Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

VIPER CHALLENGE BODYWEIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM

Viper Challenge is no walk in the park. Believe us. So if you're not already hitting the gym pounding the weights or doing some sort of metabolic conditioning, then here are some training templates you can use for both beginners and the intermediate/advanced. So how do you train for something like the Viper Challenge? Honestly, you'd need to find a tropical jungle and run through it for a few hours, and along the way find things to crawl, climb and jump through. Then do that a couple of times a week over the next few months. However if you don't live in the middle of the jungle, you can try out our training program. Our training program below is based on simplicity, hard work, and training for the task at hand: building solid bodyweight endurance and strength to help yourself and others get through the maddest outdoor physical challenge you've ever done. You can do this workout program in the gym that has a bit of space for you to sprint, or find an outdoor area with monkey bars for chin-ups and pull-ups. Disclaimer: See a physician before you start any new exercise program. You should have a medical screening if you have been sedentary for a long time, if you have any respiratory problems, if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, if you are overweight or if you have diabetes. Exercise with supervision is generally safe, but there are inherent risks for those with the listed concerns. If in doubt, get yourself checked out anyways. This exercise program was designed for educational purposes only, by experienced certified strength and conditioning professionals who care about you. It is by no means the definitive way to train for the Viper Challenge, but it is an informed way of getting ready for it. If you have your own training plan, then use it with conviction. Train safe and take full responsibility for your own safety when performing these workouts.
Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

The Bodyweight Interval circuits are designed to help you build greater work capacity in a short amount of time. We want to train our muscles to be able to contract repeatedly without undue fatigue. You're going to need some overall bodyweight strength too; you're going to be pulling your body up through obstacles so expect to work on your chin-ups! Your training plan will consist of: Big 10 circuits 2 x week, a Density circuit 1 x week, and running sessions 2 x week. Timed Intervals for Big 10, here's what the template looks like: Hip Hinge/Squat Variation Mobility Push Pattern Animal/Crawl Pull Pattern Single-leg Big Cardio Movement Mobility Core Sprint variation. You are going to do these workouts based on timed-sets instead of reps, so we can metabolically push harder as we get fitter. The beauty of timed sets training is that it works across the board for all fitness levels, so if you are less fit you just do less in the work period. If you adapt and you start getting fitter, you'll find that you can do more work in the same amount of time, with less rest needed. Your work capacity has improved! HOW DO I WARM UP? If you are warming up for your interval circuits, then warm-up specifically for it. Go through the sequence below: Lying Hip Thrust (20 seconds) Bodyweight Squats (20 seconds) Push-ups (on knees if needed, 20 seconds) Warrior Lunge (20 seconds) High knees on the spot (20 seconds) You can use the same warm-up before your running sessions. Or just warmup by jogging slowly and then picking up pace when you are ready.

Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

TIMED SETS TRAINING

Beginner Big 10 (for those of you who are newbies, basically anyone that does not consistently do moderate-to-intense workouts at least 3-4 times/ week): Bodyweight squats Inchworms Pushups Bear Crawl Assisted Chin up Prisoner Reverse lunge Full Body Thrusters Spiderman Climbs Plank Shuttle sprint

Intermediate/Advanced Big 10 (for those who feel that the beginner circuit is a walk in the park):

Squat Jumps Squat-to-stands Divebomber push-ups Spiderman crawls Chin-ups or Pull-ups Single-leg squat Burpees Atlas Lunge Bicycle crunches Shuttle sprint (further distance).

Use the Timed Set's below based on your current fitness level: Beginners: 30/60 timed set, meaning 30 seconds of work, followed by 60 seconds of rest (do nothing). Then do the next exercise. Keep repeating this format until you finish the whole circuit. Initially, as a beginner you might find it hard to get through all 10 exercises in sequence. You might feel that your lungs are going to collapse and your legs will give way. Don't panic. Use what we call 'exercise chunking'. Break up the circuit into manageable chunks, meaning if you can get through the first 4
Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

exercises pretty well before it gets too hard then take a rest after that. Then begin the next chunk when you feel ready. Sooner or later, you'll be finishing all 10 exercises in a row, as you get fitter. Once it get's too easy in fact, reduce the rest interval by switching to 30/30 timed intervals (30 seconds of work, followed by 30 seconds of rest).
Intermediate/Advanced: For those of you who are experienced exercisers and are use to injecting intensity into your workouts, try out the advanced BIG 10 template. I suggest that you start off with 30/30 timed sets first, as the exercises are more complex and harder. Then from there, progress to 40/20 timed sets, and for the very advanced 20/10 timed sets. Aim to do 3 rounds of your chosen circuit, so this would take you around 30-40 minutes of good old solid hard work. How Do I Progress? Use your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) as a gauge if you need to make it harder by reducing the rest interval. Here's is what the gauge looks like:

Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

Do the workouts. Be honest with yourself; leave your ego at the door. If by the end of the workout, you feel like it was a 7/10, similar intensity to being chased by a pack of wolves for a mile, then don't change anything. Keep doing the workout as it is, don't fix if it ain't broke! Push hard through each work interval, try and do more good reps within each work interval. Once you feel that the overall intensity goes below a 5, and you can handle the circuit very well (after a few weeks of doing it consistently), reduce your rest interval to make it harder.

DENSITY TRAINING
Your other workout during the week will be in the form of Density Training, which means doing a set number of reps for a set number of exercises, and repeating the sequence with good form until the time limit is up. In this case, we are setting a 20-minute time limit. 1. Explosive Jump Squats Burpees Broad jump burpees Skater hops Iron Mikes 2. Knee or Hip Dominant Y-Squat Single-leg Squat Single-leg RDL Stability ball leg curls Iron Mikes 3. Upper body push Push-ups Shoulder Push-ups Assisted Dips Dips 4. Upper body pull Band pulls Assisted Chin-up Negative chin-ups Chin-up Pull-ups 5. Core Spiderman Planks Plank Walk-outs Spiderman push-ups

Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

Choose 1 exercise from each category. You are aiming to complete 12 repetitions for each exercise, going through each exercise back to back with minimum rest in between exercise. Then repeat this sequence for as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. Keep practicing. Aim to do more rounds in the 20 minutes. For the chin-ups, if let's say your maximum chin-ups is 10 repetitions, then aim to do 5 reps in the circuit. If you can't do any chin-ups, do assisted chin-ups with a band. Beginners, if you are struggling with the assisted chin-ups, drop the reps to something you can do (if you can do 3 assisted chin ups, then choose that rep range) and improve on it over time. Aim to do each movement within a minute, so effectively you are aiming to do 4 rounds within 20 minutes. Aim to progressively increase your movement repetition within each minute, so that you know that your work capacity is improving within the 20 minutes. If you are struggling to complete your desired repetitions within the minute, then drop the reps by 1 or 2. And work your way up from there. Stick with your exercise sequence that you choose for at least 3 - 4 weeks, so you can actually measure improvement. Then choose another sequence.

Note: For your band pulls and assisted work, we suggest you get resistance bands (also known as therabands) from your local fitness supplier. The looped rubber bands come in different resistances, and are tools that can help you improve on your dips and chin-ups. We suggest you get medium to heavy resistance bands. It will be an investment that will last you a lifetime. The bands look like this:

Copyright Viper Challenge 2013

HOW ABOUT RUNNING?

There is a lot of distance to cover in the Viper Challenge, so you will need to build up your running endurance (for those who haven't already). A solid aerobic base is going to help you recover faster between obstacles, and also help you cover more ground faster. So you can get to the finish line faster and celebrate with great music and awesome food! If you don't like running, TOUGH LUCK! Understand that if you do not get your body used to covering trail over medium to long distances, Viper Challenge will show you no mercy. Chances are you will cramp up, and you will complain. And you will hate yourself for it. Give yourself half a chance and get with the program, because you KNOW you can do it. Include 2 running sessions in the week: Aim to do a 6km run over the week and a 15km run over the weekend. If you can't do these distances, then build up to it. Use the walk/jog method. Run consistently 2 x week and you will get better and faster. We promise. Make excuses, and you won't. Map out a running route with the distance set (6 km and 15km) and aim to progressively get faster over time. Use a running app on your Smartphone like Nike Plus or RunTracker to map out the distance. Find some hills to run. Leave nothing to chance in your quest to complete the Viper Challenge with your head held up high. Get a notebook and pen. Record your workouts. Write down how you feel after each session in terms of the intensity scale. If it ends up being a 4 out of 10 too often, then its time to progress to a harder exercise variation or harder timed set. Be consistent. We'll see you in August.

Copyright Viper Challenge 2013