The Prison Workouts - a summary

Here is summary of the four currently available Prison Workouts. Each of the below Prison Workouts were designed for those wishing for functional exercise programs, but lacking equipment. I have been pleasantly surprised by the popularity of the below programs. Many participants have cycled through all of them. Others have repeated programs to gauge progress, or have bumped up the weights used each time.

• Prison Workout #1 (link) If I can say there is "an original," this would be it. This program requires nothing more than a pullup bar and floor space -- just like a jail cell. This is a contest between one's bodyweight and gravity. It's a beginner workout because it doesn't encourage higher weights to be used - just one's body. It's also an advanced workout because one can work at a blistering pace to develop stamina and endurance. There are 25 total sessions, numbered 1-25.
• Prison Workout #2 (link) This is a followup to the original. The biggest difference was an addition of a single kettlebell. There are 26 total sessions, lettered A-Z. Many of the movement patterns are the same as PWO#1, but with the added challenge of more weight. Most men used a single 35#KB for the entire program.
• Prison Workout #3 (link) For those who thought kettlebelling was too trendy, I replaced the kettlebell with a barbell set. PWO#3 is done with a pullup bar, a barbell and weights set, and floor space. There are 24 total sessions, labeled with the Greek alphabet Alpha-Omega. Some of the lifts were more technical, while some stressed strength-building. This is probably the most well-rounded program of the current four in the PWO Series, as it addresses the most aspects of fitness.
• Prison Workout #4 (link) PWO#4 is a program that requires three kettlebells - a light, a medium, and a heavy KB. Most men used 35#, 50-55#, and 70-75#. There are 32 total workouts, named in a peculiar code. The availability and fun-factor of kettlebelling encouraged me to put out this PWO that used heavier KBs for strength-building, and lighter KBs for the stamina and agility work. This is one of the more "balanced" kettlebell programs I have seen anywhere. But then again, I might be a little biased too ;)

VIDEOS. Videos of the movements have been posted on the Trinity Training Group blog, in the right column. I looked for those videos with scaling/adjusting options, though they were hard to find in many cases. If links to YouTube clips are broken, use Google or YouTube search features to guide you through.

CHERRYPICKING. Please do yourself a favor and don't cherrypick. Cherrypicking is when you scroll through a list of workout sessions and pick out those that seem like they'd be good, or fun, or "not suck as much." This habit tends to produce athletes with imbalances. Each of the four PWO programs are designed to be gone through from top to bottom: 1-25, A-Z, or Alpha-Omega. If you can exercise only three days per week, then just go down the list and move onto the next session each day you work out. If you skip around, you are missing something. Commit to the program, and become a slave to it.

SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITY. The gym is not life. If the gym is your life, your life is boring. Take time to play sports, hike, paddle, bike, swim, climb, and be active. What I do not recommend is doing one of the PWOs in addition to other bodybuilding-type workouts. These can and should be relatively stand-alone programs -- no other weight or resistance training. If you think you can still workout after these sessions, you didn't go hard enough!! I do recommend other sports and activities, as you'll read below in "Rest and Recovery."

RANGE OF MOTION. Range of Motion (ROM) should be one of the focuses of any of the Prison Workouts, or ANY workout for that matter. First and foremost, mobility is a key component to a productive and quality life. Don't cheat your ROM because you're racing the clock or a competitor. Squat all the way down. Press all the way up. Pull up to the top. Reach your body's maximums at each end of the movement - top and bottom. This maximum will be different for everyone, but each of us should be striving to move a bit more fully as we progress in our programs.

REST AND RECOVERY. Take rest periods during the faster-paced workouts only when you need it. Embrace the "suck factor." Working at high intensity for a shorter time duration has proven to be a much more effective training strategy than going slower for a longer duration. Also, during the week, take days off. I used to take Sundays and Thursdays off, because I used to have a lot to do on those days of the week. I've found that most people cannot string together more than four days with these sorts of workouts. Some folks also like to add an "active rest" day into the mix - rowing, stairclimbing, running, biking on non-PWO days. There is none of this in the PWO Series because of the commitment to minimal equipment. Sometimes a mindless cardio machine, or swim, or trail run is needed between a few days of high-intensity sessions.

PARTING WORDS. Keep in mind that ALL workout programs everywhere are made up by someone, somewhere. I just so happened to assemble those above. I have pirated ideas and formats from others out there, and gave credit when possible. A lot of thought has gone into the PWO Series. I share them with the readers of Trinity Training Group to help them take another step towards optimal human performance.

Commit to one of the PWOs and stick it through to the end!! See how it works for you.

The Prison Workout 3 - Jury is Still Out

Prison Workout #3 ??? With a little help from our readers, it's a real possibility.

