Alekssalkin Layout Print

Contents
Disclaimer! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Opening Salvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Your Arsenal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Before You Begin… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
7 Calisthenics Exercises You Should NEVER Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
3 Kettlebell Myths That Just Won’t Die . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
The #1 “Dangerous” Exercise For Bulletproof Knees . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Praise for Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” Salkin’s
online coaching, workshops, and programs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Disclaimer!
You must get your physicians approval before beginning this or

any exercise program. These recommendations are not medical
guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult
your physician prior to starting this program or if you have any
medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity.
See your physician before starting any exercise or nutritional
program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to your
physician before starting any exercise program, including The
Crawling Challenge. If you experience any lightheadedness, dizziness,
or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the movement and
consult a physician.
It is strongly recommended that you have a complete physical
examination if you are sedentary, if you have high cholesterol, high
blood pressure, or diabetes, if you are overweight, or if you are over
30 years old. Please discuss all nutritional changes with your physician
or a registered dietician. If your physician recommends that you NOT
use these movements, please follow your doctor’s orders.
All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and
publishers advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety
and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this program,
be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks
beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The
exercises and dietary programs in this program are not intended as
a substitute for any exercise routine, treatment, or dietary regimen
that may have been prescribed by your physician.
Don’t lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured,
or fatigued. Don’t perform any exercise without proper instruction.
Always perform a warm up before all forms of training.
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Opening Salvo
Oh, hi there.
My name is Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” Salkin, and thanks for
downloading my ebook, 99 Bodyweight & Kettlebell Workouts. It’s great
to have you here.
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably a big fan of kettlebells
and bodyweight training.
And if you’re REALLY like me, you grew up scrawny, unathletic,
weak, and physically awkward until you discovered kettlebells
and calisthenics.
Or maybe you just realized that you got much better, more
sustainable results from unconventional workouts such as those
you get with a kettlebell and your own fair flesh than what you ever
got from whiling away for hours and hours on machines and other
gizmos in the gym.
Either way, this book is for you.
In it I cover:
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99 Kettlebell & Bodyweight Workouts
*99 of my favorite kettlebell and bodyweight workouts –

to get you in, out, and strong in 25 minutes or less
*An article on the 7 calisthenics exercises you should
NEVER do
*3 myths about kettlebell training that just won’t die
*The #1 ‘dangerous’ calisthenics exercise that builds
bulletproof knees
So clear some space in your favorite ‘Courage Corner’ (i.e. workout
space), grab a kettlebell or two, dust off your pullup bar, and let’s get
to work!
First, a quick word on how to make the most of these workouts:
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The Rules
“Smokey, this is not ‘Nam…there are rules.”

—Walter Sobchak, The Big Lebowski
Rule #1 – If it hurts, stop!
Before a medical student can graduate, they are required to take

the Hippocratic oath, the most famous part of which is “do no harm”.
Well, strength coaches and personal trainers like to apply that same
pledge, and I advise you to follow it, too.
Training is meant to improve your strength, health, and resilience
– and the minute you get a stupid injury because you ignored your
body’s pain signals, you’ll be kicking yourself for not following this
rule (actually, now that we’re talking about avoiding injury, I probably
should mention don’t kick yourself…)
If something feels painful, “not right”, or maybe you’re just not
sure, it’s best to leave that exercise to the side just to be safe, or
even call it a day. We all come into training with our own baggage
and mileage, so use your best judgement; there’s no substitute for it.
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Rule #2 – Push yourself,

but don’t be stupid.
As my colleague Jordan Syatt has said, “exercise isn’t supposed

to tickle”. Yes, it’s gonna be tough –sometimes very tough. And
sometimes maybe even a little TOO tough. It’s that “too tough” thing
you want to avoid.
Often the same exercise that is perfectly safe and appropriate
for you when done with the proper amount of intensity can become
injurious under fatigue.
Fatigue is normal – the important part is how you manage it.
Pushing so far into fatigue that you can no longer safely perform
an exercise or exercises is a recipe for disaster. When your form
breaks down, stop your set, get your wits about you, and then start
back up when you are feeling almost ready.
Rule #3 – Make substitutions

when necessary
Some of these workouts call for moves you may not be ready to do.
For example, let’s say a workout calls for pullups and dips – but you
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Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” Salkin
can’t do pullups and dips. Well, maybe you can do bodyweight rows
and pushups – so do those instead! Not only will it pave the way
toward the strength needed to do those movements, but it will keep
you from throwing in the towel and teach you how to find excuses to
succeed rather than prematurely quit.
Rule #4 – 1 is always greater than 0
Let’s say a workout in this ebook calls for 15 minutes – but you can
only do 10, or maybe even just 5. So do that!
Between 5 minutes of work and 0 minutes of work, trust me when
I say your body will react more favorably to the 5 you can devote
than the alternative.
Rule #5 – Take a “before” picture
Whether your goal is to lose fat, get a bit fitter, build bigger muscles,
increase your stamina, or get strong as an ox, it helps to track your
workouts.
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Ideally, you should get a notebook that you can use to track your
workouts, but at the very least, take a couple of ‘before’ pictures of
yourself – from the front, the back, and the side – and compare and
contrast after a month or two’s worth of work. If you’re improving
your eating habits along with working out more often, I think you’ll
be pleasantly surprised at how your body has started to respond.
Rule #6 – Be patient
I’ve trained people in some capacity or another for 9 years, and not
a single one has come to me and said “Help! I woke up and all of a
sudden I’m out of shape!”
Just like getting out of shape takes time, so does getting into
shape. So be patient, stay consistent, and don’t give up.
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Rule #7 – Enjoy yourself!

You know what really grinds my gears? Personal trainers and health
enthusiasts who pitch working out to their clients and followers as
some sort of solemn obligation to oneself.
Working out should be fun! Obviously it helps increase the
robustness of your health and fitness, but if you’re not enjoying
yourself, you’re doing it wrong.
Not every workout is gonna be a mile-a-minute thrill ride, but it
shouldn’t be something you dread either – otherwise you won’t keep
doing it.
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Your Arsenal
“Your precious armory! Graciously accepted. We will need it.”

—Bane, The Dark Knight Rises
With all this said, let’s take a look at some of the exercises you’ll find
in this ebook.
Because variety is the spice of life (and gains), and because
kettlebells and calisthenics provide such a wide array of variations
of each and every exercise, I thought it’d be a shame to include only
one variation of each while leaving the rest outside to freeze half
to death like some neglected house pet. So you’re in luck – you’re
gonna get a lot of spice in your workouts.
Not all will be accessible to you most likely, so remember rule #3
above: don’t be afraid to make substitutions.
Bodyweight
Pushups One-arm pushups
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ALEKS “THE HEBREW HAMMER” SALKIN
Dips Pike pushups Handstand pushups
Squat Lunge
Split squat Pistol
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99 KETTLEBELL & BODYWEIGHT WORKOUTS
Hip bridge Hip thrust
Single-leg hip thrust Back bridge
Row Face pull
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Pullup
Floor leg raises Hanging leg raise
16
Hollow position L-sit
Dead bugs Windshield wiper
Crawling
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Kettlebell
Tango carries Rack walks Steering wheel carries
Farmer’s carry Single leg deadlift
Turkish Get Up Swing
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Clean Press Front squat
Goblet squat Snatch
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Bridge Floor Press Bent-over row
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Before You Begin…
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this:

These workouts are powerful, and done with consistency you’ll
be amazed by the transformation that takes place. What’s more,
there are options for just about anyone at any ability level: beginner,
intermediate, or advanced.
With that said, if you want to REALLY take your strength, stamina,
resilience, and athleticism to the next level, it’s always helpful to
have a well-designed program from an experienced coach. Staying
consistent in doing a variety of workouts will get you generally
stronger and healthier, but following a precise, methodical, and
proven program will take your strength clear into the stratosphere.
Check out what Marc “The Gentle German Giant” had to say after
following a program I whipped up for him:
“With Aleks’s help I reached my goals – one-arm pushups

and pistol squats – faster than expected and can do several
solid sets now. This amazed me big time.
I am a tall guy (1.94 meters/6’3”) and physics really plays

against me especially with those unilateral moves…I could
not figure out how to get around it.
However, thanks to Aleks’s know-how I was able to master

those challenging moves!”
—Marc Braun, Germany
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He’s just one of a number of students and trainees who have

seen some pretty awesome results from following my programs, but
you can read more on that at the end of this ebook. For now, it’s time
for some workouts.
Let the gains begin!
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Workout #1
Strength
5 pike pushups with feet elevated

5 L-sit pullups
5 Pistol squats per leg
5 L-sit leg raises
5 Back bridge pushups
*Repeat for 5 rounds – rest as little as possible but as much as

necessary between exercises and between rounds*
Conditioning
10 ring rows
10 dive bomber pushups
10 hip thrusts
10 Cossack squats
*Repeat for 3 rounds – rest as little as possible but as much as
necessary to maintain proper form*
Here’s a short video with a demo of all the moves: https://youtu.be/
ln4TjzKdEx4
Workout #2
Kettlebell deadlift (or swing, if you can): 20 reps

Goblet squat: 20 reps
Hip thrust: 20 reps
Rest, and repeat doing 15 reps. Rest and repeat again doing 10 reps.
Once you’ve done that, call it a day.
When this becomes easier, do 20-15-15 reps, then eventually

20-20-20.
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Workout #3
A1) Hindu pushup: 5, 10, 15, 20, 15, 10, 5
A2) Hindu squat: 5, 10, 15, 20, 15, 10, 5
(short tutorial on these moves here: https://youtu.be/wj7GuF2L3cQ )
B1) Single leg deadlift – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

