The Bronson

Above the actor Tom Hardy portrays the infamous British criminal and fitness guru Charles Bronson. He is a man who has been locked up in solitary confinement for 30 + years and has written a book about the fitness regiment he uses there It has been chronicled in SOLITARY FITNESS. which is excellent book and I reccomend buying. Here I have outlined the basic exercises in the book which I have used to design a workout I use in lieu of running as cardio. I have dropped 20 pounds in 3 weeks using this regiment. It combines p90 x speed with jail workout precision. I have decided to make it public in order to help benefit the public. 

• Hand Stand Push Ups- 1-3 sets 10 reps
• Regular Push Ups-1 -3 sets 10 reps
• (Chin Ups)-1 -3 sets 10 rep
• Sit Ups-1-3 sets 10 reps
• Squats-1-3 sets 10 reps
• (Chair Dips)-1-3 sets 10 reps
• Squat Thrusts-1-3 sets 10 reps
• Burpees-1-3 sets 10 reps
• Star jumps (Jumping Jacks)-1-3 sets 10 reps
• Step Ups-1-3 sets 10 reps
• (Hanging Leg Raises)-1-3 sets 10 reps
• (Laying Leg Raise)- 1-3 sets 10 reps 

This workout is great for cardio if you do not want to run. All you need is a small space and you can do it. Go ahead and try to feel the burn!

MMA Fighters Take On Marine Training

Fancy gyms, protein shakes, and state of the art equipment dot the landscape for professional fighters to train in. You would think that this makes pushups, situps, and mre's look bad, but reconsider. Here in the below clip MMA fighters take on a Marine obstacle course. Take a quick watch to see how they fair against the country's best.

My Story

At one time I was out of shape and felt miserable. I had a beer belly that hung well over my pants and a muffin top that any baker could envy. One day I decided to do something about it. I researched various ways to workout, diets, and other means of getting healthy. I did not have a lot of money for an expsensive gym membership nor did I have a lot of equipment. It seemed I had no way of really getting in shape. Well, after reading books by people who had been incarcerated, I found out how to get in shape without much in terms of expensive equipment or supplimentation. I want to share those secrets with you in order to save you money and time. Again, I invite you to walk down the path of martial conditioning in order to unlock the best you!

Case Study 2: Prisoners

A lot of dudes in prison are jacked and in shape. Let's face it, if you have nothing but time to pass and nothing to do, and need to fight for survival, then working out is a must. I know you are probably not a prisoner reading this, but you can benefit from their workout routines. In jail, you sometimes cannot get access to weights because they can be weapons. So what do you do if you cannot get access to any equipment? Use your flesh and bones. 

A gentlemen by the name of Coach Wade was locked up and came out with a book which is an excellent resource for getting in shape like a hardened convict. The book is entitled "Convict Conditioning". I will give you the reader a snippet of what the book has by disclosing the basic exercises in the book but highly recommend purchasing the book to get even more benefits and to support the work of one of my biggest influences in fitness. 

The 5 "Power Moves" of Convict Conditioning:

The Pull Up/Chin Up

This exercise is one of the best, if not the best, to be able to perform. It is easy, just hang from a bar, and pull yourself up with your chin to the bar. This exercise has a ton of benefit to your arms, back, and surprisingly works your core more than situps. If you do not have a bar use stairs, a tree, or anyother overhang you can find. It is my favorite and a staple for any routine.

Push Ups

The push up seems to be the grand daddy of exercises. It has been used by dojo masters and drill sargeants alike. It is also easy, and all you do is get low, push your feet back and put your weight on your arms and feet. Just lower yourself to the ground and bring yourself back up. That's it! This exercise with a lot of variations can be adjusted for difficulty, so buy CONVICT CONDITIONING!

The bodyweight squat is a great burn for leg day! All you do is put your hands behind your back and lower yourself until your butt is flush with the ground. Make sure your try to keep good posture with your back! This exercise is great if you don't want chicken legs!

