Interval Training

Jailhouse Strong:
Interval Training
By
Josh Bryant and Adam

benShea
Jailhouse Strong:
Interval Training
JoshStrength, LLC and Adam

benShea
Copyright © 2015
All rights reserved, including file sharing, the right to
reproduce this work, in whole or any part, in any form. All
inquiries must be directed to Josh Bryant and Adam
benShea and have approval from both authors.
WARNING! Before starting any training program, please

consult your doctor or other health care professional. You
are agreeing to take full responsibility for any potential risk
associated with anything put into practice from this book.
For further explanations and demonstrations

regarding the workout programs in this book, please
refer to the video collection on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jailhousestrong
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: WARMING UP
CHAPTER 2: JAILHOUSE STRONG INTERVALS
CHAPTER 3: GAS STATION READY INTERVALS
CHAPTER 4: BARBELL COMPLEXES
CHAPTER 5: STRONGMAN INTERVALS
CHAPTER 6: BODYWEIGHT FINISHERS
CHAPTER 7: SPRINTS
CHAPTER 8: COMMERCIAL GYM PURGATORY
CHAPTER 9: NEW ADDITIONS TO THE WEIGHT PILE
INTRODUCTION
The Principles of Innovation and

Imagination
We believe that unyielding self-improvement is the

primary lesson one can take away from the physical
progress achieved by cons behind iron bars. No matter how
high the steel walls surrounding your current reality, or how
vicious the gatekeepers guarding the cell you currently call
your place of imprisonment, you can put in work to shift
your reality, become stronger, and find your path to physical
and mental freedom.
If you do not think that you are imprisoned, remember
that you can be confined by delusions of false comforts, or
pursuit of material desires, as easily as you can be trapped
inside a steel cage.
Some individuals are put in shackles, but many put
themselves in shackles.
Whether your particular form of incarceration is a
product of an outside force or a consequence of your own
doing, you can still better yourself through a focused
training regimen. Jailhouse Strong is that regimen.
While Jailhouse Strong is about self-improvement, this
addition to the Jailhouse Strong series, in particular, details
interval training as a means to improve strength,
cardiovascular health, and overall conditioning without
sacrificing hard-earned muscle. The philosophy behind these
interval workouts was taken directly from, or influenced by,
the type of training that occurs on the jail yard or inside
prison cells. That is, it is a no-nonsense, no-frills approach to
interval training.
Tom Haviland
The Jailhouse Strong approach to training, self-defense,

and mindset rests on the following Five Decrees:
1. Get Excited about Training
2. Get Plenty of Rest
3. Eat Meals at Regular Intervals
4. Stick to the Training Basics
5. When Conflict is Unavoidable,

Strike First
It is not by chance that the declaration to get excited
about training is planted at the beginning of the Jailhouse
Strong order of self-improvement. You must be excited
about your training to attain the prerequisite discipline
required to achieve real results.
Of course, at one point or another, everyone struggles
with motivation. Your trip to Cancun is six weeks out and
you need to get beach ready. But, you have a host of
obstacles that require hurdling; you have a paper due, a
spreadsheet that requires modification, an old lady who
wants you to watch the latest episode of a reality show
about a wealthy second-generation immigrant family
struggling with their fashion line, and the list goes on.
If you take these petty concerns and First World
problems as viable reasons not to train, then bow out, quit,
close this book, and fully accept your life of monotonous
mediocrity. Don’t worry. There are plenty of people like you.
As you slog your way through life, you will be able to easily
recognize them at weekend strip malls by the dead look in
their eyes. You can share a mutual experience of defeat and
wait for your moment to fall into the other side of the dirt. In
the meantime, you will have rerun season to keep you
entertained.
If that sounds like a slow death, you are right. So, here
is another option: Utilize innovation and imagination to take
your training to new heights.
With innovation and imagination, you trigger your
cognitive process to become curious, engaged, and fired up.
You get excited about the process of uncovering a path that
can take your physical development to that next level. Like
any journey of value, it will be the promise of discovery that
pushes you forward.
This undertaking will keep you motivated. But, more
than that, it will keep you feeling alive.
Behind bars, cons have minimal equipment and the
most spartan of facilities; nonetheless, with innovation they
construct workout programs that produce real results. On
the other side of the spectrum, there are some iron-lifting
warriors who find themselves inside of a “boutique” fitness
facility in Hilton Head and are able to make the most of their
plush surroundings.
The goal of this book is to provide you with a plan for
wherever you find your current fitness reality. Rather than
decrying your current predicament, turn the page and find a
program that works for you. From unarmed combat drills to
treadmill workouts, these programs are bound to offer
something that resonates with your fitness goals.
As a means to ensure that we provide a large swath of
fitness innovation, we invited a number of top trainers and
elite competitors to share their insights and offer proven
programs. With all of this information, you now have the
framework for an exciting passage into interval training.
Interval Conditioning: Burn the Fat, Spare the

Muscle!
Ever compare the physiques of a world-class distance

runner and a sprinter?
The sprinter resembles a Greek Adonis; the skinny-fat
distance runner makes Richard Simmons look like a Mr.
Olympia contender.
Adding insult to injury, a 2004 study published in the

Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology showed that male
rats that performed intense aerobic activity daily
experienced not only decreased testosterone levels, but, in
fact, experienced a decrease in the size of their testicles
and even the accompanying junk.
Next time someone says, “Let’s go for a jog,” let that
person know you cannot afford to lose the inches.
Excessive aerobic activity can decrease testosterone
levels, increase cortisol production, weaken the immune
system, handicap strength gains, and halt any hope of
hypertrophy.
For this reason, many lifters who desire to maximize
their muscle mass and strength gains avoid any form of
conditioning like the plague.
This is a mistake!
Interval Training Arrival
Since the mid-1990s, scores of studies have shown the

effectiveness of interval conditioning for fat loss. In 1994, a
Canadian study compared the fat loss effect of an interval
training program to that of a traditional long, slow cardio
regimen. The traditional regimen burned twice as many
calories as the interval regimen, but those who performed
intervals lost significantly more body fat. Researchers
conclude that fat loss is at least nine times greater with
interval training than with traditional endurance training.
Interval training takes many different forms. High-
volume strength training with short rest intervals (like how
most bodybuilders train) is interval training in itself.
Named for Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, different
forms of Tabata intervals are practiced in the most plush
commercial gym settings and in the most spartan, hard-core
gyms in the world. The Tabata regimen consists of
performing an activity all-out for 20 seconds, resting for 10
seconds, and repeating this sequence for four minutes.
One of Tabata’s most famous findings demonstrated
that a program of 20 seconds of all-out cycling followed by
10 seconds of low-intensity cycling for four minutes was as
beneficial as 45 minutes of long, slow cardio.
Science clearly concludes that interval training is
superior for fat loss, but Tabata demonstrated that subjects
performing four minutes of high-intensity interval training
had similar increases in V02 max as the subjects training
traditional cardio four times a week for 45 minutes.
This study was a game changer because it conclusively
showed that positive health benefits derived from traditional
aerobic training could be accomplished with high-intensity
interval training.
Interval Issues
Muscle hypertrophy is elicited from muscle damage,

mechanical tension, and metabolic stress.
Intervals harshly invoke all three of these mechanisms!
Like intense weight training, interval training holds the keys
to building a physique of raw steel and sex appeal. But,
intervals must be afforded the same respect as heavy
weight.
The central nervous system (CNS) is primarily affected
by high-intensity work and takes at least 48 hours to
recover. Like lifting heavy pig iron, interval training must be
allotted similar recovery time.
Everything factors into how you recover. Weight
training, nutritional plans, supplementation programs,
employment situations, and personal problems all affect
how well you recover.
The late Charlie Francis, fabled Canadian sprint coach,
described the CNS as being like a cup of tea. Everything in
life pours tea into the cup. Once the cup of tea overflows,
you overtrain.
As you progress with intervals, remember that the
further you advance in training, the more stress the training
imposes.
An intermediate trainee may be able to do three days a
week of interval training. A more advanced lifter, however,
may only be able to do one to two days a week.
Training intervals once a week can improve body
composition along with conditioning levels. Do not perform
these workouts more than thrice weekly; twice is a nice,
sweet spot.
CHAPTER 1: WARMING UP
Warm-Up: Getting Ready for Action!
Most folks prefer the succulent, juicy meats out of a slow

cooker over the dry, crusty stuff out of the microwave.
However, many lack the patience to wait and allow
something to be done right. In a world of instant
gratification, it is more difficult to remember that it takes
time to do something just right.
Just like romance (excluding Craigslist escapades), with
intense physical training you can’t just show up and expect
that it’s showtime. Without a thorough warm-up, it takes
less than a second to create a debilitating injury. By
warming up and taking care of the small stuff in training,
you are more likely to remain injury free in the rest of your
life. Whether it be the church softball game or an
impromptu beat down on the overzealous “foodie” who cut
in line at your favorite buffet, take the time to warm up.
If you are looking for an in-depth scientific analysis on
why it’s important to warm up, corner a doctor at your next
cocktail party or plow through WebMD online. In the
meantime, we will take you through a cursory look at the
benefits of warming up and, more importantly, how to warm
up.
Remember, for interval training to work, it has to be
intense. For high-intensity training, a warm-up is a
necessity, not a luxury.
Some of the benefits of a proper warm-up:
• IMPROVED PERFORMANCE!
• Increased muscle contraction and relaxation speed •
More “economical”/efficient movement patterns •
Reduced muscle stiffness • Improved oxygen
utilization
• Improved motor unit recruitment for all-out activity
(i.e., more coordinated movements with increased
intensity) • Increased blood flow
• Brings the heart rate to the proper level for
beginning exercise • Increases mental focus for the
task at hand, be it intervals or competition, by an
increased “arousal,” or enthusiasm, eagerness, and
mental readiness General Warm-Up
Dynamic stretching will be the major piece of the
warm-up pie. Many folks with great success jump
immediately into our dynamic stretching routine by starting
at half speed and gradually working up to full speed. We
recommend that you start with a general warm-up before
beginning a dynamic stretch.
The general warm-up is 5 to 10 minutes and should be
something to elevate your body temperature. It could be an
easy jog, a brisk walk, or your favorite cardio machine (if
you train at a gym). Finally, after you complete the general
warm-up, proceed to the dynamic stretching routine.
What about static stretching?
We recommend that you conduct all static stretching
and PNF stretching routines after your workout, not before.
Static stretching prior to workouts can take away from
explosiveness and strength. Of course, there are some folks
who have performed these workouts with great success
after beginning with static stretching. But, in general, we
recommend dynamic stretching.
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching incorporates active (meaning you

actively stretch without outside assistance) range of motion
(ROM). Dynamic stretches generally look somewhat like
sport-specific or training-specific motions. Unlike static
stretching, dynamic stretches are not held at the end of the
range of motion.
A plethora of patterns can be utilized, but it’s important
to keep in mind that movements similar to those you will be
training will provide you with the greatest benefit. Another
word of wisdom: Unless you enjoy being on the injured
reserve list, when stretching dynamically, pay attention not
to exceed the currently established range of motion for the
joint(s) being stretched.
There are two important details to keep in mind to
maximize benefit and minimize risk. First, establish an even,
controlled rhythm, with all movements initially well within
the current range of motion. Then gradually increase the
amplitude of the movement until you are at the desired
level of tension at the end point of the movement.
Remember, these are specialized movements, and care
must be taken with their use. Make it a habit to precede
dynamic stretching with a general warm-up of 5 to 10
minutes.
To reiterate—we recommend not stretching a cold
muscle!
Warm-Up and Cool-Down
The following is an example of a warm-up and cool-down for

an intense workout.
Warm-Up
• 5- to 10-minute jog warm-up
• Dynamic stretches
o Walk on toes—2 sets, 15 yards o Arm
swings—2 sets of 10 clockwise and
counterclockwise o Arm hugs—2 sets of 10
reps o Straight leg kicks—3 sets, 15 yards o
Leg swings—2 sets of 15 reps o High knees
—3 sets, 15 yards o Walking lunges—3
sets, 15 yards o Butt kicks—3 sets, 15
yards o Wrist sways—3 sets, 15 each way o
Twists in place—3 sets, 15 each way o Hula
hip swings—2 sets of 10 clockwise and
counterclockwise Upon completing this
warm-up, the athlete would start to move
into sport-specific activities at a gradually
increasing pace.
Cool-Down
• Static stretch (do each stretch for 30 seconds) o Pectoralis

stretch
o Latissimus stretch
o Biceps stretch
o Triceps stretch
o Forearm flexor stretch o Forearm
extensor stretch o Standing quadriceps
stretch o Psoas stretch
o Rectus femoris stretch o Adductor
stretch
o Sumo squat
o Frog stretch
o Erector spinae
o Piriformis stretch
o Hamstrings 90/90 stretch o Hamstring
with adduction o Gastrocnemius
o Soleus
o Peroneal stretch
• SMFR (Foam Rolling) (roll tender spots for 20 seconds, 1
set each spot) o Hamstrings and calves o Gluteus medius
o IT band/tensor fascia latae o
Quadriceps/hip flexors o Adductor
o Low-back/erector spinae o Rhomboids
o Latissimus dorsi
Final Thoughts on Warm-Up
Keep in mind, this warm-up is a good starting point, but

you’ll need to actively mold it to what works best for you
and what will get you warm for the activities at hand.
The need to warm up is validated by science. The
individual approach to the warm-up is an art; the longer you
train and practice, the better artist you become.
Finally, before you put intervals into practice, we highly
recommend you do the activity at a submaximal pace for a
couple of test runs before going all out.
An example would be if you want to perform 300-pound
sled drags, do a warm-up set with 100 and 200 pounds, and
then you’ll be ready to go.
Warm up to maximize results and minimize risks!
CHAPTER 2: JAILHOUSE STRONG
INTERVALS
The Background of Jailhouse Strong

Intervals
Since the beginning of civilization, prisons existed

because humans wanted to separate criminals from law-
abiding citizens. Many early jails were meant to keep
inmates out of society until the gallows were ready to go—
like a holding pen at the slaughterhouse.
As a result of American Benjamin Rush’s work in prison
reform, prisons gradually became what they are today, or
claim to be: rehabilitation facilities. Prisons offered
recreational activities to help prisoners acclimate into a civil
society. One of these activities was weightlifting. Proponents
of weightlifting in prisons say that “banging around the pig
iron” helps the inmates pass the time, relieve stress and
anxiety, build a sense of purpose, and create a positive self-
image. They also say that prisoners who lift will behave
better because they do not want to lose their access to the
iron.
Many cons have had limited, if any, success in life. For
the first time in their lives, an adherence to physical culture
allows them to control their physical destiny. When you
develop a large hood (chest) and bulging back arms
(triceps), you are able to showcase the tools of consistency
and discipline of productive activity toward a desirable goal.
However, there is a significant segment of the general
public that worries that the prison weight pile is creating
“super criminals.” With this concern, by the early 1990s,
some states began to phase out their weightlifting programs.
Arizona was the first to completely get rid of their weight
room, and other states quickly followed suit. Without weights
or traditional exercise equipment, prisoners were forced to
become increasingly innovative in the ways in which they
trained their bodies.
Imprisonment may take many forms, be it physical,
mental, or spiritual. One can be imprisoned by an unhappy
marriage, an addiction to fantasy computer games, or a dull
existence inside of a cookie-cutter suburban community. In
each, and every, case, innovation provides a way to escape
the bars preventing you from finding freedom and the best
expression of yourself.
Behind bars, individuals develop imaginative new ways
to train and develop the body. Long before scientific studies
and trendy trainers touted the benefits of intensive interval
training, prisoners developed a series of interval workouts
that were well ahead of their time.
Driven by the need to survive, and, in some instances,
thrive in a highly competitive environment, prisoners rely on
intuition to find the physical movements that produce real
strength and conditioning. On the prison yard, scientific
inquiry and conjecture is a luxury. Real fitness and functional
movement is a necessity.
Due to an ever expanding body of knowledge, science
has a tendency to rest on shifting sands of reliability. Yet the
type of conditioning that is required for real-world self-
defense is not something that is up for negotiation. It rests
on the fixed surface of hard pavement.
The Central Features

