For today we are going to talk about good old fashioned 8 Count Bodybuilders.
I actually started doing these 15+ years ago when I was in Boot Camp for the United States Navy. Eight count body builders are the original “Makin it rain on dem hoes.” What we would do in the middle of winter in -40 degree weather is turn on the heat and all 40 plus of us would get “cycled.” Cycled is a military boot camp term for getting put through intensive physical training for basically waking up in the morning (no reason at all). If you have ever seen the movie Full Metal Jacket (FMJ), you know the scene of Private Pyle and the Jelly donut. If you don’t know the scene or you do know the scene and want to see it again….well here is a treat for you.
8 Count Bodybuilders
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IayHnA0cGuc
But instead of doing push-ups like in FMJ we did 8 count bodybuilders till it rained.
Now when I say until it rained, I don’t mean until it rained outside. I mean until all of us 17~22 year old kids sweat so much that perspiration came off the ceiling. I know that is a hot and steamy scene for all the fags and women reading this. But there is nothing romantic about some fat kid from BFE drippin’ in sweat and that sweat dripping from the ceiling and into your mouth.
8 Count Bodybuilders
All of your major muscle groups are used when doing this however…
*Be very careful when doing 8CB. Since I was in boot camp the Navy has banned doing these exercise because of the stress it puts on your knees in count #5 (The Leg Spread)*
Example Workout:
First you want to test yourself to see how many 8 count bodybuilders you can do until you can’t do any more comfortably.
- Then you want to reduce that number by 25% and do it twice a day 3 times per week for 2 weeks.
- After 2 weeks test yourself again and repeat the process for 2 more weeks.
You stop this exercise after 1 month because at this point your body is used to doing them and you need to change. You should ALWAYS want to confuse your muscles if you want them grow and to lose weight.
- Muffin Top Mary can do 10 eight (8) count bodybuilders until she gets tired – This is her baseline
- Muffin Top Mary subtracts 25% so her new number is 7.
- Muffin Top Mary now does 7 eight count body builders 2x per day for 2 weeks.
- Week 3 Mary checks her max which is now 15, so she reduces that by 25% to 11.
- Mary now does 11 eight count bodybuilders 2x per day for 2 weeks.
- Week 5 Mary now is stronger and leaner.
Here is a pictorial guide of how to do them.
Count # 1 – Full Standing Position
Count # 2 – The Crouching Position
Count # 3 – The Push-up Position
Count # 4 – The Down Position
Count # 5 – The Leg Spread Position
Count # 6 – The Down Position
Count # 7 – The Push-up Position
Count # 8 – The Crouching Position
Here is the modification if you cannot quite get all 8.
Count #1 – Full Standing Position
Count # 2- The Crouching Position – The goal here is to bring your knees as close to your chest as possible.
Count # 3 – The Push-up Position
Count # *4 – The down Position – (*) If you can.
Count # 4/*5 – The Push-up Position
Count #5/*6 – The Crouching Position – The goal here is to bring your knees as close to your chest as possible.
Now go know out some 8 Count Bodybuilders and get cha rain on:)
11 replies to "8 Count Bodybuilders – Make it rain."
I just graduated Navy Boot camp at the end of April, 2009, and I can say with absolute certainty that they still do 8-count bodybuilders. It is a great exercise, and I still do them when I can’t get to the gym.
I thought they cut those out because people were getting hurt, or at least that what the rumor from my fellow squids
no its true i graduated September 30, 2009 and they still do them, but what they don’t do anymore is make it rain.
Ah thats lame…I remember very vividly drips coming off the ceiling from the sweat of our company.
They still do these and they do have a “making it rain” kind of deal. It’s called an ice cream social where the RDCs IT the division until the ice cream melts. They also can IT you in the laundry room with all the dryers turned on…
Ice cream social??….haha. Thats classic, I gotta tell my boy. When I went there was no women there, I cant imagine what its like now.
….they still do 8 counts but they’re different than these. In 2004 we did a jumping jack, a push up, and a two legged mountain climber. I look at this style you posted and go damn that’s so much easier……even after a few sets of ten or twenty. Haws boot amp sucked but at least my body was fit.
Either way those still suck Toma. Thanks for stopping by.
I was in Navy Boot camp last year (June-2011) and we were doing 8-counts and making it rain. Actually, it has not been banned yet. Its a great exercise! Its the most common exercise in the Navy.
You forgot to mention how we had to go by the CC’s count…”8CB, by my count! Begin! 1-2-3-4-3-4-5-6-3-4-3-5-4-3-4-6-7-8″ and that would be one body builder.
Yes ^^. 8 counts ended up being 16-20 counts by the time the RDCs were done. I also had to do the jumping jacks and mountain climber ones while an ice cream social or pizza party went on. Hell. But damn did they get me into shape!