Workout Guide
Fifty workouts that show up in bed
Each one names the kit it needs, the muscle groups it loads, the modelled energy cost, the capacity it builds and — the part nobody else publishes — the exact positions it makes easier. Every diagram is a single-figure working posture drawn from joint angles.
How to read the numbers
Energy figures are modelled from standard activity MET values (Ainsworth Compendium, 2011) and the ACSM equation, not measured on you. They scale linearly with your own body mass, so a body 10% heavier burns about 10% more at the same intensity.
kcal = METs × 3.5 × bodyweight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes (ACSM)
Reference bodies are 82 kg and 68 kg. Load is effort, not pain. If a movement hurts rather than works, stop and see a clinician. Lifting another person is strength training with a person-shaped load — build the pattern unloaded first.
50 workouts shown
Endurance
Jump Rope Ladder
11.0 METs
VigorousCalf endurance is the hidden limiter in standing work. This is the cheapest way to buy more standing minutes.
Equipment · Jump rope
20 min · 316 / 262 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Endurance
Thirty-Thirty Bike Sprints
10.5 METs
VigorousRaises the ceiling, not the floor. Trains the body to clear the effort of a hard surge fast enough to do it again.
Equipment · Stationary bike
20 min · 301 / 250 kcal est.
Helps 45 positions
Endurance
Tempo Intervals
9.2 METs
VigorousThe single largest lever on Session Quality: it trains the surge-and-recover pattern that pushes a session above the 6.0-MET line and keeps it there.
Equipment · None
20 min · 264 / 219 kcal est.
Helps 58 positions
Endurance
Stair Climb Repeats
9.0 METs
VigorousLoaded aerobic work in a standing pattern — the closest unloaded match to sustained upright positions.
Equipment · None
20 min · 258 / 214 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Lifting & carries
Kettlebell Swing
9.0 METs
VigorousExplosive hip drive plus conditioning in one — it makes a lift feel light instead of slow.
Equipment · Kettlebell
20 min · 258 / 214 kcal est.
Helps 45 positions
Endurance
Conditioning Circuit
8.8 METs
VigorousMixes recruitment the way a real session does, so the aerobic system learns to work while several muscle groups share the load.
Equipment · Dumbbells, Mat
20 min · 253 / 209 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Endurance
Rowing Intervals
8.5 METs
VigorousTrains the legs and trunk together under a repeating rhythm, which is exactly what sustained active-role work asks for.
Equipment · Rower
20 min · 244 / 202 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Endurance
Continuous Swim
8.3 METs
VigorousWhole-body aerobic work with no joint load — the option that keeps endurance building through a sore week.
Equipment · Pool
20 min · 238 / 198 kcal est.
Helps 37 positions
Lifting & carries
Sandbag Shoulder Lift
8.0 METs
VigorousRehearses the floor-to-shoulder path of a shoulder-supported lift with a load you can drop safely.
Equipment · Sandbag
20 min · 230 / 190 kcal est.
Helps 20 positions
Endurance
Weighted Ruck March
7.4 METs
VigorousTeaches the trunk to stay braced under load for a long time — the exact quality that makes carries sustainable.
Equipment · Weight vest
20 min · 212 / 176 kcal est.
Helps 20 positions
Lifting & carries
Sandbag Front Carry
7.2 METs
VigorousA sandbag shifts and settles like a person does. It is the closest loaded rehearsal for a supported lift.
Equipment · Sandbag
20 min · 207 / 171 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Endurance
Incline Treadmill Walk
7.0 METs
VigorousLow-impact aerobic work that raises blood flow and recovery without the joint cost. The safest way to add weekly volume.
Equipment · Treadmill
20 min · 201 / 167 kcal est.
Helps 38 positions
Endurance
Zone 2 Base Ride
6.8 METs
VigorousBuilds the aerobic floor every long session stands on. Raises the intensity you can hold before you have to stop and recover.
Equipment · Stationary bike
20 min · 195 / 162 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Lifting & carries
Zercher Squat
6.8 METs
VigorousHolds load in front of the body exactly where a carried person sits. Brutal on the trunk, and that is the point.
