Jailhouse Strong
By
Jailhouse Strong
JoshStrength, LLC and Adam benShea
Copyright © 2013
All rights reserved, including file sharing, the right to reproduce this work, in whole or any part, in any form. All inquiries must be directed to Josh Bryant and Adam benShea and have approval from both authors.
Contents
Foreword Introduction
I - Why Do Prisoners Get Strong, Lean, and Ripped? II - A Brief History of Jailhouse Strength
III - Jailhouse Strength from the Source IV - Bodyweight Strength Training V - Burpees
VI - Bodyweight Workout Routines
VII - Jailhouse Strong and the Weight Pile VIII - Your Shield, Your Neck
IX - Eliminating Kinks in the Armor
FOREWORD
I’m going to get right to the point, because when it comes to getting Jailhouse Strong, every second counts.
If the reason you bought this book was to get bigger and stronger in less time using the least amount of equipment possible, then do yourself a favor. Skip this forward and go right to Chapter I - don’t worry, I won’t be offended in the least — because what you have in your hands is the tool that will help you achieve exactly that. But if you’re curious why, then read on.
When Jailhouse Strong was originally presented to me, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from it and wasn’t certain there would be anything for me to learn. Throughout my twenty-year career of writing about fitness, I’ve spoken to hundreds of trainers, exercise physiologists, coaches and the like the world over. Each had their own fitness philosophy for getting maximum results — but some of them came with their own personal agenda behind their philosophy.
The individuals that shared their secrets in this book aren’t fitness models motivated by a paycheck. They aren’t celebrity trainers pushing the next ‘new’ way to exercise in order to hawk their wares. They are men with nothing to gain by sharing their tricks and tips. Their only motivation is the pure satisfaction of knowing they’ve imparted what they have learned about building a powerful body as quickly as possible onto someone else. But more importantly, they are men driven to be Jailhouse Strong for one specific reason that you and I will hopefully never understand.
That reason is pure survival.
As someone that has seen it all in the exercise and fitness world, that is why Jailhouse Strong made such an impression on me, and why I’m certain it will make an impression of you — and your body — as well.
nothing but time on their hands to focus on their physiques. That might be true, but what I quickly discovered — and what should have been obvious to me from the start — is that despite having all that free time, guys on the inside need to build a better body as quickly as humanly possible.
That’s because when your incentive is pure survival, finding the shortest route to the greatest results is your only choice — and that’s exactly what Jailhouse Strong has brought together in one package. The techniques in this book are proven methods that achieve maximum results in less time using minimal equipment because for guys on the inside, there really isn’t any choice ‘but’ reach your goals under that type of strict criteria. It’s a street-smart approach to exercise that proves once-and-for-all that the only thing holding you back from the body you want isn’t not being able to afford the right type of supplements or having access to certain pieces of high-tech gym equipment.
The only thing holding you back is yourself.
BenShea and Bryant have pulled together all of the tactics relied on behind bars for survival, so that you can make your mark on the outside. Use them wisely, and I confidently say, you’ll stay Jailhouse Strong for life.
Myatt Murphy, C.S.C.S.
Introduction
From Jean Valjean in Les Misérables to Mike Tyson, our society is filled with tales of men coming out of the clink broader, bigger, and badder. While the idea of sharing an 8 x 8 cell with a violent sex offender may not be inviting, the strength gained from a jailhouse-style training regimen has an obvious allure.
Anyone who has seen a documentary on prison is familiar with the image of a workout yard filled with jacked cons. This picture begs the question: how do prisoners get so big and strong, while remaining lean and ripped, year round? There are a number of reasons for the freakishly strong inmate, and once they are understood, anyone from the corporate worker to the elementary school teacher can emulate the physical habits that produce such results. Of course, there is one habit you do not want to replicate: actually being in jail. With that in mind, this book will help you build a physique like prisoners on the inside, while still living and enjoying the freedom of being outside prison walls.
The benefits of Jailhouse Strong workouts are numerous:
They can be done anywhere: in a cell, a basement, or a hotel room.
They are functional. These workouts are meant to ready your body for the demands of a physical confrontation (making that next trip to your boss’ office or your father-in-law’s house feel like a walk in the park).
They require minimal equipment. Often, all that is needed is your own body weight. Lastly, they are just a hell of a lot of fun.
This jailhouse workout program is organized by body part (upper body, lower body, core, and total body) and real world, unarmed combat skill training drills.
To better understand how cons construct their workouts, develop slabs of functional muscle, and produce real results in less than ideal conditions, we sat down with a number of former prisoners, notorious hard men, seasoned street brawlers, and physical freaks.
Barefoot is now a minister, serving the law of the Lord, instead of the code of the street. However, he looked back with a degree of fondness on his experiences on the LA streets of the 1970s and his three stints behind bars. From these memories, he shared stories of heavy lifting as a means to prove one’s worth during the early days of the Crips. He also spoke with overt fondness for the initial founder of the Crips, the greatest street fighter in the City of Angels, the late Raymond Washington.
Dorian Yates is best known as the six-time winner of the prestigious Mr. Olympia contest, but a less-known part of his story is the six months that he spent behind bars. In jail, Yates was introduced to serious lifting, and found his passion for the iron. Dorian shared the physical routine and mental mindset that he cultivated behind bars, which would continue to serve him during his illustrious bodybuilding career.
While he does not have the reputation of Dorian Yates, Tyrus Hughes of Metroflex Gym in Plano, Texas is another bodybuilder who shared his training regimen from his time in prison with us. Tyrus’ story was interesting because it was in prison that his body went through a complete transition from a post-adolescent kid, small in size and strength, to a developed man, large in bulk and width.
One up-and-coming IFBB professional bodybuilder who had an intriguing story to tell about his time on the jailhouse weight yard was Cory Mathews. He was very open to talking about his apprenticeship in jailhouse-style strength training.
Another recognizable figure who we were able to talk with was the former president of the Ventura chapter of the notorious Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, George Christie. Along with discussing physical training bars, George shared his insights on how to conduct oneself in the potentially violent world of prison politics.
prisoners at the largest maximum security prison in the United States, gave him an understanding of jailhouse strength which was invaluable to this book.
Mike Knight’s reflections on his time as a guard at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California proved very helpful in providing us with a better understanding of jailhouse strength slang, and the kind of weight that was being lifted by the strongest prisoners.
To gain insight into the type of mindset and attitude necessary for success in unarmed combat in its rawest form, we were privileged to receive advice from Britain’s legendary doorman and best-selling author, Geoff Thompson.
We were also fortunate to spend some time talking with former light heavyweight world champion and New Jersey legend, Bobby Czyz. As many will remember from his days as a color commentator for Showtime Boxing, Bobby is intelligent, humorous, and very sincere when he shares his thoughts on a wide range of subjects relating to fighting, street smarts, and situational readiness.
