Prison Workout Routines: Most Effective Bodyweight Exercises

Prison workouts are all about building strength and muscle using just your body weight. Born out of necessity, these routines have helped inmates build strength, endurance, and discipline with minimal resources. But you don’t have to be behind bars to benefit from them!

Whether you’re traveling, on a budget, or just prefer no-equipment exercises, prison workout routines are a powerful way to stay in shape. This article will guide you through some of the most powerful prison workout exercises, helping you achieve real results without stepping foot in a gym.

[Related Article] Calisthenics vs. Bodybuilding: Which is Right for You?

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Short Summary

• What Is a Prison Workout? – A workout style using bodyweight exercises to build strength without equipment.
• Key Exercises – Includes push-ups, squats, burpees, lunges, and core workouts.
• Benefits – Improves muscle strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
• No-Gym Needed – Can be done anywhere, making it perfect for home workouts.
• Sample Routine – A structured plan to follow for maximum results.
• Best Supplement for Faster Gains – Anafuse is a powerful supplement designed to help you build muscle and recover faster from calisthenic workouts.

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What is a Prison Workout?

A prison workout, also known as a "jailhouse workout," is a type of exercise routine that originated among inmates in correctional facilities. Due to the lack of access to traditional gym equipment, prisoners developed a system of bodyweight exercises to maintain physical fitness and build strength.

Since inmates don’t have access to gyms or weights, they rely on simple but highly effective movements like push-ups, squats, and burpees to stay in shape. These workouts are designed to improve muscle growth, cardiovascular fitness, and overall endurance without needing any equipment.

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Benefits of Prison Workout

• No Equipment Needed: You don’t need weights, machines, or even a gym. All you need is your body, making these workouts perfect for home, travel, or outdoor fitness.
  
  
• Saves Money: Because you don't need equipment or a gym membership, it's a very affordable way to stay fit.
  
  
• Workout Anywhere: You can do these exercises in your home, a park, or even a small room. It's perfect for people who travel or have limited space.
  
  
• Adaptable for All Fitness Levels: You can adjust the exercises and intensity to match your own fitness level, whether you're a beginner or an advanced athlete.
  
  
• Functional Fitness: These exercises mimic everyday movements, which can improve your overall physical function and make daily tasks easier.
  
  

• Physical Benefits:

• Increased Strength: Prison workouts target multiple muscle groups, helping build overall strength and muscle mass.
• Builds Muscle: High-rep exercises like push-ups and squats help develop strong muscles.
• Improved Endurance: High-intensity training with minimal rest enhances cardiovascular endurance and stamina.
• Flexibility and Mobility: Many exercises, such as squats and lunges, improve flexibility and range of motion.
• Weight Loss: The combination of strength training and cardio exercises helps burn calories and reduce body fat.
  
  

• Mental Benefits:

• Mental Toughness: The discipline required for consistent prison workouts builds mental resilience and toughness.
• Stress Relief: Physical activity is known to reduce stress and anxiety, promoting mental well-being.

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The Exercises

Prison workouts are all about using your own body weight to build strength and fitness. Here are some of the key exercises you'll be using:  

Upper Body Exercises:

1. Push-Ups (Press-Ups)

Push-ups are the foundation of prison workouts. They build strength in the chest, shoulders, and arms. Variations like wide push-ups, diamond push-ups, and archer push-ups can make them harder and target different muscles.

• How to do it:

1. Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the ground.
3. Push yourself back up to the starting position.

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, and triceps.

• Variations:

  1. Diamond Push-Ups: Place hands closer together to focus more on the triceps.
  2. Decline Push-Ups: Use a surface like stairs or a bench to elevate your feet, increasing the angle and difficulty.
  3. Incline Push-Ups: Place hands on a higher surface than your feet to reduce the angle and make it easier for beginners.

2. Pull-ups/Chin-ups (If a Bar is Available):

Pull-ups are a powerful exercise for building strength in the back, shoulders, and arms. They require pulling yourself up from a hanging position until your chin clears the bar.

