As I watch from the sidelines, it occurs to me: Even this guy's warmup would make most men puke.
"This guy" is 37-year-old Martin Rooney, one of the world's top strength and conditioning coaches. As chief operating officer of the Parisi Speed School franchise in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, he has worked with thousands of elite athletes, including Olympians and pros from the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball.
And the men he's training right now? Well, you might call them warriors. In front of me are two world champions in Brazilian jujitsu, one national judo champ, and three Ultimate Fighters. They're here because Rooney is best known for his ability to physically and mentally prepare mixed martial artists for the ring. It's easy to see why.
Only after a 45-minute warmup that features agility drills, abdominal training, and wind sprints are the fighters ready for their actual workout. And it's not about to become easier. Next on the docket is one of Rooney's trademark "hurricane" training sessions: Three 5-minute rounds of five different exercises, performed for 1 minute each. Today he's demanding these lung- and muscle-busting moves:
1. A 300-pound tire flip
2. Quick-feet drills through a ladder
3. Pushing a weighted sled
4. Sprinting with added resistance
5. Pounding a tire with a sledgehammer
Go fast, go hard, go for a minute, and move to next station--for 5 minutes straight. Then catch your breath and do it all over again. "If a guy we compete against can't do on one day what we do every day," says Rooney, "he's going to be in trouble."
So ask yourself this: Can you handle a hurricane? Or would you be "in trouble"? Find out by trying the routine for yourself, using Rooney's mix-and-match system. Even if you're not quite ready for the ring, you'll burn blubber, build muscle, and take your conditioning to an all-time high.
Create your own hurricane
Not only will Rooney's hurricane training system melt your midsection, but it'll also help keep you motivated. That's because the variety of exercise combinations you can use is nearly limitless, which is key to keeping your workout fresh and exciting. "You can do arm curls for only so long before you become bored," says Rooney. "There's nothing better than designing a workout that has people sweating and smiling."
Exercises
Simply pick one exercise from the options (a, b, or c) listed in each group. Then do all five exercises in the order shown, without resting. That's one round. Rest for 2 minutes between rounds, and then repeat up to 2 more times. Use this plan twice a week, on the days between your regular workouts. (To take another page from Rooney's training manual, check out this month's workout poster.)
1
Jump rope
Skip or jump at the highest intensity you can maintain for a total of 60 seconds. Treadmill run
Go at the fastest pace that you can maintain for the entire 60 seconds. Shadowboxing
Throw punches at an imaginary opponent--alternate hands, and mix jabs and hooks to the body and head--while you dance and duck as if you were in the ring.
2
Stepup
Place your left foot on a bench and push your body up until both feet are on it. Step down with your left foot, and then your right. Repeat, this time starting with your right foot. Continue to alternate. Bench jump
With your feet shoulder-width apart, dip down and jump up onto a bench. Step down and repeat. Scissor bench jump
Place your left foot on a bench with your right foot on the floor. In one movement, jump up and switch leg positions in midair. Continue to alternate to the left and right.
3
Medicine-ball crunch
Perform a classic crunch while holding a medicine ball against your chest. Medicine-ball Russian twist
Sit holding a medicine ball in front of your chest. Lean your torso back slightly and raise your feet off the floor. Now rotate the ball to your left and then to your right. Move back and forth quickly. Medicine-ball pike
Lie on your back with your body straight, holding a medicine ball behind your head. Now simultaneously raise your legs and arms until the ball touches your feet.
4
Pushup
Keeping your body rigid, lower yourself until your chest touches the floor. Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds, even if you have to stop -- just rest and start again. Chinup
Using a shoulder-width, underhand grip, pull your chest to the bar. Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds, just as you did on the pushup. Dip
Lower your body until your elbows are bent 90 degrees. Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds, just as you did on the pushup.
5
Walking lunge
Step forward with your left foot, lower your body into a lunge, and then bring your right foot forward. Now push your body back to a standing position. Squat thrust
Squat and lean forward so that your hands are on the floor and you're on the balls of your feet. Then kick both legs back into a pushup position, reverse back to a squat, and jump as high as you can. Jump squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then jump as high as you can.
a | b | c | |
1 | Jump rope Skip or jump at the highest intensity you can maintain for a total of 60 seconds. | Treadmill run Go at the fastest pace that you can maintain for the entire 60 seconds. | Shadowboxing Throw punches at an imaginary opponent--alternate hands, and mix jabs and hooks to the body and head--while you dance and duck as if you were in the ring. |
2 | Stepup Place your left foot on a bench and push your body up until both feet are on it. Step down with your left foot, and then your right. Repeat, this time starting with your right foot. Continue to alternate. | Bench jump With your feet shoulder-width apart, dip down and jump up onto a bench. Step down and repeat. | Scissor bench jump Place your left foot on a bench with your right foot on the floor. In one movement, jump up and switch leg positions in midair. Continue to alternate to the left and right. |
3 | Medicine-ball crunch Perform a classic crunch while holding a medicine ball against your chest. | Medicine-ball Russian twist Sit holding a medicine ball in front of your chest. Lean your torso back slightly and raise your feet off the floor. Now rotate the ball to your left and then to your right. Move back and forth quickly. | Medicine-ball pike Lie on your back with your body straight, holding a medicine ball behind your head. Now simultaneously raise your legs and arms until the ball touches your feet. |
4 | Pushup Keeping your body rigid, lower yourself until your chest touches the floor. Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds, even if you have to stop -- just rest and start again. | Chinup Using a shoulder-width, underhand grip, pull your chest to the bar. Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds, just as you did on the pushup. | Dip Lower your body until your elbows are bent 90 degrees. Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds, just as you did on the pushup. |
5 | Walking lunge Step forward with your left foot, lower your body into a lunge, and then bring your right foot forward. Now push your body back to a standing position. | Squat thrust Squat and lean forward so that your hands are on the floor and you're on the balls of your feet. Then kick both legs back into a pushup position, reverse back to a squat, and jump as high as you can. | Jump squat Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then jump as high as you can. |
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