Along with rapping with men from across the pond and over in the Garden State, we were able to get information from some lifting enthusiasts closer to home. It was at a local powerlifting gym that we first met James “Fed” Carroll. At the time, we were adolescent athletes looking to improve our competitive success through a strength program, and Fed was a bouncer at a local strip club. Nonetheless, a bond was formed through our common interest in the iron. That connection was reestablished when Fed shared his memories of weight training at the California Institution for Men in Chino, California.
A common feature of the stories shared by those who trained behind bars was the way in which physical training was the high point of a low point in their lives.
It is an acknowledgement of the way that strength training improves even the direst situation, and in gratitude for the willingness of these individuals to share their stories, that we write this book.
I - Why Do Prisoners Get Strong, Lean, and
Ripped?
Courtesy of Tyrus Hughes
Survival of the Fittest: Get Big or Die
Behind bars, one has to get big or die! But the look respected in prison is not that of the men’s physique competitor with huge biceps. Rather, in prison, one looks to build a physique that screams alpha male physical prowess, and drips with masculine virility. When someone sizes you up in the yard or in a bar, they first look at your neck, traps, forearms and your back (the places where workout-hardened muscles coil into combat-ready weapons). A hard-bitten street soldier can tell the difference between “all show and no go” muscles, and a truly dominant, functional physique.
In the big house, everyone is always watching and waiting, to figure out who are the predators, and who are the prey. The average con is not looking for a challenge, but for easy pickings. He may be looking to take your life, or your manhood. The easiest way to prevent yourself from being stripped of either is to build a no-nonsense physique. Like a knight putting on his armor for battle, you must build physical armor to show that you have prepared your body for the realities of no-rules combat.
world. It might be that asshole boss that always attempts to lay heavy blocks in the Labor Day Flag Football Tournament. If you build up true functional power, you can stop a sexual predator or put this corporate bully out of commission at the drop of a hat.
The bottom line is, if you are jacked, less people screw with you.
Higher Testosterone Levels
On average, criminals behind bars have higher testosterone levels than their free world counterparts. Individuals with higher testosterone levels are more aggressive in general, and more susceptible to criminal and high-risk behavior. As such, people who already have high testosterone are put in a social context where traditional sexual activities are suppressed, and physical confrontations are increased. While incarcerated, testosterone levels are raised further because of primordial ideals like resolving seemingly petty grievances with fistfights, knifings, and brutal beat-downs. This creates a gladiatorial environment that makes it tough for the average man to survive, but an ideal place for the alpha male to thrive.
When discussing the high ‘test’ level behind bars, it does not matter what the resident psychiatrist or social worker expert says, because it is difficult to figure out what came first; the pumped-up chicken, or the muscle-producing egg. It is, however, much easier to figure out how raising your test levels can make you Jailhouse Strong!
You need to have optimal testosterone levels to become Jailhouse Strong as fast as possible!
With this in mind, look at the questions below and see if they apply to you:
Is your waistline over 40 inches in size? Do you feel lethargic?
Is your libido lacking?
Do you sometimes feel depressed?
Are you grumpy for no apparent reason? Do you have a hard time losing body fat? Are you lacking energy?
Eat more unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, with a good balance of Omegas 3 and 6 Supplement with herbal extracts such as Fenugreek, Eurycoma Longifolia, and Tribulus Terrestris
Avoid long durations of carbohydrate depletion
Exercise Consistency
The legendary former professional bodybuilder Tom Platz said that when it comes to working out there is “good, better and best.” Almost everyone in the joint works out, at least minimally, so they are getting “good” physical training. This is because pretty much any type of consistent training will yield some positive results. Yet, some are getting better training, and quite a few of the cons are getting the best.
The takeaway is that you need to make your training a high priority! In the same way that you prioritize an important meeting or a night of drinking with a friend, your training needs to be prioritized. If you train three times per week and miss one workout a month, that means you miss 8 percent of all workouts.
If that does not sound like a lot, look at it this way: Say you work 200 days per year and miss 8 percent of scheduled work days. That would mean that you missed 16 days of work. Now, unless you have a real understanding boss, you will quickly be in the unemployment line.
You don’t have to train 40 hours a week. Setting aside just 4-5 hours per week for consistent training will offer significant physical gains.
Exercise Science Think Tanks
Real experiences in the jailhouse weight pile trump theoretical speculation in the lab. Rather than discussing the stock market, the kid’s soccer game, or the hot secretary, guys in the prison yard are concerned with the realities of a brutal environment. As such, they discuss ways to survive and excel in their world. So, much of the talk is about hardcore training. If you want results, it would be more beneficial to be a fly on the prison wall than a reader of a glossy muscle magazine or scientific journal.
Progression
One day, the no-nonsense powerlifter, Steve Holl, took a cursory glance around his training grounds. Then he said, “Look around this gym. The same people lifting the same weights, doing the same exercises, and looking the same for the past 15 years.” After a slight shake of his head, he added: “If you take one thing away from today, remember, you gotta put more weight on the bar. No matter what you do, you have to put more weight on the bar.”
muscularity. In the case of bodyweight exercises, by doing 100 push-ups in every workout, you will eventually cease making gains. Once your body has adapted to the workout, you will need to add more reps, sets, time under tension or added resistance. Resistance can be as varied as your cellmate on your back, or a weighted vest; anything to make the exercises more difficult. Even if it is as small as decreasing your rest periods from 45 seconds to 43 seconds, that is still progress. You are still getting better.
Cons are always striving to outdo other cons and destroy their own personal records. Do the same.
To make progress toward jailhouse strength, follow these four principles of progress:
The Principle of Individual Differences: Everyone cannot and should not train in the same manner. As one becomes more advanced in training, his ability to recover from workouts will change, and the gains he makes from different types of training will evolve. Some people are fast gainers, while others are slow gainers; most fall somewhere in the middle. Genetics, experience, aging, injuries, supplementation, mental acuity, and a host of environmental factors will influence how each person adapts to training. This applies to you as you experiment with different routines in this book. The more information you track, the more effectively you can decipher what works best for you.
The Principle of Overcompensation: This is a very simple principle, but its importance is often overlooked. It is a survival trait built into your DNA by your Creator. The way that your body adapts to stress metamorphoses into strength. A scar or callus is an example of your body trying to heal itself as efficiently as possible. When you put an increasing amount of stress on your muscles, they will overcompensate by becoming bigger and stronger as a defense mechanism.
The Law of Overload: Whether it means more reps, sets, shorter rest periods, additional weight added to your body, or increased frequency, the principle is to progressively make training more intense. If you do not continually overload your training, you will either maintain or, more likely, lose ground. We are either evolving, or devolving. Choose to evolve!
The Importance of Deloads: More is not always better, because you want to gradually overload your training. Periods of very intense training must be followed by lower intensity periods, also called “deloads.” This may be referred to as an active recovery.
Jailhouse Intervals
slow cardio, intense interval training can produce up to nine times the fat loss for every calorie burned during a cardio workout. The primary reason is that training with intervals will stimulate your post-workout metabolism more significantly than long, slow cardio.
Sleep and Recovery
Many convicts are able to get a full night’s sleep, and take naps throughout the day. Sleep is imperative to recovery. The body produces most of its natural growth hormone during REM sleep. While many experts state the body needs at least seven hours of sleep, they are talking about the “average person.” If you are a hard-training athlete, you are not average, and you need more sleep than this. At least eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep is recommended, along with taking naps as often as possible.
A recent study conducted by the University of Chicago Medical School, and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, confirmed the importance of a full night’s sleep. The study consisted of two control groups, in which members of both groups were on calorie-restricted weight loss diets. One group was sleep deprived; the other group had a full night’s sleep every night. Both groups lost the same amount of weight in this study; however, the sleep-deprived group had 25 percent less fat loss. If you are trying to maximize muscle mass and minimize body fat, you need your sleep.
Convicts certainly have an advantage by not having to work 40-plus hours a week. You have an advantage by not having a cellmate who could potentially slash your throat or attempt to do the horizontal mambo on any given night. Here are some steps that you can take as a free man to increase your sleep quality. Remember to use your time wisely. The irony for most free men is that your free time is minimal.
Pray or meditate before bed. It is comforting to be at peace with your Creator and/or the world around you Avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine (and other stimulants like cocaine and ephedrine)
Take melatonin
Eat dinner by candlelight versus electrical light
Get a massage or use a foam roller prior to going to bed Set a sleep routine
Take a nap during the day
NUTRITION
“Big” Al Davis
Ask any bodybuilder how he got so big and lean, and they will usually claim that it is all diet. A prisoner doesn’t have access to the highest quality food, but with extra funds, he can buy protein powder and cans of tuna. In some instances, the gateway to legal muscle-building supplements (and not-so-legal muscle-building supplements) can be obtained from a connection on the outside. An advantage to the nutrition plan in jail is that the meals are consistently eaten at the same time every day. Like with training, a consistent time to eat is beneficial for the body.
Along with planning a consistent meal plan for your days, take advantage of life on the outside, and get your hands on the best nutrition and supplements that you can. Cons have a very hard time getting access to strength-building nutrients, but you have ready access to protein, a blender, protein bars … whatever is needed for you to better yourself physically.
When you are training hard and looking to fully realize muscle gains, eat at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. While this is certainly above FDA recommendations, your goal is to build an ass-kicking machine, not just sustain life. Although it is best to eat as much protein as you can from natural sources, supplements do have their place as a way to get additional protein, or as a convenient way to get protein when you are short on time.
Remember the word is “supplement,” NOT “substitute.” To look great, you will generally have to follow a strict dietary regimen, high in protein, and without excess carbohydrates and fat. When it comes to nutrition, you have all the advantages at your disposal to get Jailhouse Strong!
Take Home Lesson
II - A Brief History of Jailhouse Strength
Prisons have existed since the beginning of civilization, because humans have always wanted to separate criminals from law-abiding citizens. Early jails were different from the societal reintegration institutions of today. They were merely a place to hold individuals until the real punishment could be carried out. In early prisons, there was no pretense of rehabilitating the inmates; just keeping them out of society until the gallows were ready to go; like a holding pen at the slaughterhouse.
Prisons did not change much until the late eighteenth century, when American Benjamin Rush lobbied for prison reform in Pennsylvania. Rush asserted that the primary objective of punishment should be the reformation of the criminal, and deterrence from future crime. He argued for a change in punishment philosophy because the incarceration experience tended to harden criminals, and engendered hatred toward the government.
As a result of Rush’s work, prisons gradually became what they are today, or claim to be: rehabilitation facilities. In accordance with this goal of rehabilitation, prisons started to offer recreational programs and activities to help the prisoner acclimate into a civil society. One of these activities was weightlifting. Proponents of weightlifting in prisons say that “banging around the pig iron” helps the inmates pass the time, relieve stress and anxiety, build a sense of purpose, and create a positive self-image. They also say that prisoners who lift will behave better because they do not want to lose their access to the iron. Some prison administrators, like Garry Frank, believe that weightlifting not only helps the individual inmates, but also the institution as a whole, because it creates a safer population. Frank, the athletic director at Angola State Prison in Louisiana, asserts that the low rates of violence at his prison may be attributed, in part, to the inmates being able to lift weights.
Rockview State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. While in the pen, Williams started to experiment with high-volume training and lifting twice a day, concepts which were way ahead of his time. He also found ways to overcome the Spartan setting of the prison weight room. For example, when he needed a weight belt to lift, he would tie a couple of towels around his waist. Even without state-of-the-art equipment, Williams still went on to become the second man in history to officially bench press 600 pounds. He was also built like a brick shit house; he was said to have a 60-inch, relaxed chest, and 23-inch cold-measured arms!
Another strong man that came out of the can was Greg “the Beetle” Lowe. Greg is considered one of the greatest power lifters of all time, a feat he achieved while being locked up in the State Correctional Institution in Graterford, Pennsylvania. Although the Beetle did not start lifting seriously until he got locked up in 1985, it only took him eight years to become the national champion. As he aged, this incredible strength stayed with Lowe. In 2007, at the age of 52, the Beetle competed in a powerlifting meet and squatted 865 pounds, bench pressed 460 pounds, and deadlifted 820 pounds for a 2,145-pound total! Amazingly, he did all this while serving a life sentence.
A dedicated focus on training while incarcerated can lead to international success, as it did for some of the Japanese-Americans who were in the internment camps of World War II. While being detained in the Tule Lake Segregation Center, Emerick Ishikawa introduced a number of young men to physical culture through the Tule Lake Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Club. After the war, Ishikawa became a US Champion and a bronze medalist in the World Weightlifting Championships. However, it was one of his pupils, Tommy Kono, who would become one of the greatest lifters of all time. Before he medaled at three Olympics, won six consecutive World Weightlifting Championships, and set 21 world records, Kono began his lifting career at an internment camp with a York Ten-In-One exercise kit purchased by Block 27 of Ward II.
brutal kettlebell workouts as a means to maintain physical strength, and their sanity. This tradition continues in the Russian prisons of today with the holding of the “Spartakiada Games,” a prison Olympics of sorts. This competition brings together nine Siberian prisons to compete in six different events. In 2011, the winner of the most prestigious event, the kettlebell overhead press, performed 67 reps with a 24-kilogram (52.8 pounds) kettlebell in each hand.
