Hard Choices, Easy Life
In this post, we’re going to explore how to get in shape using just your bodyweight. The secret is simple: you only need three exercises to stay in fighting shape. No gym. No equipment. No excuses.
- Pushups / dips (burpees & bar work)
- Pullups / chinups
- Squats / lunges
That’s it.
What most people don’t realize:
- A push-up = bench pressing ~75% of your body weight
- An air squat = squatting 50–75% of your body weight
- A pull-up = lifting 100% of your body weight
There are a million variations on my Instagram of these three moves. Enough to keep you in peak physical condition for life.
And here’s the truth: if the weight room was really superior, I’d have gone back by now. I haven’t. A year later, I’m still here. Still training bodyweight. Still finding it superior. And this is coming from a guy who spent 20+ years as a weight room junkie, back to high school football, squatting away heartbreak and job loss.
The Weight vs. Bodyweight Debate
Yes, you can get results with weights. Classic 3x10s and 4x12s work. But once you master bodyweight, the results scale faster:
- 75% of the load
- Hundreds of reps
- Much higher intensity
Weights often make you stiff, clunky, unathletic. Bodyweight keeps you flexible, explosive, and athletic. Fast-twitch calisthenics give you that elusive “two-shirt workout” — sweat right through your shower shirt.
And let’s be honest — 90% of people in the gym don’t even deserve a protein shake, much less a rest day. Bad form, ego lifting, wasted time. Most would get better results from lighter weight, higher reps, or better yet, bodyweight.
Divine Discipline
Here’s where bodyweight training goes beyond fitness: it becomes discipline.
I’m 40 next year. I work in finance. I don’t care about 1RMs or ego lifts. I care about being flexible, athletic, explosive, alive. I swim in the ocean. I hike. I spend more time in nature than in gyms.
And I don’t miss days. Ever.
- No gym? No problem.
- Traveling? No problem.
- Sick, tired, stressed, broke? Still no problem.
Bodyweight is portable discipline. Portable alpha. Portable survival.
I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and train like a demon until 6:00. It’s divine discipline — paying daily dues to God for another shot at life. No excuses.
Benefits of Bodyweight Training
- No equipment required – read more of my articles here
- Costs $0
- Train anywhere — if you can do a push-up, you can work out
- No excuses — ever
- Safer than weights (hard to injure yourself doing a pushup)
- Faster recovery time vs. heavy lifting
- Compound, functional movements that mimic real life
- Blends resistance + cardio + mobility in one
Meanwhile, most people waste hours “optimizing” diet, sleep score, or step count instead of spending 1 violent hour in discomfort. Comfort zones kill progress. Pressure makes diamonds.
Drawbacks of Bodyweight Training
- You won’t look like a Men’s Health cover model
- Creativity required for advanced variations
- Ego lifters will laugh (until they try it)
Truth? There aren’t many drawbacks. If you want “touch-up work” on obscure muscles, fine, grab some weights. But for 90–95% of results, bodyweight wins.
Post Physique or STFU
If you’re going to give opinions on fitness, your physique has to back it up. Just like:
- Traders should post P&L
- Casanovas should post receipts
- Fitness guys should post physique
Otherwise, you’re just noise.
And remember: intensity is everything. Train like a demon. Train like a psychopath. If people aren’t asking “what the hell is wrong with that guy?” — you’re not pushing hard enough.
Burpee Basics & Variations
Core Burpee Variations:
- Regular burpee
- Two-pump
- Jump burpee
- Navy Seal
- Low/high claps
- Plyo burpee
- Thigh taps
- Kickouts
(Ad astra per aspera — to the stars through hardship)
So yes, I put together a short video of a burpee workout to get you started. Burpees + brisk walking + no booze + clean diet + no days off. People lose insane amounts of weight this way.
Beginner / Out of Shape:
- 10 sets of 5 burpees, short rests (20–90 seconds)
- Build to 10×10 over 3 months
- At 6 months: cut, chiseled
- At 12 months: transformation
Intermediate:
- “25 down” method (25, 24, 23… down to 1 = 325 burpees)
- Or 20 burpees x 10 sets (alternating one-pump / two-pump)
Advanced (Psychopath Level):
- 100 Navy Seal burpees (10×10 = 300 pushups)
- 100 jump burpees (10×10)
- 100 plyo burpees (10×10, fast pace — ruin your shoes with sweat)
- Deck of Cards workout: each suit = variation, paint cards = 10 reps, run through full deck in 30–45 minutes
Demonstration here: Visit Gregory Blotnick on YouTube
These are your jab, cross, hook — the core movements that keep you in fighting shape until the day the casket drops.
Final Takeaway
You don’t need a gym. You don’t need protein shakes. You don’t need a trainer, supplements, or excuses.
All you need is:
- A floor
- Your body
- And violent intensity
Train like your life depends on it — because it does.