The Gunslingers of the Old West felt confident going into a shoot-out
knowing they had a pair of 45s on their belt. So too, will you feeling
confident after training for a while on this combination circuit
of weights and body-weight exercises. Instead of a pair of 45s with
six bullets each, you will work hard for 45 seconds of every minute
on six different pairs of exercises . This circuit can be repeated
two or three times, with a short break between circuits.
SAMPLE GUNSLINGER WORKOUT CIRCUIT
1. Clean and Jerks / Jumping Jacks
2. Front Squats / Push-ups
3. See-Saw Press / Burpees
4. Snatches / Lunges
5. Front Sqt- Push Pr. Combo / Shadow Boxing
6. Overhead Squat / Mt. Climbers
The trick to designing your program is how you "pair-up"
your exercises. This will depend on your goals and abilities.
In the example above, I paired-up the Clean and Jerk (which taxes
the entire body) with Jumping Jacks (which are one of the less
taxing BW exercises). My reason for doing this could be that I
will need to "recover" a bit after the C&Js. BUT,
if I wanted to really push myself, I could pair-up the C&Js
with Burpees, especially the 6-count variety which adds a push-up.
I paired the Front Squat, which obviously taxes the legs the most,
with the push-up for the upper-body emphasis. You get the picture.
Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and create a circuit that
taxes you accordingly.
My tool of choice is the kettlebell, but the program will work
with barbells, dumbbells, even sand bags. One kettlebell or two
can be used, with the weight depending on your goals. You could
use two 35 pound KBs, or one 53 or 70 pounder. If you use one
bell, just do your selected exercise for about 20 seconds with
one hand, then switch-over to the other hand to finish the set.
This program can also used with a partner, which should enhance
your results. Having someone to compete with can help drive you
harder. You have 15 seconds to trade places and reposition yourselves
for the next exercise. Another advantage is that the person doing
the BW exercise generally has an easier (and safer) time watching
the clock. If you don't have a clock or watch nearby, just shoot
for a set number of reps, and rest for a set number of breathes.
The main point is to work hard two to three times longer than
you rest. Even if you do have a clock, try to remember your numbers.
They will help you gauge your progress as your conditioning improves.
Below is a list of exercise choices for each category. This
is a basic list which will get you started, but obviously there
are many more to choose from. Basic, whole-body exercises are
the best. Experiment and vary the exercises and order from workout
to workout.
LIST OF KB / DB / BB EXERCISES
Swing
Snatch
Clean and Jerk
Clean and Press
Front Squat
Overhead Squat
Deadlift (Reg./ Sumo/ Suitcase/One-Leg)
See-Saw Press
Push Press
Clean and Front Squat Combo
Clean, Press and Overhead Sqt. Combo
Front Squat and Push Press Combo
LIST OF BODY WEIGHT EXERCISES
Jumping Jacks
Push-ups (Regular / Fist / Finger-tip / Triangle )
Burpees (4 count and 6 count)
Squats (box squat style)
Mt. Climbers
Lunges
Running-in-place
Shadow Boxing
Jumping Rope (simulated)
Divebomber Push-ups
Hindu Squats
Hindu Push-ups
Tom Corrigan is a Professional Firefighter with
the Everett F.D. in Everett, WA. He is a Certified Russian Kettlebell
Instructor, and owner of Blue Collar Fitness. He is currently
working on a video/DVD for training firefighters how to use kettle
bells, using them to simulate the unique tasks they do. His profile
and contact information are available at the Dragondoor Website,
under Profiles and Instructors.
