The Suvival Workout Returns

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

I figured I needed something a little different today. I know I’ve been getting into half way decent shape over the last three weeks and that maybe it’s time for the Back to Basics Survivor workout – or at least part of it.
The Survivor workout is done outdoors using what nature provides and couple of additional tools I bring along including an old tire, a 20-pound sledge hammer, a jump rope and my TRX training bands. I only had the jump rope today.
The workout is designed to address all of the components of physical fitness and specifically as they applied to basic survival when it was truly ‘man verses wild’. Speed, strength, muscular endurance, power, agility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, cardiovascular fitness is addressed in the complete workout. I was doing only some of the drills since there was 18 inches of snow on the ground and I had a run scheduled for tomorrow.
I started with a short hike in to my designated survivor workout spot in the park, which offered an extremely steep 300 foot vertical hill, some broken down former girl scout cabins, a 20 foot stone dam, some fallen trees and big rocks. It’s a picturesque setting and a great place for parking your girl scout cookies in an old fire ring after a tough workout.
I was wearing my heavy boots, which would limit some sprint and balance activities. I began with 25 pushups, slow – with good form, going all the way to the ground with my chest. I work hard at keeping the body rigid as this does more to keep the core working hard strengthening the abdominal area. I hopped up from the last push-up and slow jogged through the 18 inch snow to the base of the hill for the climb to the top. This takes about 60 seconds in fair weather, but took almost 2 minutes under these conditions. I hadn’t done this in some time and my chest was heaving as I ascended the last few yards. The descent, on the other hand, was faster than usual since the fear of falling was allayed by the presence of the cushioning snow. I kind of slid back down.
I plodded back to my starting point where I began the picnic table hop. I don’t think the park would approve, but I hop on the bench, up on the table, down to the bench on the other side and then to the ground. Turning around, I go up and over, continuing this pattern from 60-90 seconds. It is exhausting and does and tremendous job working the explosive muscles of the lower body, the abs as the pull the legs up and onto the bench, and the muscular endurance necessary to keep doing it for the duration. I was gagging at the conclusion of this set.
A brief cool down was followed by 3 minutes of fast rope skipping. By now I was drenched in sweat and looking for the relief some upper body work would provide. I tramped through the deep snow to my cabins and the heavy rocks. I fancy one that weighs about 30 pounds, which I pick up to chest height and then carry for 50 feet, pressing it overhead 7-8 times as I walk. At the end of the 50 feet, I thrust it up and out from chest level as far as I can throw it - about 5 feet if I’m lucky. Retrieving it, I walk back in the direction I came for another throw. This is done a total of ten times and kicks the crap out of me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the rocks under all the snow and so I did another set with the jump rope instead.
I finished the workout by doing some power skips – alternating legs and skipping with a goal of going up more than out. The snow impeded this move, as well and I decided I’d had enough for a first day back with the survivor workout and headed for the car. I purposely walked through the deep snow instead of over the packed trail to add to the workout. I managed to keep the heart rate between 120 and 150 for about 40 minutes.
Once home, I hopped on the trainer and rode another hour while finishing ‘Frost/Nixon’. Fantastic movie for someone who lived that era and followed Nixon’s machinations trying to exonerate himself for his criminal actions throughout Watergate and his presidency, for that matter. He almost pulled it off.
Things are improving. I’m not as sore and I’m already noticing increased flexibility, clothes fitting differently and more spring in my step. I’m not back to my thirties yet, but I’m headed in the right direction.

Survivor workout duration: 40 minutes. Bike duration: 63 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 120-150 bpm for workout. 125 bpm for bike.

Calories burned during workout: 500 for workout. 945 biking.