In the first phase of the Iron Body training, one must begin with basic exercises that are meant to work up to the hard conditioning. So after a couple weeks or more with the preliminaries, begin the basic exercises I will give here. The following practices will help toughen the body, while also training the energy to move to the places being worked so as to heal them and protect them from possible damage. In the future, this will be done a lot more through the harder practices, where the body is actually struck and damaged just enough that the energy and blood will flow to these places and heal them, and in the process of damage, heal, damage, heal, ect..., the body becomes very tough and less vulnerable to damaging strikes. For now we are more focused on stability and strength. You must develop your will power. You must learn to hold an uncomfortable position for longer and longer periods of time, untill it becomes easy. Your body shall then demonstrate an early form of the Iron Body, where it'll be less vulnerable. Have you ever hit a person in the abs after he has done a thousand crunches daily? Pretty solid. That's the idea here. But this is more advanced than crunches. And consistent practice shall yield incredible results. But this is only the beginning.
Now, let's get into some exercises. Hopefully by now you can do at least 50 push-ups at one time and 10 or more pull-ups. You'll find that all the muscles of the body get worked in what is to come. For us, we usually get a lot of our workout by simply going to our training locations, which usually involves climbing up cliffs. Rock climbing is a hell of a workout. Exen people in good shape find their muscles get really sore after a day of rock climbing.
Anyway, on to the phase one workout. Here are some exercises to help you get on your way. These are mostly calisthenic exercises, but they are more advanced than what you're likely used to. And these will not only work the muscles. They also greatly work your energy and cultivate it and empower it.
() You should practice the basic striking movements daily, perhaps in Kata form. But most of all, kicking. This is a great workout, and using various kicks will keep you limber and agile.
() Lying on your back, raise your head and feet off the floor. Hold this position as long as you can. Work up to 2 minutes.
() Hold a Push-Up form, body raised, for 2 or more minutes. Work toward 5 minutes.
() Similar to regular push-ups, hold the body high. Dip down and scoop forward and up without ever resting at the ground. Scoop back. Continue forward and backward.
() Stand in the Horse Stance with your hands clasped in a prayer-like gesture in front of your chest. Elbows raised. Try for 5 minutes.
() Sit against a wall, back flat against the wall, and try holding your knees bent at a 90 degree angle, as though sitting in a chair. Try for 5 minutes.
() Hold weights in each hand and stand in a very low horse stance. Hands are high, palms down, wrists relaxed and limp. Hold for a few minutes.
() If you are able, swimming will greatly help you.
() You may have seen those weights connected by ropes to sticks, which you use both hands to roll the rope up around the stick and raise the weight in this way. This is actually a very old Martial Arts exercise used in developing the forearms, shoulders, and the grip. A pot of pale was usually used in old times. Use whatever you wish. Stand in the horse stance (as you'll find will be common for the future training).
() An excellent help would be if you discard driving most of the time and walk more, and carry a heavy duffel bag. In High School I carried such a heavy bag 5 miles to school and found it to greatly advance my grip and forearm strength. Always remember that fitting the training into your everyday living will be of much benefit.
() Rope climbing. It'll work a lot of the body, including the palms of the hands and the grip.
() Tree climbing. And when it becomes easy to climb fast, add weights to your body.
() Any form of weight can be tied t a rope, and the rope goes over a high branch or bar. A pully is best. The other end is tied to one ankle or foot. There should be little enough length that the weight pulls the leg high and still might not touch the ground. With only the leg, pull the weight until the tied foot comes down to meet the other foot. An example of this method is given in a movie with Jean Claude VanDamm, though I don't remember which it was. Some movie where he was stuck on an island. This exercise works the hamstrings, so remember to stretch them before and after.
() The stone hammer is a tool you could improvise with. Basically, anything with a weighted end. There are certain exercises you can learn for good muscle development. It is used in Okinawan Goju Ryu.
() After all the former is accomplished, try doing the Iron Bridge. Have two chairs. One to hold your feet and one for your head. At first, have the one chair support your shoulders, as well. When you get used to it, move it back more and more until it's only holding up your head. Do not perform this until ready. Do for 2 minutes.
Also at this stage in the development, it is excellent if you could acquire some heavy pole to use as a staff. The usual material is iron. Swing this around in the typical staff practice. It'll condition the body greatly as you perform the usual body movements.
There are plenty more that you can find on your own, if you choose to seek them out. But here are a few more you can try...
Carrying Heavy Objects
The classic way to do this is to stand in a horse stance and grip two jars with only fingers. This can also be done with rocks. Being that we have fallen trees all over that act as great balance obstacles to get to where we go for training, we also like to carry rocks with our fingers alone as we cross them.
A Rock on your Shoulders
Another way we use these fallen trees is to have a large rock on our shoulders and cross that way. It ain't easy!
Rock Climbing
Climbing up rocks works sooo many muscles. It's incredible what strength can be developed just by doing that alone, and it greatly tones your entire body. Also, you get a hell of an experience.
Running Uphill With a Log
This is a good way to develop strong lungs and legs. But it'll also tighten the body in preparation for what is to come.
You might know of weight lifters focusing on a single area of the body each day they work out. If you spend much time at a gym, you may hear a lot of this: "we're doing arms today". The reason they do this is to focus hard on an area and then give it time to rest and heal. This same concept is used in the Iron Body conditioning, because here you could seriously damage something if you don't allow sufficient rest. In the first phase there isn't quite so much hard damage done. The damage is more from the workout. And there is plenty to be done.
If your schedule goes 3 days a week, which is good, then the kiko (qigong/chi kung) exercises that area discussed in the preliminaries should still be a daily practice.
