Counting the Days – What Day is it Anyway?
Here we are, two months into our 2020 isolation experiment without any guaranteed summer events on the calendar to train for and a whole lotta the same 4 walls to keep us company. Now seems as good a time as any to participate in a free program while busting through the boredom and hopefully through some plateaus as well.
The best part? We can do it together… erm, virtually together.
For the final month (hopefully) of our Quarantine of 2020 (Q20) let's do some simple bodyweight exercises in a progressive format. We'll be following the programs created for my best-selling book ever, 7 Weeks to Getting Ripped. (Note: you absolutely do not need the book for this version of the program, I've attached the 75+ page PDF to download for free. If you like the sample, please feel free to grab your own copy of the entire book) Creating the original workouts for Ripped was some of the most fun I've ever had in athletics as I worked side-by-side with one of my best friends to create the program I used while prepping for Ironman AZ. While writing the book, I got to share some of the stories and tips I learned along the way… including the video below!
Progressive Training – Keep It Simple
Start Here: Download the Free 75-Page Book “sample”
Click here to download the free 75-page PDF sample from 7 Weeks to Getting Ripped including week one of the Prep, Level I and Level II programs, some of the warmups, exercises, nutrition overview, and even some games. You don't need the full 150-page book (that contains week 2+ of the programs, all exercises, etc.) but if you like the programs, by all means, grab your own ebook or paperback copy.
Week 1, Day 1 – Testing
Grab a towel, a bottle of water, and make sure you have the space to perform pull-ups, squats, push-ups, and a plank – place your phone in front of you on timer or ask someone stuck at home with you. Each workout should consist of a Warm-Up, Stretch Out, Workout, and Cool-Down. In order to keep this simple, the warm-up, stretch out, and cool-down examples are listed below (and there are a couple in the book as well), you can incorporate your own moves if you prefer. Of course, make sure you are in a space that will allow you to move freely without bumping into anything or anyone – social distancing applies to furniture and pets during a workout!
Warm-up with 20 jumping jacks, keep it slow and steady while watching your form. Arms should be fully extended with hands touching at the top, legs straight (knees not locked) landing on the balls of your feet shoulder-width apart. See, simple.
Take a few minutes to stretch out your chest and arms with some arm circles, barn doors (imagine a butterfly machine or an 80's dance move), then a nice, slow progression of downward-facing dog, child's pose, and upward-facing dog to loosen up your back. Finally, loosen up your glutes with a reverse leg raise or a few nice and slow squats.
Once you're ready, shake out and catch your breath, and here we go!
The Power 4 Test
Perform as many reps as you can of the top three exercises below, and perform a timed plank for as long as you are able to maintain good form.
- Pull-ups
- Squats
- Push-Ups
- Plank
How'd you do?
Prep Program, Week 1 begins on page 70 of PDF (page 139 of Ripped)
Level I, Week 1 begins on page 39 of PDF (page 48 of Ripped)
Level II, Week 1 begins on page 42 of PDF (page 53 of Ripped)
How'd You Do?
Sure, it's only week 1 of each program, and the entire book takes you through the course of 7 weeks of training, but at least have a simple go-to workout to use – and it was free! If you're looking for the additional weeks of the program, you can snag an ebook or paperback version here, and the ebook has been marked down through the end of this month.