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KILLER FITNESS: TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

Injury Disclaimer
Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. Killer Fitness, the author,
publisher, and domain host disclaim any liability, personal or professional, resulting from the
misapplication of any of the training procedures described in this publication. If at any time you
feel short of breath, chest pain or discomfort, stop and consult your health care provider
immediately. Start slow and use common sense when exercising.

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KILLER FITNESS: TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

Table of Contents
Calisthenics .….....................………..................3

A Few Simple Truths......…....…….…..........…..3

Nutrition 101.................................…....…………5

The Exercises...............................……..………..6

Warm Ups…………………………………………..7

Chest and Shoulders …………………………….12

Abdominal….………………………………………18

Legs………………….………..……………….……26

The Routines.……....………..………….....….......32

Sample Workout…………….………..……………34

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KILLER FITNESS: TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

Calisthenics
“From the Greek "kalos sthenos" meaning beautiful strength.”

In an age when each new fitness craze is accompanied by a gadget,

gimmick, or promises miracles with “no effort on your part,” a discussion of
calisthenics may seem a bit archaic. After all, pushups, situps and other
traditional exercises have been around for years, if it’s old it must be no good,
right? No, even though calisthenics have been around for thousands of years,
they’re proven to gain and maintain physical strength and endurance. Done
correctly, calisthenics lay the foundation for shaping and developing the body to
its fullest potential. It’s proven effectiveness has resulted in them being the basis
for the exercise programs for all forms of professional and collegiate sports, as
well as the worlds military forces. The military’s job requires the physical and
mental discipline to operate under the most challenging conditions. Their fitness
training programs serves a single purpose: to prepare for the mental and physical
rigors of combat. Unlike most health club routines, it’s about being good vice
looking good.
A strenuous calisthenics program is a great way to get/stay in shape, and
allows the average man or woman to achieve an “elite” level of fitness. If you’re
a busy professional, a homemaker or involved in a profession that requires a
flexible workout schedule, this program is for you. The only equipment you’ll
need is a clear area of floor space, loose fitting athletic clothing and good
ventilation.
Although not required, a pull up bar is a great investment which will pay
huge dividends. There are many excellent models to choose from, including
freestanding combination pull-up/dip stands that are ideal for apartment/condo
use.

A Few Simple Truths

Before getting into the meat of the program, here are a few concepts to get
the most out of your program. These are guidelines apply to any fitness
program.
 Be Consistent. It’s better to work out “easy” for a shorter period of time three
to four times a week rather than a single extended high intensity session once a
week. Sporadic exercise is a sure way to increase your chance of injury, and
may do more harm than good. Train at least three days a week for the best
results.

 Train smart. As a rule of thumb, never work out so hard that you’re unable to
complete your next scheduled workout. Progress slowly and avoid increasing
the number of reps of any particular exercise by any more than 10 percent per
week. The only one you’re competing with is yourself. Although it’s fine to give a
maximum effort every now and then to for mental and physical development,

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KILLER FITNESS: TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

your long term goal is to improve your level of fitness, not collect reps. If you’re
starting back into a regular exercise program after a long lay off, get an OK from
your health care provider, start slow and don’t let your ego talk you into going to
hard, to soon.

 Take a Break. A big part of training smart is giving your body a chance
to recover from the stress you’re putting on it. The body doesn’t get stronger
while exercising, but when you’re resting. The body adapts and gets stronger to
deal with the stresses being placed upon it. No rest means no improvement in
strength or endurance.
Rest from 30 to 180 seconds between different sets of any given exercise.
Allow at least 48 hours of recovery between workouts, but not more than 96
hours. A hard day of training should be followed by an easier workout or rest day
to aid in recovery. If you feel tired and lethargic, in may mean that you’re over
training. Listen your body and take time off when it tells you to. Some signs of
over training include:
1. You’re bored and can’t wait until the workout is over.
2. You feel weak and lethargic.
3. You complete fewer reps than your last training period of the
same intensity. (i.e. you don’t do as well on your hard day this
week as on last weeks hard day).
4. You feel pain in joints and muscles.
5. Muscle cramps, rapid heartbeat, cold sweats.

When you over train, you’re headed for a slump and may become discouraged
and cease your program. The fix is simple. Increase your rest time between
high intensity work and take a bit more time before increasing the level of
difficulty of your workout. In other words, a little less effort, a little more rest,
before gradually increasing your level of effort again.

 Breathe. Concentrate on your breathing during each exercise. Doing

so increases your energy level and significantly improves your coordination.
Inhale during the negative phase of the exercise, and exhale during the working
phase.

 Quality, Not Quantity. Quality of the exercise performed is more

important than the number of repetitions. Use strict form, don’t twist, lurch, lunge
or arch the body, this can cause serious injury. Altering your body position also
detracts from the effectiveness of the exercise as stress is taken off the targeted
muscle groups. Do each exercise in a smooth controlled manner. Rapid jerking
movement is a sure way to get hurt. Perform all exercises through their full
range of motion.

 Vary Your Workout. A major challenge for all fitness-training programs

is maintaining enthusiasm and interest over the long haul. Changing your routine
by altering the number of reps, exercise sequence and intensity are good ways of

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KILLER FITNESS: TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

adding variety. If you always do the same exercises for a specific body part, the
body will adapt and become overly efficient. You need to change your routine at
least once every few months, if not more often, to continue to see improvement.

 Maintain Balance. Train the whole body, not just specific areas for
maximum improvement in athletic ability. For the body to act as coordinated
whole it must be trained as a whole. Concentrating on weak areas is all right, but
the rest of the machine must also be trained to work together. As long as all
muscle groups are exercised at the proper intensity, improvement will occur.

Take It Outside. No one says you have to do your training cloistered in

a dark room. The great thing about a calisthenics based program, is you can do
it anywhere. Numerous studies have shown that exercising outside improves
your mood and outlook, giving a more enjoyable experience.

Get Your Eight Hours. More and more scientists are pounding the
drum on the importance of getting enough sleep. Not only is it critical to improve
your fitness level during hard training, it’s also the most important factor in a
healthy lifestyle. Not getting enough sleep opens you up for higher levels of
stress, and illness.

Build Your Fighting Spirit. Part of the role a vigorous calisthenics

program plays in military training is to build the mental discipline and fighting
spirit of the trainees. Learning that it’s your mind that makes the rules, not your
body is a lesson you can learn if you’re seeking a challenge. Every now and
then, don’t be afraid to work as many of exercises in your routine as you can to
muscle failure. As long as you’ve built a solid base level of fitness, and given
your body sufficient rest, it won’t hurt your long-term development. In the
process you’ll discover a lot about yourself. You can do a lot more than you think
you can.

Nutrition 101
Proper nutrition is critical when participating in any demanding physical
activity. A proper diet provides all the nutrients for the body's needs and supplies
energy for the demands that you place on it. It also is important during the rest
phase when your body is recovering. Without proper nutrition, the body will do a
poor job healing itself, increasing strength and endurance. All your hard fought
work will be for nothing.
Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three energy nutrients. All three
provide energy, but carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for physical
activity. During successive days of intense training your body starts to run out of
gas and the “low fuel light” will come on in the form of decreased performance. A
high carbohydrate diet can help you maintain energy. If you’re not working out at
a high intensity, however, you’ll store that extra energy for a rainy day in the form
of fat cells, so your diet should match your lifestyle. An active lifestyle requires
more gas, while a sedentary one requires much less.

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High Protein diets are also being pushed now a days as an effective
method of losing weight. Programs such as the “Zone” among others are
receiving greater attention. The jury is still out on just how effective they are, and
any possible long term detrimental effects. Be careful and do your own research
through credible sources before embarking on any dietary regime. Preliminary
findings are that they do work.
Water intake is vital, consume at least four quarts of water daily. Drink
water before you feel thirsty. Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco increase your body's
need for water. These substances can severely hinder your development. If
you’re eating a well-balanced diet, vitamin supplements should not be necessary,
but they won’t hurt you unless you go overboard. Bottom line, eat whole natural
foods paying particular attention to increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables
and lean meats, fish or poultry. Eat four to five small meals a day vice three
large ones and reduce your saturated fat intake.

