Prison Workout - The Preparation

The Prison Workout has been much more popular than I had anticipated. Awesome!

I was hoping to gather some friends and family together (at least online) to try something not only healthy, but totally different.  After a few friends forwarded my first PWO email to some of their friends (etc, etc) the idea began to grow into something I had not originally imagined. I can only estimate that as many as 50 people will be participating across the country, if not more.  We have grandmas & grandpas, beer bellies & skin-n-bones, endurance athletes & muscleheads, and quite a few cops (funny so many police officers find the humor behind the Prison Workout name).

I have still been posting videos to the blog....mostly pirated from YouTube and CrossFit.  I am still filtering through a lot of crap videos on the net, but hope to have a more complete library within the next few weeks.  If even after watching my video selections you still do not understand a particular movement, do a YouTube or Google Video search. They've probably got more than 20 clips on any given exercise.  [For my posts: Please click on either the label "Prison Workout" at the end of this post or in the right column...any post I have tagged as part of the PWO will come up with the most recent post at the top.]

A lot of questions have been coming in: "What are the workouts like?" tends to be a favorite.  Like I've said before, you can get ready by doing a lot of pushups, air squats, situps, leg lifts, planks, burpees, and pullups. However, I recommend doing them in a circuit fashion such as these four workouts:

• 10 rounds of: 5 pushups, 10 situps, 15 air squats
  
• 30 rounds of: 2 pullups (or inverted rows), 1 tuck jump
  
• 12 rounds of: 3 burpees, 6 situps, 3 Supermans (5-sec hold, 5-sec rest)
  
• 20 minutes of: 10 leg lifts, Superman (10 sec hold) , and 15 air squats

Lastly, consider making an additional commitment for these 30 days. I recently decided on a "No Chocolate & No Alcohol" period.  I'll likely lose a couple of pounds without drinking German beer at 200 calories per pint!! This voluntary lesson in self-denial can be better explained in my on-going series Luxury Versus Survival. Also, how about reading a new book? I've been reading Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, profiling the race for the Republican nomination for US President in 1860. Here is a summary of some ideas for the 30 days:

• Follow the Prison Workout daily schedule.
  
• Make some diet "rules"...like no booze or chocolate.
  
• Get a new book to read.

I hope these ideas whet the appetite a bit. Shoot me an email at louis.hayes@comcast.net if you're participating. Remember the 30 days officially begins Monday, October 13th.

Sloppy Hogs - Midwest Monster Race report

Another race....more poison ivy. Seems to be the surest bet around these days.

The Sloppy Hogs participated in yet another adventure race: The Midwest Monster. The Monster is a great annual race held in Quincy, IL, each September. It funds the Quincy Regional Crimestoppers program. And this was the third time Brian and I participated. This was, however, the first time we registered as a 2-person team rather than a 4-person co-ed team. We also made the trip down to Quincy with two other Chicagoland teams, the "Fat Kidz" and the "Kettlebell Mafia" both who train out of a local gym, CrossFit Tri-Cities.

The exact course and components are kept a secret until race day. It proved to be 39+ miles of biking, 10+ miles of running/trekking, 2 miles of carrying a 40lb sandbag (each), kayaking around a lake, running through a flooded creek for 1.5 miles, navigating a dense forest, and a variety of agility and strength obstacles. Each of the disciplines was broken up to no more than 5 miles of running or 6-8 miles of biking at a stretch.

Yet again I ran out of water and food. It's a painful lesson I'm forced to learn again each year. One of these days I'll actually remember to pack enough food and water in my CamelBak backpack to last. So with the mild dehydration, the physical exertion, and realization of how far we were from the next transition point (with our staged food and water)...I did what anyone would do: turn into a whiny bitch.

Brian kicked some major butt while getting us through the LandNav portion of the race. His compass reading and pace count was right-on for each of the orienteering points we had to locate in the forest. He also dished out a statement early in race that kept me going strong, "If it were easy, everyone would be doing it." That motivated me into digging deep for those extra bursts of energy.

