Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual

Author: Jocko Willink

Before you start your workout, you need to warm up. I like my warm-ups to include stretching or slow, light, full range-of-motion movements. Here’s a great simple warm-up: Hang from a pull-up bar for 10-15 seconds. Get into a push-up position and hold for 10-15 seconds. Then drop your hips to the floor and stretch your abs. Raise your hips up and stretch your hamstrings and your back, then stand up, perform a slow squat and hold at the bottom for 10-15 seconds, then perform a burpee, then perform jumping jacks. Now, go back to the pull-up bar and do one pull-up. Come down and perform one push-up, then one slow, low dip, then stand up and do one full range-of-motion squat, follow that up with one burpee, then five jumping jacks. Now, repeat the cycle, performing each exercise twice, and do ten jumping jacks, then repeat the cycle performing each exercise three times, and fifteen jumping jacks. Continue to increase the repetitions until you are performing five of each exercise and twenty-five jumping jacks. This is a solid warm-up, and it gets the blood flowing. If your workout for the day is focused on a specific movement, then perform that movement with some light weight. For instance, if you are doing deadlifts, perform some light deadlifts. If you are doing snatches, perform them with a PVC pipe or just the bar. If you are doing squats, perform them slow, deep, and controlled with very light weight, with perfect form, and with a full range of motion. These drills will not only prepare your body for the main workout, but they will also engrain muscle memory for the movements. Once your body is warm, your muscles are limber, and your mind is present, then you can begin the main workout. WARNING: Do not lift too much weight or perform movements with improper form, or you will get injured.