The End of Days Workout

Do you have what it takes to survive the end of the world? Think about it. All of a sudden you’ll need to build your own shelter, hunt for your own food and maybe even outrun a few zombies in the meantime. So to see if you’re up to the task, here’s a short list of exercises that will test your strength and stamina, plus some background on how working a few key muscle groups might come in handy if the Mayans are right.

Yes, you just may survive in the end of days—if you can survive these exercises.

[See: The Armageddon Workout Routine]

1. Ladders. Also known as suicides, ladders increase your speed and improve your reaction time—skills that will be very handy when escaping exploding buildings caused by solar flare EMPs. So head to an empty parking lot with four open spaces and see what you’ve got: Start with your feet and fingers on one of the lines, then sprint forward four spaces, bending down to touch the last line before running back. Vary the leg you start on, and compete against your best times with a stopwatch.

2. Dead Lifts. These will work your arm, leg and back muscles, which you’ll need to rescue your allies from downed power lines and trees knocked over by those pesky Red Dragons. (You can get your test your deadlift strength here.)

3. Overhead Shoulder Presses. When you’re waving flaming poles to grab the attention of FEMA planes from your stronghold at the mall, you’ll need major arm strength—and these will build up the muscles you need. (Here’s how to get the most out of every shoulder press rep.)

4. Push Ups. After you survive, you’ll be building your new house out of scraps from the 21st century, and push ups will help. How? You’ll need upper body strength to haul sheet metal, lumber, sewer grates and tarps to your mountain hideout. One hundred push ups is the goal—can you bang it out with these push-up tips?

NEXT: 4 More End of Days Exercises