Background
Years ago I wrestled, and around the same time I read an article by Dan John talking about bulletproofing your body. That concept stuck with me over time. Think about what you did on the grass in the military or football practice, and what you did on the mats in wrestling. You did a lot of up downs, rolls,jumps, and other “grass drills”. Most don’t do anything resembling such things ever, and most who have stop doing them once they aren’t being made to by a Sergeant or a coach.
Quitting these drills is a mistake. These movements are crazy good for weird wrestling style cardio.They bulletproof you by teaching you how to land/fall properly, and often can reduce soreness.
The key is to never quit them, and unlike my normal views on the necessity of warm ups I prefer to start slowly( I warned you). This is key if you’ve never done them, or haven’t in years.
Now under this category most think of burpees (which suck,but work), my focus is on the much lesser used (and known) rolls. Forward and backward rolls, known as tumbling in gymnastic circles, or whatever your wrestling coach decided to call them. Mine generally wanted us to “Dive” over the progressively higher and higher stick, the opposite of limbo lower.
At The Old Gym
At the old commercial gym on the 40ish yard strip of stretching mat(the place most do yoga,stretch,and what not) I would end sessions where i thought I’d have a sore spine with forward and backward rolls straight out of wrestling practice. I recalled how during wrestling my back actually always felt good, and the Dan John article and made a habit of doing them whenever I could grab enough mat to do them. The first time doing them you will gas. Your first reps are better off starting low to the ground.
Relearning The Lesson
Last weekend I was at the (new) gym, and bored. It was early morning, few were there and i grabbed the foldable mats and the jumping box put them on the ground in the same vicinity and preceded to play with rolls,kneeling jumps, broad jumps, and box jumps, essentially no rest for 10-15 minutes. This play retaught me how one maintains and gains athleticism. I occasionally do jumps, the rolls I hadn’t done since joining the new gym.
I was gassed, and during the session progressively went into the rolls higher and faster ie I started kneeling and progressed into jog into dive, or kneeling/broad jump into the dive and roll.
Using It
The next day I did hand and thigh lifts, and knew my spine would be sore, that if I didn’t do something that I’d have to crack my back constantly so again more rolling. Low and behold just like at the commercial gym, and wrestling practice my spine felt pretty the next day. Nowhere near the soreness it “should” have had.
I seriously suggest that you start doing forward and backward rolling.Use a mat, the soft surface makes loads of difference. One could call this tumbling drills. They are a very useful tool that most never implement.
Strange Looks?
You may get weird looks, or even snarky comments while doing so, but who cares? You are doing what it takes to have recovery of a God, and allowing yourself to go harder than everyone. Have fun, and don’t be stupid.
Off for some shovel GPP. (Blizzard related)
-J