The Star Wars Workout: Begin Your Jedi Training!

May 4, 2020

This post was originally published on this site

Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

It's Star Wars time!!!

It’s time to start training like a Jedi!

We love Star Wars around these parts (our site is literally called “Nerd Fitness”), so you’re in the perfect place to begin your training, my young Padawan.

We specialize in creating nerdy themed workouts and today one of our coaches will walk you through an exercise routine that would make even Mace Windu proud.

Here’s what we’ll cover in today’s guide:

Grab your lightsaber and let’s punch it!

The Star Wars Workout

Workout Summary: This workout includes a number of explosive movements meant to fire up your nervous system, build explosive muscles, and get your body to start thinking “power!”.

It also includes some static holds, whole-body movements, and even grip strength moves.

THE STAR WARS WORKOUT:

Time: 30-45 minutes

Equipment needed:

A towel
A wall
A doorway
A pull-up bar (optional)
A box/workout bench/park bench to jump on (optional)
Looped resistance bands (for assisted chin-ups, optional)
Grocery bags, backpacks, or suitcases filled with groceries/books, or;
Dumbbells or kettlebells

If you’re having trouble finding any of the above items, we walk you through some clever replacements in How to Build a Home Gym (When Everything is Sold Out).

ALWAYS: Start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down stretch.

Here’s another warm-up sequence you can run through:

Here’s another cool-down routine you can try:

Part 1: SkyWalker Handstands

Here’s the first part of your Jedi Workout:

Padawan: 3 sets of 30-second knee or feet front plank
Knight: 3 sets of 30-second push-up position taps or pike shoulder taps
Master: 3 sets of 30-second wall walks

If you’re gonna do Jedi training, someone is going to make you do a handstand:

A classic scene from the Empire Strikes Back

Here are some variations to consider:

For Padawans, your knee planks will look something like this:

If you can't do a normal plank, start with doing them on your knees until you can advance.

Shoulder taps are like so:

Coach Jim performing shoulder taps

A wall-walk, would look something like this:

Coach Staci showing you the wall walk hold

If you can do one-arm handstands like Luke, go ahead and do those here. Then use your Force-telepathy to tell us how it goes.

If you want to become a handstand master, we have a full course found in Nerd Fitness Prime that would make even Yoda proud.

Part 2: Jedi High Jumps

Here’s the second act of your Jedi Workout:

Padawan: 3 sets of 10 assisted squats or squats
Knight: 3 sets of 10 jump squats
Master: 3 sets of 10 box jumps (STEPPING DOWN AFTER JUMP!) or tuck jumps (bringing the knees up)

Young Obi-Wan needed to use his Jedi high jump skills to return to the proper level to meet up with Qui-Gonn Jinn and Darth Maul.

We want you to do the same.

Here are your Jedi jump variations:

You could do squats or assisted squats:

All too easy? Go for jump squats!

Coach Staci showing you how to perform the jumping squat

True Jedi Masters will be doing tuck jumps or box jumps:

Be careful on your box jump! But it is a bodyweight exercise.

Rest: 1-2 minutes in between sets. Keep things safe – rest during the 30 second work period as needed.

Part 3: Jabba the HutT Chokes

For the third installment of the Jedi Workout, you’ll be doing:

Padawan: 3 sets of 10 doorway rows
Knight: 3 sets of 10 towel doorway rows or band-assisted chin-ups
Master: 3 sets of 5-10 chin-ups

Is there anything more satisfying than watching Leia take out Jabba the Hutt? I know I let out a cheer when I first saw the scene:

We'll get you strong like this.

Leia is strong, and you need to be strong too.

Work on your pull-muscles by completing one of these “end Jabba” variations:

You can do rows from a doorway:

Coach Jim showing you the doorway bodyweight row

You can do towel doorway rows or band-assisted chin-ups:

Coach Staci showing you how to do an assisted chin-up!

You’re training is complete when you can do normal chin-ups or pull-ups:

The classic pull-up

Rest: 1-2 minutes in between sets. Keep things safe – rest during the 30 second work period, as needed.

Part 4: Chewbacca carries

The Jedi Workout for episode IV will be:

Padawan: Farmer-carry (Farmer’s Walk) dumbbells – 2 x 60 seconds
Jedi: Rack carry – 2 x 60 seconds
Master: Rack carry with some lunges – 2 x 60 seconds

Chewy is strong. Freakishly strong. He has no problem carrying robots, people, ripping people’s arms off, and more:

A true badass.

We want you to channel your inner Chewbacca by working on carrying heavier weight! Feel free to try any of the variations:

Farmer’s walks can be done with dumbbells or some impromptu weights:

Coach Staci showing Farmer's Walk

Walk or stand for 60 total seconds with weights at your side.

Rack carry:

Walk or stand for 60 total seconds with weights at shoulder height.

