Watch These Bodybuilders Demonstrate Essential 'Survival Exercises'
Following on from a series of videos in which they recreated the training montages from their favorite movies, Brandon and Hudson White (the bodybuilding YouTuber duo better known as the Buff Dudes) came up with a screen-inspired fitness regime of their own, based on all of the skills a person might need to make it through an intense survival scenario in the vein of The Hunger Games or 28 Days Later.
"The Chase"
In the event that one day you end up running for your life in some kind of zombie apocalypse situation, low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio is a good way to prepare. "A brisk 45-minute walk or bike ride are great examples," says Hudson. He then suggests introducing high intensity interval training (HIIT).
"The Climb"
Do you envision one day needing to scale a cliff for some reason? Start out with bar hangs to build grip strength. "Try to increase your time week after week, so eventually holding yourself up in a hanging position is a breeze," says Hudson. Progressions like an inverted row are also a good way to replicate the movement of a pullup if you're not quite ready for the more difficult move. Then, move onto band-assisted pullups.
"The Push"
Picture the scene. You're trapped beneath the rubble of a fallen building, and you need to free yourself. That means having the necessary pushing strength. The Buff Dudes recommend starting with pushups to develop your chest, anterior delts and core (knee-supported pushups can be a great starting point), and banded dips, decreasing the assistance until you are able to perform an unassisted version.
"The Jump"
You need to leap over a chasm the distance of your body, or jump over something waist-high. That means working your glutes, quads and hamstrings, which means squats. Then, to cultivate the explosive power you're going to need, move onto squat jumps and box jumps. "Start low, start slow," says Hudson.
"The Swim"
Safety lies on the other side of a 500-meter body of water. To ensure you have the endurance required to make it, go back to that LISS cardio. "You can't ignore the way it increases your body's efficiency for cardiovascular endurance and VO2 max," says Hudson. The Dudes recommend swimming anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes per day, slowly increasing your time in the water and incorporating different stroke styles.
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