Nov 23 2011

Thank You Thanksgiving Training

Category: Conditioning,Power Training,Speed,Strength Training,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:06 PM

I want to first start off by giving thanks to all my followers and people that have supported me in the past years. The next few months will be huge for Combat Trainer. Every year around this time people’s diets start to drift and extra pounds are packed on.  Don’t let the holiday season kill a years worth of hard work in the gym.  Now we all know Thanksgiving is a day in which majority of us will be eating non-stop all day.  Most experts will tell you to go for a nice brisk walk after your turkey day dinner.  That may be fine to get the blood flowing again but there is no way you are losing all the calories that you have just put into yourself.

Now i understand that there is not a lot of time to train on a holiday, but I am here to give you a nice short training session that will not only help build muscle but will also allow you to burn calories and allow yourself that extra piece of Sweet Potato Pie.  The first training session that you can do that will crush those calories and at the same time turn you into a beast is a variation of the Litvinov Workout.  You may have read about some of these workouts in previous posts and boy do they get the job done.  Now the video you will see below is the Litvinov using a hundred pound kettlebell.  Yes, I know you may not own a kettlebell that size but you may own a smaller one or even a pair of dumbbells.  Since the kettlebell is a heavier one you will only see me swing the bell for a handful of reps.  If you have a lighter bell you can swing for up to thirty reps.

Now you are not just swinging the bell and stopping, after you are done swinging you must drop the bell and take off in a full speed sprint.  How many sets you may ask, well if done right between four and five sets will be good enough and then you can call it a day.  This short training session will help develop power as well as burn off calories during and after the training session and allow you to give a little extra thanks at the dinner table.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Aug 23 2011

Training for Warriors Weekend

Category: Agility,Conditioning,Injury Prevention,Mental Training,MMA,MMA Training,Power Training,Quickness,Recovery,Speed,Strength Training,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:17 PM

There are not many times in the life of an adult that can send your anticipation wheeling like a child awaiting Christmas or a visit to your favorite theme park.  When you are lucky enough to recapture these feelings of excitement as a “grown up” you would be a fool not to jump at the chance, or in this case, jump squat at the chance.  Visiting Martin Rooney and taking part in the Training for Warriors Level 1 Instructor Course was just this type of experience for this fitness professional.

Upon entering the Parisi Speed School location in Paramus New Jersey you are immediately in training awe.  The facility itself is impressive beyond most people’s training dreams and a feeling of wanting more is palpable.  Within minutes will be some of the most impressive motivational as well as physical teaching and mentoring possibly in existence.

Martin has an amazing presence that makes you want to share both his belief in physical and mental fitness as well as pushes you to question the things that you have been sold by the fitness industry.  It becomes obvious the difference between a job and a calling to this man, if it was just a job he would push you to think what he thinks, when it is a calling as he has he drives you to find your own meaning and place amongst greatness in the field.

When you enter a Training for Warriors Certification you will also find yourself amongst like minded people from places as far as Spain and Canada who have very purposefully landed in front of this man to gather all he has to know as well as challenge themselves physically.  Personal Trainers, Army Rangers, Law Enforcement, and champions meeting in one location with intentions to absorb as much as possible.

The information both shared and experienced hands on is priceless.  There is more given and received in two days at the TFW Certification Seminar than in most month long courses, including physical challenges that your body will not soon forget.  No secrets kept, no fitness miracles just hard work and result oriented training, common sense and a willingness to question “why”?

Martin’s methods of evaluating client’s physical weaknesses are practical and vital to good training.  The TFW concepts on addressing these weaknesses in “prehab” as well as  warmup components are helpful and can instantly be added to your personal as well as your client training sessions.  Martin explains the place new and popular workout gadgets have in a program and when the good old basics of fitness should be relied upon.  Sprints, barbell complexes, and multiple challenges are explained to keep clients physically challenged and mentally engaged.

