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The term "The Greatest Depression" comes from Gerald Celente, an economic trends forecaster.  I heard him use this term a few years ago in an interview he did on the Alex Jones Show.  Essentially, there never has been an economic recovery, but there has been a lot of unemployment and many former workers have fallen completely off of the map and are no longer counted in the Federal Unemployment Statistics.  TRILLIONS of dollars have been printed since the Economic Downturn of 2008 in which the housing bubble went bust.

This write-up is predicated on the fact that over $16 Trillion has gone unaccounted for (the number $16 trillion is known due to the partial audit conducted on the Federal Reserve which was put in to the Dodd-Frank Bill).  Several prominent traders and economists (Max Keiser and John Williams of Shadowstats.com to name a few) have estimated that the time to hyperinflation is near.  Max Keiser estimates we have until April yet John Williams says May 2014.  The reasons why we are in this mess financially are numerous and it is well within the grasp of anyone who chooses to read this to find your own conclusions.  I personally believe this all started with the repeal of Glass-Steagall, then the gradual lowering of interest rates by the Fed which leads to wider speculation in the markets, which lead to the Crash of 2008, which led to money printed essentially at 0% for zombiebanks, which has led to an even greater derivatives bubble which sooner than later will pop and with it so will the global economy.  It should also be noted that US Treasuries buying is at a level never seen before, real unemployment is at 20+ percent, and the VIX (Volatility Index) is extremely low, the price of precious metals is being undervalued while yet the purchase of gold and silver is astronomical, and the Dow-Jones index of the stock market is over 14,000, and the Federal Reserve is pumping $85 billion dollars in to the economy each month.  To me, this all spells a set-up.

So, how should one prepare?  First off, have some firearms and know how to use them.  I say a minimum of 1,000 rounds per weapon is necessary.  Next, have a good water filter, and a way to store treated water along with a minimum of six months of stored food per person in your family.  But physically, it is important to be prepared for the worst case scenario and that means preparing your body efficiently and intelligently. 

The following is the plan I have devised, I welcome feedback from anyone who has questions about it.

Block I (4 weeks)
Monday – 45 minutes of Cardiac Output + Weights
Tuesday – HRIT Walking Lunges – see progression below
Wednesday – 45 minutes of Cardiac Output
Thursday – HRIT Walking Lunges – see progression below
Friday – 45 minutes of Cardiac Output + Weights
Saturday – 90 minutes of Cardiac Efficiency
Sunday – Rest

Cardiac Output – Purpose – to increase the strength of the heart, primarily strength of the left ventricle – How – keeping heart rates between 130-140 beats per minute (bpm) – There is a possibility that this method creates hyperplasia of muscle fibers of the heart (splitting in two creating more muscle fibers) yet will not increase the actual size of the chamber.

Cardiac Efficiency – Purpose – increases the elasticity of the left ventricle of the heart, thereby increasing stroke volume (efficiency of the heart).  This method of training is essential for improving resting heart rate as well as lowering blood pressure.  The lower the resting heart rate, the less the heart has to work even at higher heart rates.

HRIT – Stands for High Resistance Interval Training – Some methods of interval training involve high efforts for short periods of time, this method is the opposite.  High Effort for a long period of time.  I have 2 preferred methods for doing this, spin bike with the resistance turned up, or walking lunges with a 20# weight vest on (or even get a link of 3/8 chain and put that behind your neck).  ****In between each repetition of lunge, completely relax, the same goes for if you use a spinbike, come to a complete rest before you peddle each time.  Result – Increased mitochondrial density of the effected musculature.  Since you will be on your feet and moving a lot when SHTF, this will be essential. 

