The third installment of the show “Titans” – scrimmages for a stuffed ball. How to win the battle?

Titans are the strongest beings, the rulers of the elements, and it is with them that the best athletes of Russia are compared on the TNT TV channel. The show exposes participants to the most incredible tests. The third episode required from athletes to have several qualities at once.

The rules of the test

Participants were divided into groups of three people, such a composition they had to pass the test. Part of the teams fought on a sandy surface, and part – on water.

A stuffed ball was placed in the center of the court, and the participants had to grab it and not let their opponents take it away. The first round lasted 1.5 minutes, and the athlete who had the ball at the end of the time won. Then two competitors remained on the court, they fought for the ball under the same conditions. One loser would leave the project.

How to handle the task?

leader of the “Street Athletics” sports movement.

“This challenge is remotely similar to rugby, only with a heavy ball. Representatives of different sports, especially wrestlers and boxers, use such a game with a stuffed ball in their training”.

Successful completion of the test requires physical strength and endurance. The best strategy for holding the ball is to cover it with your body from above, wrapping your arms around it and locking your hands together. This way, more muscle groups are engaged. Here the advantage is on the side of oversized and physically strong participants.

The second strategy is to be the first to grab the ball and try to run with it on the court, dodging opponents. This approach requires good functional fitness and strength endurance. This strategy favors those who have a running load in their training: intervals and sprints.

In order to be successful in such a task, one must first have good general physical fitness and strength endurance. Strength endurance is the ability of muscles to maintain the force of contractions during prolonged intensive work. A distinction is made between static and dynamic endurance.

How to improve static endurance?

When holding the ball without moving, it is static endurance that comes to the fore. This is the contraction of muscles without changing their length.

At such a load, as athletes say, the muscles “acidify” due to increased production of lactic acid, and the body switches to anaerobic energy production. Excessive lactic acid in the muscles slows down contractions, preventing you from maintaining maximum performance. And here the ability of the body to cope with such a load, psychological attitude and the ability to “tolerate” painful sensations, burning in the muscles are important.

Each of us in our life could face such a load: holding a child on bent arms, carrying heavy bags, holding a bottle of water for the cooler and so on.

Below are recommendations for improving static endurance.

• Training with increasing hold times. Gradually increase the time you spend doing exercises that require static muscle tension. For example, start by holding the plank for 30 seconds, then increase the time to one minute, two minutes, and so on.
• Use supersets and circuit training. Combine exercises for different muscle groups in a circuit workout (supersets) or do several exercises in a row without rest (circuit training) to improve overall static endurance.
• Isometric exercises. Isometric exercises such as the plank, wall chair, abs corner, or other non-movement exercises are great for developing static endurance.
• Interval training. Combining short periods of intense work with rest will help improve static endurance and increase overall muscle strength.

The most important thing is to exercise regularly to strengthen your muscles and increase endurance. Gradually increase the load and intensity of your exercise.

How to improve dynamic endurance?

Running with a stuffed ball already requires dynamic endurance and is characterized by the contraction of muscle fibers with their lengthening and shortening. The same anaerobic processes and “acidification” of the muscles occur here, but the readiness of the cardiovascular system and the ability to cope with a high heart rate come to the fore. Many large and physically strong athletes have found this type of workload to be the most challenging.

In life, dynamic endurance is useful for running to catch a bus, train, airplane, or to unload a car full of boxes when moving.

Below are recommendations for increasing dynamic endurance.

• Increase the number of repetitions. In exercises such as push-ups, squats and pull-ups.
• Exercises with a good aerobic component. Use tasks with a high intensity cardio element such as running, biking, burpees and jogging in place.
• Compound exercises. Engage exercises that involve working multiple muscle groups at once, such as dumbbell push ups, leg kicks and kettlebell swings.

Remember that proper nutrition, adequate rest and regular training will be key to successfully improving any type of endurance. And don’t forget to consult with a trainer.

By the way, the show “Titans” has already released its fourth episode, which gave the participants quite a few surprises. Read about what happened here.