Bonus Training Routines: ALPHA Bodyweight Workouts

Consistency, as you know by now, is essential to your success. Consistency in the gym, habits, nutrition and
mindset are the real difference between someone who creates perpetual progress, and someone who experiences
a surge before the crash and burn.
But, what happens when life happens?
Business trips spanning coasts, countries pose a threat to your consistency. Sick kids, angry girlfriends, and
generally busy days can all throw the same wrench in your spokes.
Luckily, with a little ingenuity and willingness to adapt, you can remain consistent in the face of the most
challenging circumstances.
You see, you possess one of the most powerful tools in your physique-sculpting Alpha armoury: your body.
Before there were gym memberships, there were badasses with big backs, ripped abs and incredible conditioning
that trained exclusively with their own bodyweight.
In fact, those beasts still exist today. A few minutes perusing YouTube will reveal a world of acrobatic superhumans, many of which possess incredible physiques.
Now, many people will use this fact to spark a debate on bodyweight training VS. Weight training.
Which, as I've said before, is a pretty stupid debate to have.
There are still moderate voices out there, espousing the value of implementing both training modalities in order
to enhance progress, and take advantage of the unique benefits they provide. Essentially, settling with the felling
that there is no right answer.
Backing into corners, and compartmentalizing training strategies is a specialty of the fitness industry. Leading to
the belief that if a training tool is good for something, people dogmatically assume it's ONLY good for that.
Thus, many discount bodyweight training to be a beginner's tool only, and best used for fat loss circuit-styler
training.
While both these statements are true, they ARE NOT absolute. Quite the contrary.
Bodyweight training, in fact, holds certain advantages over weight bearing movements, and can be used in a very
powerful way to assist the physique of your dreams.
Almost every training technique we use in traditional weight training can be applied to a strictly bodyweight
setting.
Now, I must stress that I am not some bodyweight only, tree-hugging zealot that believes weights are useless,
and that you should sink to my 145lb level of physique development. Far from it.
I simply aim to open (or remind) your mind to the merits of bodyweight training, equipping you to best use the
tools you have available.

Basic, But Brutal

It must be said that, using strictly your bodyweight, you can get a nearly complete training session with almost
no equipment. Now, with the simple addition of a pull-up bar (HIGHLY recommended for this), you can truly
train your back, which is almost the only limitation when training on-the-go.
A pull-up bar gains you access to some of the most effective back training techniques in the world. A simply
collapsable piece of equipment can hang in a door frame, wherever you may be. Alas, if you don't have one, and
are not willing to seek one out, you can adapt quickly.
That limitation aside, you could do a bodyweight workout at home, in a hotel while travelling, or in the gym. In
fact, I often include a bodyweight only training day in my client's programs. It's THAT powerful at benefitting
every other training method.
Use bodyweight training when the gym is not possible, and see the benefits it produces in your weight
training.
From the era of the Spartans and Roman empire, to B-boys and the Navy SEALS, there has been some form of
bodyweight training behind every great Alpha.
As well, athletes use bodyweight training to enhance what they do with the iron. In fact, the BEST training
programs in ALL sports incorporate some form of bodyweight training into their programs, producing the
greatest athletes this world has ever seen.
If push-ups are good enough for Ray Lewis, Will Smith, Georges St. Pierre and Hershel Walker, they're
sure as hell good enough for you.

When Life Hits

This happens, for me, on too frequent an occasion. Thus, over the years I've been forced to adapt, tweak and
perfect training techniques that can provide similar benefits to being in the gym, but be adaptable to any
environment.
Bodyweight training, encompassing the techniques outlined in Engineering The Alpha, can keep your progress
humming along without a pause.
In the situation I'm referring to, you may only have access to a pull-up bar (you really should buy one). Knowing
this, it is pointless to get into the many ways to incorporate bodyweight training into your weight workouts. For
that, refer to my blog in which I've written on the subject extensively.

Bodyweight Alpha Training Methods

Drawing from book, this guide will encompass 3 training methods, each used for different reasons, with different
end-goals in mind. These are:
Density Training
MRT (Metabolic Resistance Training)
GH Surge Training
Purge your mind of what the masses have pigeonholed bodyweight training into: warm-ups, beginner training, or
youth programs. All false, limiting boundaries. Let's take a look into the world of bodyweight physique
sculpting.

