Foundational Fitness for Fathers
Gain strength in the margins of your busy life, anytime, anywhere, so your arms don't fail when they need you the most.
Men are supposed to be strong. They should have the strength to lift heavy things, including their own children.
As much as it depends on your own efforts, you should also want to stick around for your children as long as possible. There is much we can’t control in this life. Disease. Accidents. The actions of evil people.
But a lack of discipline should not be why you suffered an early death.
This is part of a calisthenics program I’ve followed for years.
It enabled me to almost achieve a side lever with no more than 30 minutes per day. It’s also simple enough to do with your kids.
These results may not be typical, but this program helped me get started, and you can take it as far as you want. Just to show you that I know what I’m talking about, this is me getting close to a side lever and working on a handstand pushup:
The above are advanced moves, but I started with the program I’m about to lay out for you.
This program will:
Help you achieve your first pull-up
Help you lose weight and get stronger
Strengthen your core so you are less prone to injury
Prepare your body for more intense routines if you want to get more serious about weight lifting
You’ll mostly be able to do it in the margins of your life, in 30 minutes per day, at home. I do some of these exercises during long Zoom meetings. Be creative.
The only equipment you’ll need:
Gymnastics rings
Something to hang them on. It could be a tree, a playset, or a pull-up bar.
That’s it. At some point, you might want to get some light weights or a weighted vest, but that comes much later.
I list out exercises with progressions and videos, with a recommended schedule. Don’t skip the progressions, especially if you are a newbie. Even if they seem too easy, they will help you get the proper form. And if this is the first physical activity you’ve done in a while, the easy progressions will help you prevent injury.
I’ll also cover what you should do about cardio.
Note: This is a beginner’s level course. If you can already bang out 5 pull-ups, you won’t find much value in it.
Let’s get started.