Equipment · Barbell
20 min · 195 / 162 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Lifting & carries
Farmer Carry
6.6 METs
VigorousThe foundation lift for carrying another person. Grip and trunk endurance are what fail first, and this trains both.
Equipment · Dumbbells
20 min · 189 / 157 kcal est.
Helps 20 positions
Strength
Front-Rack Carry
6.4 METs
VigorousTeaches the trunk to brace while breathing — the skill that separates a sustainable carry from a two-breath one.
Equipment · Kettlebell
20 min · 184 / 152 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Lifting & carries
Suitcase Carry
6.4 METs
VigorousEvery real lift is asymmetric at some point. This trains the trunk to resist being pulled sideways.
Equipment · Kettlebell
20 min · 184 / 152 kcal est.
Helps 32 positions
Strength
Weighted Step-Up
6.2 METs
VigorousBuilds the one-leg drive behind standing transitions and lifts from a seated or kneeling start.
Equipment · Dumbbells, Box or step
20 min · 178 / 148 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Lifting & carries
Trap-Bar Deadlift
6.2 METs
VigorousRaw lifting strength. If picking a load off the floor is comfortable, picking a person up is a decision rather than a gamble.
Equipment · Barbell
20 min · 178 / 148 kcal est.
Helps 32 positions
Strength
Bulgarian Split Squat
6.0 METs
VigorousSingle-leg strength and hip-flexor length at once. This is what stops the front leg shaking in kneeling and standing work.
Equipment · Dumbbells, Bench
20 min · 172 / 143 kcal est.
Helps 46 positions
Strength
Barbell Hip Thrust
5.8 METs
Trains the exact hip-drive pattern the elevated and bridged families run on, and it is the most direct strength lift for the active role.
Equipment · Barbell, Bench
20 min · 166 / 138 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Strength
Reverse Lunge
5.8 METs
Lengthens the hip flexors under load, which is what makes kneeling positions stop pinching at the front of the hip.
Equipment · Dumbbells
20 min · 166 / 138 kcal est.
Helps 38 positions
Strength
Goblet Squat
5.6 METs
The base pattern under every astride and standing position. More squat endurance is more minutes before the legs quit.
Equipment · Kettlebell
20 min · 161 / 133 kcal est.
Helps 46 positions
Lifting & carries
Standing Overhead Press
5.6 METs
Overhead and shoulder-supported holds live or die on pressing strength with a braced trunk.
Equipment · Dumbbells
20 min · 161 / 133 kcal est.
Helps 32 positions
Strength
Romanian Deadlift
5.4 METs
Builds the posterior chain that holds a hinged position without the lower back taking over.
Equipment · Barbell
20 min · 155 / 129 kcal est.
Helps 45 positions
Strength
Bench Press
5.2 METs
Upper-body pressing strength for supporting your own weight over a long set rather than a short one.
Equipment · Barbell, Bench
20 min · 149 / 124 kcal est.
Helps 32 positions
Strength
Bent-Over Row
5.2 METs
Balances the pressing work so the shoulders stay healthy under repeated support positions.
Equipment · Barbell
20 min · 149 / 124 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Strength
Tempo Push-Up
5.0 METs
Prone and forearm-supported positions fail at the shoulders long before anywhere else. This buys those minutes back.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 144 / 119 kcal est.
Helps 36 positions
Strength
Single-Leg Glute Bridge
4.8 METs
Fixes the side-to-side difference that makes one hip do all the work in bridged and elevated positions.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 138 / 114 kcal est.
Helps 37 positions
Strength
Standing Calf Raise
4.6 METs
Calves decide how long a standing position lasts. Nobody trains them and everybody runs out.
Equipment · Box or step
20 min · 132 / 109 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Mobility
Cossack Squat
4.2 METs
Adductor length under load. It is the difference between a wide position being available and being endured.
Equipment · None
20 min · 121 / 100 kcal est.
Helps 51 positions
Mobility
Hip Airplane
4.0 METs
Single-leg control with rotation — the quality that keeps a standing position steady instead of wobbling.
