Mind & body

Joe Choong’s modern moves: Part 2

Modern pentathlon coach, Tom Toolis, gives us the low down on Joe Choong’s training programme to help every day actives

Published February 22, 2025

Updated August 28, 2025

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Paul

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Montage of Illustrations of a man doing worksouts

He starts early. Pre-season is about conditioning and building volume at low intensity,” says Tom. “Coming up to competition season we build the intensity ready for race-pace eff orts of competition. We periodise the training into four to six week blocks – this means we can focus on specific disciplines within each block; for example, during the pre-season block we might give Joe six runs a week and only one fencing session a week. But closer to competition it could be three fences and four runs.” Alongside the sport-specifi c session, Tom also sets Joe a series of drills that are eff ective in enhancing strength, endurance and agility for modern pentathlon.

Joe’s workout circuit

Perform the exercises in the following order to ensure a balanced and effective workout. “Be sure to rest for one to two minutes between each set – ensure proper form and technique to avoid injury and adjust weights and intensity based on your fitness level,” advises Tom.

Agility drill

“These are dynamic movements designed to improve lower body strength, power, balance and stability” says Tom.

Single-leg hop with stick landing

Sets 3 | Reps 8 reps per leg

1 Stand on one leg with a slight bend in your knee. Hips and shoulders should be facing forward. Hold your arms out for balance.

2 Push off from your standing leg to hop forward. The distance of the hop should be challenging but manageable to maintain control.

3 Aim to land softly on your take off leg. Your knee should be slightly bent, hip stable and torso upright. Focus on stabilising yourself upon landing. Hold the landing position for a few seconds.

4 After holding the landing position, reset and repeat the hop.

Joe says “Mobility and yoga-like exercises are my favourite drills. They prep the body for five very different sports.”

Endurance drill

“You can adjust the level of challenge by adding weight or modifying the range of motion” says Tom.

Capacity hip thrusts

Sets 3 | Reps 5-20 per set

1 Sit on the ground with your upper back against a bench and your feet flat on the fl oor, hip-width apart. Place a barbell or dumbbell across your hips if you’re using additional weight.

2 Roll the barbell (over your hips if using one) and lean back so your shoulder blades rest on the bench. Your knees should be bent at about a 90-degree angle, and your feet directly under your knees.

3 Drive through your heels and lift your hips by squeezing your glutes. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. This happens at the top of the movement.

4 Pause at the top of the movement and hold one to two seconds while squeezing your glutes.

5 Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position without touching the ground.

Joe says “These sessions are tough. I had to do 3×30 reps of 50kg hip thrusts – by the last few reps it burns like hell.”

Strength drill

“These exercises can be adjusted for diff erent fitness levels and goals” says Tom.

Split jerk

Sets 4 | Reps 5 per set

1 Dip down by bending your knees slightly, keeping your chest up and core engaged.

2 Drive up by explosively extending your hips and knees, pushing the barbell overhead.

3 Split legs into a lunge position as the barbell peaks, with one footforward and one back; keep your front knee bent at 90 degrees and your back knee also slightly bent.

4 Lock out the barbell overhead, fully extending your arms and keeping your core engaged and back straight.

5 Recover stance by pushing through the front heel and bringing the back foot forward.

6 Lower the barbell back to the front rack position to complete a repetition.

Joe says “These explosive power moves are essential for the fencing lunge, and the explosive starts in swimming and running”

Profile image of Tom Toolis on a pink circle background

Tom Toolis
Holds a BA (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science from Bath University and a Master’s in Applied Sports and Exercise Physiology from St Mary’s university.