OM BAT

ONDITIO I
Fun tional Exercises for
Fitness an Combat ports
bv fos,Aatt f u rev
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Functional Exercises for

Fitness and Combat ports

by Matt Furey
1

Disdaimer
l11e exercises and advice contained within this book may be too strenuous or dangerous for
some peop!e1 and the reader{s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.
The author and pubHsher of this book are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any
injury which rnay occur through reading and fo!lmving the instructions herein.

Lavout
and Design
,
"

by: Vincent K. Lai

Testimonials
'''In Combat Conditioning Matt Furey fol fmvs fn the footsteps of Karl Golch1
laking a .;::/as1icaf appmadr to conditioning. This arvxoach is rock snfhi.
Having used the exercises and ha\/ing the people 1coach and train use them, J
have found these exercises to he great Read the honk and foam. 11

Kim ivood

Strength Coach - Cincinnati Bengals NFl

;,By foffowing lhe exercises in Combat Conditioning, my strength a.nd tlexihility

have never been better: Even thuugh f am in my rnid-405 these exercises have
a.flowed me to continue to cor.npete at a high fe1lr.'1. As a coach 1can say that
anyone i-vho i..11ants to achieve an elite status in grappling or any other combat
sport,. needs to fof!oltv these methods,p
Steve MaxweH
OwT1er of Maxerdse Sports Fitness
1999 BrazHian jiu-jitsu \\iorld Champion

'"!have f;Jund no other exercises that .increase balance, agifit,'r~ hmctionaf

strength and overa!! grappling endurance f ike the bodyweight caffr;thenic
e:><:ercises outlined by A1tdt fn his grappflng magazine (G.AJ.N,) and at l~is
serninars. As a rnartfaf artist, f-'ve tried everything from long,. slow distance
running ta high wdght kn-v repetition high intensity 'bodybuifdfng' style l,.vezght
training, but found that rny time is much better spent doing the calfsthenics fn
(,omhat Com:fitfrmfng l rely heavily on these exercises, as do m.v students,'"'
ja~on

Crawford{ Ph.D.
Senior Scientist

Combat Wrestling instructor

"'ln real estate the three rules are location_, focaticm/ location, \A/hen it comes to
cornbat sport; the three rules are condiUoning / conditioning ccmdiUoning
A1att Furey vvill get you in the best condition nf your fife with his ne\,-v Jx:iok
Combat Conditioning, l have used Mr. Furey'.s methods fn rny mvn training and
wilh mv T!.whvondo students, The results have been incredible. Strenoth,
<"'>
endurance and flexibility VN!re greatly improved. ~Vhether you are a striker or a
l

grappler or you just want ta be in the best shape possible, gel this book. On a
scale from 1-10, I give it an 11. Forger the gimmicks and the gadgets. Alf you
need is your mvn body and the desire to follow the program.''
PhBiAmeris
6th Degree Black Beh

''/ have found Combat Conditioning so effective that J have made the exercises
the cornerstone of hath my personal training and the training of my boxing
c!uh. A1att Furey doesn't.fust teach exercises, howevet: Combat Conditioning is
a philosophy of physical culture that stands an its mvn and wil! help ANYONE
vvith the guts to gf'lle it a real try-f'''
Nathan Hatton
President, VVi!frid laurier University Boxing

HSfnce I began folfowing A1att Furey's advice on exercise, a couple of chronic

injuries have finally started to heal. 1have had a chronic neck problem (made
Hlorse by rughyj for years, but sinc.-e foffoiving the bridging that Matt has
recornmended/ J am pain-free. J have greater cervical mobility and much greater
strength. Its funny~ but prior to this1 various neck machines and neck harness
work did not have the same eifect. 1 also have this shoulder that "pops-'l out at
various times whenever someone pulls my arm or I reach out Nothing I tried
helped Hovvevet; after l began the bridging and Hindu push-ups,, this popping
out no longer happens. A routine of Hindu squats;/ Hindu push--ups and
bridging has improved my overall endurance/ allmving me to wrestle for longer
periods, Prior to learning this from Matt~ J did not believe lhat f could improve
rny strength and cornbat skills without weight training. Jn each workout f am
gaining a little mare flex'fbility and increasing my strength l highly recommend
Combat Conditioning for anyone, athlete or otherwisq, who i-vants to get the
most out of himself.

Dr. Brett Jacques, NO

author of Street Saml10

Are You
___ In Condition!
...........

~-----

Take the fol!o\v!ng test

Do you have trouble carrying your grc;ceries or doing other

mundane tasks?
!s your vvaistline bulging

and

your energy plummeting?

Do you feel old?

4,

.5'
6.
I
/

at night?
Do vou \Vear clothes that hide the vvav you look?

Do you have trouble sleeping

!

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Do you fee! yc~u re under heavy stress?

1

Do you fell depressed or down?

fL

Can you do 200 I-Hndu squats vvithout stopping?

90

Can you do a handstand?

1 0. Do you have lo-vver back and/or neck pain?

11 . Are you stiff?

12. Are your rnuscles sore even though you don't exercise?

130 Do you feel tired throughout the day?

'! 4. Do you feel !Ike you have no control over your life?

150 Do you get sick easitv?

'

{...)'

lf you ansvvered yes to any of these questions, then

Combat Conditioning
!s for voul
)

Combat Conditioning: Functional Exercises for fitness and Combat Sports

A Matt Furey Book I February 2000
Al! rights reserved.
Copvright 2000 bv ,lv\att Furev
1

._/

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any forrn or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, induding photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Copyright 2000, Matt Furey

To

Karl Gotch
Thanks for all vour
help,
'
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This

Is For

The book you novv hold in your hands is for anyone who vvants to
Improve upon his or her current level of fitness. It's for men, vvomen and
children. ifs for business people and regular folks vvho simply \Nant to get
in shape, lt's for cornbat athletes \A'ho \Vant to irnprove their performance.
It's for anyone \A'ho vvants to follovv the road to functional fitness.

Listed below are some of the rr1any benefits you wHI experience as a
result of studying and applying the exercises in Cornbat Conditioning~
1. \bur lo\ver and upper back vvm be rnuch stronger and more
flexible, and your neck will be a bundle of pain free muscle.

2. Bulging vvaistline and excess flab \VHI disappear.

3. Functional strength, flexibility and endurance will increase so
much vve can-'t even put a percentage on it, but let's _just say 5001'.}~
for starters.

4, You'll have less stress, better digestion and improved circulation.

5, You 1 !1 sleep better.

6. You 1 H have nerves of steel and a n1ind that can focus like a laser.
7. Yc)u 1 li have an exercise program that you can follovv at hon1e or on

the road.

Introduction
horn !.he fane I \Vas 13 years old I have been keenly interested in !earning the best
ways to get in condition for sports, At that fane ! began training three &.:iys a v,N:ek,, using only
one exercise, the dean and push pres:>, In six vveeks l noted some amax.ing changes in my
physical appearance. And to a certain extent, the new musdes helped rne perform better in
the sports l \vas involved ln: footbaH, \VrestHng and S\.vimming,

A year !ater1 though 1 l began to train differently, After :-eading a number of books on
bodybuilding, l believed the authors kne\v what they were talking about The exercises they
recommended \Vifo barbe!!s! dumbbel!s and machines \Vere not. only designed to give me a
better physique/ but l was told they vvould make nw a better athlete,
sorry to report that J
wasted my time \Vith those exen:::ises,

rm

\iVhen l i.-vas 15 1 l rnet a guy, Joe" i.-vho was about eight years older than me. Joe did
1000 pushups a day and ran like a deer, He \vas ln incredible shape and after talking to hirn l
began doing hundreds of pushups a (by, At the time (1979) . ! noted lhat many of the top
professional boxers did not lift \.veights. !nstead1 they concentrated on pushups, s!tups and
other ca!isthenlcs. Uke Joe, the pushups ! began doing helped me get into better condition 1
but they \Vere not the compkte ansvver l was looking for and needed.
Throughout the rest of my high school career l contlnued to do bodybul!dlng exercises
but the thing 1 noticed about them is that they didn't really give me functional strength and
endurance. !n the back of rny mim.t however1 l knevv that there had to be exerdses without
vveights that were better than anything else l was doing. At tlrnes ! came across them, but
because 1/no one" else \:Vas doing them and no one could really explain to me why they \vere
superior:, l didn't stay \Vith t.hern for long,
Some of the most functional exercises l came across in mv davs as a hif.d1 school and
collegiate wrestler '>-vere pushups 1 free squats1 situps, dips, pu!!ups and handstand pushups, ln
addltlon 1 ! found exercises !ike walking on my hands to be a tremendous upper body
conditioner that also improved rny balance and c:oordln.ation.
.I

~.l

!n regard to the squats, f ll never forget the time during the winter of 19801 when my
mother gave me an art!de that talked about dancers and hmv they built amazing strength and
exp!osfveness in their thighs. Free squats, done in high nurnbers1 'Nere the key, That evening
\Vhen l was doing my exercises, l began to incorporate the squats. l did 100 at a time, once
per day.
Tvvo i.-veeks later l was \.Vrest!ing in a tournament against a guy v;ho had beaten me
three times befrm;, !n a match six v1eeks earlier, he soundly defeated rne. But he would not be
facing the same person when l shook hands with hlm this time. ! felt like l had springs in my
leg<:>. Every rnove l tried felt incredibly explosive 'fo the shock of my opponent, ! vvon the

rnatch.
Amazingly enough, ! never made the connection bet'.tveen the squats l had done for
two weeks and the results of that match, Instead of continuing on vvith the dai!y squats, l did
~=.

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l ..

them every once in awhile. Big mistake.

VVhen l got to the University of Iowa to begin my collegiate vvrestling career! noticed
that the best wrestler on the team, Ed Banach (a 3x NCAA champion and 1934 Olympic gold
medaiist}, did not foHovv the same weight training routine that the others did. He fo!!m.ved a
routine that consisted of calisthenics, The other vvrestlers on the tearn laughed at the routine

Ed folki\ved. They felt it was ;;outdated.

1
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One day when I began doing the free squats again, one of the other wrestlers looked at
me and iaughed. "What are you doing that for?" he asked, 11 \Vhy use your own body weight
when you can add rnore weight with a barbell or a machine?;;

Oh how I \Vish I would have ignored that guy. l \Vas getting in touch \.Vith the key to
superior conditioning, and! kt him ta!k rne out of it. ln the long run though, I have found that
many of the rnistakes l made in rny earlier days have turned into a blessing. If l had never
followed all the other routines, hovv would I truly know what is best for me?

ln April of 1999, l \vas fortunate to meet Kar! Gotch, a 1948 Olympian from Belgium,
and the real brains behind the contents of this book. At 75 years of age, Kar!,. known as HThe
Cod of Wrestling" in Japan, showed me,. in spite of my national and world title, that, in terms
of conditioning,. I had a long way to go to. Karl helped me understand that rny 36-year old
body, a body that many people considered to be highly athletic .. , vvas in fact, stiff, weak and
in many \vays, non-functionaL
From that rnoment my life has never been the same. I was so impressed with what I
1,,vas !earning, not only about conditioning, but about the lost ait of catch--as-catch-can
vvrestHng, that i moved my wife and famHy from California to Florida, so that ! could learn
from Kar! on a regular basis. Within a relatively short period of tirne, my strength, endurance
and flexibility took a big !eap forward.
!/Imagine if I had you when you \-Vere 14 or 15/' said Karl. !!Imagine if you started
ieaming these methods that long ago. \Vith your desire and work ethic! there's no saying how
far you would go."
Each day I work on the exercises contained in this book and each \.veek I see
lmorovements in mv overall fitness and cornbat skills. The publication of Combat
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Conditioning
represents
my fervent desire to bring what Kar! has taught me to those who
have the eyes and ears for it.
lf you fee! something stirring !ns\de your sou\ as you read this, you"re ready to begin.
Devote at !east 15 minutes each day to the exercises in this book,. and vvatch your life change
for the belier.
Begin at a pace that is in line vvith your current fitness level and make adjustments as
you progress. As I tel! my students, Rome cannot be built in a day ... but it can be built
Best of !uck to you.

