It’s fair to say Bear Grylls is no ordinary individual. His many wilderness survival expeditions have proven he’s willing to do just about anything, and the 51-year-old carries that same philosophy into his physical training, preferring high-intensity, functional strength to really test his limits.
‘I was never a natural athlete – I’ve always had to work at it,’ he told MH. ‘I need to be fit and strong for my job. I’m out in these jungles, I’m out in these mountains, and I’m there for extended periods of time. So having a good base level of resilience and physical fitness is really important in my life.’
As a former SAS trooper, it’s no surprise that Grylls opts for gruelling circuits over more traditional weightlifting to build his resilience. In one workout he completes 24 exercises, hitting every muscle in his body in double-quick time, with minimal equipment. I decided to get a taste for Grylls’ training by testing out the session for myself.
Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat each block 3 times.
Core
A4. High-Plank Superman
Legs
B3. Kettlebell Pass-Through Split Squat (Right Leg)
Chest
C2. Alternating Push-Up
Back
D4. Kettlebell Left-Arm Row
Arms & Shoulders
E4. Upright Row
Abs
F4. Superman
Build strength, add muscle and strip body fat in 2026 with this simple four-week training plan from Men’s Health fitness director Andrew Tracey. You’ll also get a fully comprehensive nutrition guide, giving you the tools to create a smart, sustainable calorie deficit – without compromising your training. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to the Men’s Health app and start training today.
Click here
Is the Workout Worth Trying?
As I type this, it’s a few hours after completing the workout and I’m still feeling the after-effects. My heart rate is still elevated, my muscles are fatigued, and I’m more than ready for a lie down. Where it stands out is the accumulation of both physical and mental fatigue that becomes increasingly more difficult to deal with as the session wears on.
I initially thought 10 seconds would be plenty of time to catch my breath between each exercise, with the work-to-rest ratio almost too generous considering some of the exercises. In retrospect, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Those 10 seconds fly by, and when you’re in the middle of a block hitting the exact same muscles, you can’t wait for that slight sliver of respite.
While I could feel every muscle come the end of the workout and had obtained a decent pump, I felt the most fatigue in my abs, chest and quads. That’s notwithstanding the fact the movements only require the use of bodyweight or a relatively light kettlebell. Explosively completing squat jumps or alternating push-ups makes things more difficult when the movements become more static, and noticeably fill the muscles with plenty of lactic acid. This is where mindset becomes all-important, as you have to fight through the pain just to reach the end each 20-second segment.
It just goes to show that you don’t always need the fanciest gyms or high-tech machines to get a really effective workout in. This session from Grylls requires minimal equipment – a kettlebell and pull-up bar – and will provide plenty of muscle-building and conditioning stimulus. I only used only kettlebell throughout, and while I might have been better using different weights – with some of the abs exercises a lot trickier with a heavy kettlebell than the arms and shoulders portion, for example – every aspect of the workout felt more than achievable.
It’s extremely efficient, too, taking 36 minutes in total, with 24 of those minutes spent working hard. While there are many aspects of Grylls’ approach I’d steer clear of (eg, sleeping inside a hollowed-out sheep carcass), this is one I can get fully get behind.
High Plank
Begin by getting into a push-up position. Make sure your back is straight and tense your abs and your glutes. Hold without allowing your hips to sag, and don’t forget to breathe.
Plank Knee to Elbow
Start in the high plank position. Bend one knee so the foot leaves the floor and bring the knee to touch the elbow on the same side, and then the opposite side so the torso twists. Reverse the movement and repeat with the other leg.
Plank Up-Down
Start in a high plank position. Brace your core as you drop your right elbow to the ground, followed by your left. When both elbows are in a low plank position, press your right palm into the floor, followed by your left, so that you’re back in a high plank position. Repeat.
High-Plank Superman
Get into a high plank, then walk your hands out beyond your shoulders, so that your palms are flat on the ground. You should be immediately fighting to keep your glutes and abs squeezed to maintain constant tension and to prevent your spine from arching.
Lift your right hand off the ground and raise it to shoulder-height, while kicking back your left leg, keeping tension throughout your body to stabilise. Return both your hands and feet back to the start, repeating with your opposite sides.
Squat Jump
While holding a kettlebell, stand tall, core engages and chest lifted. Squat down, keeping your back straight, until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor. Jump upwards explosively as high as you can, keeping the weight in front of you. As you descend, continue into your next rep, directly into the squat position ready to repeat.
Kettlebell Pass-Through Split Squat
Hold a kettlebell in one hand. Get in a half-kneeling stance, tighten your abs and stand up. Bend at both knees, lowering your torso until your left thigh is parallel to the floor, with your right knee behind you. Tighten your abs and shoulder blades, then pass the kettlebell through your legs. From there, stand up, passing the kettlebell back to the hand it was initially in.
