The Worldly Workout
From yoga’s Indian roots to Zumba’s Latin ones, people move in different ways all over the globe. Whether you’re talking dancing, fighting, or lifting, there are places in the world with a culture centered around it.
For instance, if you’re looking for great distance runners, look in Kenya. If you want to find the world’s best grapplers, check out Brazil. And if you’re seeking the best lifters, turn to Eastern Europe.
Please don’t think I’m nationalist; these are just facts. Everyone who has ever run a marathon in under 2:05 has been from Kenya or a country that borders it. Anyone who wants to be the UFC title holder for more than a minute is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. And, of course, the strongest man in the world, Big Z (Žydrūnas Savickas), is from Lithuania.
That’s why this ass-kicking workout borrows exercises from all over Eastern Europe to help you train like some of the strongest in the world:
Bulgarian split squats. Get ready for your quads and glutes to shake.
Nordic hamstring curls. I hope you don’t like walking, because your hamstrings won’t be happy after these.
Russian twists. Not the hardest exercise to come out of Russia, but still great for the obliques.
Single leg Romanian deadlifts. If your hamstrings and glutes weren’t feeling it already, you can bet your ass they will now (pun intended).
Turkish get-ups. The total package. Start on the floor with a weight and finish standing with it above your head. There is nothing harder.
And, introducing the American atomic push-up. As far as I am aware, there are no exercises called the “American” anything, so I figured I’d pick one. This exercise targets your chest and your abs, two body parts we Americans certainly like to flex.
Some of those moves might be a little challenging if you are a newer lifter, but fear not!
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