• How to do it:

1. Grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing away (overhand grip).
2. Hang with your arms fully extended.
3. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
4. Lower yourself back down slowly.

• Tip: If you don’t have a bar, use a sturdy tree branch or even a doorframe pull-up bar. You can also try inverted rows with a sturdy table or supermans on the floor.

• Muscles Targeted: Back, shoulders, and arms.

• Variations:

1. Assisted Pull-Ups: Use a resistance band or partner for assistance if full pull-ups are challenging.
2. Negatives: Start at the top of a pull-up and slowly lower yourself down to build strength.

3. Dips

Dips target the triceps and chest, and can be performed using parallel bars or even a chair. It strengthens your triceps, shoulders, and chest.

• How to do it:

1. Use parallel bars, sturdy chairs, or even the edge of a bed.
2. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
3. Push yourself back up to the starting position.

• If no bar/chair:

  • Close grip pushups as a good alternative.

• Muscles Targeted: Triceps and chest.

• Variations:

1. Chair Dips: Use a sturdy chair or bench to perform dips if no parallel bars are available.
2. Ring Dips: Use gymnastic rings for a more challenging version.

4. Planks

Planks are a core exercise that strengthens your abs and lower back, improving posture and stability.

• How to do it:

1. Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
2. Hold the position for as long as possible, keeping your core tight.

• Muscles Targeted: Core muscles, including abs and lower back.

• Variations:

1. Side Plank: Targets the obliques by holding a plank on your side.
2. Plank Jumps: Jump your feet between different positions while maintaining a plank to add a cardio element.

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Lower Body Exercises:

1. Squats

Squats strengthen the legs and improve lower body endurance. Doing high reps builds explosive power. Variations like jump squats and pistol squats increase intensity.

• How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if sitting in a chair.
3. Keep your chest up and go as low as you can.
4. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

• Muscles Targeted: Legs, glutes, and core.

• Variations:

1. Bodyweight Squats: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
2. Single-Leg Squats: Balance on one leg to increase difficulty and challenge balance.

2. Lunges

Lunges target the legs, glutes, and core, and involve alternating legs to mimic walking. Lunges improve leg strength, balance, and flexibility.

• How to do it:

1. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are at 90-degree angles.
2. Push back up and repeat with the other leg.
3. Keep your front knee behind your toes.

• Muscles Targeted: Legs, glutes, and core.

• Variations:

1. Walking Lunges: Alternate legs with each step to mimic walking.
2. Stationary Lunges: Keep one foot forward and the other back, alternating legs between sets.
3. Reverse Lunges: Step backward instead of forward.

3. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and core while improving hip mobility.

• How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Place your arms at your sides with palms facing down.
3. Engage your core and push through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top, ensuring your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
5. Lower your hips slowly back to the ground and repeat.

• Muscles Targeted: Glutes and lower back.

• Variations:

  • Single-Leg Glute Bridges: Lift one leg off the ground to increase the challenge.

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Core and Full Body Exercises:

1. Burpees

Burpees combine push-ups, squats, and jumps to work the whole body. They improve endurance, burn fat, and build strength. Doing burpees quickly with minimal rest makes the workout even more intense.

• How to do it:

1. Start in a standing position.
2. Drop into a squat, place your hands on the ground, and kick your feet back into a plank (push-up) position.
3. Do a push-up, then jump your feet back to your hands.
4. Explode upward into a jump.

• Muscles Targeted: Full body, including arms, legs, and core.

• Variations:

1. Modified Burpees: Step back instead of jumping back into a plank position for a lower-impact version.
2. Jumping Burpees: Add a jump at the top for increased intensity.

2. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are a core exercise that mimics running, targeting the legs and core. It boosts cardio while working your core, shoulders, and legs.

• How to do it:

1. Start in a plank position.
2. Drive one knee toward your chest, then quickly switch legs in a running motion.
3. Keep your core engaged and maintain a steady pace.

