Living the Gentleman Spy lifestyle starts with building your body. There is nothing in your life that is more important in the long term than being healthy, fit, and capable.
Building your physique and your health is a long-term endeavor, and getting started now will have a huge effect on your health, style, confidence, and lifestyle. The good news is that you can get started immediately.
BASIC BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT
You don’t need fancy equipment, a gym membership, or anything other than your bodyweight to get in extraordinarily good shape. Before you start hitting the weights, you’ll want to master moving your body. Do this by focusing on pullups and chinups, pushups, and squats in a 1x, 2x, 3x ratio.
Designed as a Monday/Wednesday/Friday program, you’ll do three rounds on Monday, four rounds on Wednesday, and five rounds on Friday. The next week add one pullup, two pushups, three squats, and repeat the schedule. If you can’t complete the full five rounds, just repeat that week until you get your numbers, then continue on.
| Monday: 3 Rounds | Wednesday: 4 Rounds | Friday: 5 Rounds | |
| Level 1 | 1 Pullup 2 Pushups 3 Squats | 1 Chinup 2 Pushups 3 Squats | 1 Pullup 2 Pushups 3 Squats |
| Level 2 | 2 Chinups 4 Pushups 6 Squats | 2 Pullups 4 Pushups 6 Squats | 2 Chinups 4 Pushups 6 Squats |
| Level 3 | 3 Pullups 6 Pushups 9 Squats | 3 Chinups 6 Pushups 9 Squats | 3 Pullups 6 Pushups 9 Squats |
| Level 4 | 4 Chinups 8 Pushups 12 Squats | 4 Pullups 8 Pushups 12 Squats | 4 Chinups 8 Pushups 12 Squats |
| Level 5 | 5 Pullups 10 Pushups 15 Squats | 5 Chinups 10 Pushups 15 Squats | 5 Pullups 10 Pushups 15 Squats |
| Level 6 | 6 Chinups 12 Pushups 18 Squats | 6 Pullups 12 Pushups 18 Squats | 6 Chinups 12 Pushups 18 Squats |
| Level 7 | 7 Pullups 14 Pushups 21 Squats | 7 Chinups 14 Pushups 21 Squats | 7 Pullups 14 Pushups 21 Squats |
| Level 8 | 8 Chinups 16 Pushups 24 Squats | 8 Pullups 16 Pushups 24 Squats | 8 Chinups 16 Pushups 24 Squats |
| Level 9 | 9 Pullups 18 Pushups 27 Squats | 9 Chinups 18 Pushups 27 Squats | 9 Pullups 18 Pushups 27 Squats |
| Level 10 | 10 Chinups 20 Pushups 30 Squats | 10 Pullups 20 Pushups 30 Squats | 10 Chinups 20 Pushups 30 Squats |
Once you can complete all five rounds of 10 pullups, 20 pushups, and 30 squats, you’re ready to progress to more advanced training. But this bodyweight routine should always stay in your repertoire as it’s a workout you can do anytime, anywhere.
DON’T NUKE IT
When you’re starting out, don’t worry about advanced exercises, split routines, getting your “cardio” in, or other crap you read in men’s magazines. You need to get stronger first!
This bodyweight program will do more for your strength, body composition, and health than any amount of miles on the treadmill or jumping around trying different routines.
Stick with the basic routine until you can do all five rounds of 10 pullups, 20 pushups, and 30 squats. This may take a few months or more, but it’s worth it.
You can [should] walk 30 minutes per day, but don’t go overboard on “cardio.” If you must do some kind of cardio, focus on sprints, speed work, and technique drills. Run or swim in the real world, rather than wasting time on an elliptical machine/treadmill/whatever.
QUICK-START GUIDE:
The only thing you need to get started is somewhere to do pullups/chin-ups. You can build or buy a pullup bar, go to the local high school track which likely has pullup bars, or use the monkey bars or swing set at a kids’ park.
With minimal equipment and some dedication, you can start building a world-class physique today.
If you need more information, steps to get your first pullup, or are ready for more advanced training, you’ll get all that and more inside the full Gentleman Spy program.