I’m always looking for ways to get into better condition and lately (in the last two years) I’ve been interested in working out using just my body weight for strength training. Along with my love of running that is. The problem with weights? Gym’s are too hard to get to, often too expensive, and I like the keep-it-simple approach, especially when I have a hard time doing something. Weights are like that for me.
So I find this guy online by the name of Matt Furey who has a book and video called Combat Conditioning. His pitch is very good but the marketer in me (and I suspect anyone with a brain) recognizes that he’s a marketer of first order, with copywriting long form being his forte. Automatic distrust. Until I can independently verify his credentials and reputation I won’t fork over my money.
On that topic, most of what I can find online looks suspiciously like more internet marketing, incredibly easy for unscrupulous marketers to do, looking for all the world like someone else, while all the time being the same person. Now, I want to be clear, I AM NOT accusing Matt of this. From what I’ve read so far, I think he is legit. It’s just that I don’t like being duped and since marketing is my trade, I’m probably a little more sensitive to being duped by marketing than most. Then again, no one wants to be the sucker born every minute…
I have a great friend (we’ll call him E) who has spent more time in a gym doing strength training than most and he’s been successful with it. I particularly like that he’s in it for the function and value to his strength and agility (he was also once a practicing martial artist) vs. the typical vanity that many lift weights for.
While I wait for E to reply to me about anything he might know about Matt’s techniques, I went searching for more material. Matt’s pitch is especially compelling to me since he focuses on building functional strength and flexibility. Great things in terms of melting body fat away, converting fat into lean muscle, building strength, staying healthy and for me, improving my golf swing (flexibility and strength are both key in golf and weights training can actually hurt a golf swing). And if you’ve seen me golf, you’d know that I can’t afford for my swing to be any worse. 
Ding, a light bulb went off. Online video. Youtube. I thought that maybe with all the user generated content out there, I might get a look at Matt’s three main exercises (he calls them the Royal Court) performed by someone who has tried the exercises. Hindu Squat’s, Hindu Push-ups and Matt’s version of the Bridge. I especially want (and need) the help from the bridge because I have a weak neck/back muscle that goes out far too often (usually when sleeping) and it can immobilize me to some extent for days.
Imagine what I found…
Captain America performing Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning moves. No kidding. Without further ado, please enjoy.
Because of a send up video made on Youtube, I was able to see the basic moves performed. And with style… Check yourself, they look awfully like the written descriptions you can find of Matt’s exercises on the Internet. Further, I finally tried them out. Here’s what my testing confirmed. The one exercise that I really like to do is push ups. Actually, I hate them, but I like how I feel when I am done with them. Hindu push ups are HARD. The bridge is killer as well. As for Hindu squats? Funny enough, by total coincidence, this is how I’ve always performed my squats. They don’t seem that hard but they do give you a great workout. Do 20 or 50 and see how hard you’re breathing and how much burn you have in your legs and rear end. I can’t speak to long term results but I can see that the exercises are effective. I expect some good things and eagerly await E’s opinion (or yours).
[tags]Combat Conditioning, Matt Furey, Matt Furey Combat Conditioning, The Royal Court, Hindu Squats, Hindu Push ups, The Bridge[/tags]
6 comments ↓
I wouldn’t bother with it. As you said, no offense to Mr. Furey, but I believe his program to be no more effective than a thighmaster or ab-roller.
In all things I prefer use ‘keep it simple’ as an everpresent mantra and because of that I find his back-to-basics approach appealing, but all of it does seem a good bit overdone… especially all the before and after photos.
Does good marketing mean it won’t work? Not at all – look at all the success people have had with Tae-Bo! The real deal is this: yoga works. Cardio kickboxing, dieting, calisthenics, weight training, power-lifting, all of it works. The real question is what combination of elements is it going to take to work for you?
In all the time I’ve spent lifting weights and practicing martial arts and studying execise have refined my basics approach down to three things: good form, intensity, and consistency. Poor form is a sure path to injury – whatever you chose to do make sure you learn how to do it properly. Intensity, in exercise, is easily mistaken; it does not mean grunting, pouring sweat, or anything else advertised on TV. As long as your course pushes your body’s limits then it was a good workout… you clearly don’t fit into this group but if walking two miles begins to fatigue someone then walking three could be a vigorous workout for them, for now. As you find your body adapting to your workouts you continue to adapt your workouts to your body. It’s a moving target.