Physical Condition - The exercises cont-iined in this book are for people \.vho are
hf:~a!thy They can be done by men ::md \vomen. Kids can do th,:n1 as weB,. and so c3n p0opie
in their 40's, Sff<:, and beyond, provided" of course, that their health is good and they have no
orthopedic pmbk:rns.

Exf!':rdse Periods-As a 0;C:nera\

statement, vou'H
vvant to devote 15 minutes .per day. to
......
,,
the exercises contained herein. !n the beginning1 15 minutes may be more than sorne people
can handle, tvtany people! have trained could not do 25 Hindu squats or five Hindu pushups
when they began. This is understandable and if you are this type of person, begin s!m-vly and
coax vourself a!onq
.... to ._greater !evels of fitness,
)

The Most Important Exen:ises - The rnost important exercises are what l ca!! THE
ROYAL COURT: Hindu Squats, Hindu Pushups a.nd the back bridge, for those vvho are not

physlcaHy ab!e to do these three exercises, adapt and improvise. Find out what you can do,
even if it is sltting for a minute in the wal! chair or holding yourself in pushup position. Make
a commitment to improve your health and stick to a dally program. As your condihon
improves, give yourself more to do, not less, The rnme time you put into your progran\ the
more benefits vou wll! receive, ivbnv peor1le
vvll! be able to do THE BlG THREE when thev
t
begin, but not very wdL This should not stop you one bit vVhen ! fast began training in these
exercises my form was for frorn perfect ,,. and l'rn stil! rnaking irnprovernents. !f you \rvait until
your form b perfect_, you'll be waiting forever, The rnain thing is that you BEGIN.
J

Minimum am:! !tfa.ximum ~.I have given a rninimum number of repetitions or a tirne
frame for some of the exercises, Jf you cannot do the rninimmn,, do not ho!d this against
yourself Do what you can and keep trying, That's the key. A rnaximum nmnber ls generally
not given as the sky is the limit in terms of what the human body can do, For example, Kad
Gotch once did 9001 stra.ight Hindu squats. lt took hirn four and a ha!f hours. On the eve of
the new n1illennium, I did 2000 Hindu squats to ring in the year 2000. Set squat and pushup
goals to motivate yourself and get to \Vork !tis a great foe!ing of accmnplishment to surpass
\vhat you now envision ~15 lmpossible or :'crazy.11

Ripped Mus<Je$ - These exercises are not "'bodybui!ding exercises designed to get you
1

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"ripped.1' Yes, you \Vil! get stronger and more muscular. Ybur body wHl also get lea.nee But the
primary purpose of these exerdses is the development of functional fitness, That means
strength,. endurance and flexibility. Bodybuilders do not have functional athletic muscles.
Their muscles are tight stlff and cramped and in a combat sltuation 1 they are the fast to get
injured. Bodybuilders dor/t have rnuch for endurance, either. And surprise, surprise,,, in
most cases, despite their big showy musdes 1 they aren't very strong, !f you \Nant bodybuilder
muscles, study bodybuilding< If you want functional fitness! study Combat Conditioning,

Clothing and Equipment.,.. jf you're training in the prlvt-!Cy of your O\.vn home_, you'll be
most comfortable if vou
exercise wlth a minima! amount of dothlng. Having a mirror before
,
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11

you while you train is a good idea as you can observe your exercise fonn. Other than that,
you don 1t need anything but a towel and a soft rnat for sorne of the bridging exercises.
Although l arn wearing shoes in the pictures contained in this book, when ! train at home !
am in bare feet Training without shoes strengthens the feet

Rhythtn -As your technique in perforrning the exercises improves, you vvi!l get into a
rhythm or groove. Oftentimes you'll be so focused that al! thoughts of the past and future fade
away. ll1is is a state of mind that is desired vvhile you train, but don't \Vorry if this doesn't
happen to you right a'.vay, Focus on the exercise and upon your breathing and you'!! go far.
focused Breathing- Breathing should be deep and natural, with no impediments.
Inhale and exhale v,1ith each movement Keep your mind focused upon your breathing and
upon the muscles you are training. By focusing on the musdes you are training, you will get
more results than if you !et you rnind \vander.
\tVhat Do 11w Exercises Do for You? The exercises in this book strengthen the musdes
of the torso, the abdominals, the !mver and upper back, the hips, spine, neck; thighs, arms!
hands and feet 111e functioning of your internal organs wH! frnprove as well and each day
you'!! notice other physical and psychological benefits.

\J\.'eight Loss and Reduced Body fat-These exercises go a long way in helping to
reduce excess \veight and body fat. For optimum results, however, do not rely on exercise
alone. Follow a natural diet of meats, fruits and vegetables and your job wiH be that much
easier. Avoid white starchy foods. As a general ru!e 1 avoid anything that comes in a bag, box
or \vrapper.
How Long Do I Need To Continue 11w Progra1n? How long do you need to continue
brushing your teeth or taking a shower? Ext~rcise ls a dally duty. it is not something to avoid or
escape from. Anirna!s in the \vi!d never miss a day of exercise. Take a domesticated dog and
iock hirn up for a vveek and he'!! go stir-crazy. There is something to be !earned from this. As
1
Eugen Sa.ndmv once said, uufo is movement.11 Once you stop moving1 you re dead. Choose
life.

12

The Royal Court

The Roya! Court In Combat Conditioning ls comprised of the three most important
exercises for devdoping the entire body: Hindu squab_, Hindu pushups and bridging.

\!Vhen.! say entire body, though; l ::=irn not simply referring to the rnusde:L ! am a!so
talking about the ll...ings, the heart, the kidneys, the spine and a!! the internal organs :rmd
glands. VVhen you exercise, think of training everything from the inside out This rneans tha!
deep and concentrated breathing plays a. major role. Training \Vithout a concentrated mind is
not nearly as beneficial as having a focused rnind, Training without deep breathing is a
mistake as \NdL VVhen you
train vou
\Vant to nut
vomse!f
into another state - a mindset in
,,
)
f
)
which the only thing you're thinking about is yourself. ll1oughts of the future or the past are
not important Stay in the here and novv.
Right from the get-go you should knmv that a person who does not do Hindu squats !s
not really doing Combat O:mdiUoning Hindu squats !ay the founda.tion for strength and
endurance. They bul!d ii.mg power: as vvell as the thighs, lower back; ca!ves,. chest shoulders
and arms, The deep breathing a!one vviH expand the chest and make it larger and nmre
pmminenL Additionally, Hindu Squats deve!op ba!ance, something that is essential to success
!n cornhat sports,
Hindu pushups follow the squats. They build strength throughout the torso and arms.
The 2rch involved in this movement. st.retches and strengthem the spine, hips and shoulders.
As great and important as Hindu squab and pushups are, hovvever, the Kl NG of the
ROYAL COURT is the back bridge. H exerldses the entire body from head to toe. Many
people mistakenly think the b2ck bridge is bad for your neck. ilie (%:'!Ct opposite is true,
Those peop!e who do not have current injuries to the cervical vertebrae, vvm find the back
bridge strengthening the neck, back, thighs, hips and buttocks !ikc nothing else. How can this
be done lf al! the stress is only on the neck? !t dearly isn't when done propedy,

lviany people with neck and hack pain fee! like nevv after !ess than a month of
bridging. l can't te!l you how many people l knov.r vvho have been helped by learning the
back bridge. Ai! ! can say ls Fve !ost count and the number ls groi,,ving by the day.
I{ at the present tirne, your neck and back are so rigid and inflexible that you cannot
do the bridge, begin with the \VaH VVa!king exercise. VVhen your flexibility improves you can
start bridging on the floor< Bear in mf net hovvcver, that \val! \val king ls another version of the
bridge and it can be used even when you already have a good bridge, I practice v.n!! \va.!king
regularly ,as it keeps my spine flexible and hdps push my agility to nevv levels.
Okay~ enough of the prdiminaries. Let's get you started.

13

14

Hindu Squats

--

Hindu Squats are the first exercise taught in Combat Conditioning, They build strength
and endurance throughout the thighs, c~llves, lovver back and chef>L !v1o~;t irnportantly
though 1 they build !ung pov.,;er,, lf you can run several miles at :a. decent dip or pound the
Stairm<1ster for a haif hour, Ivou ~oroba.blv think vou
have ?-/
~~ood cardiovascular fitness. Great.
'
Nuw try 500-straight Hindu squats on for siz:e, l think you'll be arnazed,

i, Begin v;ith your feet ;;houklcr-\vidth apart and your toes pointing straight ahead.
Your hands are pulled in tightly to your chest. Jnhale.
2, Keer:s
and bvver vour
buttocks untH vour
thighs
2re ;oar;,;dle!
f"'' vou back faidv strah>ht
0
)
)
.....
to the floor,
>

3. As you !ower your buttocks your hands are BEHIND your back, and they fo!!ov:
you toward the ground.
4. As you rnove tmvard the para!leito-the-grrnmd posltion 1 you should sirnultaneously
raise your heels frmn the fiooc

-" Nmv swing your a.rrns upward and push off your toes, raising your body to a
standing position,
6. As you raise your body; your hands come !N FR.ONT of your
to rise until they are level with your chest

body. They

continue

7. ()nee you have reached the up-posltion, you pun your arms in toward your chest
again, as if you are rowing a boat i\k1ke tight flsts \Vlth your hands and pulL \bur
e!bov/S will be dose to your body as you pu!L

EL Inhale as you puH your arms in,' exha!e as you !ower yourself.
9, Repeat \vithout stopping for as many reps as possible, !n the beginning, depending
on vour condition, vou \Vil! be able to do 25-SO, Vvhen vou can do 100 without
stonping.
vou!re n1<1king
r.rreat strides.
r'
'.~l b
,/

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O../I

10. V\ihen you can do 500-straight Hindu squats, yoi/re on the \.vay to greatness,

l5

The Hindu pushup is <=m exercise, like Hindu squats, that has been used by lndian
wm;t!ers for C::<nturies to build upper body ~~ttength and 0ndurance, v\/hat mal-::f:~s this exercise
so dynamic is that vvhlle building strength and stamina, you are also increasing the flexibiiity
of the spine, hips and shoulders. VVhcn combined vvith deep breathing Hindu pushups also
bui!d !ung power. For those Yvho are used to regubr pushups,, you'!! find these to he quite ::=i
challenge, lf you can bench press 400 pounds, l'l! bet dollars to donuts that you'll struggle
Vv'ith 25-stralght Hindu pushups,

1, Start \.vith your hands on the floor, shou!dc;r-vvidth apart

2, \bur feet are on the floor (no knees) and your legs are a!so shoulder-vvidth apart
3,

Starting position is butt in the air head looking back to your heels.
1

4. Bend your e!bovvs and lo\ver your body in a circular arc, until your arrns are
straight. Ybur chest is up and your hips are

almost touching the ground,

to the celling. f.xhale,

6. Push back tovvard your heels once again, Straightening your arrns and stretching
your legs, as ln #3,
7. Back to the same position as described in #4,
8. Do as many repetitions as you can.

