A Tougher Morning Workout
Designed by BearmoreGetting a bit too used to the easy option?
Do something hard on purpose, and do it early. A walk carrying a heavy backpack, some cold exposure, an intention for the day, then a bodyweight session to finish.
The runsheet
Ruck out and back
Cardio trainingRucking is walking with a weighted pack. Start with ten to twenty pounds in a day-pack, walk briskly, come back. A heavier load and a hillier route is the natural progression from there.
30 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing cardio training before cold plunge
This can support the next activity because once you've cooled briefly, a cold dip can ease inflammation and speed recovery.
Cold exposure
Cold plungeA minute of full-body cold, plunge or an end-of-shower cold phase. After the ruck, it sharpens you in a way coffee can't. Aim for cold enough that the first breath feels involuntary; longer is not necessarily the point.
1 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing cold plunge before intention setting
This works well because any mental clarity and resilience from cold can help you set intentions that feel grounded and achievable.
Name today's intention
Intention settingEach day, do one thing that's two percent harder than yesterday. Naming today's 2% behaviour out loud (or writing it down) is the move. Set it now while the body's awake and the head's clear.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing intention setting before resistance training
This can pair well because intention setting may sharpen attention before training, even if the workout itself quickly becomes the main focus.
Pull-ups and push-ups
Resistance trainingA no-fuss upper-body Burst for working toward stronger pull-ups. You’ll pair strict pull-up practice with push-ups, rest, then repeat. No kipping, no rushed reps. If pull-ups aren’t available yet, dead hangs count. They train the grip, shoulders and control you need, and the time adds up faster than you might expect.
22 min activityTime well spent.
1h 59m spent doing something good for yourself.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Michael Easter (who this Burst was inspired by) makes the case that modern life has stripped out the productive friction humans evolved with, and that adding small doses of it back can be of real benefit.