The central feature of the majority of Jailhouse Strong
interval training is a relationship with the ground and gravity.
As mentioned above, many prisoners have lost their access
to the weight pile, but they have not lost their desire to train.
Without exercise equipment, your best training tools are the
ground you stand on and the gravity that keeps you on that
ground.
The exercises described below only require these two
tools, which can be found anywhere. The broad accessibility
of these movements is one of the many benefits of the
minimal amount of required accessories. They can be done
just about anywhere.
Central to Jailhouse Strong interval training is the
burpee, in its many variations. This exercise has many
benefits, including training your body to fluctuate between
moving on the ground and on your feet. One variation on the
burpee, the sprawl (from grappling), is accessible to a wide
array of people because it does not include the jumping
portion, which can be hard on the joints. In addition, it
mimics the technique of kicking your legs back and dropping
your hips to prevent some joker from taking you down in the
street, the cage, or the loading zone at your local Costco.
Tyson Mendeas courtesy of Sky View Projects
Other exercises, in numerous variations, appear in the

Jailhouse Strong interval program, including push-ups,
bodyweight squats, lunges, and mountain climbers.
The workouts vary between that which can be done
quickly before morning chow to those instances when you
have nothing but time and a long afternoon on the yard.
Jailhouse Strong Burpee Challenge
The aim of this workout is to build your total number of

repetitions of burpees. You may need to take breaks during
the allotted time. Keep them to as minimal amount of time
as possible. The prescribed workout may be done more than
once a week. After the completion of one complete four-
week cycle, you can revisit this challenge and start again.
Completing the four-week cycle a number of times will allow
you to continually work toward new personal records.
Week 1
Complete as many burpees as possible inside of 5 minutes.
Week 2

(Your goal is to do 1.5 times more burpees than the
preceding week. So, if you did 50 in 5 minutes, this week
shoot for 75.) Week 3
(Your goal is to do 1.2 times as many burpees as week 2.
Hypothetically, if you did 75 during week 2, your goal this
week is to hit 90 burpees.) Week 4
(Your goal is 1.25 times as many burpees as week 3. If you
hit 90 during week 3, aim for 113 during week 4.) Your goal
is not to meet prescribed progressions. It’s to exceed them!
If you are unable to meet your goals, you can repeat the
previous week or take up cardio dance classes.
Jailhouse Strong Dynamic Training
This workout fluctuates between an explosive

movement (burpee), moderate movements (push-ups and
bodyweight squats), and light movement (walking in place).
This change in tempo allows the body to recover. As a
consequence, the workout may be performed over a
prolonged period of time.
You could have some time before the Café Escape
Restaurant and Bar opens at the Holiday Inn in downtown
Fort Myers, or maybe you’re looking to make the most of
your 60-minute yard time. In either case, this workout has
you covered.
If you want to really get after it, the workout can be
done twice. So that you can monitor progress, keep track of
how many times you go through the cycle of exercises within
the prescribed time. Look to break previous records every
four weeks.
Day 1/Week 1
Complete as many times as possible inside of 15 minutes.
• 1 burpee
• 10 steps walking in place
• 5 push-ups
• 5 squats
Day 2/Week 1

• 1 burpee
• 10 push-ups
• 10 squats
Day 1/Week 2

• 2 burpees
• 10 push-ups
• 10 squats
Day 2/Week 2

• 2 burpees
• 10 push-ups
• 20 squats
Day 1/Week 3
• 3 burpees
• 10 push-ups
• 20 squats
Day 2/Week 3

• 3 burpees
• 10 push-ups
• 20 squats
Day 1/Week 4

• 4 burpees
• 20 push-ups
• 20 squats
Day 2/Week 4

• 4 burpees
• 20 push-ups
• 20 squats
Jailhouse Strong Explosive Intervals
This interval workout features an explosive movement

followed by an active rest. The periods of rest should allow
you to give maximal effort to the exercises.
Week 1
Complete the exercises as many times as possible inside of 5

minutes.
• 5 burpees
• 10 mountain climbers
Week 2
Complete the exercises as many times as possible inside of

10 minutes.
• 5 burpees
Week 3

10 minutes.
• 10 burpees
Week 4

15 minutes.
• 10 burpees
Jailhouse Strong A.M. Pre-Chow Interval
This workout is a great option for boosting your

metabolism before your morning meal.
Day 1/Week 1
Complete five times.

• 5 burpees
• 10 lunges
• 10 push-ups
Day 2/Week 1

• 5 burpees
• 20 lunges
• 10 push-ups
Day 1/Week 2

• 5 burpees
• 20 lunges
• 20 push-ups
Day 2/Week 2

• 10 burpees
• 20 lunges
• 20 push-ups
Day 1/Week 3
• 10 burpees
• 30 lunges
• 20 push-ups
Day 2/Week 3

• 10 burpees
• 30 lunges
• 30 push-ups
Day 1/Week 4

• 10 burpees
• 40 lunges
• 30 push-ups
Day 2/Week 4

• 20 burpees
• 40 lunges
• 30 push-ups
Closing Thoughts
Whenever you find yourself in a situation where the
walls are closing in around your sense of individual freedom,
remember that a rigorous physical lifestyle is your portal to
liberty.
With the acquisition of strength, you achieve the
outward manifestation of your ability to achieve goals, and
the inner confidence of knowing that you have the ability to
transform yourself into your ideal physical reality.
Do not let obstacles, big or small, stand in your way.
Embrace the route of ingenuity toward better physical
conditioning.
CHAPTER 3: GAS STATION READY
INTERVALS
Preparation for Martial Competition,

Unarmed Combat, and around the Gas
Station Pump at 3 A.M.
In Mixed Martial Arts, the nature of a bout is

characterized by short bursts of output followed by a drop in
intensity, and then extended periods of moderate output. To
train your muscles for MMA, your training should resemble
this type of activity as closely as possible. That means you
don’t want the slow, long cardio routines from the big hair
days of the 1980s. Rather, follow an interval program that
prepares your body for the necessary intense spikes in
output.
These types of intervals do not simply prepare you for
the regulated bouts inside a cage, a ring, or whatever
structure currently houses the latest expression of martial art
competition. Interval fight training readies you for engaging
the brute at the gas station who, at 3 a.m., may be looking
to take your beer, your ride, your lady, or even your life.
Real combat on the street, in the bar, or at the local
peeler club does not take long. Unarmed combat without
rules is one of the finest examples of a raw and completely
unrefined state of nature. As we told you in Jailhouse Strong,
the British philosopher Thomas Hobbes talks about this wild
environment and sums it up best: “nasty, brutish, and short.”
Without a referee, or a fight commission, physical
engagements play out in seconds, not minutes. So, like an
MMA fight, there is a quick spike in intensity. There is not,
however, the drop in intensity to a moderate output. There’s
no time for that. Intervals for self-defense fighting focus on
intensity, without any prolonged cardio training.
Ready yourself for the ring or the back alley with the
following intervals that closely mimic particular martial
situations.
Gas Station Ready Interval Training
Sometimes, you want some late night pizza. At other

times, your buddy needs a ride home from his new gig at a
local tavern/restaurant. For whatever reason, you are out
late and you realize that your gas light is on.
You pull in to an unfamiliar gas station, and as you exit
your ride, the small hair on the back of your neck stands on
end. Something is off. Tension is in the air.
A guy with wild eyes and sweating 90 proof weaves his
way over to your gas pump. He asks for money. He wants
your keys. He is so close that you can see the remnants of
his last meal sticking out of his teeth. You are not going to
talk your way out of this one. It is go time.
Big Tom is Gas Station Ready at the Shell Station at 3 A.M.
To be ready for times like these, follow the interval

workout described below. It’s designed for the moments
when technique takes a back seat to sheer intensity. While
following this program, focus on throwing as many punches
with as much power as possible.
This workout can be done at any time, but it is a great
way to finish a bench press day, or any upper-body training
day.
Week 1
Complete 8 rounds of 20 seconds with a 20-second break

between each round.
• Freestyle punching and elbow strikes
Week 2
between each round.
Week 3

between each round.
Week 4

between each round.
MMA Interval Drill
This workout program has a particular focus on

fluctuating between static positions, explosive bursts, and
moderate-intensity movements. Like an MMA fight, this drill
will develop your body to be able to fluctuate between
different types of energy output.
Olympic wrestling silver medalist and MMA fighter Matt Lindland
Courtesy of Jiujitsupedia.com
Day 1/Week 1
Complete circuit two times with a one-minute rest between

each circuit. With the exception of static movements, like
planks and handstand holds, perform as many reps as
possible in the prescribed time.
• 30 seconds sprawls
• 1 minute plank
• 1 minute lunges
• 30 seconds burpees
• 1 minute plank
• 1 minute bodyweight squats
Day 2/Week 1
• 1 minute plank
• 30 seconds jumping lunges
• 30 seconds lunges
• 1 minute push-up plank
• 30 seconds jumping squats
• 30 seconds squats
Day 1/Week 2
Complete circuit three times with a one-minute rest between

each circuit.
• 1 minute lunges
Day 2/Week 2
• 30 seconds side plank
• 30 seconds mountain climbers
• 30 seconds side plank (opposite side)
• 1 minute push-up plank Day 1/Week 3
Complete circuit four times with a one-minute rest between
each circuit.
Day 2/Week 3
• 30 seconds handstand hold

• 90 seconds bodyweight squats
• 30 seconds handstand hold
Day 1/Week 4
Complete circuit five times with a one-minute rest between

each circuit.
• 1 minute handstand hold
• 1 minute burpees
Day 2/Week 4
• 1 minute handstand hold

Coauthor Adam benShea Courtesy of Jiujitsupedia.com
MMA Interval Drill Number 2
Day 1/Week 1

each circuit.
• 15 seconds jump squats
• 1 minute static hold (use a heavy bag or grappling
dummy) • 15 seconds burpees • 90 seconds lunges
Day 2/Week 1

Day 1/Week 2

each circuit.
• 30 seconds jump squats
• 1 minute static hold (use a heavy bag or grappling
dummy) • 90 seconds lunges
Day 2/Week 2
Day 1/Week 3

each circuit.
• 1 minute jump squats
• 2 minutes static hold (use a heavy bag or grappling
dummy) • 2 minutes lunges
Day 2/Week 3
• 1 minute jumping lunges

• 2 minutes plank
• 2 minutes bodyweight squats
Day 1/Week 4

each circuit.
• 2 minutes static hold (use a heavy bag or grappling
dummy) • 2 minutes lunges
Day 2/Week 4

• 2 minutes push-up plank
• 2 minutes bodyweight squats
MMA Heavy Bag Drill
This is an excellent drill to do once a week as a way to

finish a training session. Or, the circuit can serve as a
Jailhouse Strong Cardio workout. All you need for this circuit
is a heavy bag.
Rocky Marciano
Week 1
Complete circuit as many times as possible inside of one

minute, then take a 30-second break. Complete five times.
• Jab/cross
• Front thrust kick/roundhouse kick
• Sprawl
Week 2
Complete circuit as many times as possible inside of one

minute, then take a 30-second break. Complete eight times.
• Jab/cross/jab/hook
• Left roundhouse kick/right roundhouse kick
• Sprawl
Week 3
Complete circuit as many times as possible inside of two

minutes, then take a 30-second break. Complete five times.
• Sprawl
• Left front thrust kick/right front thrust kick
Week 4
Complete circuit as many times as possible inside of three

minutes, then take a one-minute break. Complete four times.
• Sprawl
• Front thrust kick/roundhouse kick
Boxing Interval Drill
This drill is focused on developing conditioning for

boxing. This is done by concentrating on the movements and
techniques found in the martial tradition of pugilism. Along
with punching combinations, these intervals also include
lower-body movements that develop increased punching
power. You may use dumbbells (ranging from 2 to 5 pounds)
inside your fist as a way to make these drills more difficult.
Jacky Dempsey
Day 1/Week 1

each circuit.
• Complete a jab/cross combo as many times as
possible within one minute • 20 bodyweight squats
• Complete a jab/cross combo as many times as
possible within one minute • 20 bodyweight squats
Day 2/Week 1
• Complete a jab/cross/jab combo as many times as

possible within one minute • 30 mountain climbers •
Complete a jab/cross/jab combo as many times as
possible within one minute • 30 mountain climbers
Day 1/Week 2

each circuit.
possible within one minute • 20 lunges
• Complete a jab/cross/left hook combo as many times
as possible within one minute • 20 lunges
Day 2/Week 2
• Complete a jab/cross/left hook combo as many times

as possible within one minute • 30 mountain
climbers
• Complete a jab/cross/left hook/right uppercut combo
as many times as possible within one minute • 30
mountain climbers
Day 1/Week 3
each circuit.
bodyweight squats
lunges
possible within one minute Day 2/Week 3
• Complete a jab/cross/left hook/right uppercut/jab
combo as many times as possible within one minute
Complete circuit four times with a one-minute rest between
each circuit.
• 20 bodyweight squats
• Complete a lead right/left hook/right uppercut combo
bodyweight squats
• Complete a lead right/left hook/right uppercut combo
mountain climbers
• Complete a jab/cross/left hook/cross combo as many
times as possible within one minute Boxing Heavy
Bag Interval
This program offers an opportunity to develop a punch
combination that you can count on in the ring or in an alley.
With each round, complete as many combinations, and
repetitions, as possible. By the end of this four-week
program, you should be able to comfortably throw a reliable
combination for a full three-minute round.
Day 1/Week 1
Complete five one-minute rounds with a 30-second rest

between rounds.
• Jab/cross combo followed by five squats
Day 2/Week 1
• Jab/cross/jab/hook combo
Day 1/Week 2
Complete eight one-minute rounds with a 30-second rest

between rounds.
• Jab/cross/jab/hook combo followed by five squats
Day 2/Week 2
• Jab/cross/jab/hook/uppercut combo Day 1/Week 3

Complete five two-minute rounds with a one-minute rest
between rounds.
• Jab/cross/jab/hook combo followed by five jump
squats
Day 2/Week 3
• Jab/cross/jab/hook/uppercut combo
Day 1/Week 4
Complete five three-minute rounds with a one-minute rest

between rounds.
• Jab/cross/jab/hook combo followed by five jump
squats
Day 2/Week 4
• Jab/cross/jab/hook/uppercut combo
Jailhouse Strong Unarmed Combat Drill