B2) Dead bugs – 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4
Workout #4
- Part 1: Heavy double KB front squats
Min 1: 5 front squats
Min 2: 20 leg raises on the floor (lay on your back and lift
your straightened legs to waist level. Lower & repeat)
Repeat with 4 squats and 20 leg raises, then 3 squats and 20

leg raises, all the way down to 1.
- Part 2: Heavy 1-arm swings
Min 1: 1 set of 5 heavy 1-arm swings every 30 seconds
Min 3: OFF
Workout #5
Crawl – forward and backward 10 paces
March – forward and backward 10 paces
Video here -> https://youtu.be/cKA4-Yq-jLE
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Workout #6
Lower body
A1) Heels elevated hip thrusts – 12-15 (do these single leg for an
added challenge)
A2) Dead bugs – 10-20 (do these slowly)
Repeat x 2
B1) Double kettlebell front squat – 3-5 reps

B2) Rocking on hands and knees (or hands and feet) – 10-20 rocks
Repeat x 3
Upper Body
C1) Slow commando rocks (5 minutes)

C2) Standing cross crawls (1 minute)
Perform once
D1) Clean & press (single or double kettlebell) – 5

D2) Face pull – 8-12
Repeat x 3-5
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Workout #7
5 jump squats, followed by 3-5 heavy double kettlebell front squats
5 clapping pushups, followed by 3-5 military presses
3 broad jumps, followed by 5-10 heavy kettlebell swings
Repeat for as many quality rounds as you can manage in 20 minutes
Workout #8
A1) Weighted dips – 5
A2) Weighted chins – 5
A3) Front squats – 5
Repeat for 5 rounds
Workout #9
A1) Double KB push press: 5
A2) Double kettlebell bent over row: 5
A3) Double kettlebell swings: 10
Repeat for 5 rounds
Workout #10
10-20 dead bugs + 5 double kettlebell presses – 5 rounds
10-20 dead bugs + 5 double kettlebell front squats - 5 rounds
10-20 dead bugs + 10 swings- 10 rounds
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Workout #11
10 pushups, 10 swings
(Repeat down to 1 pushup, 10 swings)
Workout #12
5 pullups, 10 goblet squats
1 pullup, 10 goblet squats
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Workout #13
Minute 1: 1 snatch, 1 overhead lunge, 1 military press on your LEFT –
repeat 3-5 times in a row
Minute 2: 1 snatch, 1 overhead lunge, 1 military press on your RIGHT
– repeat 3-5 times in a row
Minute 3: Leopard crawl forward 10 paces
Repeat for 4 rounds
Workout #14
Minute 1: L-sit variation – 10 seconds
Minute 2: handstand variation – 10 seconds
Minute 3: REST
Repeat x 5
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Workout #15
A1) one-leg rock – 10 per leg
A2) Slow heavy pistol negative with your 3 rep max weight (down only!)
A3) 3-5 full pistol squats – 4 seconds down, up fast
B1) Backward crawling – 20 paces
B2) One-arm/one-leg pushup negative on a low elevation (hold the
bottom position for 3-5 seconds)
B3) 3-5 elevated one-arm/one-leg pushups on a higher elevation
C1) Elevated roll – 3 per side
C2) Heavy weighted pullup negative with your 3 rep max weight
(down only!)
C3) 3-5 pullups (with lighter weight or bodyweight only)
Workout #16
Set a timer for 10 minutes and do the following
A1) 5 pushups (at 20 rep max variation, meaning elevate your hands
if needed)
A2) 5 jump squats (squat fully and then “jump” upward. Land softly!)
A3) Commando crawl across the room
When you’ve completed the above, set your timer for another 10
minutes and then do the following
B1) 5 Towel row (put a towel over a sturdy door handle and row away)
B2) 5 one-leg hip bridges
B3) March across the room
All told, each circuit in both of the above segments should last
about 30 seconds, leaving you 30 seconds of rest. A tough-but-
doable workout for just about anyone.
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Workout #17
- 5 elevated one-arm pushups (per arm)
- 5 pullups
- 5 pistols (per leg)
Repeat x 3, then…
- 3x5 military press

- 4x5 front squat
- 5x5 bent-over row
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Workout #18
10 standing cross crawls + 5 military presses per arm
10 lying cross crawls + 5 goblet squats
10 elevated rolls + 5 bodyweight rows
Repeat x 5
Workout #19
Pick up a moderate weight and choose a moderately difficult crawling
variation. Then, set the timer for 10 minutes and do the following:
Loaded carry: 5 paces
Crawling: 5 paces
(rest as needed)

Crawling: 10 paces
(rest as needed)

Crawling: 20 paces
(Rest a bit longer)
Start over and repeat until the buzzer beeps.
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Workout #20
10 dead-stop swings (replace the bell on the ground after each rep
to work on explosive speed)
20 marches in place
Rest and repeat for 10-15 minutes
Workout #21
With one kettlebell, do the following on each side:
A1) 5 rows
A2) 5 clean
A3) 5 presses
A4) 5 squats
A5) 5 swings
March 20 paces around the room
Rest and repeat for 10-15 minutes
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Workout #22
March 20 paces forward
Drop to the ground and commando crawl 20 paces forward
Rest as little as possible but as much as necessary for 10-15
minutes. If you can do this without stop for that amount of time
while keeping up a good pace with your marches, you will be well on
your way to becoming unstoppable.
Workout #23
Backward elbow crawl: 1 minute on, 1 minute off – repeat 3 times
Backward leopard or Spiderman crawl: 5 minutes nonstop.
Workout #24
2 front squats
2 bent over rows
2 floor presses
3 front squats
3 bent over rows
3 floor presses
5 front squats
5 bent over rows
5 floor presses from the bridge
Repeat x 3 and call it a day
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Workout #25
Bulgarian pullups – 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
Face pulls – 20, 15, 10, 5
Handstand pushups – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Stretch pushups – 12, 10, 8, 6, 4
Single-leg hip thrust (heel elevated on couch, back on floor) – 3x20

Single-leg hip thrust (upper back on couch, feet on floor) – 3x20
Side hip bridges – 1x20
Oblique raises – 1x20
Workout #26
5 high pulls
5 clean + push press
5 bent over rows
5 front squats
Repeat with 4 of each, then 3, then 2, and then 1
Workout #27
Grab two kettlebells that you can squat for around 10 reps or so. Do
the following without setting the bells down:
1 clean, 1 front squat

2 cleans, 2 front squats
3 cleans, 3 front squats
etc.
Continue and see how close you can get to 10 reps. If you can
get 7, you’re pretty darn strong, conditioned, and mentally/physically
tough. If you can get 10, you’re a legend! And you also probably went
a little too light, so increase the weight and repeat.
When you’ve reached your top set, put the bells down and call
it a day.
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Workout #28
Hindu Pushups – 10
Hindu Squats – 10
Table Top Hip Bridges – 10
Crawl – 20 paces
Repeat as many quality rounds as you can in 20 minutes, adding

5-10 reps to each exercise after each new round (or 5-10 paces in
the case of the crawling)
Ex: 2nd round: Hindu pushups – 15 reps/Hindu squats -15 reps, etc
For a short tutorial on the Hindu pushup and squat, click here:
https://youtu.be/wj7GuF2L3cQ
And for a quick look at how to crawl, click here: https://youtu.be/

FRHAAHabGgw
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Workout #29
A1) Push press (up fast, lower over the course of 4 seconds)
– 10 reps
A2) Front squat – 4 seconds down, 2 seconds up – 10 reps
A3) Clean – 10 reps – pause for 2 seconds in the rack
Repeat for 10 minutes, resting as little as possible but as much as

necessary to maintain good form
Workout #30
A1) Chinup – (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.)
A2) Dip – (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.)
Do one chinup, then one dip, then relax briefly. Climb the ladder as
high as you can with good form, rest for a minute or two, and start
back over from 1. Repeat 2-3 times, whip your shirt off triumphantly,
and check out your wicked pump in the mirror while flexing like
Arnie. You know you were going to anyway.
Workout #31
A1) Pistols
A2) One-arm pushups
A3) L-sit pullups
Do the above in ladder format – 1, 2, 3, rest, rinse, and repeat.

Here’s a short video demonstrating the proper way to do it:
https://youtu.be/-s2TS49x6jg
You hit your legs first (which doubles as a warm-up for the one-
arm pushups, since your legs and abs are now ready to get in on the
action), hit your pressing next (which allows you to isometrically light
up your lats and core in preparation for the L-sit pullups), and follow
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it up with some work for your back, core, and grip, followed by a bit
longer rest.
As for rest between exercises, I like to increase it as the round
continues forward. The best measure to use (in my experience) is
simply deep breathing. Start with anything from a 1:3 to 1:5 work:rest
ratio and increase or decrease based on how difficult it’s getting.
Once you’re getting to a pretty consistent 1:2 or even 1:1 work:rest
ratio, it’s time to up the difficulty or increase the reps and start doing
something like (2, 3, 5) ladders and start all over again.
And why 19 minutes? Just because it reminds you that the clock is
ticking and times a-wastin’. So get a move on already.
Workout #32
Chinups – 5
Front squats – 5
Military press – 8
Hanging leg raise – 5
Repeat x 3-5
Conditioning
Crawl – 5 minutes, resting as little as possible but as much as
necessary
Swing – 10x10
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Workout #33
This is an inverted version of the workout above, which plays on the
idea of fatigue cycling – changing the order of the exercises in your
routine so that you’ll be fresh/fatigued for different exercises and
can continue making progress without having to add more reps.
Military press – 8
Hanging leg raise – 5
Front squats – 5
Chinups – 5
Repeat x 3-5
Conditioning
Swing – 10x10
Crawl – 5 minutes, resting as little as possible but as much as
necessary
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Workout #34
1 snatch
1 front squat
1 clean
1 press
1 swing
Set the kettlebell down, do some active rest (shake out the tension
from your body), and then repeat on the right side. Try to keep up
this same pace for a full 10 minutes. Not only will every muscle in
your body be pounding, but you’ll feel a surge of strength from head
to toe, and you will be puffing and panting like in a conditioning
workout – without wishing you were dead! Isn’t that something?
Workout #35
A1) Lunge – 8 reps per leg
A2) Russian twist (at the top of the sit-up position, hold the
kettlebell by the horns and reach it toward the ground on each
side of your body) – 8 reps per side
A3) Steering wheel carries – around your training space twice
(https://www.instagram.com/p/BMYoVtSDv0b/?taken-by=
aleks_salkin)
Repeat x 3 rounds, resting as little as possible but as much as necessary.
Given that split-stance work, twisting, and carrying are three of the
lesser-practiced strength moves, doing them even once or twice a
week will make a huge difference in your strength and conditioning.
You’ll also probably find that you can manhandle previously
untouchable weights in your pet lifts – even if you’re barely practicing
them. Sounds too good to be true, but some of the best things in life
are just that way.
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Workout #36
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5) x 2 – overhead press
3x8 - goblet squats
5x5 - chinups
5x10 - swings
Workout #37
5x5 - chinups
5x10 - swings
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5) x 2 – overhead press
3x8 - goblet squats
Workout #38
A1) Double kettlebell front squats – 5
A2) Light kettlebell pullover – 10
Rest 1 minute between the squats and the pullovers, and then 3
minutes between rounds. Repeat for 3 rounds and call it a day.
Workout #39
Combo #1
A1) Arched scap pull – 10 seconds
A2) Snatch and press – 5 per arm
The arched scap pull will help you activate every muscle in your
back – from your traps to your low back – and help you “get out of
your own way” for ballistic pulls (such as the snatch) and presses
by opening up your round-shouldered office posture, which makes
for much easier and more powerful pulling, which in turn will give
your presses a major boost. And the snatch before each press? It will
make even moderate kettlebells feel heavier, (semi) gently improve
your work capacity, and build some boulder shoulders.
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Combo #2
B1) Straight-arm pullover – 8 reps
B2) L-sit – 10 seconds
B3) Front squat – 5
Pullovers and squats are a classic strength-and-muscle combo that

served as the meat and potatoes of countless lifters in the pre-steroid
era. The pullover will powerfully stretch your lats (which will come in
handy after scap pulls and snatches) and strongly recruit your chest
muscles (which will warm you up for the next combo). The addition
of the L-sit likewise preps the abs for heavy squatting (squats + core
work is a common coupling practiced both in gymnastics and in
many powerlifting circles).
Combo #3
C1) Planche leans – 10 seconds
C2) Hollow position pullups – 5
One of the secrets of gymnasts’ incredible pulling strength is their

ability to powerfully recruit their chest muscles in pulling feats – from
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pullups to front levers to Iron Crosses. While most progressions

toward the planche are simply inaccessible to those who have
never worked on straight-arm strength before, planche leans – a
type of pushup where you simply lean farther forward and round
the upper back to simulate the muscle activation of a planche – are
gold. Not only will your chest feel pumped, your shoulders, abs, legs,
and everything in between will get a strong workout in as well while
greatly stimulating the stability of your scapulae, priming your body
for some high quality, muscle-and-strength forging pullups.
I whipped up a short video for you so you can see what some of
the moves look like if you’re not familiar with them: https://youtu.be/
aO93Z92pPM0
Workout #40
- Ab wheel – 5 roll outs
- Clean and press – 5 per arm
- Front squat – 5
- Weighted chinup – 5
Workout #41
- 40 dead bugs
- 2 minutes of elbow crawls (knees off the ground)
- 40 walking cross crawls
Rest
- 40 cross crawls on your back

- 2 minutes of slow Leopard crawling
- 40 bird dogs
Rest
Repeat for 2-3 rounds
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Workout #42
Workout
- 5 push presses per arm
- 5 front squats
- 5 bent-over rows
- 5 snatches per arm
Repeat 2-3 times and hit the showers .
Workout #43
A1) Kettlebell clean & push press – 5 reps per arm
A2) Single-leg deadlift – 5 per leg
Repeat for 3 rounds

B1) Pullup – 3-5 reps
B2) Face pull – 5-8 reps
Repeat for 3 rounds

C1) Kettlebell clean & push press – 5 reps per arm (see my last email
for why the push press rocks)
C2) Single-leg deadlift – 5 per leg
Repeat for 2 more rounds
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Workout #44
A1 ) Descending box pistols + Power swings . Do 10 box pistols
per leg, then 1 power swing per arm . Lower the elevation for
your box pistols, then do 2 power swings per arm . Repeat until
you’re down to 1 pistol and 10 power swings per arm .
A2) Elbow crawl + steering wheel carries. Elbow crawl for 30
seconds, rest for 30 seconds . Carry a moderately heavy kettlebell
in the steering wheel position for 30 seconds . Repeat for 10-15
minutes and call it a day .
Workout #45
A1) Pullup + front squat. Do an almost all-out set of pullups (leave
a rep or two in the tank), and then do 1 heavy front squat . Next,
do another set of pullups, only do 1 rep fewer than your previous
set, followed by 2 heavy front squats . Repeat until you’re down to
1 pullup and however many heavy front squats you can manage .
A2) Single-leg deadlift + pike pushup. Do between 5-10 single-leg
deadlifts per leg, then follow it up with the same amount of pike
pushups . Repeat for 5 sets .
44
Workout #46
A1) Snatch to push press + L-sit knee raises. Snatch a kettlebell
you can comfortably press for 5-8 reps, lower to the rack, and
push press it 3 times. Repeat on the other arm. Then do 5-10
knee raises in the L-sit position. Repeat for 3 rounds.
A2) Bent over renegade row + Cossack lunges. Do 5 rows per
side, alternating sides each rep, followed by 5 Cossack lunges
per leg. You can use a light counter balance if your mobility
demands it. Repeat for 3 rounds.
A3) See-saw floor press from a hip bridge + weighted side
plank. Grab your favorite pair of kettlebells and get them
into the floor press position. Push your hips up, and press
them, alternating sides, for 10 total reps. Follow that up with a
weighted side plank with a light kettlebell on each side. Repeat
for 3 rounds.
Video => https://youtu.be/VqUHnw0l20I
Workout #47
Part 1:
- 5 heavy double kettlebell swings on the minute: 5 minutes (be
explosive and make the bells float!)
Part 2:
A1) Floor press from the bridge – 5-8 reps
A2) Chinup – 5-8 reps
Repeat x 3
45
Workout #48
Warm up:
- 2 minutes of deep breathing
- 10 neck nods up/down, over each shoulder x 3
- 10 elevated rolls
- 15 knees-up commando rocks
- 40 cross crawls
- 40 dead bugs
After this you will be very warmed up. Trust me. Once you’ve caught
your breath…
The Main Course

A1) Pullups – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on an overhang (if you’re lucky enough to
have access to a pullup bar, use it!)
A2) Handstand pushup (or pike pushup) – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
A3) Tip-toe pistols (lower into a standard pistol position, come up
to the balls of your foot, then roll back onto your heel and stand
up) – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Do once (trust me, that’s all you’ll have in for you – particularly if
you’re doing this at a steady pace)
The Side Dishes

B1) Dive bomber pushups – 10-15
B2) YTWL – 15
B3) Single-leg heels-up hip bridge – 20 per leg
Repeat x 2, resting as little as possible but as much as necessary.
46
Workout #49
A1) Military press: 5 reps (@ tempo of 2 seconds up on each rep, 4
seconds down)
A2) Pullup: 5 reps (@ tempo of 2 seconds up, 4 seconds down)
A3) Front squat: 5 reps (@ tempo of 2 seconds up, 4 seconds down)
One set on the minute – rest 1 minute before starting circuit over again.
Repeat x 3
Total time: 12 minutes
B1) 10 power swings

One set on the minute x 10 sets
47
Workout #50
A1) Crawl – 30-45 seconds
A2) Farmer’ carry – 30-45 seconds
Repeat x 5 (and give yourself 1 minute off in the middle – you’re gonna
need it!)
Workout #51 – “Push League”

Round 1: Diamond pushups: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Round 2: Wide-grip pushups (fingers pointing outward): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
4, 3, 2, 1
Round 3: standard pushups: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Workout #52
A1) kettlebell arm-bar – 1 per side
A2) Windmill – 5 left, 5 right
Repeat x 2
48
B1) Clean + military press – 5 left, 5 right

B2) Clean + single kettlebell front squat – 5 left, 5 right
B3) One-arm row – 5 left, 5 right
Repeat x 3
C1) One-arm power swings – 5L, 5R

C2) Dead bugs – 10-20
Repeat x 5
Workout #53
Part 1: with a light kettlebell – kettlebell arm-bar (30 seconds on each
side) -> 1 clean and press -> walk with the kettlebell overhead
(repeat on the other arm) – Complete 2 rounds
Part 2: Turkish Get Up with a heavier kettlebell (one on each side) –
Complete 3 rounds
Part 3: 10 reps of 1-arm bodyweight rows + 10-second L-sit -
Complete 3 rounds
Part 4: single leg deadlift x 5 -> 5 swings + 5 cleans + 5 snatches ->
5 overhead lunges – (repeat on the other side) – with a light to
moderate kettlebell – complete 3 rounds
49
Workout #54
Kettlebell:
- 5 snatches
- 3 single-side front squats
- 1 press to Turkish Get Down
Repeat on the other side – go for a total of 10 minutes
Calisthenics
- 5 arched scap pull to pullup
- 3 tip-toe pistols per leg
- 1 slow pike pushup to standard pushup
Repeat for 10 minutes and call it a day
Workout #55
Pullups: (5, 1, 4, 2, 3) x 2
Rest 1 minute, then move on to front squats
Front squats (5, 1, 4, 2, 3) x 2

Total training time: 20 minutes
50
Workout #56
Kettlebell complex
- 5 high pulls
- 1 clean
- 5 squats
- 1 military press
- 5 windmill
Repeat on the other side. Do a total of 3 rounds.
Bodyweight circuit
A1) 5 leg raises (or knee raises) to 5 pullups

A2) 10 hack squats (squats on the toes)
A3) 5 dive-bomber pushups
Repeat x 3
51
Workout #57
12 face pulls
12 dive bomber pushups
20 one-leg hip thrusts per side
10 Bulgarian split squats per leg
20 leg raises
Repeat for as many quality rounds as you can in 20 minutes
Workout #58
Part 1
Round 1: Snatch a kettlebell for 5 reps per arm

