reading

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, with true appreciation, I would like to dedicate The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge to my Special Operations trainers and mentors. They unceasingly motivated me to seek out and exceed my limits, to put my objectives before my personal comfort, and to put the needs of the team above my own.

Everything I do is made possible by teamwork. Without the passion and dedication of the people who support my work, none of my training methods would ever have appeared in the form of a book, app, or DVD. Samantha Nomany’s tireless commitment and her constructive feedback were critical for my entire business plan. Without the network of my agent Steve Ross, who can look back on more than 20 years’ experience in publishing, self-publishing the German version of my first book, You Are Your Own Gym, would probably have been the end instead of the beginning of the journey. Marnie Cochran, executive editor at Ballantine Books, edited the English-language editions of my works with the very highest levels of professionalism, competence, and care. Without the initiative and vision of Joshua Clark, my work would probably be restricted to members of elite Special Forces units to this day. The recipes in this book were developed by functional training expert Chris Gamperl to perfectly correspond to my nutritional recommendations. Raphael Ruiz, U.S. Olympic swim team fitness coach, was a major influence on both my training methods and my philosophy of fitness. The editor of the German You Are Your Own Gym series, Pascale Breitenstein, and my co-writer Julian Galinski, deserve special thanks for their tireless dedication to making this project happen. They helped present my information in easily digestible chunks that make it simple for the reader to engage in a step-by-step transformation of their lifestyle. Last but not least, I would like to thank everyone who allowed me to train them as I developed this program. Without their dedication and support, and feedback [as well as the feedback from the many users of my products], it would simply not have been possible to create this program.

Mark Lauren

Bodyweight Training

Based on the bestselling book You Are Your Own Gym

With his bestselling book You Are Your Own Gym, Mark Lauren has created an international trend - training without fitness equipment, using only your own bodyweight as resistance to build strength and burn fat faster than ever before. This DVD presents three bodyweight workouts, with warm-up and cool-down, that use high intensity interval training along with total body exercises to simultaneously build strength and endurance. With variations to many of the exercises, these workouts can accommodate both the novice and the pro. Learn to use the most advanced fitness equipment ever made - your own body! And let bestselling author and elite trainer of Special Operations troops Mark Lauren lead you through these highly effective workouts.

The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic information is available online at http://d-nb.de.

The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge proposes a program of diet and exercise recommendations for the reader to follow. However, you should consult a qualified medical professional before starting this or any other fitness program. As with any diet or exercise program, if at any time you experience discomfort, stop immediately and consult your physician.

1st edition 2016
© 2016 by riva Verlag
an imprint of the Münchner Verlagsgruppe GmbH
Nymphenburger Straße 86
D-80636 Munich
Tel.: +4989 651285-0
Fax: +4989 652096

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Translation: Bradley Schmidt, Bryn Roberts
Editing: Kathryn Mintz
Recipe section: Chris Gamperl
Proofreading: Rita Forbes
Jacket design: Melanie Melzer
Cover photograph left and exercise images: Nils Schwarz
Composition: bookwise medienproduktion GmbH

ISBN 978-3-86883-773-5
ISBN ebook (PDF) 978-3-95971-056-5
ISBN ebook (EPUB, Mobi) 978-3-95971-057-2

Further information is available at www.rivaverlag.de

THE CHALLENGE

Days 1 to 90

DAY 1

Time for us to get started-I can hardly wait! You’ve got all the important information you need. Now you’re primed and ready to take on The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge. Fantastic! Starting today, you are going to sweat-and the endorphins are going to flow. Let’s start with the first evaluation workout-EVAL.

Your workout today: EVAL

Warm-up [page 136]

Level I: 4 sets per exercise

1. Bodyrocks [page 138] - Target: 25 reps per set

2. Let-Me-Ins, feet forward [page 146] - Target: 12 reps per set

3. Prisoner Back-Lunges [page 154] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

4. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

Perform four consecutive sets for each exercise, training for 30 seconds and then resting for 30 seconds between each set. Note down your rep count after each set.

If you manage the rep target for each set, train at Level II in future workouts. If not, stick with Level I. Good form is critical—be honest with yourself! “Cheat reps,” done with bad form, don’t count. If you have the strength but not the balance, coordination, or flexibility to do an exercise correctly, keep working on Level I.

Cooldown [page 160]

MARK SAYS

Control your breathing. If you are using your own bodyweight as resistance, breathe in as you give in to the force of gravity, and breathe out as you work more forcefully against it. Don’t get into the bad habit of holding your breath when you are exerting yourself, making your face turn bright red. You need to keep your body supplied with oxygen at all times. Breathing properly helps relax muscles that aren’t needed and saves energy.

