I love reading top ten lists. If I see a list about the top places to get a burger for under five bucks, I read it. If I stumble on a list about “the top ten things you must do to satisfy your woman in bed,” I’m reaching for my notebook! The other day on the internet, I saw a list that ranked the ten most brutal workouts ever. Let’s just say, I was more than just a little intrigued. Being borderline obsessive with the constant need to up the intensity of my workouts and the training methods of the elite athletes, I had to find out.

I rolled my eyes as I went through the ranking because I was surprised at some of the lame workouts that made this list. Twenty rep leg day? Yeah, I agree this workout can be a real challenge, but 20 reps of breathing squats are more vicious. Number five on the list was heavy bench presses with forced reps. I totally disagree. The two man bench press sucks in my book. I couldn’t believe they had arm day with drop sets as the fourth toughest workout. As if that wasn’t bad enough, next on the list was arm day with double forced reps, triple drop sets, and 30-second isometric holds at the end!

The list goes on with more of the same type of workouts—individual body part training with more Joe Weider-like bodybuilding principals. Thanks, Joe, but your methods have really screwed up the fitness world. What’s really embarrassing is that I’ve done most of the workouts on this list before. I even added what I thought was my own super intensity principals. For example, instead of the triple drop set, I'd make it tougher and do the quadruple drop set so I could get big like Arnold. Sad but true. The quadruple drop set was a staple in my workout.

Like many of you, I was duped by Muscle and Fitness. My workouts were what Charles Staley called “pain associated” training. The more pain I was feeling, the bigger I thought my muscles were getting. The more grunting I did, the more in shape I thought I was getting. Boy, was I wrong with both assumptions! I didn’t realize how out of shape I was until I did what I consider to be number one on the toughest workout ever list—the Litvinov workout.

The Litvinov workout was termed by Dan John after the training system of Russian hammer thrower Sergy Litvinov. It changed how I train and got me to stop wasting my time doing useless stuff at my crappy commercial gym.

The brilliance of the Litvinov workout is its simplicity. You pick up something really heavy and then do some kind of speed movement. That’s it. The Litvinov workout goes against your traditional workouts. Most of you probably do some sort of strength training and then hop on the treadmill and do cardio. In other words, you separate your weight training and your cardio work. The Litvinov workout combines both strength training and cardio together. You lift something really heavy and run, one right after the other. As a result, nothing will jack up your metabolism like this challenging combo. If you could care less about boosting your metabolism and are only concerned about looking great, the Litvinov method will take you there and get you leaner and more muscular than ever. How? By making you do what you normally don’t do.

Most people do too much single body part training. The main philosophy of the Litvinov theory is that you must do full body heavy compound movements. By doing full body, multijoint movements like deadlifts, you force your body to recruit your fast twitch muscles—your big muscles, the muscles most of you aren't using when you train. By doing full body movements, you’ll develop power and get really strong muscles compared to the “pump” or temporary muscles you get from doing concentration curls on arm day.

Another major difference that separates the Litvinov workouts from the majority of other workouts is the cardio factor. Most of you do cardio for a long duration at a slow pace. With the Litvinov workouts, the emphasis is on maximum speed and short durations. Intensity and vigorous contractions during the cardio movement are the main differences. Remember the goal of this anaerobic workout is to get a metabolic and hormonal response, and the only way to do that is by working intensely. For the second part of this Russian system to be effective, you have to generate some velocity. I don’t expect you be as fast as Usain Bolt, but accelerating rapidly and contracting forcefully is of utmost importance. Slow paced movements won't cut it. If you aren't gasping for oxygen and slightly drooling after each set, your metabolism isn’t torched and you’re definitely not getting the Litvinov or EPOC effect.

This is how you know if you're performing this method correctly—you’re moving like a hunchback, your legs are wobbly, and you're speaking in one-word sentences. Go to your pathetic commercial gym and I bet you won’t see too many people hunched over and looking like they’ve been stabbed in the stomach. In fact, the only places you’ll see people hyperventilating like this and having a hard time standing up straight (besides an emergency room) is on a professional athletic field, track, court, ring, or octagon.

Training like an athlete is addicting. The power and speed you've generated from your body is intoxicating, but what makes the Litvinov method such an addiction is that there isn't anything out there that lets you feel like you do when you're done. You feel like such a bad ass. There aren't any positive self-affirmations with this program. You have to earn your pride here through hard work and perseverance.

Now back to that infamous toughest workout list. None of them emphasized the development of mental strength. With the Litvinov training method, it’s all about your will and desire. The workouts are extremely physical, but they're also psychological. No matter how many times I've done one of these workouts, there’s always a point where I’m searching for an excuse to quit. I actually contemplate the lies my mind told me. And so will you. So it isn't enough to just do these workouts. You must get through them. Finishing an extreme challenge is how you develop mental toughness.