Round 2: 5 strict pushups
Repeat x 5
Part 2
Round 1: 5 goblet squats

Round 2: 10 hollow rocks (check out this video if you don’t know
what those are: https://www.instagram.com/p/BR5d0jwF5Ae/?taken-
by=aleks_salkin )
Repeat x 5
Workout #59
A1) Hands-up pushup (lift hands off ground at the bottom of the
pushup) - 10
A2) Elevated roll – 5 per side
A3) Oblique raises – 10 per side
A4) Cossack squats – 10 per side
52
Workout #60
A1) Jackknife pullup – 10
A2) Dive bomber pushup – 10
A3) Hack squat – 10
Repeat x 3 and call it a day
Workout #61
Do all kettlebell moves with two kettlebells (or do the moves left then
right if you have only 1 kettlebell)
• Dead bugs – 60 total reps in as few sets as possible

• Row x 5
• Crawl fwd/back – 20 paces each direction
• Clean x 10
• Crawl sideways – 20 paces left and right
• Front squat x 5
• Crawl fwd/back – 20 paces each direction
• Pushup x 10

necessary.
Workout #62
Renegade Row – 1 per arm
Double kettlebell clean – 5 reps
Double kettlebell press – 5 reps
Double kettlebell front squat – 5 reps
Double kettlebell swings – 10 reps
Repeat x 3
53
Workout #63
Military press: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Front squat: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Pullup: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
2-hand kettlebell swing: 5, 10, 15, 20/5, 10, 15, 20
Workout #64
1 front squat, 5 leg raises
2 front squats, 4 leg raises
5 front squats, 1 leg raise
Complete twice.
54
Workout #65
A1) Chinups – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
A2) Front squats – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
A3) Military press – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (on both arms)
Workout #66
A1) Archer pushups – 8 per side
A2) Typewriter rows – 8 per side
A3) Cossack squats – 15 per side
Repeat x 3
Video here => https://www.instagram.com/p/BTy_H5dlmxg/
Workout #67
Hindu Pushups: 2x25
Hindu Squats: 2x25
Workout #68
With a light or moderate kettlebell do the following 1-2 times on
each side:
A1) Overhead carry – 10-20 paces

A2) Rack carry – 10-20 paces
A3) Suitcase carry – 10-20 paces
55
Workout #69
Viking Push Press – tutorial -> https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=p-RKLmZmlqw
Once you’ve got a hang of it, here’s a short-but-not-so-sweet workout

to put your skills to the test (this also works great as a finisher at the
end of an existing workout)
10 left, 10 right – relax and take 10 deep breaths

Throw in the towel and hit the showers – trust me, you’ll need it!
Workout #70
A1) 3-5 one-arm pushups (put your hand on an elevation if needed)
A2) Walk 10-20 paces with a heavy kettlebell in the rack position.
Repeat x 2-3
56
Workout #71
A1) Kettlebell high pulls – 8, 12, 15, 20 (both hands)
A2) Bodyweight squats – 8, 12, 15, 20
A3) Hindu pushups – 8, 12, 15, 20
Workout #72
A1) Power swings – 10 (<-these are when you set the kettlebell back
on the floor between reps)
A2) Heels-elevated hip bridge – 10 reps (video here: https://youtu.
be/p6zml5Z7ghM)
A3) Single-leg deadlift – 5 per leg
Do 2-3 rounds of this and call it a day.
Workout #73
Set your timer for 17 minutes and do the following
A1) Turkish Get Up w/ a press at each stage (both up and down) – 1
per arm
A2) Crawl & drag (using TGU weight) – 10 paces in each direction
A3) Bodyweight row with a pause at the top (elbows flared out
slightly) – 10 reps
57
Workout #74
A1) 10-and-2 lunge (an even more brutal but effective lunge variation)
– 8L/8R
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOE9aYKjQlf/
A2) steering wheel carry – 20 paces https://www.instagram.com/p/
BMYoVtSDv0b/
A3) Russian twist – 5 per side
Repeat x 4
Workout #75
A1) Hamstring curls in gymnastics rings – 8-10 reps https://www.
instagram.com/p/BTmMqPgloos/
A2) Front squat – 3-5 reps https://youtu.be/T8xRwxBsdy4
Repeat for 4-5 times, resting 1 minute between rounds (Click the links for
examples of proper technique)
(NOTE: If you don’t have two kettlebells, do single-sided front squats.

If you don’t have rings, here’s a hamstring curl alternative for you:
https://youtu.be/p6zml5Z7ghM )
Workout #76
A1) face pulls – 5
A2) military press – 3-5
A3) face pulls – 5
A4) chin-ups – 3-5
Repeat x 2-5 (NOTE: you can replace military presses with pushups or
dips, and chin-ups with rows)
58
B1) face pull - 5

B2) clean + front squat – 5-8 (<- 1 clean + 1 front squat = one rep)
B3) Face pull – 5
B4) Swing – 10-15
Repeat x 2-3
Workout #77
“The 50/50 finisher”
A1) Kettlebell swing – 50 reps
A2) Viking push press – 50 reps (25 per arm)
A3) Bodyweight squat – 50 reps
A4) Bodyweight row – 50 reps
A5) Dead bugs – 50 reps
Workout #78
A1) Power swing – 30 seconds (rest for 30 seconds)
A2) Super slow crawl – 30 seconds (rest for 30 seconds)
Repeat until you hit 11 minutes and call it a day.
59
Workout #79
A1) Bottoms-up windmill – 8-10 per side
A2) Single-leg deadlift – 8-10 per side
Repeat x 2-3
Workout #80
A1) weighted dead bugs – 40 (https://www.instagram.com/p/
BVRw8Y4lJOG/)
A2) oblique raises – 10 per side(https://www.instagram.com/p/
BVrhOjHlmGl/)
A3) head-loaded forearm crawl-and-drags – 1 min (https://www.
instagram.com/p/BVZfD5VlPKX/)
Workout #81
A1) The Tango Carry – 10 paces left, 10 paces right
A2) Segmental roll – 3 right, 3 left
Repeat x 2-3
(note: go light with these! These are not big-weight moves. And with
the segmental roll, if you’re new to them, don’t use any weight at all)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd0VfE5lJZa/?taken-by=
aleks_salkin
https://www.instagram.com/p/BddJ1BolQ21/?taken-by=
aleks_salkin
B1) Hockey Deadlifts – 5 reps per side

B2) Bottom’s Up Windmill – 5 reps per side
Repeat x 2-3
60
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZgHEkbl8-Z/?taken-by=aleks_salkin
C1) Twisting pushups – 3-5 reps per side

C2) Elevated rolls – 7-10 reps per side (weighted only if you’re familiar
with them)
Repeat x 2-3
https://www .instagram .com/p/Bdk3CBBFWfh/?taken-by=aleks_salkin

https://www .instagram .com/p/BWfAtiLFU0X/?taken-by=aleks_salkin
Workout #82
A1) Heels up hip thrusts – 20
A2) Goblet squats – 10
---Repeat x 3---
61
Workout #83
Military press – 6x6 per arm
Chinups – 6x6
Front squats – 6x6
Workout #84
Tall kneeling press (military press while ‘standing’ on the knees) – 5x5
Wide-grip pullups – 5x5
Split squats – 3x8 per leg
Workout #85
A1) Goblet-to-hack-squat: 5 reps
A2) Straight-arm pullover: 5 reps
A3) Snatch: 5 reps per arm
Repeat x 6
Workout #86
Snatch + Press (left) x 5
Clean + 1-side front squat (left) x 5
Repeat on the right
Do 3 rounds
Workout #87
A1) L-sit hang – 10-15 seconds
A2) Split squat – 10 per leg
A3) Snatch + press – 5 per arm (do one snatch for each press)
Repeat x 4
62
Workout #88
A1) 3-level loaded carry (overhead, in the rack, by your side) – 10
steps per level, both sides
A2) Oblique raise – 10 res per side
A3) Hinge rows – 5-8 reps
Repeat x 3
Workout #89
A1) Kettlebell clean (single or double) – 5
A2) Pike pushup – 5-8 reps
A3) Ab compressions – 10 reps

Workout #90
A1) 8-10 hamstring curls
A2) 10-15 hip thrusts
A3) 10-20 dead bugs
A4) 8 long push press (full front squat into push press)

63
Workout #91
A1) Chinup – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
A2) Bridge floor press – 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
Repeat x 2
B1) Single kettlebell clean – 10 reps per side

B2) Single-side kettlebell front squat – 10 reps per side
Repeat x 2
C1) Hollow hold – 30 seconds

C2) Russian hockey deadlift – 8 reps per side
Repeat x 2
Workout #92:
A1) 3-level slow carry (make each step take 3-4 seconds) – 5-10 steps
per arm
A2) Slow steering wheel carry – 5-10 steps https://www.instagram.
com/p/BMYoVtSDv0b/?taken-by=aleks_salkin
A3) Elbow crawl – 20-30 paces

Workout #93
A1) Heavy double kettlebell farmer’s carry – 1 minute
A2) Crawl and drag – 1 minute https://www.instagram.com/p/
BDNrRqazNQV/?taken-by=aleks_salkin
A3) Rest 1 minute
Repeat for 12 minutes
64
Workout #94
Part 1: Hybrid bodyweight moves
A1) Loaded segmental roll – 3 per side

A2) Sideways crawl-and-drag – 10 steps per side
Repeat x 3
Part 2: Kettlebell ladder complex
Perform 1 rep of each movement, set the kettlebells down briefly, then
perform 2 reps of each movement, , then 3, then 4, all the way up to 5
reps. If you’re using one kettlebell, perform each movement on both sides
before resting.
B1) Bent over row

