The Donkey Kong Workout

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Whew.  Hi everybody.  Sorry about the break in posts, there, other things took some priority in my life over the summer, as sometimes happens.  Now we’re back in action, though, so let’s get on with this Donkey Kong workout.

So as mentioned before, DK is built.  Huge chest, back, shoulders, and-holy-shit-look-at-those-gorilla-forearms.  Obviously, we’re gonna be looking at some serious lifting.  BUT, if you don’t happen to have access to a full gym or your own freeweight set, never fear, we’re going a bit non-traditional here.

Equipment Needed:
1 Empty Steel Half-Keg.   You can frequently snag one of these from a local liquor outlet for a small amount of cash.  If they don’t have one, check craigslist or ask them if they know where you can get one.  Barring that, use big rocks.
1 Chinup Bar.  Really, there’s no excuse for not having one of these.  You can get one that either hangs, pressure-mounts, or screws into an empty doorway for $20-30, or just go down to the local playground when the kids aren’t there.
1 Climbing Rope.  This one’s a little more tricky.  If you can, get a thick rope and hang it from a beam in your garage or something.  If you can get a full-size climbing rope(they’re available online) and hang it from a tree, that’s even better, but they’re a little expensive.  At the very least, you can get some heavy rope from your local hardware store and hang it from your chinup bar.
Weighted Backpack (I use this army surplus bag[referral link], and you can throw rocks/sand/books in it)

I’m going to split the workout into three levels.  We’re not doing too much in the way of cardio here, though I always recommend it in your training.  These workouts are going to be strength-based, so you may increase at different rates for different exercises.  When you can do the number of reps required in a set relatively comfortably, increase the weight, not the rep count.  This is powerlifting/bulking territory, here.  Do a workout every other day, feel free to do cardio on your off days(but no lifting).  Have at least one day a week for full rest, no cardio, no lifting.

As always, diet plays a BIG part in this, I’ll be making a post on that tomorrow.

Also, make sure you always warm up before exercising!  I did a video tutorial on how to warm up properly, so check it out!

Note: This workout is split into four levels, so it can be easily plugged into the RPG Fitness system!

The Workout:
3×8=three sets of eight repetitions.  Perform all exercises listed in order for one set, rest one minute, then go again. 

Level 1(Beginner):
Keg Deadlifts(empty): 3×8
Keg Clean and Press(empty): 3×8
Keg Rows(empty):3×8
Rope Hang(no feet):3×30 Seconds
Chair Assisted Pullups(palms away): 3×8
Hanging Leg Lifts: 3×20

Level 2(Moderate):
Keg Deadlifts(1/3 full of water): 3×8
Keg Clean and Press(1/3 full of water): 3×8
Keg Rows(1/3 full of water): 3×8
Rope Climb(with feet): 3×10 feet(As in, climb ten feet up, lower yourself ten feet down)
Pullups(palms away): 3×8
Hanging Leg Lifts with 5 lb backpack on feet: 3×20

Level 3(Advanced):
Keg Deadlifts(2/3 full of water): 3×8
Keg Clean and Press(2/3 full of water): 3×8
Keg Rows(2/3 full of water): 3×8
Rope Climb(arms only, no feet): 3×10 feet
Pullups(palms away) with 15 lb backpack: 3×8
Hanging Leg Lifts with 10 lb backpack on feet: 3×20

Level 4(Killa Gorrilla):
Keg Deadlifts(full of water): 3×8
Keg Clean and Press(full of water): 3×8
Keg Rows(full of water): 3×8
Rope Climb(arms only) with 15 lb backpack: 3×10 feet
Pullups(palms away) with 25 lb backpack: 3×8
Hanging Leg Lifts with 15 lb backpack on feet: 3×20

Tips:
The weight and water-fill amounts are approximate.  Just increase water/weight as you feel comfortable.  Remember, increase weight, not reps.  If you ARE having a hard time moving up anymore in weight, but you can do the reps at your required weight easily, then try adding on another set rather than more reps for a workout or two, then try to bump the weight up again.’

As always, be careful, and listen to your body.  It knows you better than you know you.

Exercise Index:
Keg Deadlifts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28mWMYv0Gxw
Keg Clean and Presses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYR9Ajcxhw
Keg Rows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTOt1x7xYQc
Rope Climb(with feet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY_-1GGebQE
Rope Climb(no feet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvo298vP3c8
Hanging Leg Lifts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ysNevIv0w

That’s it for today.  Monday: Diet!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace

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