A Royal Marine Sniper Shared His Muscle-Building, No-Weights Workout
Aldo Kane has a lot of experience with bodyweight workouts. From his time as a Royal Marine sniper in the UK to his work now as an adventurer and TV presenter in some of the world's most inhospitable climates, staying strong and fit with little-to-no equipment has been a career necessity.
His new training program, Expedition Fit, is an 8-week plan that covers strength, fitness and mobility. "You can easily exercise like I do with minimal [equipment] and short time windows, no need for a gym or expensive equipment," he says.
All you need is somewhere to do chin-ups and, ideally, a TRX or set of rings. What are you waiting for?
3 Sets of:
1A) Chin-Ups, max reps
Grab the bar, or anything that will reliably take your weight, with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Hang straight down from the bar with your knees slightly bent and your lower legs crossed behind you (A). Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar (B).
1B) Dips, max reps
Spin around to sit on the edge of a box or chair, with your legs outstretched. With hands on the surface, support your weight with your arms and shift off the edge (A). Lower your body until you feel a stretch across your chest (B). Push back up hard. Try a count of three down and one back up.
As a safer alternative to dips, however, you might try close-grip pushups. Since the range of motion is more limited, it'll be less likely to cause you pain. Follow our guide to perform the move safely.
1C) Pushups, max reps
Assume a strong plank with your wrists, elbows and shoulders stacked vertically (A). Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor (B). Push up as hard as possible, until your elbows are fully extended. Maintain a solid tempo—count to two on the way down and one as you push back up.
Rest 2 minutes between sets. Record total reps.
15-minute AMRAP of:
2A) Explosive Pushup, 5 reps
From a standard press-up position (A), lower your chest toward the floor. Push up explosively, so that your hands leave the ground (B). Cushion your landing and sink straight into the next rep. 5 reps will prove plenty. If you can’t do explosive pushups and jump your hands off the ground, keep your hands on the ground and focus on doing each rep as quickly as possible (with good form).
2B) TRX Bodyweight Row, 10 reps
Hold on to the handles and lean back, keeping your body straight and core tight (A). Now retract your scapula (ie knit your shoulder blades together) to pull your body up, so your chest pushes past your hands (B). Slowly lower back down, focusing the effort on your back, not your arms.
2C) Alternating Jump Lunges, 12 reps
A final burner at the end of each of these circuits. Step one foot backward and sink into a deep lunge, with your rear knee lightly touching the floor (A). Explode upward, switching legs mid-air (B) to land in a lunge position with the opposite leg forward. Repeat the movement.
Optional finisher:
Reps of:
Banded Pull-Apart, 100 reps
Banded Upright Row, 75 reps
Banded Ys, 50 reps
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