Although these stories indicate a vibrant iron culture behind bars, over time, many members of the general public began to fear the “super criminals” they felt were being created in the prison weight pile. This general fear and public outcry pressured many politicians and prison administrators into reassessing the benefits of jailhouse lifting. Consequently, by the early 1990s, some states began to phase out their weightlifting programs. Arizona was the first to completely get rid of their weight room, and other states quickly followed suit.
As a result of states banning the lifting of weights and removing traditional exercise equipment, prisoners began to create incredibly interesting exercises by just making use of what they had. They had bunks, so they did pull-ups on them. They had floor space, so they did pushups, sit-ups, and burpees. They had a deck of cards, so they did “Tyson squats” (explained below).
Even without access to quality training equipment, some beautiful physiques were developed. What this taught us, and what was confirmed with our numerous interviews, is that state-of-the-art equipment is not needed to create a magnificent shape.
All you need is a plan and a work ethic.
III - Jailhouse Strength from the Source
Dorian Yates with author.
Dorian Yates (Six-time Mr. Olympia)
Behind bars in Britain, Dorian realized that physical training was a means to get respect from other inmates and the guards. As Yates said, “From guards to inmates alike, no one ever messed with me.” While his physique may have been intimidating, Dorian thinks that it was his disciplined approach to training that garnered respect from the jailhouse denizens.
Aside from establishing a top place in the testosterone-fused hierarchy found in the complex web of prison yard politics, hardcore training also offered Dorian a focus for his passion and a direction for his life. As Yates explained it, training helped him “discover his gift.” Dorian understands that not everyone has the physical makeup and genetic structure to become Mr. Olympia, or even a pro bodybuilder; but he firmly believes that “everybody can develop a passion for training and building their body.”
a positive outlet for feelings of depression and anxiety caused by life in a confined space. For those on the outside, the confined space may not be an iron jail cell, but a dull gray cubicle or stifling urban apartment. Whatever the case may be, the benefit of hardcore training as a means to rise above your predicament remains consistent.
Dorian’s style of training in jail combined basic powerlifting movements (such as heavy squats, bench presses, and deadlifts) with a bodyweight circuit that included exercises likes dips, pull-ups, and rope climbing. While the goal among inmates was to complete the circuit three times, Dorian established himself as the strongest inmate with his ability to go through the circuit 5-6 times.
This no-nonsense workout program provided the future Mr. Olympia with the foundational training necessary to sculpt his body into the granite-like mountain of muscle that dominated the professional bodybuilding stage for the majority of the 1990s.
George Christie (Former president of the Ventura chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club)
During his time in federal prison and county jail, Christie preferred to train in martial arts and only lifted “light weights.” But, he did pay attention to the level of commitment that was dedicated to creating massive “upper frames.” Once weights were removed from prisons, inmates would construct “bladders,” by filling bags with water to create their own weights.
Often, guards would find these bladders and have them destroyed. However, this would not deter the inmates’ motivation to train. As Christie says, “The guys in prison always find a way to get done what they want to get done. Lifting weights, making alcohol, whatever it is they’re going to do, they will find a way to do it.”
goal on the street is to stay off the ground (unless you want to be the recipient of a thorough stomping), and to keep the fight in the striking and trapping ranges. From a more general perspective, Christie suggests trying to avoid a fight. When you must fight, “get the job done as fast as you can and get the hell out. Don’t stand around and admire your work, because it’s not pretty.”
As a means to avoid fights and trouble, in general, Christie’s advice about how to carry yourself in prison could be applied to many social dynamics: “You give respect; you’re going to get respect back.”
Mike Knight 1984
In prison and jail there are bars separating the guards from the cons, but this does not always mean that there is a strict division between the two. That is, respect has to be earned by con and guard alike. During his tenure at Soledad, Mike Knight was one of the toughest prison guards walking the tier, and earned respect on both sides of the bars.
As a serious lifter himself, Mike would lift with some of the stronger inmates. This gave Knight a good relationship with the heavy lifters at Soledad, and established his reputation as a guard who was to be respected.
In one instance, when an inmate started giving Mike some static, Knight’s reputation among the prisoners kept the inmate in his cell when Mike invited the dude to settle the dispute one-on-one in the rec room.
20-inch “guns.”
In addition, it was through the common interest of lifting that Mike was provided a unique window into the day-to-day activities of Soledad’s inmates. Along with noticing the prisoners practicing some unique training methods, Mike picked up on the informal names used for different muscle groups. Rather than using the scientific terms that are most familiar for those in the ivory tower, “yard talk” had its own language for the slabs of bulk they were building.
Biceps were called “knots.” Your shoulders were known as “caps.” A large chest was referred to as the “hood,” while the lower chest called the “nest.” The lats on a sprawling back were named “wings.” And, lastly, the body parts that probably received the most attention were the triceps, or “back arms.”
Angelo “Barefoot Pookie” White (Original Member of the Crips)
As one of the founding fathers of the Crips, and a legitimate OG (Original Gangster) in the urban battle zone of the gang-infested sections of Los Angeles, “Barefoot Pookie” has been a ringside viewer and active combatant in the raw wars fought for respect among some of the toughest street soldiers. However, in Angelo’s day, these battles were not always waged with bullets. Reputations were built on one’s physical prowess.
In the early days, no one had a reputation like the originator of the Crips, Raymond Washington. Undefeated in over 200 street fights, Raymond’s ability as a fighter, along with his highly physical leadership style (rather than promoting all-out gang warfare, Washington would often challenge rival gang leaders to one-on-one fights to settle territory disputes), enabled the Crips to swallow many of the smaller gangs throughout Los Angeles. Having never been put down in fisticuffs, it was an unknown assassin’s bullet that took Washington’s life in 1979. However, many of the Crips’ early members still talk about Raymond’s physicality with a quiet reverence.
Unlike today, in the 1970s, Crips street gang members could prove themselves by the strength in their arms, not the spray of their bullets. As Pookie tells it, bodybuilding was huge in the early days of the Crips, and many of the first members of the Crips earned their street credit through strength on the “weight pile.” While lifting could earn you respect on the outside, it was inside correctional facilities like YA (Youth Authority) and juvenile hall that many Crips were first introduced to weights. When members of the Crips progressed to state prisons, so did their lifting. Pookie recalled many members of the Crips and the BGF (Black Guerilla Family) who could bench over 500 pounds.
Courtesy of Tyrus Hughes
Now a competitive bodybuilder, it was in prison that Tyrus turned his once-small frame into a mammoth physique. To develop his body, Hughes used a daily routine of unorthodox lifting and arduous bodyweight training. Tyrus’ lifting program was a reaction against prison officials trying to prevent cons from getting too strong. When a low weight was welded onto a bar, Tyrus would take laces from his boots and tie dumbbells to the end of the bar. This unconventional method made balancing the weight for bench press extremely difficult.
