Monday 1 Jan 2007: PFT

It's the first Monday of the year. Time for a benchmark...

PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST


Advanced:
  • Max Pull-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Sit-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Run 12 minutes for distance

Intermediate:

  • Max Partial or Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Sit-ups or Crunches in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Run-walk 12 minutes for distance

Basic:

  • Max Body Rows in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Crunches in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Knee Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Powerwalk 12 minutes for distance

Post results to Comments.

The 2007 Push-up Challenge begins today.

Sunday December 31 2006: REST DAY

REST DAY

The 2007 Push-up Challenge begins tomorrow.

Saturday 30 Dec 2006: RUN FOR DISTANCE

The last WOD for 2006


RUN FOR DISTANCE


Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.


Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.


Basic:
Powerwalk hill repeats for twenty minutes.


Post results to Comments.

Friday 29 Dec 2006: PULL PUSH CRAWL

PULLING, PUSHING, & CRAWLING

Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes.

Advanced:
  • A set of Pull-ups
  • 30 seconds - Bear Crawl
  • A set of Push-ups
  • 30 seconds - Crab Crawl

Intermediate:

  • A set of Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups
  • 20-30 seconds - Bear Crawl
  • A set of Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
  • 20-30 seconds - Crab Crawl

Basic:

  • A set of Body Rows
  • 15-20 seconds - Bear Crawl
  • A set of Knee Push-ups
  • 15-20 seconds - Crab Crawl

Post results to Comments.

Gunnar Bozeman has created an excellent Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to keep track of next year's Push-up Challenge. You can download the file here. (Click the link to open the file in your browser, or right-click and choose Save Target As to save the file directly without opening.)

Thursday 28 Dec 2006: SPRINT 8

SPRINT 8

Today's workout is based on a sprint protocol designed by Phil Campbell, author of Ready, Set GO! Synergy Fitness for Time-Crunched Adults.

The sprints are progressive. The first sprint begins at a jog and climaxes at 50% of maximum effort; the second sprint goes from 40% at the beginning to 60% at the climax; the third sprint goes from 50-70%; the fourth sprint from 60-80%; the fifth sprint from 70-90%; the sixth sprint reaches 95% of maximum effort; the seventh and eighth sprints are run at 95-100% effort.

If you are not accustomed to the type of sprint training we do around here, do not max out on the final three sprints - climax between 80-90% of maximum effort.

Advanced:
  • Run 5 minutes
  • Repeat eight times:
    Sprint 15 seconds
    Recover 1 minute
  • Run 5 minutes

Intermediate:

  • Run-walk 5 minutes
  • Repeat six-eight times:
    Sprint 15 seconds
    Recover 60-85 seconds
  • Run-walk 5 minutes

Basic:

  • Powerwalk 5 minutes
  • Repeat four-six times:
    Sprint 15 seconds
    Recover 85-120 seconds
  • Powerwalk 5 minutes

Post results to Comments.

Wednesday 27 Dec 2006: PULL OTM

PULL-UPS ON THE MINUTE

Perform a set of pull-ups at the top of every minute for twenty minutes.

Intermediate and Basic trainees should substitute Partial, Assisted, or Jumping reps or Body Rows as necessary.

Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 26 Dec 2006: JUMP SQ + BW SQ #2

JUMP SQUATS + BODYWEIGHT SQUATS #2


Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes.


Advanced - Intermediate:
  • A set of Squat Jumps
    (e.g. Box Jumps, Hurdle Jumps, Star Jumps, Half-Squat Jumps, etc.)
  • A set of Bodyweight Squats
    (e.g. Deep Knee Bends, Half Squats, Hindu Squats, Sumo Squats, Pistols, etc.)

If you are unaccustomed to plyometric training, perform the Basic WOD.

Basic:

  • A set of Half Squats
  • A set of Lunges
  • A set of Calf Raises
  • A set of Jumping Jacks

Post results to Comments.

Monday 25 Dec 2006: TIMED SETS #2

You'd better do this before the holiday meal.

TIMED SETS #2

Complete four rounds of the following circuit in twenty minutes.
  • Round One perform each exercise for 60 seconds
  • Round Two perform each exercise for 45 seconds
  • Round Three perform each exercise for 30 seconds
  • Round Four perform each exercise for 15 seconds

Rest 1 minute between each set of exercises in all four rounds.

