three-move, athlete-inspired circuit to your overall program.
“You’re adding different things that may apply directly to what’s coming up,” Peterson says, “but they may be paving the way for what’s to come way down the line.”
Lateral Slides
What’s it like to guard Steph Curry? Think lots of lateral shuffling, left to right to mirror the All-Star guard. And whether it’s basketball, hockey, or even chasing your young child across the lawn, lateral movement is key. “It’s life defense,” Peterson says. Using a slideboard (or even gliding discs if you don’t have one), this simple left-to-right glide movement mimics lateral movement utilized by defenders. You can even up the intensity by holding a weight.
Sled Push
Normally, we think of this strength and power move as a straightforward north-south push. Peterson adds an athletic twist to this move by incorporating a crossover-style foot work, which adds additional hip rotation work. Another variation, he advises, is a quick-feet, slow-push method.
Inertia Wave
Don’t confuse these with battle ropes–Inertia Wave ropes are designed to fight off the power you put into them, adding a strength element to this circuit. Peterson says performing a lunge while adding an upper-body movement like a curl, is a quick full-body strength finisher to this circuit.
Stack the three moves together and you now have your own game-simulation circuit. “If you have fun. You’re more likely to stick to it. If you stick to it, you’re more likely to get results,” Peterson says.
In addition to adding athleticism to your training, you’ve just added a heart-pounding cardio burner, Samuel says, that can be done from anywhere from two to five rounds.
“When you when you become a strength guy and spend a lot of time body building and just doing the lifts, you forget about the circuits,” Samuel says. “We got all this in just one circuit.”
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Comments are closed.