Acknowledgments
First and foremost, with true appreciation, I would like to dedicate The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge to my Special Operations trainers and mentors. They unceasingly motivated me to seek out and exceed my limits, to put my objectives before my personal comfort, and to put the needs of the team above my own.
Everything I do is made possible by teamwork. Without the passion and dedication of the people who support my work, none of my training methods would ever have appeared in the form of a book, app, or DVD. Samantha Nomany’s tireless commitment and her constructive feedback were critical for my entire business plan. Without the network of my agent Steve Ross, who can look back on more than 20 years’ experience in publishing, self-publishing the German version of my first book, You Are Your Own Gym, would probably have been the end instead of the beginning of the journey. Marnie Cochran, executive editor at Ballantine Books, edited the English-language editions of my works with the very highest levels of professionalism, competence, and care. Without the initiative and vision of Joshua Clark, my work would probably be restricted to members of elite Special Forces units to this day. The recipes in this book were developed by functional training expert Chris Gamperl to perfectly correspond to my nutritional recommendations. Raphael Ruiz, U.S. Olympic swim team fitness coach, was a major influence on both my training methods and my philosophy of fitness. The editor of the German You Are Your Own Gym series, Pascale Breitenstein, and my co-writer Julian Galinski, deserve special thanks for their tireless dedication to making this project happen. They helped present my information in easily digestible chunks that make it simple for the reader to engage in a step-by-step transformation of their lifestyle. Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone who allowed me to train them as I developed this program. Without their dedication and support, and feedback [as well as the feedback from the many users of my products], it would simply not have been possible to create this program.
Mark Lauren Bodyweight Training Based on the bestselling book You Are Your Own Gym |
With his bestselling book You Are Your Own Gym, Mark Lauren has created an international trend - training without fitness equipment, using only your own bodyweight as resistance to build strength and burn fat faster than ever before. This DVD presents three bodyweight workouts, with warm-up and cool-down, that use high intensity interval training along with total body exercises to simultaneously build strength and endurance. With variations to many of the exercises, these workouts can accommodate both the novice and the pro. Learn to use the most advanced fitness equipment ever made - your own body! And let bestselling author and elite trainer of Special Operations troops Mark Lauren lead you through these highly effective workouts. |
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic information is available online at http://d-nb.de.
The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge proposes a program of diet and exercise recommendations for the reader to follow. However, you should consult a qualified medical professional before starting this or any other fitness program. As with any diet or exercise program, if at any time you experience discomfort, stop immediately and consult your physician.
1st edition 2016
© 2016 by riva Verlag
an imprint of the Münchner Verlagsgruppe GmbH
Nymphenburger Straße 86
D-80636 Munich
Tel.: +4989 651285-0
Fax: +4989 652096
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Translation: Bradley Schmidt, Bryn Roberts
Editing: Kathryn Mintz
Recipe section: Chris Gamperl
Proofreading: Rita Forbes
Jacket design: Melanie Melzer
Cover photograph left and exercise images: Nils Schwarz
Composition: bookwise medienproduktion GmbH
ISBN 978-3-86883-773-5
ISBN ebook (PDF) 978-3-95971-056-5
ISBN ebook (EPUB, Mobi) 978-3-95971-057-2
Further information is available at www.rivaverlag.de
THE CHALLENGE
Days 1 to 90
DAY 1
Time for us to get started-I can hardly wait! You’ve got all the important information you need. Now you’re primed and ready to take on The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge. Fantastic! Starting today, you are going to sweat-and the endorphins are going to flow. Let’s start with the first evaluation workout-EVAL.
Your workout today: EVAL
Warm-up [page 136]
Level I: 4 sets per exercise
1. Bodyrocks [page 138] - Target: 25 reps per set
2. Let-Me-Ins, feet forward [page 146] - Target: 12 reps per set
3. Prisoner Back-Lunges [page 154] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
4. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
Perform four consecutive sets for each exercise, training for 30 seconds and then resting for 30 seconds between each set. Note down your rep count after each set.
If you manage the rep target for each set, train at Level II in future workouts. If not, stick with Level I. Good form is critical—be honest with yourself! “Cheat reps,” done with bad form, don’t count. If you have the strength but not the balance, coordination, or flexibility to do an exercise correctly, keep working on Level I.
Cooldown [page 160]
DAY 2
I hate to slow you down-and no doubt you’d love to train again today. But fitness success depends not just on sweat, but also on know-how-and you get that from me. So pay attention!
Your job today: Open your mind, figure out your diet!
True health and fitness requires a multi-pronged approach. Your state of mind—your motivation—plays a decisive role. What I expect from you (besides 100 % commitment during workouts) is to be prepared to give up old habits and give new experiences a chance; to be open-minded—even if you aren’t convinced by a new idea at first.
