 |
 |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||
Fitness |
THE AQUA COMBAT CONDITIONING WORKOUT If you are lucky enough to be going away on holiday soon and you have your own private pool, there is a great workout you can do in the water. So if you want to keep in shape during your break and don't fancy pounding the pavements or going to the gym then this workout makes a welcome change. Seeing that my background is Martial Arts and combat, I always try and find a fitness workout that will hone those skills and keep me conditioned. The Aqua combat conditioning routine that I am going to outline in this article is something diverse and interesting. It came about from playing around with a few exercises and drills in the pool and i developed it into a full blown workout that is both demanding and invigorating. Try it out if you get the chance and see what you make of it. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised just how difficult it can be. It will get the lungs working, the heart pumping and those muscles straining . All good stuff. Hopefully the images accompanying this article will give you some ideas, but most of the routine is submerged in water so is difficult to show clearly. Here we go; you can make this as long and intense as you like. It will depend on your present fitness. Firstly swim four lengths of the pool slowly. Next four as fast as possible. Then back to four slow etc etc. Its up to you how many you do. Next start in the swallow end and do water sprinting to the deep end and back again. Go for six lengths or more. To perform this just pump your arms and legs as you would running on land. The water's resist will wok against you and really blast the cardio system as will as improve your explosive power. Now go to the poolside hoist yourself up and out and jump straight back in and do it again, as fast as you can. Go for ten reps or more. Alternately time it. As many as you can do in a minute for example. This is a really challenging exercise, a fantastic conditioner.
Next get waist deep in the water and perform jumping knee tucks. This is a great Plyometric exercise .Then jumping lunges. Next to the edge of the pool grip on and perform squat thrust and mountain climber movements with just your head and shoulders above the water. ALL OF THESE ARE EXCELLENT FOR THE LEGS. Try next pool pull outs (as per image).Then go for poolside tricep dips(as per image). The abs can be worked by knee raises and leg raises from the edge of the pool or in the water for added resistance.
Go back to the deep end and go for under water punching. This was made famous by the undefeated ex heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano. He swore by this exercise for punching power, one look at his undefeated record and KO rate and who could argue. Add knee strikes and a few kicks. It will feel like your fighting through treacle! Now tread water for a few minutes and then finish with ten fast lengths of the pool and you are done. (Well and truly) There are other exercises you can do but these are the main ones to get you started. They are only limited by your imagination. The workout should take somewhere between twenty to thirty minutes .It needs to be constant with no rest .It will get you and keep you in great shape. Remember safety wise makes sure the area around the pool is free of any obstacles and to not exercise on a full stomach or after drinking. Obviously make sure you can swim! Enjoy it and see how it can bring a refreshing addition to your training. Kevin O'Hagan.
|
|---|
