Rich Man’s Gym: How To Workout Anywhere

Posted onAuthorDavid Bradley

How to workout anywhere is what we’ll be looking at here.  Is it possible to get in a great workout without going to or joining a gym? Does anyone else here hate going to the gym? If you’re like me, you’re thinking, “I hate going to the gym, but love working out.”

Does the local gym look more like a Disco Tech? Too many lights and pounding music, women with too much make up, inappropriately dressed, individuals hogging the machines and not wiping them down after, undeveloped trainees trying to sound strong, ‘roided out testosterone junkies pumping out loud, those guys that don’t do deodorant, the other ones that do too much, the “NO DEADLIFTING ALLOWED” sign…

You don’t have to agree with me, you’re gym may be different, so here’s my story…

In The Beginning

Introducing Rich Man’s Gym. A simple fitness facility where you can enjoy training like it’s 1890 – 1920 instead of 2000 and late! Rich Man’s Gym also moves. One day it’s at Burbank and Balboa Blvd, another day it’s off of Woodley and sometimes it’s down near the Santa Monica Pier. That’s the beauty of Rich Man’s Gym.

I started Rich Man’s Gym out of necessity.

  • First off, most fitness facilities in my neck of the woods are like sardine cans with treadmills.
  • Secondly, I prefer the Russian Kettlebell over a dumbbell any day of the week and since I have near 400 pounds of solid cast iron that I have invested my hard earned money in, I want to be able to use them. Oh, sure I can take them to the gym, but where can you swing an 88-pound ball of iron in a sardine can full of treadmills?
  • Third, I love the great outdoors! There is something incredibly liberating and rejuvenating about exercise outside. Regardless of the weather!

So I prefer to take my gym with me. And so can you. You’re a welcome member at Rich Man’s Gym. Currently, membership is free, it’s co-ed so girls can play too and it’s whatever, whenever and wherever you want it to be.

Here’s a sample session that you can do right away. This workout can be a great way to tone up, firm up, bulk up, or any up you want. It’s all in how you play it out. Use this like a template and have fun!

The Warm Up

Super Joints by Pavel Tsatsouline. –The importance of joint integrity for a lifetime of pain-free movement!

QiGong Recharge with John Ducane -Stimulate recovery before you start. Activate the inner warrior!

Before starting off on your workout, you need to prepare the mind and the body. Either one of these programs will offer you the ability to clear your mind, loosen the body and prepare for the work to come.

Eye of The Tiger

5 to 10 minutes Jumping Rope!

Time to get the blood flowing and heart pumping. There is a reason boxers jump rope. It’s really good for you. If your coordination is bad, no worries, you can practice. Spend 5 minutes up to 10 minutes working on it. Can’t jump a rope to save your life? Practice. Do it anyway. In a couple weeks, you’ll be bouncing around like Rocky Balboa.

Use this 5 to 10 minutes to get the body warmed up, loose and ready to jam!

Enter The Kettlebell

Wall Squats, Halos and Pumps oh my…

Now that you’re loosened up, it’s time to get your form checked. Being able to move well and have functional strength is important. We spend so much time sitting. Wall Squats, Halos, and Pumps will loosen the hips, make sure you’re squatting properly and open up your shoulders.

This is a continuation of the warm up and a transition into the actual workout itself.

This trio of drills can be found in Pavel Tsatsouline’s book, Enter The Kettlebell. The good news for you is, even if you never pick up a Kettlebell, these three exercises will help you with good posture, perfect your squat form, loosen the upper body and prepare you for your training session. These three drills should become a staple to your training from now on.

Face the Wall Squats are a self-correcting exercise and pretty self-explanatory, but you can see them done here:  http://youtu.be/_1Zo2U42d1o

Pump stretches can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WQux1_sg30

 

These two drills are a must for modern man! The Halo can be done with a Kettlebell or a barbell plate, small dumbbell, basketball, medicine ball, you name it. It is also a self correcting exercise because if you screw this up, you ring your own bell!

Halos are here: http://youtu.be/RaobmOmQsnU

Questions? Leave a comment below and I’m happy to help!

Beautiful Strength

TGU’s and Pistols

TGU stands for Turkish Get Up. It is an ancient exercise. It is a beautiful exercise. It is my favorite-love-to-hate Kettlebell drill. It goes well with ragtime music. It is a primitive movement pattern that will forge functional strength and work the core. Enter The Kettlebell was my introduction to the Turkish Get Up and then beginning of a beautiful friendship. If you’re going to explore the TGU, start with that book. This is a stability, static strength teaching exercise for the entire body and not one to miss!

Next up is the Pistol. Anything the Get Up missed, will be picked up here. The Pistol is a One-Legged Squat. WAIT! Don’t leave! Stay! Hear me out! Please?

Thank you! This is a raw, brute strength drill that can be done with serious consistent practice. There are two ways to master the Pistol. One, practice it often and two, practice it often. Get it?

Watch the video to get a handle on the Pistol. You can also get more from Pavel’s book The Naked Warrior.

The point behind these two drills is to practice strength. Strength is a skill and it’s something that must be done with regularity. Practice it. Strength training and working out are two separate things. One is creating fatigue, the other is finishing stronger than you started. What’s better? Neither. They both have their their place and serve a purpose.

And speaking of fatigue….

Smoke Em if You Got Em!

Here’s 20 different exercises. Everyday, pick 5 and perform sets of 10 in a circuit for 20 minutes, keep the rest to an absolute minimum, push yourself… AND have fun! Music will go well with this! If there’s an exercise you want to do and it’s not in here, do it! And leave a comment below with the exercise so I can add it to the list!

  1. Deep Knee Bends
  2. Hindu Squats
  3. Push Ups
  4. Hindu Push Up
  5. Step Ups
  6. Walking Lunge
  7. Side Lunge/Shuffle
  8. Mountain Climbers
  9. Burpees
  10. Jumping Jacks
  11. Push Up to a Plank
  12. Pike Push Up
  13. Side Shuffle
  14. Sit Ups
  15. Shoulder Bridge
  16. Broad Jump
  17. Jump Squats
  18. Dips
  19. Pull Ups
  20. Downward Dog to Cobra Stretch

AND if any exercise here looks foreign to you, KNOW how to do it and have a handle on form before throwing it in a routine. If you get hurt, it’s your fault.