Advanced Body Weight Workout – WARNING: This Will Kick Your Ass
If this little dude can get in shape without a gym, what’s your excuse?
Most gyms these days are loaded with chumps, meatheads, pushy salesmen, and people who suck at working out. (If you DO go to a gym, make sure you DON’T suck at it). Luckily, you can burn fat, build muscle, and get a great workout using just your body weight. Most of you saw the Beginner Bodyweight Workout I posted last week. If you didn’t, I’d recommend starting there before moving onto this routine, because this is uber-advanced and designed for nerds looking for a brutally difficult challenge.
Are you ready for this?
NF Advanced Body Weight Workout
Warning: this workout that will have you sweating like a pig and leave you sore all over the next day. If you’re just moving beyond the beginner body weight workout for the first time, this workout might seem ridiculously difficult. That’s because it IS ridiculously difficult – the first time I did this routine, taught to me by fitness guru and mentor Mike Rickett, I wanted to throw up afterwards and couldn’t walk straight for two days. You’ve been warned!
Obviously, if this routine is too tough, there are quite a few variations you can make to lessen the difficulty and then build your way up to the real deal. Remember, it’s important to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, but safely. Don’t try to do too much or you’ll just end up hurting yourself.
NOTE: I do use a pull up bar in this routine. If you don’t have one at your home, you can head to a park and use their pull up bar, or substitute inverted body weight rows until you are strong enough to do pull ups and chin ups. I include a video of how to do these inverted rows in your home at the end of this post.
Before you start, WARM UP - Never ever ever ever forget to warm up. If you’re strapped for time, cut short your workout, not your warm up. You can run in place, jump rope, do a few push ups, pedal on a stationary bike, jog up and down your stairs, etc.
Here’s the NF Advanced Body Weight Workout:
Nerd Fitness TV – Advanced Body Weight Workout
If you want to write down everything, here it is:
- 10 one legged squats – each side [warning super-difficult, only attempt if you in good enough shape]
- 20 body weight squats
- 20 walking lunges (10 each leg)
- 20 jump step-ups (10 each leg)
- 10 pull ups [or inverted body weight rows using your kitchen table]
- 10 dips – bar stools
- 10 chin ups [or inverted body weight rows with underhand grip]
- 10 push ups
- 30 second plank
That’s one complete rotation. If you’re up for it, try to do 3 complete circuits. Stop when you need to, get water when necessary, but try to finish it as quickly as possible while still practicing PERFECT FORM. The first time I went through this routine it took me right around 18 minutes. What is it with me and 18 minutes of hell?
You can cut short the number of repetitions, but never half-ass a rep. If you can only do five or six pull ups, bring a chair over to the bar, hop up above the bar and lower yourself down. If you can’t do a plank for 30 sec, hold it for 15, and work your way up to 30. If 20 body weight lunges is too many, only do 10 and work your way up to 20. Challenge yourself safely and within reason.
Can’t Do Pull Ups? Do These Instead
I’m going to guess that the most difficult exercise for most people in this routine will be the pull ups and the chin ups. If you don’t have a pull up bar, or if you’re not strong enough to do pull ups yet, here is a video on how to do Inverted Body Weight Rows using just your kitchen table. Most importantly, make sure your table is strong enough or you’re going to snap it in half. It isn’t optimal, but it’s better than nothing, and a good step up from the dumbbell rows in the Beginner Body Weight Circuit. Inverted body weight rows are certainly tough, but not as tough as pull ups and chin ups. Attempt these at your own risk!
Nerd Fitness TV – Inverted Body Weight Rows
How to Scale Your Routine
As I said earlier, this whole routine is scalable based on your ability. For example, here is a sample routine for somebody who has conquered the beginner workout but can’t do the full routine above:
- 10 Body Weight Squats
- 10 Walking Lunges
- 15 Jump Ups
- 3 Pull Ups (or 6 inverted body weight rows – overhand grip on table)
- 8 dips (or 10 decline push ups if these are too tough)
- 3 Chin ups (or 6 inverted body weight rows – underhand grip on table)
- 10 push ups
- 30 second plank
- 30 jumping jacks
Whatever your fitness level, find a way to push yourself a litter harder, get better, be faster, and grow stronger (thanks Daft Punk!) Keep track of your exact routine, how long it took you, which exercises wore you out, exactly how many reps you did, etc.
Then, the next time you do this routine (make sure you wait at least 48 hours before attempting it again), try to do the whole routine with one or two more repetitions or with less down time between exercises.
Your thoughts?
There you have it guys. I would love to hear what you think! I got a lot of great comments on the Beginner Body Weight video, and hopefully those of you who are looking for more of a challenge are getting it here.
Do you want to see more routine-based videos? More videos like the Inverted Body Weight Row videos showing you how to do specific exercises? Let me know what you want to see, and I’ll make it happen.
-Steve
PS – For any of you who plan on doing this routine during the next few days, I apologize in advance for how your whole body will feel the next morning!
###
photo: eyeliam
If you enjoyed this article, sign up for blog updates and free giveaways by joining the Rebel Army Email Newsletter! You can also subscribe via RSS feed.
Which five finger model is that? KSO?
I am a big fan out body weight stuff. They can definitely kick your butt.
Hey Fox,
Yeah, I have the KSOs. LOVE THEM. And glad to hear you're a fan of the body weight routines – just goes to show you what you can get accomplished without having a gym membership.
Thanks for reading!
-NF Steve
It's advanced for normal people, Joel. This is a nerd website. Not an athlete website. Go to Olympics.org for your recommended daily routine.
Advanced, really? Like for athletes or regular people? Too easy brotha
Ha, now Lauren, go easy on the man! Joel, obviously there are certainly ways to make this routine more difficult, but I'd say it's quite advanced unless you're in peak physical condition. If that's the case, NerdFitness probably won't have difficult enough workouts for you, which is fine.
If there are other readers out there who are looking for even MORE of a challenge, what kind of routine would you recommend for them? Would love to get your input.
Cheers,
Steve
This looks like the kind of routine we use to warmup in CrossFit
What kinda pull up bar is it in the first video? Do you recommend that over other types (perfect pull up bar, etc…)? Where can I get one?
Hey Paul,
The bar I used is called the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar. They're 30 bucks on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Gym-Total-Upper-Work...
They also make a deluxe version that requires more room around your doorway, but allows you to do wide-grip pull ups (more difficult, targets different parts of your back). This one sells for 40 bucks: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Wor...
As long as it fits your doorway (and it should, unless you have extra wide doors), it works great.
I'd recommend ordering on amazon, getting the free shipping, and it'll show up in a few days!
-NF Steve
I may definitely be trying this over the weekend, seeing as how I'm probably not going anywhere. We're supposed to get alot of snow and I am a typical central Marylanders who freaks out if we get anything more than a light dusting. WooT.
In the event that your kitchen/dining room table isn't strong enough (or it belongs to your roommate and you don't want to risk breaking it), can you substitute resistance bands? Not exactly a real body weight exercise then, but it'd be something, right?
Yeah,
Resistance bands definitely work. Also, you can do the dumbbell row from
the beginner workout instead – fill up your book bag with text books, rocks,
whatever, and use that as your dumbbell.
Something, as long as it's done correctly, is better than nothing. Amen!
-NF Steve
Thanks a lot! I'll definitely check it out…
Well… I like the nutrition and motivational tips he gives. I am a regular person you know (who competes on the side). Site recommended doesn't wok
not enough work on the hamstrings. you will have disproportionate pushing power (quads) versus pulling power (hamstrings).
Tried this and I find that it's too easy for me to do dips/push ups and too difficult to do pull-ups/chin ups. I get them done but my last few sets of chin ups are 1 rep each which kindda sucks and takes way too much time. What would you recommend to get the pushups where I can crank out 10 of them even with the fatigue? Just do a hell of a lot of them or what?
Love the site by the way, keep it up!
Hey Adam,
Thanks for the comment man, I'm looking more at training movement instead of just training muscle. When squats and lunges go deep enough, the hamstrings and glutes get activated and used. If it were all leg extensions and half squats I would agree that no hamstrings get used.
As these are just body weight exercises and train for more everyday movements, the balance is relatively close. Also, on the jump ups, if you jump high enough with the lead leg to straighten it out the hamstrings get activated as well.
In the future, when doing lunges, I'll probably include a leg curl in the transition on the walking lunges to get the hammies in there too.
cheers,
-NF Steve
Hey Gino, I'll shoot you an email with more clarification in a few minutes, but first I wanted to say thanks for the comment and I'm glad you're digging the site.
What you're seeing here is that you're probably a little stronger on your push muscles (chest, shoulders and triceps), than your pull muscles (back, biceps, and forearms), but that can be fixed.
The chin ups and pull ups are tough because they require you to pull your entire body weight around. As you train them, they'll probably get worn out more quickly than when doing your push ups and dips…if you can only do one rep on the chin ups….do the one, and then do a few “negatives” where you jump above the bar and slowly (not very slow, but with control), lower yourself down to below. You can crank out a few of these and you'll get stronger…just make sure you're not doing them on consecutive days.
Hopefully that makes sense. Check your email later on today and we'll discuss it more.
-NF Steve
Hey,
Nice work!
But why squat only to parallel? ^_^
Just gave you some link love here,
http://kbforum.dragondoor.com/kettlebells-stren...
They are really good video and nices tips. It helps a lot of dieter or weight lifter to apply things in everyday life to be pratical for excercising, keep up good work!
Nerd fitness! Gotta love it! LOVE the title. I’m glad to find a place like this for those of us who are out of shape. I never have found anything so helpful. This is awesome. I’m a little weakling, and now I can get strong. Cute pic of the kid btw!!
Nerd fitness! Gotta love it! LOVE the title. I’m glad to find a place like this for those of us who are out of shape. I never have found anything so helpful. This is awesome. I’m a little weakling, and now I can get strong. Cute pic of the kid btw!!
Thanks a landlord it! I acquired yet some insight. Life is so colorful, we should be able to live in, such as Korea and honor the planet. Human life is like rivers, slowly flowing, flowing rivers, flowing through the snow, flows through the prairie and ultimately into the sea, return to the embrace of nature, start a new reincarnation. Allow us to feel the meaning of life will come only to those you have those memories http://www.chaneloutletstores.com/Chanel-bikini...
Nice job Steve. Like the workout. I have to do a bunch of body weight stuff since I'm living in rural Japan, and I do agree that it can be really excellent. One body weight routine that I like to do is the Crossfit Warmup. Many people might know about this, but I figured I'd post the sample workout here anyways.
Samson stretch (30 sec.)
10-15 body weight squats (for more difficulty, use a pvc pipe and do overhead squats working on form)
10-15 push-ups
10-15 sit-ups
10-15 back extensions (If you aren't in a gym, you might not be able to do these on a machine. My solution is either doing Good-Mornings while really concentrating on pulling with the lower back muscles, or setting up an inflatable exercise ball on top of a STURDY table, laying on my stomach across the ball, gripping the sides of the table, and doing Reverse Hypers/raise your feet up to parallel behind you. Had a back injury and these really helped out.)
10-15 pullups.
10-15 dips.
That = 1 round, and the complete warmup is for 3 rounds. This was a really difficult warmup for me at the start, but once I was able to feel like this was actually a WARM-UP, my workouts really started taking off. In my experience, this is a much better way to warm-up/stretch especially if you are going to be lifting or doing circuit work. For those of you without pullup bars and on a budget, try finding someplace around the house that is steady and has a deep enough grip to at least get your fingers on it. In Japan, I don't have a pull-up bar, but I do have an I-beam that is suspended beneath the staircase outside and reachable. It really sucked at first doing flat-grip pullups, but now that I've worked on them my grip is stronger and my pullups are better.
Good luck everyone! (oh, and of course scale this back until you can do it, and sub exercises like Steve suggested.)