Wall Busting Training

Wall busting? As in sledge-hammer and getting in trouble for property damage?

Nah!

It will be more fun, and it won’t land you in hot water, but you will be busting walls. Not the physical ones, but the invisible ones imposed by traditional training. Why is it that we confine most of our exercises as if we had walls on our sides? We move forward and back, up and down, imprisoned by a nonexistent parallel. Very few are aware of this, and even fewer venture out. Those who venture out do so inadvertently and frequently by sticking to the classic repertoire of overused gym exercises, like “chest” fly’s.

But there are a lot more variations than the typical repertoire with endless combinations. The following three exercises will help you crush those parallels and improve your diver fitness.

Side Lunges
Start with your bodyweight and add resistance as you get stronger. Stand with feet together, pointing forward. Lean to the side in which you are going to start.
As you fall sideways, use your leg to slow it down. Landing leg is aligned at the hip, knee, and ankle. Trailing leg is straight, with foot pointing forward. Use the rebound of the landing leg to return to starting position.

Windmills
Practice the motions before loading. For illustrative purposes, we will start on the left side.
With your left arm, press a weight overhead. Keep your eye on it throughout the exercise.
Push your left hip outward to initiate the descending phase. As your trunk bends, it should be straight and come to the side AND center. If needed, put your right hand on your right thigh for support. If you are ok, let the arm hang. Come down only as far as it is comfortable for you. If the arm is hanging, the hand will end up between your feet. To return, push your hips back to center and keep pressing the weight away. Reset and repeat. Mirror the motion to work the right side.

Seated Russian Twist
Despite uninformed opinions, the Russian Twist is a safe exercise when performed properly. This particular style has the resistance around the hip, swinging from side to side. It’s important to keep your head in alignment and increase the challenge only when ready. Sit down on a firm but comfortable surface, hips and knees slightly bent, heels resting on the floor. Grab a weight and keep it close to your body, around the navel. Start by bringing the weight to one side, close to your hip. Use the rebound to bring the weight to the opposite side and repeat. Increase the challenge by increasing the speed or by lifting your heels off the ground. If you lift your heels, your hips will rock in opposition to the load which is perfectly fine and desired.

Putting it together
Now, it’s time to have fun with this routine which I have named Frog Kicker. Add to the beginning of your workouts if the exercises are new to you, to the end if you are comfortable with them. It’s imperative that you stick to the time limit, even if you don’t complete the prescribed number of circuits. That’s where the benefits are. You will complete the required circuits in the time limit as your conditioning improves.

Frog Kicker
Time limit: 10 minutes
Complete 5 circuits of the following:
1.- Side Lunges x 10 per side.
2.- Windmill x 5 per side.
3.- Seated Russian Twist x 15 per side.
4.- Rest between circuits if needed.

Have fun and happy training & safe diving.

Coach Izzy