The BrinkZone Gauntlet consists of two complexes:
Complex One consists of 3 cycles of:
Sand bag lunges/zercher squat
Hand over hand sled pull
ball push ups
Complex Two consists of 3 cycles of:
Standing push press
battle ropes
High/low Prowler
For GPP, conditioning, endurance, metabolic work, and functional strength, it’s awesome. You can also see fitness model Kelly D doing The BrinkZone Gauntlet HERE
Recent studies have shown some controversial findings that high-rep training is as effective as the traditional medium rep training for muscle growth. If you missed it, check out my two previous articles:
Training for maximal muscle growth – is heavy low-medium reps really the best way to go?
Muscle growth with high rep training – has time come to challenge our egos?
In this article I will show some examples of how high-rep sets can be implemented in a serious weight lifting program, and look at the results of some studies that have investigated this.
The Prowler II Rules All! 
Dr. Chiang runs Northeastern Chiropractic is a regular contributor to the BrinkZone and has written several articles – with more to come – on topics such as rehab and injury prevention for the shoulders and other body parts that tend to cause problems for active populations. As you will see, Dr. Chiang knows hard work in the gym, so he can relate to athletes and active people who have various aches and pains. He’s the guy I see for my aches and pains! The other day I took my camera to Gold’s Gym and got him hitting the Prowler sled with some serious weight!
In a previous article I reported the controversial results of a study that compared the muscle (myofibrillar) protein synthetic response of a traditional “bodybuilding” high-load low rep workout (90FAIL) to a higher rep low load workout (30FAIL), both taken to failure 1. If you haven’t read that article, here’s a lowdown:
The workout with higher rep lower load sets (30FAIL) was equally effective in stimulating muscle (myofibrillar) protein synthesis as a workout with low rep high load sets (90FAIL) 1. But more notably, the high-rep low load workout (30FAIL) resulted in a more prolonged muscle protein synthetic response and a greater elevation of muscle protein synthesis rates than the low rep high load workout (90FAIL) 24h after exercise, and also induced a greater stimulation of anabolic signalling pathways 1.
However, this study was an acute study with measurements taken for only 24 hours after one single workout bout. This doesn’t tell us whether higher rep sets would lead to long term increases in muscle mass, which is what we are ultimately interested in. Well, the same research group just published an actual 10 week training study 2 to find the answer to this nerve-itching question….
In this vid, we do some thick bar/thick handle training, which should be part of any program where maximal functional strength is the goal. For more info, also see my write on the topic HERE.
Just did this workout With Kelly Anne DeCollibus. It was a fun workout (not for her!) and she looks great doing it. She’s a real trooper in the gym and has the ‘never say die’ attitude, and I know some guys who would not survive this workout at the pace and loads used. This workout was clearly in the “no pink dumbbells zone” and women should pay close attention there. Put down the tiny dumbells, get away from the endless low intensity aerobics, and you’ll see big improvements in your body and spend less time in the gym.
I do this exact program when the mood hits, and yes, use higher loads, but it floors me every time. This gal never fails to impress me with her strength and willingness to give it her all what ever gets thrown at her, which is a quality I demand of people when I work with them.
Just did a killer leg workout with Fitness Competitor Leah Gifford. This is was hard functional training looks like! The “no pink dumbbell zone” rules were in effect!!!!! 
My buddy Jim V and I – who is a Sgt on a regional SWAT team in my area, and was on the ABC show Expedition Impossible – did what I refer to as a “functional range day” where I combine functional exercises with some basic range work. It’s similar to my P.A.S.T Program conceptually.
You can slowly ramp up the difficulty by increasing the physical difficulty, and or increasing the shooting difficulty, or both.
Might start with 10 push ups, five tire flips, engage target at 7 yards.
Progressions might be 1 min of pushups, 10 tire flips, 10 rear sled drags, and add stress/difficulty to the shooting; on the move, from cover, or other.
My focus is on the exercise component and don’t make claims to being a BTDT firearms instructor, but a performance trainer who works with tac LE on ways of improving stress training and I enjoy ad hoc “functional” style range days such as found in this vid.
Programming should still attempt to balance volume of antagonist muscles , such as pushups followed by sled rows, etc. which can reduce potential for injuries and improve training effects long term.
However, you have to work with what you have, which in this case was a truck tire, length of phone pole, sled, and a few 25lb plates.
Yes, a pumpkin was injured during the filming of this vid. My apologies in advance to all pumpkin lovers out there 
And what is this Fein stuff mentioned in the vid? I cover that in my article “What You Need To Know About Caffeine!” if interested.
As a rule, I prefer to train antagonist muscle groups together (chest/back, etc) but Pam wanted to do Chest/Shoulders…
On looking at the vid, she’s doing more or a KB high pull (which is what I wanted) vs a KB swing, and I should have written it as such in the vid workout write up. Oh well….
As some may recall, I was in Panama City Panama not long ago, and made a vid training at a great club down there called PowerClub. My latest visit, I put fitness competitor Ariadna González Fontelio through my GPP/conditioning day. If you want more info on this specific GPP/conditioning day, you can view myself doing it, as well as Kelly doing it, and making me look out of shape!
As you can see, Ariadna is in great condition, and next time I train her, will need to step up the difficulty and intensity for her!
Amazon for Kindle