5. Look

Back Bridge
n1e back bridge is the greatest exercise in the entire Combat Conditioning repertoire. It
is the KING. Most peop!e think the back bridge only works your neck, but it does far more
than that. In addition to prornoting flexibility in your spine1 the back bridge builds the
muscles ln your abdominals, legs, hips, buttocks1 back, shoulders and neck. That's quite a
load, wouldn't you say?
The back bridge is one of the most misunderstood training movements in
existence.Before looking at the pictures and instructions on how to do a proper back bridge, lt
is important to !ay some ground work on the subject.
One of the things yOLdl find written in some books is a panic-like \.vaming about
bridging. These books tell you that it is dangerous, that you shouldnit do it1 that, In fact! you
shouldn't do any neck exercises with a weight that is greater than your ovvn head. One of the
cornmon themes is that bridging ''compresses the cervical vertebrae of the spine."
The exact opposite is true. Bridging stretches the spine and the muscles along the
spine, everything frorn the coccyx through the cervical vertebrae. Take one of those skeletons
doctors have in their offices and lean the head back and tell rne if the cervical vertebrae are
compressed. Then go to a chiropractor to get your spine adjusted. How does he do it? He
doesnit jar you up, does he? No, he stretches you out
A simpler example is as follows: If you pu!I on a bow string is it compressed or
stretched? lt is stretched.

How people have come to believe that stretching the neck and spine vvith bridging is
compression is beyond me.
Combat athletes who dismiss bridging as a dangerous exercise have either never done
it 1 can t do it (either because of fear or a preexisting neck inJmy), are simply repeating without
first-hand knowledge what someone else told them ... or they are just plain durnb.
1

There is no exercise that. will strengthen your neck as much as proper bridging. 111e
key, howevei~ is in knowing how to do it. Unfortunately, most people never !earn the proper
rnethod. Jv1ost bridge on the top of the head.

n-iis is the way I vvas taught to do it as vve!!, but it is wrong. The proper met.hod of
doing a back bridge requires you to place al! the weight on your forehead, not on the top of
your head. Ybu rnust arch your entire spine. Your hips and abdominals must thrust forward
and your chest should be expanded as we!L And from this position you continue to arch,
relaxing vour shoulder and neck muscles until vour nose touches the mat.
{.

18

Thls may seem like an impossibility, and it rnay be for those who are sick, frail! v;ea.k:

afraid or injured, Rut it !sn~t for most people, ln fact over thP last couple month,\ have taught
rn:::inv r)eoD!e,
voun.!, <md not so youn~,, rHYW to do the bridQe a.nd some of them \vere :::ib!e to
e
touch their noses on the first try Others vvere not able to do so right ;sway, but after a month
~

..

)_.

._./

>

or hvo of steadfast practice! \;\.'ere able to naH iL

Your sole focusr hmvcvcr,

is not simply getting your nose to the mat Once you have

attained the perfect bridge (forehe<:d and nose on the mat

'N~th

feet flat on the floor and arrns

folded across chest),, you are to ho!d this position for three minutes. Count sdent!y to 200 and
you\:e done it Believe rne_, ho!ding a perfect bridge for three minutes is no easy task: and
once you c;::sn do it you!n: really doing welL
ll1e above represents hovv you get started on the path to building a po\,vcdu! rnxk 1'io
other neck exercise can gb/e you the results that bridging vvi!L Neck isometrics don't do it
Lying on a bench with a plate resting on your head doesn~t do iL Neck ha.messes donit do lt
and neck machines should be avoided at aH costs :::is they bind, narnp and put kinks in the

musdes of the neck.

Do you knovv why the other exercises don't \Nork as weH as bridging~' !tis because ail
the other exercises iso!ate tJw neck musdes. Proper bridging does NOT isolate the neck
musdes. It wnrks the muscles along your entire spine as we!! .as the buttocksr hips <.rnd thighs,
ln short,. brirk:lng is a movement that lnvo!ves most of vow bod'/.
),Y

19

.I

20

-::.

Bridge vVi"th Hand Sup_port

1. Uc dmvn on a soft m:::it with your back facing do\vrL
2-

:L

Bend your !cg~:, and place the palms of your hands by your shoulders.
Drive off your legs and push off your hands until you are placing weight on the top
of your head.

4. Once you are on the top of your head 1 arch your !mver hack and push your chest
forvvard. Strive to louch vom nose to the mat behind vou.
I

'

5. Rock back and forth, trying to go further each time. Take your time though. lf you
don:t have the flexibility Just }'Ct, be patient Eventually it"!! come. Don't force it
6. Go back and forth 10-20 times.
7. lnha1e when you push upwarcL Exhale when you corne down.

y77
::

22

Bridge \Vit~.1 Arms Folded Across

(:t~~~!~~~ieels

Up

Once vou are ab!e to touch your nose to the rnat; vou're readv to nm2ress to the
i

f~

\,,?

fo!!mv!ng variation.
1. Lie down on a soft rnat \Vlth your back facing do-vvn,

2. Bend vou: legs and olace the nalrns of vow hancfa bv vour shoulders,
I

\../

3. Drive off your !egs and push off your hands untd you are placing vveight on the top
of your head.

4, Once you are on the top of your he:::id,. arch your k.J\:ver back and push your chest
forvvard. Strive to touch your nose to the mat behind you.
5. Once you have touched your nose to the mat, stay there d,nd fo!d your arms across
your chest
6, Now rock back and fort.h 1 trying to go further each time.
7. Go

back and forth 10--20 times.

8. ! nha!e when you push upvlard. Exhale when you come dovvrL

t
:

24

Once vou
are ah!e to touch vour
nose wlth arms fokled across your
chest and heels off
'
'
'

the ground, work on dolng the next variation.

1. Ue down on a soft mat \Vith your fr:i.ck facing do'<vri,

.L

Bend your legs and place the pafrns of your hands by your shoulders.

3. Drive off your !egs and push off your hands until you are placing weight on the top
of your head.
4, Once you are on the top of your head, arch your k>\ver hack and push your chbt
fof\vard. Strive to touch your nose to the rnat behind yrn.L

5. Once you have touched your nose to the mat, stay there and fold your a.rms ~ct<:ro'35
your chest
6v Now !mver your heels to the mat and h~ep your back arched so that your nose is
still touching the mat
7. Breathe naturally ;md hold th ls position for as long as you can. Shoot for three
minutes. Count silently to yourself. When you reach 200 and you should be there.
Note: After doing this exercls<\ it is a good idea to stretch the other 'Nay by doing the

front bridge, located in the supplementary exercises section that foliows.

!:

Supplementary Exercises

After \-Vorking on the exercises in the ROYAL CC>URT for one rnonth, you
can begin adding one or more of the supplementary exercises that fu!bw. Go as
vou
Hkef but stick '\Nlth the foundation.
-'
Some of the fo!!owing exercises are ea.sy and others are pretty darn
difflcuh. Choose those that you think .,.,,,rn benefit you the rnost Do not
ho\veve1~ jump lnto the rnost difficult exercises before you are ready.
The supplementary exercises add variety and h~ep your enthusiasm for
training ln high gear.

27

"""'#if
-r

28

Hindu jumper Squats

-~----

Jumper squats are great to do by themselves or ln comblnatlon vvith regular Hindu

l 'f .
.
d you kTlO\;V \vnat
j
l
squats. \IrOU''!:i; n,. naf you rse1if hul"
i tmg ;:HK put mg m no tmie an
tnat
nwans.
LUNG PO\:VER! Begin this exercise frorn the san:e position as the Hindu squaK

1, )urnp forward six inches landing in a squat \Vith your heels elevated.

2. Make sure that both feet touch the 2rmmd sirnu!taneous!v.

3. As vou iurnnS forvvard. inhale a::, your arms go behind vour back.
J...l

'

~..,..

4. Jurnp back to the starting point a.nd exhale as your arrns swing upward and puH
backward.
5. Repeat th ls movement over and over until fatigued. Shoot for 10- 20 repetitions at
first Eventua!!y you'll be able to do 100 repetition~; or rnore, This exercise wil! get
you huffing and puffing and vvHl bum fat like nobody\ business.

29
::

.v........ .

30

..........2ne leg in Ai~_ Pushup~~--~

These pushups are about as dose you can get to doing;:~ one--arrn pushup \vhik> using
the other arm for h1b.no:. lt re<.'l!iy \Vorks the Bhouiders and arm,,,

1. Start vvith your hands on the floor~ shoulder-width apart.

2. \'bur feet are together.

.:L Starting position is like that of a regular pushup.

4. Ufl: your left leg ln the air and turn the right side of your body downward as you
lower your right side tovvard the floor
5. Novv push yourself back up.
6. Novv lift your right !eg in the air and repeat with the !eft arm.
7. lnhale as you lo>..-ver yourself. Exhale JS you come back to the starting position.

8. Do as m<-tny repetitions as you c::a.rL

~=

!... . . .

31

Th!s exerclse ls another one that stretches and strengthens all the rnusdes along the
Sj)ine. lt also >.,,vorks the abdominal:.:; as thev' !nvohmtarilv contract v,,hen vou
bend backvvards.
,
lncreased flexibility ;:'lnd strength in the spine goes a kmg \.-v<iy lo\.vard increasing energy leve!s
and improving ovem!! health.
/

i. Stand with your back and heds flat against the wdL

2. Take two steps_, hed to toe, until you arc threE.: feet from the wa! L
3. Fron~ there_, lean bacbvard '<-Vith your hands stretched above your head.
4. Slowly move your hands down the wa!L Continue \val king until the top of your
head bfr1tlv
'--'
, touches the floor.
5. Turn to your stomach and stand up again.
6. Do five to ten repetitions.

7. Breathe naturally

L.

34

Waif \tValking to Back Bridge to ~=:nest on \A/a.H

This exercise begins !lke \<Val! wdking, but once you reach the floor~ yotfre going to

go into a back bridge. Do this exercise slmv!y.

1. Stand vvith your back and heels flat against the wan.
2, Take

hvo steps, heel to toe, untll you are three steps from the \va!L

3. From there. !ean bachvard with vour hands stretched above vour head,
'

'

'

4. Siowiy move your hands drn.Nn the vva!L Continue ',v;;dklng until the top of your
head touches the floor,
.'>, Now put your palms flat on the floor and arch your spine.

6. S!ow!y push up and back, trying to touch your chest to the waH behind you.
7, lf you cannot touch it; s!ow!y roc.k back and forth and keep trying.
8, Once you are ab!e to touch, hold for 10 to 30 seconds while breathing natura!!y,
9, Now rock back and forth, touching your chest to the \Vall 5- l 0 more times.

Note: After doing this ex:erdsE\ be sure to stand and bend fmv,1ard from the waist to
'
stretch your spine in the other direction.

36

\;\/aH _ Walking \Vith Reverse Pushup

get

This exercise begins like VVa!l \!V;:dking, but once you reach the floor, you're going to
J!l upper body \Vorkouf llke you Vv'(H1 1t bd!eve (especially your shoulders).

