t’s fair to say Bear Grylls is no ordinary individual. His many wilderness survival expeditions have proven he’s willing to do just about anything, and the 51-year-old carries that same philosophy into his physical training, preferring high-intensity, functional strength to really test his limits.
‘I was never a natural athlete – I’ve always had to work at it,’ he told MH. ‘I need to be fit and strong for my job. I’m out in these jungles, I’m out in these mountains, and I’m there for extended periods of time. So having a good base level of resilience and physical fitness is really important in my life.’
As a former SAS trooper, it’s no surprise that Grylls opts for gruelling circuits over more traditional weightlifting to build his resilience. In one workout he completes 24 exercises, hitting every muscle in his body in double-quick time, with minimal equipment. I decided to get a taste for Grylls’ training by testing out the session for myself.
The Workout
Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat each block 3 times.
Core
A1. High Plank
A3. Plank Up-Down
A4. High-Plank Superman
Legs
B1. Squat Jump
B2. Kettlebell Pass-Through Split Squat (Left Leg)
B3. Kettlebell Pass-Through Split Squat (Right Leg)
B4. Kettlebell Swing
Chest
C1. Push-Up
C2. Alternating Push-Up
C3. Pike Push-Up
Back
D1. Inverted Row
D2. Pull-Up
D4. Kettlebell Left-Arm Row
Arms & Shoulders
E3. Overhead Triceps Extension
E4. Upright Row
Abs
F1. Kettlebell V-Up
F3. Bicycle Crunch
F4. Superman
Is the Workout Worth Trying?
As I type this, it’s a few hours after completing the workout and I’m still feeling the after-effects. My heart rate is still elevated, my muscles are fatigued, and I’m more than ready for a lie down. Where it stands out is the accumulation of both physical and mental fatigue that becomes increasingly more difficult to deal with as the session wears on.
I initially thought 10 seconds would be plenty of time to catch my breath between each exercise, with the work-to-rest ratio almost too generous considering some of the exercises. In retrospect, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Those 10 seconds fly by, and when you’re in the middle of a block hitting the exact same muscles, you can’t wait for that slight sliver of respite.
While I could feel every muscle come the end of the workout and had obtained a decent pump, I felt the most fatigue in my abs, chest and quads. That’s notwithstanding the fact the movements only require the use of bodyweight or a relatively light kettlebell. Explosively completing squat jumps or alternating push-ups makes things more difficult when the movements become more static, and noticeably fill the muscles with plenty of lactic acid. This is where mindset becomes all-important, as you have to fight through the pain just to reach the end each 20-second segment.
It just goes to show that you don’t always need the fanciest gyms or high-tech machines to get a really effective workout in. This session from Grylls requires minimal equipment – a kettlebell and pull-up bar – and will provide plenty of muscle-building and conditioning stimulus. I only used only kettlebell throughout, and while I might have been better using different weights – with some of the abs exercises a lot trickier with a heavy kettlebell than the arms and shoulders portion, for example – every aspect of the workout felt more than achievable.
It’s extremely efficient, too, taking 36 minutes in total, with 24 of those minutes spent working hard. While there are many aspects of Grylls’ approach I’d steer clear of (eg, sleeping inside a hollowed-out sheep carcass), this is one I can get fully get behind.