To develop his growing bulk, Tyrus was not just content with increasing the barbell load. In his cell, Tyrus would work out with self-made weights.” He would curl bags filled with water and a tightly rolled mattress with newspapers for handles.
up playing cards from his cell floor. This workout (described later) has become known as “Mike Tyson Squats” because they were used by the former heavyweight champion during his stay at Plainfield Correctional Facility.
By his own accord, Tyrus was able to train hard every day and make unreal gains in strength and size because prison life allowed for plenty of time for rest, and an escape from the stresses of everyday life on the outside. The primary stress that he had in prison (staying alive) was made more bearable by the increase in strength and situational readiness that he developed with a strict training program.
Cory Mathews (Bodybuilder and Pastor)
Courtesy of Cory Mathews
him out of his life of crime.
According to Mathews, there are three reasons why jailhouse training is so successful. First, Cory explains: “When you’re incarcerated, you are confined to getting rest. The major thing is guys get lots of rest.” Although there were many instances in which Cory was concerned about potential riots, he looks back on his time in prison as one of the most stress-free times in his life. With minimal stress, rest and recovery came easy. Second, behind bars, an inmate is getting three meals a day. While the meals are not “bodybuilding clean,” it is a regular diet, and one that can be supplemented with calorie-dense foods (like peanut butter) from the commissary, or what prisoners call “the store.” Third, guys lifted and trained whenever they could, because they looked at it as a hobby. They enjoyed working out, and looked forward to it.
The physical size Cory gained from lifting gave him a certain amount of leverage among the other inmates. However, Mathews stresses a mantra that is pertinent to men of all sizes. “At some point, you’re gonna have to defend yourself and you’re gonna have to show that you stand for something at some point.”
James “Fed” Carroll (Drummer, Lifter, and Doorman)
While Fed was at Chino’s California Institution for Men, the lifting was done in “a giant sandpit with nothing but flat, wooden benches, real steep inc [incline] and dec [decline] benches.” Along with occasional workouts on a single squat rack, an old-school leg press, and a few old Olympic weight sets, most of the hardcore training was done through bench work. This Spartan environment did not prevent inmates from reaching big numbers. While Carroll was at Chino, he saw some dudes hitting 500 pounds on the bench.
sets of 25 reps. Similarly, at Chino, Fed knew a fellow inmate who constructed a 260-pound ripped physique by only doing dips, pull-ups, and sit-ups. Both cases indicate the possibilities for bodyweight training to develop a mammoth structure of muscle.
Witnessing the training at Chino’s sandpit and Red’s push-up workout caused Fed to realize the type of gains that could be accomplished behind bars, without complex machines or programs. As Fed succinctly states, “It goes to show that the basics will get you big.”
Aside from basic, hardcore training, Fed noticed two other aspects of life behind bars that are crucial for developing jailhouse strength. First, inmates have an established routine of eating and training at the same time every day. From Carroll’s perspective, this is beneficial for training because “the body thrives on a schedule.” Second, the prison is filled with a bunch of dudes all competing for the position of alpha male. This creates a testosterone-rich environment that feeds the desire to train harder and heavier.
Garry Frank (Powerlifting Legend and Athletic Director at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola)
As one of the greatest power lifters of all time, Garry has a thorough appreciation for the iron, and gets excited by the enthusiasm that Angola’s inmates have for the weight pile. As Frank puts it, “It’s really neat that everybody is attuned to strength and weight training … I really enjoy that.” Part of the reason that Angola prisoners are so interested in training is because strength is a means to get respect. And in a correctional facility, respect is everything.
To build jailhouse strength in Angola, Frank notices inmates pushing each other to get leaner and more powerful. Whether during a run in the yard, or on a bench in the weight room, prisoners push one another to create a competitive environment that lends itself to hardcore training.
importance of rest and recuperation in a physical training program, the inmates at Angola are proof of the benefits of this type of training. Specifically, Frank observes the way in which prisoners keep a robust build into old age. As he says, “I have seen guys out there 65 years old, look like they are 30.”
Enrique “Flea” Perez (Personal Trainer and former football star)
While doing time in various federal correctional facilities, Perez had to put up with less-than-ideal lifting equipment. For example, the weight pile in the Federal Correctional Institution in Ft. Worth was located under a tin roof, and many inmates had to make do with mismatched dumbbells. But, inmates did not let this stand in the way of reaching incredible results, like Enrique’s lifting partner, who could easily do 600 pounds on the reverse grip bench and rep 345 pounds in a behind the neck press.
Perez was amazed at how big and strong inmates could become without supplements, and by just relying on proper rest and eating healthy. However, he did have some ideas about why prisoners were able to make significant gains in a short time. For example, Enrique made note of the fact that many inmates had addictive personalities that could be directed toward training. In many cases, former drug addicts would shift from a severe drug habit to a workout habit.
IV - Bodyweight Strength Training
Josh Bryant
Behind bars, an individual encounters many potential obstacles standing in the way of an ideal training environment. Specifically, he has limited time outside, minimal space, and, often, a lack of access to workout equipment. These obstacles may be the same as those faced by the time-crunched executive, the stressed Mr. Mom, or the energy-depleted college student. Yet, the hardened inmate does not let these minor situational difficulties impede his progress toward getting Jailhouse Strong.
Using your bodyweight as resistance is one of the best ways to construct a workout program that will not be affected by these slight inconveniences. This is because a bodyweight workout can be completed anywhere, and without equipment. With the correct application of the Jailhouse Strong bodyweight workouts, the street soldier and the weekend warrior alike can make real gains in functional strength and construct the broad-shouldered, lean-waisted look that elicits immediate respect and prolonged feminine stares at the community pool.
exercise is one in which you move, while an open kinetic chain exercise is one in which the weight moves. A bench press is an open kinetic movement because your effort moves the weight (attached to a bar) up and down. A push-up is a closed kinetic movement because your effort moves your body up and down.
Closed kinetic exercises can be more beneficial in terms of results and safety, because they build functional strength and are easier on your body. Closed kinetic movements are able to build functional strength because they train the body to move its own weight, a prerequisite for almost any real-world activity, from lifting yourself off your couch, to transitioning into a liver punch. Closed kinetic exercises are considered safer, because they allow an individual’s body structure to determine the movement pattern of the joints. This allows for a more natural range of motion that may remove excessive stress from the joints, and enables the muscles to perform the workout. With this natural range of motion, joints are less likely to be injured, and muscles are more likely to grow.