Be willing to release the Warrior Within, enter Rooney’s world with an open mind, a hunger to change both yours and the lives of others and not just physically.

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Jun 30 2011

Children and Fitness

Category: Conditioning,Power Training,Quickness,Speed,Strength Training — Rob @ 7:19 PM

“I don’t have time to train, I have kids!”  If you have kids then you do not have the luxury of not training.  Your life is now an example of the habits and doings of someone who is constantly being watched and emulated.  Your desire to train for health, long life, quality of life, energy, bone health, flexibility, vitality, stress relief and sheer enjoyment has just gotten the best reason in the world to intensify, not diminish.

I have two children.  From the start of parenthood my wife and I were on the same page, these little Combat Trainers would become part of an already fitness and training as well as loving and supporting family structure.  Although it took some planning and adjustment, our training schedules have been steady and a source of family fun.  It is not uncommon to see me and my training partners as well as my wife and kids all at the field, busy with different physical activities, taking time to enjoy training and this extra time together.

One of the best bonuses that has come from including my children into our lifestyle has been my two year old’s natural curiosity about physical activities and fearlessness of trying new physical things.

“I do it!” can be heard many times in our home, yard, park, and even in the driveway during prowler pushes.  She surprised us all this last week during a training session with her aunt and myself by dragging her plastic lawn chair to the driveway and using it as a prowler.  She pushed it up and down the driveway multiple times behind the real prowler and as you see even took a dive at the end.  As in all training and life, there will be times we face plant and meet our match with the pavement but we, as she does ,will get right back up to push another day.

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Jun 09 2011

Spartan’s! Prepare for Glory!

Category: Agility,Conditioning,Mental Training,Power Training,Quickness,Speed,Strength Training,Uncategorized — Rob @ 8:09 PM

Over the last few years I realized that I was missing something in my training.  Now I was training hard and seeing results but there was one component that was missing.  The thing that was missing was actually training for a purpose.  In my mind that meant some type of competition.

So I was always looking for something to compete in.  Then in December while I was on Facebook I came across an ad for the Spartan Race.  So I clicked on it read that it was a three-mile race with obstacles and I was instantly hooked.  I signed up as fast as I could.  Finally I found something that I could train for that really interested me.

So last week I took the Spartan challenge in Tuxedo, New York.  Did I do as well as I thought I would?  Not a chance.  So while I was in the middle of the race I just kept thinking about two things.  Finishing the race and not quitting and how I could change up my training to do better the next time out.

When you try something new in your life especially something physical like this you quickly realize your weaknesses.  Let me restate that, your weaknesses smack you in the face.  My main weakness was my aerobic capacity.  Running up and down a ski slope can make you realize this quickly.   Now those of you that know me, I do not run long distances, just not my thing.  So in my training I tried to run the least amount, plus the aggravating shin splints also restricted too much running.  While running up those hills and crawling under barbed wire I was reminded of another weakness that I have known about but been avoiding.  My hips were so tight, in other words I need to increase my hip flexibility.  Running up hill as your hips tighten up, not so pleasant.

So after rinsing all the mud off of me and walking to the car for the hour drive home, I just kept thinking about the ways to fix these problems as I train for the next Spartan Race.  So as I gear up for the Spartan Sprint in Massachusetts I am making the minor adjustments in my training.  I will be adding a lot more single legwork in my strength training for my hips and adding some running to the program.  But most of the running will be going uphill pulling a sled behind me.  With these adjustments in training I will see better results.

If you are interested in competing in one of theses obstacle races and would like to know how to train for one please contact me.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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May 17 2011

Team Combat Trainer at the Metro Dash

Category: Agility,Conditioning,Power Training,Quickness,reaction time,Speed,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:15 PM

“Six A.M. may be too early for me to handle you,” Combat Trainer snarls in a less than chipper tone.  From the back, of the car chimes in my husband who states, “She can be a lot for most people.”  I dismiss them both and continue being a mixture of anxiety and sheer joyous excitement.