Advanced:

  • Pull-ups
  • Sit-ups
  • Push-ups

Intermediate:

  • Assisted, Partial, or Jumping Pull-ups
  • Sit-ups or Crunches
  • Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)

Basic:

  • Body Rows
  • Crunches
  • Knee Push-ups

Post results to Comments.

2007 Push-up Challenge

Announcing the 2007 Push-up Challenge
(Add one push-up per day, every day for one year)

Dan Ciruli completed the challenge in 2006, and now he’s issuing the challenge to everyone. I like Dan’s approach. It doesn’t take much time. It is a simple but effective way to boost your daily activity and increase your fitness. Most of all, it is a powerful tool for developing a habit of self-discipline.

The plan is simple: Do one push-up on January 1st, two push-ups on January 2nd, three push-ups on January 3rd and so on throughout the year. On December 31st you will complete 365 push-ups. The difficult part of this challenge is the consistency. As Dan points out, the daily push-ups don’t take long to complete. It’s setting a goal and meeting it day after day that makes this event a challenge.

Don’t overanalyze this project. Doing push-ups everyday will not hurt you. You will still be able to do the blog workouts that are assigned Monday through Saturday. If you miss your assigned push-ups one day, don’t worry about it. Keep on pace and make up those missed reps some other time. This is about self-discipline and self-improvement. Don’t make it more complicated than it actually is.

Dan chose crunches as a complementary exercise to his daily push-up regimen. You might prefer walking, body rows, squats, or simply stick to push-ups and the WOD. You make the call.

You know that you’re going to wonder, “What if? What if I had tried the challenge? What if I had stuck with it?” Right now, ask yourself, “Why not? Why not do a few push-ups every day? What have I got to lose?”

The challenge starts January 1st.

Post commitments to Comments.

You can read about Dan's 2006 Push-up Challenge here, here, and here.

Sunday 24 Dec 2006: REST DAY

REST DAY

Saturday 23 Dec 2006: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run twenty minutes for distance.

Intermediate:
Run-walk twenty minutes for distance.

Basic:
Powerwalk hill repeats for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.

Friday 22 Dec 2006: STRENGTH CIRCUITS

The Little Bit of Everything...
STRENGTH CIRCUIT

Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes.
  • A set of Pull-ups or Chin-ups
    (e.g. Wide, Regular, Narrow, Mixed Grip, Towel, Rope, etc.)
  • A set of Squat Jumps
    (e.g. Box Jumps, Hurdle Jumps, Star Jumps, Power Skipping, etc.)
  • A set of Push-ups
    (e.g. Regular, Wide, Narrow, Hindu, Divebomber, Elevated, Handstand, Dips, etc.)
  • A set of Squats (non-jumping)
    (e.g. Full, Medium, or Short Range of Motion; Sumo; Hindu; etc.)

Keep the reps well below max in each set.

Advanced:

  • Pull-ups
  • Squat Jumps
  • Push-ups
  • Bodyweight Squats

Intermediate:

  • Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups
  • Half-Squat Jumps
  • Push-ups
  • Bodyweight Squats

Basic:

  • Body Rows
  • Walking Lunges
  • Knee Push-ups
  • Half-Squats

Post results to Comments.

Thursday 21 Dec 2006: 30/90 SPRINTS

The signature sprint workout...

30/90 SPRINTS
Advanced:
  • Run 5 minutes
  • Repeat five times:
    Sprint 30 seconds
    Recover 90 seconds
  • Run 5 minutes

Intermediate:

  • Run-walk 5 minutes
  • Repeat five times:
    Sprint 20-30 seconds
    Recover 90-100 seconds
  • Run-walk 5 minutes

Basic:

  • Powerwalk 5 minutes
  • Repeat five times:
    Sprint 15-20 seconds
    Recover 100-105 seconds
  • Powerwalk 5 minutes

Post results to Comments.

Wednesday 20 Dec 2006: PU OTM

PUSH-UPS ON THE MINUTE

Perform a set of push-ups at the top of every minute for twenty minutes.

Intermediate and Basic trainees should use knee push-ups and/or countertop push-ups as necessary.

Post results to Comments.

Looking for inspiration?

