The Punishment Workout
Salepage : The Punishment Workout
Extreme fitness regimens are hard to come by. Most workout regimens don’t even consider high fitness and are often geared to persuade wimps that they’re working harder than they are. These amateur workouts are popular among personal trainers who are concerned that their customers would damage themselves while working with a so-called expert. For liability considerations, there is a safety valve directly in the programming. “Don’t give them an intensive workout, because they could damage themselves,” the reasoning goes. Pansies.
On the other hand, there are some routines that must be compromised – you cannot put in a half-hearted effort. The program’s design leaves no space for error. If you want to do this sort of workout, you’ll have to work your tail off – and it won’t be fun.
Extreme Fitness Workout “Beg For Mercy” – Bodyweight Version
Here’s a punishing exercise that will have you mentally pleading for mercy. The workout is designed to be easy so that you can focus on the task at hand. To get through this, you’ll need every ounce of focus you can generate. A fancy training strategy is not required to induce adaptation. Simple and difficult tasks. This is something that everyone can do anyplace. There is no need for special equipment, and there are no excuses for not at least doing this (for those with medical approval). It should go without saying that no one should try an intensive workout like this unless encouraged to do so by their doctor. Please visit this page for the medical disclaimer. Also, this is intended for home gym trainees; it is not suitable for the gym or other heavily populated settings where severe fitness is frowned upon.
Note: I strongly advise you to follow this workout with a THOROUGH joint mobility warmup and cooldown that includes lots of vibration exercises as well as a suitable compensatory exercise sequence utilizing Prasara Yoga. If you don’t take your prehabilitation and recovery training properly, you’ll wind up wounded or worse. You may also want to plan 3-5 days of total relaxation after this session. Do yourself a favor and schedule your post-workout meals ahead of time to ensure appropriate nutrition (if not already prepared).
Complete the following circuit after your joint mobility and exercise-specific warmup (1-2 low rep “practice” sets of each exercise):
-Perfect set of bodyweight squats. To be more specific, a maximum set of squats is one in which you practically fall on your buttocks because you are unable to complete another repetition. For the last 10-20 repetitions, your legs may be quaking like crazy. Maintain your posture.
-1 minute rest
-Maximum set of pushups, followed by a maximum set of knee pushups. When your arms collapse, begin executing knee pushups until your arms collapse once again. You’ll be wondering if your tears are combining with the perspiration you’re shedding at this point.
-1 minute rest
-Complete set of walking lunges (or alternating forward lunges). Set a mental aim of doing twice as many reps as usual. If you generally stop at 50 because you’re “tired,” attempt 100.
-1 minute rest
-Maximal set of pullups, followed by leaping pullups, followed by negative repetitions. This is the easiest set, and most people will complete the fewest repetitions when compared to the other exercises. That is not an excuse to put forth less effort. After this set, don’t be shocked if your arms feel like jelly and your elbows are twisted at a 90-degree angle in vice-like anguish. If you can’t locate a spot to perform pullups, replace burpees – which will give you even more motivation to find a location to do pullups after those squats and pushups!
-1 minute rest
-Max set of spinal rocks – any variant (if you don’t know spinal rocks, substitute V-ups with a powerful exhale on flexion). This set should last quite some time – perhaps several minutes. With a little practice, you could possibly perform hundreds of repetitions. In comparison to the other workouts, this should seem like a break.
-2 minutes of rest
That completes one circle. The circuit is repeated 3-5 times during the exercise. You have the right to say you did it three times. 5 times through earns you a gold star and some respect. High numbers on your fifth set earn you bragging rights.
Here’s an example of a maximum set of bodyweight squats (no, you don’t have to watch the entire thing to grasp the point, although there are a few amusing and fascinating moments if you do).
*Side Notes: My favorite part of that video is the regression of my breathing method. I began the sequence with flow level breathing (exhale on compression of the lungs while squatting down, and inhale on expansion while standing up). After a time, I reduced my breathing to the discipline level (exhaling on effort). My breathing eventually degenerated to a power-breathing type (gradual exhale on effort with intra-abdominal pressure throughout each repetition). There were various variations on the above, as well as attempts to restore discipline and flow level breathing, but it goes to demonstrate that breathing is a talent that is closely related to your entire performance potential. I also wanted to highlight that if I had a coach, I would have been more conscious of my faltering technique (did you see the superfluous extension of the neck upon standing? ), and I might have been able to finish that final 2% of performance – or maybe it was more like 10%. The rest of the world will never know.
