Pay The Piper

If and when I do make it to the gym, it's usually at the back end of a fiercely long day, I've probably driven a hundred miles to get there (I'm not being figurative), and I probably still have a dozen things to do before I even think about having dinner and passing out for the night. Time is the one commodity that even the best of us can't manufacture more of, that's why one of the basic tenets of The Nomad Way is that workouts have to be swift and efficient. There's often a physical cost to this, but if you pay the toll in sweat, you'll find the knock on effects worth it, so much so that some of these 'time saving' routines and techniques are worth employing even when you have hours to waste.

Here's a back workout for you to add to your toolbox. It won't take long, the warmup is built in and it's as basic as it is comprehensive. What it is however, is hard. If it doesn't kick your arse, you did it wrong. Pay the freight on this one though, the dividends are worth it.

Proper Preparation.

You'll need an Olympic bar (or equivalent) and enough weights on hand to get you to your deadlift 5 rep max, depending on your strength levels you'll either be going up in increments of 10kg or 5kg (to help illustrate, I set up the bar in a power rack with 3 x 20kg plates, 1 x 10kg and 1 x 5kg either side of the bar, prepped for a quick change). You'll also need somewhere close to do pull ups, this is why a squat/ power rack works best, if it's too far away from where you're deadlifting you'll really struggle later, choose wisely. Lastly, you'll need a timer. A watch works, just remember to keep your eyes on it, setting the stopwatch on your iPhone and placing it in front of the rack works best, just prepare to hate your phone after this. You might even develop a nervous twitch when you see those numbers ticking by.

The Protocol

Disarmingly simple. Starting with an empty bar you're going to hit start on the stopwatch and perform 5 deadlifts with good explosive form, immediately you put the bar down, perform 5 pull-ups with impeccable form, from a dead hang, until your chest touches the bar, with a slight pause at the top and bottom to ensure integrity. As soon as your feet it the ground, add 5kg per side to the bar and stand tall in the centre of the rack. Fill your lungs and watch the clock, as soon as it hits a new minute, go again. Repeat this process, every minute at the top of the minute, until you can't pull 5 reps with good form any more, if you have to drop off the bar a few times during the pull-ups then so be it, just keep the form tight and be acutely aware that as soon as that new minute rolls around you need to have more weight on the bar, because it's go time. 

If you hit your max before twenty mins, start working your way back down, if you don't max out, then you're a beast and you might want to get tested for actual bear DNA.

By the time that twentieth minute rolls around you would (should) have completed 100 deads and 100 pull-ups, I know people who don't do that much actual, legitimate graft in a month. Congratulations, you're a warrior.

This serves as a rapid fire standalone back/ pulling workout, but if you have time throw in a few assistance moves after this crucible (if you can muster up the strength). 

Yes your heart rate should be jacked up, yes you should be sweating, yes you should be struggling to grip the bar on the pull-ups, yes you might be doing them in sets of two or three just to make it through, yes you'll be grunting and people might be staring. It's called paying the price, the people that stare wish they had the balls to put in the work you're putting in, because ultimately, nothing comes for free; pay in sweat or pay I regret.

Good luck

AT

All photos courtesy of Top Of The World London // Alex Lukita, available here and on ASOS Marketplace.