Fundamental Differences
First, speaking from a plethora of empirical evidence, bodyweight exercises have been proven without a shadow
of a doubt to be effective.
Secondly, (speaking generally) bodyweight exercises are fundamentally different than most weight bearing
exercises even when the same movements and muscles are worked.
Using the most obvious example, there is not a single intelligent person that will debate the fact that bodyweight
pull-ups are a different beast than machine pull-downs.
The traditional why for this reasoning is widely chalked up to bro-science, stating that it's a matter of the pulldown being a wussy exercise, and the pull-up is king.
Entirely irrelevant to your goals.
Instead, let's look at the practical applications.
You see, bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, planks and the like belong to a category of
movement called closed kinetic chain exercises. Meaning, the hand or foot is fixed or in constant contact with
a surface, and does not move in relation to the body. Simply, you are moving your body toward or away from an
object.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have movements like bench presses, pull-downs, leg curls and leg presses
that belong to the open kinetic chain exercises family. In this case, the hand or foot is not fixed in relation to
the body. Simply, you are moving something either towards or away from your body.
The difference here is of vital importance in the context of a complete training program.
Going back to the pull-up (CKCE) vs. Pull-down (OKCE) debate, we want to look at the whole picture.
Physiologically, pull-ups require more in the way of coordination and stabilizationthe synergistic firing of a
large amount of motor units.
Which, leads to the fact that pull-ups are much more neurologically challenging, and have a potent effect on
stimulating your nervous system that is far different from open kinetic chain exercises.
This one benefit, is of massive importance to your physique. By exposing your nervous system to this kind of
stimulus, you will be doing two things:
Oneexposing your nervous system to different types of stimuli helps to increase it's overall efficiency; therefor
doing exercises like a push-up will have direct carry-over to the bench press. Over time, this means an increase
in both strength and mass. The more you can recruit, the more you can grow.
Twothe greater recruitment mentioned above will lead to excellent benefits in hypertrophy, with increases in
energy expenditure and fat loss.
When bodyweight training is your only option, it's really not that bad of an option.

Locked, But Not Loaded

How free do you feel right now? That is, do you feel confident enough in your own mobility and bodily
awareness to drop and bang out a set of 20, followed by some lunge-crawls and mountain climbers?
No? You're not alone.
The sad truth is that the average gym-goer is locked inside the confines of their own mobility. What's worse is
the hardcore bodybuilders and weight lifters that seek poundage and mass, with no regard for bodily control
and movement within space.
The most embarrassing thing to see is a 230lb bodybuilder, lean, looks athletic, failing on his 6th rep of a pull-up
while fresh. Step that up a notch, when the woman who just finished banging out squats, walks up and squeezes
out a smooth 10 reps on the pull-up.
DO NOT be that guy.
Again, I am not espousing the exclusive utilization of bodyweight training indefinitely. Instead, I urge you to
reap the benefits of what it has to offer in order to avoid stagnation.
Having said that, if you have been stagnating for a period of time, a brief 2-4 week bodyweight ONLY training
regimen, training 3-5 days per week can be just the thing you need to re-ignite your gains.
So, whether you're a seasoned trainee experiencing a plateau, or a general seeker of fat loss, bodyweight training
has a solid and proven place within the context of a complete training program for you.

The Gritty Ground Rules

By now, you will hopefully have a positive mindset toward bodyweight training. You should, because sometimes
it's the only choice you've got.
With that being said, let's take a look at Density Training, MRT, and GH Surge Training in the context of a
bodyweight-only setting.

DENSITY TRAINING
Density, density, density. Often, a highly sought-after quality to have in your physique. A dense, hard,
seasoned look with the skin pulled tight across your firm muscle bellies.
Coincidentally (or not), the training method known as Density Training can be a direct route to the physical
qualities listen above.
Traditionally, Charles Staley's Escalating Density Training (EDT) was designed for the purposes of hypertrophy.
Obviously, the program is fantastic, holding a great deal of respect throughout the industry.
Testing the program myself, I gained some muscle with every cyclebut I also got noticeably leaner. The same
result came of clients who were put through it's rigours. Roman is no soggy cookie, and I quickly made the
connection:
With some simple modification and Romification, density-based training could be constructed for the
specific purpose of enhancing fat loss.
The result of this blending and multiple brain-childs isquite franklyone of the most powerful fat-loss
methods I've ever seen. After five or six years of use, it has featured in many of my programs, including it's own
section in Engineering The Alpha.

Density, Defined
Before specifics, come basics. So, in the effort to define density, we need to look at two very specific variables
of training: volume and duration.

