the Basics Workout

I was offered a Director of Operations position at the oldest operating gym in America (Union), and when I stopped by, I fell in love immediately. It’s a no-nonsense type of place that reeks of sweat and partially rusted steel. What was most encouraging though was the type of lifting taking place. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of members were playing with weights like a fish out of water, but a good portion were performing rack deadlifts, board pressing, and functional training. I figure, with a little TLC and that already-existent training approach, I can turn this place into something special.

Body weight workouts are one of the hottest fitness trends! Ditch the complicated exercises and get back to basics! Think old school fitness, like you did back in the day. The beauty of a body weight only workout is that you can do these exercises anywhere and they hit all of the major muscle groups. They can be performed faster, increasing your strength and endurance.

Warmup:

Jump Rope – 3 x 200 rotations
Split Jacks – 3 x 10
Broad Jumps – 3 x 5
Single-leg Lunge Jumps – 3 x 10

Complex:

RDL - Overhead Press - BB Bicep Curl -10-8-6-4
Going up in weight each time or you can stay at a lower weight and perform higher reps for warm-ups and activation

Compound Movements:

Snatch from Floor or Steps – 3 x 5
Overhead Squat (elevated heels if necessary) – 5 x 5 (Heavy)
BB Reverse Lunges – 3 x 8

Upper Body Superset:

Pullups – 5 x failure
Dips – 5 x failure

Core Work:

Barbell Roll-outs 3 x 10
Lying elevated leg extensions to fetal position 3 x 30
Dip position leg lifts 3 x 12-15

if you use this template 4 times per week for 10-12 weeks, you will build muscle, gain strength, and look a helluva on and off the field. Whether you’re an athlete or just want to avoid putting on the winter weight, give this old school mix a go, and let me know, come winter when you’ve finished your first training cycle, how it feels to dunk with women hanging off of your traps.