Riddick

If you're going to bring a knife to a gun fight, then you had better be smart, fast, and bulletproof. And more often than not, life doesn't give you the opportunity to run back to your armory when you're taken by surprise. You can't always expect to have your climbing gear with you when the cliff crumbles beneath your feet.

So what does it mean to be tough, agile, and bulletproof in any situation? Perhaps we can derive answers from one of my favorite sci-fi tough guys: Riddick. The Furyan bad-ass who refuses to bow to any man has proven time and again, across three different movies, that he can handle himself in just about any situation. In Pitch Black, he escapes his chains, fights off swarms of killer creatures, and overall exhibits consistent bad-assery all the while saving lives of his fellow survivors. 

In order for Riddick to have the strength to lift, climb, and fight the way he does, a great chest, back, and set of arms are crucial. Take the pull-up for example. The pull-up works the latimus dorci, pectorals, and triceps. But its also the ultimate survival exercise. When your hanging off a cliff and your feet find no purchase, being able to do an adequate pull-up is going to mean your survival. Given that I am yet to be able to do a pull-up, there are other exercises that I can do that can increase my chest, arm, and back strengths. 

Push-ups, push-ups, and more push-ups. Close grip push-ups places heavier emphasis on the triceps,. while the wide grip works the lats. All of these will bring the signature Riddick muscles to exhaustion, but will force you to push forward. Do you think there is time to stop or slow when escape a prison planet, the sunrise on which literally sets the world ablaze? Add some plyometric push-ups at the end of this regimen and you'll find the will to exert explosive power even when pushed to your limits. The burn you feel in your chest is the fire of the Furyans, it is your racial inheritance. Push beyond your known limits, and bow to no man!