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The Prison Workout. New idea? Nah. It’s been around as long as there has been anyone locked up that is looking to stay in shape. Still compelling? Absolutely. Here is MDA’s take on why we think it is worth another look, along with our own variations on this classic routine.

Why We Can Appreciate the Prison Workout:

1. Unlimited time

You have no excuses. You can’t fall back on the most often used excuse to not get in shape.

2. Limited space

You don’t get to decide whether you should go to the basketball court, to the gym, to the tennis court, to the park, ride your bike, play ultimate Frisbee with friends etc. etc. because you don’t have a choice. Your options are limited. But this is a good thing. You don’t get bogged down with endless decision-making. You’ll be working out while Joe Schmo is still deciding what to do.

3. Requires ingenuity

No specialized equipment, no gimmicks, no late-night infomercial tchotchkes, no gym membership. You don’t even have dumbbells. It’s just you. In a room. With endless potential. The only thing stopping you from getting fit is your resolve to do so.

4. Lone soldier mentality

There is something about being on your own. There are no support groups or personal trainers. No buddy system, and no lazy spouse to drag you down. The results you achieve are all a result of your hard work. It is you against everyone else in prison, so you better get in shape.

How is this Primal, you ask?

It’s intense, it builds muscle, it requires that you use your local environment and resources to get fit, and there is a survival-of-the-fittest aspect here. Prison isn’t a fun place to be (so we’ve heard…). You have to constantly be on guard, watching your back and ready to protect yourself at any moment. If you aren’t prepared you’re going to pay the price. With this in mind you need to build functional strength. The kind that allows you to sprint and move quickly, and fight when it is called for. On the outside it isn’t everyday that we are put into survival-of-the-fittest or literal fight-or-flight situations, but it is always better to be prepared than to be a victim.

Prison Workout? Really? This isn’t for me…

We hear you, but you don’t have to get yourself locked up to take part in the Prison Workout. There are plenty of real-world applications. Do it in your apartment when winter snow or spring rain keeps you indoors. Do it when you are away on business and you only have a few minutes to spare in your dinky hotel room. Do it at home so you don’t have to pay for a gym membership.

Enough talking. Let’s get to the Prison Workout:

At the core of any self-respecting prisoner’s workout regimen is THE BURPEE. If you have never done one you are in for a world of hurt - especially if you are to attempt the holy grail of 20 descending sets. Here’s how:

The Burpee

From a standing position squat down, drop your hands to the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air bringing your knees to your chest and your hands into the air over your head. Repeat 20 times. Doing this at any speed 20 times is enough to get anyone’s heart rate up. Now comes the really tough part. Catch your breath before going into another set. This time completing 19 burpees. Catch your breath. Now do 18 burpees. Repeat until you have done all descending sets.

Variations include not starting with 20. Do a descending set starting from 10 or some other number. Or don’t do descending sets at all. Instead do as many burpees as you can before you get to the pass-out/throw-up stage. Also, you don’t have to bring your knees to your chest. This lowers the intensity considerably. (Check out this video for a visualization of the possibilities, and this video that ups the ante by combining burpees with pull-ups.)

This is a full body workout and covers your bases for most muscle groups. In fact, you could almost whip your body into shape by mastering this workout alone. But if you want to take it to the next level here are some additional options when all you have is a 10×10 cell and an iron will.

Upper Body

Play Cards

We don’t mean solitaire. Get a deck of cards and some sort of receptacle - trash bin, cup, shoe, doesn’t matter. Sitting some distance from the target toss a card attempting to land it in the hole. If the card doesn’t make it and lands face up this is how many push-ups you will be doing. (Face cards equal 10.) Do the whole deck. Repeat if you’re a tough guy or gal (or if you are aces at tossing cards).

Everyone knows what a push-up is so I won’t explain the basics. The important thing is to remember to keep your body level (no sticking your butt up in the air… especially if you are actually in prison) and to do the many variations on this old favorite - incline, decline, military, staggered hands etc. Mix it up and watch your chest and triceps get shredded. Watch this 19 Push-Up Variations video plus Jack Lalanne’s crazy fingertip push-ups for ideas.

