If you are thinking about the Herschel Walker workout program then best you choose the right one! That is unless of course you are the new “Herschel”, or planning to become him. The Herschel Walker workout program has two different possible meanings. However whichever flavor you choose to accept will have sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups and dips included. When discussing the workout program one has to be clear that they are talking about either the Herschel Walker workout as mentioned in his book “Basic Training” or the one that Walker himself has done for all his adult life.
Most people choose to accept the Herschel Walker workout program as the workout discussed in his book, not his own personal regime. You would not want to get the two programs mixed up because Herschel is a genetically gifted, exceptionally driven supreme athlete who takes his training very seriously! His staying power, not to mention physical power and dedication to his regime are legendary.
So what’s the difference between the workout from his book and his own personal workout? Well an easy answer is that his workout from his book is for mere mortals! Herschel Walker was one of American football’s greatest athletes, playing for New Jersey Generals, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He also has a fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do, almost made it to the Olympics in the sprint relay and competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics in two-man bobsled, finishing seventh. This man is a bit special.
He said on a radio interview in 2010 that he still performs 3,500 sit-ups and 1,000 push ups every day, the same routine he has followed religiously since high school. Other sources have also said that he carries out 1,500 pull ups and others insist that he also did 1000 dips daily too. Although some insist that the dips are not confirmed.
So let’s all accept that we are mere mortals and see what the Herschel Walker workout program is all about. It’s actually very similar to his other workout but with the number of repetitions lowered. Again, from his book ‘Herschel Walker’s Basic Training’, he mentions what he perceives to be a more realistic workout to begin with. He suggests 1000 push ups, 1000 sit ups, 1000 pull ups and 1000 squats. This is to be done daily!
This workout is in fact exceptional and much too intense for the majority of people. However, if you feel that it is for you then start with fewer repetitions each day and gradually work until the amount of repetitions can be increased. Do not stop doing the exercises for at least four weeks and then you can measure your progress and any results will be meaningful.
The Herschel Walker workout program is unique in one way. There is no training with free weights. All the exercises are bodyweight exercises and these provide the conditioning and toning. For example push ups performed daily as a routine, work out all the muscles in the upper body and build optimal strength in the forearms and wrists. Sit ups strengthen the stomach muscles and pull ups attend to the shoulders and arms.
To be successful at anything requires a good work ethic. This is what set Herschel apart from the other players, hard work is part of his ethos, and it’s his reason for being. This outlook is required if you are going to be successful with his workout program.
Dedication, commitment and mental resilience are the most difficult parts of Walker’s workout plan. In life as with exercise these values have more to do with producing winners than anything else. If you are not prepared to carry out the program everyday you plan to then one day off will then become another day off until your routine is gone. When the workout is a constant part of your life and an immovable part of your schedule then that structured workout will provide all the benefits promised. You must be consistent, it is said that for nearly thirty years Herschel has done the same workout and never took a day off that wasn’t planned for.
The unconventionality and intensity of the Herschel Walker workout program will discourage a lot of people. Perhaps they don’t feel that they have the time, or even the inclination. That’s fine, but when you do start you must be ready to work, and work hard and work repetitively everyday. That is when you will see and feel the benefits and all that work will have been worthwhile.