One year ago I was in the middle of the original Prison Workout (now dubbed PWO#1). It's a program that calls for nothing more than floor space, a pullup bar, and a stopwatch. It spans 25 workouts, originally intended for five work days per week (Sun and Thurs as recovery days). I developed it for a handful of reasons:

• Give myself a structured MetCon program for 30 days
• Work on my gymnastics movements
• Encourage team-building within my workplace
• Give a non-equipment-focused program to beginners
• Put out a functional workout that could be completed at home
• Keep workout sessions to about 20 minutes or less
• Make a competitive program so peers' performances could be compared
• Develop an online support group for like-minded fitness enthusiasts
• Introduce functional fitness to bodybuilding program followers

Well the program ended to many followers' dismay, so I put out PWO#2 that simply added one kettlebell. The program includes 26 workouts to be completed in order from A through Z, at whatever schedule the user wished. I figured that a little weight added to the program would be easy enough to sell.

Both PWOs continue to be followed. The two-month campaign called The Hard Routine has sparked a recent revival of both the bodyweight-only version, as well as the one with a KB.

So....I toy with the idea of developing Prison Workout #3. Initial ideas are to include only a pullup bar, floor space, and a barbell set. This allows for a program that includes high-intensity MetCons as well as strength-building movements. I'm open to other ideas, but please understand the nature of what is available "in prison," and the simplicity of equipment desired in such a schedule. I'm looking for a few helpers to design the program with me!! Look for an early December 2009 start date.

I still have the Excel spreadsheets for these workouts, so don't rely solely on the Scribd site that I used to upload them for public access.

Prison Workouts...from the beginning

A little update of the Prison Workout...

It all began on Monday, October 13th.  I thought I'd be doing it alongside a few coworkers --- but it quickly turned into cross-country participation. Our friend "The Chief" used his powers of influence to gather some support, and here we are....lots of committed followers!! Excellent.

The Prison Workout was designed as a bodyweight-only program. It demanded participants learn new movement patterns and work their joints and muscles through full ranges of motion. The only equipment I suggested was a pullup bar.  The program consisted of 25 workouts over 5 weeks.  (They have since been numbered 1 through 25 for those who continue to join us.)  I posted (or stole) various YouTube videos for participants to watch and learn new exercises.

As we all began to get closer to that 5th week, I was pressured into developing another program building upon the skills learned in the original PWO.  This "PWO2" included either a single dumbbell or a kettlebell, and a pullup bar.  The movement patterns were relatively the same, but now included weighted resistance.  New more challenging movements were also added. These 26 workouts were lettered A through Z.  Variety, short time durations, and very limited equipment were all factored into the daily workouts.

So some of us are nearing the end of PWO2.  And the question again arises: What's next?

That is a great question. I'm afraid I don't have an easy answer for that yet. (I am working on a post about post-prison ideas.)  I DO have specific plans for myself. I will be returning to gymnastics ring training, parallettes, barbell lifts, upper-body plyometrics, and medicine balls. I am going to be doing exercises that focus on strength, and probably less MetCon workouts. I will also be adding more long distance running/cycling/kayaking in preparation for a 24-hour adventure race.  And of course...stair training. I love the variety!!!

I'm not sure I have the qualifications to develop anything more advanced than these first two MetCon workout programs.  I fear any "blanket program" will not address certain INDIVIDUAL needs. Each of us have certain weaknesses that need specific goal-oriented programs.  The PWOs have addressed certain aspects of fitness that are most often neglected.  But there is more to well-rounded fitness than the PWOs themselves. For many of us, these structured WOs were a great way to break into another world of physical fitness.  But we have only just begun to scratch the surface.... I assume CrossFit.com will be a likely home for some of you. They pride themselves on variety and randomness, as evidenced in their Workout of the Day (WOD).  

I am very excited for all of you who have come this far with us. What a great journey so far...

Post some ideas of your post-PWO plans....

MetCon

Although you may not know it by name, METabolic CONditioning is not a new training method. You might have been introduced to it in Circuit Training, Boot Camps, Interval Training, or High Intensity Training.  The names might change, but the overall concepts remain the same. The term MetCon is defined differently by opposing experts. Some common ground has been found.

 

The PWO is a form of Metabolic Conditioning.  This MetCon model is described with:

• metabolic = energy systems
  
• conditioning = training or adaptation
  

The body uses different energy systems based on the duration and intensity of the work performed.  I will summarize here:  Anaerobic activity is short duration (from a second to under a few minutes) such as sprinting or jumping. The body does not have time to utilize oxygen to produce the energy required to perform the task (hence the AN- at the beginning of the word...for without or lacking).  Conversely, in aerobic activities such as running more than a few minutes or using an elliptical trainer, the body does have time to use inhaled oxygen to produce energy.

The Prison Workout model is a blend of these energy systems.   Some of the workouts are done so quickly at such a high intensity, they produce anaerobic benefits.  Others are done for 20 minutes, closer to the aerobic arena.  So...

