The Gabriel Belmont Workout

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So Gabriel isn’t a huge guy, but he’s obviously a well muscled and very fit individual.  He was in incredible shape long before he turned into a vampire, and those traits only improved after his turning.  His strength, speed, and combat prowess are all at the upper echelons of human capability, even in human form, and we’re going to have to build one hell of a body if we’re looking to emulate him.  Remember, we’re training to battle vampires here, people!

Now, as I said, Gabriel isn’t HUGE, but he’s definitely well muscled.  If you’re a very slim person, you probably want to bulk up a bit first, before cutting down to that low body fat percentage he sports.  Without the bulk, you won’t have any muscles to show!  If you’re already a bit larger, I’d focus on following the workout regimen, but don’t worry about the bulk phase, you’ll probably have a fair amount to show once you shed that body fat anyway.  Either way, you’re going to want to pick up The Care and Feeding of You to guide you on your way.

As usual, you should always Warm Up before every workout, and Cool Down afterwards.  We’re looking to both minimize injury, and preserve/improve range of motion and flexibility, as these are key to being a strong, nimble fighter.  In addition to the usual warm up, as this is a weight lifting workout, I’d recommend performing a warm up set for each exercise with lower weight than you normally use.

So, let’s get to the workout!

Equipment Needed:
Barbell
Dumbbells
Bench
Squat Rack
Dip Station
Pull Up Bar (weight belt or weighted vest/backpack will be needed later)
Sledgehammer

Strength:

Strength A:
5×5 Back Squats
3×5-10 Front Squats
3×5-10 Dumbbell Lunges
3×8-10 Standing Calf Raises (with dumbbells)
3×50 ft. Dumbbell Farmers Walks

Strength B:
5×5 Barbell Bench Press
3×5-10 Dumbbell Flys
3×5-10 Skull Crushers
3×5-10 Dips (weighted if necessary)
3×5-10 Dumbbell Bench Press

Strength C:
5×5 Deadlifts
3×5-10 Pull Ups (chair assisted when starting, weighted at higher levels)
3×8-10 One-Armed Dumbbell Row
3×5-10 Straight Leg Deadlifts (use a low weight for this, especially when starting out)
3×5-10 Dumbbell or Barbell Bicep Curls
3×10-15 Russian Twists (start unweighted, hold a weight plate in your hands once they get easy)

Strength Notes:
This is a pretty powerlifting-oriented regimen.  We’re looking to get STRONG, but not HUGE, so we’re sticking with lower reps for our “big three” lifts (squat, bench, dead) and then using higher reps for supporting exercises.  For the dips and pull ups, feel free to do chair-assisted variants when starting out, then body weight, and then start adding weight with a backpack, vest, or weight belt.  For ALL lifts, start out at a low weight, and try to increase that weight by five pounds every week.  This will be more difficult with the dumbbell exercises.  When I say low weight, I mean starting with just the bar is fine.  You’ll ramp up quickly!  No need to rush.

If you’re looking to plug this into RPG Fitness, go by the weight standards listed for the “Warrior” workout on the “Big 3” to determine your experience gained!

Cardio:

Cardio A:
5-10 minute jog
4 minute Tabata interval sprints
5-10 minute jog

Cardio B:
5-10 minute Sledgehammer Slams
The Sheik Agility Workout
5-10 minute Sledgehammer Slams

Cardio Notes:
For Cardio A, you’re basically warming up, then doing Tabata intervals (20 seconds of sprinting, 10 seconds of rest, repeat 8 times), and then cooling down with another jog.  Feel free to turn those jogs into brisk walks if you’re just starting out.  For Cardio B, we’re building some upper body strength and endurance with sledghammer slams (find an old tire to hit, you can usually get them for free), and then relying on our old agility standard, the Sheik Agility drill set, to give you good movement conditioning and some freedom to shake things up a bit!  For both of these cardio workouts, we’re looking to keep our heart rate elevated for at least 20 minutes, to build aerobic conditioning, and work in some high intensity stuff in the middle, to build anaerobic conditioning.

Schedule:

Day 1: Strength A
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Strength B
Day 4: Cardio A
Day 5: Strength C
Day 6: Cardio B
Day 7: Rest

Schedule Notes:
You want your legs fresh for Strength A, and you want to give them time to recover, so we’re book-ending that day with our rests.  You can swap your second rest to day 6 and your Cardio B to day 7 if you’d like, but I’d recommend trying the schedule above first.  As always, listen to your body, and avoid injury!

That’s it for The Gabriel Belmont workout!  I’ll see you again this Saturday with a new video, and then on Monday, with The Skills of Gabriel Belmont!  Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace