Welcome to the Viking Warrior Workout, a brutal workout aimed at developing muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed and power. Not for the faint-hearted!
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Table of Contents
Go Viking - A Brief History
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)
Northman 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:
- Rowing stations combined with supersets of resistance and bodyweight exercises.
- MMA style stations.
- Complete the prescribed exercises below.
Weight:
- 70-80% of 1 RPM. Vikings have to be fast as well as strong.
Reps/sets:
- Descending pyramid format on the weights for the superset. Start with 12 reps and work down to 6 reps. So 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps per round. Go heavier with the weights each round. Bodyweight exercises to failure on last round.
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!!
Stations Explained
10 minutes on the rowing machine
10 minutes of rowing. 30 seconds hard rowing, 30 seconds easier pace.
4 x rounds of the 3 supersets outlined below:
Superset 1
- Dumbbell press – x 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps.
- Push-ups – 15 reps each. Last round to failure.
(Left) incline chest press. (Right) push-ups.
Superset 2
- Tyre flips – x 15 reps.
- Back squat – x 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps.
Tyre Flip (left) and Barbell Back Squat (right).
Superset 3
- Deadlift – x 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps.
- Weighted lunges – x 20 reps (10 each side with lunges).
(Left) deadlifts. (Right) barbell lunges.
10 minutes on the rowing machine
10 minutes of rowing. 30 seconds hard rowing, 30 seconds easier pace.
Punchbag work
(Left) Heavy Bag work (Right) Ground and Pound on floor.
- 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
10 minutes of rowing. 30 seconds hard rowing, 30 seconds easier pace.
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.
- Back squat and tire flips.
- Deadlifts and weighted lunges.
- 10 minutes on the rowing machine.
- Punch Bag 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).
Halls of Valhalla Workout
Equipment required:
- Kettlebells heavy (various sizes if possible) and a Plyo box.
Overview of exercises:
- Rowing stations combined with supersets of resistance and bodyweight exercises.
- MMA style stations.
- Complete the prescribed exercises below.
Weight:
- 70-80% of 1 RPM. Vikings have to be fast as well as strong.
Reps/sets:
- Descending pyramid format on the weights for the superset. Start with 12 reps and work down to 6 reps. So 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps per round. Go heavier with the weights each round. Bodyweight exercises to failure on last round.
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!!
Stations Explained
10 minutes on the rowing machine
10 minutes of rowing. 30 seconds hard rowing, 30 seconds easier pace.
Ascending Ladder workout
- 1-10 (Blood eagles). Essentially, the ‘Man maker’ exercise. You may use either dumbbells or kettlebells for this. Select a medium weight. From the press-up position below, undertake a back row (both sides), immediately undertake a push up in the same position. From there, jump your feet forward to the KB/DB’s and clean them to the ‘rack’ shoulder position. Dropdown into a low squat, before explosively pushing up into a full overhead press. Return to the renegade row position. That is one Blood Eagle.
The ‘Blood Eagle’.
10 minutes on the rowing machine
10 minutes of rowing. 30 seconds hard rowing, 30 seconds easier pace.
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups (10 reps - 5 Each Side)
10 minutes AMRAP circuit
AMRAP = ‘As Many Reps as Possible’ within that time. Start at the top of the list then work down, on completion return to the top of the list and repeat until ten minutes is up!
- Burpees (10 reps).
- Dynamic press-ups (10 reps).
- Kettlebell single-arm swings (20 reps – 10 each side).
- Mountain climbers (20 reps).
- Kettlebell lunges (20 reps – 10 each side).
- Sprint 50ms (One side of room and back).
10 minutes on the rowing machine
10 minutes of rowing. 30 seconds hard rowing, 30 seconds easier pace.
Axe choppers (with heavier resistance such as kettlebell/dumbbell)
- 1 round x 15 each side overhead to alternate side of the floor (so cutting downwards from left to right for example).
- 1 round x 15 each side chopping solely from left to right.