DAY 2

I hate to slow you down-and no doubt you’d love to train again today. But fitness success depends not just on sweat, but also on know-how-and you get that from me. So pay attention!

Your job today: Open your mind, figure out your diet!

True health and fitness requires a multi-pronged approach. Your state of mind—your motivation—plays a decisive role. What I expect from you (besides 100 % commitment during workouts) is to be prepared to give up old habits and give new experiences a chance; to be open-minded—even if you aren’t convinced by a new idea at first.

You’ll never lose (or gain) weight, or improve your muscle tone, if you don’t eat right. When it comes to food, I’ve seen so many men cling stubbornly to their beer, burgers, and bacon (and no salad!), as if this were a constitutional right. Don’t block your own path to success! I repeat: we aren’t going through these 90 days together so you can heave out a few more push-ups at the end. We’re doing this to prepare you for a more fulfilling, productive life—with a keen, alert mind in a fit, healthy body.

Read my guide to nutrition on the next page, and make sure to apply those principles rigorously for the next 90 days!

Bonus task

Start keeping a “food diary.” A notepad will do, although there are apps available that can help you track your intake and nutrition each day. It will make it a lot easier for you to keep track of your protein consumption.

The perfect diet

Have you ever seen anyone filling up his car with waste oil instead of gas before setting off on vacation? No? Hardly surprising, is it. Your average automobile is going to run a lot better on gasoline, after all. The same principle applies to our bodies. The better quality the fuel, the better we can perform. If you don’t eat right, even the best fitness program will be a waste of time!

You need to take two things to heart: drink plenty of water and eat lots of vegetables. That is the foundation of a healthy diet.

It is also critically important to get enough protein. You can get protein from meat, fish, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, and, in smaller amounts, from dairy products and legumes. Protein and its amino acid constituent parts are critical to strength training. Your body needs it to grow and repair cells. In a nutshell: without protein, muscles simply won’t function optimally, let alone get bigger.

Use the following guidelines to ensure you get enough protein every day: you should consume no less than.68 g of protein per pound of your target weight (or 1.5 g per kilogram). So if your ideal bodyweight is 177 lb (80 kg), you should be getting 120 g of protein every day, ideally divided over five meals. A 3.5-ounce (100 g) serving of meat, fish, poultry, or seafood has about 20 g of protein. An egg has about 7 g. From now on, protein will be the starting point of every meal. Before you eat anything, ask yourself this question: how much protein is in there? At the supermarket, read labels to check the list of ingredients and nutritional information—something you should make a habit of doing in any case.

You want to avoid bad carbohydrates in the form of excess sugar. Unfortunately, much of our food is filled with these cheap, unnecessary calories that cause your blood sugar levels to race up and down like a rollercoaster and often set off food cravings. Watch out: sugar goes by many names—from supposedly healthy fruit sugar (fructose) to saccharose and maltodextrin. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from over-processed foods with ingredients that are hard to pronounce. Good carbohydrate choices include whole grains, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of fiber.

In contrast with carbohydrates, fat continues to have an ill-deserved bad reputation. Fats are vital for our body— monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats being particularly beneficial, but even saturated fats have their place, especially when training intensely. Fats are also satisfying, and prevent hunger pangs from setting in after we eat. Fats derived from nuts, eggs, oily fish, and natural oils (and to a lesser extent, cheese) are particularly healthy. You should avoid artificial trans fats at all costs. These are particularly common in industrially-processed and fried foods, most often found on the menus of fast-food restaurants or in the frozen food section of supermarkets. When you go shopping from now on, don’t be seduced by the pretty, colorful packaging. Read the ingredient list and nutritional information on the label. Buy food with lots of protein and good fats. If there’s a high proportion of sugar—leave it out of your shopping cart. Of course, you can buy and eat as many vegetables as you like, fresh or frozen, as long as there are no added ingredients.

It’s important that you don’t turn into a calorie-counter. If you are buying food of the right quality, then worrying about quantity goes out the window. There’s no need to keep tabs on vitamins and minerals either. If you’re eating a balanced diet of mostly unprocessed foods, you will get enough of everything. Regarding the proportion of nutrients for your diet, I recommend the following: your breakfast (depending on your goals) can have more carbohydrates than the other meals. Choosemyplate. gov provides an illustration of the recommended proportions of vegetables, fruit, protein, and whole grains on its website. Protein and vegetables make up about 25 % of the plate each. Whole grains and fruit take up the other half of the plate in a 2:1 ratio.

