How to Use Body Weight Exercises to Build Strength Using the Prison Workout Routine
During my recent trip to San Francisco, my wife and I visited Alcatraz, the most historic prison in the world. As they always say, “disobey the rules and you end up in prison. If you disobey the prison rules, you end up in Alcatraz.” No matter if you are placed in the toughest or least onerous prison, you will almost certainly be limited to a small area in which to live. Aside from the typical trappings of prison life, it is possible to still get a great workout while you’re there, however I don’t recommend getting locked up just to improve your physique. The idea behind the prison workout routine is to use bodyweight exercises for strength improvement, rather than utilizing gym equipment.
The great thing about a prison workout routine is that it can literally be applied anywhere. There aren’t many situations more restrictive than prison, so there are no more excuses for not being able to exercise. So, how can you use bodyweight exercises to build functional strength?
Countless types of exercises exist that require only use of your own bodyweight. The following are just a few that I find useful. Most bodyweight exercises require you to make compound movements throughout your routine. You will achieve a lot more muscle growth when you do compound movements. Consider the different muscles necessary to complete a chin up or a push up as opposed to the narrow range of muscles necessary for bicep curls and other isolation exercises.
One great exercise that truly provides a full body workout is the burpee. Start from a stand, move into a squat and thrust your legs backward to end up in a push up stance. Complete a push up and quickly draw both legs back under and spring up back to a stand. Not only will you get a great arm and leg workout, but you’ll also get a fantastic cardio benefit as well.
Chin ups: pillars of all bodyweight regimens. The only equipment required is something above your head from which to hang. Find a pull up bar attached to the wall, if possible. You can do several different types of pull-ups such as the wide grip, narrow grip, overhand grip and the underhand grip, among others.
Another great exercise is the “dip” which can be completed between two chairs or any other supportive type of object. If you’re not in prison, you can get a real dip station as well. Lower your body to the point where both arms are parallel or less to the floor, and burst back upwards quickly. These provide a great chest and triceps workout.
Another staple exercise is the push-up – in fact, it would be impossible to find a successful bodyweight routine that did not have push-ups as a key element. No equipment or accessories whatsoever are necessary for this exercise. As with the pull-ups, there are many different types of push-ups that you can do to mix things up such as decline push-ups, which work the upper chest; closed grip push-ups that work the triceps; as well as wide grip, dive bomb, one-armed, Hindu and even regular push-ups.
Squats: this is as basic as can be. All you need to do is squat down and pop up, then repeat. Too easy? You can try out one-legged squats or even squat jumps.
Plyometrics: another kind of effective bodyweight exercise involves plyometrics. The strength of calves, hamstrings and quads can be increased through step ups, leap ups, depth jumps and lateral jumps.
If you really want to help your abs get in shape you can forget about crunches. Complete a basic plank workout that incorporates a straight body version and those for each side. Think planks are just an easy yoga exercise? However, you will see amazing results if you can do left, right and straight planks for up to 3 minutes each position.
An excellent book that will help you to effectively use bodyweight exercises for strength is “Convict Conditioning”. This book will help you to learn the basics of simple bodyweight exercises all the way up to learning how to achieve advanced bodyweight techniques.
There is no need for expensive equipment or gym memberships, as these exercises pit you against your own bodyweight. This is the core foundation of what the prison workout routine is based on.
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