Navy Seal's Elite: 11 Minute Fitness System Upper Body Workout

Scott Helvenston
Year Released: 1998

Categories: Upper Body Strength



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This workout is broken up into 4 segments each lasting approximately 11 minutes. These are some intense 11 minutes, I've got to tell you. The ab section is one of the toughest I've ever done. I couldn't even do a couple of the exercises. There's one where you sort of mimic passing a jump rope over your feet. It's hard to describe but this is one I can't do. The abdominal muscular strength to do the exercise is just not there for me. My abs are really burning when this part is done.

The next two sections are upper body strengthening and the last is a blast section where you do all of the exercises in sort of a sprint. I must say that if you hate or dislike pushups in any way, "Don't Get This Tape"! There are many pushups and variations of pushups. My deltoids, triceps and chest muscles were dying by the time the section was over. It was killer! The next section is the one with chinups. I did other exercises as I don't have a chin up bar at home. It was disappointing that no modifications were shown to substitute for the chinups. I usually do rows during that set of exercises.

Typically, I do all the sections at once which makes the blast section really tough but this can be broken up or used as an add on to another tape. Overall, I like this tape for Upper Body Strengthening (even though pushups have never been my favorite). I give it a B+ (would give it an A if some modifications were shown).

Instructor Comments:
This guy is a "let's get down to business" instructor. I'm sure he follows the "no pain, no gain" mentality. Not that there is anything wrong with that but don't expect a lot of counting out of the exercises or many encouraging words. His encouraging statements are "The pain, the pain, the beautiful pain" or "Pain is just weakness leaving the body"! As you can imagine this is one "tough" workout!

Joyce Thurman

11/19/1998

Yuk. I've been doing a few minutes of this for several days, and I just can't bring myself to finish it. It doesn't appeal to me at all. So this review is based on having done only about half of it.

This tape is broken into four 11-minute segments of strength work. They are good exercises, just extremely boring. I never knew 11 minutes could be so long.

I'll stick with Cathe and Cory. They make hard work fun! Grade C+.

Annie S.

09/06/1998

Finally a tough no nonsense video to do on days where you just want to get in a tough advanced workout!! I really liked this workout because my body really responds to 3 sets of weight work like Cory's Arms and Shoulders. This workout is nothing like Cory's with the cheesy comments and so on. The set is a beautiful beach with crashing waves and it is kinda cloudy with the sun peeking through a couple times. It is just you and Scott and his wife Tricia who is in great shape. Very buff but with some fat on her so she is not as cut as Cathe Friedrich. I like how Tricia looks realistic and she is so strong to keep up with Scott!

The workout doesn't have a warm up so you have to do that before you start. This workout starts with 11 minutes of tough ab work. You do 4 exercises for the lower abs and then stretch then 4 more and stretch and 4 more and then you are done. I couldn't finish the end because one, my abs are weak and 2, It's TOUGH!

The first 4 are Knee pushes( reverse curls), Knee to chest, 4 count leg lifts, and flutter kicks- then stretch. Then the next 4 exercises are cross leg crunches( oblique work), Oblique crunches w/ leg lifting up, alternating side reaches( 4 count), then you do a cobra stretch. Then the next 4 exercises are 4 count L sit crunches, and Rope Climbs, Jump ropes (this was so tough that I coun't even do it. You lay on your back and look like your jumping rope). Ab blasts are the final exercise with alternating oblique and then a combo crunch lower body curl. VERY TOUGH!

The next 11 minutes is Chest and Shoulders. Scott does three sets each set, he does less reps. These are the exercises: 25 pushups, 20 tricep pushups, 10 dive bomber pushups- similiar to a pushup like you are going under a barbwire fence. The next exercise is 15 tricep dips off of a chair. After each set of exercises Scott does a stretch exercise. These are tough in and of themselves since you have prefatigued them with pushups and so on! One of the stretch exercises is a swimmer stretch which really tests your coordination.

Back and Arms are next. They use pullup bars but I just modified to what I had. The first exercise is pull ups and I did double arm lat rows. Next is Chin ups and I did upright rows. Then he does bent over rows using a heavy barbell and then bicep curls. He does 3 sets of each exercise. He also does stretches in between to give you a breather they aren't just stretches! Some of them are side lat pulls, side twists and windmill toe touches.

The final 11 minutes is on a day when you want to get a total body blast in a quick amount of time. It is FAST! He does at least 5 sets of Pullups (different variations on each set), pushups (different variations, dive bomber pushups, tricep pushups and so on for each set), and then ab work (each set you do something different).

There is no cool down.

The music is upbeat but with no vocals. It you aren't into the glitz and glamour of the Firm but you like tough sets like Cory,I'm sure you would like this video! Scott says that exercises that require that you lift your own body weight has always been an important aspect of the Seal Team training. After doing this workout, my deltoids are still burning! A great workout! Scott says, "Pain is weakness leaving the body" and " A person with a strong stomach is a strong person."

Instructor Comments:
Scott does a great job with form and I like it how he counts military style. It makes me push myself harder. This is not an instructor that babies you. He must love pain because he is always saying, "Pain! Pain! The beautiful pain!" or "Pain is good and extreme pain is extremely good!"

Mandy Lee

08/09/1998