Editor’s note: This is a guest article by Adam benShea of Jailhouse Strong. Their motto is being “gas station ready” — which is to say, if you’re filling up on gas at three in the morning, and some wild-eyed degenerate accosts you, demanding your money/ride/lady, are you prepared to handle the situation? This workout will help get you there.
At home or a hotel and looking for a workout?
The movement of the sprawl (basically a burpee, without the pushup or jump, where you let your hips fall to the ground, while arching your back upward) is included because of the way in which it mimics the process of defending a takedown (a common feature of any no-rules fight). The sprawl also helps you get used to fluctuating between moving on your feet and on the ground (an often overlooked aspect of a real knock-down, drag-out fight). For those who have not trained this movement, in real unarmed combat they will be doubled over and out of gas. To make the workout more difficult, a standard burpee can be substituted for a sprawl.
The Circuit
- Left elbow strike/right elbow strike
- Sprawl
- Left knee strike/right knee strike
- Sprawl
Day 1
Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 20 seconds, then rest 20 seconds. Complete 5 times.
Day 2
Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 30 seconds, then rest 20 seconds. Complete 10 times.
Day 3
Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 30 seconds, then rest 10 seconds. Complete 5 times.
Day 4
Complete the circuit as many times as possible inside of 30 seconds, then rest 10 seconds. Complete 10 times.
For more suggestions on how to get “gas station ready” using bodyweight exercises, listen to our podcast with Josh Bryant of Jailhouse Strong:
