The Star Wars Jedi Workout Plan

A Jedi is always prepared for the challenges of defending the galaxy against the forces of those that would bend to the temptation of the Dark Side. Jedi understand that true power comes from hard work and discipline.

Their minds and souls are ready to embody the teachings of The Force, obviously, but we don’t talk enough about how their bodies have to be ready as well. If you’re really paying attention to the martial feats Jedi pull off in Star Wars media, then you’ll see some crazy acrobatic and aerobic skill.

It takes some serious training to get there, and we’re about to peel back the robe and show you what really powers the body of a Jedi.

Work Out, You Shall

The first thing we need to figure out is what the Jedi value in combat to determine where our workout is going to go.

As much as The Force plays a role in Jedi duels, it tends to take a backseat to the incredibly dangerous swords made out of pure energy that they’re waving in each other’s faces. Using a Lightsaber is an exercise in focus, dexterity, and agility. 

Lightsabers are known for taking down adversaries in a single strike. They slice through entire limbs like a hot sword through a wet napkin. Jedi have to be quick on their feet, so agility is going to be a massive focus of the Jedi workout. The focus on agility is obvious from watching any battle in Star Wars. Positioning and utilization of the environment is what makes and breaks a battle between two users of The Force. When Yoda is training Luke you see an athletic gauntlet. Luke has to sprint through the swap while his master hitches a ride, he’s even seen in a single-arm handstand.

That handstand brings us to the next tenant of Jedi training. Your core strength is going to have to be amazing. The key to a great body is a solid core, and the Jedi clearly have taken that piece of advice to heart. You always see them flinging their bodies around and using The Force to throw pieces of their environment at their aggressors. The strain it puts on them is mental, but you can also see that the telekinetic use of the Force is acting on their bodies. We’re going to say that core strength is important to a Jedi Master, so it should be important to you too.

You don’t see a lot of jacked Jedi, probably because The Force is amplifying their strength. If you want to win a fight in the real world, you can’t depend on The Force bailing you out, so we’re going to build some strength training into our workout plan.

Jedi are also hermetical and frugal, it seems. This workout is going to be made up of exercises you can do in the far reaches of space, no matter what the gravity is like or how close you are to your local gym. You can live the life of a Jedi unattached to Earthly things while keeping your body in shape for the next uprising of the forces of evil.

Lasers and Flips

We’re not going to suggest you go out and get all of the acrobatic training the Jedi have clearly undergone, but we are going to focus on increasing your mobility, flexibility, and your cardiovascular prowess. Keeping up your cardio is going to be key to surviving those high-intensity battles.

Jogging: Going for a long run two or three times a week is going to be one of the best ways to improve your cardiovascular health. Humans a uniquely suited to long-distance, moderate-intensity runs. Our cardiovascular system loves the kind of workout you’ll get from taking a long run, and our muscles in our legs are built to take the punishment of a protracted trek through the neighborhood.

It’s going to be miserable at first if you’re not used to the kind of strain that a long jog will inflict on your body, but, like any exercise, start small and build your way up. You don’t have to break any records when you’re going on a jog, speed isn’t the goal here. You’re aiming to build up your endurance on these jogs, the end goal is going to be building a body that’s ready to deliver oxygen and energy to your starving muscles when you’re undergoing intense exercise. 

These long, endurance-focused runs are going to be the core of your Jedi training. In a world where you’re bounding from planet to planet and fending off creatures of various sizes and strengths, you need to keep your energy up during the battles, and you’re going to want to know you can depend on your body to pull through in a pinch.

Sprinting

When you’re not working on your endurance, a few short sprints are going to build your overall speed and explosive leg strength. You can take several approaches to your sprints, but the two main types of sprint training you should be focusing on are flat sprints and incline sprints.

Flat sprints are an excellent place to start. You’re likely near a flat area. A good open sidewalk or a running track in a gym or your local park is going to provide you with the space you need for a flat sprint. These are sprints that are going to build your initial sprints, they’re where you’re going to want to train up your times and develop good sprinting habits. 

Wind sprints are a good way to increase the amount of time you’re sprinting if you’re confined to a relatively small amount of space. 

• To start your wind sprint training, select about three or four increasing distances
• Settle into a comfortable starting position and take off towards your first marker
• Touch the ground at your first position, immediately turn around and sprint back to your starting line. Touch the ground there 
• Immediately turn around and repeat the process until you’ve returned from your furthest marker

Wind sprints are a great way to improve your take-off. You’re going to be resetting and taking off several times in a short span window. If you’re struggling to get yourself moving at the beginning of your sprints, then this is good practice, it’s also a test of your mental endurance, the entire time you’re sprinting you’ll want to use your resets as an opportunity to rest. Grit your teeth and push through, this is Jedi training, and you’re not going to have the chance to call time out in a life or death battle.

Incline sprints are going to be a great way to increase your sprinting power. The amount of extra output it takes to climb against gravity and your own bodyweight is going to translate to a pair of much more powerful legs. 

Save incline sprints for a time after you feel like you’ve become comfortable with your flat sprints. When you’re getting your times down and your distances up, it might be time to challenge yourself with incline sprints, but they should be a goal you’re working towards, not a starting point in your sprinting journey. 

Handstands/Wall Walks

Luke worked his way to single-arm handstands while also balancing Yoda on his foot in no time at all. He was powerful, focused, and determined in that moment. He also probably had a little help from The Force he was working so hard to master. Our handstands are going to be much more manageable and a little bit less dangerous.

Wall walks are a good way to strengthen your core, challenge your shoulders, and give your upper body a stern workout. They’re also going to give you most of the skills you need in order to work your way up to a free-standing handstand.

• Start all the way on the floor. Your hands should be underneath your shoulders, flat on the ground, this starting position is essentially a push-up position. You’re going to want to keep your feet close to a wall since you’re going to walk up it soon.
• Push your body up with your hands until your arms are fully extended
• Keep your back flat and neutral
• Use your legs to walk up the wall while using your hands to push your body closer to the wall as you ascend
• Keep your arms straight and continue walking up the wall until your legs and torso are up against the wall. Hold there for a second
• Reverse your motions until you return back to the floor in your push-up position

This exercise is going to be a test of your strength, early on. Over time, you’ll learn how to properly engage your core and glutes and you’ll be able to spend more and more time in this inverted position with no effort at all.

Plyometric Exercises

The Jedi are always leaping into the air. Clearly, they’ve had some plyometric exercise worked into their training. Plyometrics are just exercises that involve clearing your body from the surface you’re working on. They can be exercises like tuck jumps, or variations of an exercise like tricep dips, where you push yourself up with enough force to make your hands leave the bench you’re dipping on. Our Jedi training is going to focus on tuck jumps and plyometric push-ups. This is going to place an emphasis on your aerobic abilities and continue training your upper body.

Tuck Jumps

Tuck jumps may seem like they’re all about powering up your legs at first glance, but that’s incredibly far from the truth. When you’re working on tuck jumps, your legs propel you into the air, then once you’ve left the ground it’s all about coordination, utilization of your abs, and landing carefully back on the ground by manipulating your feet. 

Tuck jumps are an exercise that requires your alertness and the full strength of your muscles. You’re going to have to fine-tune your body if you want to make the most out of this plyometric exercise.

• Start with your feet should-width apart 
• Bend at the hips, and lower yourself down into a quarter-squat
• Swing your arms back, and get ready to launch yourself into the air
• Swing your arms forward while pushing off of the ground with you legs
• Once you’re up in the air, use your abs to bring your knees up towards your chest, don’t tuck into a ball, focus more on getting your thighs parallel with the ground and keeping your back straight
• When you start to fall, extend your legs again, allowing yourself to spring a little when you hit the ground

Keeping your body from taking the shock of landing head on is important with tuck jumps. You want to remain pliable and firm when you hit the ground. Your legs should act like springs, and your feet should come down in phases so you’re not just landing with flat feet.

Plyometric Push-ups

You’ve probably seen plyometric push-ups on TV. They’re the exercise superheroes and body builders do when they’re showing off how powerful they’ve become. They’re almost entirely the same as regular push-ups, but you’re going to be exerting more explosive power when you push yourself up away from the floor.

You should be pushing your body away from the floor with enough power to launch your upper body into the air. Don’t overextend your arms or try to push so hard that you’re throwing your shoulders out of their sockets. This is about a controlled exertion of your power.

Once you’re in the air, you need to brace yourself for impact. Just like tuck jumps, you need to get your body ready to accept the shock of hitting the floor. Don’t lock your arms on your approach, you should be absorbing the shock and lowering yourself to the floor under your own power.

Plyometric push-ups are going to have all of the same benefits of normal push-ups. You can vary the distance of your hands to work out different muscle groups. Diamond push-ups can be used to strengthen your triceps, and you can even work your way up to single-arm plyometric push-ups when you feel yourself acclimating to the challenge of your push-ups.

Solid Foundations

Your core strength is going to be key to keeping up your Jedi training. A solid core is going to translate to more solid exercises across the board. Your core is going to be the lynchpin of nearly every exercise. Your upper body and lower body exercises both require an unshakeable core.Work on your core as often as you can to keep its strength up to par. 

Planking

Planks are a simple core workout. This isometric exercise isn’t hard to do, and there aren’t any tricks to it. It’s just about your strength and your willpower. A lot of people hit a plateau when they’re planking, but it’s really just their mind blocking their progress. If you’re following in the Jedi’s footsteps, then this exercise is going to hone your spirit as well as your body. 

Planking just requires a space on the floor. If you can do your push-ups, you can also get your planks in.

• Start by resting on your elbows, with your arms underneath your shoulders
• Get up on your toes, and keep your back flat. Watch the angle of your head, it should be in line with your spine
• Engage your core, your glutes, and your spinal erectors
• Hold in that position for 30 to 60 seconds

Planks are an isometric exercise, the longer you can hold this position, the more you’ll be building the endurace and strength of these muscles. They’re deceptively simple, but master will bring you benefits quickly. You’ll be able to use the skills you take from planks to grow your overall ability in your workouts.

Pull-ups/Chin-ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups are difficult exercises. You’re going to be pulling your body weight with a relatively small number of muscles. These exercises are require a strong core. If you can’t keep your lower body from wobbling around, then you’re going to be wasting a lot of strength on keeping your body from swinging. Setting your core also allows your body to direct strength and stability to the muscles you’re engaging. 

Think of these upper body exercises as a test of your core strength. As your stability grows, your pull-ups will grow, and as your pull-ups grow, they’ll supplement your stability. 

Defeat the Dark Side

If you want to train like the Jedi then you’re going to have to work on your willpower as well as your body. This is an intense workout that you can take everywhere you go. Knowing this, you should be willing to stick close to an exercise schedule that pushes your body as far as you can within reason. Be sure to sprinkle in rest days and plenty of protein. Your work will all go to waste if you don’t, and you won’t build any muscle if you’re constantly at the limit of your abilities. Time, patience, and dedication are the three pillars of this workout.