The Exercises
These exercises provide a full body challenge that can “Do each exercise in
be tailored to fit your individual goals, fitness level and a smooth controlled
schedule. Practice each exercise slowly to get the hang of it manner. Rapid
and ensure proper form prior to including it in your routine. jerking movement is
If at any time you feel pain, stop immediately and consult a sure way to
your physician. Spend at least 5 to 10 minutes warming up increase your risk of
prior to commencing vigorous exercise. Failure to do so may injury.”
result in injury.
Some of the terminology used in this section includes:

Repetition (Rep). When an exercise has progressed through one complete

range of motion or series of movements and back to the start.

Set: A series of repetitions done without rest.

Muscle Failure: The inability to do another repetition of the exercise using correct
form.

Negative Repetition: When you can no longer complete the exercise using
correct form, you break form to reduce the workload to do a few extra reps.

Two Count & Four Count Exercise: Some of the exercises are designated as “4
count,” while others are 2 count. This is a term that defines the proper rhythm for
a series of movements. For example, with a 4 count exercise count with each
movement out loud: 1, 2, 3, 1; 1, 2, 3, 2; 1, 2, 3, 3; etc. for the desired number of
reps. For a 2 Count exercise, the count would be 1, 1; 1, 2; 1, 3; etc.

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Warm ups
Full Jumping Jacks (4 count)
The Traditional warm-up exercise you probably remember from your days
in Phys Ed. Start with your hands by your side and feet together, jump up and
spread your legs to the side about twice shoulder width apart. At the same time,
move your arms over your head touching your fingertips together. Return to
starting position to complete one repetition. For a variation, shuffle your feet from
front to back vice side to side.

1, 3 2, 4

Swordsman Stretch
Starting with your feet about shoulder width
apart, step forward with your left foot as far as
comfortably possible. Your forward knee should be
bent and your rear leg straight. With your left leg
forward, raise your right arm to the front so it’s
parallel to the deck, and place your left straight out
behind you. With a feeling of simultaneously
pushing with palms to the front and rear, stretch
your torso. Shift to the rear, reversing foot and arm
position and repeat.

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Half Jumping Jacks (4 count)

Same as a full jumping jack, except raise your arms until they’re parallel to
the deck. Return to starting position for one repetition.

1, 3 2, 4

Cobra Stretch
Lay flat on your stomach in a relaxed
posed with your arms by your side. Bring
your palms up below your shoulders and
slowly push up arching the back and working
your belly towards the floor. Slowly turn your
head to the left, then the right and return to
starting position. The entire evolution should
take at a minimum of thirty seconds.

Trunk Side Stretch Bend (4 count)

Place your arms over your head grasping each elbow with the opposite
hand. With the feet shoulder width apart, bend to each side in a slow controlled
manner stretching your side.

1 2 3 4

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Fore and Afts (4 count)

With the feet shoulder width apart and the hands on the hip, bend to the
front and rear in a slow controlled manner stretching the abs and back.

1 2 3 4

Trunk Twisters (4 count)

From a sitting or standing position, place your hands behind your head
with the elbows pointed out to the sides. Twist your torso to the left as far as it
will go, return to the front, twist to the right as far as you can then return to the
front to complete one repetition.

1 2 3 4

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Up, Back and Over

Start with your hands by your side and your feet shoulder width apart.
Swing your arms vigorously over your head reaching for the ceiling and coming
up on the balls of your feet with a feeling of stretching out your body. Swing your
arms back down and to the rear slightly bending over and coming down flat on
your feet. Swing the arms the opposite way going over the top and circling back
to starting position to complete a rep.

Windmills (4 count)
With your arms extended to the sides and feet about twice shoulder width
apart, bend down and touch your right hand to your left foot. Pause, and return
to starting position. Work the next side by touching your right foot with your left
hand. Return to start to complete the repetition. Don’t bounce while stretching.

1 2 3 4

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Bent Over Windmills (2 count)

With your feet twice shoulder width apart, bend over until your torso is
parallel to the deck. Extend your arms to the side. While staying in a bent over
position, alternate touching opposite hand to the opposite foot.

1 2

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Chest, Arms and Shoulders

Pushups
Place your palms flat on the ground about “ For beginners, it’s OK
shoulder width apart with your feet together and
to place your knees on
your back straight. Push yourself up until your
arms are straight. Lower yourself back down in a the floor. As you get
steady controlled manner until your chest touches stronger, start doing
the deck and return to starting position. Repeat for regular pushups.”
the required number of repetitions; work at a steady
controlled pace.

