Superhumans Among Us: #Fastest40 Workout
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – People work out in many different ways to accomplish varying personal fitness goals utilizing numerous methods: CrossFit, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and bodyweight training, to name just a few.
But how do you condition student-athletes to effectively employ one of the most physically demanding basketball philosophies in the most competitive conference in college athletics while also minimizing injuries and managing external stressors?
Enter the #Fastest40 workout.
Carefully developed by the Arkansas Men’s Basketball Strength and Conditioning staff, the #Fastest40 workout is a complementary regimen to the work players complete on the court during practice. Based on the One Rep Max Chart, the following workout is designed to improve a student-athlete’s strength, endurance, speed, lateral (side-to-side) movement, and agility while minimizing the chance of injury.
While the end goal is clear, what does that approach look like on a day-to-day basis? Below is Arkansas men’s basketball junior forward Moses Kingsley’s summer workout schedule:
| MONDAY | WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | 65% | 75% | 80% | 90% |
| Snatch | 3 x 5 | 3 x 4 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 |
| Overhead Squat | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Bear Squat | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 10 sec. | 3 x 12 sec. |
| Box Jump | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 2 x 5 |
| Vertimax Jump | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Incline Bench | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 10 sec. | 3 x 12 sec. |
| Oh Abs | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Bent Over Row | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 10 sec. | 3 x 12 sec. |
| TUESDAY | WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | 65% | 75% | 80% | 90% |
| 1 Leg Squat | 3 x 5 | 3 x 4 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 |
| Vertical Hop | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Backboard Taps | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Assisted Jumps | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 2 x 10 |
| Assisted Lunges | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 |
| P.L. Curl & Press | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 |
| Farmers Walks | 3 x Hall | 3 x Hall | 3 x Hall | 3 x Hall |
| Lunge To Row | 3 x 6 | 3 x 6 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 |
| Paloff | 3 x 10 sec. | 3 x 10 sec. | 3 x 10 sec. | 3 x 10 sec. |
| WEDNESDAY | WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | 65% | 75% | 80% | 90% |
| Clean | 3 x 2 | 3 x 2 | 3 x 1 | 3 x 10 |
| Front Squat | 3 x 6 | 3 x 6 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 4 |
| Squat | 3 x 2 | 3 x 1 | 3 x 8 sec. | 2 x 10 sec. |
| RDL | 3 x 4 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 8 sec. | 3 x 10 sec. |
| Box Jumps | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 |
| Bench | 3 x 3 | 3 x 2 | 3 x 8 sec. | 3 x 10 sec. |
| Pylo Push Up | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| MB Outlet | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 5 |
| Chin | 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 8 sec. | 3 x 10 sec. |
| Speed Row | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Assisted Chin | 2 x 10 | 2 x 10 | 2 x 10 | 2 x 10 |
| THURSDAY | WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | 65% | 75% | 80% | 70% |
| Goblet Squat | 3 x 4 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 12 sec. | 3 x 15 sec. |
| 1 Leg RDL | 3 x 6 | 3 x 6 | 3 x 5 | 3 x 4 |
| Hurdle Hop | 3 x 20 | 3 x 20 | 3 x 20 | 3 x 20 |
| Loaded Rebound | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 2 x 10 |
| 1 Arm Bench | 3 x 4 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 12 sec. | 3 x 15 sec. |
| Chest Slam | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| MB Chest Pass | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 12 | 3 x 12 |
| TRX Row | 3 x 4 | 3 x 3 | 3 x 12 sec. | 3 x 15 sec. |
| Speed Row | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
| Assisted Chins | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 10 |
One of the interesting exercises Kingsley works on that generates a quantifiable number is the Keiser speed squat. It starts with Kingsley stepping on the Keiser machine’s rubberized platform, and then in a traditional squat position, rise in one swift motion while also lifting the machine’s padded bars that rest on his shoulders. By way of a small compressor, Kingsley or the strength training staff can change the amount of resistance the bars provide. After one repetition, the machine immediately shows how much peak power Kingsley generated in that exercise.
Moses Kingsley Speed Squat https://t.co/yQgAfBq4ib
— Razorback Basketball (@RazorbackMBB) November 13, 2015
The more power that’s generated roughly equates to the potential for more rebounds and better vertical movement on the basketball court. Measured in watts, it’s interesting to see how much power a student-athlete’s legs can create in a half-second lift.
The day I was in the weight training room with Kingsley and the Razorback Strength and Conditioning staff, Kingsley’s top Keiser speed squat measurement was 1,420 watts. That’s the equivalent of 1.9 horsepower, or 1.42 kilowatts. Based on that output, what are some common everyday items that Kingsley could power just with his legs?
Can Kingsley generate more than 1,420 watts? Of course he can. But the point of the workout isn’t to Hulk out and break the machine; an important part of the speed squat is also using proper posture and preventing injury.
An even more important component of the #Fastest40 Workout is stress management and recovery.
Stress is our body’s reaction to an external challenge, which triggers a fight-or-flight response. It’s a carry-over trait from our predecessors when early humans were preyed upon by animals. Our bodies aren’t designed to remain in this state for extended periods of time, so prolonged stress levels have an extremely negative impact on our mental and physical health.
Recovery is composed of three principles: Getting enough sleep, eating right, and staying hydrated. It might sound easy, but properly recovering after a workout, or just making it part of a healthier lifestyle, is deceptively difficult.
According to the latest studies, Arkansans are among the nation’s most sleep-deprived and weight-challenged in the country. Sleeping eight-to-10 hours per day, drinking eight 8-oz. glasses of fluid daily, and regularly eating healthy foods that properly fuel you can be a challenge for most people. Imagine how much more challenging achieving this balance can be for a student-athlete.
Fortunately, Arkansas men’s basketball’s Strength and Conditioning staff is up to the task of assisting student-athletes manage their stress levels, monitor their quality of sleep, and help them practice good nutrition and hydration.
“Monitoring stress is vital for any performance coach,” Arkansas strength and conditioning coach Adam Petway said. “How our student-athletes adapt to different stressors has a direct correlation on how they perform on the court. What makes Moses Kingsley special is his great attention to detail in all three of these areas.”
Players are asked by Petway and his staff if they’re getting enough sleep, how their classes are going, and about other events in their personal lives that might have an impact on their stress levels. In addition, the Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student-Athlete Success Center and other world-class athletic facilities are available to student-athletes for their healthy dining and academic assistance needs.
Think walking in Moses Kingsley’s shoes for a day already sounds busy enough? After strength training, conditioning and recovery, it’s still time to hit the court for drills and practice.
Stay tuned for next time, when we tag along with Kingsley and the team as they take to the court — all leading up to another successful season of Razorback Basketball.