This is an excellent interval for when you’re short on
time, but you want a good bang for your buck. It could be
done as a workout on its own, or as a way to finish a pig iron
session. Unlike the MMA and boxing intervals, this interval
circuit prepares you for the type of altercation you would find
yourself in after a night of tomcatting at your local peeler
bar. That is, violent and quick.
Rather than relying on your fists, which can break
through impact with a human skull, this interval workout
utilizes the durable points of your elbows and knees.
Olympic wrestling silver medalist and undefeated MMA fighter Stephen

Abas Courtesy of Jiujitsupedia.com
In addition, the movement of the sprawl is included

because of the way in which it mimics the process of
defending a takedown (a common feature of any no-rules
fight). The sprawl also helps you get used to fluctuating
between moving on your feet and on the ground (an often
overlooked aspect of a real knock-down, drag-out fight). For
those who have not trained this movement, in real unarmed
combat they will be doubled over and out of gas. To make
the workout more difficult, a burpee can be substituted for a
sprawl.
This interval could be done with or without a heavy bag.
Day 1/Week 1
Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 20

seconds, then rest 20 seconds. Complete five times.
• Left elbow strike/right elbow strike
• Sprawl
• Left knee strike/right knee strike • Sprawl
Day 2/Week 1
Complete a 30-second circuit 10 times, with a 30-second

break between each circuit.
• Freestyle elbow and knee strikes with sprawls
Day 1/Week 2

seconds, then rest 20 seconds. Complete 10 times.
• Sprawl
• Left knee strike/right knee strike
• Sprawl
Day 2/Week 2
Complete a one-minute circuit eight times, with a 30-second

Day 1/Week 3

seconds, then rest 10 seconds. Complete five times.
• Sprawl
• Sprawl
Day 2/Week 3
Complete a one-minute circuit 10 times, with a 30-second

Day 1/Week 4

seconds, then rest 10 seconds. Complete 10 times.
• Sprawl
• Sprawl
Day 2/Week 4
Complete a one-minute circuit 10 times, with a 30-second

Wrestling Interval Drill
When preparing for the physical demands of the world’s

oldest sport, wrestling, interval training is a great option.
Wrestling cannot be likened to a long, easy jaunt around
your local dog park. Wrestling is characterized by constant
tension and explosive movements. To train to mimic the
energy output in wresting, it is crucial to remember that
wrestling matches are short in duration. For example, if a
collegiate match goes to its limit, without a pin fall, then it is
only seven minutes long. Inside of this brief amount of time,
there is a lot of movement that needs to occur.
With this in mind, the wrestling intervals are short in
duration and provide exercises that closely follow the
movement patterns most common in a wrestling match.
The drop step, or the wrestling shot, is done because it
is the basis of the common wrestling takedown. The sprawl is
included because it is the basic defense to a takedown. If
you want to make the workout more difficult, a burpee may
take the place of a sprawl. The power stand-up is the process
through which a wrestler looks to escape from the bottom of
the par terre position; it should be done as explosively as
possible. Lastly, a sit through is a technique that allows a
bottom wrestler to potentially reverse positions, and it
develops better hip movement.
BJJ Legend Ricard “Franjinha” Miller Courtesy of Jiujitsupedia.com
Along with training in a style that follows the energy

output of a real match and in a manner that uses wrestling
techniques, an additional benefit of this interval is that it can
be done alone. Shadow wrestling has been a staple of
wrestling greats from Dan Gable to Cary Kolat. The workout
below has the benefits of shadow wrestling, with a spike in
intensity.
This workout may be done at the end of a pig iron
session. Remember to complete as many repetitions as
possible within the allotted time.
Day 1/Week 1
Complete as many repetitions as possible inside of one

minute. Take a 30-second break. Repeat five times.
• Sit through
• Sit through (opposite side)
• Power stand-up
• Sprawl
• Wrestling shot
Day 2/Week 1
With each movement, attempt as many repetitions as

possible inside of one minute. Rest one minute, then move to
the next movement.
• Wrestling shot (1 minute)
• Sprawl (1 minute)
• Power stand-up (1 minute)
Day 1/Week 2
Complete as many repetitions as possible inside of one

minute. Take a 15-second break. Repeat five times.
• Sit through
• Power stand-up
• Sprawl
• Wrestling shot
Day 2/Week 2

possible inside of one minute. Rest one minute, then move to
the next movement. Look to break your record from last
week.
• Wrestling shot (1 minute)
• Sprawl (1 minute)
• Power stand-up (1 minute)
Day 1/Week 3
Complete as many repetitions as possible inside of two
minutes. Take a 30-second break. Repeat five times.
• Sit through
• Power stand-up
• Sprawl
• Wrestling shot
Day 2/Week 3

possible inside of two minutes. Rest one minute, then move
to the next movement.
• Wrestling shot (2 minutes)
• Sprawl (2 minutes)
• Power stand-up (2 minutes)
Day 1/Week 4
Complete as many repetitions as possible inside of two

minutes. Take a 15-second break. Repeat five times.
• Sit through
• Power stand-up
• Sprawl
• Wrestling shot
Day 2/Week 4

possible inside of three minutes. Rest one minute, then move
to the next movement.
• Wrestling shot (3 minutes)
• Sprawl (3 minutes)
• Power stand-up (3 minutes)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Interval Drill
Unless a submission is achieved, a typical BJJ match

may last anywhere from five to ten minutes (depending on
the rank of the competitors). Inside of that time allotment,
an extremely wide array of positions and techniques may be
displayed. A BJJ match will often include brief explosive
movements when a fighter is attempting a takedown,
transitioning into a sweep, or working toward a submission.
There will be times in a match when a moderate level of
energy is exerted in the subtle evolution when a better
position is attempted. There is, however, a significant
amount of the match where a fighter will be holding his
opponent in a display of static, or isometric, strength.
Olympic judo bronze medalist Israel Hernandez Courtesy of

Jiujitsupedia.com
An interval training drill for BJJ, then, includes dynamic
movements for more powerful takedown and submission
attempts. It also incorporates moderate movements to
mimic the moments in a BJJ match when you are in recovery
as you continue to move. Lastly, static holds appear because
of their benefit to maintaining tighter positions.
Day 1/Week 1
Complete the described circuit as many times as possible

inside of 10 minutes.
• 5 sprawls
• 20 lunges
• 10 plank walkups
Day 2/Week 1
Complete the circuit four times with a one-minute rest

between sets.
Day 1/Week 2

• 10 sprawls
Day 2/Week 2
Complete the circuit five times with a one-minute rest

between sets.
Day 1/Week 3

• 10 burpees
Day 2/Week 3
Complete the circuit four times with a 30-second rest

between sets.
Day 1/Week 4

• 10 burpees
Day 2/Week 4
Complete the circuit four times with a 30-second rest

between sets.
• 1 minute sprawls
Coauthor Josh Bryant
Closing Thoughts
Long, slow cardio is great, if you are morbidly
overweight and looking to drop some pounds before
reentering the world of civilized, casual body movement. If
you, however, are looking to ready yourself for fisticuffs in
the late-night arena of your local watering hole, want to be
prepared for martial competition, or just want to take off
your shirt with pride at the next apartment complex pool
party, then turn to intervals and turn up the intensity.
The described intervals, in particular, have a host of
benefits. One, they can be done just about anywhere (from a
cramped hotel in the Yoshiwara “pleasure district” of Tokyo
to your temporary lodgings in your grandma’s Pensacola
town house). Two, they can be completed without a
significant time investment (you will have plenty of time left
to check the social media status of that smoking hot
bartender). Three, they need little or no equipment (save
your cash for a night on the town and a Wagyu steak). And,
four, by completing these intervals, you will be better
prepared for the potential challenge lurking around the next
corner.
And what better way to go through life than perfecting
yourself today, to be ready for tomorrow?
You now have the recipe to become ring deadly, street
lethal, and look better naked.
CHAPTER 4: BARBELL COMPLEXES
“Panting, Puffing, and Perspiring”
The late Iron Game Godfather, Bob Hoffman, said that

when training, you should be “panting, puffing, and
perspiring.” He didn’t say a word about pacing or pausing.
When approaching barbell complexes, remember this
mantra.
Think of barbell complexes as being likened to a no-
rules, knock-down, drag-out fight at your local kick n’ stab
bar. You accidently bumped into Bubba’s old lady, and she
spills her beer. Bubba is with a few of his boys, and they are
chomping at the bit. Before a bouncer ruins the party or
Bubba’s boys get the best of you, there is a minimal amount
of time to get down and get out. Forget what you learned
during the cardio kickboxing session in the aerobics room of
your favorite chain gym. It is time to start biting, scratching,
snarling, and spitting.
To perform barbell complexes, neither fancy equipment
nor the latest space-age machines are needed. Tell the
expensive personal trainer to take the day off, and
remember that all you need is a barbell, some pig iron, and
an all-out effort.
Enter the Barbell Complex

While barbell complexes are one of the greatest
metabolic conditioners and fat-torching weapons, they are
not for the faint of heart!
A benefit of barbell complexes for our pleasantly plump
friends is that their joints can take a break from the
pounding of running drills. Heck, this is good for anyone
with joint issues.
Key Point
Remember: BARBELL COMPLEXES ARE PERFORMED AS FAST

AS POSSIBLE!
Move from exercise to exercise as fast as possible, with
no break. Treat them like wind sprints. Slowly performed
barbell complexes will keep you fat, flaccid, and riding the
pine. Do them fast!
Constructing Complexes
To construct a complex, you may do 5 to 8 squats,

followed by 5 to 8 good mornings, followed by 5 to 8 front
squats to presses, followed by 5 to 8 high pulls, followed by
5 to 8 bent-over rows, and finally finish off with 5 to 8
Romanian deadlifts.
When to do them?
If your goal is to win friends and influence the opposite

sex, you might be training with a traditional
bodybuilding/body part split—GREAT.
In that case, after a leg day, a complex might look
something like: 6 lunges (each leg), 6 back squats, 6 good
mornings, 6 front squats, and 6 Romanian deadlifts.
A back day might look like: 6 wide good mornings, 6
close-stance good mornings, 6 high pulls, 6 bent-over rows,
and finish off with 6 deadlifts.
The purpose is not isolation; it is conditioning and
burning fat. On upper-body days, stick to things like presses,
rows, and even throw in some bodyweight training. For
bodybuilding training, though, these exercises work best on
“legs” and “back” day. For upper-body training, bodyweight
finishers (detailed in Chapter 6) can be used.
If you, however, train the full body because you believe
that there are no isolated movements in athletic
competition (whether it be on the field, inside a ring, or in a
bed), then we can appreciate that approach as well. In that
case, complexes can look like this:
Example 1: squats, good mornings, push presses, high
pulls, and bent-over rows
Example 2: snatch pulls, deadlifts, overhead presses, front
squats, Zercher squats, and lunges
Example 3: squat clean, power clean, high pull, deadlift,
push presses, and front squats Here are tried-and-true,
battle-tested guidelines when performing complexes:
• Use compound exercises.
• Perform exercises as fast as possible while
maintaining proper technique.
• Do not rest between exercises.
• Try your best not to drop the bar.
• Start with an empty bar and add weights in
increments of 5 or 10 pounds.
• Do five to seven exercises per complex, with each set
consisting of five to eight repetitions.
• Rest one to three minutes between sets; do not
exceed four sets, and do not exceed 15 minutes
total duration.
• Barbell complexes are intense interval workouts and
are included in your total of interval workouts.
Barbell Complex Programs
You now have the ingredients to cook up a great barbell

complex, now here are specific recipes to build a lean,
mean, ass-kicking machine!
The Adonis Complex
This is to be performed twice weekly, with a traditional

body part or power split. Perform Day 1 on a legs/ squat day
and perform Day 2 on a back/deadlift day.
Beginners start with 45 to 55 pounds, intermediate
lifters use 65 to 85 pounds, and advanced lifters use 95 to
135 pounds. Err on the side of being conservative with the
weight; you don’t need much to get an effect. If it’s easy,
move faster. This isn’t about building limit strength, it’s
about cremating body fat!
Day 1/Week 1
Movements Performed: jump squats, back squats, front

squats, high pulls, and Romanian deadlifts. Perform each
exercise for six reps, rest 75 seconds after each set, and do
as many complexes as possible in eight minutes.
Day 2/Week 1
Movements Performed: good mornings, squats, snatch

pulls, deadlifts, and bent-over rows. Perform each exercise
for six reps, rest 75 seconds after each set, and do as many
complexes as possible in eight minutes.
Day 1/Week 2
exercise for seven reps, rest 60 seconds after each set, and
do as many complexes as possible in eight minutes. (Use
same weight as Week 1.)
Day 2/Week 2

for seven reps, rest 60 seconds after each set, and do as
many complexes as possible in eight minutes. (Use same
weight as Week 1.)
Day 1/Week 3

do as many complexes as possible in eight minutes. (Use 5
to 15 more pounds than Weeks 1 and 2.)
Day 2/Week 3

many complexes as possible in eight minutes. (Use 5 to 15
more pounds than Weeks 1 and 2.)
Day 1/Week 4

do as many complexes as possible in eight minutes. (Use
the same weight as Week 3.)
Day 2/Week 4

many complexes as possible in eight minutes. (Use the
same weight as Week 3.)
After Week 4, start the cycle over and switch in new
compound movements or keep progressing with the same
movements following the provided guidelines. These
complexes should be performed at the end of your lifting
workout or in a separate session on the same day. Dwarf
Tossing Drudgery
No sport requires use of the full body more than dwarf
tossing. Want proof? Track down the legendary “Lenny the
Giant” and just ask. Perform these full-body complexes
twice a week using the same starting guidelines.
Day 1/Week 1
Movements Performed: power cleans, front squats,

deadlifts, push presses, lunges (each leg is one rep), and
narrow-stance squats. Perform each exercise for eight reps,
rest 90 seconds after each set, and do as many complexes
as possible in 10 minutes.
Day 2/Week 1
Movements Performed: power snatch, Romanian deadlift,

upright rows, bent-over rows, Zercher squats, and squats.
Perform each exercise for eight reps, rest 90 seconds after
each set, and do as many complexes as possible in 10
minutes.
Day 1/Week 2

