While going through a steamer trunk full of old writings I came across the following piece. It is a training regimen I devised for one of my students, Victor "Evil Eye" Richards when he was in training for his first Regional tournament. With the advent of the summer tournament season, I thought it might be helpful to various aspirants to the RPS elite to post this information. As always, check with your medical practitioner before beginning any training regimen.

This workout can be incorporated with your normal daily training session of RPS. It is advised that one follow this routine for 4-8 weeks preceding the day of the tournament.

WARM-UP-Any activity that gets the heart and lungs pumping and transitions your mind to the task ahead is good here. 5-10 minutes of walking in place, jumping rope, or doing jumping jacks is fine.

DRILLS-There are several drills that encourage speed and agility. Here are a few of the ones that have worked for me:
*First, simply work either hand at maximum speed (while still using good form) through the three throws, in traditional order. Work this drill for 5 minutes each hand.
*Most of us can at least fake the "Wildman" strategy. A useful drill is using a three-prime shoot with both hands, and making one hand the "Wildman". Again, use maximum speed and good form. The goal here is to be able to react as quickly as possible with a winning throw from the non-Wildman hand. Work towards 10 minutes each hand.
*An advanced dexterity drill (note: I urge each of you to try this-MR)- Start with both hands in neutral (Rock) position. Raise both hands as if preparing to shoot, but only in a 5" arc. At the bottom of the arc, make one hand switch to horizontal paper, the other to scissors. Raise both again, and come down with Rock once more. Raise once more, and again shoot scissors and paper, but with hands opposite of the last paper/scissors throw. You should build up a nice rhythm here. This drill is more difficult than it sounds, and I encourage you to take it slowly until you get the form right. 10-15 minutes of this drill should be fine.
*15 minute break after the drills.

STUDY-This is the time to learn new techniques, practice new gambits, or study notations of famous matches. Each student should be able to spot weaknesses in their game by consulting their training journal. Do they have difficulty transitioning to a different strategy mid-round? Is the end-game weak? This is the time to study different approaches and practice using them. An hour daily is certainly not too much, but a half-hour will suffice for the amateur player.

SPARRING-The "Bread and Butter" of any RPS training session. Professionals have the benefit of sometimes a team of trainers who will approach the player with a variety of different ploys and gambits in rapid succession. Most students do not have this luxury, and make do with the wiles of their teacher/trainer and whatever other students are available. It is necessary for the trainer(s) to not stick with one style, even if they are capable of playing at a very high level. It is good to switch tactics, from the "Classics" (D�nouement, Crescendo), to modern reflexive and inclusive stratagems, and even to dust off the old Triple Gambits. The player who wants to win will anticipate nothing and be prepared for everything. Those who do not even have another player to practice with can make do with any of the digital "trainers" (Note: when this piece was first written, the current WRPSS online trainer was not functional�nor was I even a member of the WRPSS! The online trainer is an extremely useful tool, as it mimics the playing styles of quite a few past and present RPS masters. It is not a complete substitute for a human player (due to lack of physical cues, etc.) but strategy-wise it is a worthy training tool.) One should definitely spar for at least an hour. Professionals are known to spar for several 2-hour sessions daily, when in season. Again, rest 15 minutes after sparring.

CONDITIONING-An oft-neglected area of RPS training. One should alternate training cardio and resistance for six days a week (pick one day a week for complete rest-no training at all, but meditation on the Three Noble Throws is okay.)
CARDIO-Many RPS players balk at this, but a well-rounded approach to training is key. One can do any sort of cardio activity here, from running to rowing. An approach that has worked for many is to run (on the road or treadmill) and instead of sweeping the arms in a full range of motion, stop just short, as if priming with each stride. This is best done on an inside track, as the appearance is somewhat odd and elicits rude responses from passers-by. Still, do not knock this until you've tried it.
STRENGTH-One really only needs to work the arms and hands for proper RPS conditioning although working the whole body will provide a more stable base. For RPS play, the main muscle group to condition in the arm is the triceps. Tri pushdowns or kickbacks are fine here. One should not neglect the antagonist muscle to the tris, the biceps. Imbalance in the groups will throw your game off, so you should do bicep curls as well. If you are having difficulty making a crisp stop at the end of your prime/shoot some work on the anterior deltoids is called for (do upright rows). Forearms are best worked using wrist curls with barbells. With this array of conditioning exercises, one may ask why the WRPSS World Championship Tournament does not resemble an arm-wrestling competition. The reason is that the RPS athlete trains for endurance, not size or strength. It is best to perform 3-5 sets of 15+ reps at under 60% of your 1-rep maximum. This not only increases endurance, but also improves the body's ability to clear and buffer lactic acid both intramuscularly and in the blood. This is of prime importance in a grueling daylong tournament. Hand strength is not generally needed, but one can use a grip-ball or an "eagle catcher" as long as it is not overdone.

