Via a link from Insty's place. Interesting to see what folks were able to do without all the fancy, modern training equipment that we have today.
I've never been a big gym rat - I think the most time I spent lifting weights was in Puerto Rico, where I hit the gym for a year to try and bulk up a bit. I grew disgusted with the other people at the gym, who seemed to be more interested in making love to their reflection in the mirror than actually lifting weights. So I stopped the gym workouts, and focused more on pushups and core exercises at home, along with running.
Lately the folks I work with have been discussing other ways of getting fit, to include "bodyweight" training, where you use just the weight of your own body, or perhaps a few kettlebells added on for just a little extra weight. One of my co-workers spent some time in a unit that brought in a former Russian Special Forces troop, who discussed their training and workout regimen, and they did an incredible amount of bodyweight training, the rationale being that you cannot always have a gym available, so train to use what you have.
A couple books that we've been reading - "The Naken Warrior", by Pavel Tsatsouline. All about bodyweight exercises that have been used for centuries. "Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy", by Bret Contreras. I picked a copy of the book up at Costco. It's got exercises for different muscle groups to allow you to tailor your workout based on what you need to work.
Anyone who scoffs at only using your bodyweight can try to do a one-armed push-up. Or a one-armed pull up. Or a "pistol", which is a one-legged squat exercise. It ain't so easy.
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