Starting on page 163 in the Appendix, you will find a selection of recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a variety of snacks. I recommend that you stick with these recipes as closely as possible, at least to begin with. If you absolutely have to, try to make comparable ingredient substitutions for your meals. Once my nutritional concept has become second nature, you can start developing meals of your own.

DAY 3

Your second workout is scheduled for today. We’re starting to build up some momentum! Do you still have sore muscles from the other day? We’re going to overlook that just this once. By week 3 at the latest, your body should be well adapted to training, and you should barely feel any muscle soreness the day after a workout. Let’s do it!

Your workout today: OPUS

Warm-up [page 136]

Level I: 4 circuits

1. Scorpion High-Kicks [page 140]

2. Zombie Squats [page 156]

3. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142]

4. Skydivers, arms at side [page 148]

Level II: 5 circuits

1. Scorpion Side-Kicks [page 140]

2. Prisoner Squats [page 157]

3. Shoulder-Width Tripod Push-Ups [page 143]

4. Skydivers, arms at T [page 149]

Work on the first exercise for 45 seconds (changing sides after each rep for left/right exercises), then pause for 15 seconds. Then start the next exercise. Do four or five circuits (i.e., rounds of each exercise), depending on your level. Try to keep a steady rhythm and keep going for the full 45 seconds. At the end, write down your rep count for each exercise in the final circuit.

Cooldown [page 160]

After-Workout Fitness Shake: The Munich Mule

1 piece of ginger, up to thumb size depending on strength, peeled and diced

2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

½ cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

2 tablespoons neutral protein powder or 5 ounces (150 g) plain Greek yogurt Add water for a smoother texture if required.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a blender, juicer, or with a hand mixer!

(1 portion: 25 g protein)

MARK SAYS

Drink a fat-free shake after every workout—the protein aids muscle growth and regeneration. In this case, a quick carb/protein hit to replenish your energy levels makes sense. Remember, in your diet plan, a shake counts as a snack!

DAY 4

Are you feeling those first two workouts down to your bones? Don’t be put off if you have muscle soreness. You already have good reason to be proud of yourself. Those first important steps to transforming your life have been taken. Together, we’re going to use that momentum to tackle the challenges ahead.

Your job today: Shop smart!

Someone else always does your shopping for you? Not anymore! If you want to complete the Challenge, then you need to take on that responsibility yourself. A supermarket is like Aladdin’s cave—after all, the marketing departments at the food retailers and manufacturers have worked very hard to make their products as enticing as possible. But from now on, you are going to judge a book by more than just its cover. You will not be swayed by marketing hype, packaging, and promises. When you go shopping, you will find out what is inside everything you pick up. What do you want to buy? Protein, veggies, and good fats found in the proteins we consume, as well as vegetable oils. And short ingredient lists. If you pick up a package and see half a laboratory’s worth of ingredients listed on the back label, put it back! Nor do you need artificial flavorings or added sugar. MSG and even harmless-sounding yeast extract are on the no-go list. Here is what to put in your shopping basket from now on for each day’s meals: at least three portions of protein, including plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, and at least three—large!—portions of vegetables. This is what you leave on the shelf: empty carbohydrates and mass-produced processed foods such as baked goods, candy, and salty snacks like chips. Don’t let yourself be bamboozled by any “helpful” nutritional tips on the packaging, such as “low-fat” and “natural.” These foods are simply of no use for a fit and active man.

The snack for the man on the go

1 banana, sliced

⅔ cup (5 ounces, 150 g) cottage cheese

½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more, to taste)

Combine cinnamon with the cottage cheese in a bowl. Stir in the sliced banana. Eat!

(1 portion: 20 g protein)

Bonus task

Buy one of each of the following protein sources: fish, meat, and dairy.

The more varied your sources of protein, the better. For our purposes, milk and milk substitutes (e.g., almond milk, if you’re lactose intolerant), count as a food due to their high nutritional content.

DAY 5

Here comes your third workout! Now that you’ve gotten going, you will be trying to get the best possible results out of every single workout. Enjoy that great post-workout feeling after you’ve genuinely given 100 %! Give it all you’ve got, and you’ll see how that post-workout shake or meal tastes even better

Your workout today: RUCKUS

Warm-up [page 136)

Level I: 16 minutes

1. Prisoner Back-Lunges [page 154] - 8 reps [4 each side]

2. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142] - 6 reps [3 each side)]

3. One-Legged Romanian Deadlifts [RDLs] [page 152] - 8 reps [4 each side]

4. Let-Me-Ins, feet forward [page 146] - 6 reps

Level II: 20 minutes

1. Zombie Side-Lunges [page 155] - 6 reps [3 each side]

2. Shoulder-Width Tripod Push-Ups [page 143] - 6 reps [3 each side]

3. One-Legged RDLs, arms at T [page 153] - 8 reps [4 each side]

4. Let-Me-Ups, legs slightly bent [page 147] - 6 reps

Perform the exercises at your current level, one after the other. Perform as many circuits as you can in the time indicated. You can take a break anytime you want, but make it quick, and try not to take too many. Note down the number of complete circuits you performed.