The mountain biking was probably the most challenging. A lot of the late-race off-road course was on a sandy river bank...totally unmountable. Also, I couldn't believe how many fallen trees were across the trails. These were mostly trees that I would normally jump or ride over. But late in the race, I did not have the power or coordination to time any jumps or techniques....other than the old standby: get off and carry the bike over or through the obstacle. My odometer said 39-point-something miles, but that didn't account for all the distance I carried that bike on my shoulder!!

After 9 hours and 48 minutes of non-stop action, we crossed the finish line. As always, it was a great race. It keeps getting better each year. Well, except for that damn poison ivy I seem to find my way into!

This was my last endurance event for the season, so I get to alter my training schedule a tad. My plans are to:

• finish the 100 Day Burpee Challenge,
• add more functional weightlifting and gymnastics sessions through Oct 12th,
• more stair workouts,
• limit the distance running and mountain biking,
• do shorter, more intense interval and sprint runs,
• and wait for the October 13th start of the now-famous 30-day Prison Workout.

That seems like a pretty solid plan for the rest of Fall 2008. That will bring me into the cold months....any ideas? You know I'm already thinking of skyscraper stair races....

Swallow Cliff Stair Group Workouts - Update

After about a month of endurance training for a half marathon and adventure race, it was time to resurrect the group workouts at Swallow Cliff Forest Preserve. My email invitation list continues to grow. If you'd like to join us, just drop me a message at louis.hayes@comcast.net so I can add you to the list. Here are some updates:

A few weeks ago, Tom G assembled a WO that included KB snatches, situps, stair climbing, box jumps, and inverted rows. We did as many rounds as possible in 30 minutes. Tom G lapped me, getting a full extra round in before time expired. He is in the midst of recovering from a half marathon, and training for a full 26.2 run in October.

Neil K has been a regular. He's getting serious about opening up a functional fitness gym in the West Burbs. He's amassing equipment, and gracious enough to bring it out to Swallow Cliff with him for all to use.

Today's crew included: Dan E, Joe R, Bobby K, Amy C, and Tom G (even though he stuck with his wife..haha). We did seven rounds of 10 KB clean and presses [each side], climb up, 15 inverted rows, 15 jack knives, and climb down. Some of the others substituted the KB presses with swings. Great WO...the sweat began to burn my eyes.

Another discipleship moment: Today I talked to guy who was rubbernecking at our group doing KBs. I constantly get asked about the purpose and use of the kettlebells by curious onlookers. What a great opportunity to spread the word about functional fitness and complete, integrated workout sessions. It never ceases to amaze me how much camaraderie is between fitness junkies! but breaking old traditional exercise habits is really hard. I take a lot of pride whenever I can be a part of someone's transition (or graduation) into a more practical system. We can all find interested people to spread the word. Maybe just by explaining a few things about your WOs to someone will be that straw that breaks the camel's back. We can all make a difference!

Prison Workout: Squats and Jumps

I lump together SQUATS ang JUMPS because their forms are somewhat similar. Squats have already been profiled in a previous video, and are critical building blocks to the plyometric jumps.  Here are the two jumps we'll be doing during the PWO:

Above is a KNEE TUCK JUMP (or shortened to TUCK JUMP).



Above is a SQUAT JUMP.  Notice the hands above the head. Another option is interlacing your fingers, and putting your hands behind your head.  Both options are completely acceptable.  Notice how deep this man gets on the bottom of the movement. Practicing AIR SQUATS will help with balance and flexibility to make the proper "depth."

Half MURPH Results....

This afternoon we had a workplace Half MURPH.  Halving a gruelling workout such as MURPH is still so intense, it takes constant mental and emotional effort to maintain the high intensity: Run a half mile. Do 50 pullups, 100 pushups, 150 air squats. Run another half mile.  And of course, as fast as possible. Here are the results:

JC 18:20

Woody 23:27

Paulie 23:06

H-ski 23:30

Lou 25:35

Froggy 26:22

Jew 28:29

AJ 30:52

Shirley 31:14

Tommy L 32:21

Tree 32:55

Nick 33:50

Pic 35:52

Carp 36:52

Hurt 43:29

*Q's Daddy 24:41

*The Reverand 27:04

*denotes substitutions (not as RXed)

Great job everyone...especially those who met MURPH for the first time today!!!