• Muscles Targeted: Core and legs.

• Variations:

1. Alternating Mountain Climbers: Bring one knee up at a time to mimic running.
2. Double Mountain Climbers: Bring both knees up simultaneously for increased intensity.

3. Hanging Leg Raises

Hanging leg raises strengthen the core, particularly the lower abs and hip flexors, while also improving grip strength.

• How to Do It:

1. Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, arms fully extended.
2. Keep your legs straight and engage your core.
3. Raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor.
4. Slowly lower them back down without swinging.

• Muscles Worked: Lower abs, hip flexors, obliques, forearms, shoulders, grip strength

• Variations:

1. Straight Leg Raises – Hang from a bar with a wide grip, keeping knees straight. Lift your legs until hips are fully flexed or knees are above hip level.
2. Bent-Knee Raises – Keep knees bent for an easier version.
3. Toes-to-Bar – Lift legs all the way up to touch the bar.
4. Weighted Leg Raises – Hold a dumbbell between your feet for added resistance.
5. Twisting Leg Raises – Rotate hips to engage obliques.

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Progressive Overload Techniques:

• Increase Reps: Gradually add more repetitions as you build endurance.
• Increase Sets: Add more sets to increase overall volume and challenge.
• Modify Exercises: Change the angle or position of exercises to target different muscle groups more intensely.
• Decrease Rest Time: Reduce the time between sets to increase intensity and endurance.

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Workout Splits:

Workout Routine 1: Upper Body Focus

• Warm-Up:

  • Jumping jacks: 3 sets of 30 seconds
  • Dynamic arm circles: 3 sets of 30 seconds
    
    
• Exercises:
  
  
• Push-ups (various variations): 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps
• Pull-ups/Chin-ups (or inverted rows): 3-4 sets to failure
• Dips (or close grip pushups): 3-4 sets to failure
• Plank with arm raises: 3 Sets of 10 raises each arm.

• Cool-down: Static stretching of chest, shoulders, and triceps.

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Workout Routine 2: Lower Body Focus

• Warm-Up:

• 5 minutes of bodyweight squats, lunges, and leg swings.
  
  
• Exercises:

• Squats – 4 sets of 25 reps
• Jump Squats – 3 sets of 15 reps
• Walking Lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
• Bulgarian Split Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
• Wall Sit – 3 sets of 45 seconds
• Calf Raises (Single-Leg if possible) – 4 sets of 20 reps

• Cool Down:

  • Static stretches for legs and glutes: Hold each stretch for 30 seconds

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Workout Routine 3: Total Body Focus

• Warm-Up:

• 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretches (arm circles, leg swings, jumping jacks).
  
  
• Exercises:

• Burpees – 4 sets of 15 reps
• Push-Ups (Regular or Explosive) – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Squat Jumps: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
• Mountain Climbers: 3 sets of 30 seconds

• Cool Down:

  • Static stretches for full body: Hold each stretch for 30 seconds

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Workout Routine 4: Core and Abs Prison Workout

• Warm-Up:

  • Jumping jacks: 3 sets of 30 seconds

• Exercises:

  • Plank Hold – 3 sets of 45 seconds
  • Sit-Ups – 4 sets of 20 reps
  • Leg Raises – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Russian Twists – 3 sets of 20 reps
  • Flutter Kicks – 3 sets of 30 seconds
  • Hanging Leg Raises (if possible) – 3 sets of 12 reps

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Bonus: High-Intensity Cardio Prison Workout

• Warm-Up: Jumping jacks: 3 sets of 30 seconds

• Exercises:

  • Jumping jacks: 3 sets of 30 seconds
  • Jump Squats – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Mountain Climbers – 3 sets of 30 seconds
  • Burpees – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Jump Lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
  • Plank-to-Push-Up – 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Wall Sit – 3 sets of 40 seconds

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Additional Prisoner Workouts