Day 2/Week 2

minutes.
Day 1/Week 3

Day 2/Week 3

minutes.
Day 1/Week 4

Day 2/Week 4

minutes.
After Week 4, start the cycle over and switch in new
compound movements or keep progressing with the same
movements following the provided guidelines. These
complexes should be performed at the end of your lifting
workout or in a separate session on the same day. Use the
same weights all 4 weeks.
A Few Last Words
Fat loss is often won in the kitchen! But these barbell

complexes will expedite the process. Take the next step and
give barbell complexes a shot. Fat and flaccid is no way to
go through life.
CHAPTER 5: STRONGMAN
INTERVALS
Why Strongman Training?
In the world of competitive iron lifting, strongmen have

some of the most well-developed physiques. Svend Karlsen
and Juoko Ahola look like lean, off-season bodybuilders,
while Mariusz Pudzianowski basically looks like a
competition bodybuilder year-round. Google images of
Derek Poundstone or the almighty Bill Kazmaier and you will
find a broad-backed monster with clean definition.
The idea that it could be a clean diet goes out the
window when you see heavyweight strongmen guzzle beer,
eat pizza, and terrorize the local Chinese smorgasbord. In
fact, they can do all of these as well as, if not better than,
their powerlifting counterparts.
Rather than steamed veggies and lean protein, it is
their training that develops a body any man would be proud
to show off at sandy beaches from Pensacola to Pipeline.
This is because strongman training, and contests, are,
in fact, heavy interval training!
Flip on the tube and watch the World’s Strongest Man;
even if your mental state is dulled from malted hops and
bong resin, it should be obvious that these athletes are
performing explosive intervals.
The application of strongman events to your training
builds slabs of muscle, grip strength, power, speed, static
strength, dynamic strength/flexibility, and testicular
fortitude. Additionally, strongman events can be used for
conditioning and as a means to greatly increase fat loss.
Some of the best, and most accessible, strongman
events to use for conditioning purposes are tire flips,
farmer’s walks, and sled drags.
USC Track & Field Hall of Famer - Noah Bryant
For detailed visuals on the technical execution of these

events, see the Jailhouse Strong YouTube channel.
Tire Flips
Many of the latest trendy “exercise” machines require
that you take out a second mortgage on your pad, or kiss
your kid’s college fund goodbye. In sharp contrast, tires are
totally free.
Due to the absence of a price tag, many famous
personal trainers, equipment manufacturers, and chain
gyms do not mention tire flips. Tire flips benefit no one but
you—the user.
Any junkyard, or tire depot, should have tractor tires
that they are looking to get rid of. Heck, they might even
pay you to take them off their hands, and you could appear
as the blessing who arrives to take, what they consider, a
liability off their hands. Their liability, however, can be one
of your biggest assets in building a stronger, more powerful
physique.
Technique
While the technique is not complicated, to avoid injury,

it does require mastery. Follow these guidelines:
• As if playing football, assume a four-point stance. Set

up with your chest pushing into the tire. Arms
should be outside the legs, butt down, and back flat.
• Like any other ground-based lift, foot position varies
from individual to individual. Your most powerful
vertical jump stance is a good starting point. For
most folks, this will be in the hip-width range.
• From this position, lift the tire by using your hips to
drive the tire upward. Don’t use your arms! While
triple extending the ankles, knees, and hips, some
athletes may literally “jump.”
• As you triple extend, get under the tire to catch it.
This is similar to a power clean. From this position,
push the tire as fast and hard as possible away from
you. Do not attempt a curl, because this is where
many athletes injure their biceps.
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
There are variations of this technique, like the sumo

start (hands inside thighs) or using one knee to assist in the
lifting. The technique described above is a great starting
point. Master it, and then individualize it.
Starting Weight
Assuming you have an understanding of technique, a

good place to start and master technique is approximately
75 percent of your deadlift max. Remember, half the tire is
on the ground, and we are after conditioning, not limit
strength.
4-Week Tire Training Conditioning Program
Day 1/Week 1: Tire flips (using starting guidelines).
Perform three reps, rest 30 seconds, and repeat this process
for as many sets as possible in five minutes.
Day 2/Week 1: Tire flips (using starting guidelines). Flip the
tire 20 yards, rest 120 seconds; repeat this process for four
sets.
sets.
sets.
Perform five reps, rest 20 seconds, and repeat this process
sets.
If/when on Day 1 of the program you surpass eight
sets, it is time to add weight. This can be done in a number
of ways. You can get a bigger tire, put some chains inside
the current tire, or haze a new training partner by having
them serve as extra weight inside the tire.
For a traditional power or bodybuilding split, these two
workouts should be done on separate days after a
squat/legs day or a back/deadlift day.
Farmer’s Walk
I am sure you have heard about the virtues of a strong

core from trainers in Greenwich Village and Silicon Valley.
Without discounting this valuable advice, you can pop those
bosu balls and start the farmer’s walk that will build a bullet-
proof core!
The benefits of the farmer’s walk aren’t limited to your
midsection. Farmer’s walks catalyze so much growth in the
traps that they ought to be called silver back creators. Build
the herculean traps that are a prerequisite for a no-
nonsense Jailhouse Strong physique!
Matt Mills
Think you’re strong? Not with the grip strength of a

Vienna Boys choir soprano. No worries. There’s no better
way to build a strong grip than with the farmer’s walk.
Technique
While farmer’s walks can be performed with heavy

dumbbells or short bars, strongmen use specially made
farmer’s walk implements; these can be purchased at a
reasonable price, or heck, just befriend your local welder.
Remember, no strongman implements? No problem! You
can find a solution.
1. After gripping the handles, lift them up by
driving through your heels, keeping your back
straight and your head straight ahead, and briefly
pause in the “erect” position.
2. Start taking short, quick steps, and as you find
the groove, gradually increase your stride length.
3. Move for a given distance, typically 50 to 100
feet, as fast as possible.
4. Generally, do not use straps. However, if grip
gives out before conditioning, use them. We want
grip strength, but not at the expense of
conditioning.
Starting Weight
Start with 60 percent of your total deadlift max, 30

percent in each hand. If your deadlift max is 400 pounds,
this would be 120 pounds in each hand.
4-Week Farmer’s Walk Conditioning Program
Day 1/Week 1: Farmer’s walk with 60 percent of your

deadlift max as long as possible. If you lose your grip at 35
seconds, rest 35 seconds and resume farmer’s walking;
next, if you lose your grip after 20 seconds, rest 20 seconds
and resume the farmer’s walk. Do this for six minutes,
farmer’s walking until you fail, and then matching your rest
interval to your previous farmer’s walk time. Once farmer’s
walks are under 10 seconds, straps or hooks can be added
to assist grip.
deadlift max for 30 yards and rest 75 seconds between
“runs”; do this for 10 minutes.
Day 1/Week 2: Farmer’s walk with 63 to 68 percent of your
deadlift max as long as possible; if you lose your grip at 35
seconds, rest 35 seconds and resume farmer’s walking.
Next, if you lose your grip after 20 seconds, rest 20 seconds
and resume the farmer’s walk. Do this for six minutes,
farmer’s walking until you fail, and then matching your rest
interval to your previous farmer’s walk time. Once farmer’s
walks are under 10 seconds, straps or hooks can be added
to assist grip.
Day 1/Week 3: Add 5 to 15 pounds to Week Two’s weight,
following the same protocol.
Day 1/Week 4: Add 5 to 15 pounds to Week Three’s
weight, following the same protocol.
Sled Drags
There are numerous ways to drag a sled, and there are

plenty of good resources on the Internet to learn about sled
dragging. A great place to start is EliteFTS.
Our purpose is conditioning, so we’re going to keep it
simple with the backward sled drag.
A backward sled tests your quads, back, torso, and grip
strength. In fact, it is one of the best quadriceps-building
modalities out there. Any bodybuilder, or aesthetic focused
lifter, who lacks quadriceps development should implement
backward sled drags.
If you want to “quad bless” your stage presence, drag
sleds!
Coauthor Josh Bryant
When we say backward, we simply mean you are

facing the sled and pulling it backward. You will be leaning
backward with your arms straight and pulling away from the
sled with maximum intensity. If this looks like a jogging back
pedal, it ain’t enough weight! Keep the following tips in
mind when dragging a sled:
1. Never let the sled stop! This is straight from the
mouth of our former mentor/training partner and
professional strongman, Odd Haugen. Keep this in mind
with other pulling events. Think back to high school
physics class: It takes more energy to get an object
moving than to keep it moving—try to accelerate, and
NEVER STOP, NEVER!
2. Use your bodyweight. Whether you’re a 350-pound
doorman or a 110-pound bikini model, you have
bodyweight, so use it! Lean back the whole way, away
from the sled the entire movement; never row the
weight, pull it with your body. Keep in mind that your
arms are the weak link, not your legs, so use your legs.
Think of your arms as stationary “hooks.”
3. Use fast, short, choppy steps—unlike with traditional
sprints, long strides will slow you down. With this much
resistance, force exertion is crucial; you will exert more
force with short steps.
4. Never quit! Have a successful mind-set; your body is
going to say to quit, but if you make it through, mental,
physical, and spiritual treasure is to be gained on the
other side. Just think about showing up to your high
school reunion in your fitted regulars and causing
former Homecoming Queen, who wouldn’t give you the
time of day, to salivate.
Because there are so many different types of sleds, we

just wanted to give you a conceptual overview; please see
the video on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jailhousestrong
4-Week Sled Dragging Conditioning Program
Day 1/Week 1: Drag the sled as far as possible in 20
seconds and rest 40 seconds; repeat this process for 10
minutes. You’ll be using the same weight all four weeks on
day 1, so pull as hard as possible; your effort will reflect in
your results.
Day 2/Week 1: Tabata sled workout using the same weight
as Day 1. Do 20 seconds all-out drag and rest 10 seconds;
repeat this process eight times or for a total of four minutes.
minutes.
as Week 1. Do 20 seconds all-out drag and rest 10 seconds;
Use 10 percent more resistance than Week 1.
minutes.
Use 5 to 10 percent more resistance than Week 2.
minutes.
Use 5 to 10 percent more resistance than Week 3.
The reason specific resistance levels are prescribed is
that we are a lot of things, but con artists are not one of
them! Different friction levels, because of different surfaces,
provide different levels of resistance, not to mention sled
design.
Just take residency in “INTENSITYVILLE,” quoting big
Jason English of the famous YouTube channel and Instagram
big_jextremefitness!
What if I don’t have a sled?
Well, you can buy one (a good one is relatively cheap)
or find a home brew recipe on the Internet. The Spud
“carpet sled” from EliteFTS can be used indoors cheaper
than a night of drinking out on the town.
Medleys
Medley is a term that comes directly from the sport of

competitive strongman. Medleys involve two or more events
done back-to-back. Both events have to be completed back-
to-back, and time is kept by an official. The objective is to
complete the events as fast as possible. We are going to
keep our medley program simple. However, by all means, as
you advance, change it around, swap events, and/or add
new events. Do whatever gets you up in the morning, but
this is your base program and one to which you can always
return.
This program is so intense that it should only be done
once a week.
Week 1: Sled drag 50 feet, farmer’s walk 50 feet (80
percent of deadlift max), tire flip 50 feet (75 percent of
deadlift max). Rest two minutes and repeat. Do this for 20
minutes, or five medleys, whatever comes first.
deadlift max). Rest 90 seconds and repeat. Do this for 20
minutes, or six medleys, whatever comes first.
deadlift max). Rest 75 seconds and repeat. Do this for 20
minutes, or seven medleys, whatever comes first.
deadlift max). Rest two minutes and repeat. Do this for 20
minutes, or five medleys, whatever comes first.
For a traditional power or bodybuilding split, these
Final Thoughts
Sure, you can become an aerobics bunny. Your local

chrome palace gym at the strip mall is always accepting
sign-ups.
But, if you want to build a no-nonsense physique that
would make the legendary lifter and old time wrestler
George “The Russian Lion” Hackenschmidt roar from the
other side, then give these strongman intervals a shot.
CHAPTER 6: BODYWEIGHT
FINISHERS
Get a Pump
Bodyweight intervals, or bodyweight finishers, provide

a great “pump” at the end of a heavy day with the pig iron.
They can also be utilized as a stand-alone workout to target
specific, or lagging, body parts.
These bodyweight finishers add an extreme metabolic
stress component, which is a key factor in maximizing
hypertrophy, or growth.
In a world of glossy workout centerfolds and chain gym
trainers claiming a fitness guru status, finding an
appropriate bodyweight workout program can be a daunting
task. Bodyweight finishers are developed out of necessity.
With limited space and without access to the pig iron,
prisoners developed workout s for total body conditioning. In
addition, they used innovative ideas to plan bodyweight
training programs that target particular body parts.
Shoulders
Most shoulder development exercises in the weight room

are open kinetic chain movements (meaning the force you
produce makes the weight move). Closed kinetic chain
exercises move your body as you produce force, like most
athletic endeavors or any unarmed combat situation.
Bottom line: Closed kinetic chain movements are more
natural and more functional. With this in mind, you can use
this bodyweight finisher interval at the end of your next
shoulder workout.
Handstand Push-Ups
Few things scream Jailhouse Strong and functional power

like a pair of marble slabs for shoulders. Without weight,
handstand push-ups offer the best way to develop the
shoulders. For those new to the movement, place the back
of your head near the base of a wall, put your hands
alongside your head (fingers pointing toward the wall), and
then kick your feet into the air until they reach the wall.
From this inverted position, perform a push-up.
For a set program, complete this handstand push-up
workout:
Jailhouse Method (Reverse Pyramid)
The Jailhouse Baker’s Dozen is a total of 91 repetitions,

where set 1 is performed with 13 repetitions, set 2 is 12
repetitions, set 3 is 11 repetitions, etc. Each set descends
by one less repetition. After each set is performed, walk 16
feet (8 feet across your cell and 8 feet back). Your goal is to
do this in seven minutes. If these are too difficult, try the
handstand push-ups in the downward dog yoga position. If
this is too easy, do a Jailhouse 20 (total of 210 repetitions) in
less than 10 minutes—the best anyone has reported to us
so far is 8:04 on a Jailhouse 20. Prepare for the pain, then
get ready to grow.
Back
The strongest man of our time, Bill Kazmaier, said that

a “strong man equals a strong back.” A strong back helps to
build a big bench. Beyond that, a powerful back is valuable
for any activity that includes a pulling movement. In this
way, back training will be useful for finishing a submission in
grappling or dragging your drunk girl out of a chick fight
with some lounge lizard who insulted her designer blouse.
Total Repetition Method: In this method, you achieve the
desired number of reps in the fewest number of sets
possible. Using the Total Repetition Method,100 pull-ups
might look something like this: Set 1 - 15 reps, Set 2 - 12
reps, Set 3 - 11 reps, Set 4 -10 reps, Set 5 - 10 reps, Set 6 -
9 reps, Set 7 - 8 reps, Set 8 - 7 reps, Set 9 - 7 reps, Set 10 -
6 reps, Set 11 - 5 reps.
Your goal is to complete the workout inside of 12
minutes. We recommend alternating grips between sets. If
this workout is too difficult, try inverted rows. If this workout
is too easy, try triangle chin-ups or one-armed chin-up
variations.
The broad-backed street soldier commands respect
from Scotland Yard to the prison yard.
Chest
No one can deny the effectiveness of heavy bench

presses and dumbbell flyes in building a massive chest. Yet,
this push-up routine at the end of a chest workout will have
even the most advanced bodybuilders looking to tap out.
The Deck of Pain
A favorite of street soldiers and hardened cons, the

deck of pain is a way to use the slick gambler’s favorite tool
for more than just Five Card Stud. Take a 52-card deck and
shuffle the cards so that you have no idea what card will
come up next. Flip the first card and do however many
push-ups the card says. So, for numbered cards, do
whichever number of push-ups coordinate with the number
on the card. For picture cards (jack, queen, and king), do 10
push-ups. And, for the aces, do 11 push-ups. Once
completed, you will have done 380 push-ups. Aim for 15
minutes. If this is too difficult, opt for the “girl” push-up
variation or even push-ups against a wall.
In Jailhouse jargon, your chest is your “hood,” and a big
hood commands respect in any hood.
Legs
Sporting chicken legs may make your “organ” look

bigger, but even the grand illusion of a large unit will not
help you when you encounter any functional combat
situation.
Inside the gym, due to the wide stance and low bar
position, traditional powerlifting squats force an athlete to
sit back, which places a greater amount of the load on the
posterior chain. Because bodyweight squats are more of a
squat-down motion, they allow you to absolutely torch the
quads.
To blast your quads and to fill out those classic black
boxing trunks, attempt this Tyson Squat workout at the end
of your leg day:
Start with 10 cards and line them up two to four inches
apart. Squat and pick up the first card, then move to the
next card and place the first card on top of the second card.
Next, squat twice more to pick up each card individually.
Walk to the third card and squat twice to stack each card,
then squat three times to pick up each card before carrying
the cards to the fourth card, and proceeding with the
pattern. You will continue this pattern of individually
stacking and picking up the cards until you move through all
10 cards in the line. At that point, you will have completed
100 squats. You can add cards as your strength and
endurance increase. Your goal is to make it through twice in
10 minutes. If this is too hard, try once in six minutes. If the
workout is too easy, try the squats with a one-second pause
at the bottom or opt for lunges.
Final Thoughts
Bodyweight finishers are fun and challenging, spark

new growth cycles, and are highly functional. Instead of
pumping out light weights on machines, try a method that
has built prison powerhouses for decades.
If you can’t break free from the barriers blocking your
path to the elite levels of bodyweight conditioning, worry
not. In life, and in the gym, it does not matter where you
start, but where you finish.
CHAPTER 7: SPRINTS
A Biomarker of Health
Legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin says, “Do

sprints to lose fat, build muscle, improve your health, and
live a more excellent life. Sprint training is a powerful tool
that gives you back considerably more in terms of health
benefits than the effort required.”
Poliquin’s support of sprint training is for good reason.
Sprinting is one of the most underutilized methods to
improve virtually every biomarker of health, target fast-
twitch muscle fibers, and build mental toughness.
If you want to learn more about the science of
sprinting, there are plenty of good books out there for that,
or you could just find a Soviet defect sports scientist at the
next vodka tasting.
If you want to learn specific ways to apply sprints to
your training, keep on reading.
Old-School Gridiron Classics
Keyboard warriors on the Web debate whether it was

