The Herschel Walker Bodyweight Workout

Herschel Walker was a fantastic running back who played for 12 years in the NFL and made the ProBowl twice. While an ill-fated trade (for the Vikings) put a dent in the potential of what Walker might have been able to accomplish, he remains famous for his absolutely legendary workout regimen. The Herschel Walker workout regimen is what kept him in shape even into his mid to late thirties, and remains well known as a shining example of dedication and how natural exercises even without weight lifting could give him an incredible bodybuilder’s physique.

 There are two different workouts that might be referred to as a “Herschel Walker” workout right now: one mentioned in his book “Basic Training” and the one that Walker himself has done for decades now. Most of the references to the Herschel Walker workout will be to his personal workout, which many people who haven’t followed his career often automatically think has to be exaggerated. But it’s not. Herschel Walker never lifted weights, but looking at him you would never guess that fact. The reason? The best exercise is often resistance against your own body, and aside from the obvious running and sprinting,

Walker’s entire workout consisted of only three exercises: 

1. Sit Ups

2. Push Ups

3. Chin Ups

Walker’s work out is a staggering 2,500 sit ups and 1,500 push ups a day! Those numbers are right. 2,500 sit ups & 1,500 push ups every 24 hours. That definitely proves that Walker’s body isn’t just for show: those muscles know how to work. Walker’s philosophy on working out is simple: start every day very early in the morning before the distractions of the day come around, and do that work out without quitting every single day, 365 days a year, 366 on leap years, no matter what.

It didn’t matter if Walker was at home or on the road, every morning he gets up before everyone else and goes to an exercise area where he begins this iron man workout. This doesn’t mean that you should start tomorrow trying to do 2,000 sit ups. Many of us would be hard pressed to do 200 sit ups and half as many push ups in one sitting. What Walker’s freakishly difficult workout regimen shows is that dedication is the absolute most important part of any workout program.

When Herschel Walker was an NFL player he never lifted weights, but still performed at a high level. How many tailbacks get strong enough in “old age” in their thirties to effectively play fullback? That’s exactly what Walker did in his last season with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dedication and mental toughness are the hardest parts of Walker’s workout plan. He is adamant that these two factors will do more to insure your success than anything else, and he’s lived the life to prove it. For nearly thirty years he has done the same workout, and he’s never skipped a day.

For anyone who wants to know the “secret” of the Herschel Walker workout routine, it’s consistency. If you allow yourself one day off when it’s not an off day, then you’re going to just do the same thing later on and eventually stop working out altogether. When the workout is a constant, a part of the schedule, you might even look forward to that sort of structured workout.

Remember, only the dedicated get ahead.

For more reading on other bodyweight exercises read

The Best Bodyweight Exercises For Strength Training

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