Tuesday 19 Dec 2006: CONDITIONING INTERVALS

CONDITIONING INTERVALS

Today's workout uses 30/30 intervals (30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, repeat for time allotted).

Advanced:

Intermediate:

Basic:

Post results to Comments.

Monday 18 Dec 2006: SPARTAN RUN

SPARTAN RUN

Complete five rounds in twenty minutes.

(Each round should take four minutes. There is no rest between exercises. Transition quickly but smoothly between exercises. Go to your knees if necessary on the push-ups.)

Advanced:
  • Pull-ups - 30 seconds
  • Sit-ups - 30 seconds
  • Push-ups - 30 seconds
  • Run - 2:30 minutes

Intermediate:

  • Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups - 30 seconds
  • Sit-ups or Crunches - 30 seconds
  • Push-ups - 30 seconds
  • Run-walk - 2:30 minutes

Basic:

  • Body Rows - 30 seconds
  • Crunches - 30 seconds
  • Knee Push-ups - 30 seconds
  • Powerwalk - 2:30 minutes

Post results to Comments.

Saturday 16 Dec 2006: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.

Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.

Basic:
Powerwalk hill repeats for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.

Friday 15 Dec 2006: JJ - PU CHALLENGE

JUMPING JACK + PUSH-UP CHALLENGE

Today's workout involves two ten-minute challenges.
  • For the first ten minutes, perform as many jumping jacks as possible, resting as necessary.
  • During the second ten minutes, perform as many push-ups as possible. Intermediate and Basic trainees should substitute Knee Push-ups as necessary.
Post results to Comments.

Thursday 14 Dec 2006: OH SQ + SPRINT

OVERHEAD SQUAT + SPRINT
Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes. Keep moving between rounds, i.e. walk or jog while catching your breath.

Advanced:
  • 15 Overhead Squats w/ PVC Pipe, Broomhandle, or Clenched Fists in the Air
  • 30 seconds Sprint
  • Walk or jog back to the start and recover as necessary

Intermediate:

  • 10 Overhead Squats w/ PVC Pipe, Broomhandle, or Clenched Fists in the Air
  • 20 seconds Sprint
  • Walk or jog back to the start and recover as necessary

Basic:

  • 5 Overhead Squats w/ PVC Pipe, Broomhandle, or Clenched Fists in the Air
  • 10 seconds Sprint
  • Walk or jog back to the start and recover as necessary

Post results to Comments.

Wednesday 13 Dec 2006: ALT PULL-PU OTM

ALTERNATE PULL-UPS AND PUSH-UPS
ON THE MINUTE

Perform a set of pull-ups or push-ups at the top of every minute for twenty minutes. Perform pull-ups on the odd numbered minutes (1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19) and push-ups on the even numbered minutes (2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20). You will perform ten sets of each exercise. The alternating pattern will allow you to do more reps and/or more challenging reps in each set than you could do in superset fashion.

Advanced:
  • Pull-ups or Chin-ups
  • Push-ups, Dips, Handstand PU, or other challenging variation

Intermediate:

  • Partial, Assisted, and/or Jumping Pull-ups
  • Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)

Basic:

  • Bodyrows
  • Knee Push-ups

Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 12 Dec 2006: B-CIRCUITS

Today's agony brought to you by Bryce Lane, a major inspiration for this site and creator of the infamous...

B-CIRCUITS

Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes.

If you are not accustomed to plyometric training or are obese, perform the Basic WOD.

Advanced:
  • 12 Short Range Squat Jumps
    (Half-Squat Jumps: Squat until your elbows touch your knees and thighs are parallel to ground and then jump for height or distance)
  • 12 Full Range Squat Jumps
    (Deep Squat Jumps: Squat deep until your hands touch the ground and then jump for height or distance)
  • 20 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
    (Squat while maintaining conscious tension of the leg mucles)

Intermediate:

  • 6 Short Range Squat Jumps
  • 6 Full Range Squat Jumps
  • 10 High Tension Bodyweight Squats

Basic:

  • 5 Half-Squat Jumps
  • 10 Lunges (Each leg)
  • 10 Calf Raise and Flex

Are you tempted to cheat on the jump as your legs become tired? Try Traveling B-Circuits by jumping for distance instead of height. Try to cover the same total distance on each circuit as the workout progresses to ensure that you are pushing yourself adequately.

