Unleash The Beast! My Top Ten Beast Mode Exercises

I love a generous helping of beast mode in my training.

Those of you who are not-yet into exercise may be asking, "What's this guy on about?!"

People who are gym-curious are thinking, "Hmmm, beast mode ... That feels strangely familiar..."

And the gym (or exercise) devotees are saying, "Yes! I love beast mode! Tell me more!"

What is beast mode?

Well, it is hard to encapsulate it fully, but you know it when you see it (or feel it!).

If I could hazard a guess, here's what I'd say:

Beast mode is achieved when one experiences a sense of catharsis and primal-ness while exercising.

Catharsis

To achieve beast mode, the exercises need to foster a sense of intense effort and struggle, yet not be too skilful or rapid.

You need a few reps to get into the feeling, and if it's over too quick then it's too technical (like a golf swing).

Finishing a good beast mode exercise has you feeling like Rocky Balboa astride the Museum of Art steps in Philadelphia - having pitted yourself against adversity and emerged victorious.

Rocky Balboa knew a thing or two about beast mode. And he was ahead of the trend for high waisted pants.

Primal-ness

The best beast mode experience will have you moving in a way that's intuitive and somewhat low-skill, where you can focus on massive effort.

You need to lose yourself in the struggle and not be all up in your head.

Exercises that mimic the sort of thing a neanderthal would do will work nicely (running, carrying stuff, hitting stuff, throwing stuff - you get the picture).

My Top Ten Beast Mode Exercises

So, here's my top ten beast mode exercises in no particular order.

1 - Deadlifting

Picking up heavy objects from the floor then dropping them repeatedly can be good therapy.

2 - Boxing - Body Hooks and Head Hooks

It is mostly bad to hit people in the ribs and the head, but something about pretending to do this on a heavy bag can help you to feel a little more sure of yourself.

3 - Deadball Slams

This exercise produces a satisfying thump - kind of like chopping wood but with no concern for accuracy or avoiding a self-inflicted axe wound.

4 - The Assault Bike

Like the deadball slam, satisying loud noises ensue from your efforts.

5 - Pushups

An all time great benchmark of strength. How do you measure up?

6 - Burpee Box Jumps

Similar to the push up, but a little more athletic. If you can pull this off at speed, you're not totally soft.

7 - Running: 400m Race Pace

The 400m is the archetypal suffer-fest. It is not over quickly, yet the effort needed is nearly on par with sprinting. 400m champions are fiendishly gritty, resilient people.

8 - Running: Half Marathon Pace

I like the half marathon because, unlike the 5K or the marathon, where your genetics and training are more determinative of your performance, the race can be heavily influenced by how much you try on the day.

My best half-marathons have had a beast-modey sort of feel to them.

9 - Battle Ropes

See 3. and 4.

10 - Incline Dumbbell Shoulder Press

This is an exercise where you can push against muscular failure really hard for a few seconds and maybe prove to yourself that you're tougher than you think.

What about you? What are your fave beast mode exercises?