General Patton or Coach Vince Lombardi who said, “Fatigue
makes cowards of us all.” The point of origin is not nearly as
important as the message itself.
The message is that fatigue affects all aspects of play,
from decision making to aggressiveness. Even when you try
your best, exhaustion can prevent you from being mobile,
agile, and hostile.
Football is a game of all-out, explosive bursts followed
by recovery between plays. Power and strength endurance
are extremely important—if you start the game hitting like
Tarzan but finish like Jane, quoting legendary Santa Barbara
High School Coach Fred Warrecker, you are “dead wood,” or
in the words of Bear Bryant, “as useless as tits on a wart
hog.”
Instead of looking at the current conditioning trends in
a game that now rotates multiple folks for one position,
playing one-way, let’s look at the old-school iron man way of
doing things, from a day when going both ways was the
norm and one was lucky to catch a breather on special
teams.
On the Line with Bob Considine
This conditioning drill was introduced to us by our

freshman football coach, the legendary Fred Warrecker. At
the end of every practice, we would perform a number of
sprints. This interval session always began with him yelling,
“On the line with Bob Considine!” (in reference to a well-
known syndicated feature that covered front-line events
during World War II).
As gridiron soldiers, our all-out efforts were greeted
with praise, while half-assed struggles got a call out in front
of the entire team.
As a freshman football coach for more than 40 years,
Coach Warrecker never lost more than one game in a 10-
game season. With this conditioning program in place,
fatigue during a game was not an issue. In fact, even going
both ways was never a problem. Perform this regimen one
to two times weekly.
Week 1
All Sprints for 2 Sets Each
• Sprint 10 yards, rest 20 seconds between sprints

Week 2

Week 3

Each sprint requires an all-out effort. Without a Coach

Warrecker to hold you accountable, you are responsible for
driving your workout.
Five Quarters
Football is played in quarters. More often than not,

preparation for a full four quarters will suffice. But every
once in a while, the game will go into overtime. You have to
be ready for overtime. No matter your sport, you have to be
ready for that fifth quarter!
Back in 2001, we took a road trip to witness firsthand
the training and conditioning techniques utilized by some of
West Texas’ best high school football teams. While on this
trip, we witnessed Midland High’s conditioning routine and
had a consultation with their coaching staff. From this
experience, we learned about the following drill. To escalate
the intensity of this workout, we added a “fifth quarter” of
sprints. Do this workout one to two times weekly.
Week 1
• First Quarter: perform five 10-yard sprints with a
15-second rest between sprints • Second Quarter:
perform five 20-yard sprints with a 30-second rest
between sprints • Third Quarter: perform five 30-
yard sprints with a 40-second rest between
sprints • Fourth Quarter: perform five 20-yard
sprints with a 30-second rest between sprints •
Fifth Quarter: perform five 10-yard sprints with a
15-second rest between sprints Week 2
• First Quarter: perform five 10-yard sprints with an
Fifth Quarter: perform five 10-yard sprints with an
8-second rest between sprints Each sprint is all
out—no pacing!
Go Tell It on the Mountain: Hill Sprints

Walter Payton is arguably the best running back in the
history of the NFL. In particular, Payton is remembered for
his uncanny speed, power, and ability to run the pigskin
over and over again. All of these traits were developed out
of his training with hill sprints.
Walter Payton
This method of conditioning is extreme, but it quickly

produces power, speed, fat burning, and mental toughness.
Furthermore, many athletes report that hill sprints are much
more joint friendly compared to their flat terrain
counterparts.
Since we are not training for a track meet, keep in mind
that there is no exact science to hill sprints.
Here are some guidelines:
• Like always—WARM UP.
• The steeper, the better. The hill should be difficult to
walk up, let alone sprint up.
• If you have trouble finding an appropriate hill, get out
your smartphone and do a google search of landfills,
steep hills, or sledding hills.
• Push your knees up as you run; don’t clunk your
heels on the ground.
• Do hill sprints after you lift weights or on an off day.
• There’s no need to exceed doing hill sprints thrice
weekly; great results are achieved twice weekly.
As with weight training, the key to making gains is to

continually overload your training. Some ways to do this
are: • Increase the distance you sprint
• Find a steeper hill

• Decrease rest periods between sets
• Add a weighted vest
• Do more sprints
• Complete the sprinted distance in less time
• Add an additional workout
• Be creative
These are sprints, not a Sunday stroll. Go as fast as you
can!
Day 1/Week 1
30-yard hill sprints x six sets, rest 60 seconds between sets

(This includes the walk down the hill.) Day 2/Week 1
50-yard sprints x five sets, rest 120 seconds between sets
30-yard hill sprints x eight sets, rest 60 seconds between
sets (This includes the walk down the hill.) Day 2/Week 2
50-yard sprints x six sets, rest 90 seconds between sets
30-yard hill sprints x nine sets, rest 60 seconds between
sets (This includes the walk down the hill.) Day 2/Week 3
30-yard hill sprints x 10 sets, rest 60 seconds between sets
(This includes the walk down the hill.) 200-Meter
Conditioning
Whether a vagabond steals your wife’s purse or the
boys in blue don’t see the humor in some of your life
decisions, there may be a time when you need to “hoof it,”
and it may be a distance longer than a few yards. For these
instances, be ready to go 200+ yards.
In regard to these situations, we have included a
“functional” workout.
This is a six-week interval workout for someone who
can sprint 200 meters in 24 seconds. If you can run 200
meters in 30 seconds, use this guide: 30/24=1.2, so multiply
run times by 1.2 as well as the prescribed rest intervals.
This workout can be adjusted very easily, as you can see.
The Workout
Week 1: Sprint 300 meters in 50 seconds, rest three

minutes between sets, do four total sets Week 2: Sprint
250 meters in 42 seconds, rest two minutes and 30 seconds
between sets, do five total sets Week 3: Sprint 225 meters
in 38 seconds, rest two minutes between sets, do five total
sets Week 4: Sprint 200 meters in 33 seconds, rest one
minute and 45 seconds between sets, do five total sets
Week 5: Sprint 200 meters in 33 seconds, rest one minute
and 30 seconds between sets, do six total sets Week 6:
Sprint 200 meters in 30 seconds, rest one minute and 30
seconds between sets, do six total sets Remember to first
get a starting baseline for your 200-meter time and then
adjust accordingly following the provided guidelines. Don’t
attempt to be a hero! The goal is to make all sprints on
time, not to just exceed time on the first couple of attempts.
Do this workout at least once weekly and up to two
times. Keep in mind that, like banging out heavy pig iron,
these intervals require recovery. This is because of the
intensity of the load on the central nervous system and
musculoskeletal system.
The Prowler
The prowler is the perfect conditioning device for

someone who views being a man as a verb. That is, you
must continue to define your sense of masculinity through
rugged life choices and harden your body and mind through
perpetual self-improvement. The prowler is effective,
efficient, and the perfect no-frills training tool for anyone
looking to cut the crap and get results.
For these reasons, it has become a staple piece of
equipment in most hard-core training centers and
warehouse gyms. While Jailhouse Strong advocates a
minimalist approach, this piece of equipment is so powerful
that we felt it would be a conditioning sin not to include it.
The prowler is available for purchase through EliteFTS.
The prowler should be used after a lifting session or on
an off day. We recommend using the prowler twice a week.
The prowler can be pushed on any surface, but the
weights we’re advocating are best suited for a pavement
surface. To find a weight that works, start with one-third of
your squat max. For example, if you squat 360 pounds, use
120 (360 x 1/3 = 120).
You are going to test your fastest sprint time in the 40-
yard dash with one-third of your squat max on the prowler;
if it’s seven seconds, you must stay within two seconds of
that time. You will perform the workout on Day 1 by pushing
the horns (high handles) and on Day 2 by using the low
handles. You must test both times; the time you get in Week
1 is the gauge throughout the entire program.
Each sprint is all out. A training partner and stopwatch
are required.
Week 1
Six sets x 40 yards, resting 80 seconds between sets; if you

drop below the two-second threshold throughout any of the
sprints, still complete all six sets. Then rest five minutes and
do four sets as fast as possible with an 80-second rest
interval; if you don’t miss times on any of the first six sets,
that’s it for the day.
Week 2

do four sets as fast as possible with a 70-second rest
Week 3

Week 4

This program is like the real world! Performance is
rewarded.
If you train alone, don’t feel left out: Go ahead and give
the following program a go using one-third of your squat
max again on Day 1 and 50 percent of your squat max on
Day 2.
Day 1/Week 1
Alternate between pushing the horns and low handles each

set; each rep is an all-out sprint. Perform six 40-yard sprints,
resting 90 seconds between sprints.
Day 2/Week 1

set; each rep is an all-out sprint. Perform eight 20-yard
sprints, resting 75 seconds between sprints.
Day 1/Week 2

Day 2/Week 2

set; each rep is an all-out sprint. Perform 10 20-yard sprints,
Day 1/Week 3

Day 2/Week 3

Day 1/Week 4

Day 2/Week 4

Final Thoughts
Because of the high speeds and forces produced while

sprinting, warming up is of paramount performance. DON’T
NEGLECT IT!
Old-time hardmen advocate never running from a
conflict. We advocate that you start sprinting, so you will be
better prepared to end your next conflict.
CHAPTER 8: COMMERCIAL GYM
PURGATORY
Training in the Strip Mall Chrome

Palace
Finding the latest piece of fashionable cardio

equipment on the Jailhouse Weight Pile is about as likely as
infamous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton giving the address at
the annual Mormon Clergy conference.
Your old lady throws you out, you’re living in the car,
and you have to join a commercial gym to shower—this is a
form of incarceration. You are working a job in the big city,
so time only offers the purgatory sentence of a commercial
gym.
Imprisonment takes many forms!
In whichever form you find yourself, make the most of
your time. Wasting your time is wasting your life; killing time
is killing yourself.
No matter the equipment available inside of the gym,
you are accountable for your workout. From the penthouse
to outhouse, results are ultimately dependent on your effort.
With conditioning and fat loss goals, you are the master of
your own destiny.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to maximize
your time inside of a commercial gym. In particular, let’s
consider some of the essential pieces of a commercial gym
setting and the most effective way to use them for
conditioning and fat loss.
Row, Row, Row Yourself into Shape
With fitness experts leading public attention in a

confusing array of directions, many people never make use
of one of the best pieces of equipment in the gym. Take a
moment. Put down that ab ball or fitness stick and have a
seat on your new BFF (Best Fitness Friend): the rowing
machine.
Invented more than a century ago, the rowing machine
has silently stood by as fitness trends waxed and waned. All
the while, it has been the subject of intermittent acclaim
and apathy.
However, recent fitness trends have breathed new life
into this old standby. The CrossFit craze has caused many
members of the fashion-following mob to turn away from
late night infomercial options and jump on a rower.
Surfing this wave of increased interest in rowers, many
top MMA fighters are reaping the benefits of rowing machine
workouts.
In fact, the benefits from this workout are numerous.
With decreased stress on the joints, rowing machines offer a
full-body workout that focuses on the major muscle groups
(back, hips, core, and legs) most important in combat
sports. So, whether you are preparing to battle an increased
holiday waistline or a primed opponent in the cage or a
bourbon-bathed, homeless vagabond at 3 a.m. at the gas
station, start rowing.
One of the most applicable workouts for a grappler or
MMA fighter is interval training. An easy and approachable
way to begin interval training on a rowing machine is to
fluctuate between “easy pulls” and “hard pulls.” Start by
switching between 10 easy pulls and 10 hard pulls for a
continuous 15 minutes. As you progress, increase the
difficulty accordingly.
Some points to remember:
• Push with your legs.

• Initiate the movement with your hips.
• Your back and pelvis should move in unison.
• Place your elbows tight to your torso.
• Keep your back straight (NO ROUNDING).
Olympic Rower Workout
This workout, 30 minutes in duration, was influenced by

Olympic rower Judy Greer. The RPE, which stands for rate of
perceived exertion, is the intensity. A 10 is an extremely
painful, all-out intensity, whereas a one is an easy level. A
level of six or seven is moderately hard.
With this program, you do the same workout for four
weeks. Remember that with each session, the RPE becomes
increasingly relative. So, what was an intensity level of nine
during Week One might become a level of five or six during
Week Four.
This workout can be done two to three times weekly.
00:00–5:00 (Warm Up, low intensity)—RPE 3–4

5:00–6:00 (Interval Set 1, moderately difficult)—RPE
7
6:00–7:00 (Active Recover, low intensity)—RPE 3
7:00–8:00 (Interval Set 2, hard)—RPE 8
10:00–11:00 (Interval Set 3, excruciating)—RPE 10
16:00–20:00 (Interval Set 5, hard)—RPE 8
26:00–30:00 (Cool Down, low intensity)—RPE 3
300-Meter Interval Workout
For most people with a good baseline of conditioning,

rowing 300 meters will take around 60 seconds. This, of
course, excludes elite-level rowers. Your goal is to take no
more than 65 seconds on any 300-meter interval, preferably
keeping them at a minute or less.
This five-week routine can be performed twice weekly.
Week 1: six sets of 300-meter rows, rest 120 seconds
between sets Week 2: six sets of 300-meter rows, rest 105
seconds between sets Week 3: six sets of 300-meter rows,
rest 90 seconds between sets Week 4: six sets of 300-
meter rows, rest 75 seconds between sets Week 5: six sets
of 300-meter rows, rest 60 seconds between sets Testing
Your Testicular Fortitude on the Rowing Machine
For this workout, you row 500 meters as fast as
possible and keep track of the time. You then use the time it
took you to reach 500 meters as the baseline for the rest of
your workout. What makes this workout difficult is that you
never get a full recovery. You can perform this circuit once to
twice a week.
Set 1: Row 500 meters as fast as possible, and keep track
of your time.
Rest 60 seconds.
Set 2: Row 400 meters in the equivalent or less time than it
took to row 500 meters.
Rest 60 seconds.
Rest 60 seconds.
Rest 60 seconds.
Each week, your 500-meter time should improve. Until
you reach a plateau, this work can be done consecutively.
Row and Push-Up Circuit
This circuit will take your conditioning to a new level.