Burpee Challenge: Half done? Not really!

Challenge coordinator Ann M has been using each 10th day as a milestone, as seen in her motivating reports.  I see this 50th day as even more special. It is a turn of events!

I've been waiting for Day 50 since August 1st. It signifies a real change.  For starters, if you look at the schedule, you'd see that Day 51 begins another column....something new.  Concerning duration: we are halfway through the total number of days. Concerning repetition numbers: we are a quarter through the total of 5,050 burpees.  And Day 51 begins a trend where we are doing more than the daily average of 50 (5,050 divided by 100 is equal to 50 per day)....each day we get exponentially closer to the end.

If you look at this Burpee Challenge as a mountain, we started at the top and began hiking down. Easy at first. Today, we are standing at the foot of that mountain.  And now we climb up! The easy part is over.  The climb up means longer burpee sessions, and probably more heavily fatigued limbs. But with each day, we are taking an even BIGGER bite out of the total number. That's exciting.

Over the past few weeks as numbers rose, I began changing my strategies. I began to do more integration of burpees into circuits. I did rounds of burpees, air squats, and back extensions. I also did rounds of burpees and rowing, or burpees and pullups. Even as of late, I was doing sets of 5 or 10, then walking across the yard or room and doing another set, until I hit the day's goal. Sometimes I've been cramming all the burpees into a pre-workout warmup, and other days I find myself doing the "Oh crap it's almost midnight, I better whip these out." 

I haven't missed a day since Labor Day (AKA: Day 32).  I ran that half marathon, and quickly decided I'd make up those reps on Tuesday. With the approach of the Midwest Monster adventure race, I think I'll be adding another make-up day that weekend.

Anyways, I hear of more and more 100 Day Burpee Challenges popping up around the country. Seems like there's groups all over the place in various stages of agony. I'm glad to be at that halfway point. And like I've been saying:

November 9th. Day 101: ZERO.

Adventure Racing

The below passage is a reprint of a column published in the December 2007 issue of the STRIKE Tactical Newsletter. This is a timely article, since the Sloppy Hogs are participating in the Midwest Monster Adventure Race this month.

In recent years, marathoners and triathletes alike have been following a trend into adventure racing. I’m sure those athletes chased the same attraction I did when I began adventure racing…the adventure. And if adventure racing is new to you, maybe you’ll see the same lure. It doesn’t take long to realize racing does not build character. It reveals it. And the fabric of Mind, Body, and Spirit shall be exposed for all to see. Even as a weekend hobby, the lessons along the way may help you in your tactical career as well.

Adventure racing falls into the category of “multi-sporting.” Teams of two to four racers take on challenges of mountain biking, trail running, orienteering or navigation through dense forest, a ropes course, paddling, and a laundry list of obstacles and tasks. The race lengths range from Sprint (under 6 hours), 12-hour, 24-hour, to Expedition (72-hour). All members do the entire course, with many races requiring teams keep members within 100 yards of each other. Lastly, teams must carry all the required equipment like packs, first aid kits, water, navigation tools, dry bags, and the sort.

Some typical 12-hour races include 20-30 miles of mountain biking, 10-15 miles of running, a couple miles of canoeing or kayaking, and completing mystery events along the way. Some of the unorthodox events I have done include carrying a 40-pound sandbag for two miles, zip-lines, human wheelbarrow races, shooting archery, and agility courses. Teams are issued “passports” which are punched at various stations to ensure the team passed through all the checkpoints. And oh yeah, most of the racecourses aren’t even marked! You need to pre-plot checkpoints on the supplied maps and find your way with a compass. Sound like fun yet?

There’s a huge spirit among fellow racing teams. One rule in most races is this: you can only accept help from other teams, not outsiders. You wouldn’t believe the help another team will offer you when you’re in need. Whether you need assistance fixing a bike or begging for food or water, teams express an unparalleled sense of sympathy. Everyone realizes the tables can turn, maybe in the next race or in as little as five or ten miles up the trail. What goes around comes around.