Volume is your total workload, or how many sets and reps performed in a given training session (sets x
reps)
Duration is the length of your workout
TRAINING DENSITY, therefor, is a result of how much work you do in a given time frame.

In essence, by completing MORE work in the same or less amount of time, you burn a metric ton of calories,
enhance muscle growth, and give a swift kick to your ability to do workor improving your work capacity.
When you look at it, if you perform more work in less time, you have NO CHOICE but to become stronger, or
bigger, or better conditioned, or all of the above.

How Doth One Increase Said Density?

There are two traditional ways to increase density, which I briefly touched on earlier.
METHOD 1: Same amount of work, in LESS time.
If embarking on a 10 sets of 10 reps squat program, you are doing 100 total reps. Let's say this takes you 40
minutes to complete the first time through. Now, if I told you to to complete the exact same workout, but within
30 minutes, you'll have completed the same amount of work in 25% less time. Thus, a drastic increase in
training density would occur.
METHOD 2: Same amount of time, with MORE work.
Staying with the above example: keep the duration static at 40 minutes, and simply try to do more work within
that time by performing more sets of squats. If you were successful, you'd end up at 12 or even 15 sets. Much the

same, you could also just add reps to each of the 10 sets, using the same load.
In either case, you will be increasing training speed by decreasing rest periods.

New School Fat Loss Method

The above focusses on the idea of getting as many reps as possible with a few exercises over a specific block of
time. The next time you do the workoutyou beat it. An excellent method for hypertrophy, to be sureand I
love the integration of urgency.
However, when fat loss is the goal, I set things up differently.
My Tweaks
First, instead of two exercises paired together, I utilize fast-paced circuits, reminiscent of Metabolic Resistance
Training(MRT), in a non-competing fashion in order to maintain flow.
Second, instead of a predetermined amount of reps, you simply do as many reps as possible within a given time
frame for each exercise. This is where the density comes in. The idea is to perform more reps on each exercise,
thus, increasing density (time remains static, workload increases).
Third, for each circuit, you go through at least twice. HOWEVER, on the second circuit, you'll be using heavier
weight or--in the context of bodyweight traininga harder variation. This is to take advantage of your body's
neurological adaptability.
Not only are we seeking to increase reps, but we are also aiming to increase difficulty. In the context of
bodyweight training, this involves grip position, feet or hand elevation, 1/4 reps, and other minor tweaks.
Now, this isn't the case 100% of the time, and you'll often just seek to increase your reps. That's just the nature of
bodyweight training and it's restrictions.
Let's take a look at an example bodyweight circuit:
Here, we have 3 exercises (Push-up, Prisoner Squat, and Pull-up), performed for 30 seconds each for the first
round. In the second round, they will be hit for 30 seconds again, BUT they will be of a more difficult variation.
Specifically:
A1 Round 1)Push-ups
A1 Round 2)Feet Elevated Push-ups
A2 Round 1) Prisoner Squats
A2 Round 2) Prisoner Squats WITH 1/4 reps out of the bottom of each rep
A3 Round 1) Shoulder Width Pull-ups
A3 Round 2) Wide Grip Pull-ups (outside shoulders)
Slight tweaks, yet extremely effective. You may be thinking it's impossible to produce more work whilst using a
harder variation. On the contrary, it's very doable. Just keep in mind that the first circuit acts as a primer, and is
not meant to completely flatten you.
To illustrate, at the end of the first round of 30 seconds, your thoughts should be Damn! I totally could have
done more if the time didn't run out.
NOT, Oh shit...I almost died there. Can't believe that was only 30 seconds. Save that for your second runthrough, where you need to leave your soul, spleen and manhood on the gym floor.

So:
First set: go at a quick, yet steady pace, not speeding up as the clock winds down
Second set: balls to the freaking wall, speeding up as the clock winds down to squeeze out every last rep.
With this approach to density-based training, you can clearly see how enhanced fat loss, efficiency and capacity
would be an end result. Unavoidable, you could say.

Gamification, via Romification

Some Roman seasoning, with a sprinkle of testicular fortitude, combined with challenge-based goal method,
means you will never be bored.
The best part about density training is how fun it is. With the challenge built in, there is gamification at play,
immediately giving you something to dominate each set and every workout.
In the realm of bodyweight training, (and weight based training, for that matter) this type of density training
remains one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.