When you perform push-ups, the muscles on the back side
of your body are resting; when you row, the muscles on the
front side of your body are resting. With this opportunity,
muscle failure should not happen. So there are no excuses.
This workout can be performed twice weekly for four
weeks.
Week 1
Circuit 1: Row 1000 meters as fast as possible; immediately

perform push-ups, stopping one shy of muscle failure.
Rest 60 seconds.
Rest 60 seconds.
Rest 60 seconds.
Week 2

Rest 55 seconds.
Rest 55 seconds.
Rest 55 seconds.
Week 3
Rest 40 seconds.
Rest 40 seconds.
Rest 40 seconds.
Week 4

Rest 40 seconds.
Rest 40 seconds.
Rest 40 seconds.
Treadmill Sprints
You must realize that you are safer sprinting outside.
While you’re sprinting on a treadmill, one misstep and the
best-case scenario is that the hot aerobics bunny laughs at
you as you face-plant on the floor. In the worst-case
scenario, your fall lands you a trip to the hospital or maybe
even on the other side.
With that being said, many folks have effectively
conditioned their body and burned fat on the treadmill. Folks
may prefer the treadmill for reasons that range from
weather to logistics to even exhibitionism. Who are we to
judge?
If you opt to use the treadmill, we will show you the
most effective way. This program can be done twice a week,
and you can run it until you hit a plateau.
Follow these instructions:
• Warm up.
• Put the treadmill at the steepest incline it can go.
• Set the treadmill at 5 MPH.
• Run on the treadmill for 15 seconds.
• Hop off the treadmill (grab hand rails) and rest 30
seconds.
• During the rest period, increase the speed 0.3 MPH.
• Repeat this process until you get to a difficult speed.
• Maintain that speed.
• Perform 20 repetitions.
• Each week start 0.1 MPH faster than the previous
week.
• Each week cut down the rest interval one second
from the previous week.
• Once you plateau, stop this program (meaning you
end at the same or slower speed for two weeks in a
row).
So if Week 1 starts at 5.0 MPH with a 30-second rest
between intervals, Week Two begins at 5.1 MPH with a 29-
second rest between intervals.
Keep track of where you end up after each workout. If
you fail to beat that point more than two weeks in a row,
start the program over or do a new program.
Remember, when in doubt, stop. Otherwise, the risk is
on par with quail hunting with Dick Cheney.
Battle Ropes
New methods of interval training are popping up like

pills at a Jesco White tap dancing party!
Newer doesn’t always mean better. A while back, Coca-
Cola nearly went bankrupt when they attempted a new
recipe. There is value in a time-tested formula.
Anyone who has spent any amount of time around a
commercial gym knows that often times the more
incompetent the trainer, the more “creative” the exercises
become. Exotic ideas may be used to camouflage the fact
that these dudes could not find their ass in the dark with
both hands.
Incompetent trainers and kooky ideas aside, some of
the new trends offer fitness breakthroughs that are fun and
exciting and, more importantly, get results!
In the last few years, battle rope training has soared in
popularity, and chain gyms are jumping on the bandwagon.
Battle rope training is performed by looping a rope or a
pair of ropes around a stationary object and creating a
series of waves with the upper body or with simultaneous
movement of the upper and lower body. The set interval
usually lasts between 10 and 30 seconds.
The reason we like the battle rope is because it is a
low-impact, upper-body, interval workout that provides
benefits to the grip, shoulders, arms, upper body, and core.
To put the icing on the cake, this is one of the very few
interval methods that focus, primarily, on the upper body.
A legitimate lab study on battle rope training, published
in 2014 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research, confirmed the effectiveness of battle rope
training. Subjects performed battle ropes for 15 seconds all-
out, with a slight forward lean and doing their best to
minimize lower-body involvement. Every metric scientists
use to confirm the effectiveness of an interval workout was
verified.
Bottom line: Battle ropes are fun and get the job done!
In addition, for folks who are unable to do sprints and other
intervals that require explosive movements at the hip and
knee joints, battle ropes provide an alternative with
comparable intensity.
For the pump chaser, or the more aesthetic-minded
individual, battle ropes offer an effective upper “finisher.”
The Workout
This workout is to be performed three times a week.

Day 1/Week 1: Upper-body battle rope (minimize lower-
body and core involvement, move as fast as possible), 15
seconds on, 45-second rest interval, perform eight sets.
Day 2/Week 1: Full-body battle rope, 15 seconds on, 45-
second rest interval, perform eight sets.
seconds on, 30-second rest interval, perform 15 sets.
seconds on, 35-second rest interval, perform nine sets.
second rest interval, perform nine sets.
second rest interval, perform 10 sets.
seconds on, 15-second rest interval, perform eight sets.
second rest interval, perform eight sets.
Stair Master
The stair master is the favorite cardio piece for

Jailhouse Strong bodybuilders like Branch Warren—and
many aerobics bunnies who hail this piece of equipment as
their tush-tightening secret.
The best kind of stair master is the “Step Mill,” which is
actually moving steps. Like anything else, though, the most
important piece of the workout equation is your effort and
desire. If the stair master is in working condition, you can
make it work for you. Because there are so many different
variations of this piece of equipment, we are going to
prescribe intervals in terms of RPE (please refer to the
rowing section for a refresher on this). This workout should
be done twice a week. As conditioning improves, the RPE
shifts. Do this workout for four to eight weeks.
Day 1

5:00–6:00 (Interval Set 1, very hard)—RPE 9
Day 2

5:00–5:45 (Interval Set 1, very hard)—RPE 9
The Exercise Bike
In the lab, scientists use the Wingate test (pedaling all-

out on an exercise bike for 30 or 60 seconds) as the gold
standard for measuring anaerobic capacity.
Outside of the lab, Wingate-inspired interval sprints are
the favorite of IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Ben Pakulski “B Pak,”
who routinely brings one of the most conditioned packages
to the stage.
These bike intervals are great for 250+-pound athletes
like B Pak. Neither fat loss nor conditioning is sacrificed, and
they are much easier on your joints! Furthermore, since bike
intervals offer a muscle action that is concentric, without a
true eccentric phase, muscle damage is minimized. So, in
layman’s terms, you can do these more often because you
recover faster.
Using this workout, we want to build your power
endurance. Therefore, we give you a longer rest interval.
With an increased break, it’s crucial to go all-out on each
interval. No RPEs here, just pure intensity.
This workout can be done up to four times a week, but
do it at least twice. Since we are concentrating on power,
rest intervals will never decrease, but power output should
increase.
Day 1
0:00–5: 00 Warm-up
5:00–5:30 All-out interval
5:30–6:30 Rest (pedal slowly or get off bike
completely)
completely)
completely)
10:00–13:00 Rest/cool-down (pedal slowly or get off
bike completely)
Day 2
0:00–5: 00 Warm-up
completely)
completely)
13:00–15:00 Rest/cool-down (pedal slowly or get off
bike completely)
Final Thoughts
From the plush settings of a private Aspen training

studio to a corporate box gym to the spartan settings of a
Prussian Gulag—you are without excuse.
Where there is a will, there is a way. No matter what
your situation, we have provided you a way.
You may not choose your situation, but following the
advice of psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor
Frankl, you choose your attitude toward the situation.
CHAPTER 9: NEW ADDITIONS TO
THE WEIGHT PILE
Interval Training from Top Strength

Trainers and Competitors
Hill Sprinting for Iron Warriors

by Joe Giandonato, MBA, M.S., CSCS
The iron brotherhood has long been fascinated by elite
sprinters. Elite sprinters boast Herculean physiques which
appear to have been chiseled from granite. A majority of
elite sprinters achieve an enviable harmony of muscular
development, conditioning, and vascularity. It stands to
reason that if a number of high-level sprinters were
provided a banana hammock and rudimentary instruction
on how to pose, they would formidably vie for the crown at
local bodybuilding and physique shows.
The infatuation with sprinters is transcendent among
multiple disciplines that fall under the large umbrella of
strength sports. In my time as a strength and conditioning
coach, bush league powerlifter, and presently as a washed-
up meathead, I witnessed or actively participated in
countless challenges involving sprints. The battle for
bragging rights is fierce. Strength athletes all seemingly use
speed to validate their worth in comparison to one another.
Internet pissing matches ensue. Keyboard warriors brazenly
criticize one another from the comfort of their mother’s
basement between drying bloodied back pimples and
working toward their DeVry degree.
Should most people take to the track and start
sprinting off the bat? Probably not, unless they are trained
sprinters or have undergone the preparation necessary to
stave off injuries associated with high-intensity protocols
such as sprinting and, moreover, derive any benefit from
them.
Luckily, I’ve eliminated the guesswork for you and have
assembled a program for you which involves hill sprints, a
far safer and considerably beneficial option for those in
pursuit of goals ranging from single-digit body fat to shaving
time off their 40-yard dash.
So what are some benefits of hill sprints versus
traditional sprints performed on a flat surface?
• Performing hill sprints encourages a forward body lean,
which is crucial during the acceleration phase of sprinting.
• The landing forces which accompany hill sprints are
drastically lower than the landing forces of sprinting on flat
surfaces.
• Hill sprints also drive good technique for sprinting on flat
surfaces, such as averting overstriding, a technical error
committed by novice sprinters and athletes, and curtailing
head, neck, and shoulder tension.
• Hill sprints also activate the hip flexor muscles, which are
deeply involved in starts and the acceleration phase of
sprinting. Did you know that Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell,
who is acclaimed for his explosive starts, has hip flexors that
are four times the size of an average man’s?
• Lastly, hill sprints will spare the hamstrings, which have
greater involvement during sprints conducted on flat
surfaces. And since top speed cannot be reached during hill
sprints, the central nervous system is not taxed as badly.
Additional benefits of incorporating hill sprints include:
• Enhancing leg drive for the Big Three: squat, bench, and
deadlift. While no literature confirms this, much less
attempts to demonstrate a correlation, I have found that
performing short hill sprints has helped with my leg drive
and that of the lifters I’ve consulted.
• Elevating the “after burn” effect, or number of calories

burned following exercise.
Before we embark on the journey to fat loss or a faster

40, please take heed to the guidelines I’ve outlined below:
1. Make sure your cardiovascular fitness is up to snuff. If you
huff and puff like a pack-a-day smoker upon climbing a flight
of steps, hill sprints might have to be revisited at a later
date. Recovery between sprints and sessions relies heavily
on cardiovascular fitness.
2. Begin performing squat variations such as

tempo squats, paused squats, lunges, and step-ups
during your training and movements such as duck
walks, monster walks, high knees, and mountain
climbers as accessories or embed them in your
warm-ups to adequately prepare your hip flexors
for battle.
3. Research suggests performing hill sprints with
a slope that does not exceed 30 percent.
Otherwise, you’ll be climbing. Instead, reserve
higher slopes for that Himalayan expedition you’ve
been saving for.
4. Perform hill sprints on nonconsecutive days
and preferably before your lower-body training
sessions.
5. An optimal length would be 30 to 50 yards and
would consist of grass and natural terrain, not
pavement or piles of zombie carcasses.
6. Lastly, make sure you receive proper rest.
Determine your rest periods by counting every
second you spend performing a sprint and
multiplying that number between 12 and 20. This
is because our work to rest ratio should either be
1:12 or 1:20. For example if you sprint for five
seconds, your rest period should be between 60
and 100 seconds (5 x 12 = 60 and 5 x 20 = 100).
Doing so will ensure that appropriate energy
systems and fitness qualities pertinent to sprinting
are targeted. Consider capping your effort at 90
percent or an RPE of 9 (out of 10) to prevent taxing
the central nervous system.
4-Week Hill Sprint Program
Perform the following program one to two times per

week.
Week 1
• Uphill heel tuck: 2 trips

• Uphill walking lunge: 2 trips
• Uphill high knees: 2 trips
• Hill sprints at 70 percent effort: 6 trips
Week 2

Week 3
Week 4

Joe Giandonato
Joe Giandonato is a prominent and highly pursued

consultant within the fields of wellness, fitness, strength and
conditioning, university recreation, and higher education.
Joe presently serves as the manager of health promotion at
Drexel University, where he oversees recreational fitness
programs and assists with the implementation of the
university’s award-winning A HEALTHIER U campaign. Prior
to Drexel, he served as the head strength and conditioning
coach and fitness director at Germantown Academy, a
highly selective private school that boasts a highly
competitive athletics program. He also completed stints at
Saint Joseph’s University, where he assisted with their
strength and conditioning program, and the University of
Pennsylvania, where he served as an exercise physiology
consultant. While at the University of Pennsylvania, he
partnered with Penn Medicine for the implementation of an
executive wellness plan and as a personal trainer within
their Department of Recreation. Joe also spent nearly five
years at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he
developed and implemented health promotion programming
in a number of departments. An accomplished author, Joe
has written more than 300 articles, which have appeared in
national and local print and online publications. He also
serves as an executive member of Lift-Up, an organization
that plans and hosts competitions of physical culture to
raise money and awareness for homelessness.
The 2007 summa cum laude graduate of Fairleigh
Dickinson University, where he earned a B.A. in psychology,
also attained an M.S. in exercise science and an MBA and
has recently embarked on doctoral work in health science.
He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
through the National Strength and Conditioning Association
and also maintains certifications through USA Weightlifting
and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He is also a
member of the American Physiological Society and the
American College of Sports Medicine.
Interval Sled Training

by Jake Morgan
Sled training is a great way to increase volume and
work capacity without the muscular damage caused by
eccentric contractions. Add in the lactic element by
manipulating the work-to-rest ratio, and you have an
efficient program for a leaner, stronger, more muscular
physique.
In the program below, you will be performing two sled
workouts per week for eight weeks in addition to your
traditional training sessions. The sets and reps remain
constant, while the number of exercises increases and the
rest periods decrease every two weeks. This means you’ll be
performing a huge workload in a short time frame by week
eight.
The exercises are to be performed in circuit fashion,
one right after another with zero rest until all have been
completed. At the end of each set, follow the designated
rest period and repeat for a total of five circuits. All reps are
to be performed explosively and with a quick transition from
one to the next.
Quickly transitioning between reps and exercises, and
strictly following the designated rest periods, is vital for
lactic acid production. Greater lactic acid production leads
to greater growth hormone production and faster body
composition changes.
Exercise Descriptions
Chest Press: Face away from the sled with an upright

posture. Take all the slack out of the straps. Push as if you
were performing a bench press, fully extending your arms in
front of your chest.
Pull Through: Face away from the sled. Reach back with
the straps between your legs. With a slight bend in your
knees, bend forward at your waist with a neutral spine.
Explosively extend your hips with minimal arm action.
Row to Waist: Face the sled. Stand in an athletic position
with your torso upright. Fully extend your arms. Take the
slack out of the straps. Pull toward your waist while
retracting your shoulder blades.
Backwards Drag: Face the sled. Extend your arms. With
your hips extended and your torso upright, quickly
backpedal for the given distance.
Row to Neck: Performed like Row to Waist, only in this
variation your elbows are pulled high and wide and your
hands move toward your neck.
Chest Fly: Face away from the sled. Hold your arms away
from your body at shoulder height with a slightly bent
elbow. Maintaining the same elbow bend, bring your hands
together in front of your chest.
Sideways Drag Left/Right: Standing sideways in an
athletic position, extend your arms toward the sled. Shuffle
for the given distance without bobbing your head or
crossing your feet over.
Loading
Due to different sled styles and dragging surfaces, it is

impossible to make weight recommendations. But a word of
advice: Be conservative. Fatigue is going to set in quickly.
Effort
One hundred percent effort is required for this to be an
effective program. No leaving gas in the tank. You should be
running on fumes by the last round of each workout.
These workouts are short but grueling. If you can
dedicate yourself to completing all eight weeks of the
program, you will be rewarded with a huge work capacity
and leaner body.
Day 1/Weeks 1 & 2
• Chest press: 5 sets of 10 reps