1. Charles Bronson's Ultimate Prison Bodyweight Workout

Charles Bronson's Ultimate Prison Bodyweight Workout, as detailed in his book Solitary Fitness, emphasizes bodyweight exercises that can be performed in confined spaces without equipment. Here's an overview of some key exercises:

1. Handstand Press-Ups
2. Dips
3. Sit-ups
4. Squats
5. Burpees
6. Band Pull-Aparts
7. Ab Exhale
8. Star Jumps
9. Wide-Grip Pull-Ups
10. Step-Ups
11. Butt Clenches

2. Deck of Pain

Uses a deck of cards to assign exercises to each suit. For example, clubs for push-ups, spades for pull-ups, diamonds for squats, and hearts for hanging leg raises.

3. Jailhouse Method

Involves a descending rep scheme where you start with a high number of reps and decrease by one each set until you reach zero. Each subsequent set decreases by one rep. So, the sequence would be:

• Set 1: 20 squats
• Set 2: 19 squats
• Set 3: 18 squats
• ...
• Set 18: 3 squats
• Set 19: 2 squats
• Set 20: 1 squat

4. Tyson Squat Workout

The Tyson Squat Workout, allegedly inspired by Mike Tyson, is a challenging bodyweight exercise that uses a deck of cards to create a dynamic and intense leg workout. Here's how it typically works:

1. Place 10 cards in a line, spaced evenly apart (about 2-4 inches).

2. Squat to pick up the first card, move to the next card, and place it on top. Repeat this process for each card, stacking them as you go.

5. Juarez Valley Method

The Juarez Valley Method is a unique workout routine that originated in a Mexican prison. It's characterized by a specific rep scheme that alternates between descending and ascending sets, forming a "valley" structure.

This method can be applied to various bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, pull-ups, or even burpees.

1. Select a Starting Number: Pick a high number of reps for your starting set. For example, if you choose 20, your first set will be 20 reps.

2. Descending Sets (Odd Numbers): Start with your chosen high number and decrease by one rep each time (e.g., 20, 19, 18, ...).

3. Ascending Sets (Even Numbers): Start with one rep and increase by one rep each time (e.g., 1, 2, 3, ...).

4. Example for Juarez Valley 20:

   • Set 1: 20 reps
   • Set 2: 1 rep
   • Set 3: 19 reps
   • Set 4: 2 reps
   • Continue alternating until both sequences meet in the middle (e.g., 10 reps on both sides).

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FAQs: Prison Workout

Q: Do I need any equipment for prison workouts?

A: No, prison workouts primarily use bodyweight exercises, so no equipment is required. However, some variations may use available objects like chairs or beds for support.

Q: Can I build muscle with a prison workout?

A: Yes! By using high reps, variations, and progressive overload (increasing reps or intensity), you can gain strength and muscle without weights.

Q: How often should I do prison workouts?

A: For best results, aim for 3-5 sessions per week, depending on your fitness level and goals. Make sure to include rest days to allow your muscles to recover.

Q: What’s the best way to progress in prison workouts?

A: Here are some ways you can progress in these workouts:

• Increase reps or sets.
• Try advanced variations (e.g., one-arm push-ups or pistol squats).
• Add resistance (e.g., water jugs or a weighted backpack).

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Final Thoughts

Prison workouts show that staying fit doesn’t require a gym or fancy equipment. They rely on bodyweight exercises, making them accessible to anyone, anywhere. With a mix of endurance, strength, and high-rep training, these routines build a solid physique without the need for a gym.

Some routines focus on upper or lower body strength, while others challenge the entire body. Over time, progression comes naturally by increasing reps or trying harder variations.

Simple yet challenging, this training style continues to be a go-to method for those who prefer straightforward, no-excuse workouts.

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Sources:

• https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a45480605/prison-workout/
• https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/fitness/the-prisoner-workout/
• https://www.fitresults.net/news/prison-workout
• https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/prison-workout-the-jailhouse-strong-routine.html
• https://parade.com/1202736/kaitlin-vogel/prison-workout/