Life is hard. And if you’re Tim Kennedy, it can be deadly. One week he might be tracking killers in an under-developed country of classified origin. The next week he might be trapped in a burning airplane fuselage for a show on the History Channel.
How do you prepare for something that is difficult to prepare for? How do you get ready to face chaos? Kennedy has found that the best way to duplicate unexpected external stressors is through exercise.
“Fitness is the cornerstone of everything I do,” he says. “My enjoyment of food. My ability to sleep. My efficiency at work. Even my cognitive effectiveness in the business-entrepreneur world would be affected if I couldn’t train. It is all interwoven and interconnected.”
Kennedy performs at least 12 workouts a week. They’re designed to prepare him for the unpreparable—for chaos. In his military life, he might have to hike nine miles with a 55- pound pack and then get into a gunfight. As a civilian, he has to look lean enough to appear on camera and be prepared to accept the occasional jiu-jitsu superfight. Check out how a week of Kennedy’s “chaotic” workouts breaks down:
Tim Kennedy’s Chaotic Weekly Workout Schedule
Three to four sessions of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. (Kennedy received his black belt in 2009.)
Two workouts on the heavy bag or mitts.
One day of hot yoga with extra calisthenics thrown in.
One sustained 90-minute cardio workout.
One “out of the box” visit to Big Tex Gym, a strongman gym where Kennedy gets out of his comfort zone.
A Friday trip to the Onnit Academy to compete against any pro athletes or staff who are there.
Wednesdays are for something Kennedy enjoys, like a barbell complex or even Tabatas.