• Pull through: 5 sets of 10 reps
• Row to waist: 5 sets of 10 reps
• Backwards drag: 5 sets of 20 yards
• Rest: 3 to 3.5 minutes
Day 2/Weeks 1 & 2

Day 1/Weeks 3 & 4

• Rest: 2.5 to 3 minutes
Day 2/Weeks 3 & 4

Day 1/Weeks 5 & 6
• Chest fly: 5 sets of 10 reps

• Row to neck: 5 sets of 10 reps
Day 2/Weeks 5 & 6

Day 1/Weeks 7 & 8
• Sideways drag left: 5 sets of 20 yards

• Sideways drag right: 5 sets of 20 yards
Day 2/Weeks 7 & 8
• Sideways drag left: 5 sets of 30 yards

• Sideways drag right: 5 sets of 30 yards
Jake Morgan Courtesy of Noel Daganta
Based out of Dallas by way of St. Louis, Jake has

established himself as a go-to source for effective training
protocols and nutritional regimens that contour to his
clients’ lifestyles, abilities, and, most importantly, goals. He
runs a highly effective training business in the heart of
Dallas and works online with clients from as far away as
Perth, Australia, to Stoke-On-Trent in the United Kingdom.
Jake has one of the leanest physiques around and
practices what he preaches. He is a Bodybuilding. com
sponsored athlete and has competed in both the NPC and
WBFF, winning the Dallas WBFF show in 2012.
To learn more about Jake Morgan and his services, be
sure to visit him at www.MorganMuscle.com as well as on
Facebook at www.Facebook.com/JacobyMorganMuscle. On
Instagram, reach him at Morgan_Muscle, or follow him on
Twitter: morganmuscle.
High-Intensity Interval Hill Sprints

by Lou Moreira
Unless you are being kept indoors due to weather to
train, don’t waste your time on cardio machines. They suck!
Forget doing your cardio on a stair master or treadmill—get
outside and find a hill today.
Benefits of Hill Sprint Intervals
Hill sprints build mental toughness, which is important

if you’re training to accomplish a difficult goal. As you sprint
and struggle to reach the top of the hill, you have to find
that drive inside of you to continue to push yourself so you
won’t quit, slow down, or fall. The feeling you get after
completing sprint intervals on a hill is extremely rewarding,
which builds confidence that can carry over into your
competition or any aspect of life.
If you want to get into shape fast, burn fat, improve
your VO2 MAX, boost speed, and build muscle, hill sprints
are the way to go. Aside from proper nutrition, there’s
nothing more effective than hill sprints for fat loss. If you’re
not doing them, you’re missing out, big time.
Running uphill forces you to shorten your stride length
and lift your knees; this will improve your speed. It can also
help you avoid shin splints and reduce the overall risk of a
knee, ankle, Achilles, or hamstring injury. Interval hill sprints
engage fast-twitch muscles that increase speed and pump
legs with lactic acid, which eventually develops fatigue
resistance. Because hill sprints are done against the force of
gravity, they can boost muscle mass, mainly in the lower
body, with less impact than running on flat surfaces.
Lastly, hill sprints do not require any equipment, which
makes them free and convenient. These uphill interval
sprints will fire up your metabolism after training and burn
fat and calories long after you finish your workout session.
Sprint Mechanics
Keep the following fundamentals in mind as you sprint:

• Relax your face and neck; do not clench your jaw or make
any crazy faces. Relax.
• Keep your chest up and shoulders back and down.
• No side-to-side rotation of the pelvis, torso, or shoulder
girdle is allowed.
• Hips remain forward toward the finish line at all times.
• Your arms should be bent 90 degrees with your hands
open (no clenched fists or flailing, limp wrists).
• When you are running, pump your arms vigorously
forward and backward. NEVER LET YOUR ARMS CROSS THE MIDLINE OF
YOUR BODY. Only forward and backward.
• Drive your knees high and be sure that your foot strikes
directly under your body, not out in front of you (depending
on the incline of the hill).
• Only the balls of your feet should strike the ground; your
heel should never make contact.
• When the ball of your foot makes contact with the ground,
think of yourself as an animal pawing at the ground and
rapidly pulling it behind you.
The Warm-Up
Start with a five-minute jog and then do some static

stretching (hold each stretch for 10 to 20 seconds). Then
conduct the following drills: • Jumping jacks
• Burpees
• A skips
• B skips
• Pogo jumps
• Prisoner squats
• Wide outs
• Leg swings: front, back, side to side
• Walking lunges
• High knees
• Butt kicks
• Tuck jumps
• Lateral shuffling
• Skipping
Build-Ups
After the drills listed above, start with some lower-

intensity sprints (build-ups). Do one at about 60 percent,
and then 70 percent, another at 80 percent, one more at 90
percent, and then you’re ready.
The Workout: A Level
Level I: Beginner
• Complete 1 to 5 repetitions, sprinting between 20

and 30 yards up the hill. For your rest period, walk
down the hill. Take an additional rest if you need it.
Safety is the most important aspect when you’re a
beginner.
Level II: Intermediate
• Complete 6 to 10 repetitions, sprinting between 30

and 40 yards up the hill. At this level, you’re primed
and ready to take your workout to the next level.
• Your rest periods can vary. You can rest between 30
seconds and 3 minutes if necessary. If you need
additional rest before completing a repetition, take
it.
Level III: Advanced
• Complete 11 or more repetitions, sprinting between

40 and 50 yards up the hill.
• Rest periods at this level must be short. You should
have been able to complete 10 repetitions
adequately. When you complete a repetition, walk
back down the hill for your rest period. Assume the
starting position at the bottom of the hill and
perform another repetition.
The Workout: B Level (Intermediate/Advanced)
• 5 x 10 yards (rest 15 seconds in between)

• 1 x 50+ yards if the hill is long enough
Cool-Down and Stretch
Cool down with a five-minute slow jog. Stretch

moderately afterward.
Lou Moreira
Lou Moreira seeks to leverage his education and

knowledge in applied physiology and sport management
with six years of military experience. As a recent graduate
from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of
Science in Applied Physiology and Sport Management, Lou is
currently working as a fitness professional at Destination
Dallas Texas. His CI-CPT Personal Training Certification from
the Cooper Institute allows Lou to analyze individual needs
to create innovative, personalized training programs that
motivate clients to achieve personal fitness goals and
improve their overall lifestyle.
Lou is now a member of the U.S. ODP (Olympic
Development Program). He plans to become a bobsledder of
Team USA for the upcoming 2015 season and be able to
compete in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South
Korea.
Lou is a combat veteran of the armed forces. A soldier
of America’s 82nd Airborne Infantry Division, he completed
27 months of combat service in Afghanistan (2006–2012).
He finished his time in the Army as a staff sergeant and a
bronze star recipient for his leadership accomplishments
during his last tour in Afghanistan.
After the Army, Lou’s passion was bodybuilding, which
helped him transition back into civilian life, giving him
purpose and drive. Lou competed in several state-level
bodybuilding shows, and after three years of competing, he
won the 2014 Texas State Bodybuilding Championships,
making him Mr. Texas.
Lou’s foundation as an athlete comes from high school
football and track and field, where he competed at the
collegiate level for one year before enlisting in the U.S.
Army. As a sprinter and high hurdler, Lou currently holds the
Massachusetts high school division one record in the 55-
meter high hurdles, set in 2002. Lou was a high school All-
American athlete.
Lou has a proven track record of leading diverse teams
and remaining flexible in an ever-changing environment. He
is well versed in analyzing problems and strategic planning,
and he remains persistent until a solution is found.
Interval Training
by Matt Mills
Time and again, interval training has been proven to be
the superior option to improve conditioning and accelerate
fat loss. Unlike the boring monotony of steady-state cardio,
when implemented correctly, interval training can speed up
your fat loss goals and increase your recovery time.
One good way to incorporate interval training is by
using it as a “finisher” at the end of your weight training
sessions. Instead of spending more than 30 minutes on an
elliptical, you can get a better bang for your buck in less
than half the time. The most well-known type of interval
training is Tabatas. While most Tabatas are performed by
doing 20 seconds of all-out work, followed by a 10-second
rest, for a duration of four minutes, or eight rounds, there is
no right or wrong way to perform this style of interval
training. You can manipulate the training/ rest time to what
will fit your training goals. Depending on the exercise
selection, you can extend the work time as well as the rest
time. For example, you could do 30 seconds of work with 15
seconds of rest.
Doing Tabatas with a battle rope at the end of an
upper-body day is one great option for interval training.
They are low impact on your joints, and are essentially an
upper-body sprint. I like to choose two battle rope exercises
and alternate each round. For example, alternating waves
with double slams is simple to perform, but it will leave you
gasping for air when complete.
However, the most intense, and challenging, way to do
a Tabata is with a pair of kettlebells. The squat to press
combination, better known as thrusters, will work almost
every muscle in your body. When performing a Tabata with
thrusters, make sure you start very light, because even the
strongest athletes can be crushed with 45-pound kettlebells.
Thrusters can also be done using a barbell. Yet I find that
wrist and elbow position can be compromised as fatigue
sets in. So be careful with your form.
If you don’t have access to kettlebells or battle ropes, a
cheap and very effective interval option is to use a jump
rope. I find that the 20 seconds work to 10 seconds rest
(20:10) protocol of a Tabata is a little short in this case. I like
to extend the work time when using a jump rope. With this
in mind, a 30:15 protocol will work much better for
conditioning.
James Jeffries
Escalating Density Training (EDT)
Timing your work and rest time is one way to perform

interval training. Another popular method is known as
Escalating Density Training and was coined by Charles
Staley. This method of intervals sets a specific time, inside
of which you perform as much work as possible. For
example, give yourself 20 minutes to perform as many sets
of barbell curls and barbell skull crushers as possible. You
can keep the reps simple, and choose a weight that will
allow you to get 10 reps on each exercise.
It is important to track your weights and reps, as you
will be trying to beat your prior performance each week.
This is a simple form of progressive periodization. You can
either stay at the same weight and perform more reps/ sets
in 20 minutes, or increase the weight slightly to perform
more volume overall. Keep in mind that your training
volume is your weight lifted times reps times sets. Calculate
your volume, and make sure you are able to increase it each
week. I would not recommend using this method with bigger
compound movements such as squats and deadlifts
because your form may suffer when you’re trying to rush
through your sets. Other examples would include dumbbell
chest presses with dumbbell rows or dips with pull-ups.
Complexes
Another popular form of interval training is performing

complexes. Complexes are a series of exercises performed
back-to-back with no rest. When loaded with heavy weights,
these are absolutely brutal. Complexes are typically
performed with barbells, kettlebells, and dumbbells. Barbell
complexes often involve Olympic lifts, so make sure that you
are proficient in cleans and snatches before you give them a
try. The rep range should be kept between five to eight reps
because form starts to fall off with more reps, and your
chance of injury will increase.
An example of a barbell complex could be six hang
snatches, six hang power cleans, six jerks, six squats, and
six reverse lunges on each leg. In recognition that these are
all big complex movements, the rest time between sets can
be up to three minutes long. Overall, barbell complexes are
very taxing. If you are new to them, start with just the bar,
and increase your load by 5 to 10 pounds until you reach a
challenging weight.
Kettlebell complexes are my personal favorite. They are
the most versatile and are less taxing because your form
can be maintained. The repetitions can be higher and go
into the 8 to 12 range. As with barbell complexes, make
sure that you are proficient with kettlebells before you
attempt these movements.
Here are a few of my favorite kettlebell complexes:
• Left arm snatch: 10 reps

• Left arm clean: 10 reps
• Left arm swing: 20 reps
• Immediately change arms and perform same
exercises and reps; this is one set. Perform three
sets with a one-minute rest between sets.
• Double snatch: 10 reps
• Double high pull: 10 reps
• Double clean: 10 reps
• Double squat: 10 reps
• Double swing: 10 reps
• Perform three sets with 90 seconds rest between
sets.
• 1 arm snatch: 10 reps each arm
• Goblet squat: 10 reps
• Figure 8: 20 reps
• Turkish get-up: 5 each arm
• Perform three sets with 90 seconds rest between
sets.
Off-Day Conditioning
Interval training is a great tool to aid recovery on off
days. Intervals help to increase blood flow and decrease
soreness. To ensure that you do not sacrifice recovery, keep
the intensity very low.
A great example of this is sled work. You can
simultaneously work on your conditioning and general
physical preparedness (GPP). I like to mix in some simple
body weight exercises to keep my heart rate up (but not too
high).
If you are a strength athlete of some kind (powerlifter,
strongman, CrossFit, etc.), then you know how taxing a long
day of competition can be. I will say powerlifters are most
guilty of ignoring conditioning, while they are the ones in
most need of it. A powerlifting meet can drag on for up to
12 hours, and you might be pulling your final deadlift
attempt at 10 p.m.! On days like this, conditioning will come
into play. You will be able to recover faster between
attempts and/or events, and you can avoid an energy drain
at the end of the day (when it matters most).
Again, on off days, conditioning should be very light. At
no time should you be gasping for air and curled up in a ball
on the ground.
Here is an example of an interval for recovery training:
• Prowler push: 100 feet

• Push-ups: 10 reps
• Sled drag: 100 feet
• Body weight rows: 10 reps
• Jump rope: 30 seconds
• GHR sit-ups: 20 reps
You can repeat this circuit anywhere from four rounds

(if your goal is to simply improve conditioning and GPP) to
eight rounds (if you have a goal of fat loss without
sacrificing muscle and strength).
Strongman Training
Strongman training is my absolute favorite. It is a

great, simple way to train your compound movements like a
powerlifter, accessory work like a bodybuilder, and
conditioning like a strongman.
Many events in strongman have time limits to them. A
common event is to max out on log clean and presses in
one minute. For those of you who have performed a log
press for reps, you know how exhausting this can be.
However, the most brutal of all strongman training is the
medleys. A strongman medley can be any number of the
events combined to be performed as fast as possible.
Strongman training is also, in my opinion, the most effective
way to strip off body fat while building muscle. It is not
surprising that strongman athletes are some of the most
strong, and powerful, athletes in the world.
As I stated earlier, it is very important not to overdo
conditioning. Loading your body with extremely heavy
weights while performing explosive movements will take a
toll on your body. You may require a significant amount of
time to recover from this training. Here are a few examples
of what we call “death medleys” in strongman.
• Sandbag and keg medley: Set up two kegs and two

sandbags and carry them each 50 feet as fast as
possible while running back for each one. Time
yourself and improve each week.
• Tire flip to farmer’s walk: Flip a tire for 50 feet, and
then immediately carry a pair of farmer’s walks
back. This will be very taxing on your grip.
• Yoke walk 50 feet, farmer’s walk 50 feet, sled drag 50
feet: I would recommend running back for each, so
set them up to do one after another.
In closing, programming interval training can be
complicated. Make sure you have your goals in line before
choosing which interval option will work best for you. If your
main goal is to lose body fat, then make sure resistance
training and nutrition are your top priorities. When you want
to strip body fat, nutrition is always king!
Matt Mills
Matt Mills is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with

both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology. He
is also a lightweight professional strongman and a
competitive powerlifter. He owns Lightning Fitness, located
in South Windsor, Connecticut. To contact Matt or learn
more about the services he provides, visit his website at
www.Lightning-Fitness.net.
Interval Circuits
by Allison Frahn
When performing my cardio, I try to avoid long bouts of
steady-state cardio and, instead, prefer shorter conditioning
circuits. I find that both physically and mentally my body
responds better.
The intervals that I develop are created in such a way
as to not overly tax one specific body part. One of my
favorites is the one that I outlined below. The sprints are
great for a focus on lower-/total-body development, and the
power push-ups are great for a focus on upper-/total-body
development. Enjoy and train hard!
20-Minute Treadmill Interval Routine
• Warm up on a treadmill at 3.0 MPH, on a 3.0 incline,

and walk for 3 minutes.
• At the start of the 4th minute, increase the speed to
9.0 to 12.0 MPH (assess according to your ability),
and sprint as hard as you can for 10 seconds.
• Hold onto the handrails and carefully put your feet on
the sides of the treadmill, letting the belt run
between your straddle, and rest for 20 seconds.
• At the end of 20 seconds (which will put you at the
:30 second minute mark), repeat the 10-second
sprint and 20-second recovery).
• Repeat this eight more times.
• Decrease the speed to 4.0 MPH and walk for 3
minutes.
• At the start of the 12th minute, carefully hop off the
treadmill (do not adjust the speed, allowing the belt
to continue running), and perform 15 power push-
ups. Hop back on the treadmill and walk to recover
until the start of the next minute. Repeat this five
more times.
• Cool down. Decrease the speed to 3.0 MPH and walk
for 3 minutes.
Allison Frahn
Allison Frahn’s passion for bodybuilding was ignited

during college. In 2004, she competed in her first show and
has since become an International Federation of Body
Builders (IFBB) Figure Pro. A Team FMG athlete, she is also a
fitness model and the owner of Alli’s Slim Pickens, Inc., and
The Allison Frahn Brand, LLC. She has been sponsored by
General Nutrition Centers (GNC) since 2007. Allison shares
her fitness knowledge as a weekly columnist for
FitnessRXMag.com. Visit her at www.allison-frahn.com or on
Facebook at Allison Frahn IFBB Figure Pro. You can also
follow her on Twitter (allisonfrahn) or Instagram her
(AllisonFrahn).
Interval Conditioning
by Mike King
For some reason, over the years powerlifters in
particular have developed fears about doing conditioning
work. There are several reasons for that, which I will not get
into because they are just not important and couldn’t be
further from the truth.
The bottom line is that whether you are a powerlifter,
strongman, weightlifter, bodybuilder, or just a regular gym
rat, adding conditioning work to your training will make you
a better, healthier, and stronger athlete. Yes, I said athlete!
And yes, I said stronger! If you train, you should look and
feel like an athlete with a supporting physique.
So, here we go: The following conditioning workouts
have been designed for powerlifting in order to work the
most important and the strongest muscle in your body—the
heart! Additionally, you will also end up doing more volume
for the day, and you will, without a doubt, open up your
lungs and get blood flowing throughout your entire body,
ultimately making yourself stronger.
The Concept
Your goal is to train your ass off during the strength

session. Once you are done, take 5 to 10 minutes to recover
and get yourself together for the conditioning session. It is
important to pick proper movements and weights in order to
accommodate the intent of the day. I recommend nothing
less than two movements and nothing more than three in
order to be efficient, unless it’s only a sled pull or a prowler
push. There are also days when you will do one exercise for
the entire conditioning session, but more on that later.
Additionally, these conditioning sessions should be between
4 and 10 minutes only. If you are a little more athletic and
conditioned, then you can push it to 15, but I don’t
recommend anything more than that as it is just not
necessary.
Remember, your primary goal is strength, regardless of
which day you are on. If you push the conditioning too long,
then you will take away from the strength session. Also,
don’t blow your load by going all-out right away. Pace
yourself and try to complete the session as fast as possible
without taking big breaks, while keeping your heart rate
more or less constant. If you are getting close to the end of
the session, feel free to push it more since you are almost
done and won’t need to keep going much longer. If you find
yourself taking breaks, try to control them. By that, I mean
always take an equal amount of rest no matter what. It
doesn’t matter if it’s 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds; just make
sure no matter what that once that time is up, you are doing
work. I usually recommend measuring time by deep
breaths. So, let’s say I’m a bit tired and need to recover. I
take five deep breaths, and my brain knows that after that
fifth breath, I’m going no matter what, even if it’s only for a
few reps. Train your brain to be a machine, and this will
carry over to every other aspect of your life.
If this is new to you, then start with one session per
week for the first three or four weeks, then add one more
for the next three or four weeks, and eventually try to
complete two to three conditioning sessions per week. You
don’t really need any more than that to keep your heart
healthy. Depending on the length of your strength session,
you can skip a conditioning session. I always try to do two
per week and three on a good week. We train our athletes
the same way.
Once you start to incorporate these conditioning
sessions into your training, you will begin to notice results in
as soon as two weeks. You will be able to push yourself
harder, and your recovery will be a lot quicker. Needless to
say, this will also carry over to your strength sessions as
well.
Important Training Points
Remember the intent of the day—what body part are

you working that day, and are you taking heavy
singles/doubles (more than 85 percent), working reps (65 to
85 percent), or doing speed work (40 to 65 percent)?
If you are working speed that day, you don’t want to
max out on the weights used in the conditioning portion of
your session. For example, if you had speed deads or
squats, do not do near-max farmer’s walks or yokes. Stay
lighter.
Squat Day: You are going to do mostly lower-body
exercises—nothing overhead and/or pressing. You want to
stay fresh for upper-body day.
Bench/Upper Day: You are going to do mostly upper-
body exercises—obviously no deadlifts, squats, or other
strenuous exercises so that your lower body will stay fresh
for Deadlift Day. Jumping jacks, jumping rope, and other
super-light exercises with super-light volume are okay, and
they’re actually recommended to get some blood flow
throughout your legs for recovery from Squat Day.
Deadlift Day: You are going to do a combo of lower-
and upper-body exercises. This should typically be a Friday
so that you have two days off to recover.
Selecting Exercises
• Complete two to three exercises per session (unless

doing a sled pull or a prowler push for distance
only). When selecting your exercises, keep in mind
that ultra-high volume isn’t good. We recommend
doing two to five rounds with 5 to 10 reps for each
exercise. The reps can be higher if you are using a
kettlebell or other easier (for you) movements. The
bar weight should not feel like every rep is a max
effort, but at the same time, the weight should not
be light. You have to earn each round. On days when
there is no heavy weight being used, just try to
move faster.
• Before you read the exercises below, please keep in
mind that these are options and some food for
thought in programming your own sessions. You do
not have to follow any of these to get the same
results. Additionally, you do not have to follow the
same round and rep scheme. This is just a guideline
to give you some ideas. At the same time, our
athletes have done every one of these, and the
results are obviously there.
• If you don’t have certain equipment, don’t worry
about it and try to sub out the best you can, keeping
in mind the intent of the day.
• Lastly, if you are out of shape or someone just
starting out, saying “I can’t do pull-ups,” “I can't do
push-ups,” and other lame stuff like that is simply
inexcusable. Get a band or jump off of a box to
complete a pull-up. Go to your knees and do push-
ups. Figure out a way to accomplish a certain task.
No excuses! Man up and get it done!
Squat Day
• 2 to 5 rounds of 15 kettlebell swings, 10 box jumps,

250-meter rower (if you don’t have a rowing
machine, do 10 to 15 air squats or jumping jacks) •
2 to 5 rounds of 5 lunges per leg, 10 goblet squats,
5 long jumps
• 2 to 5 rounds of 5 front squats, 20-meter prowler
push
• 2 to 5 rounds of max-weight sled pull for distance
• 2 to 5 rounds of 500-meter row, 25-meter sled pull
(switch how you’ll pull the sled—forwards and
backwards), 25-meter prowler push • 2 to 5 rounds
of max-weight prowler push for distance
Day 2
• 21/15/9 of each: push press, pull-ups, push-ups

• 2 to 5 rounds of 15 dips, 15 pull-ups, 10 kettlebell
presses (each arm) • 2 to 5 rounds of 10 rows, 10
power curls, 10 front raises
• 2 to 5 rounds of 200-meter “run” (you don’t have to
go all-out, but some attempt to run or speed walk
should be made), 15 push presses, 15 inverted rows
• 2 to 5 rounds of 5 kettlebell clean and jerks with
each arm, 100 to 200 jump ropes (if you don’t have
a jump rope, do jumping jacks), 10 up and downs to
a chin-up (drop down to the ground, jump up, and
do a chin-up) • 2 to 5 rounds of 250-meter row (if
you don’t have a rowing machine, do 15 push-ups),
15 overhead kettlebell swings, 10 chin-ups Day 3
• 2 to 5 rounds of 25-meter yoke walk, 5 power cleans,
15 overhead kettlebell swings (if you don’t have a
yoke, use a barbell) • 2 to 5 rounds of 25-meter
farmer’s walk, 5 ground to overhead (clean and jerk
or clean and press), 5 up and downs • 2 to 5 rounds
of 25-meter prowler push, 10 kettlebell clean and
presses with each arm, 5 to 10 kettlebell goblet
squats (same kettlebell) • 2 to 5 rounds of 25-meter
sled pull, 5 power snatches, 5 sumo deadlift stance
high pulls (use the same bar) • 2 to 5 rounds of 5
back squats, 5 power cleans, 5 power snatches
• 2 to 5 rounds of 5 ground to overhead, 5 deadlifts, 15
kettlebell swings
Tabata
Everyone should have time for this because it will only

take you four minutes.
It is broken down by eight rounds of 20 seconds of work
and 10 seconds of rest. In other words, you begin when you
start the clock and work for 20 seconds. At 20 seconds, you
stop and rest for 10 seconds. At 30 seconds, you start again
and stop at 50 seconds, and so on.
Pick one exercise that you can perform between 6 and
12 reps of each 20-second round.
No matter what kind of shape you are in, this will
absolutely smoke you.
Pretty much any exercise you choose can be worked
into the Tabata format:
Upper Body: pull-ups, push-ups, curls, upright rows,
front raises, side raises, press variations, triceps, rows,
dumbbell presses, bench presses, military presses, etc.
Lower Body: air squats, leg extensions, good
mornings, calf raises, lunges, back raises, glute ham raises,
kettlebell swings, etc.
Core: sit-ups, leg raises, side bends with weights,
twists, etc.
You can be as creative as you wish on this, but just
keep one thing in mind: Your goal is 6 to 12 reps. Anything
more is okay, but not much more. Anything less is just too
little, resulting in too much downtime and no work being
done. It’s only 2 minutes and 40 seconds of work.
“There is one cardinal rule: ‘Never Despair.’
That word is forbidden.”
—Sir Winston Churchill

Mike King
After receiving his BBA in finance from Pace University,

Michael began his career on Wall Street in 2000 at one of
the top equity trading firms in New York. He managed a
successful team and flourished as an equity trader. In 2004,
sensing an emerging market in South Florida, Michael
transitioned to real estate. By forming relationships with
major players, Michael assisted in the launches of several
high-profile luxury developments throughout Miami Beach.
By the late 2000s, Michael established himself as one
of the top realtors and investment advisors in South Florida.
In 2009, he founded IST Realty Inc., a private real estate
firm. In 2010, Michael received his master’s degree in
criminal justice from Kaplan University, and in recent years,
he has formed several private equity companies. During this
time, Michael, along with his partner, founded The
Playground Gym (a CrossFit/powerlifting gym) in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. The Playground is known as the
“Strongest CrossFit Gym” and was a proud home for 30+
powerlifters, five of whom went to compete in RUM in 2014.
Michael trained as a powerlifter for the last four years
and specifically under Josh Bryant for the last two years.
During the two-year period, Michael went from 220 pounds
to 270 pounds, and his best total was in April 2014 hitting
1759 in sleeves and belt via 628/424/707.

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Jailhouse Strong:

Josh Bryant and Adam

JoshStrength, LLC and Adam

WARNING! Before starting any training program, please

For further explanations and demonstrations

The Principles of Innovation and

We believe that unyielding self-improvement is the

The Jailhouse Strong approach to training, self-defense,

5. When Conﬂict is Unavoidable,

Interval Conditioning: Burn the Fat, Spare the

Ever compare the physiques of a world-class distance

Adding insult to injury, a 2004 study published in the

Interval Training Arrival

Since the mid-1990s, scores of studies have shown the

Muscle hypertrophy is elicited from muscle damage,

Warm-Up: Getting Ready for Action!

Most folks prefer the succulent, juicy meats out of a slow

Dynamic stretching incorporates active (meaning you

Warm-Up and Cool-Down

The following is an example of a warm-up and cool-down for

• Static stretch (do each stretch for 30 seconds) o Pectoralis

Final Thoughts on Warm-Up

Keep in mind, this warm-up is a good starting point, but

The Background of Jailhouse Strong

Since the beginning of civilization, prisons existed

The Central Features

Other exercises, in numerous variations, appear in the

Jailhouse Strong Burpee Challenge

The aim of this workout is to build your total number of

Complete as many burpees as possible inside of 5 minutes.

Complete as many burpees as possible inside of 8 minutes.

Jailhouse Strong Dynamic Training

This workout ﬂuctuates between an explosive

Complete as many times as possible inside of 15 minutes.

Complete as many times as possible inside of 15 minutes.

Complete as many times as possible inside of 15 minutes.

Complete as many times as possible inside of 20 minutes.

Complete as many times as possible inside of 25 minutes.

Complete as many times as possible inside of 25 minutes.

Complete as many times as possible inside of 30 minutes.

This interval workout features an explosive movement

Complete the exercises as many times as possible inside of 5

Complete the exercises as many times as possible inside of

Complete the exercises as many times as possible inside of

Complete the exercises as many times as possible inside of

Jailhouse Strong A.M. Pre-Chow Interval

This workout is a great option for boosting your

Complete ﬁve times.

Complete ﬁve times.

Complete ﬁve times.

Complete ﬁve times.

Complete ﬁve times.

Complete ﬁve times.

Complete ﬁve times.

Preparation for Martial Competition,

In Mixed Martial Arts, the nature of a bout is

Gas Station Ready Interval Training

Sometimes, you want some late night pizza. At other

To be ready for times like these, follow the interval

Complete 8 rounds of 20 seconds with a 20-second break

Complete 8 rounds of 30 seconds with a 30-second break

Complete 10 rounds of 30 seconds with a 30-second break

MMA Interval Drill

This workout program has a particular focus on