After experimenting with the Litvinov workouts for the last four years, I’ve progressed to doing two heavy compound or Olympic lifts for the strength section of the workout. I usually pick a load that is uncomfortable at five reps. Any two compound movements are good, but for the purpose of this article, I combined deadlifts and dumbbell thrusters for the first part of the Litvinov workout. The real challenge is the second part of the workout—the cardio. It’s either going to make you or kill you.

In the original article by Dan John, the Litvinov workout took place outdoors and consisted of a heavy front squat followed by a 400-meter run or a tire sprint on a track. Most of us don’t have access to a barbell at our local track or park. Sometimes training outdoors just isn’t practical. So I made some adjustments so I'm able to do the workout at my cruddy commercial gym. I set up the barbell and dumbbells as close as possible to the door so that after the strength portion of the workout, I can sprint out the door, run around the block, and return.

Besides getting many “what the hell is this whack job doing?” looks, this method had some drawbacks. For one, you can’t do the workout when there’s inclement weather outside and there’s always a chance someone will steal your weights when you're outside running. This actually happened to me once when this moron took away my barbell while I was outside sprinting. When I told him I was using the barbell to deadlift, he said, “The barbell is only for the bench press.” I won't rehash the verbal altercation I had with this bench pressing idiot with the huge gut, but let’s just say…I went off on him.

So in order to make sure I won’t get suspended from my lousy commercial gym again, I had to come up with variations of how I was going to implement the cardio aspect of the Litvinov workout. All are different and each cardio movement has its unique challenges, but the results are the same. You’ll get in the best shape of your life with this combination of anaerobic and aerobic training.

By the way, I still do the running part of this workout at least once every two weeks at my rotten commercial gym. When I return from running outside, part of me is hoping and even wishing that someone has the nerve to take away my equipment again. I’m a person who thrives on confrontation. You see—the Litvinov workout really works. You do feel like a bad ass.

Cardio variations

For the following cardio variations, I suggest you do one minute of the suggested reps or distance for the second part of the Litvinov workout. When you first get started with these workouts, do only one compound movement before the cardio. One will be plenty. Rest as long as needed between sets. As you progress, aim to have a negative recovery period in which you rest less than it takes to complete the set. Real athletes really do carry stopwatches.

1. Jump rope: The jump rope is one the best conditioning tools around. I suggest you go at a very fast pace for a minute or do “Tabata” like jumps where you go all out, recover for about 10 seconds, and then repeat with maximum speed. Remember, intensity is the key to the second aspect of this workout. The energy system that you want to tap into is the anaerobic glycolytic system. By working explosively and going all out without holding back, your body will have a chemical reaction. Neuroendocrine and metabolic responses are the objectives of these workouts, not the “pump.” When pushing yourself beyond your normal threshold in the anaerobic glycolytic system, you’ll generate lactate acid, which will raise your testosterone levels and release HGH in your system. Stimulating the correct hormones is the key to getting lean and muscular, not the two-hour single body part workouts with high reps and puny pounds while in search of the puffy “pump.” This is a myth that has been perpetuated by “beauty” magazines disguised as fitness rules and bought into by both males and females. This huge lie must be shown to be false.

You can only train with extreme intensity in the anaerobic glycolytic system for about three minutes. Anything longer and the workout becomes too aerobic and you’ll activate the wrong types of hormones. You’ll send your body into a catabolic state in which the wronghormones will tell your metabolism to use your muscles as an energy source. Losing muscle mass isn't the goal of the Litvinov workouts, so make sure you try not to exceed over one minute with jump roping.

2. Woody band sprints: Thick bands sprints are great if your sissy gym has an aerobics room or basketball court. I attach a couple of Woody bands together and wrap them around a solid base. I don’t have a harness, so I wrapped one of the bands around my waist and then sprinted.

Whenever you train with resistance bands, the challenge is to explosively sprint out of the hole when the bands start to stretch and tighten up. The bands teach you how to burst with maximum acceleration and power as you stretch the bands as far as you can go with your legs driving forward. Don’t forget to pump your arms. Also, when you reach your peak, the bands will pull you back and you’ll have to really stabilize your core as you back pedal. As soon as the bands begin to slack and you don’t feel any more tension, take off again. I recommend ten sprints. This type of intense sprinting will elevate your EPOC levels and definitely put your body in fat burning mode.

3. Spiderman sprints: Walking on your hand movements are very underrated conditioning drills. Doing Spiderman sprints are a challenging movement in themselves. Doing them after two heavy compound lifts will have you huffing and puffing and then shaking for sure. Remember, you want to harness your anaerobic power zone, so you must work with intense effort and move your body in this position like a sprint, not a slow crawl. This means your hands have to be light and quick as you move forward as fast as possible. Trust me, you don’t have to go very far before you’re totally exhausted. Do the Spiderman sprints one time across the basketball court or with the available space you can work with. Stand up if you can when you’re done or just lie there until you can stand up.