B2) Clean
B3) Long push press (i.e. full squat into standing overhead press)
Repeat x 2
65
Workout #95
20 Hindu pushups, rest 1 minute
5 Hindu pushups, call it a day
Workout #96
- 8 snatches per arm
- 8 pushups
- 8 kettlebell rows per arm
- 8 supine leg raises (i.e. done with your back on the floor)
- 8 clean & front squats per side (i.e. do one clean + one
front squat all the way up to 8, then switch sides)
Rest 1 minute and repeat for 15 minutes
Workout #97
8 rows left arm
5 snatches
3 squats
2 presses
1 get down and get up
Switch sides and repeat for 10 minutes.
66
Workout #98
15 bodyweight rows
5 kettlebell presses per arm
8 front squats
Repeat x 2-3
Workout #99
5 pullups
5 military press
5 squats
5 heavy snatches per arm
Repeat x 3
67
Finisher
1x20 bodyweight rows
1x20 Hindu pushups
1x20 lunges per leg
1x50 hand-to-hand swings
68
EXCLUSIVE ARTICLES
7 Calisthenics Exercises You
Should NEVER Do
Every so often I hear people say things like “calisthenics is safer

on the body than iron because it’s more natural/it’s just your own
bodyweight and not a bunch of extra weight” etc.
I wish I could say that’s true, but alas, it just ain’t.
A quick Google search will take you to loads of videos of people
getting hurt while doing only bodyweight exercise – be it in CrossFit
workouts, gymnastics, street workout gone wrong, or other mishaps.
I once saw a video of a guy doing situps and his cat knocked his flat
screen TV onto his face. I don’t know if we can rightfully count that
as a potential mishap of calisthenics training, but I think we can all at
least agree that cats can be pretty curmudgeonly.
Anyway, as the old saying goes, “it’s the dose that makes the
poison”. Sometimes people get hurt with otherwise good exercises
because they’ve just done too much of it (what are known as
“overuse injuries”).
In other cases, however, you get hurt because your exercise
selection just sucks. And yes, in the world of calisthenics, there are
some moves that just plain suck, aren’t worth the time, effort, or risk,
and no one should bother with them (in my correct opinion).
I’m sure there will be some disagreement, backlash, wailing,
gnashing of teeth, etc. at some of the selections on this list, but don’t
worry: you can feel free to do any of these exercises you want. Just
so long as you know you’re doing them at your own risk.
Here are my top 7 (or bottom 7, really) picks for calisthenics
exercises you should NEVER do
70
#1: Bench dips
In spite of the fact that bench dips are often considered a staple of
any beginner’s program, they’re anything but a good choice.
Apart from the fact that they demand more shoulder extension
(i.e. the ability to move the arm back behind your body) than most
beginner or even intermediate trainees have, they will do little in
the way of building your strength and lots in the way of potentially
tweaking your shoulders.
Unlike parallel bar dips – which are far and away a better choice –
bench dips force your body to stay upright and eliminate the natural
forward lean that you’d get in parallel bar dips. And given the fact
that even parallel bar dips are often cited as rough on some people’s
shoulders, you can be pretty sure that the bench variation is twice
as wrong for them.
Your best bet: avoid them, spare your shoulders the pain, and
spend your time on more productive moves. For beginners, hands-
elevated pushups get my vote.
71
#2: Kipping pullups
Believe it or not, kipping pullups have a well-accepted place in the

toolbox of any gymnast worth his salt. The problem is that the
way THEY kip and the way MOST kipping is done are two entirely
different things.
Kipping – a light kick of the feet to help you get a little extra
momentum to add a few (or even many) more pullups into a high-
rep set – is a legit tactic. I’ve even read about a men’s gymnastics
coach who could do a whopping 75 pullups in a row with the help of
a light kip!
A violent thrash of the legs designed to do all the work for you
(i.e. what you’ll usually see) is an accident waiting to happen, as no
shortage of people have proven to themselves (and onlookers) when
they tear the skin off their hands, slip and fall off the bar, or worse:
tear muscles and ligaments in their shoulders.
Skip the kip: get used to doing legitimate, no-momentum pullups
and you’ll have all the upper body pulling strength you could
ever want.
72
#3: Burpees
One part pushup, one part jump, all parts senseless, the burpee is
the unlovable bastard child of a well-meaning exercise enthusiast
whose innocent creation was kidnapped and turned into a torture
device for many a group fitness instructors with nothing better to
do than secretly point and laugh as their hapless class members
flagellate themselves with an unholy trinity of 3 otherwise great
moves (squat, pushup, and vertical leap)
The originator of the burpee (who perhaps not surprisingly bore
the last name “Burpee”) developed it for his PhD thesis as a quick
and simple assessment of fitness. It was later adopted by the army
to test World War II recruits’ battle readiness.
And wouldn’t you know it? Battlefield readiness didn’t mean “do
100 burpees in a row, maggot!”
Royal H. Burpee (the inventor) never intended them to be done
for anything more than a few reps as a quick test of cardiovascular
fitness. It’s fair to say he never expected anyone to do hundreds of
them as the better part of their workout. If just a few burpees is good
enough for the creator of the exercise, then it’s good enough for me.
But actually, even at that, I’m not going to do any.
73
#4: Repetition box jumps
Jumping is a fundamental skill, and one that you would be well

advised to hold on to – or redevelop – as you age.
With that said, a jump should be pretty much one-and-done. No
need to do a ton of them in a row, especially if that means resetting
by jumping back onto the ground, which is a recipe for disaster.
Never mind the fact that under fatigue you’re more likely to slip,
scrape your shins, and fall and get banged up, but even if you’re NOT
fatigued, jumping down off of an elevation carries with it a lot of risk
– particularly to your Achilles tendon.
No shortage of group fitness people (and yes, I hate to bring them
up again, but CrossFitters) can tell you all sorts of horror stories
about tearing their Achilles tendon and having it audibly snap and
roll up the back of their leg because they just had to jump up and
down off a box repeatedly.
For godssakes, I’m pleading with you: let your local surgeon get a
loan to buy his new German luxury vehicle!
Jumping is a more than worthy skill to have, but is one that you
have to practice – not toss carelessly into a high intensity workout.
74
#5: Kipping muscle ups
If there’s one thing most people deliberately overlook about muscle

ups, it’s that whole “muscle” part. You’re supposed to use your
muscular strength to pull you into a muscle up, and using a violent
kip to hurl your body toward the stratosphere in the hopes that you’ll
be able to catch yourself in the right position in the nick of time is
just asking for an ad hoc lesson in “what goes up, must come down”.
If you’ve spent enough time getting good at strict pullups and
dips (and your shoulder flexibility is above average) you should have
no problem bridging the gap between the two movements to nail
your first-ever legit muscle up – all without gravity tugging on your
coat tails at the last second to yank you off course.
75
#6: Kipping handstand pushups
I can live with kipping muscle ups. I can even live with kipping
pullups. But if there’s one thing I can’t live with, it’s kipping handstand
pushups. And yes, they do exist.
Kipping handstand pushups are like that guy on your block who
drives that big, loud, and lifted truck: they’re both compensating
for something.
Whereas the guy in his lifted truck is compensating for an
insufficiency he has no control over (and can therefore be forgiven),
people doing kipping handstand pushups are compensating for
something they DO have control over – their overhead pressing
strength – and so kipping handstand pushups CAN’T be forgiven.
Out of all the exercises you should avoid purely due to the danger
they present, this is by far #1.
I’ve read stories of CrossFit competitors who have seriously
injured their necks doing these because – surprise surprise! – in their
effort to squeeze out as many fast, uncontrolled reps as possible,
they hit the top of their heads directly on the ground and that’s all
she wrote.
If you hurt a knee, a wrist, a shoulder, etc. you’ve got a spare. So
while it’s debilitating and will keep you from training, you probably
won’t die.
Break your neck, on the other hand, and you just might.
76
#7: Crunches
Ah, the ubiquitous crunch. There’s no ab exercise more popular in

the world – and none more useless, either.
Unlike some exercises on the list, which pose a potential threat to
your health, crunches are simply a waste of valuable time.
Crunches do paltry little more than build up lactic acid (the
substance responsible for “the burn” you feel when you do a hard
workout) but add essentially nothing to your core strength.
Some better alternatives? Do leg raises, hollow holds, or L-sits.
Not only do they work the abs a helluva lot harder, but they
actually have a useful carryover into other aspects of your training,
such as connecting the movements of the legs to the activation of
the core. What’s more, done for high reps, leg raises and L-sits –
both static holds and leg raises done in the L-sit position – help to
smooth out the strength imbalances between your core and hips.
Plus, if you’re an athlete, a strong leg-core connection is a must.
Master StrongFirst instructor and 7th degree black belt in Tae
Kwon Do Jon Engum has noted that hanging leg raises are truly a
must for martial artists. Fitness expert Tom Furman has further
pointed out that the “folded hip” position found in L-sits is equally
important in martial arts, as is often seen in front kicks popular in
disciplines like Muay Thai and other kicking-heavy martial arts.
Bottom line: crunches are weak sauce, and if you do them, you
can expect about the same.
77
3 Kettlebell Myths That Just
Won’t Die
While kettlebells are now more or less an accepted and widely-

embraced part of the national fitness landscape, it wasn’t always
like that.
Back in 2008, when I first laid hands on my very first kettlebell,
almost no one knew what they were – and even those who knew
didn’t know much about how to use them.
Thanks to the hard work of Pavel Tsatsouline and his crack
team of high-level, hand-picked instructors, the word of how to lift
kettlebells effectively and efficiently has been disseminated to nearly
all 4 corners of the globe.
Moreover, the evidence of their effectiveness and efficiency –
both anecdotal and scientific – are now beyond dispute.
Gone are the days when snooty elitists en masse would write
them off as a gimmick, a fad, or nothing more than “a dumbbell
80
with a handle” (and yes, that is a real criticism of them I’ve heard.
As if dumbbells, which already have handles, are somehow made
worse by having…handles. Try to wrap your brain around that for
just a second).
Nevertheless, a few myths have weaseled their way into the
kettlebell zeitgeist that only those experienced and educated enough
in the kettlebell kung fu know how to dispel.
If you fancy yourself among them, you can skip this section.
If you’re still in the process of learning the ins and outs of the girya
(Russian for “kettlebell”), this will prove to be an important article – so
don’t skip it.
Without further ado, here are 3 of the most dastardly, bastardly,
and annoyingly persistent kettlebell myths that just won’t die.
MYTH #1: Kettlebells can’t get

you strong – they’re only good for
conditioning.
I’ve heard this more times than I can count, and often from people
who may very well be stronger than the average bear, but wheeze
and lose their breath from walking up a flight of stairs.
There’s no question that kettlebells are good for conditioning.
In fact, they’re arguably the best tool there is to increase your
conditioning. But unlike many other common fitness tools, they’re
hardly a single-purpose instrument. Kettlebells have been called
the Swiss Army Knife of the fitness world for good reason: they’re
an all-purpose, multi-use weight that can do just about anything a
dumbbell can do – at least as well, and often better.
Don’t believe me?
Donnie Thompson – the world record-breaking powerlifter who
became the first man to squat 1,300 lbs in competition – took his
deadlift from 766 lbs to 832 lbs in less than a year without deadlifting.
Due to repeatedly tweaking his back from his deadlift practice,
he decided to put his deadlift to the side for a year and practice
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kettlebell swings instead. He also managed to pack a whopping 100

extra lbs onto his already monstrous bench press thanks to his
kettlebell training.
You gonna call this dude a fibber? I think he’d like to have a word with you!
Results like these speak for themselves.

