“Sounds great man! I look forward to not being able to walk on Christmas day.”
That was the last of a series of texts I got from 2009 NCAA D1 National Champion, Troy Nickerson, this past Thursday night.
Troy was in town to spend time with his family on Christmas and was determined to get a killer training session the day before Santa was scheduled to visit.
I hadn’t trained alongside Troy since college and knew that I’d be in store for a brutal workout.
On top of that (now that I’m in shape and training for grappling and MMA), I was determined to match his world famous, unyielding intensity.
When the time finally came, we had 5 brave men that were looking to get in some killer conditioning.
After some discussion and planning, we decided on 2 methods. The first was a 4 station circuit in the gym. The second was Prowler pushes outside on the sidewalk (the only place that wasn’t covered with snow and ice).
While none of us were too excited to push Prowler in the cold, being the mentally unstable person that he is, Troy was determined to get in at least a few pushes.
The first circuit was 4 stations and a timer station (one person rested and timed everyone else). Here’s what it looked like.
1) Battling Ropes
2) Blast Strap Bodyweight Rows
3) DB Curl Press w/ Fat Gripz
4) Kettlebell Swings
We each did 3 full rotations going 20 seconds at each station with about a 7 second break (just long enough for the next guy to get the timer and yell “go”).
The yelling and noises of strain would have definitely gotten us kicked out of Planet Fitness by the end of the first round.
By the end of the 3rd rotation, my forearms felt like Popeye’s and my hands were barely able to close on their own!
Anyway, once we had finished that circuit we immediately tore it down and started heading outside with the damn Prowler (can’t you tell that I love that thing??).
I’m not sure exactly how many pushes we did (either five or six 45-ish yard trips), but it was definitely enough to infect at least 3 of us with the Prowler Flu.
Unfortunately I didn’t get any of the training on film but I did find a video on YouTube that accurately depicts how at least some of us felt after…
All in all it was a great training session and it was great to hear that Troy will be making his return to the mat again soon after his 4th (and hopefully last) surgery.
Continued success in your training for the Olympics, Troy, and see you at some Cornell matches soon!
Related Posts On Troy:
Troy Nickerson Training Schedule– for an inside look on Troy’s complete weekly schedule as he prepares to make the US Olympic Team.
Awesome Article On Troy Nickerson– a newspaper article from our hometown paper in Binghamton on Troy’s quest to make the Olympics.
Troy Nickerson’s Nutrition– ever wonder how Troy can make 121 while he weighs over 140 in the off season?
Hi, I’m Dickie (the author of this blog). Here I am with my good buddy, Kyle Dake. While he doesn't have a nice coat like me, he is pretty good at wrestling. Here's what he said about my training system:
Before I began lifting using Dickie's system my wrestling skills were getting slightly better. I've now been lifting under his guidance for more than 5 months and I have begun to dominating ALL of my competition. At first I had little faith in Dickie and his program, but now I would run into a wall if he told me I would get stronger! I know it sounds insane, but I would. The bottom line is Dickie is an expert and knows what he is talking about. If you want to defeat those kids whom you've always lost to and reach a level you never thought possible, I suggest you start lifting using Dickie's system immediately.
-Kyle Dake, 4X NCAA Division 1 National Champion