Welcome Mr Mystery Guest to our Die Hard Christmas Workout. A gruelling circuit workout paying tribute to one of the greatest action movies ever. 40 Exercises. 12 cardio Stations. 1 Man/Woman.
Click the link below to skip the introduction and go straight to the workout!
Welcome to the Party Pal
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, starring Bruce Willis and the late great Alan Rickman.
Left- John McClane (Bruce Willis). Right – Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).
On Christmas Eve, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Detective John McClane (Willis) arrives in Los Angeles. He hopes to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly, at a party held by her employer, the Nakatomi Corporation. On arrival, while McClane changes clothes, the building is seized by Hans Gruber (Rickman) from the German radical Volkfrei movement. Gruber has taken control of the building with his heavily armed team of international terrorists. Everyone in the tower is taken hostage except for McClane, who slips away. Unable to escape and with no immediate police response, John is forced to take matters into his own hands.
John McClane (right) playing guerilla fighter against the Nakatomi terrorists hunting him (Right).
Initially, McClane tries to contact the police to raise the alarm. However, his efforts seem in vain once the terrorists shut down the phone lines (it’s the 80s so no mobiles yet :D). Once the terrorists begin killing hostages and their grand plan is revealed McClane has no choice but to take them on. The film becomes a cat-and-mouse action thriller as he is hunted down throughout the building whilst he tries to sabotage their plans.
Willis and Rickman
The film was so much fun not only due to the entertaining action set pieces and stunts but fun performances from the entire cast. However, Willis’s turn as McClane, the smart mouthed New York cop was a career-defining turn. He managed to mix banter, action heroics and a dirty white vest to stunning effect. Acting up to him every step of the way was Alan Rickman, at his sneering best. As the ruthless, cunning, classically educated, (and condescending) villain who quotes history, likes expensive suits but hates cowboys and jokes.
The film is littered with double crosses, gunfights, fist fights, explosions, rooftop jumps and of course smart ass one liners. As McClane tries to foil Gruber’s Christmas plans. Hans just wants his detonators back!
Legacy
Die Hard was one of the most influential films of the 1980s and is now considered one of the greatest action films of all time. The film had many imitators, especially throughout the 1990s. For example ‘Under Siege’ (Die Hard on a battleship); Cliffhanger (Die Hard on a mountain); Speed (Die Hard on a bus) etc.
Decades later the film continues to find fans and is still very relevant in pop culture. With lines and references often popping up in film, tv and other media. Empire magazine ranked the film number 29 on its list of the ‘500 Greatest Movies of all Time’. The film’s characters have also been recognized. In 2003, the AFI ranked Hans Gruber number 46 on its ‘100 Heroes and Villains’ list. In 2006, Empire ranked McClane number 12 on its list of ‘100 Greatest Movie Characters’; Gruber followed at number 17.
McClane is forced to take the fight to the terrorists when they begin killing hostages.
Die Hard is also often named one of the best Christmas films, (although its status as a Christmas film is disputed). You decide, but in the meantime, consider this Christmas workout to keep you in check over the Christmas period.
"Come Out To The Coast, We'll Get Together, Have A Few Laughs..."
John McClane - (Die Hard)
As a lifelong movie-buff, this workout is a tip of the hat to one of the greatest action movies. It follows a similarly timed schedule. Complete the workout in the time allotted or at least die trying :D.
Nakatomi Plaza Circuit
Equipment required:
The Die Hard workout mixes bodyweight exercises with (mostly) traditional workout equipment (dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells). Don’t worry if you don’t have some of the equipment available, improvise with what you have. See our section here on improvised gym equipment.
Required: Dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine ball, sandbag, barbells.
Warm ups
(Always warm up before starting any routine). Start by performing mobility drills on shoulders, hips, ankles, wrist and neck muscles. Use light core stretches to activate the muscle groups we shall be using.
After mobility drills use three rounds of the warm-up drills below.
Workout Tips
- The workout involves one long circuit with 40 exercises. The aim is to work through them one at a time until they have all been completed.
- Aim for little or no rest in between exercises. The change in exercise is the rest.
- The circuit is designed to be the hypertrophy/endurance side of the MSE range. This is a long gruelling workout so aim no higher than 60/70% of your 1RM with any of the weights.
- There are also 12 cardio stations to be undertaken as you feel, at any time during the circuit. But they all must be completed at the end of the circuit.
