Viking Warrior Workout/blog/warriorworkouts/supersoldierproject

Go Viking!!

Welcome to the Viking Warrior Workout, a brutal workout aimed at developing muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and power. Not for the faint-hearted!

Click below to skip the introduction

Bloodthirsty Beginnings

The Vikings were the feared plunderers from Scandinavia who sailed from city to city, raiding and terrorising Medieval Europe. Their bloodthirsty debut was a raid on England’s Lindisfarne monastery in 793, and after that, the reign of Viking terror officially began. Following this bloodbath, these raiders would frequently sweep in from the North sea to kill, plunder and destroy, targeting Britain, Ireland, France and Mainland Europe with reckless abandon.

The Vikings were warlike people skilled with the axe and the sword. Additionally, they worshipped warlike gods such as Odin and Thor and actively sought death in battle. Indeed, for a Viking to be slain in combat meant they could enter Valhalla (Viking afterlife) and feast and drink with the Gods for all eternity!

Expansion and Territorial Gain

In their time as travellers, traders and conquerors, the Norsemen covered quite some ground, their list of countries covered is impressive. Initially, they traded locally around the Baltic Sea, Europe and Britain, and up the Russian rivers, eventually reaching regions as far as Rome, Baghdad, the Caspian Sea, North America and perhaps even Africa.

Viking culture may be dead and buried today, however, their bloodline continues right throughout the world from Eastern Russia all the way to the West coast of the United States!! Viking DNA is everywhere!

Physical Attributes

Skeletons from Norse burials suggest that the Vikings were muscular, and I guess they had to be since their daily life involved heavy farm work and murder with the Axe! However, they didn’t look anything like Hollywood action stars on anabolic steroids. A body like that is not functional (Vikings did not have steroids). Instead, envision a drug-free powerlifter, swimmer or thrower at somewhere around 80 kgs (176 lbs). That would probably have been the physique of your average Viking man.

"Wake early if you want another mans life or land. No Lamb for the lazy wolf. No battles won in bed"

(Viking Proverb)

The Circuits

The Viking workouts below aims to mimic some of their functional daily routines, (minus the rape, pillage and church burning!!) The term ‘Viking’ refers properly only to men who went on raids, therefore these workouts are just that…raids, quick, brutal, hit and run workouts!! You will literally be ‘going Viking!’.

Thor's Hammer Workout

Equipment required

A sandbag, tire, barbells, punchbag, medicine ball, dumbbell or kettlebells (various sizes if possible) and a Plyo box.

Overview of exercises

Complete the prescribed exercises below.

Opt-outs

Be brutal on yourself. If there are any exercises where you exceed the prescribed rest period, immediately add 10 burpees to the end of your routine. So if you stop quite a bit these may build up!! Keep the rest periods short!!

10 minutes on the rowing machine

4 X rounds of the 3 supersets outlined below:

Superset 1

Dumbbell press
Push-ups (15 reps each)

Superset 2

Tyre flips (15 reps each)
Back squat

Superset 3

Deadlift
Alternate weighted lunges with DB/KB/MB. (16 reps each, 8 each side with lunges).

10 minutes on the rowing machine

Punchbag work

Consists of four 2 minute rounds.
For the 1st and 3rd rounds Berserker Rage. (2 minutes of solid all out Boxing on the bag!)
For the 2nd and 4th rounds, ground and pound on the bag for 10 blows on each side. Immediately afterwards, sprint up and down the length of the room. Then return to the bag and start ground and pound again. Repeat for time.
30 seconds rest between rounds. Be strict!!

10 minutes on the rowing machine

Axe-choppers (with a medicine ball or dumbbells)

15 X reps each side overhead to floor left to right and then reverse.

Summary of exercises:

10 minutes on the rowing machine.
4 X rounds of supersets below
- Dumbbell press and press-ups (15 reps each).
- Back squat and tire flips (15 reps each).
- Deadlifts and alternate weighted lunges with DB/KB/MB. (16 reps each, 8 each side with lunges).

10 minutes on the rowing machine.
Punchbag work. 4 X 2-minute rounds. 1st and 3rd rounds – Berserker rage. (2 minutes of solid all out Boxing on the bag!) For the 2nd and 4th rounds, ground and pound on the bag for 10 blows each side. Immediately afterwards, sprint up and down the length of the room. Then return to the bag and start ground and pound again. Repeat for time. 30 seconds rest between rounds. Be strict!!
10 minutes on the rowing machine.
Axe-choppers (with a medicine ball or dumbbells).