Equipment · None
20 min · 115 / 95 kcal est.
Helps 33 positions
Control
Pallof Press
3.4 METs
Anti-rotation strength keeps a twisted position controlled instead of collapsing into the spine.
Equipment · Resistance band
20 min · 98 / 81 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Mobility
Deep Squat Hold
3.2 METs
Restores the bottom position most adults have lost. Everything astride gets easier from here.
Equipment · None
20 min · 92 / 76 kcal est.
Helps 51 positions
Mobility
Loaded Jefferson Curl
3.0 METs
Trains control at end-range flexion so a rounded position is a choice rather than a risk.
Equipment · Dumbbells, Box or step
20 min · 86 / 71 kcal est.
Helps 38 positions
Control
Bird Dog
3.0 METs
Keeps the pelvis still while the limbs move, which is what stops the low back doing work it should not.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 86 / 71 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Mobility
Ninety-Ninety Hip Switch
2.8 METs
Buys rotational range at the hip, which is what lets the pelvis move independently of the spine.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 80 / 67 kcal est.
Helps 51 positions
Control
Dead Bug
2.8 METs
Teaches the trunk to hold position while the hips work — the base of every controlled tempo.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 80 / 67 kcal est.
Helps 38 positions
Mobility
Adductor Rock-Back
2.6 METs
Opens the inner thigh gently. The best first mobility drill if wide positions currently pinch.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 75 / 62 kcal est.
Helps 51 positions
Mobility
Thoracic Open Book
2.5 METs
Twisting positions should turn at the ribcage, not the low back. This teaches that.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 72 / 60 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Mobility
Couch Stretch
2.4 METs
Short hip flexors are the most common reason a kneeling or standing position feels impossible. This is the fix.
Equipment · Wall, Mat
20 min · 69 / 57 kcal est.
Helps 49 positions
Control
Rapid Contraction Ladder
2.2 METs
Builds the fast-twitch side of pelvic floor control, which is what responds in a surge.
Equipment · None
20 min · 63 / 52 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Control
Pelvic Floor Hold
2.0 METs
Direct training for ejaculatory and orgasmic control, and for continence. The most transferable drill in the guide.
Equipment · None
20 min · 57 / 48 kcal est.
Helps 108 positions
Control
Eccentric Release
2.0 METs
Releasing under control is what changes the response, not squeezing harder. This is the physical differentiator.
Equipment · None
20 min · 57 / 48 kcal est.
Helps 75 positions
Mentality
Pre-Session Routine
2.0 METs
A rehearsed opening removes decisions and pressure. Elite sport calls it a routine for a reason.
Equipment · None
20 min · 57 / 48 kcal est.
Helps 59 positions
Control
Diaphragmatic Breath Pattern
1.8 METs
Down-regulates arousal on demand and resets the pelvic floor between efforts.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 52 / 43 kcal est.
Helps 38 positions
Mentality
Arousal Ladder Rehearsal
1.8 METs
Practises moving arousal up and down on purpose, so intensity becomes something you steer rather than ride.
Equipment · None
20 min · 52 / 43 kcal est.
Helps 51 positions
Mentality
Box Breathing
1.6 METs
Lowers arousal deliberately rather than hoping it settles. Calm under load is trainable, exactly as it is in sport.
Equipment · None
20 min · 46 / 38 kcal est.
Helps 108 positions
Mentality
Reset Protocol
1.6 METs
Recovering from a flat session without carrying it forward. Nobody performs at their best every time; the reset is the training.
Equipment · None
20 min · 46 / 38 kcal est.
Helps 50 positions
Mentality
Body-Scan Presence Drill
1.5 METs
Attention that stays in the body instead of watching from outside. Practising the return is the whole skill.
Equipment · Mat
20 min · 43 / 36 kcal est.
Helps 38 positions
Both directions
Every workout names its positions. Every position names its workouts.
Pick the posture you want to own and the guide tells you what to train. Pick the session you already do and it tells you what that buys you. Lifted and carried positions get their own strength track, because carrying another person is a loaded carry and should be trained like one.