You’ll never lose (or gain) weight, or improve your muscle tone, if you don’t eat right. When it comes to food, I’ve seen so many men cling stubbornly to their beer, burgers, and bacon (and no salad!), as if this were a constitutional right. Don’t block your own path to success! I repeat: we aren’t going through these 90 days together so you can heave out a few more push-ups at the end. We’re doing this to prepare you for a more fulfilling, productive life—with a keen, alert mind in a fit, healthy body.
Read my guide to nutrition on the next page, and make sure to apply those principles rigorously for the next 90 days!
Bonus task
Start keeping a “food diary.” A notepad will do, although there are apps available that can help you track your intake and nutrition each day. It will make it a lot easier for you to keep track of your protein consumption.
DAY 3
Your second workout is scheduled for today. We’re starting to build up some momentum! Do you still have sore muscles from the other day? We’re going to overlook that just this once. By week 3 at the latest, your body should be well adapted to training, and you should barely feel any muscle soreness the day after a workout. Let’s do it!
Your workout today: OPUS
Warm-up [page 136]
Level I: 4 circuits
1. Scorpion High-Kicks [page 140]
2. Zombie Squats [page 156]
3. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142]
4. Skydivers, arms at side [page 148]
Level II: 5 circuits
1. Scorpion Side-Kicks [page 140]
2. Prisoner Squats [page 157]
3. Shoulder-Width Tripod Push-Ups [page 143]
4. Skydivers, arms at T [page 149]
Work on the first exercise for 45 seconds (changing sides after each rep for left/right exercises), then pause for 15 seconds. Then start the next exercise. Do four or five circuits (i.e., rounds of each exercise), depending on your level. Try to keep a steady rhythm and keep going for the full 45 seconds. At the end, write down your rep count for each exercise in the final circuit.
Cooldown [page 160]
DAY 4
Are you feeling those first two workouts down to your bones? Don’t be put off if you have muscle soreness. You already have good reason to be proud of yourself. Those first important steps to transforming your life have been taken. Together, we’re going to use that momentum to tackle the challenges ahead.
Your job today: Shop smart!
Someone else always does your shopping for you? Not anymore! If you want to complete the Challenge, then you need to take on that responsibility yourself. A supermarket is like Aladdin’s cave—after all, the marketing departments at the food retailers and manufacturers have worked very hard to make their products as enticing as possible. But from now on, you are going to judge a book by more than just its cover. You will not be swayed by marketing hype, packaging, and promises. When you go shopping, you will find out what is inside everything you pick up. What do you want to buy? Protein, veggies, and good fats found in the proteins we consume, as well as vegetable oils. And short ingredient lists. If you pick up a package and see half a laboratory’s worth of ingredients listed on the back label, put it back! Nor do you need artificial flavorings or added sugar. MSG and even harmless-sounding yeast extract are on the no-go list. Here is what to put in your shopping basket from now on for each day’s meals: at least three portions of protein, including plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, and at least three—large!—portions of vegetables. This is what you leave on the shelf: empty carbohydrates and mass-produced processed foods such as baked goods, candy, and salty snacks like chips. Don’t let yourself be bamboozled by any “helpful” nutritional tips on the packaging, such as “low-fat” and “natural.” These foods are simply of no use for a fit and active man.
Bonus task
Buy one of each of the following protein sources: fish, meat, and dairy.
The more varied your sources of protein, the better. For our purposes, milk and milk substitutes (e.g., almond milk, if you’re lactose intolerant), count as a food due to their high nutritional content.
DAY 5
Here comes your third workout! Now that you’ve gotten going, you will be trying to get the best possible results out of every single workout. Enjoy that great post-workout feeling after you’ve genuinely given 100 %! Give it all you’ve got, and you’ll see how that post-workout shake or meal tastes even better
Your workout today: RUCKUS
Warm-up [page 136)
Level I: 16 minutes
1. Prisoner Back-Lunges [page 154] - 8 reps [4 each side]
2. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142] - 6 reps [3 each side)]
3. One-Legged Romanian Deadlifts [RDLs] [page 152] - 8 reps [4 each side]
4. Let-Me-Ins, feet forward [page 146] - 6 reps
Level II: 20 minutes
1. Zombie Side-Lunges [page 155] - 6 reps [3 each side]
2. Shoulder-Width Tripod Push-Ups [page 143] - 6 reps [3 each side]
3. One-Legged RDLs, arms at T [page 153] - 8 reps [4 each side]
4. Let-Me-Ups, legs slightly bent [page 147] - 6 reps
Perform the exercises at your current level, one after the other. Perform as many circuits as you can in the time indicated. You can take a break anytime you want, but make it quick, and try not to take too many. Note down the number of complete circuits you performed.
Cooldown [page 160]
DAY 6
If you haven’t exactly been pulling up trees when it comes to fitness in the past few months, you are definitely going to be feeling it today. And so you should! The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge is not a spa holiday after all. Remember: everything you invest now will pay off with interest at the end of the Challenge.