“But how could this be? I thought that in order to get strong, you had
to lift heavy!”
You do, but that’s not the whole story – far from it.
You can increase your strength – even your really heavy strength
– in a number of different ways.
As wrestling legend and author of the classic calisthenics book
Combat Conditioning, Matt Furey, has pointed out, what many people
in the fitness industry get wrong about strength and endurance is
thinking there’s no relation between them.
Not only does endurance (or conditioning, whatever you wanna
call it) improve your recovery and thus your ability to train more
often, it also fills gaps that low-rep heavy work often leaves behind,
such as
• solidifying your command of the movement pattern in

question
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• recruiting your slow-twitch muscle fibers (which typically

don’t do much work in short, heavy efforts)
• strengthening your tendons and ligaments – one of the most
overlooked yet most important factors in longevity and long-
term strength gains (to give you an example, Jasper Benincasa
– the greatest one-arm chinner of all time – did his last one-
arm chinup at the age of 89…one week before he entered
hospice care and died! He credited his unrivaled tendon and
ligament strength for his ability to perform at such a high level
even while he was knock-knock-knockin’ on heaven’s door)
And in the case of kettlebells, there is yet another oft-overlooked

variable that greatly adds to your strength potential: speed.
Because kettlebell ballistic drills such as swings, cleans, high pulls,
and snatches involve rapidly accelerating a weight, the amount of
strength you can build even with a relatively light weight is staggering.
In an experiment using a force plate to measure force output
during swings in which multiple StrongFirst kettlebell instructors
participated – including the one-and-only Pavel Tsatsouline – the
data showed that on the down stroke of the swing, forces of up to
10 times the weight of the kettlebell were generated.
That means that if the instructors were swinging a 53 lb kettlebell
- a light kettlebell by the standards of Pavel and his top students
who were tested – that on the downstroke of the swing, they were
generating up to 530 lbs of force on each rep.
Think that might make you a bit stronger?
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Pavel Tsatsouline swinging like he means it in the force plate study
The takeaway here: if you lift kettlebells – or ANY weight –

passively and haphazardly, you can expect lackluster results. If you
lift them the way we teach you in StrongFirst, the sky’s the limit for
your strength AND conditioning.
“Now I believe…my shoulders, my back, everything is filling

up with strength”
—Sultan Rakhmanov, Soviet Olympic weightlifting champ,
on repetition quick lifts with kettlebells
MYTH #2: Kettlebells are no good for

building muscle.
There’s no question that when it comes to putting on big ol’ slabs
of beef on your skinny frame with the hurryupness, barbells and
dumbbells are indispensable.
But the belief that they’re they ONLY game in town is just
plain wrong.
All you need to build muscle is:
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1. Resistance – and ANY kind will do: barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell,

bodyweight, rubber bands, rocks…you name it.
2. Calories – because you won’t grow if you don’t eat like it’s
your last meal
3. Rest – sleep like you’re on vacation and you’ll see some big
improvements in your size, provided you’re getting enough
of the first 2.
That’s it.
Now, obviously there are more details involved, but you get
the picture.
So where did this idea come from that you can’t build muscle with
kettlebells?
Beats me, but there are plenty of people who have packed on
a sizeable amount of muscle thanks in large part to their kettlebell
training.
For example:
• Mixed Martial Arts legend Frank Shamrock reported packing

on 5 lbs of dense, quality muscle in short order after hiring Joe
Sarti (one of Pavel Tsatsouline’s students) to do his strength
and conditioning work prior to his fight with Caesar Gracie,
whom he knocked out cold in just 21 seconds.
• Rock climber Kevin Perrone put on 15 lbs of muscle by doing
long cycle kettlebell clean and jerks.
• The previously mentioned Donnie Thompson put on a
whopping 26 lbs of muscle in just 3 months by adding
kettlebells to his training, while his 51 year-old training
partner, Lee Haney, buffed up with an added 15 lbs in the
same time frame.
And as a funny anecdote that my original kettlebell coach, Scott

Stevens, likes to tell people, when he first started training me back
in 2008, he gave me a program after our lesson and I came back 6
weeks or so later and I was noticeably more mucular.
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“Wow, you’ve packed on a lot of muscle! What have you been

doing?” he asked
“I’ve been doing the program you gave me,” I responded (evidently
with a confused look on my face, as he tells it)
Make no mistake about it: kettlebells can pack on quality muscle
in short order. The only limit is your work ethic and willingness to eat
and sleep enough.
Pyotr Kryloff – “The King of Kettlebells” – didn’t seem to

have a problem putting on muscle with ‘bells
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Myth #3: kettlebell training is unsafe.
This one is actually partially true.

Strength coach Dan John has said that one of the things he
likes about free weights versus machines is that they give off the
impression of being dangerous…because they are.
Whereas machines give you the false sense of security that you
can’t get hurt (and trust me, you can get hurt on a machine just
like anything else), free weights such as kettlebells, dumbbells, and
barbells just have that “look” to them that they might be a little risky.
Not only is this an accurate assessment, as any tool in the wrong
hands is potentially dangerous, but it serves as a permanent warning
to all those who decide to train with them that they need to take
their training and focus during their workouts seriously.
Case in point: many years ago I worked as a waiter in a Mexican
restaurant and one of the waitresses told me that her personal
trainer had her doing double overhead kettlebell work, and she
managed to drop a kettlebell on her head!
Her trainer joked that she needed to start training with a helmet.
I responded that she needed to find a more competent trainer (and
I wasn’t joking!)
All forms of training present some form of risk – be it strength
training, martial arts, and even yoga (I’d argue that yoga, with its
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obsession with excessive flexibility and range of motion, is far more

dangerous to most people than kettlebell lifting).
The way to make your kettlebell training safe is threefold:
1. See a doctor or cardiologist prior to starting an exercise

regimen. This sounds like a dull and boring formality, but it
just might save your life if you have an undiscovered issue
that an elevated heartrate or prolonged exertion might make
worse.
2. Hire a quality kettlebell instructor. StrongFirst’s kettlebell
instructors are, without a doubt, the finest in the fitness
industry, and there are certified instructors around the globe.
Go to their website and look for an instructor near you (or,
if you like the cut of my jib, sling an email my way at aleks@
alekssalkin.com with the subject line “online personal training
request” and I’ll send you an application to see if we’d be the
right fit to work together. My services ain’t cheap, but you will
reach your goals and more).
3. Build up slowly. You’re going to get older anyway, so why
not take your time? A lot of people start an exercise regimen
as though it’s a race, forcing themselves to train for an hour a
day, 5-6 days per week, only to burn out and get demoralized
within a few weeks.
A good rule of thumb is to commit to 2 days per week
and stick to that without missing a single workout.
When you can do that for a month, add an optional 3rd
day. When you can do that without missing a workout for a
month, you could then add a 4th day if you’d like, etc. etc.
Even if you don’t add a 4th or 5th day, 2-3 days of dedicated
training for 52 weeks (i.e. one whole year) will beat the pants
off of 5-6 days a week for 3 weeks, followed by falling off the
wagon for 49 weeks.
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Don’t believe the myths – if you’re a busy professional with big

ambitions but a tight time budget, kettlebells and bodyweight are
your sword and shield for conquering all the obstacles standing
between you and your ultimate victory.
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The #1 “Dangerous” Exercise
For Bulletproof Knees
A long time ago, in a weird and wild world known as 2008, my entire
concept of strength, health, and fitness – and how to obtain them
all – was unceremoniously shattered.
I was first introduced to the kettlebell – and lured away from the
Men’s Health-style workouts I had been doing.
I discovered the idea of training movements over muscles.
And I got acquainted with the idea of making your training simple
– not complicated.
But probably the #1 thing I had to do to move boldly forward was
to unlearn a lot of the things I had learned up to that point – namely…
The old wives tales of fitness!

You’ve heard them before.
“You can’t train the same body part two days in a row – that’s
over-training!”
“Machines are safer than free weights”
But probably the most odious of them all involve the squat.
“Don’t squat past 90 degrees – it’ll mess up your knees!”
“Don’t let your knees go past your toes – you’ll wreck your knees!”
If you’ve been duped into believing either of the above, make
sure you’re sitting down for what I’m about to tell you.
Not only is neither true, but the best way to borderline bulletproof
your knees may very well be…doing both of these things!
I can already see you clutching your pearls.
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Pictured above: you right now
Before you use your free hand to call 911 and have me arrested
for exercise heresy, hear me out.
Moving a joint through its full range of motion is the way joints are
MADE to move – your knees included. There is no reason – health,
performance, or otherwise – why you should avoid certain ranges of
motion unless you can’t adequately control them or they currently
cause you pain (and even then, in many cases you can regain full
ROM with time and proper instruction).
To give you an example of how silly this whole “don’t squat past
90 degrees” idea is, imagine if you applied that same rationale to
your elbow. You wouldn’t even be able to get a fork to your mouth
to feed yourself, and you sure as hell wouldn’t be doing any cool
exercises, like military presses, pushups, pullups, curls, etc – all of
which require you to bend your elbow more than 90 degrees.
See the point?
But what about letting the knees go over the toes when you squat?
Again, barring an injury or pain due to lack of preparation, there’s
no reason to avoid it.
For example, take a look at this sprinter below
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Notice his knee placement?