Progression:
Week 1 – 2×10 minutes w/ 5 minute breaks between sets (day 1); 2×10 minutes with 5 minute breaks (day 2)
Week 2 -3×10 minutes w/ 5 minute breaks between sets (day 1); 2×10 minutes with 5 minute breaks (day 2)
Week 3 – 4×10 minutes w/ 5 minute breaks between sets (day 1); 2×10 minutes with 5 minute breaks (day 2)
Week 4 – same as week 1

Weight Training:
Day 1:
1.  Deadlift – work up to a moderate-heavy set of 8 and do 3 sets at that weight
2.  Bench Press – work up to a moderate-heavy set of 6 and do 3 sets at that weight
3.  Pull-ups – 30
4.  Dips – 50
5.  Sit-ups – 3×30 add 5 reps to each set each week
6.  Hanging Knee Tucks – 3×10 add 5 reps to each set each week

Day 2:
1.  Deadlift – work up your same heavy weight you did on Day 1, but only do that weight for 1 set
2.  Bench Press – same protocol as deadlift
3.  Pull-ups – 15
4.  Dips – 25
5.  Sit-ups – 2 sets of same reps as Day 1
6.  Hanging Knee Tucks – 2 sets and same reps as Day 1

The purpose of these sessions is to increase functional strength, build a bit of muscle mass, and get your body used to moving YOU.

Block 2 (next 4 weeks)
Monday – Cardiac Output – 60 minutes + Weights
Tuesday – HRIT Walking Lunges – back to same progression as before
Wednesday – Circuit Training
Thursday – HRIT Walking Lunges – same as before
Friday – Hill Sprints + Weights
Saturday – Cardiac Efficiency – 90 minutes

Circuit Training – this can be done many different ways, you can train the aerobic system or the lactic system.  The purpose of our circuits will be to train aerobically, so ideally keep your heart rate between 130-150.  Essentially, this is the same as doing cardiac output, but we put this in to a more functional platform because the entire musculature is at work.

Sample Circuit: (Check SEMOSTRENGTH on YouTube, this is my channel and you can see a lot of the exercises I will talk about here)
1.  DB Bench Press – utilize a weight that you can do 15-20 repetitions with and do sets of 8
2.  Lat Pulldown – utilize a weight that you can do 15-20 repetitions with and do sets of 8
3.  DB RDL – utilize a weight that you can do 15-20 repetitions with and do sets of 8
4.  Seated Plate Twist – use a 15# plate and do 8 repetitions/side
5.  Plate Toe Touches – same 15# plate and do 8 repetitions
6.  DB Curls – utilize a weight that you can do 15-20 repetitions with and do sets of 8
7.  DB S-L Lunge – utilize a weight that you can do 15-20 repetitions with and do sets of 8
8.  DB Squat Jumps – just hold 10# plates at your side – 8 repetitions

Remember, keep the heart rate in the range given (130-150), if you find yourself going over the 150 mark, slow down.  Give yourself 2-3 minutes between circuits and complete 3-5 circuits or go 45-60 minutes.  Each week try to improve what you did either weight wise or number of circuits.

Hill Sprints – purpose – Training the heart at very high heart rates and having to recover as quickly as possible.  Keep all hill sprints to 7 seconds, rest once your heart rate hits 130 beats per minute and go again.  Find a hill that is at least 30 meters long and a moderate grade.  A treadmill can give a similar effect as well but be careful.  See how many hill sprints you can get in 1 hour.

Weights:
Day 1:
1.  Deadlift – up to a moderate heavy set of 5 – then 4 more sets at that weight
2.  Bench Press – up to a moderate heavy set of 5 – then 4 more sets at that weight
3.  Chin-ups – 50 reps
4.  Dips – 100 reps
5.  Oxidative Push-ups – do not lock arms out, constant movement throughout – 2 seconds down/2 seconds up – 40 seconds of work/60 seconds rest  – 2 series (5 minutes rest between series) – 3 sets of 40 seconds on/60 seconds off – each week add a set, and week 4 go back to the original protocol again (3 sets).
6.  Sit-ups – 3×50 (add 5 reps each week)
7.  Rocky’s – 3×10

Day 2:
1.  Deadlift – up to the same heavy weight as Day 1 – then 2 more sets at that weight
2.  Bench – same as deadlift
3.  Chin-ups – 25
4.  Dips – 50 reps
5.  Oxidative Push-ups – 1 series follow same set scheme week to week as Day 1.
6.  Sit-ups – 3×50 (add 5 reps per week)
7.  Plate Chops – 3×10 each side w/ a 25# plate

Give the first 8 weeks a try, and prepare.  Even if the crash doesn’t occur soon, at least you will be in quite fine shape in two months.

God Bless.