In addition, most bodyweight exercises are classified as compound exercises, which mean that they are multi-joint movements that work several muscle groups simultaneously. Performing big compound exercises (as opposed to small, isolated movements) can produce big muscles and release a large amount of anabolic hormones (the primary building block for gaining strength, increasing sexual desire, and changing that sagging jawline to a chiseled countenance).
Tyson Mendes courtesy of Sky View Projects
Push-ups:
A favorite of Britain’s most dangerous convict, the infamous Charles Bronson, push-ups enable one to build muscular strength, size, and endurance through the chest, shoulders, and back arms (that’s triceps for you lab geeks). Unlike the bench press (which requires bulky and expensive equipment), push-ups force you to use core stabilization, because you have to move your own body weight. Therefore, push-ups provide a core workout that is not found in many traditional chest exercises.
Below are some of the push-up variations that are most beneficial for building functional strength, for pushing your way to the front of the chow line, or through the rampant BS at your next sales convention:
Regular Push-ups: Pretty self-explanatory (remember high school gym?). Keep your back straight, your palms flat on the ground, and get a full range of motion.
Wide Push-ups: Place your hands beyond shoulder-width to build slabs of rocks over your delts and pecs. (Note: If you have a history of shoulder problems, you may want to avoid this movement.)
Knuckle Push-ups: As old-school MMA fighter Ken Shamrock says, “Knuckle push-ups make you punch harder.” If you line up your clenched fists horizontally (thumbs pointing toward each other) the push-up movement will better mimic the punching movement.
Clap Push-ups: Descend as in a normal push-up, but on the way up, press explosively and clap your hands together. This variation develops explosive strength that has carryover into prison yard brawls and quick exits from the dinner table with that annoying ex.
Explosive Push-ups: If you are new to Jailhouse Strong training, you may not be ready for clap push-ups. Start with an explosive push-up. Begin in a traditional push-up position, descend and then explode up to have your hands leave the floor.
Fingertip Push-up: Forget the Kung-Fu grip; these will build the Jailhouse Strong vice grip! Like a regular push-up, but only the tips of your fingers are touching the floor.
Decline/Elevated Push-up: Hit your lower chest by putting your palms on the floor and your feet on an elevated surface, like a chair or your bunk. The steeper the decline, the more your chest will be worked, because the elevated angle forces you to handle a greater percentage of your bodyweight. Unlike with weight training (where a decline press is easier than the traditional bench press), a decline push-up is much more difficult/advanced than a traditional push-up.
Deficit Push-up: Usually this push-up is done with three chairs, but it can be done with a bed or two stacks of the paperbacks inmates read to get through what seem like endless hours. Whatever you use, get the raised platforms on roughly the same level. Put your feet together on one elevated surface and your palms on the other two surfaces that are shoulder-width apart. On the downward portion of the push-up, dip your chest below the raised platforms. This will offer a deep stretch and offers a core strengthening benefit as long as you keep your back straight. For those coming from a powerlifting background, these push-ups build starting strength for the bench press. (Note: If you have a history of shoulder problems, avoid this movement.)
Deck of Pain:
Tyson Mendes courtesy of Sky View Projects
Pull-ups:
Pull-ups- While powder-puff gym rats looking for a broad back venture over to lat pull-downs and resistance bands on wheels, no exercise builds that tapered V-shape like pull-ups. What is more, pull-ups build an upper back and shoulders that will take out door jambs and fill out even the drabbest corporate coat. Aesthetics aside, pull-ups build functional strength that has real-world benefits ranging from grappling, to climbing the corporate the ladder.
When locked up, dudes have been known to use anything from prison bars to tiny crevices in the wall to get in some pull-ups. For those on the outside, any bar will do. A bar for pull-ups can be found in public parks, playgrounds, gyms, factories, naval battleships … all over. If you do not have immediate access to a bar, get creative.
a towel in the space between the carpet and the bottom of the door. This will stabilize the door. After which, you can grip the top of the door and start banging out pull-ups. But big boys beware: If you pull too hard, you could bring the door down with you.
Below are some of the most common pull-up variations, and some unorthodox ones as well.
Pull-up: The classic pull-up is executed with palms wrapped around the bar and facing away from the body. On the bottom of the exercise, the arms are fully extended. Pull your body up, squeeze your back, open your chest and get your chin over the bar. After which, lower yourself back to the starting position.
Chin-up: The little brother of the pull-up, the only difference being that the palms are facing you. This slight difference will allow a better pump for the attention-getting and T-shirt-popping biceps. When it comes to the meat and potatoes of bodyweight bicep exercises, the chin-up is the filet mignon.
Alternate grip- With one palm facing you and one facing away, pull yourself up and above the bar. The benefit of the alternate grip is that this hand placement mimics the grip most often used in grappling (a common element of almost every real unarmed combat conflict).
Triangle: Hang at full extension with a traditional grip. Pull yourself at a diagonal angle toward your left hand until your chin is above the bar. Keeping your chin above the bar, move your body toward your right hand. Then, take a diagonal descent down and return the starting position to complete a downward-facing triangle. One of the many benefits of this pull-up is that it increases the period during which the back muscles are under tension.
Hercules chin-up: A creation of the Jailhouse Strong system that uses incremental movements to build monster knots (biceps). Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar and hold for two seconds. Then, descend halfway down and hold for two seconds. Then repeat this movement for the prescribed number of repetitions. Finish with arms fully extended at the bottom.
A one hundred pull-up workout is the type of training that builds the type of broad back that veteran street soldiers, combat athletes, and even some office drones will recognize as the mark of the functionally strong.
An approachable way to bang out a century of ups is by way of a pyramid. Start with one pull-up, then perform two, and continue until you reach ten pull-ups. After hitting ten pull-ups, work your way back down the pyramid to one. If this pyramid is too audacious for you, a pyramid could be done at any number. Or, you can get after it to become king of the yard, the man in the copy room, and the dominant male at the next neighborhood tiki pool party with a pull-up pyramid that exceeds 100 reps.
Even if you have access to a lat pull-down machine, do not fool yourself into thinking it is as effective as the pull-up in all its varieties. Some of the benefits of pull-ups and chin-ups include:
Pull-Ups are a closed kinetic chain exercise Pull-ups work more muscles than machines
Many fitness experts and gurus are in agreement that the abdominals are more active in pull-ups than in any other type of abdominal exercise
Pull-ups are king for upper back development
Special Forces and other elite organizations use pull-ups as a testing standard Chin-ups are a catalyst for bicep growth!
Look at the back development of athletes, such as gymnasts, who use pull-up variations as their primary means of upper back training
Assuming you are not wearing straps (which you should not be) pull-ups build great grip strength! Pull-ups force you to handle your own body weight, which is a crucial aspect of success in most sports!
