The Body Mastery Workout Routine

Why base my whole workout program around the concept of body mastery?

The simple answer is for fun. I was formally a traditional weight lifter. I’d hit the gym a few times a week and knock out some bench presses and bicep curls. I had to force myself to go. It was work. Then, on a vacation at a national park, I found myself running, climbing, and jumping all over. There were no limits to what I could do, except for my own weaknesses. I got an amazing workout, and had an absolute blast. It was an epiphany.  I had found my true reason for fitness: being able to make your body do what you want it to do. Whether it is climbing on a rock wall or just a ladder around the house, real fitness should help you perform any physical task better.

A new definition of fitness

When I got home, I expanded my thinking of fitness. It wasn’t just about how much I could lift. After much thought, I settled on three foundations of real fitness:

• Power: Combining strength and speed, power is your ability to do work in a set amount of time. By work, I mean any physical task, such as moving an object or moving your own body.
• Stamina: This is your ability to consistently generate power over time. How long can you work?
• Body Control: How well can you do that physical task? Body control is a combination of agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy.

To truly master your own body, you need to improve in all three areas.

Unleash your inner ninja

Knowing my goal was to become stronger, better conditioned, and more agile (basically become a ninja), the search began for the best way to meet that goal. Not finding any one regiment that completely fit the bill, I ended up taking the best parts from many programs to create my Body Mastery Workout Routine. Here’s how it works:

• The Workouts: The workouts contain exercises and skills from disciplines such as Crossfit, gymnastics, parkour, and others. Expect to see lots of compound exercises and functional movements (pushing, pulling, squatting, and jumping).
• The Plan: Workouts plan follows the tenants of Active Variety Training. This means that the intensity, focus, and complexity of the workouts vary throughout the course of the routine according to proven fitness principles. This variety assures that both your mind and body are always presented with new challenges.
• Equipment Needs: The program relies heavily on bodyweight training. Since the goal is to master your own body, what better tool is there than your own body? This routine requires very little in terms of weights or equipment. You will need access to a pull up bar.
• Fitness Testing: Every fourth week of the routine contains a series of benchmarks, that will test all three foundations of fitness. Take the test and see how you score across the different elements of fitness.
• Ninja Skills: In addition to the fitness assessments, there are several advanced moves, such as muscle ups and handstand push ups, to work on. Follow the instructional guides and videos and you’ll be a true master of your body in no time.
• Price: 100% free. If you enjoy this routine, all I ask is for you to spread the word  and share your results and stories in the comments section of each workout.

Who should consider this type of routine?

The Body Mastery Workout Routine is ideal for anyone who:

• Wants to build lean muscle, slim down, and gain more control over themselves.
• Doesn’t want the constraints of working out in a gym or needing a lot of equipment.
• Finds the idea of doing 10 muscles ups way more satisfying than bench pressing 300 pounds.
• Thinks fitness should help improve your life outside of the gym and be fun.

How to sign up

There are several easy (and free) ways to join the Body Mastery Routine and receive daily workouts every Monday through Friday.

1. Bookmark the Body Mastery Workouts page.
2. Get workouts via
3. Subscribe through