The leg raise is a great abdominal exercise which will make your core stronger and tone it. All you need to do is hang from a bar and bring your legs to your chest. Just do this for a few reps and feel the burn!

The handstand pushup will give strength to both your arms and core. Just do a handstand against a wall and lower yourself slightly with a bend in the elbows, and then go back to an erect position. Doing this a few times gives a good workout. If you do this long enough, you can really boss AND DO IT WITHOUT A WALL!

Here are five different exercises which you can use and build on. Do it in a circut or anyway that works for you. I highly suggest buying CONVICT CONDITIONING to really learn how to use these exercises to benefit you. It really helped me. Go out and give these a try and get ripped like Robert De Niro in Cape Fear.

Household Workout

There is a variety of ways to get a workout right in your house using common objects! That's right, you can get in shape using laundry detergent. Here I've collected a few ideas from across the web to get some ideas rolling in your head.

First is the stair climb:

" If you have a set of stairs in your house, you have an array of exercises--right at your feet.

   

Challenge: Try loading a laundry basket up with clothes and place a container of detergent on top. Hike up and down the stairs with that load. You just created a cardio workout with weights. "

source: http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/turn-your-home-into-a-gym-at-home-workout-with-household-items

Here are a couple of more ideas:

"Use a chair for dips Any chair you've got can be used for dips. Place hands on both front corners of the seat, extend your legs, bend your elbows to lower yourself down, then straighten your arms to raise yourself back up. Dips are great for triceps, and you can even catch up on Netflix while doing it! 

And for incline push-ups A chair can also be useful to add a twist to your typical push-up. Placing your hands on the seat and extending your legs, you can now perform an incline push-up, lowering your chest to the chair, then raising yourself back up. Unlike our buddy above, you don't need to look like you're whispering secrets to it. But we recommend it." source: https://www.thrillist.com/home/10-ways-you-can-use-household-objects-to-work-out-diy-home-gym

These are some great ideas to look at and try out! Now, these are just a few examples of what can be done around your home. I encourage you to go look at different types of exercises to do in your own home and give them a shot. By doing this you are embodying the spirit of martial conditioning and preparing yourself to become a new and better you! Before you do this consult a physician and make sure you are good to do this type of physical activity! Bottom line, go out there and have fun but challenge yourself!

Case Study: Laborers

                                                                         

Now, here we dive into our first example of  martial conditioning. The first thought that may come across your mind is what does a construction worker have to do with physical fitness? Well, as I explain the mystery will be solved. You see, a construction worker throughout the day has to do a lot of pushing, pulling, and lifting. These movements are reminiscent of what a powerlifter does in the gym. Instead of using barbells and dumbells, the construction worker uses 2x4's. I once worked construction and saw what could be described marvels of physical prowess. I once saw a guy who was about 5"9 160 pounds throw 5 large pieces of lumber over his shoulder like they were feathers. I tried that and struggled to kep par with him (I was clearly not in shape!). Another example can be seen in the life of my own father who was a delivery driver who worked for a meat processing company. He would have to lift two 50 bags of flour at the same time by throwing them up and putting them on their shoulders in a clean jerk motion. He did this for hours a day to load his truck and built an incredible amount of strength doing this. I remember as a kid that his biceps were as big as my head! Both of these cases show what happens when a person uses everyday objects in a physically challenging way. This type of physical activity embodies the essence of martial conditioning. If you are not a laborer, then how do you do this type of activity? Well, there is more to come...

Martial Conditioning

What is martial conditioning? It's the workout philosophy used by people's across the globe for thousands of years. Whether it has been kung fu monks, Roman Gladiators, or people doing time in San Quentin, the principles of martial conditioning remain the same. What are these principles you may ask? First, is simplicity, and that does not mean easy but rather simplicity in the fact little to no special equipment is needed. Next, is portability which means it can be done anywhere. Last, it is both challenging and fun. After reading this you still may be wondering what all this is about, and that is why I invite you personally to walk down the path of discovering a new way of personal fitness and health which will be rewarding beyond what you can conceive!