Additional Training (Dips, Handstand Push-Ups, Triceps Extensions):
Courtesy of Brian Scott
Dips: Although traditionally done on a dip bar, behind-bars prisoners have been known to do dips off a bed, or on two stacks of books. Any stable object can be used as placement for your hands. Lower yourself until you reach a ninety-degree angle at your elbows, then return to full extension. Leaning forward with your upper body will provide a larger load, and greater workout, for the chest and front delts, while keeping a straight back shifts the focus of the workout to your triceps. In traditional dips on a bar, your feet are suspended in the air. In a modified version, your feet may be placed on the ground or, for more of a challenge, they can be elevated on a chair or bench. The wide range of possibilities for performing dips makes them a perfect workout for the compressed space of the individual doing ten to twenty years, or the traveling salesman on the road for seven to ten days.
Triceps Extensions: Many ex-cons have said that the biggest back arms they ever saw were on the prison tier. Triceps extensions are a bodyweight method for building horseshoe back arms that fill out prison denim, workman wool, or preppy polo. Prisoners have been known to use the iron bar on the end of their bed, while inner-city bodyweight training enthusiasts use a portion of their local playground. Whatever you use, the basic mechanics of the exercises are consistent. Grasp a horizontal bar at the mid-torso range, then place your forehead against the bar and walk your feet backward until your body is at an angle. Then press your bent elbows to full extension. For a greater challenge, walk your feet farther out.
Lower Body:
Although the lower body is often neglected by the all-show-no-go, spray tan types, those looking to be Jailhouse Strong know that a powerful tree has strong roots. Building the roots of your tree can be done away from the gym, and outside of the squat rack.
being that the practitioner’s fingers are interlocked behind his head (execution victim-style) and the feet remain flat in the prisoner squat.
Jumping Squats: Like the Hindu Squat, except that once you hit the bottom of your squat, your explosive movement upward is continued into a jump. This exercise builds explosive power and, when done in high reps, explosive strength endurance.
Pistol Squats: Sometimes referred to as a one-legged squat, pistol squats are done by placing a leg straight in front of you, and squatting with the other leg. The straight leg should remain as rigid possible. This movement develops balance, along with strength.
Jump and Tuck: Descend into a quarter-squat position and push your arms behind your body, then reverse the motion by swinging your arms upward and jumping as high as possible. In the midst of jumping as high as possible, pull your knees toward your chest. Return to the ground in a quarter-squat position to absorb some of the force of the landing, and reduce potential stress on the knees (do not let your knees fall over your toes). After returning to standing upright, you can progress through multiple repetitions in rapid-fire succession for an effective plyometric workout that requires no specialized equipment. (Note: You may want to avoid this movement if you have a history of knee problems.)
Back Lunge: Like the traditional lunge, except you step backward to perform the movement. This causes an increased focus on the glutes, or what some prisoners call the “booty.”
Side Lunge: A sidestepping variation of the traditional lunge that works the inner thighs and adductors.
the foot forward and back to the initial position.
Calf Raises: While aesthetic appeal falls low on the Jailhouse Strong priority list, calf raises build calves that would be the envy of any Santa Monica personal trainer. To perform this exercise, stabilize your body by placing your hands against an immovable object like a wall (or the shoulders of your three-hundred-pound cellmate). Then, raise your body onto your toes. As you progress in strength, work toward using less of your toes, and eventually supporting your bodyweight on just the big toe of each foot.
Tyson Squat Workout:
Mike Tyson came back to boxing from his three-year stint in a correctional facility bigger and broader. Along with T-shirt-popping biceps, and shoulders that could take out door jambs, Tyson’s upper legs (quadriceps and hamstrings, for those of a scientific bend) filled out his trademark black trunks like never before. To develop these tree trunks, it is said that Tyson’s leg workout during his time behind bars was the following:
Start with ten cards and line them up 2-4 inches apart. Squat and pick up the first card, then move to the next card and place the first card on top of the second card. After which, you squat twice more to pick up each card individually, before moving to the third card. Walk to the third card and squat twice to stack each card, then squat three times to pick up each card before carrying the cards to the fourth card, and proceeding with the pattern. You will continue this pattern of individually stacking and picking up the cards until you move through all ten cards in the line. At that point, you will have completed 100 squats. You can add cards as your strength and endurance increase.
Core:
strength in your upper body, and can provide vital defense against body blows, and much worse. The hard reality of real core training is that is must be done with the goal of protecting your internal organs from a blunt force strike, or to minimize the damage of an edged weapon. Leave the late-night infomercials and catchy gimmicks to the suburban housewife who is nobly searching for the high school body that will remain just beyond her reach, and remember that few routines will build real power in the midsection like the Jailhouse Strong core routine. Of course, this routine is done with functional strength as the goal, but it will also help to flatten flab and cut up abs.
While the fitness world’s increased interest in core workouts may be traced to the infamous sales tactics of Tony Little (flowing pony tail and all), ab training in some circles remains nothing more than endless crunches. Among the detriments to this myopic approach is that it could negatively affect your posture. As a means to strengthen your core from every angle (front, back, and side), a wide range of core strengthening movements are included in the Jailhouse Strong program.
Hanging Leg Raises (knees up): Jump up, grab a pull-up bar, and hang until your body is motionless. While flexing your lats and abs, ensure that your arms are straight. Bend your knees and in a controlled fashion (2 seconds up and 2 seconds down), raise your knees to your chest, and return to the starting position. Along with the benefits to your core, leg raises also strengthen your back and grip.
Hanging Leg Raises (obliques): Hanging motionless from a pull-up bar, bend your knees, and slowly lift them up to one side (as high as possible). This movement is accomplished by curling your midsection from the bottom up, not by forcefully jerking your knees. At the top of the movement, squeeze your lower abs and side abs for a one count. In a controlled manner, repeat the movement on the opposite side. Rather than relying on momentum, the key to this exercise is to make your abs do the work.
Hanging Leg Raises (to bar): This is a more advanced version of the straight leg raise. Rather than bringing your straight legs just to the belly level, progress until your feet touch the bar. Remember to raise and lower your legs in a slow and controlled fashion.
Windshield Wipers: This is probably the most difficult of the leg raise variations. Hang from a pull-up bar and bring your straight legs up until they touch the bar. From this position, rotate your straight legs side to side (like a windshield wiper). This exercise uses isometric contractions that increase one’s ability to absorb a body shot, and has a rotational component which is beneficial for building the powerful twisting motion utilized in many strikes and takedowns. In addition, it tones the obliques and trims down love handles.
Crunches: Like gym class, put your hands behind your ears or crossed over your chest. Cross your feet and raise them off the ground. From there, the movement should revolve around the portion of the exercise where tension in the abs is greatest.