Kettlebell Swing
Start with the feet a little wider than the hips and with the kettlebell a foot distance in front of you. Hinge the hips back behind your heels. Keep the head in line and reach forward to the kettlebell handle. Your torso should be slightly lifted above your hips. Shrug the shoulders away from your ears to initiate the movement and pull the kettlebell powerfully between your legs, just above the knees.
Snap the hips forward explosively to drive the kettlebell up to eye line. Have a loose grip, let the momentum do the work. Trace the arc shape in reverse, back between the legs. Snap the hips and repeat until you finish the set. When you finish, reverse the kettlebell to the floor a foot in front of you.
Push-Up
Begin in the high plank position with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.Focus on keeping your shoulders away from your ears with your core engaged and your entire body locked. Lower your chest towards the ground with your elbows below your shoulders, creating an arrow shape with your body. Explosively push the floor away from you until you fully extend your arms. Repeat.
Alternating Push-Up
Start with one hand on top of a kettlebell and your other to the side of you on the floor and complete a push-up. Now, move the hand that was on the floor on top of the kettlebell, and bring the other hand to the side of you on the floor. Complete another push-up.
Pike Push-Up
Start on the floor in a high plank position, with your palms on the floor stacked beneath your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades, abs, and glutes to create tension. Walk your toes forward, then shift your palms out slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Maintain core tension to keep your back flat. Rotate your elbows down 45 degrees and keep your neck in a neutral position by keeping your gaze back at your feet.
Bend your elbows and slowly lower your head down to the floor. Don’t rush the movement; take at least three seconds to lower down to the point that your head is just above the ground. Pause and hold the bottom position for a count, the press through the floor to extend your elbows, straightening your arms back to the starting position.
Close-Grip Push-Up
Begin in the high plank position with your hands close together. Lower your chest towards the ground with your elbows tucked in close to your waist to work your triceps. Explosively push the floor away from you until your arms completely straighten.
Inverted Row
Set up a bar in a power rack at waist height and grab it overhand, just past shoulder-width, then hang underneath. Position your heels in front of you with arms fully extended. Engage your lats and bend at the elbows to pull your chest to the bar. Pause briefly, lower to the start and repeat.
Pull-Up
Hang off the bar completely straight in a dead hang. Next tighten your abs and get into the hollow position. Un-shrug your shoulders. Pull your elbows down until your chest touches the bar. Lower back down, under control and in the hollow position. Relax, before getting back into hollow position and repeating the process.
Kettlebell Single-Arm Row
Hold your kettlebell in one arm and take a step forward bending your front knee slightly. Lean your non-working arm onto your thigh to support your weight, letting the kettlebell hang at arms length, towards your front foot. Row the bell up in a shallow arc into your hip, squeeze hard in this position before slowly lowering back to the start. Repeat.
Kettlebell Overhead Press
Stand upright and hold a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells in the rack position: both lats squeezed, elbows pulled toward your ribcage, forearms nearly perpendicular to the ground. Maintain tension in your wrists. Tighten your abs and glutes, and press the weight directly overhead. Return to the starting position.
Kettlebell Hammer Curl
Hold the handle of a kettlebell with both hands, keeping your elbows tight to your sides and pulling your shoulders back so that you’re less tempted to use your deltoids. With your arms fully extended, curl the kettlebell until your thumbs are near your shoulders. Pause at the top of the movement, before lowering the kettlebell under control.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Invert the kettlebell and hold the horns with the thumb sides of your hands toward the bell, then lift it overhead. Keep your elbows tight and in a fixed position, lifting and lowering under control.
Upright Row
Hold a kettlebell or pair of dumbbells in front of your body with your palms facing you and bend your knees slightly. Keep your back straight, head up and torso stationary as you lift the bell towards your chin. Raise your elbows up and to the sides using your shoulder muscles to lift the weight. Lower under control back to the start position.
Kettlebell V-Up
Starting on your back, extend your legs and hold a kettlebell above your head. keep your arms by your side. In one movement, lift your upper-body, arms and legs to balance on your tailbone, forming a ‘V’ shape. Lower your body down. That’s 1 rep.
Kettlebell Russian Twist
Sit holding the kettlebell with your arms extended and feet off the floor. Under control, quickly twist at the torso, turning from side to side.
Bicycle Crunch
With your hands on the sides of your forehead, shoulders off the floor and legs bent, twist your upper body quickly to the left, pulling your left knee to touch your elbow, as you straighten your right leg. Return, and then repeat on your right side. Keep on pedalling for the full 45 seconds.
Superman
Lie face down with your arms extended out in front of you. Raise your arms, legs and chest a few inches off the floor and pause at the top of the rep. Squeeze your lower back and then lower to the starting position.
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram or on X
