Among the beefed-up beach bods of Venice Beach, none can put on more of a spectacle than actors and workout partners Jacob Peacock and Paul Duke. That’s because they often ditch the gym and hit it old-school: “All the moves we do outside go back to ancient times, when there was no polished equipment and people had to use their bodies and the resistance nature provided,” says Duke. “As rocks and logs are unbalanced and uneven, this adds to the difficulty handling them and therefore more muscle recruitment.”
Read more about them here. Or see below, a guide to some of their favorite moves and a workout they crafted specifically for Maxim readers.
VIKING OUTDOOR MOVES
1. Throw a log
“It’s a great coordination movement that works every single muscle in the body,” says Duke. (Duke is the bald one; Peacock has that great hair.) “The fact that a log is thick will develop a lot of strength in your fingers and forearms that you wouldn’t get with a conventional spear.”
2.The original Wall-Ball
“Due to the rough nature of a rock, every throw will work the muscles in a different angle depending how you catch it. This enables you to work every little muscle that’s overseen with a ball. Because it hurts to catch a rock, that will release an instant spike of adrenaline in your bloodstream that’ll get you ready for the next rep.”
3. Olympic-style stone toss
“All the power comes from the core and glutes. It’s very important to incorporate rotating movements in your workout. In ancient times, this movement was used to crush your enemies with a rock.”
4. Hoist a stone overhead
“The shoulders are fragile. The shoulder joint is the least stable joint in the body and very complex. Here we demonstrate our favorite isometric hold, which works the stabilizers in a way people don’t normally work them in the gym. This is what our bodies are designed to do.”
5. Climb the rope
A rope turns any tree into a multi-exercise tool. “Broad, powerful forearms demand respect—contrary to bloated biceps. Look at all the warriors from the past to current day: They all have bigger forearms because it’s a matter of survival, not looks. Forget useless wrists curls and climb the rope like a chimp!”
6. Vertically hanging rope pull-up
“Besides being the best exercise for a vise grip, using two ropes is great to work the arms and back in a unilateral way as well as coordination.”
7. L-sit rope hang
“This variant was more developed as a matter of survival, when our ancestors had to raise their legs in order to avoid being eaten alive by wild animals,” says Duke. (This may not be endorsed by all historians, but surely some of our forefathers saved their asses this way.) “As a bonus they developed superhuman core strength. Visible abs are not necessarily real abs. We currently take it to the next level by holding our legs in a 45 degree angle.”
Want more Vikings? Try the five-move exercise they designed specifically for Maxim readers.
[Photography by David Harry Stewart]
Photos by David Harry Stewart