Flutter Kicks: Raise your head off the ground, lift your feet six inches from the floor, and place your hands under your butt. Then, alternate lifting each leg. This movement builds strength in the lower abs and hip flexors.
Scissors: Begin in the same position as the flutter kick exercise, then alternate crisscrossing one leg over the other.
Alternate Touch Ankles: Alternate touching each ankle to build strength in the obliques.
Plank: A static exercise that strengthens the core while building isometric strength through the upper and lower body, the plank offers much benefit to the Jailhouse Strong practitioner. To execute, distribute the weight of your body between your forearms and your toes, and make sure that focus is paid to keep the abs tight.
Side Plank: Hit the obliques by resting your body on one forearm and the side of the same side foot (with the other foot stacked on top). The opposite arm may be placed on the hip, or pointed straight in the air.
Plank Walk-up: A dynamic and more advanced version of the traditional plank. Begin in the regular plank position. Place one hand at a time into a push-up position. Once in the starting position of a push-up, return to the traditional plank one hand at a time. This variation of the plank offers strength building benefits to the core and the upper and lower body.
100 Burn:
“100 Burn.” Perform the first seven exercises for 10 repetitions, and the last three for a count of 10 seconds, as a means to reach a total count of 100. The first goal in this routine should be to gradually increase the repetitions and the count until a total of 1,000 is reached.
Progression in Bodyweight Training:
Even if you are totally green to Jailhouse Strong training and currently unable to complete the described bodyweight exercises, Jailhouse Strong has progression options for you. Below are some very effective movements to introduce you to the benefits of bodyweight training. Each exercise is listed with progressive steps and sub-steps. Once you complete all the sub-steps, progress to the next step. To progress, it may require that you complete 1 workout or 20. In either case, stay the course. Jailhouse Strong is about continual progression.
Progression to Pull-ups/Chin-ups:
STEP 1
Chin-ups/Pull-ups on straight bar (knees bent) - horizontal rows/inverted rows. Progression 1: 2 sets of 5 reps
Progression 2: 3 sets of 8 reps Progression 3: 3 sets 12 reps
Progression 4: 3 sets 10 reps (5 second eccentric/lowering phase pull explosive up)
MOVE TO STEP 2!
Chin-ups/Pull-ups on straight bar (feet straight) - horizontal rows. Progression 1: 2 sets of 5 reps
Progression 2: 3 sets of 8 reps Progression 3: 3 sets 12 reps
Progression 4: 3 sets 10 reps (5 second eccentric lowering phase explosive pull-up)
MOVE TO STEP 3!
Progression 1: 3 sets flexed arm hang hold 12 seconds, 3 sets 12 inverted rows
Progression 2: 3 sets flexed arm hang hold 21 seconds, 3 sets 12 inverted rows (3 second eccentric phase) Progression 3: 2 sets 30 seconds, 3 sets 12 inverted rows (5 second eccentric phase)
MOVE TO STEP 4!
Eccentric Chin-ups/Pull-ups.
Progression 1: Band-assisted Chin-ups 3x3, Eccentric chin-ups (jump up lower to full extension take 5 seconds) 3 sets 4 reps
Progression: 2: Band-assisted Chin-ups 4x4, Eccentric chin-ups (jump up lower to full extension take 7 seconds) 3 sets 4 reps
Progression 3: Band-assisted Chin-ups 5x5, Eccentric chin-ups (jump up lower to full extension take 8 seconds) 3 sets 4 reps
Now you are ready to do legit pull-ups/ chin-ups. While the terms pull-up and chin-up can be used interchangeably, a pull-up is performed with an overhand grip (pronated), a chin-up with an underhand grip (supinated). If you want to perform chin-ups, do the exercises above with an underhand grip. If you want to perform a pull-up, do the exercises above with an overhand grip. We suggest mastering the chin-up before the pull-chin-up, because the pull-chin-up is more difficult.
Progression to One-armed Pull-ups/Chin-ups:
After you master the pull up/chin up, you can progress to a one-armed variation. Have a band hanging from a bar, one hand grips the band and the other hand grips the bar. Pull yourself up. Once that gets easier, move your hand further down the band. This provides less assistance. Another variation is to progress toward the one-arm pull up (just like Rocky Balboa). Grip the off hand on the wrist. As this gets easier, move your hand down toward your forearm.
Progression to Pistol Squats:
STEP 1
Use a box to do a pistol squat (touch butt to box like a box squat). For the next set, put non-squatting leg straight out in front of you, non-squatting down on opposite leg.
Progression 3: 2/3 squat x 2 x7 reps (each leg)/both ways Progression 4: 3/4 squat x 2 x 6 reps (each leg)/both ways Progression 5: 7/8 squat x 2 x 6 reps (each leg)/both ways Progression 6: Full squat x 2 x 6 reps (each leg)/both ways
MOVE TO STEP 2!
Use bands around a power rack to grab for stability. Progression 1: 1/2 squat x 2 x 8reps (each leg) Progression 2: 3/4 squat x 2 x 8reps (each leg) Progression 3: Full squat x 2 x 6reps (each leg)
Progression 4: As you get more and more comfortable, use a thinner and thinner band
MOVE TO STEP 3!
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
MOVE TO STEP 2!
Wall push-ups with feet further away from wall. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps
Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps
Progression 3:2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
MOVE TO STEP 3!
Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
MOVE TO STEP 4!
Knee push-ups with feet raised up and knees on ground. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps
Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
Now you are ready to do a real push-up!
Progression to Handstand Push-Ups:
STEP 1
Downward dog position (a yoga position which in jailhouse terms is face down and ass up, with hands and feet on the floor), with head between shoulders. Drive head forward to ground and touch, then push up.
Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
MOVE TO STEP 2!
Start elevating feet higher by using a small plyometric box. Keep head between shoulders and drive head forward toward the ground. Touch your head to the ground and push up.
Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
MOVE TO STEP 3!
Continue to elevate to a higher plyometric box. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric)
MOVE TO STEP 4!
Time to do a legit hand stand push-up! Hand Stand push-ups scream Jailhouse Strong!
Progression to One-armed Push-up
Of course you have to be able to complete a regular pushup!
STEP 1
Wall One-armed Push-ups with feet close to wall. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps (each arm)
Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps (each arm)
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric) (each arm)
MOVE TO STEP 2!
-One-armed Wall Push-ups with feet further from wall. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps (each arm)
Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps (each arm)
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric) (each arm)
MOVE TO STEP 3!
One-armed push-ups on knees with feet on ground. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps (each arm)
Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps (each arm)
Progression 3: 2 x 10 reps (5 second eccentric) (each arm)
MOVE TO STEP 4!
One-armed Push-ups on knees with feet raised up and knees on ground. Progression 1: 2 x 10 reps (each arm)
Progression 2: 2 x 15 reps (each arm)