DENSITY WORKOUTS
Workout 1: Quatro Density Circuits
This is a circuit-based workout, consisting of 2 separate circuits, with 4 exercises in each, performed for the time
assigned to each. You will complete each circuit twice. On the second round, certain exercises switch to a more
difficult variation. The goal is to complete more reps in the same amount of time, using the advanced movement
pattern. If no exercise progression is listed, simply aim to get more reps in.
Circuit 1:
A1)
1st Round: Push-up
2nd Round: Feet Elevated Push-up, 30 second time limit
A2)
1st Round: Alternating Lateral Lunges
2nd Round: Alternating Lateral Lunges WITH 1/4 reps out of the bottom, 45 second time limit
A3)
All Rounds: Superman Contraction, 40 second time limit
A4)
1st Round:Hand Walkout Feet Wide
2nd Round:Hand Walkout Feet close, 60 second time limit
Rest 90 seconds, and repeat once more before moving onto set B.
Circuit 2:
B1)
1st Round:Pull-up, Shoulder Width (assisted if needed)
2nd Round:Pull-up, Hands Wide, 40 second time limit
B2)
1st Round:Bodyweight Prisoner Squat, Heels Close,
2nd Round:1/4 rep at bottom, 60 second time limit
B3)
1st Round:Mountain Climbers
2nd Round:Knee crosses to opposite elbow, 45 second time limit
B4)
All Rounds:Bodyweight Triceps Extension on Ledge, 30 second time limit.
Rest 90 seconds, and repeat once more.

Workout 2: The Traditional Trio

This is a bodyweight variation of a more traditional set-up, wherein you will alternate each exercise in the
pairing (super set) for a pre-determined amount of time. There are two separate rounds. In the second round, you
will either use the same, or more difficult exercise variation, aiming to complete MORE reps than Round 1.
Again, the first round is a feeler set, meaning you are not going at 100% capacity. DO NOT go near failure for
the first few times alternating each exercise. For example, if you can do 10 reps of a chin-up, start by only doing
4-6 reps per rotation of the super-set. Trust me, the fatigue will accumulate through the work period.
Circuit 1:
10 minutes work, 2 minutes rest, 10 minutes work
A1)
1st Round: Chin-ups Neutral grip
2nd Round: Chin-ups Supinated Grip
A2)
All Rounds:Single Leg Squats Supported Against Wall**
**These are not pistol squats. Instead, simply bend your resting leg at the knee 90 degrees. Lower yourself down
until the knee on your resting leg touches the ground. Use a small mat if needed.
Rest 2 minutes after both rounds are completed, and move on to set B.
Circuit 2:
8 minutes work, 2 minutes rest, 8 minutes work
B1)
1st Round: Push-ups
2nd Round: Feet Elevated Push-ups
B2)
All Rounds:Bulgarian Split Squats (Left Leg), bottom 3/4 from deficit**
B3)
All Rounds:Bulgarian Split Squats (RightLeg),bottom 3/4 from deficit
**Your rear leg will still be higher, but we are going to elevate your front leg as well, increasing your range of
motion. ONLY come up 3/4 of the way. This is to create constant tension and localized blood accumulation (the
pump).
Rest 2 minutes after completing both rounds, and move on to set C.
Circuit 3:
5 minutes work, 90 seconds rest, 5 minutes work.
C1)
All Rounds: Inverted Rows
C2)
All Rounds: Jump Switch Lunges
Complete both rounds, and remember to go balls to the wall on your final set.

Workout 3: Giant Circuit Death By Density

Here, you will be performing 6 exercises, strung together in a circuit of death. This time, instead of simply
moving as fast as possible between exercises, you have a predetermined amount of rest to stick to. This is to
ensure you are able to sustain your work output throughout the workout.
Since the circuit will be completed 3 times, the exercises will stay within their given variations, and not progress
to more difficult patterns. Perform each exercise for time, and see your work capacity sky-rocket.
Circuit O' Death
A1)
Walking Explosive Lunges 60 seconds, 10 sec rest
A2)
Inverted Rows 45 seconds, 10 seconds rest
A3)
Sissy Squats** 60 seconds, 20 seconds rest
A4)
Plank Get-ups***- 45 seconds, 30 seconds rest
A5)
Push-ups-30 seconds, 20 seconds rest
A6)
Single Leg Hip Thrusts- 45 sec each leg
**Sissy Squats, in this variation, are a bodyweight squat done with your heels 3-6 inches apart, elevated on
blocks. As you lower yourself down, push your hips forward while leaning back, sending your knees over your
toes. Hit rock bottom here. Reverse the movement on the way up.
***Plank Get-ups, here, you will start in a plank position, but lift yourself from your elbows into the push-up
position, one hand at a time. Once at the top, lower yourself one arm at a time back into the plank position.
Continue raising and lowering until time is up.
Rest 90 seconds and repeat twice more, beating the previous rep count from AT LEAST the first round.

