Warlike Strength
Around 3,000 years ago war in ancient Greece was common. Many small
countries feared being conquered and one such country was Sparta.
To avoid being conquered the Spartans adopted a training system
that allowed them to be superbly conditioned for war. Their warlike
strength not only made them an extremely fierce people, it also
made them phenomenal athletic competitors. Between 720 B.C and 576
B.C of the 81 Olympic victors 46 were Spartans.
Unfortunately today a lot of training is conducted on machines and
the freedom of training expressed by these people has been lost.
Fortunately for you, contained within these pages are directions
for you to experience the age-old tradition of warlike
strength.
A popular Olympic pastime was the ‘Armour Sprint’; the
objective was to sprint 740 meters (2,400 feet) tooled up.
Without stating the obvious, Armour Sprints these days are not very
practical. To replicate a resisted run, we have found that tyre
sprints are an excellent substitute. If you are a beginner
sprinting 740 meters even without a tyre maybe a little ambitious,
so stick to sprinting for between 20-30 seconds with ample break
time in between.
Sled drags are a little different to the above as they
require brute strength, you will need a sled (if you haven’t
got access to one, your tyre will suffice) and some form of weight,
small children (ideally your own), weight plates or sandbags are
ideal. Load it up and drag it, press it, row it, flye it. The
possibilities are limitless.
War hammer swings, think the big German dude in Gladiator swinging
it around smashing up Romans. As Romans are nice people and we are
not here to offend, you will need a big old tractor tyre to go to
work on. These you will find in farmers fields or wrecking yards.
They should be free but make sure you ask. You can get your hammers
from most D.I.Y shops and they come in various increments. Your
sledgehammer systems can vary from sets to reps or to just going at
it for a time count.
Weighted long jumps, you will need a pair of dumbbells ranging
between 2 kg and 5 kg. You can choose between the two types of
popular jumps from this period - static and running. Each technique
requires a lot of concentration and skill, so I would suggest that
you are well practised at the static before moving on to the
running. Start off with the lightest weight and increase as and
when you are ready.
Rope Climbs, if you love a challenge these are for you.
They are excellent for upper body strength, grip strength and
stimulate massive core function.
If you like the sound of warlike strength and you are in need of
displaying some of your pent up aggression, this is the one for
you. Not only will it increase your functional strength it will
give zest and perhaps a much-needed change to your workout. Please
remember to exercise cautiously and when you have achieved a
competent level you can then go hammer and tong.
For more photos and training suggestions please hop to the
archive.
References from ‘ The Olympic
Games In Ancient Greece’ by George A. Christopoulous, John C.
Bastias.
Images courtesy of
www.sikyon.com, www.cultureshockcomics.com and www.mlahanas.de.