Physical training for these races is obviously critical. The human body must be ready for a grueling day(s). Workouts must include combinations of running and biking, or running and paddling (mirroring triathlon brick sessions). You need not be a master of all disciplines, but you better be a jack-of-all-trades. Some races will only announce approximate distances and give no order to events, leading the participants to prepare for anything in any order. The adventure begins sooner than you think, sometimes months before! While endurance is the name of the game, peak physical conditioning is only one segment of preparation.

Logistical readiness sets teams apart. What foods and nutritional supplements do I eat during the race? What changes of clothes or shoes should I have? Do I have all the tools and material to fix broken equipment along the way? How will I patch up my injuries along the course? How many fresh batteries for the headlamps? Planning for these contingencies proves valuable. Rolling the dice on whether to bring along a spare bicycle tube is the sure path to failure. An old military saying is, “Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” Rhodesian Tracker Combat Unit member and author David Scott-Donelan adds, “If you take it, you have to carry it.” Some equipment is mandatory. For the other stuff, team members must find that balance between preparation and wasted bulk. It’s not always an easy compromise. I’d rather run ten miles with a light pack, than a heavy one….but I also need to make sure I have all the right stuff along the way.

A frequent misunderstanding is that adventure racing is done by individuals next to each other. Wrong. It is done by TEAMS. There is a difference. Teams win together. Teams get lost, and passed by faster teams together. Teams get bogged down by a leg cramp together. Teams argue about their position on a map together. Teams share food and water, and treat cuts and scrapes, and tackle obstacle courses together. When racers are fatigued and malnourished (AKA “bonked”), and then get lost, stressed, and panicked, conflict rises and arguments happen. Teammates must be sympathetic and work through disagreement to get back on track, both literally and figuratively. Leaders must take charge. Staying focused and mitigating disagreements among the team is absolutely necessary to complete the course. I once saw a husband-wife team get disqualified after the wife was arrested mid-race for domestic battery at a gear staging area! Tempers must be controlled for a team to be successful. Racers must stay calm amidst confusion, and remain positive and encouraging with struggling teammates.

Some racers find the biggest challenge in the navigation and orienteering. The more members on your team that firmly grasp the principles of topography, dead-reckoning, UTM grid coordinates, azimuths, pace, and resection…the better. A team full of Olympic-caliber endurance athletes might be in peak physical fitness, but they’ll fail if they can’t navigate through the course, locate the checkpoints, and stay motivated. The mental side of using a compass, a map, and navigation techniques must not be overlooked. During training, do not sacrifice orienteering practice for the sake of physical conditioning. I remember pointing a lost team in the right direction, and receiving thanks from crying team members. But not as vividly as I recall the disappointment I felt in myself for yelling at my partner one race when we found ourselves completely lost in the woods. Navigation can make or break teams, as it’s usually the most frequent reason for quitting or disqualification.

Maybe you have found yourself a bit bored with some of the monotonous running or biking races you’ve been doing. I have learned many lessons from adventure racing. The navigational skills alone have been extremely helpful when drilling with my SWAT team in rural and wooded searches. I now have a much better understanding of my body’s nutritional needs during both shorter and longer endurance races. At work, I can better prepare myself for the hunger and thirst that comes with extended SWAT missions. Through racing, I have experienced the pitfalls of allowing fatigue, stress, and panic to seep into disagreements with teammates. My appreciation of a positive attitude and encouragement hopefully helps me to grow in my leadership position within SWAT. Logistical planning (such as supply, equipment-staging, and problem foresight) has helped me identify potential obstacles during tactical missions. Lastly, I have experienced increases in physical fitness, endurance, strength, coordination, and agility by training for adventure races. Those are tough benefits to argue against!

Mind: Know your equipment, how to troubleshoot it, and fix it. Understand how to orienteer and navigate through tough terrain. Plan accordingly.

Body: Attain peak physical fitness. Experiment with various combinations of food and liquids. Know your body’s limits. Avoid injury, and learn how to treat them.

Spirit: Stay calm. There’s more honor in helping one in need than winning the race. When the morale is low, and the discouragement is high, remind yourselves how the finish line feels.