1. Stand \Nith your

back and heels flat a2:ainst
the wa!L
'
,.,.

L Take tvvo steps, heel to toe., until you are three steps frorn the \va!L

J, horn there, lean bacbvard \Vith vour

hands stretched above vour heact
'
/

4, S!ov;!y move your hands down the walL Continue walking until the top of your

head touches the fklOL

5, Now put your palms flat on the floor.

6. Do a reverse pushup.
7. Ho kl this position, then walk back up the \Va! L

ft Breathe n2tural !v as you

. do this exercise.
/

9, Do five to ten repetitions.

']

.J/

38

WaH Chair
Thls exercise is another great one fo: building strength in the legs. it is used to torture
wrestlers at thP uid of J hard \vorkout bur skif'r5 use it as wr:dL \Vhen do!ng this cs:erdse, p::'iy
attention t.o your breathing. Keep your ::iHc.ntion focused on :<J sing!e point and hold a<:, kmg as
you can,
1 .. f >'1ace your ioacK' against
.
a
apart

.l
vva!~

' a cnair
' .
ancl srt. 1!Ke

. . your feet snmHu:r->.A

' lJ
1 'd (
\NtU:
1 b1

2. Fo!d your arrns across your chest

3. Look stralght ahead,
4. Relax and breathe deeply.

S. Hold for one rninute.

As you progress in this exercise you wH! be ab!e to ho!d it for longer period::; of time.

l
L .....

39

40

Ho!dlng a hand stand is much harder than lt looks, lt buHds !rernendous upper body
strength/ espeda!ly in the shoulders, This f!X@rdse is also great for increasing blood flo'N to
the brain,
1, Place your palms flat on the floor, about a foot from the wa!L

3, Kick one leg up, then the o!her, until you are ho!ding a hand stand,
4, Stay in this pos!tion for as kmg as you can.

5, Breathe natura.!ly and focus on the rnusc!es in your shoulders and arms,
6, Corne dovvn s!ov/ly,

41

42

Front Bridge
--~

After holding the back bridge ;;rnd W'Orking on it for a\vhi~e, you'H want to spend some
t

' l

i'

tirne m tne tmnt tmoge to even t 1mgs ouL

<

<

1. Rest the top of your head on a soft mat \bur knees are off the gmund and your
hands are behind your back

L Tuck your chin until it touches the upper part of your chest
:L Keep your feet flat on the flow;, !egs straight

4. Breathe naturally a.nd hold this position.

5. Go easy at first, but keep time, Eventually you'll want to be a!::de to hold this bridge
for three minutes,

43

44

Whiding Dervish
This exercise is a popular one in Iran and other Middle-Eastern countries vv-here
'>.vresfllng is tht': natlona! sport. lt is ;01tso an ..::xerdse r0cornmended by Tibetan monks for
increasing one1s life span and for bringing a!! organs and energy centers of the body into a
irnnmved state of hea!tk !t increases energ.v and endurance and 2reatiy imorove:::,
your
r
.
"

i.,~

1 ., n

....

............

">

Ut"... ~(.U .d... >;. ...

1, From a standing position! pLxe your arrns shoukler--high ;ind stretch thern outvvard
\vlth the pc!ms facing dovm,

L Pick a spot in front of yourself to focus on.

3. Plvot your feet s!ovvly and spin your body c!ocbvbe. Jf you fod comfori.ab!e '\..Vilh
this exerdse! gradually add speed,
4. Do 10 to 25 repethions, then stop and \.vaH unti! the room stops spinning.
5. You can then spin counterdockvvlse if you'd like, but it isn"t necessary,

E),

'
H
orcatne
naturauy

'"l

wm~e

f
' tms
' ' exercise,
.
penxmmg

:~

Il

4S

:::'"24'
:~:

46

Reverse Pushups
The reverse pushup is one of the best overnH exercises you can do, It not only

strrngthQnS your back shoulders and arms, but !t promott.:>s flc~xibil!t.y and wpplene?>s
throughout your entire upper body,. especiz.Hy the shoulders and spine,

1. Starting from your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the

Hoo~,

pbcc your

hands next to the tops of your shoulders wlth your palrns on the groun&
2, Push your body off the floor until your arms reach the locked position. The CXO\vn
of your head should be facing the floor,
3. Push yourself fr)nNard. iv1ake your body into a whee! by trying to get your chest
even with your hands.

4. S!m,vly lower yourself, bringing your upper hack and neck to the floor.

5. Do a::> rnany repetitions as possible.

6. f.xha!e at the top of the movement, inhale at the bottonL

I
~

1... .

4H

,
'

' '
'
. tllC
L
'
i
,
l
'
bac j<
Leg snts
Gone
in trHs
rnanm::r a.re great tor
strcngthemng
anoornmais,
10-,ver
' '
f'
E 1 ' /
l.
'
'
L h'
'
h '
'
L'
!
anu.J hF'l
onnP,
t iexors. ac-i time vou
{. vnur t{:~et ue, ino vow eaG, vou are a!so stretoim\Z
v tne
spine, shoulders and upper back This rnovernent is a!so great for its effect upon the internal
organs_ Ai! abdornlna( exercises he!n ald the bodv in the dlPestlon
and eliminative process.
0
l

.I

t_;

.I

l. Ue on vour hack with vour hands at vour sides,

l

'

.I

.L Uft your head until your e:hln ls a!rnost. toue:hlng your chest

3, Hold your head up while you Hft your legs ln the air.
4, focus vour att.ention on vour abdominals,
5, Continue raising your legs until your toes touch behind your head,
6, l.. ovver your legs back to the ground, !etting then1 softly touch the floor.
'

7. lnha!e up, exhale down.

{L Do as many repetitions as you

c-i.rL

49

1
I

50

Hnge1ilp pushups are great for developing the strength in your fingers ;cirHJ hands while
ali;o developing the chest shouhfors <"lnd arm:~. Onu: you get good at doing them on al! your
fingers/ you increase resistance by reducing the number of fingers you use, \!\!hen you can do
a one-foiger pushup 1 if!! be time for you to write a book on conditioning as we!L
1. Sta1i with your hands on

the florn: shoulder-width apart

2, Your feet a.re together,

3. Pu!. a!! the \.-velght of your upper body on the fingertips of both hands.

4. Lower your chest until you can touch the floor vvith it

.:;, Push

yourself back up.

6, Do as many repetitions as you can.

7, Inhale as you lower yourself, Exhale as you come back to the starting position.

51

52

Kneeling Back Bend

This exercise is tremendous for lncreaslng flexibility and strength throughout your back
and thighs. \'bur hip flexors and buttocb ,1rc." stn:ongthened as vvelL Additionally, in all back
bend movements your abdon1ina!s get a great \vorkout because they are contracled in order
to help stabi!lze you, Ybu can !iteral!y get a!! the abdornina! training you need frorn an
exercise Uke thisQ

1. Knee! on the floor \Vith your pa!rns resting on the back of your thighs.
2. Keep your back straight and your hips forward.

J. Let you head fa!l hacbvard and gradual!y lower yourscdf toward the floor,
4. Go only as far as your

body \Vin aikr\,v. [Jo not force this movement

5. Once \1ou
have reached the limit of vour
flexibi!ltv,
return to the st::irtlne nositiorL
!
"
"
r6. As you return to the starting pos!tkm, keep your back straight and your hips
forward.
t..1

7. !nhale down, exhale up,

{L Shoot for 10 - 25 repetition:;.

::

53

54

1, Lie down on vour b<ick '>Nith your legs strai 0iAlt and anns extended above vour hea(.L
I

'

;../

Sirnu!taneously raise your arms and legs in the air above your mid-sectiorL

3. Touch your han&; to your feet

4. Lower your arms and !egs back to the floor, Do not let your feet touch the ground.
5. Repe2t until you cannot do anymore repetitions,

6. !nha!e up, ex.hale dovvn,

NOTE: If you fed pain In your neck or lmver back \.Vhen doing thls exercise,. it means
you are weak in those areas. Do not run out to the local fitness equiprnent store and invest in
an abdominal gadget that al!ovvs you to rest the back of your head on a cushion, !f a mu:;de ls
\.-veak, you don'"t ignore it or give it a rest - you train lt
for those of you with severe neck or hack pain, see a physician who isn't out on the
golf courser or a chiropractor \.Vho vvil! give you more than two rninutes nf his time,

55

56

1able Maker
This e:x:erdsc is r.,reat for lncreasirw strerwth in the uoner
a.nd !0 .f>fer back. trlcens.
lt
r
shou!d2rs hip <lnd buttocks. lt also prornotes gn: ater flexibility in the spine.
1

>._.

'...!

~J

1, Slt on the floor with your legs stralght and your hands pa!rn do'<-vn at your sides,
L

Push your body forward until the soles of your feet are flat on the ground, At the
same time arch your hips .::ind back and let your head fall backward,

3, Squeeze your buttocks tightly and push the soles of your feet into the gmun&
4,

Str;,~ighten

your back as rnuch as you can,

5, Hold this position for a count or so: then return to the floor.
6, Do 10--20 repetitions of th ls exercise,

7, lnha!e up, exhale do'<vn,

:~:

t.

58

The Stretcher
111is exercise is a vari<ition of the Tab!emaker lt ls also great for lncn::aslng strength in
the upper dnd !mver b;:ick tricep~,, shoukfors, hip and buttocks. His rnore difficult than the
'(..l ,,, -! ... anc
'.
l promot cs
'' (f
.<;::,l-.. '.~.Gt".
,~fl''.'!
;loJ>; 'n
H'e>
b~L.anu
,.J !. ; ,,.
1-.awC;ll<lKE:f
r)C,_.,ei
siJU1 0 ,;; anu
, CX10d,.->
L, t\..ie' liOv11cr
.. du<.
n+~
1. Sit on the floor \-Vith your !egs straight and your hands palm down at your sides.

L Push vour bodv forvfard until the so!es of vour

feet are flat on the .;_r.,round and vour
_i
/
iegs are straight. .At the sarne time arch your hips and back ,::ind let your head fa!!
bacbvard.
I

3, Squeeze your buttocks tightly and push the soles of your feet into the ground.
<'L Straighten

your back as much as yciu can,

5. Hold this position for a count or so, then return to the floor.
6. Do 10-20 repetitions of this cx0rdse.

7. !nhale up, exhale dorvn.

59

Handstand Pushups
The handstand pushup is an exerdse tha! builds shou!df'r, back and ann strengthAnyone \Nhn \Vctnts to get a lot stronger should do a lot of these. \Vhen you are doing this
exercise -vvith ease, you're getting :an idea of what it is like to hzmdlc. your own bodyweight
from ail directions a.nd angles.

1. Put your hands on the flooi, about shoulder-width apart.

2. Making sure no windows are in front or behind you, kick up until your legs are
b;:danced a.long the wa!L rbur knees are bent and your weight is resting cm your

pa!ms. )hur back i~. nmv to the \Va!L

3. From this position,. bwer yourself unti! your head touches the floor, then push
straight up and lock out your arrns, Exhale,
4. Do as many as you can, \Nhlch at first; may be a big fat ZERO. Jf you can 1t do one
yet, make it an !sornetrlc movement arid push and push and push until your
muscles have had enough.

S. \:Vhen you can do 10--straight repetitions ymr're rnaking good progress.

l....