Your job today: Detox your kitchen
There’s a good chance that you’ll find changing your diet even more punishing than our training schedule. There’s no way around it, though. You need to face up to the challenge! Today, you’re going to check your kitchen cabinets, your fridge, and any secret hiding places you might have, and you’re going to see exactly what food you have stashed away. Candy, chips, and other processed snacks are blacklisted from now on. So are refined carbohydrates like white bread and, unfortunately, alcohol. Make a gift of the alcohol, candy, and chips to someone who will enjoy them. By the way, altering your diet has absolutely nothing to do with masochism or spoiling your fun. What we are doing here is quite simply teaching your body to recognize what’s good for it. And that’s good-quality animal protein—locally sourced if possible—dairy products, oils, unseasoned nuts, herbs, spices (real spices such as pepper, basil, and cinnamon), and, last but not least, vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables! Stay away from ketchup, which is loaded with sugar; use mustard instead.
DAY 7
Six days-and three workouts-are behind you already. Bravo! I wasn’t taking it easy on you. You’ve stuck with it and earned another workout-free day. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t work together today. You don’t need to feel the burn-but you’re going to do yourself good anyway.
Your job today: regeneration—sauna, soaking, relaxing…
Chances are you’ve made a lot of big changes to your daily routine in this first week of the Challenge. One thing’s for certain, you’ll have trained hard. When mind and body are pushed to the limit, relaxation must follow. For you, this means seeking out a swimming pool with a sauna—and going there! Take two or three hours for yourself; don’t schedule anything important either before or after. Simply relax and enjoy the sauna, the steam bath, the jacuzzi. Obviously, it’s important that you maintain 100 % commitment during our 90 days together (I expect nothing less!). But a successful training program—indeed, a successful life— requires consciously taking time out to gather your strength. Your muscles don’t grow during exercise, but on regeneration days like these. Right now, your body is making you a little bit stronger. Help it out—and don’t forget the importance of your diet either.
Workout: Mobility
For the Mobility Workout [which you should feel free to perform every day, either just after you get up or before you go to bed], we combine the Warm-up [page 136) and the Cooldown [page 160]. Move slowly and mindfully, with proper form [cleanly], rather than with all-out intensity
1. Quadruped Hip Rotations - 10 reps [5 each side]
2. Side-Lying Snow Angels - 10 reps [5 each side]
3. Quadruped to Down Dog - 10 reps
4. Saxon Lunge - 10 reps [5 each side]
5. Z Stretch - hold each position for 20 seconds on each side
6. Seated Straddle Stretch - hold each position for 15 seconds on each side
7. Scorpion Stretch - hold each position for 20 seconds on each side
DAY 8
As important as regeneration is for you and your body-don’t get too comfortable. Today, we’re taking it to the limit again. You know this workout from week 1, so you can concentrate 100 % on your performance.
Your workout today: EVAL
Warm-up [page 136]
Level I: 4 sets per exercise
1. Bodyrocks [page 138] - Target: 25 reps per set
2. Let-Me-Ins, feet forward [page 146] - Target: 12 reps per set
3. Prisoner Back-Lunges [page 154] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
4. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
Level II: 5 sets per exercise
1. Front-Reaching Bodyrocks [page 139] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
2. Let-Me-Ups, legs slightly bent [page 147] - Target: 10 reps per set
3. Zombie Side-Lunges [page 155] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
4. Shoulder-Width Tripod Push-Ups [page 143] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]
Depending on your level, perform four or five consecutive sets per exercise, training for 30 seconds and then pausing for 30 seconds. Count how many clean reps you perform and write them down after each set. If you were training at Level I and managed to reach the indicated number of reps for each set, train at Level II during all subsequent workouts. If not, stay at Level I. If you have been training at Level II and managed the indicated number of reps per set this time, train at Level III in subsequent workouts. If not, stay at Level II.
Cooldown [page 160]
DAY 9
After another tough workout, it’s back to school today. You really want to train instead? Great-good attitude! And I promise, we are going to change gears very soon. But today we’re only working your gray matter!
Your job today: Think about What you drink!
Men like us are under constant marketing bombardment from the health and fitness industry. They promise we can train harder than ever before if only we use this powder, or claim that only that drink holds the secret to rapid regeneration. Flip open a fitness magazine, any page you like. When it comes to hydration in particular, the industry exercises no restraint when promising absurd miracles. Many gyms even offer extra “sports drink” memberships; for a few dollars more a month, you get the chance to drink their version of sugar water. You can find these tablets, powders, and sports drinks in supermarkets now, too. Their prices are often as inflated as their promises. The big food industry players have picked up on the trend and introduced brands of their own, adding to the temptation by naming them after vitamins and other health buzzwords. Don’t be a sucker. Willpower, commitment, and a good diet are the high road to fitness. As far as what you drink, it’s really not very complicated. On the next page, I explain what you can feel free to drink, and what you should forget about.
Bonus task
Make a list: What do you usually drink at the gym, at home, at work, and at bars, restaurants, and dinner parties? Then compare your list with my rules on the next page.