8:30 is the start of the Metro Dash NY/NJ leg and we are en route to The Meadowlands Arena.  I am a person who functions very well on very little sleep.  Oddly keeping very alert and enthusiastic especially when nerves or new adventures are ahead.

Once at the Dash I am suddenly quiet and observant.  A dynamic warmup and preview, a few pee breaks and a quick walk around the perimeter of the course later and our “heat” begins.  Luckily, I find three woman athletes who welcome me as the fourth in their group.  I insisted to not be in the same go around as Rob so our friendship does not hinder his competitive streak.  It worked out well as he was finishing I was just beginning.

Much of the Dash in afterthought is a blur.  I can however, fully recall all my areas of weakness.  As a competitor I find my success often is short lived in exchange for trying to improve what I deem as weaker points or failure.  The 16 foot cargo stands out as the largest nemesis of the day, followed by the 8foot wall climb and monkey bars, gasp.  I climbed my Combat Trainer clad ass up all 16 feet to only find myself unable to throw myself over the top to descend back down.  Fear of falling and thudding onto the gym class mat below as a previous athlete in an earlier heat had done as well as the fear of kicking my heat mates in the face proved to be overwhelming.  My own thoughts deafening me, making me unable to from hearing shouts of advice and encouragement from below.

The Dash itself was fun.  The obstacles a good mix of expected and “oh shit”.  My upperbody mocked by rope climbs and monkey bars, my legs pleased by climbing and carries.  My finishing time 18:25 with three sets of penalty burpees.

On the way home all I could think of was that I wanted to turn back and do it again, immediately, and what I could do better.  I was also reminded of what my husband had said on the ride in, using the words “most people”.  I was never so happy to not be “most people”.  The “most people” who were still asleep in comfort as I fling myself over wooden walls, banging my shins on sledgehammers, swinging kettlebells, and dragging sleds in the dark at my trainer’s house for late training sessions.  Nine months ago I may have been “most people” but all I know is at this time, stronger, fitter, thinner and a warrior feels good and I will take it because I will do what most people won’t!

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May 04 2011

Agility Ladder Circuit

Category: Agility,Conditioning,MMA,MMA Training,Power Training,Quickness,reaction time,Speed,Uncategorized — Rob @ 8:46 PM

By Cat Rivera

Training for an event like the Metro Dash does something to your thought process.  With all the mental and physical preparation that takes place in your quest to attain such a goal, you begin to clearly see how internal competition, mental toughness and willingness to go through obstacles are so prevalent to so much of our lives.  How complicated we as people make so many things in our lives like change, yet how simple we accept other things like failure.

Along with these things that can “throw you” or “grow you”, come the ability to actually put into better perspective the small things that often derail us. The Dash has allowed me to push my own limits as to what I expect from myself mentally and physically.  It has also allowed me to shake off more easily the nay sayers and negative people who really mean they feel they can’t when they say that I shouldn’t.  Accomplishing physical feats in the recent months has only strengthened my resolve to overcome my own self inflicted limitations.

One activity that favors an athlete’s ability to change quickly, deal with mishaps fast and without the luxury to harp on small failure that Combat Trainer has implemented as a vital part of our Dash training is the agility ladder sequence.  This is when you follow your partner through a sequence of agility drills designed to make your feet and mind fast.  Synchronizing movements and then having to quickly regain composure at your quickest speed in order to keep going is important in all sports and life.  No time for self doubt or to harp on a small mishap.  Get back in step and catch up.  There is also something therapeutic about following someone on their heels and knowing that they will be right behind you too.

A 10 minute round of constant movement during these agility activities will indeed work up a sweat and condition you as well.  Cycling through high knees, icky shuffle, bunny hops, even adding sprawls will make you faster in footwork, build leg and knee stability and leg power as well as mental responsiveness.  These activities in repetition look deceptively easy but are fun, fast and important in training both in general and for the Dash.