During the last ten minutes of a recent grueling eleven-hour-plus race, I recall saying to my teammates, “Nothing can stop me right now. If scientists could bottle up the natural chemicals flowing through my bloodstream this minute, I’d be unstoppable forever!” It wasn’t the first nor the last time I’d felt that invincibility in my veins. The reality is that those chemicals are waiting in reserve for the right times to come out. For those of you who have experienced it, it’s unbelievable, isn’t it? I’m not sure how long that burst of energy would have lasted, but I ran faster in those ten minutes than probably ever! But to get me to that point just ten minutes from the finish line took a lot…a lot of teamwork, preparation, prayer, know-how, Gatorade, physical endurance, belief, leadership. And in the months before the race, I trained and trained.

I’m always looking for new racing teammates. Look me up. I’m up for a new challenge. But I’m warning you: I race outside my comfort zone.

Luxury versus Survival (Part 5)

(Click on the photo to enlarge) 

Above is a photo of a warning at the ranger station at Grand Canyon National Park. Here is an article about Margaret's death.  

While most modern tales of survival revolve around natural disasters (floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, earthquakes), that's a very narrow vision of adversity.  In fact, we probably bring on more adversity to ourselves and our human race with our risky behaviors than nature does. Recreational boating is a common weekend activity...yet we hear endless tales each summer about some search-and-rescue for those lost at sea.  The same stories surface about adventurers in the wild, such as mountain climbers, skiers, hikers, kayakers, and weekend backpackers. 

Ironically, the Grandview Trail that Margaret Bradley and her friend began down was the one Brain M, I, and friends took into the GC a few years ago.  I saw these same exact warning posters and thought to myself, "Are we the same fools who don't know what we're getting into?"  She left the rim with the same confidence we did....right? I'm sure she didn't take that first step down into the GC with any thoughts about not getting back out alive.  But we had compasses, topo maps, and an experienced hiker with us to hold our hands....but were we really any different? I'm not sure of the answer to that question even now. But, we are alive; she is not.

I'm a bit of an adventure-seeker myself, probably much like Margaret Bradley.  But what distinguishes foolishness from a challenge??  There is value in seeking an adventure and testing your limits, but at what cost?  Challenges must be tackled with planning and preparation, and after gathering information to make rational and safe decisions.  We went into the GC with ways to purify and filter water. We brought medical supplies, clothes for the uncertain weather, and backpacking stoves. We had physically prepared for the overnight trip by climbing stairs and hills here in Illinois. We carried extra food and supplies, and needed them after medical and weather issues!   We even discussed various options for helping one of our own who was dehydrated and vomiting, unsure if she was able to climb out on her own.

While I never had to gamble on our last ditch effort to get all of us out that trip, I neverthless emerged out of the big hole a changed person. After the GC experience, I know myself to be better prepared for life's obstacles.  The emotional turmoil, and the planning discussions about rescuing one of our own was a life lesson no one can take away from me. I am proud our group decided on several rescue options, all of which I still hold to be fundamentally solid...even with 20/20 vision of hindsight.  It was not only a survival mindset that allowed us to develop plans, but logical "if-then" thinking that weighed the probabilities, risks, and chances of success/failure.

Each week (or day) there is a tragedy of flooding, fire, storm, or earthquake. But even though we as a human race know of the possibility or probability of certain occurrences, why do we still not accept a survivalist's approach to preparation?  How does physical, emotional, or mental fitness factor into the answer?

Photo credit:  Bill Qualls www.billqualls.com 

Prison Workout: Planking and Isometrics

These below three exercises are isometric...the joints are static. This means the muscles are "stationary" during the contraction phase.  This holding of a position can be more difficlut than dynamic (or isotonic) movements, obviously depending on the time duration.  What is especially important is ensuring controlled breathing throughout the static muscle contraction.

We will be using these core isometrics as "active rest" periods between isotonic movements. These are generally done to either failure (cannot hold the position any longer) or for time (ex: 30 seconds).

Above is the traditional PLANK.

The above is the SIDE PLANK. Ignore the segments with adding weight.

The above is the SUPERMAN. 

Prison Workout: The Pulls

Pulling movements build strength and power in the musculature of the back, biceps, forearms, and hands. Pulling is one of the most basic human movements. Like I've said before, do whatever you can to get to a bar, whether high or low.

