It's time to lean into being The Heavy Metal Strength Coach. I'm here to lay down some exercises to help you navigate the brutal but wholesome world of the mosh pit.
Assuming you survive the first 30 seconds of a of pit, the biggest killer is cardio. Take a look at the pit 3 minutes into the 5th or 6th song at a gig and you'll see a group of people who can best be described as flagging. I really mean dying on their arse but only a meanie would say that.
The below exercises will help you to be pit ready but not pit bulletproof. Enter them at your own risk and remember to be kind, don't try to hurt people and to stay metal.
We'll cover exercises and training protocols to improve your health, your ability to pit and your life.
Skierg/Rowing Machine
This isn't just going to be a list of cardio exercises I promise.
However, both the ski-erg d the rowing machine mimic a lot of the movements seen in pits. The ski-erg in particular closely mimics the headbanging motion while building cardio fitness. Putting some time into these exercises means you'll be able to pit more and be less dead!
Suggested Protocol:
1A 2-500m warm up 15-25 strokes per minute
2A 20 seconds hard rowing
2B 40-120 seconds slow rowing or rest
Repeat 2A + 2B 5-10 times
Add 2 seconds to the hard rowing every other week until you are at 30 seconds, then reduce rest time. Build until you can handle 10 rounds.
Suggested Songs
Blackbraid- Barefoot Dance on Blood Soaked Soil
Rotting Christ- Ze Nigmar
Deadlift/Romanian Deadlift
Pitting uses a lot of the muscles of the posterior chain. The posterior chain is a way for me to talk about all the muscles on the back of my body, while sounding smart as FUCK.
If you're a good person in the pit, you'll probably have to scoop people off the floor unless you are unable to do so. Having a strong deadlift will help you to do this.
These will help build your traps (but adding in additional work on your traps like shrugs will help maximise these gains.)
They are amazing for building strong backs and hamstrings and can be performed using a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells or whatever weighted implement you fancy using.
Suggested Protocol
Intensification/Lower Reps each week method
Week 1
A Deadlift 3x5 reps at moderate to tough difficulty
B -10% of the above. Perform as many good reps as you can in 10-15 minutes
Week 2
A Deadlift 3x4 reps at moderate to tough difficulty
B -12% of the above. Perform as many good reps as you can in 10-15 minutes
Week 3
A Deadlift 3x3 at moderate to tough difficulty
B -14% of the above. Perform as many good reps as you can in 10-15 minutes
Week 4
A Deadlift 3x2 reps at a moderate to tough difficulty
B -16% of the above. Perform as many good reps as you can in 10-15 minutes.
Week 5
A Deadlift 3x1 rep at a moderate to tough difficulty
B -18% of the above. Perform as many good reps as you can in 10-15 minutes.
Repeat.
Higher Rep Protocol
3-6 rounds x6-8 reps deadlift of your choice
Slowly increase weight, reps and sets over a number of weeks.
Suggested Songs
Metallica- Seek & Destroy
Bolt Thrower- The Killchain
Prowler Push
What a banger of an exercise.
Prowler work includes single leg work, sprints, endurance, and you don't need to worry about lowering the weight like during a squat, it's all pure pushing, which is far less taxing than say, squatting, which requires control on the way down.
It's annoying when you go heavy or have one of the stupid ones you have to turn around at the end of whatever track you are using, but it is a great tool.
You can make it an overhead movement, helping you be strong to help out with any wayward crowd surfers, you can build speed, power and endurance which all make you fitter for pitting.
Power Protocol
Low weight on the sled
Max Effort Prowler Push 3-8 seconds
Rest 2-5 minutes
Repeat 3-8 times
Aim: sled pushed further in the same amount of time
Gross/ Work Capacity Protocol
Build up to a max effort, max weight Prowler Push over 10-15m
Reduce the load by 50%
Push the sled as far as you can in 15 minutes
Aim-
1. increase weight on sled (strength/strength endurance benefits)
2. increase distance pushed in 15 minutes (pain threshold, aerobic capacity work, cardio)
Suggested Songs
Nails- You Will Never Be One of Us
Raging Speedhorn- Doom Machine
Running
I was going to put this as number 1, but I didn't want to put you off.