Most important of it all is consistency. Anything you can become good at overnight probably wasn’t that difficult to begin with and make no mistake about it, getting in shape is difficult. If diet and exercise really do work then why isn’t everyone walking around built like an Adonis? Because it’s not about doing 10 pushups or 100 or 1,000; it’s about doing them until it hurts then when you’ve recovered doing them again and again and again. Gym owners have known this for years and that’s why many of them moved towards committed contracts instead of month-to-month models that are easily broken. The last stat I heard on this was that 90% of the people that join a gym will stop showing up within the first month; if that’s true then even a 12-month contract is just easy money for 11 of 12 months.
So if you shouldn’t sign up for Combat Conditioning then what should you do? That’s a tough question but it can be narrowed down by taking a look at what appeals to you: do you like combat sports? team sports? outdoor sports? Poke around and keep trying new things until you get it.
It’s rare that the will is strong enough to outlast the body so don’t be afraid to push it. Find something fun to do and something that fits your schedule and personality. Leave yourself with the absolute minimum in terms of excuses not to go get after it… working out can really suck and if it’s easy to talk yourself out of it you will. I think that’s the best approach for getting fit.
E, thanks so much for your typically good advice. I have been consistently happy with my running. That’s my base. As you know from our many conversations, strength training has always been my weakness (literally).
I like the concept of functional strength and flexibility so calisthenics are a really good option and since I don’t have a need to look buffed all these core strength building cali’s and things like Yoga AND martial arts are awesome for that. As you say, consistency and intensity are key.
In trying “The Royal Court” out over the last few days, combined with the breathing Furey recommends, I feel I have been getting a nice additional workout. I feel muscles that my normal push ups, sit ups and dips don’t normally attack. The Bridge in particular is radically different from what I normally do. At first it felt hard on my body but as he says on his web site, the breathing is key – advice you have echoed to me many times before.
As far as breathing goes, running is the same and my experience with Thai Chi when I was a youngster was the same. I think what works for me is ‘mixing it up’ as I get bored and I like the simplicity of calisthenics. I also am using my light weight (10 and 20lbs) dumbbells to get at certain muscles I wouldn’t otherwise attack, as well as providing me variety.
Big to me is also doing something daily. With calisthenics I don’t have to worry about resting a day and getting into a rythym works well for me – just a matter of keeping it going now.
I’ll tell you one thing that’s made a big difference to me in doing more strength training in the house – a great floormat!
Cheers and thanks again.
J
Hello,
Matt Furey seems overselling to many people but a product should not be judge by the marketing used to sell it.The Royal Court is not for everyone.It could be done by anyone but so is ballet dancing.Matt Furey’s book is named combat conditioning.It is a routine for people that find themselves in combat situations.If you notice on the videos Matt is breathing pretty heavily in a very similar way that someone fighting would.
Combat Conditioning means what it means.It’s not marketing.It’s a name.Because as a Mixed Martial Artist or fighter you cannot find a better routine to condition yourself for a combat situation.
Hi Sako, thanks for leaving your comment. Now that I’ve tried the Royal Court I can agree that these are good exercises. I haven’t stuck with any physical strength trainnig long enough to see really dramatic results but I plan to integrate Furey’s type of work into my running, swimming and other cardio work I do. Thanks for stopping by.
I think Furey’s duped you a bit, he sells his stuff with lies, like telling you weight training will hurt you. Bodyweight training is still weight training. Using movements where you move is great (pushups, chins) but there’s nothing wrong with doing them weighted, or in doing things where you move a weight (barbell squat, deadlift, bench).
They’re not ‘functional’ either, it’s a misleading concept. How exactly are things like that functional to something like golf anyway? Injuries worsen golf swings, not weight training, and you can get injured or get stronger on any program, including Matt Furey’s.
He only increases reps, progressive weight lifting inreases the resistance.
Julian I strongly encourage you to take a chance and invest in Matt’s program. His programs are exceptional yes they are very expensive but that is due to the fact that the things he teaches cannot be found anywhere else. they are closely guarded secrets and people pay top price for them. I have been doing the royal court and other exercises for about two years now and I haven’t found anything better. I started working out when I was eight years old I have seen almost everything there is to see in the world of physical culture and nothing comes close these programs that Matt Furey sells. They are legit, they are hard, they are transforming, and they are expensive, but so is a car and combat conditioning will take you much further.
Thank you for your time and I hope you will take my advise,
Simon
Leave a Comment