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Triceps Pushups
Places increased emphasis on the triceps muscle on the back of the arm.
Form a triangle directly below your chest with the index fingers and thumbs
touching. Spread your legs apart a bit to help with balance. Keep your back
straight. Push your body up until the arms are straight and lower yourself back
down until your chest touches the top of your hands. Repeat for the required
number of repetitions.

Wide Arm Pushups

Same as a normal pushup except place your palms on the ground at wider
than shoulder width apart. Places increase emphasis on the inner chest.

Elevated Pushups
To work the chest from
another angle, execute a
standard pushup but place your
feet on top of a raised object
such as stairs, a coffee table, or
ottoman.

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High Jack, High Jill (4 count)

A great stretching exercise that works the chest.
Start with both hands lightly clenched, with one arm over
you head, and other buy your hips. Using a rapid pulling
motion, simultaneously pull both arms to the rear
stretching your chest. Pull twice on one side, then switch
sides and pull twice to complete a single rep.

Press, Press, Fling

Place your arms to the front parallel to the deck with your palms facing
down. Vigorously pull your elbows to the rear twice in rapid succession with a
feeling of stretching the center of your chest. At the beginning of the third
movement, turn your palms up and throw your arms to the rear with a feeling of
pushing your chest forward. Simultaneously come up on the balls of your feet.
Return to the starting position to complete the rep.

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Shoulder Rotation to Side

Fully extend your arms to the side
parallel to the deck. Rotate your arms
forward in small circles with the palms
facing down. Halfway through the allotted
time, reverse the circles and rotate your
arms to the rear, with the palms facing up.

Shoulder Rotation to Front

Fully extend your arms to the front parallel
to the deck. Rotate your arms inboard in small
circles with the palms facing down. Halfway
through the allotted time, reverse the circles and
rotate your arms outboard, with the palms facing
up.

Plyrometric Pushups
Plyrometrics are an advanced exercise that develops your explosive
power. Start in the standard pushup position. Execute a standard pushup
lowering your body to the floor. From the bottom position, explosively push your
body off the floor such that at the top of the motion, your hands are off the floor.
(Although not required, feel free to clap your hands or touch your chest). Lower
your body back to the floor in a controlled manner, decelerating. Repeat the
movement for the required number of repetitions.

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Tiger Pushups
A great exercise known by lots of different names. Start in a modified
push up position with your legs spread about twice shoulder width apart, and
your backside up in the air. Your hands are a closer to your feet than in a normal
pushup. Keeping your buttocks in the air, start a sweeping motion towards the
space between your hands by touching your forehead followed by your chest to
the deck. Continue your forward momentum and push your chest up and forward
through your hands straightening your arms. Return to the starting position.

Pull Ups
Grab the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart and your palms
facing outward. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Slowly lower
yourself back to a fully extended position to complete the repletion.

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Wide Grip Pull Ups

Same as a standard Pull Up, except use a grip about twice shoulder width
apart.

Reverse Grip Pull Ups

Same as a standard Pull Up, except start with your palms facing towards
you.

Close Grip Pull Ups

Same as a standard Pull Up, except start with a grip perpendicular to the
bar and your palms facing each other. Alternate pulling yourself up to either side
of the bar for the desired number of reps.

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Abdominal Exercises
Lower Abdominal
Reverse Crunch
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and “Don’t interlock your
your feet about six inches off the deck. Place your hands by fingers behind your
your side and roll your pelvis towards your ribcage in a slow head when doing
controlled manner, bringing your knees up over your chest abdominal exercises.
as far as you can. Keep your upper body straight. Your hips Doing so may
should rise slightly off the floor. Return to starting position to increase the chance
complete the repetition. of neck injury.”

Hip Thrust
Lie on your back with your hands by your side and your legs straight up.
Using as much of your abdominal muscles as you can, thrust your hips off the
ground. The feeling is as if you’re trying to touch the ceiling with your feet. Lower
your hips to the floor to complete the repetition. Don’t worry if you can’t keep
your legs perfectly straight.

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The Corkscrew
Same basic movement as the “Hip Thrust,” except during the thrust,
alternate twisting you legs to the left and right in a corkscrew like motion.

