IF you’ve ever seen SAS Who Dares Wins, you may have been surprised by the athletic prowess of some of the contestants.
As the celebrity version has returned to our screens, it could be the incentive you need to get in shape.
with the likes of TOWIEis toned pete wicks and former Eastenders star Maisie Smith showing viewers what they’re made of, you might wonder if you’d be up to the challenge.
While many of them may seem quite physically fit, many contestants can fail when it comes to mental agility, not possessing that mind-over-matter feeling that can help you move forward.
I, like other viewers of the show, have always wondered what it takes physically to face the ordeal.
So when the show’s previous directors Ollie Ollerton & jason fox revealed that they were launching a training program, accessible to all levels, I jumped at the chance.
The two teamed up with former Royal Marine Commando and elite personal trainer Denny Denholm to create the military-inspired program.
‘The Mission Series’ takes you through basic military training to commander training, and can help you with all things mindset and conquering self-doubt to achieve your fitness goals, just like the contestants on the show. .
You may think you need a lot of fancy equipment or Gym equipmentbut Ollie and Jason say ultimately it’s about getting back to basics.
Jason tells me, “With any new fitness program or challenge, you will have times when you want to give up and your mental state will get the best of you.
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“That’s why we wanted to teach the basics.
“It’s the stuff we had to do in base camps, when there wasn’t always a fancy gym, is make the most of what you’ve got,” he said.
But it’s working like a royal navy really as difficult as it sounds? Yes, says Ollie.
“We had days where we’d already done miles with huge bags, then you’d go back to base and know you needed to do a session.
“Jason and I have had to delve deeper into our journeys in life, and we want to help others find the courage to do the same through The Mission Series,” he adds.
When assembling the program, through the application TRU Connectthe team made sure that the body and mind were at the forefront of the exercise.
This is how you can test it.
We first start with a Royal Marines-style warm-up to wake up your muscles, open up your cardiovascular system and sharpen your mind.
This included some dynamic stretches like lunges and squats and short jogs to slightly raise his heart rate.
The team said this would be even more important when you’re on a mission, as you may need to regain your focus or composure.
We then moved on to some plyometric exercises, which helped work the legs and core.
These work by constantly warming up the body so that it slowly picks up the pace and isn’t too shocking to the system.
HEATING
To prepare for battle, you should do each of these exercises for 30 seconds at your own pace.
- run on the spot
- Fast feet (run on the spot but as fast as you can)
- Explosive push-ups (this is when you do a push-up and clap your hands in the air)
- Half squat and jump. For this, squat down and then as you come up, jump up.
- The mountaineers. In plank position, raise your knees to your elbows and repeat with each leg. The faster you go, the more intense it will be.
ESSENTIAL
As part of the basic training program, move on to five more exercises after a minute of rest.
- Tuck jump (jump in the air and bend your knees towards your chest)
- Burpees without jumping. Place your body on the floor – chest against the floor and come back up
- explosive pushups
- Bicycle crunches. On the floor, place your hands on your temples and raise your knees to 90 degrees. Then move each leg out and at the same time move your elbow towards the knee.
- Full crunch. On the floor, lift the top half of your body up toward your stomach muscles.
Here you can take a one minute break before repeating this series of exercises again.
Finish with a minute of high knee sprints, burpees with a tuck jump, and lunges.
We then completed the ‘command section’ of the workout, which included some basic moves.
We alternated between jumping jacks, boxer pushups, and pulsing low lunges.
Then it was the quick feet and sprints in place that helped get my heart rate up, before moving on to some basic exercises like hollow grips and bicycle crunches.
The training was extremely motivating and certainly left you wanting to try harder.
TEST IT
If you’re looking for something a little more challenging, then commando training is for you, with each exercise lasting just 30 seconds.
First, 30 seconds of lunges with the left leg.
Put your left leg behind you and take a stance almost as if you were standing on the train tracks. Then jump on this leg for 30 seconds.
Then do the same with your right leg for 30 seconds.
Core and back exercises to tone your body
As part of the workouts, Ollie and Jason also came up with ab and back exercises to give you a full body experience.
You can do these shorter workouts on their own or add them to the end of your workouts.
CENTER
Do each exercise for 30 seconds:
hollow clamp – lie on the floor, raise your shoulders and raise your arms, also keeping your legs straight, raise them, so that your torso becomes hollow.
Plank – Place your hands shoulder-width apart and stretch your legs behind you, balancing on your toes.
Elbow to knee crunch – Lie down, bring your knees to 90 degrees, and then move opposite elbows to each knee.
ABS – Lie down on the floor and raise the upper half of your body before lying down again.
Lying Leg Raise – Lie on the floor and slowly raise your legs as high as you can without your lower back lifting off the floor.
Then repeat each exercise for a second round.
BACK EXERCISES
butterfly exercise Lying on your stomach, you move your arms as if you were swimming.
black widow – then turn onto your back and place your arms at your sides with your triceps resting on the floor. Push yourself up so your back comes off the floor and continue.
throw in the towel – Lie on your stomach again, place the ends of the towel in each hand and pull it towards your shoulder blades before releasing it again.
From here, you’ll move into mid-squats, legs shoulder-width apart, and squat down, but not to your full depth.
This then becomes a half squat with a jump, as you come out of the squat lift both feet off the floor, instead of just standing up straight.
Then we go to the Upper part of the body with wide push-ups.
Get down on the floor and bring your hands to the edge of your chest and get into a plank position before pushing you up and then lowering you down.
If this is too challenging, you can get down on your knees.
This can be progressed into an ‘archer’ push up.
Here you have one arm fully extended with your hand on the ground, with the other close to your chest. Again, you can get down on your knees if this is too challenging.
Once you’ve completed 30 seconds of these, you can go back to doing explosive push-ups.
Although this is only a small fragment of the trainingthe app itself has a range of different exercise programs, which means it’s accessible to everyone, whatever stage of your journey you’re at, from beginners to gym freaks.
The new ‘Battle Ready 360: The Mission Series’ program is available exclusively on the leading fitness and wellness community app, TRUCONNECT
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