Workouts
The Ryu Hayabusa Workout
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Ryu is an incredibly fit individual. I mean, he’s a ninja, so he’d pretty much have to be, but he’s elite even for ninja standards. We’re going to need a serious workout regimen to match his level of fitness, as well as a solid diet plan. For the workout plan itself, we’re going pretty much straight body weight, both for ease of use at home, as well as developing proper body management principles. For food, check out Macros and You! and The Fighter Diet. Remember, workouts can make you strong and agile, but only food can give you the definition and musculature you want!
So, in addition to being strong, we also want to be agile. Part of being agile is improving range of motion and keeping yourself limber. You also want to be free of injury. As such, you MUST warm up AND cool down properly after each workout. For this purpose, I’ve put together a Warm Up Walkthrough to do before every workout, and a Cool Down Walkthrough to do AFTER every workout. Make sure you include them!
Now that that’s all said and done, let’s get to the workout!
Note: This workout, is split into four tiers in order to easily plug into the RPG Fitness workout system.
Equipment Needed:
Pull Up Bar (rings will be necessary, you can make these by attaching ropes with short lengths of PVC for handles, as seen in the Pull Up Progressions video)
Chairs (may be optional)
Strength Workouts:
Level 1 (Beginner):
5×3-10 Chair-Assisted Pull Ups
5×3-10 Kneeling Push Ups
5×3-10 Seated Rows
5×3-10 Wall Push Ups
5×3-10 Wall Squats
5×3-10 Calf Raises
5×10 second planks
Level 2 (Intermediate):
5×5-10 Pull Ups
5×5-10 Push Ups
5×5-10 Bodyweight Rows
5×5-10 Pike Push Ups
5×5-10 Bodyweight Squats
5×5-10 One-Legged Calf Raises
5×5-10 Second Hanging L-Sits
5×5-10 Second Tucked Front Lever
Level 3 (Advanced):
5×3-10 Uneven Pull Ups (see notes below for description)
5×5-10 Ring Dips
5×3-10 Uneven Bodyweight Rows
5×3-10 Handstand Push Ups
5×3-10 One-Legged Pistol Squats (place your hand on a wall or chair when first attempting these)
5×5-10 One-Legged Calf Raises (get your toes elevated on something to increase your range of motion)
5×5-10 Second Hanging L-Sits
5×10-20 Second Tucked Front Lever (start working on extending your legs to a full front lever)
Level 4 (Ninja):
5×3-10 One-Armed Pull Ups
5×5-10 Ring Dips (In L-Sit position)
5×3-10 One-Armed Bodyweight Rows
5×5-10 Handstand Push Ups (work towards one-armed for true Ninja status – see notes below)
5×5-10 One-Legged Pistol Squats
5×5-10 One-Legged Calf Raises (get your toes elevated on something to increase your range of motion)
5×10-20 Second Front Lever (work your way to fully extended legs)
Strength Notes:
Okay, so, this is basically the best possible utilization of your body weight for workout purposes. We’re looking to build up to basically all one-limbed exercises to leverage your body weight to its fullest. This is actually a circuit variation on what I’m doing to train for American Ninja Warrior. As such, since it’s a circuit, all exercises are performed one set at a time, immediately following each other, for five circuits. On the legs portion, feel free to swap in the plyometric portion of Big Ups once a week.
For the uneven pull ups and bodyweight rows, you want to put one hand at the normal position you would put it on, and the other hand lower, starting at an inch or two and gradually getting lower. This puts more strain on the higher hand, and helps you build up to one-armed exercises. I personally use my rock rings for this purpose on the pull ups, and thread a towel through one of my rings for the rows. One armed handstand pushups are pretty ridiculous exercises, I’d personally recommend when you attempt them, you kick up into a corner so you have something to brace your feet between.
For bonus challenge mode, when you’ve got your full front lever down, start doing some rows while you’re up there. Wheee!
Cardio
Level 1 (Beginner):
4 minute Tabata interval sprints
Level 2 (Intermediate):
4 minute Tabata interval sprints
5×3-5 burpees (without push up)
Level 3 (Advanced):
20-30 minute jog (optional)
4 minute Tabata interval sprints
4 minute Tabata interval burpees
Level 4 (Ninja):
20-30 minute jog (optional)
4 minute Tabata interval hill sprints
4 minute Tabata interval burpees (with push up)
Cardio Notes:
Super simple, super brutal cardio! If you have eight minutes, you have time to do your full cardio workout, even at the Ninja level! What are tabata intervals, you ask? It’s a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) protocol developed by a Japanese doctor (fitting, eh?) to maximize anaerobic conditioning. You perform an exercise as quickly as you can for twenty seconds, then rest for ten seconds. You repeat that pattern eight times, for a total of four minutes. The great thing is that it scales as you get fit. You will always be gassed because you will always be doing the exercise as quickly as you can. Also, if you see fit, you can swap in The Sheik Agility Workout for your sprints or burpees, as long as you still follow the Tabata protocol.
Obviously, the jogging portion is optional, as stated, but if you feel up to it I definitely advocate throwing it in. Once you start to get in really good shape, you can go for a light jog on your rest days, for 20-30 minutes.
Schedule:
Day 1: Strength
Day 2: Cardio
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Strength
Day 5: Cardio
Day 6: Strength
Day 7: Rest
Schedule Notes:
Pretty straight forward schedule, as usual. If you’re just starting out, feel free to take an extra rest day (I’d recommend day four or six). Also, as stated above, feel free to go for a light jog on your rest days when you start feeling comfortable with it.
That’s it for Ryu’s workout! It should give you something to work on. If you get up to the “Ninja” level, feel free to video and send it in, I’ll feature you on the blog! I’ll see you again on Monday, with The Skills of Ryu Hayabusa! Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace
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Would this be able to make a sephiroth type of physique? Like thin but fit? Or will it increase size?
Depends entirely upon how you eat! Stick to a “maintenance” level of calories and 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and you’ll stay pretty svelte. Increase to a caloric surplus with 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and you’ll get big!
Okay. Thanks.
You’re welcome! Thanks for commenting!
Should some oblique workouts be added? Like side planks since it’s bodyweight?
Side planks or seated trunk twists would work, sure!
Or oblique/cross crunches?
Or bicycles. Pretty much any bodyweight exercise for the Squat. And I’m guessing it would follow the same sets and reps.
Yup!
Would subbing in the sheik cardio and agility be worthwhile or should I just stick to ryu’s cardio?
Also, should I warm up and cool down for the cardio and agility? Would it be the same as the warm up and cool down for the strength workout?
You can sub in the Sheik cardio and agility if you’d like, they’d be a fine fit! You definitely want to warm up before them and cool down afterwards, though =D
Okay, thanks. It’s been challenging so far but I feel results.
Awesome!
When i add the plyometrics in place of legs am i switching it only for pistol squats and calf raises and do i continue to do thecehole workout as a circuit with this or only do the plyometrics as a standalone workout sorry for the wordy question
Excellent question, thanks for asking it! Do the whole Hayabusa workout, minus the pistol squats and calf raises, and then do the whole plyo workout (so don’t mix it in with the Ryu circuit, do it as its own standalone thing.)