Reverse Crunch/Hip Thrust

This exercise combines the Reverse Crunch with Hip Thrust. Execute the
first part of the Reverse Crunch, as your knees reach the top of the stroke, press
your feet towards the ceiling executing a Hip Thrust. Upon lowering your hips,
Bend our knees and return to the starting position of the Reverse Crunch,
completing the repetition.

1 2

4
3

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Flutter Kicks (Four Count Exercise)

Start on your back, with both feet six inches off the deck. Raise one foot in the air
to a 45 Degree angle and begin alternating your feet, don’t allow your feet to touch the
floor.

1
2
3

In Board/Out board
Start on your back with feet six inches in the air. Keeping your legs
straight, raise both feet to a 45 Degree angle. At the top, spread both legs out
the side and return to the starting position in a circular motion. After completing
one set of going one way, reverse the motion for same number of reps.

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Good Morning Darlings

Start on your back with feet six inches in the air. Keeping your legs
straight, spread your legs out to the side keeping them parallel to the deck.
Return to starting position to complete the rep.

Obliques
Cross Leg Crunch
Start on your back with your knees
bent and your right leg crossed over your
left and the foot resting just below the knee.
Place your left hand by your left ear with the
elbow out. Concentrate on using your abs
and raise and twist your left elbow to the
right knee. Lower to the floor and repeat for
the required number of reps. Switch sides
and repeat.

Cross Reach (4 count)

Start on your back with your
knees bent and your legs up. Using
your abs, reach with your right hand to
the left side as if you’re grabbing
something off a low table. Return and
do the same to the opposite side.

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Russian Twists (4 count)

Start balanced on your backside, with your torso and legs off the ground.
Grasp your hands in front of you and twist from side to side for a count of four to
complete a single rep. Twist in a slow controlled manner through a full range of
motion.

2, 4
Start

1, 3
Iron Cross (4 count)
Starting on your back with arms extended
out to the side, raise both legs so that your legs
are perpendicular to the deck. Lower your legs as
far as you can to the left without touching the floor,
pause, return to the top, and repeat the sequence
to the right. Return to the top to complete the rep.

Oblique Crunch
Start with your legs in a modified
fetal position folded to your left side. Keep
your back flat on the floor, with your right
hand touching your right ear, elbow out. Do
a standard crunch concentrating the feeling
in your obilques. Complete the required
reps and switch sides.

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Oblique Leg Lift

Lie on your side on your left hip,
both legs extended straight with your
bottom leg bent underneath. Using your
oblique muscle, raise your top leg and
torso with the feeling of trying to bring
them together. Repeat for the required
reps then switch sides.

Alternating Knee to Chest

(4 count)
Start with your back flat on the
deck and both feet six inches off the
floor. Placing your hands by your
ears and elbows out, lift your torso
off the floor and touch your right
elbow to your left knee. Return and
alternate. Complete one turn on
each side to complete the rep.

Upper Abdominal
Basic Crunch
Start on your back with legs in the air and thighs perpendicular to the
deck. Place your hands by your ears, elbows out. Use your upper abs to raise
your shoulders off the deck with a feeling of crunching your abs together. Lower
your shoulders back to the floor to complete the repetition.

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Crunch (One Leg)

Same as your basic crunch, except extend one leg so that’s it’s
perpendicular to the floor. After completing your reps, switch sides.

Crunch (Both Legs up)

Same as the basic crunch, but with both legs perpendicular to the deck.

Knee Ups
Start with your feet six inches
off the deck. Rise up and touch your
elbows to your knees. Lower to
starting position without letting your
feet touch the floor. Keep it going
until complete. For a variation, twist
your torso and alternate working

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Skydivers
This is a great exercise for working your lower back as well as your abs. Start
with balanced on your buttocks with your lower back, feet and thighs just off the
deck. Grasping your hands lightly in front of you, hold the position for the
required amount of time. Rotate over on your stomach and take a superman like
pose balance on your pelvis with your thighs and as much of your torso as
possible off the deck. Hold for time specified.

Killer Twists (4 count)

This is a killer exercise, and should not be attempted until you’ve achieved
an advanced level of fitness. Damage to your lower back could result. Start
balanced on your backside with legs and torso in the air and your hands by your
ears. Using a four count, cross your left foot over your right while twisting your
torso to the right. Reverse the motion. Complete two movements on each side
for a single rep. Concentrate on going slow and smooth, no jerking motions.