If you want to run around in a circle for an entire festival weekend, running will be one of the best and most specific exercises you can do.
If you can build up to being able to do 5km without stopping, you'll have a good base of cardio fitness to at least survive a few bands in the pit.
Suggested Protocol
Slow build up to 2-5k on the treadmill
Session 1- walk/run up to 1/2 a km
Add 0.25km each week to the desired distance
Then...
Slowly reduce the amount you walk
Then..
Add a 2nd shorter run
Suggested Songs
Iron Maiden- Run To The Hills
Airbourne- Runnin' Wild
Lateral or Sideways lunge
Pits can be slippy places, you don't want to rip your groin off as soon as your feet go beyond shoulder width apart, so we must train a wide stance.
This exercise will help to build and maintain the flexibility of your hips meaning you are less likely to get hurt if you end up in a wide stance, if you suddenly slip or when your knees are exposed to forces from the side.
I love the adductor machine for additional groin/inner leg work and I encourage you to include it in your training too.
(Forearms the size of my legs are not required for this exercise.)
Suggested Protocol
3x8-10 reps each side
Slowly increase your range of motion, reps and the amount of weight you use
Adductor machine 3x10-15 reps
Aim: Gradually increase the weight.
Song Suggestions
Wardruna- Kvitravn
Nordjevel- Fenriir
Plyometrics, Jumping and Ballistic Training A.K.A Jump & Throw Shit Around
Plyometrics is another fun word used by coaches to sound mega smart.
Plyometrics are jumping style exercises where you try to spend as little time as possible in contact with the ground or spending as little time holding an implement like a weighted ball.
Below is a video showing you some plyometric style movements.
The simplest reason we perform repetitive jumps is that jumping about is often required at gigs.
What is the best way to prepare for something?
Train the thing.
We could get very complex, very quickly here
Plyometrics train something called the stretch-shortening cycle.
The stretch-shortening cycle enables us to use the elasticity of our soft tissues to jump more efficiently.
Think of someone bouncing on a trampoline. With each jump the fabric stretches before rapidly firing back in the opposite direction because of the elasticity of the material.
This is similar to the stretch shortening cycle. The muscles stretch and twang back in the opposite direction. We are trying to become a better trampoline!
Plyometrics have been shown to improve power, strength, bone density and the ability to change direction, all of which are very important in a mosh pit!
Protocol
A) learn to skip
B) build up to 3-10 rounds of 10-20 seconds of bouncy skipping
Throwy Protocol
A Max effort Ball Slam/ Ball Throw/ Rotary Ball Throw/Throw of your choice
B REST 30-90 seconds
Repeat 3-6 times
Jumpy Protocol (This isn't plyometrics, but is jumpy enough to be included in this section)
Jump onto a box which is soft enough not to break you open if you catch the edge
3-5 jumps onto the box
Rest 1-3 minutes
Repeat 3-5 times
Aim: increase height ofthe box without changing your landing position
Suggested Songs
Push ups/ Press Ups
Press ups are one of the best upper body exercises you can do. They build upper body strength and muscle. They may improve your bench press. Your shoulder blades are freer to move around your rib cage vs the bench press and they are a moving plank so you don't have to endure the world's most boring exercise ever again.
The caveat is they are tougher if you are heavier, and women tend to struggle because they tend to have less upper body strength than men. At least at first, but huge improvements can be made and many women boss press ups.
For people who struggle with them I tend to program dumbbell bench press over press ups from the knees because in 20 years in the industry having trained thousands of people, NO ONE has ever told me they enjoy press ups from the knees, incline press ups or banded press ups.
From a metal gig point of view, if you go in the pit, you will fall at some point. You may need to pick yourself up by pressing yourself off the floor. Press ups make you more able to do this.
They will strengthen your wrist, elbows and your shoulders and are amazing. Helpfully, they require no equipment whatsoever. Push ups are a thoroughly underrated exercise with pride of place on this list.
Suggested Protocol
As many good press ups as you can in 10 minutes
Slowly increase the number you do
Wildcard Protocol
3-5x5-12 reps adding more weight or more band tension when you as or each week
Songs
Slipknot- Duality
The Sun's Journey Through the Night- Worldless
High-Incline Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press/Overhead Pressing
If you plan on being in the crowd at a metal gig, you may be required to have your arms in the air. If you plan on giving it the old DEVIL HORNS for 5 hours or support numerous crowd surfers going over the top of you, having strong shoulders is a must.