MRT Workouts
Metabolic (freaking) Resistance Training. Once the buzz of the fitness industry, it has since come down a bit
from it's media hype. However, the fact remains that MRT is one of the most effective methods for burning a
crap-ton of calories, ramping up your system for hours, and practically melting the fat from your frame.
To put it bluntly, MRT, when done correctly, is all-out, haul-ass carnage of the most extreme variation. As far as
lifting your lactate threshold, boosting your ability to build muscle, and sending your metabolism soaring
MRT cannot be beat.
Often, MRT relies on combining aerobic and anaerobic work within a superset or circuit structure. However,
there really are very few rules when it comes to properly developing an MRT program. It strips away long rest
periods, and blurs the line between resistance training and cardio. This is your cardio.
Often, super-sets, compound movements, aerobic drills, circuits, and speed are combined to create a fat-burning
shit-storm.

MRT, For Me?

When periodized and built into a program properly (or if you're just looking for a kick in the ass), MRT can help
you build muscle, burn fat, and work harder for longer periods of time. All in a far reduced time when compared
to traditional training methods.
It works by maximizing your capacity for change. The pace, and amount of work done lends itself to drastically
elevating your metabolic processes throughout the day and night. When MRT is used properly, it's been shown to
increase your level of improvement by up to 50%, as opposed to only tapping 25% or 30% in traditional training
methods.
So, what's at work here, and what does it mean?
First, there is a powerful force called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), or after-burn.
Essentially, EPOC measures the deficit of oxygen your body has just been exposed to, and the consequential
excess energy expenditure needed to fill that deficit over the coming days after a workout.
Think of it this way, in a given MRT workout, you can burn 400-600 calories. Take into account that EPOC can
elevate your metabolism in order to bring you back to base level for up to 38 hours, and you can see how
powerful this method can be. By stringing workouts together, evenly spaced throughout the week, you can keep
your system on fire at all times.
If muscle gain is your goal, MRT can help there, too. It does this through increasing your lactate threshold, or
how long you can perform before lactate floods your muscle bellies, forcing you to stop and curl into a ball of
acid-induced quivering. Lactate itself builds up in muscles with muscular contractionsomething you'll be
doing a lot of when trying to pack on slabs of meat.
With an increased lactate threshold, your muscles are able to flush lactic acid out of the tissue, giving you a
buffer of increased work capacity. This is key when seeking to embark on higher volume training programs,
which is a key variable when trying to increase muscle size.
Again, this all depends on how you structure things.
For fat loss, MRT itself will give you the results you seek for the amount of time you use it.
For muscle gain, the benefits are a little less direct. Instead, I'd perform a brief mesocycle (2-4 weeks), before
diving into an intense muscle-building regimen.

So, How Does It Work?

1) Rock That Body
In it's purest form, MRT should be built into a full-body routine to create the greatest metabolic disturbance
possible. With blood rushing from your legs, to your torso, to your arms, back to your legs, then back to your
torso, your body has to destroy itself to pump blood where it needs to go. Very taxing on the system, which is
exactly what we want.
The more muscle used within a given time frame, the greater the metabolic disturbance. It's science.
On top of this, you need to take into account the benefit of total-body glycogen depletion. When seeking fat loss
OR muscle gain, insulin sensitivity is of critical importance.
Depleting glycogen can increase your body's ability to process and store the carbohydrates you eat into your
muscles, instead of fat deposits. The more carbs we can send to muscle, the more muscle you will build, and the
more fat you will drop.
2) MOAR Work, Quickly
Not unlike it's Density Training brethren, MRT aims to pack a ton of work into a short amount of time. A key
component in any effective body composition training program.
In MRT, however, you are dealing with a set amount of reps and sets, with prescribed rest periods. The idea here
is to work to near-complete, or complete muscular failure on every set, while employing a high number of
repetitions (12-25), with a very small period of rest. Again, the idea is to send as much blood flying to every
corner of your body as possible. To derive the full benefits of MRT, you must push yourself to your limit,
constantly.
It is for this reason that some break under the demands of this methodeven when used in a bodyweight
setting.
Progression is not determined by time (in most cases) here. When using weights, you'd seek to perform the same
amount of reps, or more, with increased weight, every time you do the workout. When working with just your
bodyweight, this is obviously not possible. Thus, you have a few options:
1) Increase the exercise difficulty on the next workout
2) Decrease rest time between rounds
3) Increase the amount of reps you do per set
4) Increase the amount of sets you do per exercise
5) Manipulate Tempo (more on this later)
6) ALL, or some of the above combined
As you can see, there are plenty of options at your disposal to ensure perpetual progress and sexification.
Training with bodyweight is NO excuse to take it easy.
Touching On Tempo
Tempo is often the most neglected variable in training manipulation. The mechanical and metabolic stress placed
on a muscle is entirely dependent upon loadand the time spent under that load. This is known as TUT (time
under tension).
Take, for example, the squat. Let's say I tell you to do 12 reps of squats with a heavy load on your back, taken to
failure, done with a normal tempo (1-2 seconds down, and fast up). Pretty difficult, and you'd be breathing
through your mouth, to be sure. In total, you'd spend around 36 seconds under the bar.