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Legs
Mule Kicks
Start on your hands and knees. With a feeling of kicking behind you like a
mule, extend your leg all the way to the rear and up at a 45-degree angle in a
slow controlled manner. Return the leg to the starting position without letting
your knee touch the ground. Complete the required number of reps and switch
to the other side.

Prone Flutter Kicks

Lying on your pelvis and torso, extend your arms out in front of you and
flutter kick your legs as if swimming. Try and keep your thighs off the floor as
much as possible. Kick at a controlled, steady pace for the required amount of
time.

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Alternating Lunge (4 count)

“Be very careful not
Step forward with either leg slightly farther than your
to let your knee
normal stride. Keeping your upper body erect, bend your
touch. Slamming it
back knee until it is just barely above the deck. Hold for a
into the deck is a
count and return to start. Complete the sequence on the
good way to get
other side to complete a rep.
hurt.”

Mountain Climbers (4 count)

Start in a crouched position with your legs spread forward and aft, and
your torso leaning forward and weight distributed evenly. Perform the exercise
by exchanging leg positions back and forth. Do each side twice to complete a
single rep.

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Standing Broad Jump

Start with standing normally with your hands by your sides. Squat in place
explosively jump as high and as far forward as you can. Turn around and repeat.

Calf Raises
Stand normally with your feet shoulder width apart. In a slow controlled
manner, rise up on your toes as high as you can. Hold for a count, then lower to
slowly to starting position to complete the rep.

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Squats
Start with your about feet shoulder width apart, and your palms pressed
together in front of you. In a slow controlled manner descend until your thighs
are parallel with the deck. Keep your toes and knees in alignment, and your
eyes focused straight ahead. Return to start. Don’t bounce or jerk; avoid injury
to your knees.

Vertical Jump
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and your fingers by
your ears. Execute a squat and explosively jump up in the air as high as you
can. Upon landing, immediately resume a squat position with a controlled
decelerating motion and jump again. Repeat for the desired number of
repetitions.

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Eight Count Body Builders

This exercise is a great way to finish off a challenging workout by putting it
all together. Look at the accompanying photos. The exercises done in sequence
are Squat Thrust, Two Pushups; spreading your legs and returning to start with a
count of eight to complete a single rep.

1 2

3 4

5 6

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7 8

Miscellaneous
Neck Rotations
Lay flat on your back with hands clasped loosely in front of you. Raise
your head slightly off the deck. Rotate your head to the left in a large circle
without touching the deck at least ten times. Return to start and do the same
movement to the right for same number of reps. Move in a slow controlled
manner; avoid rapid jerking movements.

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The Routines
Putting the exercises together into a routine that meets your personal
needs and goals, is one of the major advantages of a calisthenics based
program. View the routines presented here as a place to start. After you’ve
worked the program presented, feel free to experiment with the sequence, type
exercises and number of repetitions. If it doesn’t feel right, change it. Just give
each change a couple of weeks to settle in. If you’re feeling bored with the
routine, change it.

Pyramids and The Killer Circuit

Both Pyramids and Killer Circuits are simple in “The routines
concept, but powerful in practice. They allow you to get a described here are a
quality workout in a limited period of time. You can use them good place to start.
to rapidly increase the number of reps you can do of a given Don’t be afraid to
exercise, or concentrate on a week area. experiment and try
your own.”

Pyramids
The pyramid (Figure 1) can be used with any combination of exercises,
but is usually limited in number to three, each emphasizing a different muscle
group or body area. It can be very challenging. The workout has a warm-up, an
area of maximum effort, and a warm-down period built into it. Start on one side
of the pyramid, and work your way up to the top. How tall (number of levels) you
make the pyramid is totally up to you and your level of fitness.

8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3
3
2
2
1 1
Figure 1

For an example, let’s use pushups, corkscrews and alternate lunges. For each
level of the pyramid we’ll do 2 X pushups, 2 X corkscrews, and 1 X lunge (a
single rep is one on each leg) multiplied by the level. So to start at level 1 you’ll
do 2 pushups, 2 corkscrews and a single repetition of alternating lunges. At level
2 you’ll do 4 pushups, 4 Corkscrews and 2 reps of lunges and so on. By the time
you reach the top of an eight level pyramid, you’ll multiply the base number of

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reps times eight. So at the top you’ll do 16 pushups, 16 Corkscrews and 8 reps
of lunges before starting back down. Go from one exercise to the next and one
level to the next with little rest between each. Enjoy the challenge.