Shoulders are usually more comfortable with the bench at a slight Incline vs. vertical and neutral grip vs. a palms away from you grip, hence placing this as the first option.
If, however, you can own overhead dumbbell or barbell overhead press, do it.
If you aren't in pain or immediate risk of injury then overhead press is the one but the neutral grip high incline press tends to become my go-to overhead press variation for pain, comfort and enjoyment reasons.
Suggested Protocol
3-5 sets x6-12 reps
Gradually increase the weight
Suggested Songs
Codespeaker- Carthage
Judas Priest- Living After Midnight
Hill Sprints
Not like this...
I know I already said running, but sprinting and running are two very different things.
Sprinting places much more stress on the body in terms of how much force is going through the skeleton and the amount of force the musculature is producing in a short amount of time.
This means sprints can be great for bone density and bone health as long as you don't do too much too quickly. It's for this reason I would build base by running, then adding sprints slightly later.
Because sprinting demands maximum effort and power, this is exactly what sprints build.
It makes the body better at producing maximum force as quickly as possible.
You might see this referred to as 'rate of force development' which sounds a lot more fancy.
This maximum forces pull on the various soft tissues of the body like the ligaments, tendons and muscles, contributing towards muscle growth, and positive changes to tendons and ligaments (again, as long as you don't do too much too soon) and that fucking rules
Sprints also look kinda similar to a wall of death but you don't have dozens of people running through you.
Suggested Protocol
10-20m Hill Sprints
Rest 2-5 minutes
Repeat 3-10 times
Slowly increase speed, decrease rest or increase the sets until you can handle 10 relatively easily.
Suggested Songs
Immortal- All Shall Fall
Van Halen- Runnin' With The Devil
Nordic Curl/Assisted Nordic Curl/Nordic Hold
Every time I pit, it's my hamstrings and hip flexors which feel like the weak links.
The hamstrings need to be worked from both ends to be the best they can be.
They need hip-based stuff like deadlifts and knee-based stuff like laying leg curls, nordic holds, seated leg curls, slider leg curls and full nordic curls.
I've included the nordics here because they are metal AF, MAY reduce incidence of hamstring strains, butcher the core and require a focus on squeezing the glutes, all of which makes for a fitter pitter, which is a sentence I can't believe I just wrote.
Suggested Protocol
Nordic Hold
Build up to 3-5 reps for with a 5 second hold for 2-3 sets
Nordic Curl Protocol
(Using bands or assistance if needed)
Build up to 3x5 reps
slowly remove assistance
Then..
add weight. Not many get to this point. Maybe you will!
Suggested Songs
Rammstein- Ich Will
Vader- When The Sun Drowns In The Dark
Hip Flexor Strengthening Exercises
My second weak link in the pit is my hip flexors. If I don't train them, they are in bits after a song or two.
What is a hip flexor?
Stand on one leg.
Lift a knee towards your chest.
Your hip flexors perform this movement so are key for running, jumping, skipping and for anything involving moving the leg in front of the body.
They are a chronically undertrained muscle group and their weakness often mascarades as tightness. I envision this as the body putting on the emergency brakes. When the muscle is used, the body protects it because it's weak. We make it nice and strong through a large range of motion, and we often see a reduction in tightness without having to stretch the hip flexors at all.
Suggested Protocol
Banded Hip Flexor Lift
3x12-15 reps each side
Progress towards standing, weighted version or increase the tension of the band.
No songs are fitting for this grim exercise, which you must stoically make your way through.
Conclusion
Getting fitter as a metalhead is intimidating, but this article will give you a good starting point.
If you already train regularly, I hope this gave you some ideas on how to bridge any gaps you may see in your training.
If you have any questions, or you just want to talk, please drop me a message to @theheavymetalstrengthcoach on Instagram. I'm a coach who works in-person and online and I always like talking to new people, despite what my dark, satanic exterior may imply.
By Chris Kershaw
The Heavy Metal Strength Coach
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