Workout Of The Week: The Omoplata – Don’t Tap Out
In August 2014, Ben “Killa B” Saunders etched his name into the records books after recording the first ever submission by Omoplata in UFC history. When Saunders cinched up the lock on Chris Heatherly it was the first time in the company’s then 21-year history that a fight had been finished by the hold.
Today we are going to provide you with an exercise that will leave you feeling like Saunders just torqued your limbs beyond their breaking point.
We caught up with Saunders two weeks after that fight where he discussed the submission victory. 2:30 mark
So…. what is an omoplata?
The perfect definition of an Omoplata:
Omoplata means scapula, or blade bone in portuguese, this because of the mechanics involved in the movement. In judo, the ashi sankaku garami means leg triangle entanglement (www.bjjheroes.com).
The Omoplata submission involves hips, arms, shoulders, and legs. If you have even been submitted with one, you will know the soreness that comes to your body the following days. This workout hits those same muscles and joints, and you will feel the same soreness as if you were rolling and got caught in an omoplata submission.
The Omoplata workout consists of 3 parts. The first 2 parts are weight complexes, with an explosive move at the end of the round. The third part is a core finisher that will leave your abdominals burning.
The first complex can be used with dumbbells or kettlebells. There are 4 exercises done back to back without putting the weights down. When all 4 exercises are done, you will do 30 jump rope skips with a heavy weighted jump rope. After that, take a short 30second- 1 minute rest, and repeat everything 4 more times, for a total of 5 rounds.
This part goes as follows:
15 Stiff Leg Deadlifts
5 Double Swings
5 Double Cleans (or hammer curls)
5 Alternating Shoulder Presses
30 Heavy Jump Rope Skips (or use a lighter speed rope and do 90 skips) 5x.
The second complex of the Omoplata workout also uses dumbbell or kettlebells. There are 2 exercises done back to back twice before moving onto the explosive exercises. The two exercises are squats and lunges. You will perform 10 squats, then 10 lunges with just your right leg, 10 squats again, and then 10 lunges with your left leg. After that you will put the weights down, and perform 20 ball slams. Take a short 30 second- 1 minute break and repeat this 4 more times for a total of 5 rounds.
Only thing that will be different is on the second round the squats and lunges will be come 8 repetitions each, then on the third round 6 reps each, the forth round they will go back up to 8 reps each and for the final round back up to 10 reps each, while the ball slams stay consistent at 20 repetitions for the 5 rounds.
The part goes as follows:
10 squats- 10 right lunges- 10 squats- 10 left lunges- 20 ball slams.
8 squats- 8 right lunges- 8 squats- 8 left lunges- 20 ball slams.
6 squats- 6 right lunges- 6 squats- 6 left lunges- 20 ball slams.
8 squats- 8 right lunges- 8 squats- 8 left lunges- 20 ball slams.
10 squats- 10 right lunges- 10 squats- 10 left lunges- 20 ball slams.
The third and final part is a fun core finish. I call these adult Legos.
All you need is a mat and 6 risers that you would use to built a step for a 80’s step class. What you will be doing is lying flat, crunching up with your right arm and left leg meeting in the middle. After repeating that motion 12 times, switch and do the other side (left arm, right leg meet in the middle). Once you do both sides, sit on your butt, and perform a Russian twist taking one riser from one side to the other until the 6 risers are build on the other side of you, and then build it back.
After that is done, go back to the first part, and repeat with 10 repetitions, build your Lego stack again with 6 to one side and 6 back to the starting side. Repeat again for 8 and then for 6. After 12-10-8-6 is done, you will perform a Tabata (8 rounds of 20 seconds ON with 10 seconds OFF= 4 minutes) of planks. The first 2 rounds will be front planks. The third and forth rounds will be right side planks. The 5th and 6th rounds will be front planks again. And the last 2 rounds will be left side planks. When this is completed you will go back to the first part with the crunch and Legos, and repeat the format backwards, starting at 6 reps then 8 reps, 10 reps, and finishing the workout with 12.
The adult Lego abdominal finisher goes as follows:
12 Right arm to Left leg. 12 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
10 Right arm to Left leg. 10 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
8 Right arm to Left leg. 8 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
6 Right arm to Left leg. 6 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
Tabata Plannks: 1 & 2 Front. 3 & 4 Right Side. 5 & 6 Front. 7 & 8 Left Side.
6 Right arm to Left leg. 6 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
8 Right arm to Left leg. 8 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
10 Right arm to Left leg. 10 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
12 Right arm to Left leg. 12 Left arm to Right leg. Build 6 Legos to the Right and then 6 Legos to the Left.
Good Luck! Have Fun!