Tricep Dips

Put your hands on your prison chair or bed and dip your body toward the ground. Variations (from easiest to hardest) include: feet on the ground with bent knees, feet on the ground with straight legs, feet up off of the ground on another piece of furniture (toilet? sink?), and one foot on another piece of furniture while the other leg is raised in the air, alternating legs.

Pull-Ups

All you need is something overhead to grab onto. Variations include overhand grip, underhand grip, wide grip, and narrow all with varying speeds. Watch this CrossFit video for inspiration.

Lower Body

Squat Jump

This is basically the burpee without the push-up part. Squat from a standing position until your fingertips touch the floor and then explode upwards, leaving the floor and raising your arms into the air. Repeat. Your quads will start burning quicker than you probably expect.

Jump Lunge

From a lunge position jump upward bringing both feet off the ground at the same time and switch your stance ending in a lunge position with your other foot now in the front. The speed and number of reps are up to you. We recommend fast and max. (Video example.)

Core

Planks

Try holding a plank for 3 minutes straight. Sounds easy, right? Think again. But, if you were a hardcore caged animal you could do it. Do standard and side planks holding the position as long as you can. Read this for more on planks.

Isometrics

Mark told us all about isometrics for abs in his post Washboard Abs on a High-Fat Diet, No Ab Workouts and No Cardio? So check it out for more info.

Hardcore Additions

Handstand Push-Ups

Do a handstand with your back facing and feet against a wall. Once in the position lower your head towards the ground and then explode upward. (Handstand Push-Up video example) If you don’t have the strength to do a Handstand Push-Up work your way up by doing the Pike Press (video - FYI: You don’t need a fancy swiss ball) to build shoulder and tricep strength. If you are really hardcore don’t use the wall (video).

Wall Squats

All you need is a wall for this simple move. Put your back up against the wall and lower it until there is a 90 degree angle between your upper and lower legs. Hold this position as long as you can. Doesn’t sound hardcore, you say? Try holding the position for 1, 2, 3 or even 5 minutes and then tell us it isn’t hardcore. Just like with planks after a minute or two you’ll be begging for mercy. Check out this CrossFit tutorial for video instruction.

That’s two Hardcore Additions added to our Prison Workout routine. We’ll leave the rest up to you, fellow Apples.

CrossFitters, too! We know you’re out there and have something to add. So hit us up with a comment and tell us what your favorite tight-quarters exercise regimen includes and how ours could be even more extreme.

Note: This routine may not be for everyone, but there is plenty to be learned here by anyone that wants to stay in shape and has limited space and resources.

Abdallah Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Primal Plyos for the Upper Body

Primal Plyos for the Lower Body

Mark’s Beach Sprints

Video Proof You Can Exercise Outdoors

Mike Rowe From “Dirty Jobs” Does Burpees

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Right now if you go to the C’elle website you can take advantage of their “Caring is Sharing” promotion. When you get a kit for yourself you can give one to a friend as well. This site has a lot of great information and the kit is simple and very affordable [...]

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I have been eating breakfast every morning for that past 2 months and I have been having a banana with my breakfast…today I just didn’t have time and I just woke up too late and I felt horrible all day! Breakfast really does make a difference. I felt sluggish and just icky all [...]

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Control Your Mind, Control Your Genes

In the last few months we’ve been highlighting new research that illustrates the power of individuals to influence their genetic expression through basic lifestyle choices, whether through diet, exercise, or avoidance of pollution. The message, as always, is that we aren’t passive victims to aging or any propensities in our genetic heritage. How we live determines when and to what extent certain genes will be activated or turned off, genes that control our immune function and inflammatory response, genes that influence our aging process as well as our chances of developing or avoiding disease.