Cooldown [page 160]

MARK SAYS

If you need to take a break, take two or three deep breaths, then carry on training. It’s better to take several short breaks than to exercise to exhaustion and be forced to rest for too long.

DAY 6

If you haven’t exactly been pulling up trees when it comes to fitness in the past few months, you are definitely going to be feeling it today. And so you should! The 90-Day Bodyweight Challenge is not a spa holiday after all. Remember: everything you invest now will pay off with interest at the end of the Challenge.

Your job today: Detox your kitchen

There’s a good chance that you’ll find changing your diet even more punishing than our training schedule. There’s no way around it, though. You need to face up to the challenge! Today, you’re going to check your kitchen cabinets, your fridge, and any secret hiding places you might have, and you’re going to see exactly what food you have stashed away. Candy, chips, and other processed snacks are blacklisted from now on. So are refined carbohydrates like white bread and, unfortunately, alcohol. Make a gift of the alcohol, candy, and chips to someone who will enjoy them. By the way, altering your diet has absolutely nothing to do with masochism or spoiling your fun. What we are doing here is quite simply teaching your body to recognize what’s good for it. And that’s good-quality animal protein—locally sourced if possible—dairy products, oils, unseasoned nuts, herbs, spices (real spices such as pepper, basil, and cinnamon), and, last but not least, vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables! Stay away from ketchup, which is loaded with sugar; use mustard instead.

HOO-YA!

Fat contains more calories (9 calories per gram) than protein or carbohydrates (4 calories per gram). Unlike processed simple carbohydrates, though, fats are essential. We would die without them. They are also filling and usually rather tasty. Nuts, avocados, and vegetable oils are particularly healthy sources of fat, but fats from meat, fish, and dairy products are good for you in moderation, too. The fact that so many people continue to follow the low-fat trend has little to do with sensible nutrition.

MARK SAYS

Beef jerky is a great source of protein on the go. You can find it in many supermarkets and stores catering to outdoor sports. Again, pay attention to the ingredients: many manufacturers like to add totally unnecessary flavorings. Those brands you can do without.

DAY 7

Six days-and three workouts-are behind you already. Bravo! I wasn’t taking it easy on you. You’ve stuck with it and earned another workout-free day. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t work together today. You don’t need to feel the burn-but you’re going to do yourself good anyway.

Your job today: regeneration—sauna, soaking, relaxing…

Chances are you’ve made a lot of big changes to your daily routine in this first week of the Challenge. One thing’s for certain, you’ll have trained hard. When mind and body are pushed to the limit, relaxation must follow. For you, this means seeking out a swimming pool with a sauna—and going there! Take two or three hours for yourself; don’t schedule anything important either before or after. Simply relax and enjoy the sauna, the steam bath, the jacuzzi. Obviously, it’s important that you maintain 100 % commitment during our 90 days together (I expect nothing less!). But a successful training program—indeed, a successful life— requires consciously taking time out to gather your strength. Your muscles don’t grow during exercise, but on regeneration days like these. Right now, your body is making you a little bit stronger. Help it out—and don’t forget the importance of your diet either.

Workout: Mobility

For the Mobility Workout [which you should feel free to perform every day, either just after you get up or before you go to bed], we combine the Warm-up [page 136) and the Cooldown [page 160]. Move slowly and mindfully, with proper form [cleanly], rather than with all-out intensity

1. Quadruped Hip Rotations - 10 reps [5 each side]

2. Side-Lying Snow Angels - 10 reps [5 each side]

3. Quadruped to Down Dog - 10 reps

4. Saxon Lunge - 10 reps [5 each side]

5. Z Stretch - hold each position for 20 seconds on each side

6. Seated Straddle Stretch - hold each position for 15 seconds on each side

7. Scorpion Stretch - hold each position for 20 seconds on each side

DAY 8

As important as regeneration is for you and your body-don’t get too comfortable. Today, we’re taking it to the limit again. You know this workout from week 1, so you can concentrate 100 % on your performance.

