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Outside Magazine October 2004

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The Hard Way
The Blowhard Way (cont.)

LOOKING FOR A FAIL-SAFE exercise program to whip your body into adventure-ready shape? Look no further. The notorious Hard Way Workout is here!

Other regimens require you to join a gym, hire a trainer, or purchase exercise equipment. Save your dough, bro. The Hard Way Workout uses the ancient Greek art of athleticism. The name comes from kallos (beauty) and sthenos (strength). Yes, that's right: calisthenics! Before Bowflex and ThighMaster, before NordicTrack and yuppie Swiss balls, the gods had calis!

The Hard Way Workout couldn't be simpler: 100

Lost in the woods? Don't waste your time knitting a water jug from grass. The extra-large condom expands to carry a full quart!

push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 chin-ups, 30 minutes of running stairs. With practice, this routine should take no more than one hour from your day, including a shower. An hour a day, five days a week—take the weekend for adventure. No tricks, no gimmicks.

The only rule: no cheating. Push-ups require a rod-straight body and touching your chest to the floor on every rep. For sit-ups, bend your knees 90 degrees, clasp your hands behind your head, touch your chest to your thighs, and drop back until your shoulders are on the ground. (None of these poseur sit-ups like crunches.) Chin-ups: Go from a dead hang up to chin over the bar, then back to a dead hang. As for running stairs: Run up, run down. Take as many steps in one bound as you like. Just don't stop for 30 minutes.

The obvious beauty of the Hard Way Workout is that you can do it anywhere—in your local park, on a business trip to Shanghai (sprint a fire escape), at your Idaho log home (substitute a hill for stairs). No more excuses!

The hidden beauty of the Hard Way Workout is that it hurts. This is critical. Unlike all other exercise programs, the Hard Way Workout doesn't advertise itself as easy. You've heard the scams: "Seven seconds a day to killer abs," "Three exercises every morning for a neck like an ox." No siree, Bob. What makes the Hard Way Workout so unique? It's hard! Your body is training your mind not to give up. Willpower is what adventure is really all about.

Best of all, the Hard Way Workout is absolutely FREE when you order the Hard Way Diet. Interested in survival skills? Please read the following important message.

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