In many essential activities, you simply can’t HELP but let your
knees pass your toes. It’s part and parcel of loads of activities –
including a great many excellent squatting variations.
While most squatting variations we’re familiar with involve keeping
the feet flat on the ground, the old schoolers and hard men and
women from days past were a big fan of what are now considered a
“dangerous” type of squatting: on-the-toes squats.
These come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles – all of which
have their place, and some of which should eventually find their
place in your own training.
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The Hindu Squat
The Great Gama (pictured above) is probably the most famous

practitioner of Hindu Squats ever. He was reputed to do up to 5,000
of them per day along with 3,000 Hindu Pushups as part of his
wrestling practice.
Who was the Great Gama? Oh, just some Indian wrestling
sensation who never lost a single match in the over 5,000 matches
he fought over a 50 year period (and this includes international
matches going head to head with some of the greatest wrestlers of
the day – not just local punk kids). No biggie.
Hindu Pushups are done rhythmically and involve ample use of
the hands to stimulate greater momentum and thus more reps.
Here’s a short video: https://youtu.be/wj7GuF2L3cQ?t=77
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Hack Squat
The Hack Squat – reputed to be named after legendary Estonian

strongman George Hackenschmidt – is another great way to build
bulletproof knees while adding loads of usable strength in your
thighs, ankles, feet, and toes.
Unlike other squatting variations, this one is NOT one where you
want to chase big numbers. Start with no weight at all and work your
way through lighter weights. Trust me when I say a little dab will do
ya. The legendary Steve Maxwell has pointed out that a great many
600 lb squatters struggle mightily – and often fail – to do a single
hack squat with as little as 90 lbs. If they can’t even manage with
weights that are as objectively light as that, I think you’ll manage with
bodyweight only for a while.
Click here for a video demo: https://www.instagram.com/p/
BQDGrIsBMs4/
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Sissy Squat
If there’s any exercise more poorly named than the sissy squat, I
have yet to encounter it.
The sissy squat is anything BUT what its name seems to imply.
This is by far one of the hardest, most unforgiving bodyweight
exercises around. It’s not for the faint of heart, nor is it for beginners.
But do them often enough and you’ll carve yourself a set of thighs
worthy enough for a nod of approval from the one and only Tom
Platz (pictured above demonstrating the move).
To do them, hang onto something sturdy and simultaneously
push your knees forward while you lean back. There should be no
bend at the hips – only the knees.
Once you reach the bottom position, roll back onto your heels
while standing up straight. Repeat.
Click here for a video demo: https://www.instagram.com/p/
BDfqbJZzNXW/
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So there you have it – 99 bodyweight and kettlebell workouts, 3

articles, and loads of new ideas to get you strong, lean, and powerful.
Be sure to keep me posted on how you do in my popular
Facebook group, The Hebrew Hammer’s Hidden Hideaway => https://
www.facebook.com/groups/258661834802569/
Have fun and happy training!
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Praise for
Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer”
Salkin’s online coaching,
workshops, and programs:
“I attended the Salkin Body Weight Workshop not really

knowing what to expect. I had never done any formal body
weight training before, but absolutely loved the idea of it. I
have always seen bodyweight / calisthenics as an incredible
display of strength, coordination and dedication / focus.
I learned so, so much! From the very ground up, I learned

how to perform the hollow correctly, and how this carries
in to most practices in bodyweight. My core strength since
the workshop has improved out of sight doing this one
simple (but not easy) exercise. My squat and deadlift have
improved from this carry over of core strength.
I was able to achieve
• a 1-arm pushup
• the back bridge from standing to standing
• almost achieved a handstand pushup (still
working on this one)
• L-sit, a pull-up, and the L-sit pull-up,
and learned the progressions in the front and back levers.
The thing I loved the most was learning how to progress

myself, (and my clients) through all the exercises.
Bodyweight training is absolutely for everyone when

you know how to safely and sensibly move through the
progressions. I have applied so much of what I learned
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into my everyday practice and have loved passing on the

knowledge I gained to my clients. We are starting a body
weight strength class in our gym which I am so excited
about.
Whether you are an athlete, coach, powerlifter, cardio

bunny, kettlebell master, or have never done any kind of
training before, I highly recommend Aleks’s workshop.
His clear explanation and impressive demonstration of

every movement creates a safe and fun environment where
you will be blown away by what knowledge and practical
application you gain. This workshop will not disappoint. I
can’t wait to do the next one! Thank you Aleks.”
—Sally Priest, Brisbane, Australia
“I attended Aleks’s bodyweight strength workshop in

February of 2016 in Bratislava, Slovakia. I knew Aleks from
a previous Original Strength workshop and I wasn’t new to
bodyweight training. Even though I was able to do one-arm
pushups, pistols, and pullups prior to this workshop, the
way Aleks approached the learning process was new to me.
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One of the two best things about this workshop was basics
coverage. I got a better understanding of body positioning
to move stronger and safer.
I attended the workshop with one shoulder hurting from a

lot of pullups in an overstressed hollow position. Since the
workshop I was able to gain more control over my shoulder
positioning and lose the pain.
Also, I use the drills and progressions with my students with

great success.
The other great thing – and really a ‘what-the-hell’

experience – was my own progress with the bridge during
just 15 minutes of Aleks’s instructions. Thoracic mobility
was always my weak spot and the bridge was one of those
“maybe one day” exercises. Well, not anymore!
I highly recommend this, or really ANY, workshop under

Aleks’s supervision. He is a great teacher and the stuff he
teaches is rock solid. It very well could be a game changer
for you!
—Jozef Vanko, Bratislava, Slovakia
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“Back in 2018 my training was on a slow burn. I had started

to get tendinitis in my elbows and my stubborn self had set
a goal to achieve something few people ever have: a pullup
with an extra 36 kg of weight strapped to me (in my case, a
full 60% of my bodyweight).
Things were looking grim, as not only would the weight not
budge, but every time I did weighted pullups, my elbows
would scream at me, forcing me to stick to bodyweight-only
pullups.
I reached out to Aleks to ask if he’d be willing to take me

on as a student, and shortly after things started to change
dramatically.
He did a full-on deep dive into my training history, pinpointed

my weaknesses and the gaps in my development, and using
his knowledge of a variety of modalities and old-school
training principles and practices, crafted together a program
that not only smoothed out all of my rough spots, but
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ultimately got me to a downright EASY 36 kg pullup with NO

elbow pain! Best of all, he is encouraging, witty, and makes
the process of training for such daunting goals exciting
rather than borderline clinical. Highly recommended!”
—Frances Moylan, “The Iron Lady of Oz”, Perth, Australia
“With Aleks’s help I reached my goals – one-arm pushups

and pistol squats – faster than expected and can do several
solid sets now. This amazed me big time.
I am a tall guy (1.94 meters/6’3”) and physics really plays

against me especially with those unilateral moves…I could
not figure out how to get around it.
However, thanks to Aleks’s know-how I was able to master

those challenging moves!”
—Marc Braun, Germany
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When I started working with Aleks I expected some occasional

training tips cause I thought I had it all figured out with
exercises, programming etc…plus, I don’t train kettlebells so
I was mainly searching for ways to improve my BW training.
But very soon I realised that Aleks has an outstanding

knowledge of physical fitness which does not rely upon one
“tool” or the other. From Aleks I learnt not only how to vary
my BW training but also how to structure and get most out
of each training session.
Thanks to Aleks now I am able to perform physical feats

(e.g. assisted one arm chins) that I could not imagine to
be able to achieve at 38 years old. Only by sticking to his
recommendations I could achieve this feat of strength.
Also, Aleks helped me putting together workouts that are

customised to my Krav Maga practice which was enhanced
by these kick ass workouts he put together for me. Aleks is
a very patient, passionate, professional trainer who always
understands the client individually and helps reaching his/
her personal goals. I highly recommend Aleks for everyone
in search of improving his/her physical fitness and lifestyle
in general!
—Giovanni P., Munich, Germany
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“I was embarking upon my StrongFirst SFG2 re-certification

and needed to start training. I sought out Aleks on Instagram
and contacted him to see if he would be willing to help me
out. My first impression was very positive. He was prompt in
his response and was helpful right off the bat.
In the past, I was overtrained and injured by the time I got

to certification weekend. I needed a new approach to my
training. Aleks offered a way to achieve my goals. A simple
program to follow to avoid burning myself out. He took into
consideration how I live my life day to day, i.e. very active
and a lot of use to my upper body. No other coaches have
ever taken my every day activity into consideration when
programming a training plan. I needed quick and effective
sessions and to be able to do everything I needed to do in 3
sessions per week. Aleks was able to offer me just that, in a
balanced, smart way.
Following Aleks’ templates, I passed my SFG2 re-certification

with far more ease than any other certification. I was even
given high praise by my Master instructor and teammates.
If you’re looking for a coach to help you train smarter, not
harder, Aleks is the guy! I highly recommend him to help you
reach your goals.”
—Shannon McNutt, Minnesota
105
“Hey Aleks!
Just wanted to touch base and let you know I passed my

recert with flying colors! First time I’ve ever shown up 100%
ready to pass at the event. Feels good. So THANK YOU for all
your help with the programming!!!”
– Holea, Minnesota
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The Bodyweight Mastery Course
“In one word I would rate the Bodyweight Master Online

