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Men's Lifestyle

Prison Cell Workout | Human Performance at a Primal Level

August 5, 2020 by Scott Witner Leave a Comment

Prison Cell Workout | Human Performance at a Primal Level

Within military units, especially special operations, you’ll commonly hear the phrase ‘get off the X’. The X represents ground zero when engaged in combat or a fight for your life.

In the military, we were trained to do whatever it takes to get off the X quickly so that we reduce the chance of casualties and injury.

However, while you’re on the X, your body needs to be able to deal with the stress and chaos of the moment.

Outside of the military, you can think of the X being a street fight, home invasion, or active shooter situation. Whatever the situation your body needs to have the strength and stamina to deal with it, create space, and break contact (aka run). With strength comes confidence and that may be just enough to get you through.

The purpose of this prison cell workout and some of the other workout routines I perform are self-preservation, longevity, and having the strength and ability to kick someone’s ass if they attempt to harm myself, my family, or those around me.

Prison Cell Workout | Human Performance at a Primal Level

I’ve been a long time proponent of bodyweight exercises and workout routines. They require little to no equipment and can be done damn near anywhere, even a prison cell.

For the following prison cell workout, you may need to adjust the sets and reps so as not to injure yourself and get the most out of the workout. Push-ups, pull-ups, and bar dips are three of the best bodyweight compound exercises, each targeting multiple muscle groups.

  • Day 1
    • Push-up workout (sets of 25 using various arms widths for a total of 200)
    • Ab workout (200 reps, sets of 25) flutter kicks, crunches, sit-ups
  • Day 2
    • Dip bar workout (5 sets of 20)
    • Ab workout (200 reps, sets of 25) flutter kicks, crunches, sit-ups
  • Day 3
    • Pull-up workout (Pyramid of 7 for a total of 49) use assistance bands if you can’t do any
    • Ab workout (200 reps, sets of 25) flutter kicks, crunches, sit-ups
  • Day 4
    • Push-up workout (sets of 25 using various arms widths for a total of 200)
    • Ab workout (200 reps, sets of 25) flutter kicks, crunches, sit-ups
  • Day 5
    • Dip bar workout (5 sets of 20)
    • Ab workout (200 reps, sets of 25) flutter kicks, crunches, sit-ups

If you don’t have access to dip bars or pull-up bars, push-ups are king. I do 100 pushups twice a day as part of my workout routine. If you’re looking for a killer push-up routine, you need to give the Juarez Valley Pushup Challenge a hard look. It goes something like this:

  • Set 1-20 Reps
  • Set 2-1 Rep
  • Set 3-19 Reps
  • Set 4-2 Reps
  • Set 5-18 Reps
  • Set 6-3 Reps
  • Set 7-17 Reps
  • Set 8-4 Reps
  • Set 9-16 Reps
  • Set 10-5 Reps
  • Set 11-15 Reps
  • Set 12-6 Reps
  • Set 13-14 Reps
  • Set 14-7 Reps
  • Set 15-13 Reps
  • Set 16-8 Reps
  • Set 17-12 Reps
  • Set 18-9 Reps
  • Set 19-11 Reps
  • Set 20-10 Reps

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About Scott Witner

Scott Witner is a former Marine Corps Infantryman with 2ndBn/8th Marines and was attached to the 24th MEU(SOC) for a 6-month deployment to the Mediterranean. He has completed training in desert warfare at the Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Mountain Warfare and survival at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, attended the South Korean Mountain Warfare school in Pohang and the Jungle Warfare school in the jungles of Okinawa Japan. He now enjoys trail running, hiking, functional fitness and working on his truck. Scott resides in Northeastern Ohio.

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