Post results to Comments.

B-Circuits are covered in Bryce's excellent booklet Fitness Secrets of the Road Ninja. I also highly recommend The Booklet of Bodyweight Power and A Mighty River of Steel.

Monday 11 Dec 2006: 30/30 CALS CIRCUIT

30/30 CALISTHENICS CIRCUIT

Complete 5 rounds of the following circuit in twenty minutes.

30/30 = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest

Advanced:
  • 30/30 Pull-ups
  • 30/30 Sit-ups
  • 30/30 Push-ups
  • 30/30 Squats

Intermediate:

  • 30/30 Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups
  • 30/30 Sit-ups or Crunches
  • 30/30 Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
  • 30/30 Squats

Basic:

  • 30/30 Body Rows
  • 30/30 Crunches
  • 30/30 Knee Push-ups
  • 30/30 Half- Squats

Post results to Comments.

Saturday 9 Dec 2006: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.

Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.

Basic:
Powerwalk hill repeats for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.

Friday 8 Dec 2006: 90/30 CALS

90/30 CALISTHENICS:
PUSH-UP, LEG LEVER, TUCK JUMP

Similar in design to last Friday's workout, today's training session involves 90 seconds of continuous calisthenics alternated with 30 seconds of rest.

Perform ten circuits in twenty minutes.

Advanced:
  • 30 seconds: Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
  • 30 seconds: Leg Levers
    (Lie on your back with your legs straight and your hands under your hips to provide lower back support. Keeping your legs straight, raise them until your legs are at a 45 degree or greater angle. Lower them again but stop short of touching your feet to the floor. Repeat.)
  • 30 seconds: Tuck Jumps
    (Perform a squat jump but in midair bring your knees to your chest.)
  • 30 seconds: Rest

Intermediate:

  • 30 seconds: Knee Push-ups
  • 30 seconds: Reverse Crunches
    (Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your feet and curl your knees toward your chest.)
  • 30 seconds: Squat Jumps
  • 30 seconds: Rest

Basic:

  • 30 seconds: Countertop Push-ups
  • 30 seconds: Reverse Crunches
    (Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your feet and curl your knees toward your chest.)
  • 30 seconds: Half Squats
  • 30 seconds: Rest

Post results to Comments.

Thursday 7 Dec 2006: CRAWL...SPRINT #1

CRAWL...SPRINT #1

30/30 = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, repeat for specified repetitions
15/45 = 15 seconds work, 45 seconds rest, repeat for specified repetitions

Same workout for everybody today.

Post results to Comments.

Wednesday 6 Dec 2006: DIPS + CHINS

The tried and true bodybuilder...

DIPS + CHIN-UPS

Perform supersets (back to back sets with little or no rest in between) of dips and chin-ups for twenty minutes. Rest as necessary between supersets.

Substitutions for Bar Dips:
  • Dip with hands on the backs of two chairs or on railings or at the corner of a countertop
  • Chair Dips (feet elevated or feet on the floor)
  • Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)

Substitutions for Chin-ups:

  • Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Chin-ups
  • Body Rows

Post results to Comments.

Tuesday 5 Dec 2006: CONDITIONING INTERVALS

CONDITIONING INTERVALS

30/30 intervals = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, repeat for allotted sets

Advanced:
  • 10 x 30/30 Jumping Jacks or Jump Rope
  • 10 x 30/30 Burpees

Intermediate:

Basic:

  • 10 x 30/30 Jumping Jacks or Jump Rope
  • 10 x 30/30 Squat Thrusts or Half Squats

Post results to Comments.

Monday 4 Dec 2006: PFT

It's the first Monday of the month. Time for another...

PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST

Advanced:
  • Max Pull-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Sit-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Run 12 minutes for distance

Intermediate:

  • Max Partial or Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Sit-ups or Crunches in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Run-walk 12 minutes for distance

Basic:

  • Max Body Rows in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Crunches in 1 minute
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Max Knee Push-ups in 1 minute
  • Rest 3 minutes
  • Powerwalk 12 minutes for distance

Post results to Comments.

Saturday 2 Dec 2006: RUN FOR DISTANCE

RUN FOR DISTANCE

Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.

Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.

Basic:
Powerwalk hill repeats for twenty minutes.

Post results to Comments.