How to get… Gladiator Ready!

With the return of iconic sports entertainment game show Gladiators, we asked two of its star warriors, HARRIET ROBERTS (aka Arrow) and KWAME DUAH (aka Maximus) to share their workouts and top tips…

HARRIET ROBERTS

GLADIATOR NAME: Arrow

ATHLETIC QUALITIES

I’ve been involved in the world of CrossFit for over a decade, building on my roots in gymnastics and swimming since I was young.
These sports not only taught me discipline and sacrifice, but helped build my strength, body awareness, and endurance, which ultimately led to my success in CrossFit.

SUCCESSES

Four-time Crossfit Games
Athlete – 3 x Team Competitor,
1 x Individual Competitor
Gladiator – the sport of Gladiator deserves a title of its own.

THE WORKOUT

Complete for Time
100 Calorie Row
Every 1:30 minutes complete 6 Burpees to 6” Target
Rest 3 minutes
100 Dumbbell Box Step Overs
Every 1:30 minutes complete a 5-metre Handstand Walk or 10-metre Dumbbell Overhead Carry

To complete this workout set up a timer and begin accumulating calories on the Rower. When the timer reaches 1 minute 30 seconds, complete
6 Burpees to a Target 6” above your reach. Once complete, head back to Rower to continue adding calories to your count. Intervals continue in 1:30 increments, beginning at
1:30 then 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, etc… until you have completed the
full 100 calories. Rest 3 minutes and complete the second piece
in the same fashion.
This workout is all about working close to your threshold and continuing to deliver honest effort. With the clock on your tail, accountability is key – you’ve got to give genuine effort before that interval creeps up and you miss
out on valuable reps. It’s a blend
of skill, strength, and conditioning, all under the pressure of time. Training like this is what keeps me
in top form, ready for opportunities like Gladiators and any other challenges life tosses my way.

THE BREAKDOWN

Rowing:
A foundational exercise beneficial for athletes – it not only teaches proper hinge mechanics (essential but often executed incorrectly) but also effectively elevates the heart rate, contributing to conditioning.

Burpees:
Often disliked yet incredibly effective, excellent for elevating heart rate and developing endurance in pressing movements. A hidden weapon for the pyramid.

Dumbbell Step Overs:
These punish the legs and glutes (and lungs at lighter loads), offering a solid lower body workout. They enhance lower body strength and endurance, contributing to overall athletic performance.

Handstand Walk:
This exercise introduces a new skill challenge while also demanding overhead strength. They promote balance, stability, upper body strength and, best of all, make for a good Gladiator party trick!

HOW TO STAY FOCUSSED

Community: Surround yourself with a like-minded community that not only inspires growth but also keeps you smiling every day, both as an athlete and as a person.
Love it: Get involved with something you genuinely love. If you don’t enjoy running, don’t continually
force yourself to run, find a form of fitness that
brings you joy, and lack of motivation will cease
to be a factor in your athletic journey.

KWAME DUAH

GLADIATOR NAME: Maximus

ATHLETIC QUALITIES

Strength and explosiveness will be my biggest assets when it comes to being athletic. However, I always aim to be the most balanced athlete, so
I ensure I’m always working towards all other attributes including agility, suppleness, and endurance.

SUCCESSES

Multiple time State, National and World Champion bodybuilder. I am a professional World Champion bodybuilder in Natural Bodybuilding. In 2017 I was crowned the winner of the Musclemania Pro world title which is held in Las Vegas USA. To win this title you must turn professional which involves winning a national title or world title. The professional League has a competition with weight classes where mine was the heavy weight class. The winner of all classes goes up against each other for the MR pro world title. I was lucky enough to win this title.

THE WORKOUT

Lower Body and Conditioning
Barbell Squats (heavy)
– 5 reps x 4 sets Bulgarian Split Squats with dumbbells
– 5 reps x 4 sets (slow negatives and explosive Concentrics)
RDLs – 6 reps x 3 sets (slow negatives, fast Concentrics)
Leg Press – 20 reps x 3 sets
Leg Extensions – 20 reps x 3 sets
Sleds (heavy) – 20 metres x 8 laps
Backwards Sled Pulls (light) – 20 metres x 8 laps
Assault Bike – 15 minutes (aiming for 200 calories)
This lower body workout is excellent for targeting strength, power, speed, and muscle growth. Personally, my focus is on preserving overall muscle mass while prioritising explosiveness and maintaining balance.

THE BREAKDOWN

Barbell Squats: Improves overall strength in lower body and build muscle mass.
Bulgarian Split Squats: Improves single-leg strength, balance, and stability. Slow negatives emphasise muscle control, while explosive Concentrics adds power.
RDLs: Slow negatives engage muscles, fast Concentrics emphasise power in the hip hinge movement (i.e. explosive jumps/leaps).
Leg Press: Great for overall leg development – higher reps for endurance.
Leg Extensions: Improves muscular endurance for quads.
Sleds: Great for strength and conditioning as well as building explosive power in the legs for short bursts.
Backwards Sled Pulls: Stability and strengthening the knees.
Assault Bike: A challenging lower and upper body conditioning piece of equipment which is great for overall power and endurance. The calorie target is to increase our mental focus and push us to work harder.

HOW TO STAY FOCUSSED

Always have a plan. This helps with direction for you to never feel lost. The main reason people quit is usually because they get to a point where they lack direction. They begin to wonder around and then lose focus. Define specific, achievable goals for yourself. Having a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish helps maintain focus by providing a sense of direction.