Workouts
The Alex Mason Workout
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Character Breakdown: Alex Mason
The Alex Mason Workout
The Skills of Alex Mason
The Mind of Alex Mason
So we’ve covered military-style fitness before, with The Commander Shepard Workout, but we’re going to be taking a slightly different approach here. Shepard is all about meeting standard fitness test requirements. Mason’s a special agent, and most likely shoots for goals besides just hitting fitness standards, so we’re going to move a bit more into some weight training, as well as “rucking,” forced marches with weight on your back.
Remember, make sure you always warm up before exercising! I did a video tutorial on how to warm up properly, so check it out!
Equipment Needed:
Adjustable Dumbbell Set
Chinup Bar(referral link)
Sturdy Backpack(I use this army surplus bag[referral link])
Shoes or Boots with good support
Workout Schedule:
Day 1: Strength Workout A
Day 2: Cardio Workout A
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Strength Workout B
Day 5: Cardio Workout B
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Ruck
Strength Workout A:
5×5-25 Bodyweight Squats
5×5-25 Pushups(start with progressions if necessary, check out the video link)
5×10-50 Situps
5×5-25 Pullups(overhand grip)(start with bodyweight rows or chair-assisted pullups if you can’t quite get the full pullup yet)
Notes: Make sure you get the prescribed number of sets in, even if you have to lower the reps below the required amount or modify the workout. Slowly ramp up the number of reps you can bang out. Once you hit the target high number, start doing them for speed, and continue to ramp the reps up if you feel the need.
Strength Workout B:
5×5-8 Overhead Press(with dumbbell)
5×5-8 Butterfly Curls
5×5-8 One-armed Rows
5×5-8 Goblet Squats
Notes: You should be using about 70% of your one-rep max (the most you can lift just one time) weight for these exercises. So, if the most you can push over your head with the overhead press is 30 pounds in each hand, then you should be doing this exercise with 21 pounds on your overhead press. Start super low if you need to, I’d rather you get in the prescribed reps and sets than push yourself too hard and not complete the workout. Slowly ramp your weight up in two or five pound increments whenever you’re able.
Cardio Workout A:
20 Jumping Jacks
5 Burpees(with pushup in the middle, and jump at the end)
Repeat
Notes: Just do this cycle as many times as you can. Twenty minutes straight is a good initial goal to shoot for, and it will probably take you a while to get there. Just do the best you can, and realize this will probably kick the crap out of you. =)
Cardio Workout B:
30-60 Minutes Walk/Run
Notes: If you’re just starting out, just walk briskly for half an hour. Slowly add in jogging increments, starting at one minute of jogging for every nine minutes of walking. Once you’re jogging for the full half hour, start increasing your time. Once you’re running for a full hour, start trying to increase your speed. Shoot for seven miles in an hour. If you hit there, you’re at a pretty damn good level of fitness.
Ruck Workout:
1-3 mile ruck march with 10-50 lbs on your back
Notes: Rucking is very taxing on your body, so we’re only going to be doing it once a week, and we’re starting at a low weight. Throw your backpack on, and load it up with ten pounds. Shoot for a mile for your first workout, and even if you feel like you could do more, finish it there. You’re probably going to be way more sore than you were expecting the next day. Don’t run with weight on your back. You stand a very good chance of damaging your joints this way. Just walk briskly, with small steps. Also, wear sturdy, supportive shoes, like a good set of boots with maybe some arch-supporting in-soles. Ramp up your distance first. Once you’re doing three miles with ten pounds, start to up the weight, five pounds at a time. Take it slow, and don’t hurt yourself.
So that’s our Alex Mason workout. Tomorrow we move on to The Skills of Alex Mason. Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome.
Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace
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I’m currently in the Navy as Corpsman and have been looking to go Special Forces. One of my buddies that I’ve played online with suggested this site not only for the workouts, but the skills and websites listed. She also said it wouldn’t hurt to ask for tips since you respond so well. So I already have my eyes on Mason here, but do you have any suggestions? I’ve gotten multiple skills from many of the other characters, but I still want to build that fighting survivor build. I’m also using an email that’ll last only 10 minutes. No offense, but I’m just paranoid.
All good on the email front. This is probably a bit late for you to be notified by email anyway, but hopefully you check back here soon. =D
Anyway, thanks for stopping by, and more importantly, thank you for your service. I was never in the military, but I have friends and family who are/were. I’ve actually reached out to them sometimes for help in writing articles.
Mason is good. You also might want to look into Joel from The Last of Us. He’s got the survivalist thing going, too. https://zts.wty.mybluehost.me/website_d99cde43/2013/07/02/character-breakdown-joel/
First off, obviously with your interests, you’re not training for aesthetics. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but your strongest asset in the military, especially in the special forces, is a mind AND body that won’t quit. I’m not sure if you’ve reached out to your superiors yet for recommendations on what to do to prepare for SF, but that’s definitely worth it.
Beyond that, I would cultivate self discipline and mental tenacity beyond whatever the Navy expects of you at a base level. Obviously there’s all the standard habits the military instills, but I would take it one step further. Resolve to get a higher PT score than everyone else. Put in an extra ten minutes of training every day. Read supplemental manuals and books when you can, and if an opportunity for extra training in anything comes up, take it.
You want to build a basic mindset and mission every day of developing personal excellence. I mentioned ten minutes extra, and that’s really what it starts with. Ten extra minutes of training, every time you do physical training. Even if it’s just extra stretching. Ten minutes of reading new material of one kind of another, every day. Ten minutes of meditation every day (this doesn’t have to be fancy, just carve out ten minutes for yourself to think on your goals.) Ten minutes writing in a journal, every day.
That’s forty minutes, total. I’m not sure what kind of free time you’ve got, but an extra ten minutes a day for those four things will give you an extra four and a half hours of improvement every week, above and beyond what others are doing. It adds up fast. More importantly, the exercise of building small, new habits will further develop your self control and self discipline “muscles,” which are obviously pretty important if you’re looking to become an elite member of the military.
Beyond that, I’d say make your goals clear to friendly superiors, and ask them for evaluations and assistance whenever you can. The military is usually very good at assisting people who genuinely want to excel, and you should be able to find someone to help point you towards more specific goals you should be working towards. Work those goals into your ten minute a day plan.
Remember, your self discipline and self control are the best weapon you have, always. They help you attain any goal you set for yourself, and assist in rapid acquisition of ANY specific skill set you’re looking for. Small bits of progress, every single day.
I hope this helps out, let me know if I can help in any other way, I’ll respond as quickly as I am able. =D
Wow! That’s a lot more than expected, but very much appreciated. Thank you for the support and advice. One of my coworkers noticed I was on the site so don’t be surprised if you get more questions from him. I’m satisfied at the moment though, thank you for the advice man.
Awesome, glad to help! Thanks for reading! =D