61

62

Side Bends
Side bends ;:=ire great for :;trengthcning the side of your walst (obliques\ Pait of Combat
1
'L'!'
!
l'
!' l'
'
'i

hi~xwrnty ~mo strengtn in ;,w wrections; siae\vays is no exception.

J'f'mmng is ga.mmg
COlk#
v

'

' '

l, Stand vvith your feet shcw!der\Nidth apart

L

Raise vour
left arm in the alr so that the b!ceps ls almost touchinQ
vour
,
v'

E3T.

3, Bend to your right as far as you can .. Once you have reached the extreme stretch of
this rnovernent, then move back and forth a couple inches! repeating the final
phase of the rnovement 50-'l 00 fones"
4. Svvitch sides and repeat
5. Breathe naturally throughout this rn1.::ivement

63
.:~

........ .

64

Jumping L~nges
Uke Hindu squ;..-1ts, jumping !unges build cxphslve strength and muscular endurance
in thc !o\.ver body and a ton of lung pmvcr a~ \.;,,,1e!L \i\/henPVN you think your workout ;s
getting too easy, add some jurnping lunge; and yrnd! quickly change your rnincL

1, Sta.rid with your feet shoulder-\.vidth apart Hands on hips,

2, Jump frn"'\vard and lunge do\vn1.vard with your left kg. iv1ake sure your knee doesn't
touch the floor. Jurnp bac.k to the starting position.

3. Svvitch !egs and repe.1t the sarne movement

4, Repeat this mm.:ernent over and over,- adding speed \.-Vhcnever possible.

5. lnhale do\vn, exhale up.

6. Do as many repetitions as possib!e,

65

66

One of the reasons '.vhy l like doing sit-ups this \vay is because you carr't pull on your
head or neck to dwat yourself up. Abo . \.vhen done this way you HteraHy frx.:! hmv much
mmnentum you used to use to do a sit-up. This method gives you a rea! test for the streng;h of
your rnidsection. lt strengthens the abdmninals, imver back and hip fkxors.
1. Ue on the floor with st.ralght legs. Y::mr hands are at your slde, pa!ms flat

2. \/Vithout !etting your heds or !egs to come off the floor, use your abdomina!

muscles to sit up.

3, Corne a!! the way up untl! your torso is perpendicular to the flooc
4, Return to start and repeat as many times as possible.

5, lnhale up, exhale dmvn.

68

l"his exercise comes from the o!dest sty!e of kung fu kmY'!n to man. lt h;::ippens to be a
l l'
'p
l
,,,
l " ' , t
i.
grapp !ing art, Jnc t m: rnovement. \.VH[ get you nuhmg anc puttmg ma nurry, as it requires !ml
body explosiveness. it is much more than bo\ving,: it is rnore like using a sledge hammer,
<

>

<

'

i, Stand vvith feet about shoukler--width 2parL

2. Bend your knees and lower your buttocks to a position just above the vval! chair
position,

3. Make fists \vith your hands and place then1 above your head. One hand is above
the other,
4. Focus on your abdorninals. lma.glne you have a sledge hammer in your hands and
you're going to drive it into the concrete.

S. Throw your hands frmvard and dovvmvard vvhi!e straightening your legs and sliding
backwards on the soles of your feet.

6. f.xbi!e do\Nn,, inhale up.

7. Do 10-20 repetitions.

69

70

Bowing With Partner

,.... ,........

~-

Hen:/s another good \.vay to practice lifting a.nother human being. lt works your
abdominals, lo1,ver back and legs.
1 , Turn your back to your partrK~L

A!ln'N him to drape his right arm over your shoulder,

J, Grab ho!d of his wrist with vour !eft ha.rd, then grab hls shoulder with vour
right
<
.......
J

.....

4, With a straight ba.ck and slightly bent knees, bow fon.vard from the mldsectlon
\Vhl!e straightening your legs.
5. As you bovv~ focus on rri:::iklng your abdominals do the \Vork.

6.

ReaHy pull ;ind fee! your abdornlna! musdes

onrn:ment ten times on ea.ch side.
''

contract Raise and lower your

7, lnha!e at the bottom of the lift, exhale at the top.

I
~

72

This exercise also comes from Shu<lltJiiao., the oldest style of kung fu kno-wn to man. it
0
'

,
,
ks, out
L . J
, ' ::i.rrns pusneo
l.
,.
l
h
is qffHi,1r to iumpmg
pc
(one V>/lL1
oul: to HH:;
front rat 1er t an :>wung
overhead. It ls great for developing lung po.,ver as 'Nel! as strengthening the !egs and upper

'!

body
1, Stand with feet together and fists pulled back to your hips,
2. Jump into the squat posit.ion vvhi!e your palms corne stra.lght out and push forvi<:m.L
3. \lovv jump back to the starting position with your fists at your hips again,

.4. lnhale \-Vhen you jurnp out,, exha.k: \>vhen you return.
5. Do 50 or more rqwtitions of this exen.::ise.

73

74.

Fireman's Carry \i\/ith Partner

VVhen you work on llfting the \Veight of <:mother hurnan being, yml"l! qulckly discover
hovJ confined you ~HT' 1.:vith weight tr,1ining exercises. /\nd taik AH.wt functional st:cngth! This
is a movement that is used to save people's lives. lt develops fuH body strength and gets you
breathin~.
<-~

hard rnightv
fast.
......
,,

1, Crab your partner by the wrist or by the back of the dbov/,

L Squat bene<.ilh him and pu!l his arm over your shoulder, Your head is bet\veen his
arm and upper bade

From this position, push upvvard \,vhilE pu!ling vigorously on his arm.
4. Keep your hack straight
5. Lo'.ver

and repEat ten times on each side,

6. Exhale at the top of the lift! inha!e at the bottom.

76

c;rass i1oppers
This exercise ls a gre;1t for developing lung povver whlk conditioning your abdominals,.
hins
and thif,;b;.
One minute of this ,vil! ...,.w:t vour aueni.fon.
t
~-"
l

1. Beginning position is on a!! fours.

2. \!Vhl!c keeping your hands on the floor~ s!ight!y Hit your right !eg and s!ide lt under
your chest until it touches by your !cft hand.
3, \iVlthout missing a beat, reverse directions and s[ide your k>ft leg over to your right

hand.
4, Do 25-l 00 repetitions of th ls exercise,
5. Breathe naturally.

78

J\1ountain CHn1bers
This b the only tirne you'll Ndimb a n1ountair( on

an fours, and like grasshoppers,. this

' is
' greJt fnr aeveiopmg
l
'.
'
'
exercise
1tmg
power ano sLunma.. l t \.vor?<s
1

'

i
l ' !
t
l.
L'
tne
tnigns,
rmttocv.;s,
nips

and ;;ibdornina!s.
1. Beginning position is on aH fours.

2. \iVhi!e keeping your hands on the floor, !ift your right font and run straight frn'\vard
\.vith it until your knee is \.veil under your chest
3. \Vithout missing a beat! reverse iegs, Continue on without stopping,

4. Do 25 100 repetitions of this exercise,

b. Breathe natur;:dly.

79

80

Duck Waddle

1, Assurne the squatting position v,;Hh your hands behind your back,

L Step forYvard v:ith your left font, then your right

3, Keep wa!!dng in this manner until fatigued.

4, Breathe natura!!v,
J

l{J

add resistance you can do this exercise up hilL

B1

82

Bear CravAing
Bea.r cr;'.!w!ing is an arna.<.ing exercise that develops strength and mobi!lty throughout

al! the limbs. At th0 game tirne, you cannot do thk exercise \.vithout. getting out of breath. This
fflakes it a great developer of lung power.

i, Find a place "INith a !ot of roon\. be it a fle!d of grass or a large padded roo1TL
2. Place all your vvelght on the palms of your hands and the soles of you: feet
3. Now step forward vvith your hands and feet and run !lke a bear,

4. Breathe naturally as you run.

5. Continue until fatigued.

6. Rest and repeat

I
'.;~

.i

84

Like bear crawling,. crab walking is one of the best exercises you crn do for overa.ll
body conditioning. l1 work; aH the limb; and develops kmg povver. Because you are upside
dovvn \:vhlle doing this exercise, it also worb the hips, spine and back a great de3.1.

1, Find a place vvith a lot of rooni, be it a fidd of grass or a large padded mom.

L Sit on your butt, then p!ace all your \\;eight on the p<ilms of your hands and the
so!es of your feet
3. Elevate your body so dvlt only your hands a.nd feet touch the ground. Now move
fon..vard whh your hands and feet

4. Breathe naturally as you move,

5, Continue until fatigued.

6, Rest and repeaL

85

---.--.....

B6

Reverse Handstand
The reverse handstand is an exercise that builds a lot of strength in the shoulders, back
and arms. !n thls ext>rdse you simply hold the position for a-: kmg a:=; you can. \,'\/hen you can
hold for three minutes, ym/re doing great

1, Stand with vour back to !.he 'Na.!L Bend forward and n!ace vour hanr.h, on the floor,
about shoulder-vvidth apart
I

2. Novv place the soles of vour feet on the \.v;,:dl and \Valk unit backwards until your
'
'
'

chest is flat against the walL

J, from t.hls position; simply breathe naturally and hold for as long as you can.

Note: !t vvou!dff't be a bad idea to have sornemw spot you on this exerdse at fast It
looks much easier than it is,

a'

{)/

'

-~

88

Crab Anldes lift

. r th',,L; exi:._,(_lSC
' .,,_ .. ' ~JC.ClK-; -t \-. _ :><.;.. <lTHj o::,-i...reng t;..ie ..n.s tl.
<.;-rlp -;il!Drlb
- n t'lK'- <:
: P ..
0 rLP 0 t" ~J--ip
,.nc'' mtL,.L..S
~p:rL
!L .. _
D- omg
h'
'
f
h'
.
.
! '
'
l
"
l
. '
otiH:>r t rngs you can oo rorn t is position is use your ;mdomma s as it tney are a pair reet. !.t
sounds impossible if you haw:n't seen h, but 1 can push my ahdorn\na!s out while pulling up
and 2s l do so,' I bounce off the floor. Anv\vav,
,
, the instructions for thb lift are as fo!!mvs:
>..

>

1. Ue on the floor \Vith your storn<'ich facing down.

t,

L Bend your legs k-H.::kv:an:L Reach hack and grab them with your hands.
3. Simultaneously pu!l your torso and thighs off the ground.
4. Hold the position for three deep breaths.

:>. Relax and repe<1t

89

90

Sidewa_rd Leg lif_ts_

Skk:'<Nard leg lifts develop strength arid flexibility in the hips and thighs. Ycn.dl flrid

them much more enjoyable than single leg Hfls.

'l, Ue on your side \1Vith your legs together.
2, Uft both !egs off the floor at the same time,

3, inhale u;\ exhale dovvrt

91
=:~

.---

::TS?'

Reverse Lt;g Lifts

Reverse ie~ !lfts develop strength ln the :::ihdorninais, bv't'er back and buttock:;. \bu aiso
gd a good stretch for the lo\.ver back vvhen you do fhk
<._.

.. _

1. Uc face drn.vn on the floor v.:ith your 2rrns stretched fon..varcL

L Inhale and !ift both legs at the same fane. Hold for a couple seconds.