STRETCHING-This is key. Take a few minutes and stretch the arms overhead, then cross each hand over to the opposite shoulder blade. Alternate clenching a tight Rock with a wide-spread stretching Paper. Stretch the Scissors fingers back as far as you comfortably can. Then loosely shake out the hands.

This lengthy and rigorous routine gives you an idea of what it takes to train for serious competition. When I wrote it, I was unaware of periodization techniques, but these can be included easily by altering the time and intensity of the workout in the weeks preceding a tournament. One can also split up the routine into three smaller sessions to be done at different points in the day. The regimen does not mention rest or nutrition, though an RPS athlete should get adequate rest and eat 5 small balanced meals throughout the day, as well as drink plenty of water. Supplements are fine if you like to use them. Consider a daily vitamin/mineral supplement and a protein/carb replacement drink after the workout. Blood doping and steroids are right out, and will negatively affect play. I have seen some encouraging signs with use of shark cartilage to encourage greater flexibility and recovery from hyperextension of the finger joints. In my competitive days, once or twice I made use of "beta blockers" to confound players of the kinesthetic school by obscuring my pulse, though I don't recommend this without a trainer.

I hope this (somewhat lengthy) training regimen will prove useful for anyone considering entering amateur or professional play. Remember, the way you train is the way you will play when in tournament mode. Don't cheat yourself from victory by sloppy or undedicated training.