The Jedi Master Variation: Rack carry with some lunges – 2 x 60 seconds –

Walk or stand for 60 total seconds with weights at shoulder height. Master-level if you’re able to knock out 10 total lunges (5/side) during that time).

The goal with Chewbacca Carries is to pick up the heaviest weight (or luggage) you can manage and then carry it around your house for the set amount of time. This builds up bone density, tendon strength, muscular strength, and fires up your body’s central nervous system.

Rest: Again, slow down 1-2 minutes in between sets. Keep things safe.

Part 5: Han Solo Shuttle runs

I love Han.

He shoots first (literally) and asks questions later.

He also runs into situations where he might not have the upper hand.

Han does always find some trouble to escape form

This round of your Jedi Workout looks like:

Padawan: March in place for 3 minutes of intervals (6 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
Knight: High knees in place for 3 minutes of intervals (6 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
Master: Alternating sets of high knees and burpees for 3 minutes of intervals (6 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)

A Tabata Timer might be helpful in setting your intervals here.

We’re having you mostly run in place because you’re probably trapped inside your house (or escape pod). If you have a big backyard, feel free to use it.

For our Padawans out there, you’ll march in place:

This exercise will be our Padawan

When you reach Knight status, do some high-knees:

Raising one knee after the other is a great level up to marching in place.

For the Jedi Masters out there? You’ll mix in some burpees with your high-knees:

The infamous burpee bodyweight exercise!

For this last variation, do alternating sets of high knees and burpees for 3 minutes of intervals:

20 seconds of high-knees
10 seconds of rest
20 seconds of burpees
10 seconds of rest
Repeat for three minutes

Email me if you make the run under 12 parsecs.^[1]

Part 6: Force Push-Ups

Part 6 of your Jedi Workout looks like:

Padawan: 4 sets of 8 elevated or knee push-ups
Knight: 4 sets of 8 push-ups or divebomber push-ups
Master: 4 sets of 8 pike or handstand push-ups

This is probably my favorite Jedi move. Channel the Force, and use it to violently PUSH things away? Awesome. Where do I sign up?

This would come in handy

Now, although we can’t actually Force Push in real life…yet, it doesn’t mean we can’t build up our explosive Force push muscles.

For our Padawans, you’ll do elevated or knee-push-ups:

Rebel Leader Steve doing knee push-ups

Our Jedi Knights will do normal push-ups or divebomber push-ups:

Rebel Leader Steve showing you the divebomber push-up

Are you now the master? Then you’re doing pike or handstand push-ups:

Coach Jim showing you the handstand push-up

Again, this can get sketchy if you start doing these last push-up variations while tired. Go ahead and rest whenever you need to.

Part 7: hanging Over the Sarlacc

The last section of the Jedi Workout looks like:

Padawan: Doorway Leans – 2 x 60 seconds
Knight: Bar hang – 2 x 60 seconds
Master: One arm bar hang – 2 x 30 seconds for each arm

Sometimes, Jedi find dealing with a creature that wants to digest them for 1,000 years.

A classic scene from Return of the Jedi

That’s where your hanging skills will come in use!

Another scene from Return of the Jedi

Our Padawans will start with some simple doorway leans:

Simply grab the edge of your door frame and lean back.

You’ll hold onto the edge of a doorway and lean back for 60 seconds of hang time – should feel harder on the grip than doorway rows

If you’re following our “Knight variations,” you’re going to be doing bar hangs:

Coach Staci showing you the bar hang

Not enough? Then train to hang from one arm:

Coach Staci showing you a one arm bar hang

This skill will become useful if you ever lose an upper-appendage in a lightsaber duel (it happens to the best of us).

Note: this can be challenging on your joints if you’re not used to hanging, so progress slowly on this one! Start with just a few seconds and work your way up!

May the force be with you (Next Steps)

Here’s a recap!

Complete this workout with regularity, and work your way up to the Jedi Master levels for each.

As I discuss in our guide, How to Build Your Own Workout Routine, I generally recommend newbies complete a full-body workout two to three times a week.

Our Star Wars Workout would be considered “full-body” since we hit every major muscle group. You could also alternate it with a more conventional strength training practice.

On your “rest days,” you can look into doing some active recovery, yoga, or fun movement.

If you can only get yourself to work out once a week, that’s okay! Let that become normal, then we can brainstorm ways to squeeze in an extra day.

Building the habit of working out is our goal today. We can worry about maximizing “gainz” down the road.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about maximizing gainz.

Now the only thing left to do is start!

Here are some options for next steps with Nerd Fitness:

Option #1) If you want a professional coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on the equipment you have available, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

For example, let’s say you find yourself stuck indoors during a pandemic, and you want somebody to custom-build you a workout program based on the equipment and furniture you have. That’s where an online coach is a game-changer!

Personally, I’ve been working with the same online coach since 2015 and it’s changed my life. You can learn more by clicking on the box below:

2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Have questions you need answered? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains at-home exercise routines, live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community, group challenges, and much more!