Dominate Your Opposition with Power Position Training by Troy M. Anderson One of the scariest things for a combat athlete has to be getting in the ring or on the mat with someone who has the ability to physically dominate you. Although it has been a few years, I vividly remember being in just such a predicament during a wrestling match. It was probably the most helpless I have ever felt during an athletic event. My opponent was pretty much in complete control moving me about the mat like a rag doll. The best I could do was stall and hope to stay on the mat for the whole match. This article, then, is for those of you who have had a similar experience and for those of you who haven't had one like it yet. Once you are armed with the tips and drills I'm going to share with you, you can rest assured that in the future you will be "dishing out" a lot more than you will be "receiving". Athletes in every sport have a base working position. I like to refer to this position, especially for combat athletes, as the power position. When athletes are in their power position, it's as if they are cocked, loaded, and ready for action. In other words, they are primed to explode into performing the activities of their sport.
One of the keys to being successful is having the physical strength to fully utilize trained skills to gain the upper hand on your opponent. Nowadays, gaining that strength generally involves some sort of strength training program. In this article I am going to peel things down to the barest of bones and describe in detail several drills that develop strength, speed, and power in the combat athlete's power position. Whether you are an athlete who likes to load up a heavy right hand or one who wants to take an opponent to the mat, strengthening your power position will pay off in spades. Building The Power Position Foundation Barbell Drills Most probably you have performed in the course of your training experience a number of drills intended to enhance your power position. I particularly like the foundational progression shown below which is performed with barbells and in which all phases of the power position are worked independently and sequentially. I like to perform the four barbell drills in a single complex by cycling directly from one drill to the next without putting the barbell down. I recommend being conservative when selecting the training load and performing 5 reps of each drill. When performed in this manner, these drills work on general conditioning as well as grip strength. Drill 1
Barbell Bent Row - This is the base power position. One thing worked on during this drill is the isometric strength needed to hold the "base" position. Drill 2 Romanian Deadlift - This drill starts from the "base" position and moves to the "extended" position and back, all of which is performed in a controlled manner. Concentrate on "feeling" the hamstring and glute involvement. Drill 3 Barbell High Pull from the Hang - During this drill, you begin to develop the explosive extension of the power position. Focus on deliberate descent similar to that of the RDL and end with an explosive hip extension and pull.
Drill 4 Hang Clean - This drill is very similar to the high pull, except that during the final portion of this drill, you catch and absorb the load. Kettlebell Drills Another one of my favorite foundational drills is the kettlebell swing. This drill is simple yet very effective for learning how to transfer from the base power position to an explosive total body extension.
It is important when performing kettlebell swings to drive through with your hips (i.e., don't just stand up) and to swing the kettlebell forward and up to shoulder height and back down in one uninterrupted and controlled motion. As a protocol, I use timed work intervals, ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes depending on the level of fitness and other drills being performed in the conditioning session. Like the barbell sequence, this drill is also great for general conditioning. There are a multitude of possibilities and combinations that can be performed with these two foundational sequences. The above are just two of my personal favorites because they have produced great results for me and my clients. The Next Level Once mastery has occurred with the foundational drills, the next step is to move into more advanced training. I like to use odd objects, specifically sandbags and kegs, for the more advanced training. These objects present a fluid and non-uniform training
environment which places demands upon the athlete that are very similar to those encountered during competition. Sandbags 1. Shouldering Shouldering is performed by straddling the bag with slightly bent knees, flexed hips, and a neutral spine posture and scooping it up with hands under the center of the bag. Perform the drill by explosively extending knees and hips while slinging the bag onto the shoulder. Drop the bag and repeat. Perform the drill on both shoulders 2. Snatch
This drill is started from the standing position while holding the sandbag in front of the body. Start the movement by lowering the bag down the body, bending the knees, and pushing the hips back. Concentrate on pulling the bag as close to the body as possible. Then throw the bag overhead. Once the bag is locked in the top position, drop it, and repeat. 3. Shuck The shuck drill can be done alone or, preferably, with a partner. Begin the drill by standing with the bag at the feet. Squat down and grasp the bag by its ends. While standing up with the bag, step toward a target with one foot, forcefully rotate the hips, and shuck (release) the bag. Perform the drill on both sides of the body.
Kegs Just as with the sandbag drills, the primary goal is to develop and transfer force from out of the power position. As with the sandbags, the initial drill for the keg is shouldering. 1. Shouldering Shouldering is performed by standing in front of the keg and squatting down with a neutral spine posture. When shouldering to the right shoulder, grip the bottom of the keg with the left hand and wrap the right hand around the keg. When shouldering to the left shoulder, grip the bottom of the keg with the right hand and wrap the left hand around the keg. Once the keg is secured, hold it close to the body and perform the drill by explosively extending knees and hips while "tipping" the keg onto the shoulder. To prepare for another repetition, simply tip the keg off the shoulder and squat back down. Be sure to perform the drill on both sides of the body.
2. Shouldering and Lunge This drill combines keg shouldering and the lunge. Shoulder the keg as explained above and then perform a lunge. Upon completing the lunge, stand up, return the keg to the start position and repeat. Perform the drill on both sides of the body. Special Note: This is an excellent drill for grappling type athletes who like to shoot on their opponents. 3. Clean The clean is the last drill in the keg training arsenal. Using a keg creates its own unique demands which makes performing this clean different from the more familiar Olympic type lifts. The keg clean is done from the hang position.
Begin by tipping the keg on its side, grasping it by the ends and basically performing a deadlift with the keg. From this position, perform an RDL as was mentioned above in barbell drill #3. Keep the keg close to the body, explosively extend the hips, and finish the pull by quickly rotating the hands and elbows under the keg. Getting the keg into a solid rack position can be a little bit tricky; thus, I would recommend performing this drill in a space where it is ok to drop the keg since the keg is a lot less valuable than the athlete. To perform another repetition, return the keg to the hang position. The type of media used in the sandbags and kegs can vastly affect performance. The sandbags are generally filled with sand; however, sand or water or both can be used to fill the keg. Beware that the difference between sand and water is significant. As to which is better. Well, they both have their merits, and I would go with whichever is most convenient. Action Plan I am sure some of you are thinking these sound like great drills, but wondering how in the heck to implement them into your training cycle. As always, there are numerous ways these drills can be used. I think, however, their greatest value is when they are utilized in complexes or clusters. That way you are able to take full advantage of the strength, power, and conditioning aspects of the drills. The example shown below is just one protocol for using these two implements. Cluster 1 - Complete 2-4 cycles with a 1 minute rest interval between cycles. -Sandbag Shouldering - 5 reps per side -Sandbag Snatch - 8 reps -Sandbag Shuck - 5 reps per side
Complete a 2-3 minute rest interval before starting Cluster 2. Cluster 2 - Complete 2-4 cycles with a 1 minute rest between cycles. -Keg Shouldering - 5 reps per side -Keg Shoulder & Lunge - 5 reps per side -Keg Clean - 6-8 reps For the combat athlete, the ability to establish, maintain, and violently explode from the power position can mean the difference between dominating and being dominated. Which do you choose? Troy M Anderson is an old school strength and conditioning expert, based in Tempe, AZ. To download your FREE copy of his special report " Old School Coach Reveals 11 No BS Tips About Home Fitness Equipment " visit www.liftdragcarry.com Or To contact Troy direct: e-mail info@bluecollarathlete.com or call (480) 227-8090) For hundreds more innovative articles visit the most ass kicking web site in the world, www.undergroundstrengthcoach.com