Course - PHENOMENAL!
As a fellow strength coach, martial artist, and Original

Strength instructor I know I am in good hands when I buy
a program from Aleks. He has laid out a program that if
anyone really puts in the work is going to get really strong.
The 7 day course covers the major calisthenic strength

moves but in far more detail.
The progressions help with every sticking point I have seen

as a coach and are explained with such intelligent steps to
break your strength plateau. Details I have never seen
in any other book and even at 2 day workshops on
bodyweight training are here.
IT IS THAT GOOD!!
Each module has enough to keep you busy for a long time
if you are a serious student of strength. Within minutes of
reading and watching the videos that were linked I learned
new ways to improve my form and technique which
increases my strength!
In the past week I have felt my core get stronger, pull ups
get easier and LESS PAIN in my shoulders during pressing
movements! This is in just days and I have not even gotten
into the full details of each progression. I am going to be
using this for a lifetime of not only training myself but also
my clients who are interested in body weight training. “
—Mike Moran, Tuscon, AZ
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The 300 Bodyweight Protocol
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With 300 I have seen my general conditioning improve

and overall my joints have been feeling stronger and
more stable. I saw gains in my bridging and handstands
with only practicing them every other week or so on my
off day, I even did my first handstand pushups while still
doing the program!
After completing the program I was able to military press

my 53lb KB twice on my left side and three times on my
right, going into 300 I was only barely able to press once
on my left and twice on my right!
Thanks,
Yunus Koch
I have been following Aleks for some years now but what
really changed my perspective was the first version of
the Bodyweight 300 Challange. For the first time in my
life I did high reps.
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It revolutionized my training. I went through it 2 times

and it really built a better base for my future endeavors.
As I am a desk worker I suffer from bad ab activation
and hip stability and had a stiff left hip flexor. This really
changed with this program. Through talks with Aleks I
discovered his method of switching between low rep
programs to medium and high rep ones and I now use
it too
After BW 300 I tried to build my own low rep program

and I could see the fruit of my labor in the BW 300. I
started out with 10 dips and in the end I could do 15. I
always had problems increasing reps beforehand, but
not this time. When I got to Crawlidays 2 I immediately
noticed how my hips and abs where noticeably stronger
and I could crawl more effortlessly.
As I finished my own plan Aleks offered a new higher

rep program and I decided to do Gainsgiving. In addition
I also got the Experimental OS Program. After 6 weeks
I not only got a personalized OS warm up but also
gained a 25% rep increase in most exercises I used for
Gainsgiving. As the bonus material suggested I went for
another round with harder exercises and got the same
increase in numbers again.
Following the now trusted concept of doing a lower rep

program as a follow up I designed my own plan again.
This time I decided to run too as I wanted to supply the
lesson learned by Aleks: don’t limit your physical efforts
too much. Luckily Aleks sold Gaitrix at the time, which I
wanted to use to improve my gait pattern for running.
At this point I was doing Gaitrix in the morning, push

ups throughout the day and either strength training or
running in the evening. Without the enhanced endurance
and recovery abilities that BW 300 and Gainsgiving gave
me this would not have been possible. Gaitrix itself was
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awesome too as it didn’t take too much energy to do but

improved my hip stability nevertheless.
Now I really feel real world strong! Right now I am

doing the new version of BW 300 in combination with
Hanguary. As I haven’t finished BW 300 I can only say
that I am now able to do chin ups in the double digit
numbers which I firmly believe is a result of Hanguary.
I am doing the 3rd round of this 14 day program and it
feels amazing.
My key takeaways from this one year of applying Aleks

concepts or doing Aleks programs are:
- a balanced approach to strength and endurance is

better for results the blindly going for max strength only
- Aleks writes better programs than I do
- the results motivated me to take care of my nutrition

too, so as a consequence i lost 5kg and my belly
circumference decreased from 95cm to 90,5
—Alex Brandt, Germany
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“Get Up Domination!” A 21-day Guide to

Take You From ‘Chump’ to ‘Champ’ in
the World’s Most Epic Strength Feat
113
114
115
“Hanguary” The 14-Day Challenge to

Reclaim Your Primal Strength, Forge
a Vice Grip, and Restore Your Natural
Resilience
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The Experimental OS Protocol: a

3-Week Program to Smash Weakness,
Build Resilience, and Forge an Anti-
Fragile Physique
“All in all, over the past 3 weeks I’ve noticed that I’m
sleeping more soundly, I feel more alert/mentally sharper,
my strength is improving and the issue with tingling in my
fingers from the cervical nerve irritation has decreased by
50%”
—Eileen
118
“Loaded crawls and cross crawls were the key for my

pistols! ...I like the playful and experimental nature of these
resets. Reminds me that the basic “big 5” resets, performed
in the “standard” way, are just scratching the surface... That
the real power is to become attuned to your body’s unique
responses and do what works for you...”
—Amy
“Hi I have had a hard time activating my transverse

abdominal muscles. I went through a lot of physical therapy
trying to help it. The therapy was slightly helpful but I could
never really make progress. The resets I have been doing
have really helped with that where nothing else I tried made
much difference. I’m sure more insights will come.”
—Cynthia Croissant
“Wanted to give a mini update: I’m physical therapist who

has packed full shoulder flexion and thoracic rotation with
right more limited then left. Also consistent 1-3 (on a scale
of 10) left shoulder pain for a year. Following paused bird
dogs dramatic decrease in left shoulder pain and a feeling
that I “own” my left shoulder. Decided to try paused standing
cross crawls and had nearly symmetrical thoracic rotation.
I’ll continue to test these resets against SFMA patterns and
will be curious of the results.”
—Andrew, 1 day into the protocol
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The 30-Day Crawlidays Challenge
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123
124
125
Dawn of the Deadbug
126
The Exodus Protocol: a 4-Week

Challenge to Break the Chains of
Weakness With 4 Fundamental Primal
Movements
127
128
2X Your Pushups In 2-Weeks
129
Kick SASS! A 28-Day Journey Into ‘The

Final Frontier’ of Calisthenics: Straight-
Arm Scapular Strength
130
Kettlebell & Bodyweight Super 6: a

6-week program utilizing the conjugate
programming method
131
132
The Inner Circle

(my monthly training newsletter)
Aleks...I just wanted to give a shout out and thank you

for the excellent IC routines. I completed a 50 mile trail
race yesterday and feel that the routines over the past
few months have really helped, particularly the single-
leg work, squats, lunges and in-between workouts.
My footing was rock-solid, I never turned an ankle

(something that frequently happens), and when I had to
make a sudden adjustment to avoid an obstacle, it was
smooth, easy and stable.
Strength and mobility really do go hand-in-hand!

—Mike Meagher
Aleks,
I wanted to take a moment to say what a great resource this

is that you’ve presented to us in the Inner Circle.
I’m a 43 year old former Marine who works full time and is
going to school as well as being a father to two kids. I’m a
busy man. But I’ve read many of your articles and watched
the tutorials you’ve made with great appreciation for the
sensible, no BS approach you take.
After 20 years of military service, I’ve taken a similar position

to how operational planning was conducted in my previous
life. It was often referred to as BLUF, Bottom Line Up Front.
The resource you’ve given us in the Inner Circle is just that.
Demonstrating the ability for us to achieve results without

a bunch of extraneous crap. Your programming is both
solid in my pursuit of strength and looking better, while also
addressing some of the daily aches I endure after a lifetime
of taking a pounding on the joints day in and day out.
133
The Inner Circle is an outstanding resource for

straightforward direction on strength and health without
the need for web surfing or sifting through the quagmire of
fitness “what’s hot and what’s not”.
Now I just have to get over my self-consciousness of people

looking at me funny when I’m crawling. Looking forward to
the next installment of your Inner Circle. Keep up the great
work!
Cheers,
Stephen
134
135

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You must get your physicians approval before beginning this or

*99 of my favorite kettlebell and bodyweight workouts –

“Smokey, this is not ‘Nam…there are rules.”

Rule #1 – If it hurts, stop!

Before a medical student can graduate, they are required to take

Rule #2 – Push yourself,

As my colleague Jordan Syatt has said, “exercise isn’t supposed

Rule #3 – Make substitutions

Rule #4 – 1 is always greater than 0

Rule #5 – Take a “before” picture

Rule #7 – Enjoy yourself!

“Your precious armory! Graciously accepted. We will need it.”

Pushups One-arm pushups

Dips Pike pushups Handstand pushups

Split squat Pistol

Hip bridge Hip thrust

Single-leg hip thrust Back bridge

Row Face pull

Floor leg raises Hanging leg raise

Hollow position L-sit

Dead bugs Windshield wiper

Tango carries Rack walks Steering wheel carries

Farmer’s carry Single leg deadlift

Turkish Get Up Swing

Clean Press Front squat

Goblet squat Snatch

Bridge Floor Press Bent-over row

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this:

“With Aleks’s help I reached my goals – one-arm pushups

I am a tall guy (1.94 meters/6’3”) and physics really plays

However, thanks to Aleks’s know-how I was able to master

He’s just one of a number of students and trainees who have

Let the gains begin!

5 pike pushups with feet elevated

*Repeat for 5 rounds – rest as little as possible but as much as

Kettlebell deadlift (or swing, if you can): 20 reps

When this becomes easier, do 20-15-15 reps, then eventually

(short tutorial on these moves here: https://youtu.be/wj7GuF2L3cQ )

B1) Single leg deadlift – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Repeat with 4 squats and 20 leg raises, then 3 squats and 20

B1) Double kettlebell front squat – 3-5 reps

C1) Slow commando rocks (5 minutes)

D1) Clean & press (single or double kettlebell) – 5

Repeat for as many quality rounds as you can manage in 20 minutes

Repeat for 5 rounds

Repeat for 5 rounds

(Repeat down to 1 pushup, 10 swings)

Repeat for 4 rounds

- 3x5 military press

Loaded carry: 10 paces

Loaded carry: 20 paces

Start over and repeat until the buzzer beeps.

March 20 paces around the room

Rest and repeat for 10-15 minutes

Repeat x 3 and call it a day

Single-leg hip thrust (heel elevated on couch, back on floor) – 3x20

Repeat with 4 of each, then 3, then 2, and then 1

1 clean, 1 front squat

Repeat as many quality rounds as you can in 20 minutes, adding

And for a quick look at how to crawl, click here: https://youtu.be/

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting as little as possible but as much as

Do the above in ladder format – 1, 2, 3, rest, rinse, and repeat.