3. Exhale and lower to the floor.

4. Repeat until fatigued.

93

94

Torso Ufts
After doing the reverse !eg lifts( focus your attention on your upper hatf. Notice how

l
h'1p~ anoi b. 8CKJ_ com!:"~ into
,
L '
'
. aol dnnm.:hs(
much your
pi2y in trn~
exercise.
<

'

i, Ue face dovvn on the floor <.vith your arms stretched forvvard.

L inhale and lift \1our

arms, chest and abdornina!s as high
as vou can.
_i
\.
I

3, Exhale and lower to the floor,

4, Repeat until fatigued,

96

Arn1s Extended Pushups

Thl<e. exercise \vmks the rnusc!es of the a1Tnsf chest shoukk:r~: and abdominals, not to
mention thr; upp1:H ::md lm.ver btKL Strive to get just orn:; of these \,vi th your a.rms fully
extendecL lf you can\ then continue rnnving your arms back until you find a position that
will \-Vork.
1 . Ue on your stomach \1vHh your arms stretched straight in front of you. Your hands
are doser together than in a reguhr pushup.

Push everything but your hands and foet off the floor_

J, Lower voursdf to the floor and repeat as rnanv times as oossible.

'
'
'
4. lf you cm only do one repetitlor\ ho!d yourself in the up position as long as you

can.
5, if you are unable to even do one repetition" continue pushing as if you can. This
resistance ~Nl!l buHd strength.
6. Breathe naturally thmughout this movernent

97

--:;;t:ny
-:<

:-

98

One~legged

Squats

Once vou have buHt a mx:d deal of !m.ver bodv strength throu2h
Hindu souats
and
>--'
e
Hindu jumpPrs, you,,!1 >...v;;mt to give one--1eggi::d squats <1 -vvhirL They add resistance to your
regular squats and help increase leg strength and balance,
,,

~-!

'-

l , St.and on one leg with the opposite leg extended forward at waist le\iCL Your hands
are :>!.retched straight in front of your chest
2, Sk:rvv!y kw;er your buttocks unU! lhey go belovv your knees,

3. Push back up,

4,

!nha!e dovvn, exha.!e up.

5, Do as many repetitions as you can,. then switch legs,

99

One-Ann Pushups
Uke one-legged squats, onearn: pushups add resistance, rnaking your job a lot more
u
j
,. . to .mcre35eo.l 5tn:~ngl:ni :n
'
h
l _i
OlldCU L l n addr!inn
t e upper xmy on~~-arm pushups are good for
vour balance.
;

1. Stretch out on the floor vvith your kgs spread v,ilde .

Rest on the pa!rn of one hand and put the other behind your back.

3. Lmver your nose dovvn tovvard your hand. Push back up.
4. Do as rnany repetitions as you can.

5, lnha!e dmvn, exhale up,

10l

102

Thrs is an exercise that can only be done on

surface that allows you to slide. It works

your entin~ body \"<'ith a speda! amount of stress pbcf::>d on the abdominals, imver back,
shoulders,' arn1:; and chest VVork into thi:; one s!ovv!v. Talk about a. workout.
J.

1. horn a standing position,_ lean .forNard and place the palms of your hands on the
tmve! placed in front of your feet
L

Keep your attention focused on your abdominal center

3. Slowly push the towel frH'\Vard whl!e keeping your arms straight
4, Continue pushing until your body ls fully extended( but stlH off the ground.
5. Put your knees on the floor. Using your abdominal rnusdes, puH backward until
vour hands are next to vour knees.
'

'

6. Breathe natum!!y throughout this movement

7, Repeat flve to ten times.

1OJ

Penetrat_ion Step lunges

!n the art. of >.Nrestllng, one of the skill devdoprnent exercises is ca!!ed a penetration
<;ft:p dri!L Most of the time, hovvever, the student is t;-wght to bang one knee into the soft ffot.
for the purpose of this exerdse we will observe the method ernp!oyed by ok!--time Amerk:an
catch-as-catch--<:an wrestlers: <..vho did not hit a knee \Nhen attacking someone's legs. Vv'hen
vou oerform
this exercise the wav the o!d-t!me v,trcstlers did it~ vrnr'H fed everv mw;de in
~
your legs (and your buttocks} screaming vvith delight. This exercise stretches the quadriceps,
g[utes and harnstrlngs and pmmotes exp!osive strength \Vhi!e building higher levds of !ung
power.
1

.'

1, Stand in a staggered \.Vrf.~stier\; stance .

.2, Take another step forvvard with the !eg you are ka.ding -.vith.
3. Lovver your elevation as you step fonvard, ,>v1ovc fmv,.iard,. a!rnost Hke the duck
waddle. Be careful not to touch your knee on the floor.

4, As the one knee avoids contact with the flooi~ the other leg steps through,
5, Repeat on the other side,, then go back to the migina~ side again,

6, Breathe naturaHv as vou move,

I

'

7. Shoot for 1525 repetitions at first Eventually 50 or more vdl! be no problem,

105

106

Pfeasant VaHeys
After a few rounds of this exercise you may fed that it has been improperly narnecL
Some pQople pn.~for to ca!! this exerciY~-1 i{Death \/a!ieysf' Nnth;ng could be further frorn the
truth, This exercise may hurt a bit,. hut it'll give you a reason to live,
1, Sit on the floor vvith your back straight and your arms overheacL
2, Raise both legs in the air and begin bicyding with your feeL

J. As you bicycle with your feet 1 imagine you are picking cherries from a tree and
dropping thern into a bucket behind your head. Squeeze and puH each cherry from
the tree, Grip and release, going from one cherry to the next Keep pedaling your

bk:yde as vou do this.

4, Keep your back straight and breathe naturally,
5, Do 2.5-200 repetitions of this exen.::ise.

"!07

......, ::f'.'$

108

f-1ead Stand With Neck Stretches

The follovving exercise stretches and strengthens the sides.- front and back of your neck
like nothing e.lseo ,\.i2ke sw0 you begln slovv!y and only go as for as your body vvi!l ;;d!ow,
Don't force arrything. Eventually you'll be able to touch your ear to the rnat on each sid0.
Once .ag.ain 1 as in a!l the exercises, com:entrate on the rnusdes you are vvorking.
1. Place your head on a soft mat about one foot frorn a wan.

L Jump into a head stand. Keep your hands on the rnat for balance.
3. Slo\vlv stretch vow neck to the front trvinr~
to touch your nose to the mat Relax
"--"
and repeat five to ten timesv
)

4. Novv s!ovvly go backward, Only goes as far as your body \NH! a!ruw. Rdax and
repeat five to ten t!rnes.
5. Nmv s!mv!y move t.o\-vard the left ea.r, Return to center .and move tovva.rd the right
e.aL Repeat five to ten times.
6. Breathe

natur.a!!y,

109

110

~':Vhee[barn:n~

vva!king

\Vhee!barrmv walking ls ;:in exercise ln which you \vll! need a partneL !t ls gre::'lt for
developing strength and enduran(: throughout th"'" upper body,
1 , Have your partner He face do<,vn on the floor,
2, Reach dov-m and grab hls ankles,

3. Pu!! his ankles up to your \vaist

4. \bur parl:r'lc:r novv comes off his chest and puts ail of his weight on his palms,

5, He nmv walks forvvard, and vou

follow,
,
'

6, 'rbu can also have him go left and right

7, Breathe naturally throughout this rnovement.

8, Continue until fatigued,, then :;witch partners,
Variatkm; To rn~.i.ke this exerdse harder, see picture #2, <-.:vhere Gary Long !Jfa, one hand
to his chest1 then puts it back dovvn and repeats on the other side. This minor variation makes
it much 1 much hardei~

111

Jumping Rope
Jumping rope has kmg been considered one of the very best developers of
cardiovascular fitness. It has been said that ! O minutes of Jumping rope gives your heart the
same benefit as you would get from 30 minutes of running. Based upon this study, you not
only save 20 minutes1 but your entire body is exercised in a way that you cannot duplicate
while running. There are many routines you can fo!Iow when jumping rope. The main thing to
remember is that you want to continually try to do more cornp!icated exercises. At first it may
be difficult to sirnply jump Vlith both feet together. After awhile1 though 1 this \viii be easy, so
you'!! \Vant to run ln place while you jump. Or you'!! want to alternate _iu1T1ping: first on one
foot, then the other. At any rate 1 once you're able to do 500 or more consecutive jumps,
you're ready to follow the program listed be!ovv.

One minute - Jumping rope at fast pace - 1 .50 jumps or more per rninute
30 seconds rest
Two minutes - lumping rope at fast pace - 150 jumps or more per minute
60 seconds rest
Three rninutes - Jumping rope at fast pace - 150 jumps or more per minute
60 seconds rest
Two rninutes Jumping rope at fast pace - 150 jumps or more per minute
30 seconds rest
One minute - lumping rope at fast pace - 150 jumps or more per minute
Altogether this vvorkout represents nine minutes of fast-paced jurnping and three
minutes of rest. It is a great workout you can do to pick yourself up when feeling blah or as a
warm-up before doing other exercises.

One exercise that ls guaranteed to kick your butt into shape ls hill sprints, l used them
bdore going to Chin:i to vvin the \vodd kung fu title in "l 997. l fast !earned of thdr value
,,vhen reading about ~--HT superst:'in; \Va!ter Payton and l\'brcus A!!en, who used thern to build
explosive speed, power and endurance. HiH sprints have abo been used by \/vrestlers :dl over
the vvorkt lf you live in an area that doesn't have hdls, then nm the stairs at a footb;:dl
stadium, basketball arena or some other place.
VVhen you first begin running hi!! spl"lnts, you"!! only need a hW that !s about SO to 70
vards
long,
Do not 1-;;o
out and trvf to tack!e a Hi! that is a two mHes long,
The kev} b snr!nUng
I
~
~t
~- 1
n ol long distance running, Eventually:. as you get used to running hill sprints, you C:'m vary the
distance. You can stMt off vvith 50 yards and \-vork up to 1SO yards or more, it's up to you. The
' . tnem
'
:
davs a vveei<,
l
kev .is oomg
tnree
'

-t._..

When vou
do 3 hill srJdnt,
do not run back dovvn the hi!L Take vour t!rne and walk
,
f
back dovvrL This allows you to catch your breath a.nd to concentrate al! your energies on each
burst. Abo" running do\vn hi!! can be hard on the joints.
I

Here is a sample program:

l'Aomia:y

nve 50-yard hill sprints

\!Veclnesda:v
/

Three

SO-yard hi!!

sprints

l\vo 70-yard sprints

Tv.io 90-yard sprints

friffay
~

I
l

One 1.so-yard sprint

(Jne 100-yard sprint
One 80-yard sprint
(Jne 70-yard sprint
One 60-ya.rd sprint
Three 50-yard sorints
.
'

Uphill Buddy Carries

just when you thought that hi!! sprints took the cake,. you have someone who comes
up with Uphill Buddy Carries. That sorneone 1 by the way, IS NOT ME. \Nhen l was training
under Dan Gab!e at the University of Iowa, we had to carry our training partner up the steps
of the arena ... and that vvas at the end of practice, vvhen our t;_.:iils were really dragging.
Naturally, with someone on your back, you vvon't. be <:.-lb!e to run too fast uphill (or up a
long flight of stairs), but your muscles will get the point anyway.
The key is finding someone of comparable \Veight !f you weigh 150 pounds, you don't
want to carry a 300-pounder uphill, believe me. At the sarne time though, if no one your size
is around, carrying a lighter person will still make !lfe rough for you.
In terms of a routine, uphill buddy carries are really more of an exercise that you do
AFTER hill sprints. Carrying your partner up the hi!i one to three tirnes should be enough.
Here are some instructions on how to do Uphill Buddy Carries:

1. Squat down enough for your partner to jump on your back.

2. Have your partner drape his arms over your shoulders.

3. Your arms are under his legs. Reach up vvith your hands and your partner reaches
down to meet you. Clasp hands.
4. Keep your head up and begin a slow tmt up the hill. Your goal is to go the whole
way without stopping.
5. Breathe naturally as you go.

6. Do one to three rounds, alternating after each tirne or going straight through.

114

Road VVork
A lot of athletes rnistakenlv believe that cardiovascu!ar conditionln1,; is the kev to
rnainbin1ng f::'rH-?rgy in <} cornbat ;port Hence, they t.hinl< that running mil;~ afrer mn; is a
good idea. to-Jot true. There is nothing \Nrong with running, but in corn bat sports !ike vvrestling
and in mix.ed martial arts cornpeUtions (often referred to as no--hokls-barred fighting\ you do
not fight standing up the entire. tirne, You flght. in many different positions, at different spi.:x:ds
and vvith varving de,2,rees of rnuscu!ar effort This vadetv helns
exp!ain exact!v \vhv wrestling
f
and mixed rnartia! arts competitions are not ''cardio/' Sure,, ;:,cirne of your training can be
rLmnlm~, but much better than runnim~ ls what Kar! Gotch calls ''road work.1'
;

~/

)...,."

~'

By ''road work' Kari nwans that you work (or workout) \.'lihl!e running along the ma(.L
!nstead of running two to five mi!es; trv throwing punches while vou run. That a!one vviH
make you realize .hmv different fighting ls frorn ~~unn!ng. Other d;lngs you can do '>vhHe
nmnhg are pushups, duck vvadd!ing, bea.r cravvls! Hindu squats, and so on.
;;Lxpecl the unexpected," :;ays Kart ;;VisuaU:z:e your opponent while you train and
lmagine that each tlrne you do road work you have a different opponent in front of you. No
match is ever exactly the sarne, so never do road \Nork in exactly the same manner."
l think the quote in the above paragraph pretty much :=;ays it all. But there ls one mme
thing: \Vhen you do road \Nork, wear comh<'it boots.

I
I
~:

I
115
....... .

_;_.,;

There are a great many combat sports that you can partklpate irL AH of them can
greJtly improve your conditioning !evel. !n addition to vvreslling, l have practiced tai dd,
various styles of kung fu and boxing, But nothing, in my estimation, develops the mind and
bodv like vvrest!ino,
tj
I

\!\!hen l speak of \Nrest!ing; l am speaking of It in an its forms and guises, lnduding

freestyk::; Greco-Roman, judo, jiu-jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu; sarnbo1 shual-c:hiao and my
favorite; catch-as-catchcan. AH of these combat sports/rnartb! :arts are great training,
physically, mentally and spiritual!y, They develop the human being to levels he never
dreamed possib!e.
Once thought of as the "n1an!y art'' - 1,vrestling is no\v enjoying increased popularity
among women as we!L 111e world over; wrestlers have always been the best conditioned
ath!etesv They don 1 t have the muscles of a bodybuilder or power !lftei~ bul they have the
functional strength that no bodybuilder or pov.rer !ifter can match. ~Aany of these musde boys
have come into the wrestling roorn or Jojo and left with bruised egos, !t isn't easy fadng the
reality that a 20-inch arm may be impressive to !ook at, but a musde guy with big arms sti1!
can''t beat a grappler who rea!ly knovvs hovv to use every square inch of hls body.

!f you

are not involved in rnw of the wrestling arts listed above,, ! recornmend that you
first begin with the exerdses in this book- Conditioning ls the best hold you can !earn. Once
vnu
have attained a basic !eve! of fitnessf then vou're readv to begin
!earning
and without
!
-t..
-..;
great fear of lnjury due to weakness, infiex.ibi!lty or lousy lung povver.
.I

!f you are already involved in a combat sport, be it a <vvrestling art or a striking art such
as karate,. tH:Jxing; kung fu or the like,, the exercises in this book are for you as we!L !f you
are not in condition, even if vou
have
haven"t been doing exercises like this, chances are vou
'
,
been !nvo!ved in your art for years, There are plenty of so-ca!!ed combat athletes, You don't
\.Vant to be one of them. Be a conditioned combat athlete. There ls a world of difference
between the t.vvo,
Last of al!, even if you have never been involved in a cornbat art, and never plan to be,
the exercises in this book are the greatest gift! can give you, Health, as the 5aylng goes, ls our
greatest wealth,

117

Sample Combat Conditioning Routines

Each of the fol!mving programs can be done as a single workout or ln combination
\Vith ancither workout for example, you can do the Hindu Squat and pushup workout during
the same training session. But there is nothing wrong with doing one \.vorkout in the morning
and another later in the day. Figure out what \vorks best for you and take it from there.
Look through this book and choose three to five exercises, or more, and create your
own routine out of thern. Some days you'll only want to do bridging, Hindu squats and Hindu
pushups. On other days you can put together a \vorkout of 15 or 20 different exercises, but
done with less intensity than on other days.
The keys to success in Combat Conditioning are hard work, a "have fun" mindset and
variety in what you do. If you always do the same workout, the training can becorne du!L
\Nhen you switch things around, even a little bit, you'!! realize that a slight change in a
routine can make a big difference.

Do fo,;e sets of 80 regular Hindu Squats fr>l!owed by 20 Hindu jump Squats- Focus on
your breathing vvhlle you train, Exhale when you go down., inhale \Vhen you come up. /\her
ea.ch 100 you rn:::iy run in p!ace to heip your legs recoverr but do not stand around or sit
down. Keep moving. This keeps your heart rme e!e\.'ated and helps you malntaln your focus
and intensity,

Hindu jump Squats

,J

~-~

250 Pushups Workout

!n this workout you vvi!l do a variety of different pushups, one after the other. Listed
below is a sarnple of hmv you can do this prograrn.

100 Hindu Pushups

10 Fingertip Push ups

10 Reverse Push ups

30 Hindu Pushups
20 Fingertip Pushups
30 Hindu Pushups
20 One Leg in Air Pushups

10 Fingertip Pushups
20 Hindu Pushups
vVhen doing the Hindu pushups you wi!! inevitably hit a sticking point vvhere you
cannot do another one. Do your best to rest in the up position vvith your butt in the air and ali
vveight still centered over your hands. Catch your breath and continue. Training this way
bui !ds more endurancer not to rnention mental toughness.

Hindu Pushups

120

Reverse Pushups
........

One

~eg

Pushups

'"~--

fingertip

121

~ushups

122

The Karl Gotch Bible

This is a great vvorkout th~it combines squats and pushups via the use of a deck of
cards. The Japan<~se -,,vrestlers Kad Cotch tr;:ilned referred to thb as the Kad Gotch Bible. Here
is hovv it 'NOrks, Get a deck cif cards out shuffle thern \vr.d! and start dealing. VVhen you deal a
number card in red 1 do that many Hlndu pushups. If you get a face card, do 10-1 5 pushups,
fm the black cards do Hlndu squats, jokers are wild,. glving 20 reps, Continue dealing until
yoi/ve gone through the entire deck It's one of the bes! i.vorkouts you can do and aH you
'
, a.+
t:' /.
'
neeo'for eqwprnent
is
canJs"

WaH Walking, One-legged Squats and Reverse Pushups

This workout consists of three exercises that will hit almost every muscle in your body.
Begin by walking back\.vards down the \Vail and corning back up ten times, After that, do a
couple sets of one-legged squats, ten each leg. Then finish off with five sets of reverse
pushups,. doing as many as you can in each set.

Wall Walk

One legged
Squats

124

Scab Run
The scab run is one of those regimens! !earned vvhde at the University of !owa_ One of
the wrestlirw,
coaches,. Keith !>Aoudam (nicknamed Sc.ab), used to do lhis run a !ot so vve
"
narned it after him, l have modified it a bit but the idea is sti!! the sarne. Do not do thi~;
vvorkout lf you have eaten in the bst five hours, H'i! get your insides churning,. that's for sure,

Sprint 100 yards

')f: Ol;.\'"f' .
,:
.. .l .. >.. l>ups
1

Sprint 100 yards

25 pushups
Sprint 80 yard
"!!.'.

,;.~}

leg

l'-4

i!n.S

Sprint 80 yards

..')_::~~ 'teg !d'f(S

Sprint 60 yards
25 squats

Sprint 60 yards
., "
i
,:.:J squatS
Sprint 40 yards
-i

.:.,,) VUpS

Sprint 40 yards
25 v-ups
Sprint 20 yards

25 pushups
Sprint 20 yards
25 pushups

Ii
!

12S

Circuit training
\!Vhen most people think of circuit training, they usually associate it vvith weights. But
try it with Combat Conditioning exercises and see what you think. Basically, what you do is
jump rope or nm in place for one minute after doing a set of calisthenics. Then you go on and
do another series of calisthenics, and so on, until you\,-e had enough. One round of what is
listed belmv wl!! definitely get your attention. As you get into better shape, though, you can
do two or three rounds vvith more repetitions in each exercise. Adapt and improvise. Make it
hard and keep it interesting.
Hindu Squats - 50
One minute rope skipping
Hindu Pushups 2.5
One minute rope skipping
V-ups - 25
One minute rope skipping
Reverse pushups - 10
One minute rope skipping
No rnornentum situps - 10
One minute rope skipping
Table i\1aking - 20

One minute rope skipping

Kneeling backbend - 10
One minute rope skipping

126

Hindu Squats

jj__::.....

No Momentum Sit-ups

123

Table Making
>

129

Con1rnoniy Asked (:!uestions

1

How often shouM i train?

How often should vou b;:=ithe:' How often should vou

eat? follovv animals in the \vikL
,
They. don!t exercise once or t\vice a \Veek. Exercise is a nece~,sitv, for survivaL Human beings,
on the other hand, are ;:=ih..vavs looking for the easy v,;ay out and that's why most are ready for
the scrap heap before the ,::ige of 30, Take care of your body The greatest \-vea!!.h b health- My
advice is sirnple: Do a fo'<N of the exercises ln this book every <by. \tVork harder some days
than others, but do something everyday.
J

2. Can

~do

,,._,

'

the squats and pushups and hrMglng everyday?

\~;s, you CHL rrn

not saying you have to, but you sure can. Combat Conditioning is
not !ike bodybuilding,' \.vhere you train certain body parts one day ;:=ind others the next fake
monkeys and other primates that dirnb tre'es for a living. They donft foHow a three-day sp!it
They don't use creatlrw or take liquid amino adds each day They don't follow musde
confu:;,ion principles, They do the same type of exercises ea.ch day and they're far stronger
than hurna.n beings,

3. How kmg shouM my workout ~asf?

That a!! depends upon your goals and the time you have available each day, \bu might
traln i 5 minutes and you might traln for a couple hours or more. !t al! depends upon why
youfre training, Combat athletes wH! spar and practice the e!ernents of their sports in addition
to these ex:erclses. But the regular man or wornan interested in being physically fa \Vil!
probably not want to spend th.at much tlrne, but he or she can still get amazing results
vvithout investing a !ot of tlme< Make no mistake about lt though, everyone has sonie time
each day for training, !f you can't make 15 to 30 rninutes per day for exercise; then l suggest
you reevaluate your life a.nd what you're doing with iL lf health reigns suprerne1 then get up
off vour ass and traln a bit each dav. Even if a!! von have time for ls some lif;ht stretching and
der;p breathing exercise~\ that goe; a lot further' than plopping in front of th~ boob tub~--~md
-vw.mdering why you dor/t h;:'!ve any energy.