The above two videos are of INVERTED ROWS.  The top video is great form, with a fully planked or in-line body.  The second video is "scaled" for the participant's abilities.  While I recommend doing as many perfect repetitions as possible, the second video shows how to "cheat" a little bit....by bringing in the feet, bending the knees, and thrusting the hips. Also, switch up the grip from palms facing and palms away.

Above is the PULLUP. It's not cheating to kip or swing...actually encouraged. As far as grip is concerned: doesn't matter. I recommend switching it up...palms forward (away), palms facing (chinup) and neutral (hammer grip).  The basics are the same.  But as always, doing what is hardest is sometimes best!!!

This is a JUMPING PULLUP. I will never post a WO calling for a JUMPING PULLUP. This is a way to scale (or adjust) for your ability.  If you cannot do full PULLUPS, then substitute or finish with JUMPING PULLUPS. Do not underestimate them...they are not easy!

Survey Results: Why do you exercise?

The most recent survey has ended. What's the MAIN reason why you exercise? As always, I was again surprised by some of the answers. I thought "Stress Relief" would have received more votes. I was NOT surprised at the high percentage of "Weight Loss/Control." I have been preaching that vanity-centric workouts do not produce the results that performance-based workouts do. If you strive for speed, power, strength, and endurance with quantifiable numbers, your body will look better as well.....and probably a whole lot faster than if you are focused merely (or is it "mirrorly?") on the numbers on the scale or measuring tape.

39% - Pure Fitness (Self-betterment)

21% - Weight Loss /Control

14% - Career Requirements

10% - It's fun

10% - For a Race /Competition

You'll see the numbers don't add up to 100%....well "Stress Relief" and "I'm bored" did catch some votes, but not all that many.

A new poll is posted on the right column: What is your favorite "named" workout? Click here for help. Scroll down to 4.1

I voted MURPH...but I'm sure most of you figured that out. I actually did MURPH this morning as a tribute to 9/11.

New CF gym: H.O.T.Side CrossFit

You all know I post the openings of functional fitness gyms in our area. We are lucky enough to have another, this time in the SW Chicago suburbs....H.O.T.SIDE CrossFit.  Their acronym HOT stands for the locales they service: Homer, Orland, and Tinley.  While browsing their website, I found some photos of group workouts at Swallow Cliff Forest Preserve. Funny, huh? I guess great minds do think alike!!

Please visit their website. www.hotsidecf.com

A Fine Line

“There is a fine line between hard and stupid!’ These words from my old Gunny didn’t ring as true to a 19 year old Marine as they do today. I remember the days where going on “light duty” was a sign of weakness to our fellow Marines. Days when we PT’d with sprains, breaks, cuts and any number of injuries. Pain for the sake of pride.

Now don’t get me wrong. As young Marines we needed to gain the strength of mind and character to fight through tough times. There is a distinct difference between pain and injury. You can be in pain such as sucking wind on a long run or muscles cramping during a 300 workout. That pain is goooood. (especially when it’s over!). But there can be no good in continuing to run (during a workout) after tearing your ACL. That is simply injury. You will only make it worse, lengthen your recovery time and in turn affect your fitness goals.

Let’s fast forward to today. A few years older and wiser, right? Sometimes, I wonder.

Any number of injuries should have sent me to the doctor. Problems with my knees, back and neck. Several years of pain and “sucking it up”. Hard or stupid? (as my Gunny rings in my ears) The simple answer… STUPID!!

My knees which had bothered me for so long, affecting my running, walking and day to day quality of life. It was a hard fix… I needed to stretch! In about 20 minutes my doctor gave me the simplest of cures which had me back running within the month.

My neck and back which caused me much discomfort and loss of strength. That was a pinched nerve. This is a continuing fix but is better every day.

My fitness level has raised drastically since I sought treatment. A healthy body will always outperform an unhealthy one. I wonder where I could be if not for those couple years. Well, enough wondering as I cannot control the past, only the future.

So for those of you who are procrastinating on treatment of an injury, I ask you.. “Are you being hard or stupid?!”