Killer Circuits
Circuit training is a great way to get in a quality high intensity workout in a
short period of time. Very simply, it’s defined as the execution of a defined series
of exercises in a specified sequence done as a set for a specified number of
times around the circuit. For example, your circuit may consist of:

10 Pushups, 10 Crunches, 10 Squats, 10 Triceps Pushups, 30 sec Prone

Flutter Kicks, 10 Calf Raises, 10 Elevated Pushups, 10 Reverse Crunch and
10 Lunges.

When you finish the lunges, you’d have completed one full circuit. Start
over again with pushups. Depending on your level of fitness, you could complete
anywhere from 5 – 20 trips around the circuit.
Create your own circuit by combining exercises in combination to work on.
As in pyramids mix up the exercises so you work a different body part for each
exercise.
In addition to rep based circuits, another challenging method is to use
time. During the circuit you have a defined active and passive (rest) phase of
over time. Using the above example, a time-based example may look like:

30 sec Pushups; 15 sec rest; 30 sec crunches; 15 sec off; 30 sec Squats; 15
sec off; etc…. continuing on as in the rep based.

As your fitness level increases, you can use any combination of increasing
your exercise time, and/or decrease the period of rest between each exercise.

The Killer Workout

The “Killer Workout” is a complete total body program that will challenge
you for years to come. It’s a great cross-training program for an aerobic athlete
and lays a solid foundation for any physical endeavor. Start with the
recommended beginners’ workout, even if you consider yourself to be in good
physical condition. If you find the beginners program a bit to challenging, reduce
the number of reps by 10% to 25% until you feel the effort is right for you.
Slowly increase your reps through the Intermediate and Advanced Level.
Give yourself a few months to move up from one level to the next. There’s no
hurry, this is your program, and the only one you’re competing with is yourself. If
find yourself getting bored with the sequence, replace some the exercises with
alternatives described in the exercise session.

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THE KILLER WORKOUT

Exercise Beg. Int. Adv.
Warm-up
Jumping Jacks 10 15 25
Half Jumping Jacks 10 15 25
Side Stretch 10 10 10
Trunk Twisters 10 10 10
Windmills 10 10 10
Fore & Afts 10 10 10
Half Jumping Jacks 10 15 25

Upper Body
Pushups 10 15 25
Up, Back and Over 10 10 10
Pushups 10 15 25
Hi Jack, Hi Jill 10 10 10
Triceps Pushups 8 10 15
Press, Press Fling 10 10 10
Triceps Pushups 8 10 15
Neck Rotations 10ea. 10ea. 10ea.
Tiger Pushups 10 15
Neck Rotations 10ea. 10ea. 10ea.
Tiger Pushups 10 15
Swimmers Stretch 30 seconds each way
Shoulder Rotation (Front) Time each direction: 20 sec 30sec 60sec
Shoulder Rotation (Side) Time each direction: 20 sec 30sec 60sec

Abdominals
Lower Abs
Reverse Crunch 20 20 20
Hip Thrust 10 15 20
Reverse Crunch/Hip Thrust 10 12 15
Good Morning Darlings 10 15 20
Flutter Kicks 10 20 30
Cobra Stretch
Oblique
Cross Leg Crunch (Each Side) 10 15 20
Cross Reach 10 12 15
Oblique Leg Lift (Each Side) 10 12 15
Oblique Crunch (Each Side) 10 12 15
Russian Twists 10 12 15

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Exercise Beg. Int. Adv.

Upper Abs
Basic Crunch 10 15 20
Basic Crunch (Both Legs Up) 10 12 15
Skydivers (Perform front & back twice) Workup to 60sec ea.
side
Killer Twists 10 15
Cobra Stretch

Legs
Squats 8 10 15
Alternating Lunges 8 10 15
Calf Raises 20 20 20
Alternating Lunges 8 10 15
Calf Raises 20 20 20
Mule Kicks 10 10 10
Vertical Jumps 5 10 15

Eight Count Body Builders 8 10 15

Pull-ups (Complete 1 – 3 sets; variations your 8 10 15
choice)
6 10 15
Optional
Dips (Complete 1 – 3 sets) 8 10 15

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