This groundbreaking area of research now includes evidence that invoking the body’s natural relaxation response can substantially direct the expression of genes related to physiological stress response. It’s a premise that’s been at the heart of many traditional medicine philosophies for thousands of years, now illuminated by collaborative research at the Genomics Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. As Herbert Benson, M.D. and one of the primary co-authors of the study explains, “For hundreds of years Western medicine has looked at mind and body as totally separate entities, to the point where saying something ‘is all in your head’ implied that it was imaginary. Now we’ve found how changing the activity of the mind can alter the way basic genetic instructions are implemented.”

Stress, after all, can have a dramatic bearing on overall health. The stress response, the study’s authors explain, “can manifest as system-wide perturbations of cellular processes” and has been associated with “accelerated aging at the cellular level, shortened telomeres, low telomerase activity, decreased anti-oxidant capacity, increased oxidative stress” and “increased vulnerability to a variety of disease states.”

On the flip-side of this damaging physiological state is the relaxation response, the state of “deep rest” that is characterized by “decreased oxygen consumption, increased exhaled nitric oxide, and reduced psychological distress.” RR, as it’s commonly referred to, has been “clinically effective” in treating the symptoms of disorders as varied as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune dysfunction, inflammatory conditions, and chronic pain. According to the study authors, any mind-body activity that elicits the relaxation response has the power to impact genetic expression. Their discussion includes more than the often studied transcendental meditation and Qi Gong practices but recommends methods such as “various forms of meditation, repetitive prayer, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, [and] guided imagery.”

The study compared the gene expression patterns (as shown through blood transcription profiles) of 19 “healthy, long-term practitioners of daily RR practice” with 19 healthy control subjects. In a second phase of the study, the control group received eight weeks of RR training. The results were then validated by a second study following the same protocol in a smaller cohort.

The best news? Although long-time practitioners of RR activities showed the most pronounced physiological and genetic expression benefits, the subjects who received only eight weeks of RR training already exhibited changes in gene expression patterns related to “inflammation, programmed cell death and how the body handles free radicals.”

Our response? As one of the study’s authors noted, this study is important “because of its focus on gene expression in healthy individuals rather than in disease states.” So often in the media we hear about the promise of epigenetic research for the purpose of treating those who suffer from disease. While we applaud that potential, we think the power of this research to help healthy individuals maintain/enhance their health over their lifetimes is no less significant. That just happens to be what this blog is all about, after all.

And we liked hearing that you don’t need to “do” a specific approach such as a particular form of meditation. We know we’re all drawn to different “relaxation” approaches. Some of can sit on a pillow and happily and easily delve into the quiet zone. Others of us prefer a more active, physical form of meditation like tai chi. Some of us find we’re best suited for a guided imagery approach. Still others gravitate toward a more spiritual mode. This study shows you don’t have to fit your square peg into a round hole to get the full mind-body benefit. To lightheartedly mix our metaphors, it’s nice to hear it confirmed that we can have our cake and eat it too. Cake? Well, you know what we mean.

Finally, while many of us follow the “Primal” practice in our diets and exercise programs, this study is a great reminder that it’s not only what we take on and take in but how we “turn off” that matters to our well-being. With that said, we’re thinking a meditation room sounds like a nice addition to the office? Mark?

How does this study make you think about a relaxation practice? Already a RR guru? A meditation newbie or interested sideliner? Send us your thoughts on what role RR plays in your health routine? And thanks for your thoughts!

adhiwus Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Control Your Lifestyle, Control Your Genes

Dear Mark: Gene Expression

Gotta Love that Genome

Gene Expression: Location, Location, Location

What is The Primal Blueprint?

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I recently came back from the opportunity of a life time. A 2 week subsidized and organized trip, with 45 people, to Europe and Israel, to see, learn, and experience what it means to be Jewish. The trip was generosily sponsored by a Gateways branch called Russian American Jewish Experience.

To say that this trip was life changing is an understatement, because it went far beyond that and left me touched, moved, and inspired, not just in my mind, but also in my soul.

