Up/Work

The Workout That Makes You A Younger, More Effective, Human.

by Tom Furman

Being able to move your body is a fundamental component of survival. Even with technology like wheelchairs and those electric scooters at Walmart, it becomes apparent, when you can’t move your body through space your time above the dirt is getting closer. In fact primitive man had to move efficiently to hunt or run from danger. The very idea of running from danger is humorous. It’s like men overestimating their ability to fight when they have never been in one or trained for one. People who are critical of running or simply can’t, will often tell you how they would run from danger or run out of a building on fire when they can barely get out of a chair.

Lifting yourself up physically means that you are in a healthy range of weight. This can be called a power to weight ratio. When you have excess body fat, every step you take, every time you get up from seated or supine, is taxed. The optimal state is when you can do this effortlessly. The MORE optimal state is when you can do this with a load. That is what this workout does for you. It makes you unusually efficient at not only moving your own body, but moving it with additional weight.

Elevating your body or your body plus added weight once is a feat of strength. Doing it for a prolonged period is more about work capacity. With the absence of challenge, work capacity diminishes. This workout allows you to adapt to your current fitness level and exceed previous levels. It is straightforward, minimal, but not incomplete.

Aside from the recommendations of aerobic and mobility work, the program will have two strength workouts that are alternated.

“A” Workout is -

Pull Up for as many sets (up to 10) of 3–5 repetitions that you can do. Take 60 seconds of active rest between sets. If you cannot perform a pull up, use jump stretch bands to effectively reduce bodyweight by stepping into loop of the band. Use any grip that is comfortable and varying the grip is probably a good idea.

Step Up is the second and last exercise for this workout day. Any size step is used. For those who are not lean or terribly strong, a lower step is advised. However you can use 12 inches or 20 inches as well. If you are terribly out of shape, 5 minutes of stepping with bodyweight alone will do. Eventually this should build to 10 minutes and so on. Those who are starting in reasonable condition may want to build to the Chad1000. That is 1000 step ups with 45 pounds in a backpack or weight vest to a 20 inch box. Click the link to get more data on that worthy goal. Remember to alternate legs as you step up and focus on landing softly. If you are not tall, a lower box will be kinder to your form. Extensive workouts of 45 minutes to one hour are possible. As well, carrying weight, once you are lean is a good thing. Just take baby steps and allow the cardiovascular system, muscles and especially the connective tissue adapt. To reiterate, start with 5 minutes, build to 10, 15, 20 minutes before adding a bit of weight.

Warm down is alternating Hack Squats facing the wall and band pull aparts. Repetitions for Hacks is 10–15. Pull Aparts is 20–30. Do three supersets. Add a weight vest to the Hacks to avoid being called a sissy.

“B” Workout is -

Pick Up is the first exercise. It is actually a one handed, alternating, deadlift with a dumbbell or kettlebell. However the word, “Pick Up”, sounds cool, explains the concept and uses the word, “Up”, which the idea of the article. You may use either a dumbbell or kettlebell. Adding, “Fat Gripz” to the handle is an idea whose time has perhaps come. This will limit the weight since the grip becomes an issue. This is NOT a limit exercise or in anyway replaces a deadlift. This movement teaches impeccable form for one arm lifting which is a risky endeavor. However it is common in day to day life and building a measure of strength and work capacity might save your vertabrae. The idea is to pick a moderate weight, pick it up in deadlift fashion and then put it down. We utilize the negative motion in this exercise that is not part of the standard deadlift methodology. Once the ‘bell touches the ground, pick it up with the other arm. You will be going back and forth with this exercise. It will be about time and repetition. You can set the clock and do,… eventually,… TEN minutes. Record the time and reps. Don’t put constraints on this, picking stuff up for half an hour is not uncommon in the labor trade. When you hit a sweet spot, 10, 15, 20, minutes and it is manageable, increase the weight and go back to TEN minutes.

Get Up. This can be a Turkish Get Up with a kettlebell or with a sandbag. The tool is not as important as the framework. The kettlebell TGU is best demonstrated by Jeff Martone, HERE . The sandbag get up is best shown, HERE . Whatever tool you choose, this is not about lifting a human or a barbell for Youtube likes. This is about duration, adaptation, connection and again, work capacity. Start with 5 reps on each side, 10 total, alternating sides. Really, really, really, get the form perfect. It’s about efficient use of the body. While you will be standing differently with firearms or in combatives, this training method solidifies positions, muscles and physiology. We want to set a clock on our phones and let it run. Getting to TEN minutes straight is a landmark. Imagine 20 or 30 minutes? When you reach your benchmark, increase the weight slightly and start at 5 minutes. This is for the long hall and not for the thirty day wonder. For those who need to scale due to over fat issues, start with NO weight and perhaps use a 10 pound dumbbell to progress.

Warm Down is simply a set of proper push ups done to a level of 7–8 on the exertion scale. You can add a weight vest for fun. Record, add, progress.

Both A and B workouts should be separated with aerobic/mobility days. Your choice of aerobics should be running, rowing, rucking, stepper or steeply inclined treadmills. No Zoomba. No Electric Bike. No Elliptical. No Prison Bootie Street Funk.

For mobility, you can use Jump Stretch bands or if you do yoga, choose positions you are weak in and focus on holding them longer and longer. As one Indonesian Martial Arts instructor told me, “Hold them until God smacks you!”. You should be getting 3 aerobics days per week for cardiovascular health. It will help recovery too.

Diet is the last part of this formula. If you are over fat, you are already lugging around a backpack full of weight. No matter what you bring up for an anecdote about body acceptance, blood lipid levels or social acceptance, physics wins. It wins when excessive weight crushes your spine, knees, hips and ankles. It also wins when you think you can hack physical laws with fasting, intermittent fasting, keto, plant based, vegan, organic or gluten free. It’s about the energy in versus energy out. Deal with that. Eat less. Record your calories and protein intake. Write down your weight and umbilical measurement every Monday morning. (For women, use umbilical and hips)

If your energy intake is PROPER, there will be a slow reduction in measurements and bodyweight. If it is stuck for more than two weeks, a reduction in intake is indicated.

To summarize, do the work. Play music or a podcast. Focus on form, but have an eye on duration. Trim the excess, ugly and dangerous, body fat from your frame as your training capacity increases.

This method has FEW moving parts, but ENOUGH moving parts. Do it. Don’t be the person who leaves a competition driving in the losers van.

For personalized training contact me at physicalstrategies@gmail.com

If you avoid mirrors after a shower, then you HAVE to contact me.