Prison Workout: Basic Fundamentals

The Prison Workout (PWO) is a fully integrated program. While it's based on limitations of equipment, time, and space, it can still bring first-class fitness.

Basics: It is a complete body workout program that will target all muscle groups...sometimes as an isolation and sometimes as part of a more complex movement pattern. For example, the musculature of the lower back will be specifically targeted with the Superman exercise, but also contracted/relaxed within the Air Squat exercise. The PWO will also attack many of the various components of fitness such as: aerobics, anaerobics, muscular strength, endurance, coordination, agility, and power. For example, the high intensity of certain circuits (ex: pushups, situps, and air squats) brings an increase in anaerobic capacity. Other exercises such as clapping pushups and tuck jumps build power and explosiveness. This is a well-rounded, balanced approach to fitness.

The Exercises: In upcoming posts, I will embed videos of certain exercises into the blog. The sooner you can learn and practice them, the better. It is not the time to learn them when they are part of a no-rest circuit down the road. Learn them as soon as possible. That's why I'm in the process of gathering them up now. Click on the Prison Workout label either at the end of these posts, or in the list of labels at the bottom of the right column to see all posts regarding the PWO.

The Pulls: The "pulling" movements I am including into this program are pullups and inverted rows. Including both is obviously the best option. While the pullups require a taller bar, the inverted rows require a shorter (waist high) bar. I sympathize with those of you who do not have access to such equipment. I encourage you to find some free options: monkey bars at the local playground, the I-beam in your basement, or a railing. Some of you with access to a gliding Smith machine can arrange a low bar by adjusting the height. If you have have no pull-station options, you will just have to do without....thereby losing some of the muscle groups and benefits. Be creative!

Scheduling: The format I am considering is a 7 day rotation. This way if there is a certain day of the week that does not work well for you, you can skew the template a day or two for a Recovery Day to match up. The template will be 3 days ON, 1 day OFF, 2 days ON, 1 day OFF...repeated for about five weeks. While my schedule will list Thursdays and Sundays as Recovery Days, feel free to adjust this as needed (ex: Wednesday and Saturday). Just do all the workouts!!

Programming: Each day will be something different. One day might include a high number of repetitions of a single exercise, and the next day might be a repeating circuit of 5 or 6 exercises. About twice a week you can plan on a plyometric exercise session, one that includes burpees, tuck jumps, jumping squats, or clapping pushups. Some days will be more intense than others. I'll do my absolute best to not repeat a single day...but no promises. One thing is for sure....no one will get bored during these 30 days!

Scaling/adjusting: This is my most difficult obstacle: finding a challenging program for those more advanced, yet keeping it basic enough for fitness newbies. If you find this program to be too EASY or too HARD, then adjust the repetition numbers, time durations, numbers of rounds, or the pace/speed/intensity/rest periods. The overall goal of this program is to spread the participation in a more complete, practical, functional fitness system....something many of you already do. I expect it to be easy for some of you. I expect it to be downright gruelling for others. I'll do my best to help each of you!! I just ask you to stay within the basics of each day.

Supplemental exercising: Rest and recovery is important. Some of you will see great results right away. This is no reason to abandon rest days. If you feel the need to go running or biking, be cautious of recovery issues. Also, I realize the 100 Day Burpee Challenge is ending during this period. This PWO starts on Day 74 of the burpee challenge, so some of us will be doing a wee bit more than the prescribed PWO. I'll do my best to include burpees into the daily WOs whenever possible ;)

I'm glad to have you all participating in the PWO next month. Please check back often to watch videos and learn more about the programming and scaling.

Exercise of the Week: Burpees

The BURPEE is pretty intense for a movement without equipment!

The BURPEE integrates bending over, a kick, holding a plank position, a pushup, an abduction, squatting up, and a jump!! That's a pretty good laundry list of functional movement, and it's all wrapped up into a cardiovascular package.

I pick this exercise this week for two main reasons:

1. I can't stop thinking about them (with my participation in the 100 Day Burpee Challenge)

2. The Prison Workout...exercises that require no or the most basic equipment and a minimum of floor space.

Enjoy!!