Axe choppers (with lighter resistance - medicine ball)
- 1 round x 15 each side overhead to alternate side of the floor (so cutting downwards from left to right for example).
- 1 round x 15 each side chopping solely from left to right.
Descending Ladder workout
Start from 10 reps, then 9, then 8 continue all the way till 1.
- 10-1 Blood Eagles. (see above explanation).
The ‘Blood Eagle’.
Summary of Exercises:
- 10 minutes on the rowing machine.
Ladder workout
- 1-10 Blood eagles.
- 10 minutes on the rowing machine – 10 minutes continuous rowing.
- Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups – (10 reps – 5 Each Side).
10 minutes AMRAP circuit –
- Burpees (10 reps).
- Dynamic press-ups (10 reps.
- Kettlebell single-arm swings (20 reps – 10 each side).
- Mountain climbers (20 reps).
- Kettlebell lunges (20 reps – 10 each side).
- Sprint 50ms (one side of room and back).
- 10 minutes on the rowing machine. – 10 minutes continuous rowing.
- Axe choppers (with DB/KB’s).
- Axe-choppers (with medicine ball).
- Descending ladder circuit.
- 10-1 Blood Eagles.
Enjoying the circuit so far? Try some of our other Warrior Workouts if you are up for a challenge!!
Shieldmaiden Workout
Equipment required:
- Barbell, pull up bar, treadmill, rowing machine, dumbbell or kettlebells (various sizes if possible).
Overview of exercises:
- Treadmill and rowing stations combined with supersets of resistance and bodyweight exercises.
- Complete the prescribed exercises below.
Weight:
- 70-80% of 1 RPM. Shieldmaidens have to be fast as well as strong.
Reps/sets:
- As prescribed 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!!
Stations Explained
5 minutes on the treadmill
(Interval sprints – First round aim for 3/4 to ensure thoroughly warmed up). 30 seconds work (sprints) 30 seconds recovery pace.)
EMOM X 3 rounds
Cycle through the exercises listed. EMOM = ‘Every Minute On the Minute. Perform one set of exercises listed below each minute. For the 1st minute undertake military presses, 2nd minute undertake pull-ups. After 5th round completed then return to the military press until you have completed 3 rounds of each (15 minutes).
- Barbell military presses – x 12 reps.
- Pull-ups – x 10 reps.
- Triceps dips/biceps curls – x 10 reps with each exercise.
- Deadlifts – x 10 reps.
- Dynamic jump lunges with DB – x 20 reps.
5 minutes on the rowing machine
Mini-circuit 4 X rounds
Work your way through the list and then repeat x 4 rounds.
- Bear crawls – x 50 ms run back.
- 60-second plank.
- Toe touchers – x 30 reps (15 each side).
- Spiderman pushups – x 10 reps (each side).
- Jump squats – x 20 reps.
5 minutes on the treadmill
(Interval sprints – First round aim for 3/4 to ensure thoroughly warmed up). 30 seconds work (sprints) 30 seconds recovery pace.)
Summary of exercises:
5 minutes on the treadmill (Interval sprints – 30 seconds work (sprints) 30 seconds recovery pace.)
EMOM x 3 rounds
- Barbell military presses.
- Pull-ups.
- Triceps dips/biceps curls.
- Deadlifts.
- Dynamic jump lunges.
5 minutes on the rowing machine (30 seconds work (sprints) 30 seconds rest. 30 seconds recovery pace).
- Mini-circuit 4 x rounds – Work your way through the list and then repeat x 4.
- Bear crawls.
- 60-second plank.
- Ankle touchers.
- Spiderman pushups.
- Jump squats.
5 minutes on the treadmill
(Interval sprints – 30 seconds work (sprints) 30 seconds recovery pace.)
Whichever workout you undertake
Remember to cool down and drink water!
Workout Complete!!
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Thanks for sharing such a fantastic blog!
King regards,
Boswell Valenzuela
Thank you Boswell, we aim to please. Hope your training is going according to plan! Keep going!