- Each exercise station is 45 secs for intermediate/advanced. 30 secs for beginner (or if you hungover from office party, it is Xmas after all).
- Make your way steadily through the exercises.
- At the end of the circuit, there is a Final Confrontation finisher. Select the finisher you want. Smash it and you are done.
- Concentrate on good effort and technique and try not to exceed rest times.
"Who said we were terrorists?"
As well as the actual circuit exercises below you have 12 cardio workout stations. (Each representing a member of Hans gang). Like John McClane you must get through them all, ticking them off as you go. You can complete the stations at any time and in any order you like. However, you must have completed them all before you reach the end of the actual circuit. Have a notepad handy and cross off the names as you go.
Karl
Shadow Boxing x 1minute.
Eddie
KB swings x 1minute.
Tony
Star jumps x 1minute.
Franco
Kneel to stand ups x 1minute
Fritz
Oblique mountain climbers x 1minute
Uli
Medicine ball slams x 1minute.
Heinrich
Step ups x 1 minute.
Marco
20 x Box jumps.
Kristoff
Burpees x 1minute.
Karl
Shadow boxing 1 minute.
Eddie
KB swings – 1 minute.
Tony
Star jumps – 1 minute.
Franco
Kneel to stand ups – 1 minute.
Fritz
Oblique mountain climbers – 1 minute.
Uli
Medicine ball slams – 1 minute.
Heinrich
Step ups – 1 minute.
Marco – 20x box jumps.
James
MMA Kick throughs – 1 minute.
Kristoff
Burpees – 1 minute.
The Circuit
- 45 secs for each station for intermediate/advanced.
- 30 secs for beginner/hungover.
- Work through each station in turn.
- Don’t forget about the terrorist cardio stations (see above).
1. BB/SB Calf Raises.
2. DB/KB Goblet Squats
3. DB chest press.
4. KB/DB clean and press.
5. DB/KB Bent over rows (10 each side).
6. KB windmill (right side).
7. DB/KB shoulder press.
8. Push ups.
9. Leg raises.
10. Dumbbell curls.
Don’t let Karl catch you slacking off from the circuit.
11. KB/DB weighted crunches.
12. Weighted hip raises.
13. KB windmill left side.
14. Triceps dips.
15. DB/KB Reverse Lunges (alternate).
16. High plank.
17. Deadlifts.
18. Reverse biceps curls.
19. Side plank (left side).
20. Side plank (right side).
21. Shoulder push-ups.
22. Ankle toucher’s (alternate).
23. Weighted side lunges (alternate).
24. 10x Incline push-ups. 10x decline push-ups.
25. KB around the world.
26. Bicycle crunches.
27. KB swing.
28. BB Romanian deadlifts.
29. DB/KB Triceps extensions.
30. Bodyweight forward lunges (alternate).
31. DB hammer curls.
32. BB/SB good mornings.
33. High knees.
34. DB lateral raises.
35. Judo/Yoga pushups.
36. KB/DB Russian twists.
37. KB/DB dragon squats.
38. Low plank.
39. Medicine ball wall ball throws.
40. KB/DB snatch (alternate).
If you completed all 40 exercises above and all 12 cardio stations. Proceed to the final confrontation below!
The Final Confrontation
Now is not the time to give up, it’s time to be a fly in the ointment, a pain in the ass. Final round Mr Cowboy, go get em!
Choose from one of the finishers below.
- Tire carry 25 metres and double flip x 2 mins.
- DB/KB Manmakers x 2 minutes. (1. Plank. 2. Pushup. 3+4. Alternate Renegade row. 5.Jump to feet. 6+7. Squat thruster).
- BB/SB complex x 2 minutes. (1. Deadlift. 2. Romanian deadlift. 3. Bent over row. 4. High pull. 5. front squat. 6. Military press. 7. Back squat. 8. Good mornings).
Set the clock for 2 minutes then select your number of rounds below.
- Die Hard – 1 x finisher round.
- Die Harder – 2 x finisher round.
- Die Hard with a Vengeance – 3 x finisher round.
Finish the selected number of finisher and it’s happy trails!
Whichever workout you undertake Remember to cool down, stretch and drink water!
Workout Complete!!
Yipee Kiyay Motherf**ker!!
Happy Christmas to you and yours!!
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