REAL SPARTAN WARRIOR (win entry to a Spartan Race in the UK or a signed copy of "Natural Born Heroes".

When the word Spartan is mentioned you may think of the movie 300 where Gerard Butler frolics around sporting killer abs, a badass beard and destroying everything in his path.

All those attributes totally kick butt however aren't necessarily pre-requisites for entering a Spartan Race. They now have added a junior course and you'll see men and women of all shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds compete.

One common site at the finish line is smug people bearing a finishers medal and walking (or hobbling) away with the greatest sense of achievement.

Our Spartan team were 10 strong, 7 of which females.  One had never entered a race of any sort and said it was up there with the top of her all time achievements.

The team attended my HIIT class workouts which involved box jumps, burpees, crawling, Kettle bells and TRX training to get them up to pace with the course demands.

The Spartan Sprint medal is great and everyone should be proud of this... But... there is a slightly annoying itch knowing there is still a Super and a Beast to conquer the trifecta and missing medal parts.

With upcoming events in South Wales, Scotland and Manchester there is plenty of opportunity bag the trifecta!

 http://spartanraceuk.uk/ use code: BLOGGER15 for 10% off any UK race.

So what does it take to be a Spartan Warrior?

I attended a book launch in the week of the race for Christopher McDougall's new book "Natural Born Heroes". Christopher speaks passionately about natural movement, the role of fascia (connective tissue), elasticity and momentum which was music to my ears. How we've learnt in the past to use our fascial slings (meridians) to our advantage in order to survive and display heroic acts on limited fuel during wars and critical events. Training muscles individually may gain hypertrophy (muscle growth) but in hindsight can cause imbalances or even injuries which sap you dry of energy when it comes to performing functional movements such as climbing, throwing, jumping, lunging and running.

Christopher introduced the Parkour Generations team onto the stage performing crazy flips, hangs, jumps and advanced movements from a makeshift scaffolding frame. Now to most this seems impossible but to them it was effortless and performed without breaking a sweat. This is due to loading the body, training the mind and respecting certain mechanical rules and disciplines to create a efficient and smooth display of athleticism.

I had a light bulb moment and went home to watch youtube clips of Parkour athletes hopping up 10 foot plus walls and how a military rope climb technique means you load your whole body from feet to fingers reach the top without relying on just your grip strength and upper body. All this information is key to completing each obstacle at a Spartan Race without having to do burpees.

It's no surprise to see Floyd Mayweather Junior adding hours of woodchopping to his preparation for his recent fight!

I've been taught and inspired by some of the best in the industry including Michol Dalcourt (inventor of the Vipr) to Randy Hetrick (inventor of TRX and ex Navy Seal) and Phil Richards (world class Rugby, Boxing and Football conditioning coach) they all agree that total body dynamic training and work capacity are key to any successful training plan.

Randy Hetrick TRX

Michol Dalcourt VIPR

Phil Richards Performance

Thanks for reading, get out there and attempt new movements and challenges, keep your body guessing... Hell summer is near (in the UK) now is a better time than any!

GIVEAWAYS

Reebok Spartan Race UK are giving one of my lucky readers a free entry towards a UK Spartan Race.

To enter follow follow @lukedmarshall and @spartanraceuk on instagram. Take a photo of yourself doing a Spartan style workout using #realspartanwarrior

I also have 2 signed Copies of Christopher Mcdougall's new book "Natural Born Heroes" thanks to Profile Books as part of the giveaway.

I will judge best photo's and winner will be announced on Instagram. 

AROO!

Are YOU a SURVIVOR!

At Move Three Sixty we take enormous pride in our ability to maintain optimal health at every possible level, so it was no surprise when I mentioned the Men's Health Survival of the Fittest obstacle race in London that other team members would pursue.

Soon enough Diagnostic Nutritionist Hannah Richards and fellow Elite Trainer Kazz Azim were signed up.

THE MOVE THREE SIXTY EXPERTS

Hannah Richards Co-director and Diagnostic Nutritionist at Move Three Sixty
Athletic Background: Competitive Hurdler

Kaz Azim Elite Trainer at Move Three Sixty
Athletic Background: Combat Athlete

Yours Truly: Elite Trainer at Move Three Sixty and Luke Marshall Performance
Athletic Background: Rugby Athlete

I managed also to bully five clients to sign up, across the board we had a group of fairly experienced runners and gym goers though they didn't know what to expect and knew they had their work cut out for them.

THE BUILD UP

HIIT CLASSES

HIIT operates twice a week at the Move Three Sixty gym. Tuesday bright and early 6:45am and Saturday at 11am. HIIT workouts (High Intensity Interval Training) became an essential element of the conditioning program. People who attended regular sessions gathered amazing  results in both fitness and strength using a diverse range of equipment such as battle ropes, kettle bells, club bells, TRX and body weight drills such as reptilian crawling, plyometrics and speed training. 

Power Stepper (lots of stairs at Wembley).

