Tarzan training program

[Scorpion King]

In days long past, Darebee used to create workouts based on and honoring heroes of pop culture. After a few months of monkeying around with some ideas, I've managed to continue that old tradition by creating a workout routine based around one of the most enduring and classic heroes of pop culture: Tarzan!

You all know who he is, a boy orphaned in the jungles of West Africa, raised by a family of Gorillas, who grew up in a fierce environment and rose to the top before meeting humans, and that's another story.
We've all seen the movies or even read the books, he's described as being "muscled as the best of the ancient Roman gladiators must have been muscled, and yet with the soft and sinuous curves of a Greek god, [which] told at a glance the wondrous combination of enormous strength with suppleness and speed.” And per every story he's very much a beast of a guy! He's able to traverse the treetops and swing with the grace of an ape, can run on all fours or bipedal at great speeds, is strong enough to choke out a Silverback without much strain, can jump great heights/distances, swim and climb better than most, can mimic animal movements, and is also a talented combatant.

Brute strength, explosive power, animal movement, combat, hypertrophy aesthetics, dexterity, and more...that's a balanced breakfast. There's a bunch "Tarzan workouts" out there but they're pretty much just code for bodyweight training, animal movement or outdoor workouts and nothing more. So I put together a workout routine trying to effectively go Tarzan. One week utilizes weights and resistance training, the next utilizes calisthenics and bodyweight training (I even used the exercises in Darebee's old Tarzan workout!), alternating over the course of 2 to 3 months.

Without further ado...

THE WORKOUT:
WEEK ONE - RESISTANCE

• MONDAY CHEST, TRICEPS, & STEADY CARDIO
  • Incline Barbell Press (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Dumbbell Bench Press (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Cable Crossovers AMRAP
  • Weighted Dips (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Dumbbell Kickbacks (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Dumbbell Skull Crushers AMRAP
  • 10 minutes of machine cardio
• TUESDAY LEGS
  • Front Squat (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Stiff Legged Deadlift (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Bulgarian Split Squats (8 reps into 15 ERs per side)
  • Bridge Curls (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Spanish Squat AMRAP
  • Dumbbell Side Lunges AMRAP
  • Pull-Through AMRAP
  • SUPER SET: Seated Calf Raises + Single Calf Raises (2 sets to technical failure)
• WEDNESDAY BACK, BICEPS, & HIIT
  • Landmine Row (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Zeus Rows (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Weighted Pull-ups AMRAP
  • Cross Body Hammer Curl (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Spider Curl (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Barbell Curl AMRAP
  • Battle Ropes 5 minute TABATA
• THURSDAY SHOULDERS & CORE
  • Hang Clean and Press (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Trap Bar Shrug (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Dumbbell Lateral Raises (8 reps into 15 ERs)
  • Reverse Cable Fly (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Dumbbell Shoulder Press AMRAP
  • Face-pull AMRAP
  • CORE CIRCUIT (2 sets of 10 each side)
    • Hanging Leg Raises
    • Pallof Press
    • Rope Crunch
    • Slashers
    • Jack Knife
• FRIDAY FULL BODY & CAPOEIRA
  • Trap Bar Deadlift (3 sets of 8-12, 4-6, 12-15)
  • Landmine Belt Squats (12 reps into 20 ERs)
  • Turkish Get-ups AMRAP
  • Card Deck Circuit (1-2 rounds total)
    • Clubs: Dumbbell High Pull
    • Spades: Sledgehammer Swings
    • Diamonds: Clapping Push-ups
    • Hearts: Kettlebell Swings
  • 10 minutes of Capoeira

WEEK TWO - CALISTHENICS

• MONDAY PUSH & ANIMAL FLOW
  • 100 Push-ups
  • Archer Push-ups (2 sets to failure)
  • Handstand Push-ups (2 sets to failure)
  • Chest Dips (2 sets to failure)
  • Banded Lateral Raises (2 sets of 15-20)
  • Cobra Push-ups (2 sets to failure)
  • Hand Release Push-ups AMRAP
  • 10 minutes of Animal Flow
• TUESDAY LEGS & STATIC STRETCHES
  • 100 Squats
  • 100 Alternating Sprinter Lunges
  • Alternating Step-Ups (2 sets to failure)
  • Cossack Squats (2 sets to failure)
  • Nordic Curl (2 sets to failure)
  • 3D Lunges AMRAP
  • Single Pause Calf Raises
  • 5-10 minutes of full body stretching
• WEDNESDAY PULL & STEADY STATE CARDIO
  • 100 Pull-ups
  • Archer Pull-ups (2 sets to failure)
  • Chin-ups (2 sets to failure)
  • Inverted Rows (2 sets to failure)
  • Commando Pull-ups (2 sets to failure)
  • TRX Face-pulls (2 sets of 10)
  • Rope Climbs AMRAP
  • 30+ minutes of hiking, swimming, running, or climbing
• THURSDAY CORE & BEAST MOVEMENT
  • 100 Crunches
  • TRI-SET: Hanging Pikes + Black Widow Knee Slides + Windshield Wiper (2 x fail)
  • TRI-SET: L-Sits + Russian Twists + Oak Tree Step-outs (2 x fail)
  • TRI-SET: Dragon Flag + Butterfly Sit-ups + TRX Fall-Outs (2 x fail)
  • Reverse Hyper-Extensions AMRAP
  • 10-15 minutes of Beast Movement
    • Bear Crawls
    • Kong Vaults
    • Crab Walks
    • Alligator Drag
    • Monkey Bars
• FULL BODY FOREST
  • Jump Squats (2 sets to failure; w/ mechanical drop set)
  • Decline Push-ups (2 sets to failure; w/ mechanical drop set)
  • Walking Lunges (2 sets to failure; w/ drop set)
  • Rope Pull-ups (2 sets to failure; w/ drop set)
  • Inchworms (2 sets to failure)
  • Bear Crawls (5 minutes AMRAP)
  • Rucking (10-20 minutes)

If you decide to give this a try? Be careful, it's not going to be easy.