So, move forward in your training always, keep quick in mind and body, follow a good leader, don’t harp on small mishaps in footing or life.  Do not make failure simple or success complicated, just keep it moving!

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Apr 19 2011

Training for Combat

Category: Agility,Conditioning,Mental Training,MMA,Power Training,Quickness,Speed,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:40 PM

As you all know I specialize in MMA strength and conditioning training. Training fighters and turning them into athletes is what I do at Combat Trainer. However, I do train people like athletes as well to reach their full potential. For the next couple of weeks there will be some guest post from a member on Team Combat Trainer as I prepare her to compete in the Metro Dash. Not only is she competing but yours truly is also making a run at it. If you don’t know what the Metro Dash is then go check it out and see what fun we are in store for. She will be writing about her experiences training under the Combat Trainer System. So without further delay here it is…

The Education of a Makeup Artist

By Cathy Rivera

“But, you have such a pretty face, if you could only loose a little weight.”  The dreaded phrases that every robust teenage girl has heard and most likely reruns through her mind through adulthood.  A backhanded compliment only for the ears of a “curvy, chubby, thick, fat,  girl.

This darkened compliment is what started my love of cosmetology and hatred for my own body.  It became my mask and my blessing.  I figured that if my face was all I got, let me slap some war paint on it and get moving.

Weight consumed me as I consumed less and less yet expanded more and more.  In college, my weight stabilized due to two hour a day Rugby practices paired with working at the campus gym.  Instead of gaining the frosh 15, I lost 20lbs.  Rugby was where I first tapped into my own Warrior Spirit.  The sport is dirty, strategic, competitive and physically demanding.  I lived for the adrenaline and pushing the will and limits of myself and team members.

College ended and so did my involvement with athletics besides the gym and an occasional class.  The pounds came faithfully calling despite my three times a week visits to a sports club where they don’t have nor promote sports.  My weight obsession shifted focus to feeling defeated, complaining and self-deprivation.  Depleted of calories and confidence, life still went on.  I got engaged, started night school, worked a full time teaching job and started my makeup business and thankfully found my way standing in front of Rob of Combat Trainer, knowing that I had found what my fitness training needed.

My sneakers were on and I was ready, all my goals out on the table and the belief that true change takes letting go of past failures and a submission to someone who may just know better about what your fitness body needs even if you have been the one lugging it around all these years.  I found myself once again being viewed as an athlete.  I was again the capable, competitive, driven, athlete with a physical ability to push and grow strong.  More than my muscles were understood that day.  My Competitive Warrior Spirit was reignited.

I was not being insulted by female marketed promises of thin, pink weights, and  glittery activities but treated as someone in control of both her body and fitness.  I gained a trainer and a coach because I no longer “work out,” I train!

For me, the statement that launched a thousand deadlifts was uttered mid training during a basement   session when most people are winding down their evenings and we are just starting to muster a sweat.  “Do you want a sitter’s ass or a sprinters ass?” Rob said as I stood apprehensive in front of a weighted barbell.  Four dress sizes, countless enjoyable training hours, increased strength and a sprinter’s ass and legs later it is clear what I have really gained.  I have acquired a mentor who has paved the way to my own fitness career, a passion for the workings of my own body, a love for wanting a strong body and mind not simply a smaller one, and a deep desire for others to find a love for themselves.  My Warrior Spirit has been reignited after lying dormant for so long.

What better way to pay respect to the trainer and changes I have been blessed with than to join Team Combat Trainer this upcoming May in New York’s Metro Dash!  Train, compete, grow and evolve with me throughout my journey to the finish because this warrior is more than just a pretty Doll Face.

You are an athlete!