Harness Speed Work

TRX Single leg work 

PRIVATE TRAINING

Solid Hip Extension and Stabilty (bring the Gluts)...

Dead-lifting variations

Man Makers (brutal total body exercise)

TRX Muscle up to low Push Up

                                      

Each individual religiously trained with a trainer twice a week building the required strength for race demands. Outside of the workouts they were advised to perform some run training which included Fartlek and hill sprints.

Obstacle races are mostly around 80% running so it is imperative to add these sessions to the planner.

THE RACE

Arriving at Wembley Stadium to be confronted by towering obstacles, water pools and hay bail hurdles the nerves inevitably kicked in.

The banter from the group was thrown generously in my direction for signing everybody up. You could see the very height of the infamous WALL OF FAME as we glared towards a finish line that seemed comparable to escaping Alcatraz as we discussed the mission ahead.

Fortunately Claud Serjeant (Co-Director and Rehabilitation Therapist at Move Three Sixty) joined to cheer us on, take photos (and act as physio). Claud had been working on my injured foot (from a fall I had in the summer) for a handful of sessions leading up to the race. Having him on site to tape it gave me a huge boost in confidence towards the race.

Claud Serjeant working some magic for a pain free race!

Soon enough we were at the start gate staring down the line of hay bails that emerged in the distance... The grey and dull skyline suited the occasion as we bolted for the hay trying not to trip over the herds of people galloping around us, we eventually were able to stretch the legs out but it wasn't long before flights of stairs and weighted objects were thrown in our direction. There was no escaping now!

                                     

Once settling into the race we came across some less traditional obstacles but with some serious novelty value such as a giant slippery slide lubricated with wash up liquid, basketball hoops, bouncy castles and a rave room YES thats right a DOOF... DOOF... RAVE ROOM! (smoke machine, strobe lights and techno music blasting) to some less favourable obstacles such as a kilometre of stream water that ranged from knee to waist deep... it was super cold and yes a bit pungent in smell.

After the water struggle, a run though a grassy muddy field and a lengthy road run you could sense the finish line as Wembley Stadium came into sight again. The race however was far from over as some of the more physically demanding and challenging obstacles piled up ahead. 

By now we were battle hardened and nothing was going to stop us, not even the 8 foot WALL OF FAME... 

On the overground back to London everyone had a massive smile and were super high on endorphins. There were tweets and emails in the following weeks over which obstacle event to sign up to next. 

These events are truly addictive but I will say put in an intensive preparation program as I saw a few people carried off on stretches. Look after that body "One Body One Chance"....

5 Gym Gold Nuggets

1. Crush the bar.

No matter what the lift wether it's flat bench, dead-lifts or cleans upon first touch of the iron rod get a grip as if you're trying to crush a soda can. This excites your nervous system, and causes receptors/motor units to prepare your body for the lift.

                              

2. Attitude is a choice!

I've trained a few athletes/clients who've come to me saying they're having a below par (sh#t) day. The thing is if you have one of these days on match day you still have to rise to the occasion. Best thing to do is rate your day with a percentage, let's say it’s a 60% day, make it your best 60% day possible... You could go for the same program thats been set out on that given day but lessen the volume of work.

You never know might just surprise yourself!

3. What is your Underlying Motive!

This is probably the most important factor to acknowledge in terms of getting the best results possible. I see so many clueless zombies approaching the gym with no goal, no motive or direction. You have to want and know the end result you’re trying to achieve. 

The most common answer I get is "I want to tone up and lose weight" ummm hello, slap yourself immediately! 

Here's some real motives:

My husband left me, I have low self confidence and I want to look great at my best friends wedding in 4months. (ok that took some digging). 

I want to walk again. (She did)! (after 6months and medical practitioners had written her chances off).

I feel insecure in the changing rooms around other players and I want to improve my athletism so I don't get cut from the team. 

Soz not soz...

4. Always Build Strength and Fitness on a Solid Foundation.

If you have achy joints, dodgy posture, muscle imbalances, reoccurring injures etc You need to work on these areas before trying out complex lifts (such as olympic lifting). This is where many people have failed. Depending on your training age (how many weeks, months, years) you’ve been an athlete or gym goer it is detrimental you do the preparatory work before complex lifting.

A good trainer will always work on form, muscular imbalances and corrective needs prior to flogging a dead horse so to speak!

5. Let Food be thy Medicine.

Fats, Carbs and Protein are all essential nutrients for your body and the way it functions so cutting back will leave you feeling terrible.

Drink plenty of water and ditch the carbonated, sugary or caffienated drinks.

Keep it simple and try to prepare your meals a day ahead so you don’t over indulge or cause mindless eating.

You know what real food is: things that grew in the ground, on a tree, came out of the sea, ran on the land, or flew through the air.  Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food.

On top of that, you know what crap food is: food that comes from a drive-thru window, a vending machine, box, bag, or wrapper.  If it has an ingredient list longer than A Game of Thrones, it’s probably not good for you.  If it started out as real food and then went through fourteen steps to get to the point where you’re about to eat it, it’s probably not good for you.