Repeatedly-worked muscles can only "last" for so long without rest.  In the PWO, working muscle groups are switched every few seconds to prevent failure. When one fails, it stops working or performing.  By rotating through various movement patterns (such as pushups, pullups, and squats)  certain muscle groups get time to rest, BUT the heart and lungs continue to work!  The inclusion of multiple movements and muscle groups allows for an effective cardio workout blended with resistance training...using a variety of exercises at different ranges of motion.

As one of my training partners says, "It's the most bang for your buck!"  He means that the MetCon workouts are so short in time duration, yet tax his whole body and muscles so much.  He finds himself struggling for breathing air, but still able to do WORK. He's seen great strides made in his aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

The Tabata Interval method is another form of MetCon. It alternates 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. (Please read the above linked article.)  Tabatas are becoming so popular that workout songs are being spliced with certain 20/10 beeps or sounds to keep the participants on-track with the program. Timers work well, but their chimes are frequently drowned out by loud music or background noises in the workout area. I use the GymBoss.  Tabatas ususally use bodyweight exercises, but also work for cardio machine WOs.

There is more to functional fitness than the MetCon system. Much more. It is virtually impossible to argue that MetCons can increase overall strength. Also, longer duration MetCon WOs (more than a few minutes) do not always allow for the peak output (intensity) necessary for power and explosion.  For some of these fitness components, certain dedicated and prolonged rest periods are absolutely necessary.

However, most of us had never worked out with such intensity as the Prison Workouts have demanded.  Too many of us had found a home with longer duration and lower intensity aerobic (AKA Feel Good Workouts), ignoring the other quick energy systems. 

There will be more posts on "rounding-out" your workout program to include those other aspects.  For now, MetCons are a terrific way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic capacities.  

Parole granted! Prison Workout ends!!

I added a new survey to the right column:  What's your post-Prison plan? Please vote. 

Today (Tuesday) is technically the last day of the Prison Workout. I rounded out the week with structured WOs, but only to buy me some time for developing what's next. Thanks for everyone's input!  I'm so glad I could gather a few functional fitness disciples along the way.  Now I hope you'll all stick around for the next stage: adding a kettlebell or dumbbell. For those of you who are still looking for the whole PWO Schedule, click here.

For the next stage of the program I am not going to stick to a rigid schedule like I did for the Prison Workout. Rather, 20-30 daily workouts will be developed...including not only the fundamental 17 bodyweight exercises for the PWO, but also a dozen KB movements.  Some of the KB movements are complex. Take the time to learn and practice them before the mental breakdowns of high-intensity training.  Stay tuned for a bunch of postings of kettlebell videos this week. I have a few older ones already posted under the Kettlebelling label, so get learning!!

Basically, the KB program should be done beginning with WO#1 and continuing upwards through the numbers, at your own pace.  Maybe you can do 5 WOs in a week, or maybe only 3 WOs.  I'm gonna try to keep up with a 3/1/2/1 plan for a few more weeks. It seemed to work out good for me (resting on Thursdays and Sundays). So if you want that extra camaraderie, do 5 per week with me (and hopefully the guys in my unit).

The KB program will be available on an Excel worksheet. I'll try to figure out how to post it online. In the meantime, get your hands on a KB (or a single dumbbell). I recommend a 35lb for men and a 20-25lb for women.  Call or email me if you need help with getting one. Also, read this old post about Kettlebelling basics.

Side note: I enter into this next stage anxiously. My first experience with a KB was in my work gym about 3 years ago. After a coworker showed me a single KB circuit, I was hooked. I did nothing but KB and bodyweight stuff for 12 weeks!  I felt stronger and fitter than ever. This will be like a return to that epiphanic period.  

Prison Workout - Last Minute Updates

The Prison Workout is about to begin!  Here are some last minute items:

  

I recently posted a laundry list of videos on movements and exercises. I sorta feel like I'm cramming them all in last-minute....but I've been away on vacation and had to filter through all the crap videos on YouTube.  An all-inclusive list of videos can be found in the righthand column. Use this resource if you need help with form or details about a specific exercise throughout the weeks. It'll hopefully be easier than scrolling through all my posts.

Pull out your schedule or PDA. Beginning on Monday, October 13th, write down a "#1" and continue for 30 days.  For example, Thursday, October 16th, is Day #4 and will be a Rest & Recovery Day (or catch-up day if you've lagged behind...slacker!).  You might find it easier to match up the daily WO with the above numbering system, than by date alone, especially if you purposely change the weekly rest days from Thursday and Sunday to other days of the week.

I'll also make a Microsoft Excel worksheet including the same posted daily WOs. If you'd like the worksheet, email me. You can keep track of your progress electronically, or just print it out and hang on the refrigerator.  I will update it weekly, so you won't get all 30 days' WOs ahead of time ;)

For those of you with pullup bars or low inverted row bars, I will add options for THE PULLS.  For those of you without a pullup bar, you'll just have to ignore those portions of the daily WOs.

Week One's WOs will be posted later this weekend!!

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.

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.

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.