4. ~ on~y have 15 minutes a <lay, what (:an ~ do in that amm.mt of fane?

ln 1 S minutes you can do 500 Hlndu squats. ln and of thernsdves, the Hindu squats
are a great workout You're not on!y working your legs, buttocks and kY. .ver back, but the deep
breathing and s\vlnging of the arms develops !ung power and strength throughout the rest of
your body You can a!so take five or six exen:::ises and do quite a nurnher of each, and that
would be your routine. for example, you could start with walking the \-val! five times 1 then
you could do 1 OD Hindu squats, then 50 Hindu pushups, then 25 !eg lifts and 10 reverse
pushups. That ls a good workout and H wor{t take long a!. a!L

5. I travel a lot. Is this program something I can do in

my hotd room?

Absolutely~

and that. is one of the great. things about it You don't need equipment, yet
you'!! get more benefits in terrns of strength, endurance and flexibility than If you spend the
day in a health dub loaded with tens of thousands of dollars vvorth of mechanical equipment.
6. I still like to Hfi weights, is that okay?

Sure, it's okay. Stick 'Nith what you like to do. Sorne of the people l have coached do
the Hindu squats! pushups and bridging on the days in which they don 1t lift weights. I used to
lift \veights but since l began the Combat Conditioning l have never looked back. l have
gotten the greatest benefit from these exercises, but that's me. Other people are different The
most important thing is that you do some form of exercise on a regular basis.
7. How much stronger can I expect to get from a program of calisthenics as opposed to
super slow weight training or some of the other programs?

11-tat a.ii depends upon hmv much effort you put into it and how consistent you are in
your routines. But to give you an ldea, !et rne tel! you the following story. Steve Maxwell, a
good friend of mine( owns a gym in Philadelphia called Maxerdse. He is a vvorld champion
in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as 'h'e!! as a persona! trainer. He fo!lovvs the Combat Comiitioning
exercises i teach and has his _llu-_litsu students doing thern as well. But for his clients in
persona! training, he has most of them use the machines. We!!, one guy came to hirn for help
that had been getting trained elsewhere on the vveights. He was really weak and Steve
decided to do something different. He started him on a program that consisted of Hindu
squats, Hindu pushups( bridging, pul!ups, situps and the like. Trouble w-as that the client
couldn't do anv of these exercises we!!. He couldn't even do ten straight snuats,
1
. or five
pushups, or one puilup, and so cm. Within ninety days the guy was doing hundreds of squats
in a row,. ten pu!lups, holding a bridge for three rninutes and cracking off 50 pushups. His
physical appearance completely changed and St.eve decided to test him on the weights. it
turns out the guy was nmv far stronger on the weights than he had been when training
elsewhere. And this was without \Veight training. \Vhen Steve told me this story I said to hirn,
'~And guess what vvou!d have happened if you did the reverse?"
I

11

\Nhat do vou
meant' Steve asked.
,

if you had the guy on a!! the machines for 90 days and then tested him in
squats, pushups, pu!lups, bridging and situps?"
"We!L what

JtOh,, l see your point/' said Steve. 'Tie sti!i wouldn't be ab!e to do them."
;(Right/' ! said.
I hope this gives you some insight into how effective these calisthenics are.

Let me say this to dose out mv answer: Don't be lazy. \Nork on these calisthenics even if
ymfre currently not very athletic, and within 90 days you're going to be a whole new person.

it What <lo you think of aerobk exerdse equipment?

AAost aerobic exercise machines are okay and they are hdpful to people who need to
reha.hllltate inJurie:; or those >,.<.;ho carmot go outside to walk, run or do other forms of exercise,
But l think you should avoid them as rnuch as you carL learn to do things the natural \vay,

9. Do

you do any stretching before you do the exerdses1

No, Stretching is good but it isr/t necessa.ry to do stretches befo~e doing these exercises
simply because most of them <=ire simu!taneous!y strengthening your body vhi!e ::Jretching it
out There are a lot of stretches you can do after the exercises are finished and in the future l
vvHl put out ;:i stretching course, but for now you have plenty of work to do,, so don't 'vvorry,

10, My knees hurt when ~ <lo the squats. Any suggestions?

First of aHr before doing any of these exercises, rernember that they are for people in
good health and that you shouki never engage in any exercise program without the consent of
your physician. With that said, you'!! vvant to check your fornL You may be leaning fon.vard
too far. Keep your back stra\ght when you go down and v;hen you corne ha.ck up, lf the knee
pain persists, keep your heels fbt when you go down, /\!most '<Vithout exceptkm, knee pain
when doing the squats \s a result of having \VE.'ak tendons and Hgarnents. Once these get buih
up you-'l! be foK~<

11. ~ \Vas in a car acddent a fow months ago and hurt my neck and back very ba<liy. Is H
okay for me to do the bridge?
rhat al! depends upon the health of your spine right nrnN, Don't do anything \//ithout
the apprnva.i of your physician.

12. \ 1\'hat do you think of swimming~

Swimming is a great exerclst::> and one of the best you can do. lt has a rdaxing and
calming effect on the body, Unfortunatf~ly~ those who don't know hov,1 wHl find it cornplkated
to !eam. l hi~hlvJ recommend H but make sure vou
!eam the strokes nropedv,
\bu can
)
...
certainly put it into your routine \Vhh no argurnent frorn me. l s\vam competitively for ten
years and kno\<v that it. \Vmks the entire body, from head to toe,
./..3

.I

13. Whal improvements do ynu think l can expect after a month of Combat Crmditfrming'?
\bur entire body wiH be stronger and more flexible. Ybu'!l have a lot more endurance and
rnent:'!\ly ymd! be rnore focused and alert than ever before. Your confidence vvH! soar as we!L

Remember the Royal Court Concentrate on Hindu squab,. Hindu pushups and
bridging. After one solid rnonth of those three/ you,.!! be a new person. rbu 1 ll a!so he ready to
add some other exercises.

LU

15. Should I exercise in the morning or at night?

In the early morning the air is cleaner so Ws a great time to do it. P!us1 throughout the
rest of the day you can look back with a feeling of accornplishment on what you did. But in
the big picture, find a time that works for you and stick vvit.h it. If you can't train early in the
rnorning(do it !ater in the day, Avoid making excuses and you'!! be fine,

16. ls it okay fo eat before training?

! wouldn't recommend it when you are first !earning. After you get into reasonable
shape, you can eat some fruit or sornething light an hour before training and this rnay prove to
be okay for you. n1en again, maybe it won't It's an individual situation and you'll have to
monitor how you feel.
17. My wife dumped me for a man with a flat stomach. 1-f I do these exercises do you think I

can win her back?

\..Vinning her back may not be vvhat is best. ()bviously she has moved on. Concentrate
on yourself for now, Perform these exercises and you'll probably attract sorneone into your life
who is much better than what you had. I've seen it happen over and over again. As one door
doses another opens.

13. \Vhat about alcohol? Can I get sloshed every night and still make progress?
Only in your dreams, paL Only in your dreams.

19. I notk:ed that you don't have many puHing type movements in your program. Do you not
think they are important?
Pulling movernents are important, but you're going to find something out that is a
surprise to most people. I want you to w-ork on the handstand pushups until you can pop off
15 of them without any trouble. V\/hen you can do that, go test yourst?.!f on pull-ups and !et
me knmv how well you do. I think you're going to be amazed.

20. \\/hen you do roadwork, what kind of shoes do you wear?

l usually vvear a pair of army jungle boots. Theyfre comfortable as can be and they
absorb shock more than running shoes. They also have the best ankle support you can buy.
The army created boots so that soldiers would be able to cross any type of terrain with the
least amount of discomfort. I really believe they know \.vhat they are doing when it comes to
boots and that's why l wear t.hern. Cive them a try yourself. They're lighter than you think. Just
make sure you break them in real we!! before your run in thern.

134

About the Author

Matt Furey ls a native of Carro!!, lmva. He bega.n competing in sv;imming and

wrest!lng when he was eight years o!d - and through dedicated practice, became a charnpion
in each sport
!n 1981, Furey \vas the state runner-up in the Class 3t\ k)\:Va lligh Schoo! State
vVrest!lng Championships at 167--pounds. He attended The University of lo'vva from 19(1"!1984, vvhere he 1,vrestkd for Olympic Gold medalist Dan Cable.
!n the fa!! of i 984, in order to help rebul!d a doormat wrestling program, Furey
transferred to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and in 198S he vvon the NC/v\ ll national
title at 167-pmmds1 defeating hvo~tirne California state champion, Hov1ard Lav.tson,. in the
finals. \Nhi!e at Edinboro he \vas coached by rviike DeAnna and two-time O!yrnpic Gold
/'v1eda!ist Bruce Baumgartner.

ln February of 1987, Furey opened a training business for wrestlers and fitness
enthusiasts, tviost of the high school \Nrest!ers he trained 'i1vent on to vvrest!e in college,
~

Furey began studying va.rious rnarUai arts in i 990 and immediately saw the physical,
mental and philosophical !inks these arts had \Vith wrestling. This lead to the publication of
his breakthrough book and videos entitkxl, The Martial Art of lVrestling.

ln 1996, Furey began competing in a style of grappling, Shuai-Chiao - the oldest sty!e
of kung fu. Fureyis teacher, Dr. Danie! VVeng, a national champion from fah.van, and a ninthdegree black belt, guided Furey to three natlona! titles in the art Then, during Chrlst.rnas of
1997! Dr, \Neng brought two U.S. teams to Beijing; China, to compete in a \Vodd Kung Fu
Shuai-Chiao tournament.
ln Beijing, furey won the gold medal at 90 KG (198-puundst and was the on!y non-
Chinese to \Vin a tlt!e. ln addition,. Fure/s
. world title ~Nas historic because it marked the first
tfrne that an /\merican had vvon a gold medal in any martial arts competition hdd in China,
Furey ls the publisher of GA3.N. {GrappHng Arts International Nevv'smagazine), a bi

monthly pubikation. He ha.s been featured in CQ, Black Belt, !far.ate Jllustrated, .Martial Ara
& Cornbat Sports, Grappling, Jnsidt~ Kung fu: Martial .Arts llluslrated and various other
publications,
He and his wifo, Zhannie, live in Tampa, Horida.

Other Products By Matt Furey

The Martial Art of \.VrestHng
How To Achieve What You Want Without Positive Thinking

Combat Conditioning: functional Exerdses for Fitness and Combat Sports

G.A.l.N. (GrappHng Arts International Newsmagazine)

For information on products, serninars1 or specialized training, contact i\1att Furey

8801 Hunter's Lake Drlve1 Suite 511
Tamoa, H. 33647
!

Emai I: lvtattFurey@aoLcom

\Nebsites: wv.,rv.;. Cornbat\Vrestl i ng.corn

1

www~Mattf urey.com

www.Catch\i\frestling.com

136