How to get ninja fit, with Adelaide Ninja Warrior semi finalist Luke Williams
WANT to become a Ninja Warrior? Here’s the crazy fitness workout to get you there. But get ready to sweat — and hurt.
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- Inside the crazy final course
- Ninaj Warrior is a TV gamechanger
AS a state rower, keen mountain bike rider, cross country runner and personal trainer, 32-year-old Luke Williams would be considered pretty fit.
But even the Semaphore Park resident and owner of SA Base Camp undertook three months of dedicated training before tackling the Ninja Warrior course.
“I knew grip was going to be the overall winner,” the semi-finalist said.
“So, chin ups, dead hangs, rope climbs, roman ring work, and anything else requiring me to swing and transfer my body weight was all that was concentrated on until it was show time.”
As casting for a second season of the hit Channel 9 show is imminent, Mr Williams has shared his key training regime so that you, too, can get ninja fit.
MOVE: Ice Skaters
KEY MUSCLES: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves
TO CONQUER: Quintuple steps, adding speed and strength to each leg as you spring from one landing to another, and the Chimney climb
1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. You should be looking directly forward, with your chest up, knees and hips unlocked, and your back straight.
2. Begin the exercise by jumping to the right with a slight bend in your knees.
3. Next, in the same motion, reach down and toward the outside of your right foot with your left hand, you can change hand positions if balance is an issue, Perform this same movement on the opposite side.
MOVE: Kettlebell Rack
KEY MUSCLES: Shoulders, core, grip strength, balance stabilisers.
TO CONQUER: The spinning log
1. Start with two kettle bells placed either side of your feet, and feet shoulder width apart.
2. Pick up kettlebells and with a swinging motion bring them up to the racked position.
3. Keeping elbows winged out not resting on your ribs, clasp fingers together.
4. Hold that position while placing one foot in front of the other, heels to toes, trying to walk in a straight line, keep good posture through the torso during the movement.
MOVE: Pike ups
KEY MUSCLES: Core, glutes, shoulders
TO CONQUER: Upsidedown cargo net crawl
1. Lay chest down on an exercise ball walking yourself forward with your hands until your shins are on the ball. This should place you in a push up position.
2. Raise your hips directly up so that toes are now on the ball, making sure you squeeze the glutes as you draw your hips towards the ceiling.
3. Release back down slowly to starting position until you are back to the push up position.
MOVE: Knees to chest, front leg leavers and dead hangs
KEY MUSCLES: Hands/forearms, core, latissimus dorsi
TO CONQUER: Tilting frames and vertical tubes
1. Just up to an overhead bar, using your hands to hold on.
2. Raise knees up to the chest as much as possible, try to avoid the body from swinging, return legs back to the starting position, and continue to repeat.
3. The longer you hang from the bar the more you are indirectly increasing your grip strength and gaining flexibility as well as strength to the shoulders, very important to becoming a functional Australian Ninja Warrior.
Tip: To increase difficulty instead of bringing knees to chest, keep the legs straight raise the legs in front of you so they are parallel to the ground.
MOVE: Pincer grip
KEY MUSCLES: Abductors, extensors, fingers and forearms
TO CONQUER: UFO slider
1. Start by grabbing Olympic plates or weights. With feet shoulder width apart, place the plates on their edge (not flat), just outside of your feet.
2. Bend down placing all four fingers on the outside of the plates and the thumb on the inside, with a tight grip stand up trying to hold the weight plates.
3. Proceed to walk around holding onto the weight, or stay in a static position until your grip gives way.
MOVE: Resistance band running
KEY MUSCLES: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and core
TO CONQUER: Warped wall
1. Place the resistance band around a fixed object or partner can hold.
2. Find centre of band and place it at top of hip hinge point.
3. Take up the tension in the band and proceed to run forward with maximum speed moving forward as fast as possible.
4. Once you have exploded as far as you can try to control your return steps by slowing the movement down to the starting position.
Tip: Alternate the leg you start on so you build up both legs.
MOVE: Bionic power cycle — air bike
KEY MUSCLES: Total body, plus your lungs
TO CONQUER: The cardio required to complete the course
1 Prepare for high intensity intervals, warming up for 500m, easy pace.
2. 100m maximum effort.
3. 50m easy pace.
4. Back up to 100m sprint maximum effort repeat until you reach 1000m.
Repeat 3 sets.