The trip went through Budapest, Vienna, and Israel, and viewed both the historial Jewish locations, as well as the ancient biblical ones. This included, but was not limited to ancient synanogues, memorials, grave sites and other places of consequences such as the place where Eichman sat as he ordered the execution of 600,000 Jews in the holocaust. We even had a 45 minute Q&A with one of Israel’s heros Natan Sharansky.

The Rabbis on the trip, Rabbi Reuven Ibragimov and Rabbi Jonathan Shippel, were very knowledgable, clear, and enthusiastic whenever I approached them about questions of Judaism and questions of life. On this trip, more than ever, an underlying theme that I have been thinking about appeared over and over.

The State of Personal Development

Over the years I have read hundreds of books and articles on personal development. I do not say this to boast my accomplishments, but to show that I think from a place of diverse sources. Despite my reading, the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know, which is fine all the same. One thing that seemed true is that most ideas seemed to be a diluted, rephrased, or otherwise rehashed copy of something that came before it.

While I was born Jewish, I was born in the Soviet Union which did not alot me a chance for a Jewish education when I was young. Due to this fact I grew up secular, except for some traditional holidays such as Hanukkah. Like a magnet, in recent years, I’ve been attracted, and curious about learning where I came from and what is this Judaism that I’ve been labeled as.

I read a little bit, talked to a few people, consulted some rabbis, and one underlying theme appeared to me. This is the same theme that I mentioned I saw again during my trip to Israel. Most, if not all, personal development stems from Judaism. Judaism being the most ancient civilization alive today, is a civilization that brought with it ancient wisdom which has shaped the modern world and has given it mussar (character development), and morals as we know them. I learned that part of why Hitler wanted to eliminate Jews is because they made the world conscious of their souls, which meant they couldn’t act like animals without conscience.

Practical Applications

Just to be clear, this wasn’t an article to say “Hey, I’m Jewish, I’m better than you, and I was born with ancient wisdom.” That’s not the case at all. I firmly believe myself to be an equal with every human being. This isn’t a “Hey, you should look into becoming Jewish.” In fact, I would advise against it, because it’s a much more difficult life as an observant Jew.

The point of this is to tell you I’ve had an awesome trip, I’m back, and I did in fact learn some tremendous things I will be sharing with you in the future. On the other hand, I wouldn’t discourage you from looking at Jewish self-improvement books by ArtScroll or Feldheim publisher.

If you’ve had a trip that touched, move, and inspired you, or perhaps taught you a huge life lesson, please share it in the comments below.

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Raw Food Diet is gaining popularity and buzz, not just as a diet to lose weight, but a diet for a long and healthy life. Most of us are used to consuming processed foods that sometimes, we hardly take notice of what is going into our bodies.

In a nutshell, a raw food diet means eating food in its natural, unprocessed form. So what are the benefits with raw food diet consumption? Processing and cooking food can take so much of the basic nutritional value away. Think of some of the conventional wisdom you’ve heard about for years, such as: If you cook pasta just to the al dente (or medium) stage, it will have more calories, yes, but it will have more the nutritional value in it than if you cooked it to a well-done stage. Or you probably remember hearing not to peel carrots or potatoes too deeply, because most of the nutrients and values are just under the surface. If your potatoes and carrots are organic, you don’t even need to peel off the skin.

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A while ago, I was watching a short C’elle Client Testimonial video of a lady who was sharing about her experience in stem cell storage. As her family had history of Alzheimer and heart disease, she felt that it would be a good idea to store a sample of the stem cells for her parents and siblings. The procedure and collection came forth as a skeptical approach for her family at first. But after much research and consultation with their family doctor, they were convinced that stem cell collection is a good idea.

With lots of research going on in stem cells, C’elle website has offered information on how a woman can collect her own stem cells using a C’elle collection kit in the privacy of her own home. The process is safe and non-invasive where menstrual cells are processed and stored at a very low temperature (cryo-preserved) for potential cellular therapies if the need arises. Personally, I think this discovery is truly reflective of a miracle within the woman’s body.