The Prison Workout: 30 Days in the Hole

I'll be sentencing myself to jail for thirty days. I will be surrendering myself on Monday, October 13th, 2008.  For thirty days, I will do no exercises other than those within The Prison Workout....pushups, abdominals, planks, pullups, burpees, jumps, air squats, and the like. 

The Prison Workout requires NO EQUIPMENT.  The only exception to this rule is the allowance (and suggestion) of a pullup bar or a horizontal railing to do pullups or inverted rows.  Even if a pullup bar is not available to you, an eight-by-four foot spot on the ground is about all you need to get into shape. The exercises may be few in number, but workouts will be short in duration and high in intensity.

Why? I decided to participate and moderate this one month of body weight exercises to promote functionalism in fitness...and to spread overall physical fitness to those without time, space, or equipment. Some of my friends and family are still a bit hesitant to begin a functional program that includes Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics rings, and kettlebells. I don't blame them. The movements are complex. I hope some of these same skeptics will join me for thirty days of gym class type exercises.  Finally, I know that a support group, even if online, will help us all through this commitment. 

Consider joining me in my jail cell for the month beginning October 13th.  In the coming weeks, I will be posting video links that demonstrate all the movements. And during that month, I will post weekly/daily workout suggestions.  There will be a notice on this website's right column, with a link to ALL posts regarding this Fall 2008's Prison Workout.

A couple tips to those who are willing to prepare for the next 5 weeks: do pullups, pushups, burpees, air squats, and situps. They will be the foundation of the month. 

Luxury versus Survival (Part 4)

Emotional and spiritual issues:

Emotional

The entitlement attitude paves the road for a reliance on a luxurious lifestyle. The more one gets (or provides for him/herself), the more one “needs” to get along. When one subscribes to a “because I want it” approach, rationale begins to leak away. A dependence on certain lavish items gives birth to an inability to adapt to anything less than extravagant.

Recall the childhood tale about the princess and the pea. She could feel the feel the single pea under one of the mattresses in her stack. The princess could not sleep with that one seemingly simple annoyance. She would NEVER “survive” a night spent on the couch or the floor. This princess’s adaptation to nothing but the most comfortable luxury severely limits her ability to endure the slightest hardship. While the tale of the pea under the mattress stack is unrealistic, the same moral is told time and time again in a modern way: needing that specific coffee shop’s specialty drink, requiring a certain type of bed pillow, being a picky eater. To less of a degree each of these must-haves increases the disparity between daily customs and true bare-bones needs.

Here's a very recent tale of a rookie endurance runner: This past Labor Day holiday weekend, I ran a half marathon. Despite being in the best physical shape of my life, I promised a brand new runner I would run with her. I abandoned hopes to run a personal record (PR) to be with someone I knew would appreciate my company during the most grueling physical task in her life to date. Before beginning her training program, she had never run even 5 miles! And in less than 5 months, she was well on her way to running the full mileage. She hurdled injury and setbacks to complete more than a few 10-milers along the way....but never topped that. Race day came on Monday. In mile 9, the pain in her legs was reaching the threshold of what was tolerable. A few tears were shed, but she confidently said she would never quit. She made a promise to herself five months ago that she would finish a half marathon. She spent endless hours training. And today was that opportunity to realize that goal!!! Her emotional courage and strength contributed more to her performance than her physical training....she could have endured ANY challenge with that spirit she brought to the start line. She "gutted" it out. What a fantastic experience FOR ME to witness such a rare testament of emotional powers at work.

During hard times, quitting is always an option. Giving up or dodging the issues can be path of least resistance. However, either of these choices is rarely the right answer. That sense of guilt residing within the quitter is proof. Those with emotional strength are the ones who listen to the voices that say, "I will get through this," "I will survive," and "I will win."

So, analyze these two cases: the Princess and the Pea and the rookie endurance runner. Who has given herself the practice to deal with hardship? Who has gifted herself with luxury to the point of acclimating herself to comfort? Who has experienced the confidence to overcome challenges after completing a difficult one? Who has contended with that temptation to quit and give up in the face of pain and discomfort?

We return to that hopper of randomly-chosen life challenges, and pick one. Who do you gamble on? The princess or the runner? I know where my money is....I ran next to her for an emotional 13 miles this weekend.