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Apr 17 2011

Litvinov and the Prowler

Category: Conditioning,MMA,Power Training,Speed,Strength Training,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 6:04 PM

In the past you have read about Sergey Litvinov’s training sessions.  Using a modified version of his training I have incorporated his methods into the training of my fighters as well as in my own training.  To be honest this is one of my favorite training methods, especially when time is an issue.

The original Litvinov workout that he performed was front squat 410 pounds then sprint 400 meters.  Repeat this three times and finish it off with a set of eight front squats and call it a day.  Now we mortals will probably have some trouble getting the weight out to the track never mind front squatting that much, so in honor of Sergey there are many different variations that can be performed.  Just click here to check out the different variations.

Taking this method of training and improving on it or making it more difficult is always fun.  Recently you all know I had the opportunity to purchase a Prowler.  The Prowler is a great training tool and I have seen many athletes lying on the concrete after it’s use.  For this variation of the Litvinov, I used kettlebell swings with a Prowler push for fifty yards.  I used an unloaded Prowler, as I wanted to be able to explode with it and move it fast.  This variation of the swings and Prowler push will help develop lower body power and just make you an explosive combat athlete.

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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Mar 25 2011

Phil Davis Core MMA Training

Category: Conditioning,MMA,Power Training,Speed,Strength Training,UFC,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:18 PM

UFC Fight Night Live is tomorrow night and in the main event will pit Antonio Rogerio Nogueira going up against Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis.  While waiting in line at the UFC expo in Boston I had the pleasure of meeting Davis’ father and had the opportunity to talk to him for about an hour.  Somewhere in the United States Davis’ dad will be watching his son fight wearing his Combat Trainer tee shirt.

You could really say that I am connected to Mr. Wonderful for I had the chance to interview his strength and conditioning coach, Doug Balzarini, a few months ago as well.  So you know who I will be rooting for in the main event. Searching for training footage, I came across Davis training with what is known as a Slosh Pipe.  Now this Slosh Pipe is a mini version of the normal Slosh Pipe that would serve as a great training tool.

I first came across a Slosh Pipe when I met a training partner of mine and I also read about them in an article written by Dan John.  A typical Slosh Pipe is about nine feet long and four to six inches in diameter.  You fill the pipe, which by the way is PVC pipe, fill it up with about 30-40 pounds of water.  Now cap both ends of the PVC and then start walking with it, pressing it overhead, think of something to do with it and I am sure that it will be challenging with the water sloshing around.

In the video below you will see Davis using a mini version of the Slosh Pipe to work on his rotational power.  As you know having explosive rotational power can be very beneficial in MMA and in sports in general.  It will help with punching power, your takedowns and other aspects of MMA.  So if you looking for a cheap way to get strong look to get to a hardware store and make yourself a Slosh Pipe.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Rob DeCillis CSCS

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Mar 18 2011

Urijah Faber MMA Training

Category: Agility,Conditioning,MMA,Power Training,Quickness,Speed,UFC,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:04 PM

UFC 128 is Saturday night and the Urijah Faber will be making his UFC debut going up against Eddie Wineland. In the video below you will get to see the beginning of a strength and conditioning session with Faber. You will get to see pieces of a dynamic warmup as well some of the plyometrics his coach had him perform.
On the site I have not really wrote much about the way I warm my fighters up. After watching this video you will have a basic idea of the right way to warmup before a training session. The days of doing a bunch of static stretches and then believing your are not only warmup but are ready to prevent injury are over. Warming up dynamically has many benefits. First it get the core body temperature up as well as raising the heart rate. It also makes you stronger in different positions and works on your balance as well.
If you are still warming up the same way to train as you did when your parents were in elementary school then you need to stop now and start warming up the correct way. Another point I would like to make is that warming up does not have to take half the training session. All to often coaches warmup their athletes for way to long. Learn some of the basics of a dynamic warmup and start to utilize it in your training. So check out this video and enjoy the fights on Saturday. Next week I will post up a dynamic warmup I use with my fighters.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Rob DeCillis (CSCS)

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