Extreme Fitness Workout “Beg For Mercy” – Bodyweight Version (Shorthand)
Warm-up for Joint Mobility
Repeat 3-5 times, resting 1 minute between exercises and 2 minutes between circuits:
Squats with bodyweight – maximum reps
Pushups to knee pushups – maximum repetitions
Max reps: walking lunges or alternating front lunges
Pullups -> leaping pullups -> negative pullups – maximum repetitions
Maximum repetitions for spinal rocks or V-ups
Prasara Yoga Relaxation
On paper, it doesn’t seem like much, does it?
The Turn
Every decent narrative requires a plot twist!
Let me ask you a question. Did the preceding workout strike you as unusual, bizarre, or outlandish? Did you find the video to be excessive? Or were you captivated by the moans, perspiration, and seemingly limitless possibilities for surviving pain?
“What was my reaction?” ask yourself. Be truthful. There is no correct or incorrect response.
I’m inclined to wager that most people would consider the above workout to be unusual, little overdone, and really exciting. Most individuals would presumably say, after seeing the preceding “shorthand version,” “I wonder how well I could do.” “How difficult could it be?”
Now, let me ask you another question. Did you see the warnings as well? All of the “DON’T ACTUALLY DO THIS INSANE WORKOUT WARNINGS.” To be more specific…
ask for mercy, severe fitness training is the title.
Wimps and pansies
It will not be nice.
Do not attempt this unless your doctor has instructed you to.
please review the medical disclaimer
not to be performed in public
You will require 3-5 days of full relaxation.
You may begin to cry during the workout.
arms in a vice-like grip
etc.
You may have read all of the warnings, but they did not genuinely warn you. I wouldn’t be shocked if these remarks encouraged you to keep going. And this is where our society has a problem.
We’ve grown so fixated with high fitness and hyper-specialized outcomes that it’s physically destroying us. We’ve lost touch with the inner guy who craves joyful physical expression while we’re out performing more sets, more repetitions, more frequent workouts, lifting larger weights, lifting weights quicker, and increasing our training volume and intensity. We’ve made effort of preserving and developing our innate physicality. We’ve lost sight of any kind of pleasure in physicality. That is why we exercise.
The aforementioned training regimen may be classified as an act of madness – an obvious attempt at self-inflicted torment disguised as exercise. It exemplifies the exaggerated approach to “fitness” that we’ve fostered in our culture. It’s not supposed to be entertaining or even somewhat enjoyable. If you get any enjoyment out of it, it will be after you’ve finished it (if you can), and the only happiness you’ll feel will be based on the fact that you survived, not because you had fun. Either that, or you’re a fitness masochist, which is not as rare in health circles as one might believe!
The Story’s Message
Now I’ll let you in on a little secret. While I have accomplished the aforementioned workout countless times over the years (with one exception: I used sit-ups instead of spinal rocks), I have no intention of ever pushing myself to something that physically severe again – at least not in my physical training. In fact, I don’t advocate that anyone undertake the Beg For Mercy routine, and I encourage that you forget about it right now. It’s simply an awful ordeal to go through with little reason. Let me demonstrate what I mean.
I used to workout to the point of exhaustion. I used to do things that no one else would. I used to push myself harder than I thought I could, over and over. And for what purpose? More repetitions? More contentment? More outcomes? Pathetic.
I acquired just outstanding exercise stats, a slim body, and a little respect (read “fear”) for being insane. In the meantime, I had lost my health, mobility, functioning, and a positive attitude toward exercise (arguably the most costly loss). A pittance for so much effort, and a high price to pay for so little profit. And gosh, was I stupid to believe that these goods could only be purchased at such a high cost. Oh, no, no, no! You can have outstanding skill, a lean, strong figure, and peer respect – not just because of what you can do, but because you accomplish so much with so little visible effort.