Your workout today: EVAL

Warm-up [page 136]

Level I: 4 sets per exercise

1. Bodyrocks [page 138] - Target: 25 reps per set

2. Let-Me-Ins, feet forward [page 146] - Target: 12 reps per set

3. Prisoner Back-Lunges [page 154] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

4. Narrow-Tripod Push-Ups [page 142] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

Level II: 5 sets per exercise

1. Front-Reaching Bodyrocks [page 139] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

2. Let-Me-Ups, legs slightly bent [page 147] - Target: 10 reps per set

3. Zombie Side-Lunges [page 155] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

4. Shoulder-Width Tripod Push-Ups [page 143] - Target: 12 reps per set [6 each side]

Depending on your level, perform four or five consecutive sets per exercise, training for 30 seconds and then pausing for 30 seconds. Count how many clean reps you perform and write them down after each set. If you were training at Level I and managed to reach the indicated number of reps for each set, train at Level II during all subsequent workouts. If not, stay at Level I. If you have been training at Level II and managed the indicated number of reps per set this time, train at Level III in subsequent workouts. If not, stay at Level II.

Cooldown [page 160]

MARK SAYS

It sure would be cool to train at the highest level. And one day you will. If you are tenacious enough, you’re sure to get there. But don’t focus on getting to the top level as quickly as possible. The workouts are designed so that at each level of difficulty, you can go to your limit while using good form—that’s the crucial factor for success, and your primary goal!

DAY 9

After another tough workout, it’s back to school today. You really want to train instead? Great-good attitude! And I promise, we are going to change gears very soon. But today we’re only working your gray matter!

Your job today: Think about What you drink!

Men like us are under constant marketing bombardment from the health and fitness industry. They promise we can train harder than ever before if only we use this powder, or claim that only that drink holds the secret to rapid regeneration. Flip open a fitness magazine, any page you like. When it comes to hydration in particular, the industry exercises no restraint when promising absurd miracles. Many gyms even offer extra “sports drink” memberships; for a few dollars more a month, you get the chance to drink their version of sugar water. You can find these tablets, powders, and sports drinks in supermarkets now, too. Their prices are often as inflated as their promises. The big food industry players have picked up on the trend and introduced brands of their own, adding to the temptation by naming them after vitamins and other health buzzwords. Don’t be a sucker. Willpower, commitment, and a good diet are the high road to fitness. As far as what you drink, it’s really not very complicated. On the next page, I explain what you can feel free to drink, and what you should forget about.

Bonus task

Make a list: What do you usually drink at the gym, at home, at work, and at bars, restaurants, and dinner parties? Then compare your list with my rules on the next page.

HOO-YA!

If people ask why you’re not drinking, tell them about your 90-Day Challenge. If you need to unwind after a stressful day, 10 to 20 minutes of meditation works very well. Sit upright in a quiet room, start a timer, and simply pay attention as you breathe in and out. Each time you notice that your mind has wandered off, bring it back to your breath. The first thing I always notice is how chaotic my mind is, but it soon calms down. With regular practice, you’ll notice that your ability to let things go and relax improves the more you sit.

MARK SAYS

Store-bought protein drinks and protein bars should be avoided 99 % of the time—unless massive weight gain is your goal. Nearly all of them are packed full of sugar. There is an excellent alternative, though: make your own—then you have 100 % control of what’s inside!

Drink as much as you can—but no calories!

I admit it: it’s not always easy to eat clean, especially when you’re traveling and can’t prepare your own meals. So you’ll be happy to hear that managing your consumption of liquids is a lot easier. In fact, all you need now [with a couple of exceptions that I’ll explain later) is water. About 8 to 12 cups [2 to 3 liters) of water a day. No more calories from your drinks. And no artificial sweeteners either, if you’re thinking you can get away with “diet” drinks.

Soft drinks are some of the most fattening things our society has to offer. How many of you would tip spoonful after spoonful after spoonful of sugar down your throat? How about when that sugar is dissolved in liquid? Each 20-ounce bottle [590 ml) of cola contains about 65 grams of sugar. That’s about 16 teaspoons, which works out to be roughly 260 calories for that 20-ounce bottle of soda. And those are all empty calories. That drink offers you zero nutritional value. Nevertheless, many Americans continue to shlep crates of oversized soda bottles home from the supermarket.

Lemonade and juices can also be problematic. Slick marketing would have us believe that they are elixirs of health. Surprise, surprise—they aren’t. With the exception of fresh juice that has been pressed right before your eyes [better, with your own hands], they too are full of empty calories, with almost as much sugar as soda! The main problem here is that practically everything you find on the supermarket shelves has been pasteurized to increase its shelf life. That means it’s been heated to high temperatures. As you can imagine, this process destroys the vitamins that were in the juice, particularly vitamin C. After pasteurization, artificial vitamins from a lab are often used to replace them. Their value has to be called into question. Why accept an imitation when you can have the far superior original?