4. Spiderman sprints with Woody bands: If you really want to crank up the intensity with your Litvinov workout, try this variation. This isn't for those on heart medications or with a weak mind. The last time I had a client doing Spiderman sprints with bands he was on his knees gasping, shaking his head like he was punch drunk. Needless to say, he never came back.

Like the Woody band sprints, attached a couple of bands to a solid base and then wrap the first band around your shoulder. Now do Spiderman sprints as fast as you can. As the bands begin to expand, they'll apply tension to your entire body. In other words, the bands are going to pull the crap out of you. Unlike the Spiderman sprints without the bands where you had to sprint with speed, it’s OK to crawl and drive slowly with this movement. Why? Because after about four steps forward, the bands are going to yank you back with great force. The challenge here is to drive your hands and legs forward as far as you can go. Once you've reached your peak, slowly Spiderman crawl backward while bracing your core as tight as possible. If you don’t stabilize your core, there’s a good chance you’re going be thrown backward across the room.

I only do five reps and I’m drenched with sweat. Once you’re finished, look up and see all the people who have been watching you with awe and confusion. Go ahead and ask them if they want to try it too. I’ll guarantee they’ll say “Hell, no!”

This movement is great when you have limited space. It's also great for the overall development of your mental toughness.

5. Prowler: I have a Prowler at my home gym. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend that you order one at EliteFTS.com. My lousy commercial gym doesn’t have a Prowler. I’m sure your gym doesn’t have one either. The simplest alternative is to wrap a 45-lb plate or two on the ground with a large towel. All you have to do is push it across the room as fast as possible one time. That’s it. Just be prepared to get “stuck” or not move at times during your Prowler push. This is normal. Feeling like your head is going to explode is also common. Get used to it. It’s part of the routine when you train with a Prowler.

This Prowler combination may be the ultimate Litvinov workout. You better have a strong lactate threshold because your whole body will be burning and your mind will be telling you lies as to why you should quit. The accomplishment you will feel after doing six sets of this Litvinov variation will give you a sense of superiority.

When you’re done, you’ll walk and then strut around the gym and watch all those people on the machines doing body part workouts and just plain wasting their time. Until they do this variation of the Litvinov session, they have no idea what a real workout is.

6. Farmer’s walkor waiter’s walk: For these walking variations, I don’t recommend going at full speed because it’s just too dangerous walking around with a heavy load at your side or over your head. Walk at a steady pace for one minute and you’ll still get the cardio effect for these variations of the Litvinov workouts.

I do have a strong suggestion for those doing the one-minute overhead waiter’s walks. Find a clock on the wall and fight the temptation to stare at the clock. Looking at the clock isn't going to make the misery go away faster. From my experience, the more I look at the clock, the worse the experience will be and the longer the minute will feel.

Suck it up, brace your core, and walk. Tell yourself that nobody in the gym can train as hard as you can even if it’s only for one minute. Sixty seconds can go a long way in developing your mental strength.

7. Burpees: I have a love-hate relationship with burpees. I hate doing them, but I love how I feel when I’m done. The problem I see with how most people do them is that they go at such a slow pace or do them in parts like thrusting their legs, pausing for what seems like an eternity, and then doing the push-up. When I see people doing slo mo burpees, I just want to scream, “Dude, your burpees suck!” In order to get a metabolic effect from burpees, you must do them as one fluid movement with speed! Also, you must jump with maximum force, not hop like most wannbes do. If you go all out with velocity and explosiveness in this manner with the burpees, I recommend only doing ten reps.

8. Treadmill: Running on the treadmill is probably the obvious alternative to running outside. However, I’m not a huge fan of running on the treadmill for many reasons. Yes, I’m a purist—I’m anti-machines. Yes, I’m old school—I don’t like to be inundated with flat screen televisions and forced to watch the E channel. Really, who watches this crab? The main problem I have with the treadmill is that it can screw up your running mechanics.

Having said this, I know many of you like to sprint on the treadmill. If you go at a high level or incline, you will get the benefits of the Litvinov. So if the treadmill works for you, I encourage you to use it.

Final thoughts

As Dan said about the Litvinov workout in his article, “It’s the best crossover training idea ever.” That’s a bold statement by one of our very best. I agree. But the most important crossover or carryover effect is how this sort of training will affect your personal life. What’s so good about having strong muscles if your mind is weak? What’s so cool about pushing hundreds of pounds in the gym when you let people shove you around outside a gym? If you are strong only in the gym, your training is useless. You will always be susceptible to a mental breakdown.

To me, real strength is knowing you have the ability get over any adversity in your life. Training within the Litvinov system will lead you to this mental carryover effect as each workout in itself is a daily adverse situation that you must overcome. Experiment with your own versions. Devise challenging workouts that will back you up against a wall, causing your metabolism to be out of whack and your eyes to bulge out. And most important, get through and overcome them. This is how you develop mental toughness.

By training with the Litvinov method, you will get leaner and stronger and gain a lot more attitude. It’s OK to strut.