This is only the start. Exercise should develop the whole person, not simply a few isolated characteristics. Don’t settle for crumbs when you can have “prime rib fitness” for the rest of your life.
Points to Remember
I prepared this essay with the intention of addressing the following issues:
Our culture is saturated with a rigorous, authoritarian fitness attitude that is not only bad for us on several levels, but also limits our genuine potential. Fitness provides so much more than a sleek, strong appearance and outstanding athletic skill. A physical exercise is literally the doorway to one of life’s most significant assets: the experience of reaching one’s potential.
While there are long-term benefits to maximum exercise that leaves you completely exhausted and figuratively crippled, for the majority of us, this is a horrible choice. It makes you susceptible for hours, if not days. If you actually want to be useful in this world, leaving oneself exposed is not a choice. Perhaps you have a concierge who handles all of your private affairs and a security staff who keeps you and your family safe while you’re recuperating or otherwise enjoying your “off” day, but the rest of us need to remain healthy to be helpful around the clock. The takeaway here is that training should not only help you achieve your goals, but it should also leave you feeling better than when you began. That is what we should expect from our training, yet it goes against popular wisdom.
In the same breath, most people’s workout plans do not even approach maximum intensity training. In the above bodyweight squats video, I would have been pretty naïve to believe that I was reaching my max around rep 40 or 50, even as tiredness was setting in. The point is that most individuals can work far harder without ever approaching their absolute full capability. And, in most circumstances, working much harder is exactly what individuals require to attain their objectives.
Why don’t we demand more of ourselves? The body is far more competent than we give it credit for. I’m not suggesting that you model your training like the intensity shown in the video above, or that you include the Beg For Mercy extreme fitness regimen into your routine. But I am suggesting that you could put in a lot more effort than you have been, and it’s a good idea to check in with yourself on how hard you’re actually working from time to time.
On the other hand, you may be thinking, “yes, that workout sounds difficult, but I think I could do it.” Maybe you’re tempted since you’re used to working out hard on a daily basis. For you, I recommend that you reconsider how hard you’ve been working and ask yourself if it’s actually helping you achieve your goals. Are you completely injury-free? Do you feel well? Can you move around without getting hurt? Do you learn new movements quickly? And last, but not least, do you enjoy the training in the present (not just the rewards or satisfaction you get AFTER the training)? If you can answer “yes” to all of those, then keep up the good work.
Wrap-up
We know for a fact that vigorous (not maximal) physical movement and exercise is extremely good for the body. There are so many benefits, it would take an entire volume of encyclopedias to cover them all. We also know that in order to reap the most benefit, you’ve got to work hard. You’ve got to break a sweat, and get dirty. That doesn’t mean pushing past reasonable boundaries with maximal-effort training again and again. It means training as hard as you can safely recover from.
If you’re looking for a health-first workout program along the lines of the Beg For Mercy workout, but one that also conforms to the above “take-home points,” then check out my review of the TACFIT Commando bodyweight training program. This system has been formulated by experienced coaches to take you just to the edge of safe exertion, and no further, using the “Burst Recover Burst” strategy.
Even though there’s a lot of “hardcore-style, tough guy” marketing for this product (that I’m not a big fan of), the program is not extreme by any stretch, and it does what it promises in a safe, sustainable manner. As part of an overall physical practice, this could be a great addition to the strength training component. To learn more about why I recommend TACFIT Commando, check out my review here:
TACFIT Commando Bodyweight Training Program Review
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CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT
Fitness Professional
P.S. If you do want to play around with the above workout, I suggest limiting your exertion to 60% of your max the first time through. After a few times through at a moderate intensity, gradually ramp up your effort, but don’t push further than 80% of your perceived maximal exertion.
P.P.S. Maximal intensity training has its merits, of course, and there are legitimate reasons to perform it under certain circumstances. But for most of us, high-frequency MIT isn’t necessary – not by a long shot. So, if you are an athlete with specific physical needs that can be met by performing the above workout, then by all means do so. If you’re preparing for a military PT exam, and want to improve your numbers, then get counting. If you’re a CrossFit junkie, and love not being able to recall “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” after your workout – you know what to do! But if you’re not in one of those situations, then it may be time to reevaluate your perspective on extreme fitness.