Now, assume I instead asked you to perform 12 reps of the squat, but with a 1-0-4 tempo (4 seconds down, one
second up). Here, things move from difficult, to why is my spleen coming out of my left eye. This, my friends,
is a form of cardio in itself. In total, you'd be spending 60-70 seconds under the bara MASSIVE difference
in time under load.
You see, even though the load used might be slightly less than the first protocol, the perceived exertion with the
1-0-4 tempo is immense.
As well, the majority of muscle damage and metabolic stress occurs during the eccentric (lowering) phase of an
exercise. Emphasizing it has been shown to have a significant effect on MRT exercise energy expenditure,
equating to greater results. Skip, or get lazy with the eccentric half, and you're diminishing results.
Stick To This Guide:

For upper body pressing and pulling movements, keep within a 3-4 second eccentric
For lower body movements like squats, use 3-4 seconds as well (unless otherwise noted)
For shorter-range movements, stick within a 2-3 second eccentric

In short, the greater the range of motion, the longer your eccentric should be.
With that aside, let's dig into some different styles of MRT, that each benefit you in a different way.

Workout Method 1: Combo Training = Strength + Aerobic Training

The first articulation of MRT you'll take for a spin, is Combo Training. In it, the best of both worlds are
combined to create a flurry of sweat, lactic acid, and hatred toward me. It's okay, though; one look in the mirror
once you're through, and you'll be back to praising me.
By both worlds I mean strength and aerobics. Arguably, this is the most demanding form of MRT on the body,
give that you'll be moving at a quick pace, forcing blood to different ends of the body, and tapping into multiple
energy systems.
In practice, you'll perform a strength exercise, immediately followed by a period of aerobics-based movement.
This can be for time or reps. You complete ALL sets for the pairing, before moving on with the workout. Stick to
the rest periods to derive the best results.
A1)Pull-ups- 10-15 reps (use assistance bands if needed), 10 seconds rest
A2)Burpees (no push-up)- 20 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move to
set B.
B1)Decline Push-ups, 15-20 reps, 10 seconds rest
B2)Box/Ledge Jump Step-ups**, 25 reps/leg alternating
30 seconds rest between rounds, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and
move on to set C.
**Jump Step-ups, literally what the name implies. An explosive step-up where the working leg actually leaves
the box. Set at knee height.
C1)Knee Touch Single Leg Squat, 10-12 reps/leg, 10 seconds rest
C2)Jumping Jacks- 50 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds, and move on
to set D.
D1)Walking Long Lunges With Pause in Bottom, 25 reps/leg, 10 seconds rest
D2)Plank, 75 seconds
Rest 30 seconds between rounds, completing a total of 3 gratuitous rounds.