Master Roshambollah
Director-Outreach, Fund Raising
And Spiritual Concerns

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Comments:: While going through a steamer trunk full of old writings I came across the following piece. It is a training regimen I devised for one of my students, Victor "Evil Eye" Richards when he was in training for his first Regional tournament. With the advent of the summer tournament season, I thought it might be helpful to various aspirants to the RPS elite to post this information. As always, check with your medical practitioner before beginning any training regimen. : This workout can be incorporated with your normal daily training session of RPS. It is advised that one follow this routine for 4-8 weeks preceding the day of the tournament. : WARM-UP-Any activity that gets the heart and lungs pumping and transitions your mind to the task ahead is good here. 5-10 minutes of walking in place, jumping rope, or doing jumping jacks is fine. : DRILLS-There are several drills that encourage speed and agility. Here are a few of the ones that have worked for me: : *First, simply work either hand at maximum speed (while still using good form) through the three throws, in traditional order. Work this drill for 5 minutes each hand. : *Most of us can at least fake the "Wildman" strategy. A useful drill is using a three-prime shoot with both hands, and making one hand the "Wildman". Again, use maximum speed and good form. The goal here is to be able to react as quickly as possible with a winning throw from the non-Wildman hand. Work towards 10 minutes each hand. : *An advanced dexterity drill (note: I urge each of you to try this-MR)- Start with both hands in neutral (Rock) position. Raise both hands as if preparing to shoot, but only in a 5" arc. At the bottom of the arc, make one hand switch to horizontal paper, the other to scissors. Raise both again, and come down with Rock once more. Raise once more, and again shoot scissors and paper, but with hands opposite of the last paper/scissors throw. You should build up a nice rhythm here. This drill is more difficult than it sounds, and I encourage you to take it slowly until you get the form right. 10-15 minutes of this drill should be fine. : *15 minute break after the drills. : STUDY-This is the time to learn new techniques, practice new gambits, or study notations of famous matches. Each student should be able to spot weaknesses in their game by consulting their training journal. Do they have difficulty transitioning to a different strategy mid-round? Is the end-game weak? This is the time to study different approaches and practice using them. An hour daily is certainly not too much, but a half-hour will suffice for the amateur player. : SPARRING-The "Bread and Butter" of any RPS training session. Professionals have the benefit of sometimes a team of trainers who will approach the player with a variety of different ploys and gambits in rapid succession. Most students do not have this luxury, and make do with the wiles of their teacher/trainer and whatever other students are available. It is necessary for the trainer(s) to not stick with one style, even if they are capable of playing at a very high level. It is good to switch tactics, from the "Classics" (D�nouement, Crescendo), to modern reflexive and inclusive stratagems, and even to dust off the old Triple Gambits. The player who wants to win will anticipate nothing and be prepared for everything. Those who do not even have another player to practice with can make do with any of the digital "trainers" (Note: when this piece was first written, the current WRPSS online trainer was not functional�nor was I even a member of the WRPSS! The online trainer is an extremely useful tool, as it mimics the playing styles of quite a few past and present RPS masters. It is not a complete substitute for a human player (due to lack of physical cues, etc.) but strategy-wise it is a worthy training tool.) One should definitely spar for at least an hour. Professionals are known to spar for several 2-hour sessions daily, when in season. Again, rest 15 minutes after sparring. : CONDITIONING-An oft-neglected area of RPS training. One should alternate training cardio and resistance for six days a week (pick one day a week for complete rest-no training at all, but meditation on the Three Noble Throws is okay.) : CARDIO-Many RPS players balk at this, but a well-rounded approach to training is key. One can do any sort of cardio activity here, from running to rowing. An approach that has worked for many is to run (on the road or treadmill) and instead of sweeping the arms in a full range of motion, stop just short, as if priming with each stride. This is best done on an inside track, as the appearance is somewhat odd and elicits rude responses from passers-by. Still, do not knock this until you've tried it. : STRENGTH-One really only needs to work the arms and hands for proper RPS conditioning although working the whole body will provide a more stable base. For RPS play, the main muscle group to condition in the arm is the triceps. Tri pushdowns or kickbacks are fine here. One should not neglect the antagonist muscle to the tris, the biceps. Imbalance in the groups will throw your game off, so you should do bicep curls as well. If you are having difficulty making a crisp stop at the end of your prime/shoot some work on the anterior deltoids is called for (do upright rows). Forearms are best worked using wrist curls with barbells. With this array of conditioning exercises, one may ask why the WRPSS World Championship Tournament does not resemble an arm-wrestling competition. The reason is that the RPS athlete trains for endurance, not size or strength. It is best to perform 3-5 sets of 15+ reps at under 60% of your 1-rep maximum. This not only increases endurance, but also improves the body's ability to clear and buffer lactic acid both intramuscularly and in the blood. This is of prime importance in a grueling daylong tournament. Hand strength is not generally needed, but one can use a grip-ball or an "eagle catcher" as long as it is not overdone. : STRETCHING-This is key. Take a few minutes and stretch the arms overhead, then cross each hand over to the opposite shoulder blade. Alternate clenching a tight Rock with a wide-spread stretching Paper. Stretch the Scissors fingers back as far as you comfortably can. Then loosely shake out the hands. : This lengthy and rigorous routine gives you an idea of what it takes to train for serious competition. When I wrote it, I was unaware of periodization techniques, but these can be included easily by altering the time and intensity of the workout in the weeks preceding a tournament. One can also split up the routine into three smaller sessions to be done at different points in the day. The regimen does not mention rest or nutrition, though an RPS athlete should get adequate rest and eat 5 small balanced meals throughout the day, as well as drink plenty of water. Supplements are fine if you like to use them. Consider a daily vitamin/mineral supplement and a protein/carb replacement drink after the workout. Blood doping and steroids are right out, and will negatively affect play. I have seen some encouraging signs with use of shark cartilage to encourage greater flexibility and recovery from hyperextension of the finger joints. In my competitive days, once or twice I made use of "beta blockers" to confound players of the kinesthetic school by obscuring my pulse, though I don't recommend this without a trainer. : I hope this (somewhat lengthy) training regimen will prove useful for anyone considering entering amateur or professional play. Remember, the way you train is the way you will play when in tournament mode. Don't cheat yourself from victory by sloppy or undedicated training. : Master Roshambollah : Director-Outreach, Fund Raising : And Spiritual Concerns

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