kettlebells in the Gulag

Sept 23rd.



Your Fitness program while in prison takes on a new sense of urgency










"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

George S. Patton

WO du jour:

warm up; jump rope, heavy bag punching and kicking, bands and joint mobility,


One arm push jerk: 10 sets of 10 each arm. 1 set 16kg. 1set 20kg and 8 sets 24kg.

weighted pullups: 10 sets of 3-14kg.

prone DB tri extension with 45# 3 sets of 10.

5 sets of Ab roller.

Second session later:

15sec work and 15 sec. rest with 16kg kettlebell

40sets

There is such a thing as the Prison Work out. Basically it is body weight exercise like burpees, pushups,pullups, situps and running. Many incarnated inmates in our state and federal prisons, train each day mostly without the use of weights or resistance equipment. Most prisons that have some weights are slowly allowing them to leave or go into disrepair and not being replaced. Federal Prisons usually don't not have weights for inmates to use, opting for cardio and body wt some machine exercise. There is a lot of debate as allow and disallow weight training in prisons but there is no one standard from institution to the next.

That's not to say they don't do resistance exercise if no weights are available, it just that in order to train with resistance you have to be very creative in applying your self to your environment. Example would be inmates that have disciplinary problems are in their cells 23 hrs a day and have limited or no contact with exercise equipment. They make punching bags our of bedding or use chairs or makeshift sand bags to use as resistance.


Years ago I would referee at powerlift meets inside some of the local prisons as we have about 8 including state and federal. We never had a problem at any of the meets and the inmates were always cooperative even when they were "red lighted".


Prison staff for the most part don't see weight training as a real problem, when you have a means of discipline by taking this privilege away. Also inmates that train with weights, generally don't cause as much problems, as those how don't exercise. Two of my kids work in federal prisons, and by not having weights and just doing body weight exercise, you have to confront a more fit, lean, quick inmate to control. Just think what would happen if they ever go into kettlebells!