Workout 2: Super-Setting-Full-Body-Blast
Super-sets, or paired sets as they're also known, remain one of the most effective methods for increasing the
EPOC effect of training. Traditionally, it involves pairing two exercises in succession, with no rest between each.
This can be set-up in a number of ways, like post-exhaustion, pre-exhaustion, antagonist, agonist, and full-body
super-sets.
In this protocol, you will be utilizing a full-body super-set technique, designed to create some of the greatest
metabolic disturbance you have ever experienced. The premise behind the principle involves blood flow, lactate
threshold, and urgency.
By performing big, bang-for-your-buck movements, alternating from upper to lower body, your perceived
exertion will go through the roof.
Each exercise, like all MRT workouts, is performed with maximal effortseeking failure in it's purest sense. By
using your bodyweight, the effect on how you move, feel and connect with your body through space is immense.
The primal (excluding all dogma associated with the word) aspect of training plays a big role here. As you
progress through this style, you'll notice a heightened ability to control your body.
In short, death by blood flow, muscular failure, and lung capacity. Enjoy:
A1)Prisoner Squat with 1/4 rep in Bottom -30 reps, 10 seconds rest
A2)Inverted Bodyweight Row, Side-to-side- 15-20 reps total
Rest 45 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 4 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move on
to set B.
B1)Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps +Hold** -12-15 reps per leg
B2)Pike Push-ups*** 15-20 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move to
set C.
**A Bulgarian Split Squat Jump, but hold for 1-2 seconds at the bottom of each rep.
***Pike Push-ups, A push-up, placing emphasis on the shoulders, by either placing your feet on a bench behind
you and bending 90 degrees at the waist, or doing the same from the floor.
C1)Close Grip Chin-up-AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
C2)Stationary Jump Lunges, Hands on Head -15/side
Rest 45 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds, and move to
set D.
D1)Bench Dips** -AMRAP
D2)Single Leg Hip Thrust -15-20 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds.
**Bench Dips, done between two benches, NOT with your hands on one behind you. Each hand will be on a
separate bench or chair on either side of you. This allows for a better range of motion and movement pattern.

Workout 3: Super-Setting Antagonists

Another format of super-setting, antagonist simply means opposing muscle groups are worked in succession. For
example, after doing a chest movement, you would move immediately to a back exercise, and visa versa.
For all the same reasons as Workout 2, this method is very effective, and ramps up your system.
Antagonist super-sets, however, offer an additional benefit. If progressing in strength is of high importance, this
strategy is probably your best bet out of all the MRT training protocols.
An interesting phenomenon called reciprocal inhibition occurs when antagonists are paired together. Essentially,
this results in a boost in muscular strength, with an increase in stored elasticity throughout. The result is a
heightened ability to maintain muscular output on subsequent sets.
Geographical efficiency must be taken into account with any super-set program. Luckily, with bodyweight,
transition time is swift. Even still, ensure that you are in very close proximity of each exercise station in the
superset.
The execution is exactly the same as Workout 2, having next to zero rest between exercises, and a short rest
between rounds.
A1)Decline Push-up -15-20 reps
A2)Inverted Rows 15-20 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 4 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move to
set B.
B1)Pike Push-up 10-15 reps
B2)Chin-ups 10-15 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move to
set C.
C1)Skater Squat** 12-15 reps/leg
C2)Single Leg Hip Thrust-15-20 reps/leg
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move to
set D.
D1)Jump Squat 30 reps
D2)Alternating Side Lunges 12 reps/leg
Rest 30 seconds and repeat, completing a total of 3 rounds. When done all rounds, rest 60 seconds and move to
set C.
**Skater Squats, a single leg squat, where your resting knee travels back and across your body, coming down in
line with the working leg. Aim to touch your bent knee to the ground.

Workout 4: MRT Circuit Training

A1)Bodyweight Dips (Bench Dips if Needed)-12-15 reps

A2)Descending Pyramid Bulgarian Split Squats** 8-1 reps
A3)Wide Grip Pull-ups 10-12 reps
A4)Jump Squats-25 reps
A5)Push-ups 15-20 reps
A6)Walking Lunges--20 reps per leg
A7)Mountain Climbers -15-20 reps per side
A8)Inverted Rows-12-15 reps
Move from one exercise to the next, resting no more than 20 seconds. After each round, rest 60 seconds,
completing a total of 5 rounds.

GH Surge
With bodyweight training, comes an assumption that the goal will always be fat-loss. Such is not the case, and
couldn't be further from the truth. Exercises like push-ups, dips and chin-ups are considered among the Kings of
muscle building toolsfor good reason.
The quest to burn fat is a noble one, to be sure. But, at some point, you're going to want some muscle to show off
once the fat is stripped clean. Now, through the various training methods you've been exposed to, muscle will
have come as a byproduct due to hormonal optimization and good nutrition.
It's time to address the issue of muscle gain in a bodyweight setting, while stripping even more fat.
That's the point of Surge training. To target muscular development, with the added benefit of getting leaner in the
process. Difficult to achieve, but possible with targeted efforts.
Muscle Methods
Growth hormone, and cortisol. Two key players in the balance of fat and muscle. Surge training focusses on
raising GH, and decreasing cortisol.
If you've been following the book, or plan to, this builds off of your ongoing efforts to improve testosterone
levels, raise insulin sensitivity, and drop estrogen levels. With the tables turned in this way, you're creating the
ideal environment for muscle gain, without gaining fat.
Surge training relies on the accumulation of lactic acid, and the pain that comes along with it. When seeking to
maximize your internal production of GH, this is ideal.
Lactic Acid and Growth Hormone
In very simple terms, which are expanded upon in the book:

Lactic acid is a chemical waste by-product, created by chemical reactions when engaging in resistance
training. Specificallymuscle contraction.
Lactic acid begins to floor the blood stream during training, increasing the overall acidity of the
extracellular tissues, and nerve irritation occurs (that damn burning feeling.)
The body does not like this, and begins the process of waste removal to regulate acidity.
The tool of choice for clearing acidity is GH. Thus, your pituitary glad begins pumping out boat-loads of
the stuff.
GH is the single most effective biological hormone your body can produce to elicit fat loss and muscle
gain.

What's more, is that growth hormone has a directly inverse relationship to cortisol. Meaning, if one goes up, the
other drops. In this case, you will be shooting your systemic GH through the roof, which in turn sends cortisol
the other way.
As you probably know, cortisol can have some potent fat-storing effects, disrupt sleep, and cause a great deal of
havoc throughout the body when produced in excess. So, training in this manor can attenuate the reduction of
cortisol at key times to help you sleep, avid belly-fat gain, and feel healthier overall.

How is All This Done?

It needs to be noted that lactic acid accumulates the quickest during the concentric (lifting) phase of a movement,
as opposed to the eccentric (lowering) component. Thus, it makes sense that you need to highlight the concentric
phase of the lift to maximize lactic acid production. If you think about it, Surge training is a type of inverse
tempo utilization when compared to something like MRT.
In traditional tempo prescriptions, you might see something like 2-0-2, meaning to lift the weight for 2 seconds,
zero pause at the top, and lower the weight (in this case, your body) for 2 seconds before completing another rep.
Often, the eccentric phase will be lengthened. Here, however, you will to the direct opposite, and accentuate the
lifting portion of the movement. In short:

Lift the weight (your body) over a period of 3-4 seconds, depending on the movement.
Lower the weight (your body) as quickly as possible, staying under control.
Go IMMEDIATELY back into the lifting portion to create near constant concentric tensionproducing
oceans of lactic acid.

The more lactic acid you produce, the more GH will be secreted. Lifting in this way produces some of the
greatest accumulation of lactate, thus, sending your systemic GH production sky high, and in turn making this
one of the most demandingyet rewardingstyles of training. Take a look at the training program below, which
strategically manipulates the variables above using your bodyweight. At the same time, it primes your system by
utilizing some more traditional techniques in the first and last exercises, and serves to flush your muscles of
what's left:
Surge Training Protocol
A1)Jump Squats (with 1/4 rep in bottom) 25 reps with regular tempo
Perform 2 sets of this exercise with a regular tempo, resting 60 seconds between each, then move onto the lactic
acid portion. Note the 1/4 rep in the bottom of each rep, to help overload the area and increase time under
tension.
B1)Feet Elevated Push-Up- 10-12 reps
B2)Chin-Up or Pull-up (can use any assisted variation like chairs, bands, etc)- 10-12 reps
B3)V-ups- 10-12 reps
B1 and B2 are performed lactic acid style, with a 1-0-4 tempo for 5 sets and 10-12 reps each. All three exercises
are performed sequentially, moving from one to the other as quickly as possible. After the set, rest 60-90 seconds
and repeat. When all sets are complete, rest 90-120 seconds and move to set C.
C1)Inverted Rows, Wide Grip, 12-15
C2)Bulgarian Split Squat From Deficit, Bottom 3/4, 12-15
C1 and C2 are performed lactic acid style with a tempo of 1-0-4 for 5 sets and 10-12 reps each. Perform these
exercises sequentially, resting as little as possible between exercises, and 60-90 seconds between rounds. After
the last set, rest 2 minutes and proceed to set D.
D)Step Ups on High Box, 10-1 descending rep pyramid
Perform 1 set of exercise D, using a regular tempo. As a descending pyramid set, you will start by performing 10
reps on the left, then 10 on the right, then immediately go back to your left side for 9 reps. Continue in this
fashion, resting as little as possible until you get down to 1 rep per leg.