In our previous segments of the Live By the Creed Series, we looked at how to develop functional all round and climbing strength, power and endurance that can be applied for any situation a member of the Assassin brotherhood may find themselves in. But the thing that is most mind-blowing and impressive about the likes Altaïr or Ezio is the agility with which they move.
>>> Assassin’s Creed Workout: Practical Strength
>>> Assassin’s Creed Workout: Responsibility
>>> Assassin’s Creed Workout: Cardio & Explosiveness
Somewhere between ninja, extreme sports athlete and dancer you will find the style of movement of the practitioners of parkour and free running. This is arguably the most impressive feature in the Assassin’s Creed series for the way its liquid, organic, versatile and intuitive game-play has captured this awe-inspiring form of self-expression and athleticism.
Check out the full Live By the Creed series.
Parkour was originally designed as a way of negotiating military obstacle courses. Like any sport, it is not possible to get good at it overnight and many people will not be able to achieve the level of agility and heightened perception required to perform the majority of the moves featured in parkour. However, we will show you some training methods that can help build your everyday speed, agility and dexterity which can be applied from everywhere from the Football field to a paintball session. For those who wish to try out Free running we will steer you in the direction of a few moves you may want to try.
Live By the Creed: Speed and Agility [Day 5]
For the 5th and final workout of the Assassin’s Creed workout we are going to show you how to develop speed and agility and improve your fitness at the same time using mainly running based drills with a few other suggestions thrown in of how to push these skills and your conditioning to the next level.
This is a simple and effective workout which will combine high intensity cardio, active rest and moderate intensity cardio.
Stage 1: Sprints
Set out a 20 metre area using a couple of cones or similar. For the first 3 minutes you will be sprinting flat out from one marker to the other, after performing a sprint return to the start by walking briskly for recovery. This will improve your ability to express and generate speed and acceleration as well as your body’s ability to deal with lactic acid.
Stage 2: Skipping
After completing 3 minutes of sprints, pick up a skipping rope and use for a 2 minute round for recovery. Start your intensity off light and concentrate on foot work such as alternating foot hops and double foot jumps building up speed gradually. For the last 30 seconds of the round add the most challenging and difficult rope work moves you know.
Stage 3: Cone Runs
Set out 5 cones over 15 metres. The aim here is to run and zigzag between the cones as quickly as possible with smooth changes in direction. This will test the bodies’ musculature in a whole new way to just running in a straight line. This will also be highly useful to an assassin trying to prevent a rooftop sniper with a crossbow from trying to draw a beat on them as well as improving their ability to weave through crowded spaces at speed. After zigzagging the length of the cones jog in a straight line back to the start for recovery. Perform for 3 minutes.
Stage 4: Cone Hops
With your cones or markers still set up, run directly down the line of these obstacles as quickly as possible while jumping over each one as you reach it. Aim to tuck your knees in as much as possible and try and land into stride so you can maintain momentum. Follow the same pattern as the cone runs by negotiating the obstacles in one direction for one rep and jog back alongside for recover on the way back. Repeat for 2 minutes.
That circuit of activity will take you 10 minutes. You can take 2 minutes of active rest and repeat up to 3 times depending on your level of fitness, if you are in good condition you may even want to cut your rest period down or remove it altogether in order to keep this cycle of activity going on for the duration of your session. In the interests of keeping your intensity up and keeping your workout at a high quality level we suggest you do this for no longer than 30 to 40 minutes. Always taper your workout at both ends with an appropriate warm up and cool down. After today’s workout make sure to take a rest day before starting to repeat the workouts from the beginning again.
Running Free
To really immerse yourself in Living by the Creed you may want to try your hand at Free running or Parkour, You could try this on your rest days or at the opposite end of the day to your Assassin’s workouts. There are so many different ways to apply free running moves and an unlimited number of variations of tricks in existence with countless resources out there on the internet for your perusal. As this is the case we have picked 3 basic maneuvers suggested for you to get research and get started with. All are attempted at your own risk of course.
Dropping
Ironically, the first lesson of Parkour is all about how you come down – not how you get up. Knowing how to fall or land is the cornerstone of everything in free running and will help prevent you getting hurt. Start off with small drops or heights and work your way up. Simply drop and land by compressing your legs and staying loose, this will absorb the shock. All those plyometrics and exercises to build strong legs and core become clear here, as well as any flexibility work you may have used in your rest days. The next step from here is landing into a run or into a roll but make sure you get the basics first before attempting these.
Vaulting
This is the act of clearing an obstacle in one swift movement while maintaining momentum so you keep on running. A short obstacle may be hurdled or jumped over without the use of your hands, anything too high to be cleared with legs alone may require a quick planting of the hands and the generation of upward force of the arms to assist in the vaulting of the obstacle. The key is to maintain momentum whether using just legs or legs and arms. I bet you are glad you got in all those dips and press ups now as well as your leg work now!
Wall Mounting
In order to get up a tall wall as quickly and as smoothly as possible a practitioner in the art of free running (or Traceur as they are often known) may use the technique of mounting the wall in order to gain enough height to grab an edge and begin to scale or climb. This is done by approaching the wall surface at a 45 degree angle with momentum, planting with the dominant foot against the wall and pushing upwards off the planted foot. This allows the Traceur to gain more height than simply jumping vertically and as such opens up more possibilities in the way their environment is used.
If practiced and applied with imagination, these 3 techniques can open up a realm of possibilities for the fit Assassin’s Creed fan who desires to emulate the likes of Altaïr or Ezio with functional acrobatics that can potentially turn the streets around them into a playground and a highly stimulating way to stay in shape.
Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted
We at ConFitdent hope you have enjoyed the Assassin’s Creed Workout series, the sky is the limit for how far you can take this type of training and you may find all kinds of other ways to hone your skills such as Martial Arts like Krav Maga and Jiu-jitsu to participation in adventure races such as Tough Mudder or Spartan Race. Combine this high-end type of training with the right nutrition and you will not only feel great but potentially look great too as quality workouts married with essential nutrition always garners results inside and out if you stick with it. Consequently you may find out that a hero’s body and fitness level at your fingertips in a gaming environment is also attainable in reality as well.