Just was watching MAN vs. WILD and I got this crazy idea to start a topic called MAN vs. SPEED. If you have never seen the show on the discovery channel, you are really missing out.
Here’s a summary of the show. A British special forces opp is dropped off in the middle of nowhere and expected to reach civilization within 3-5 days. He has only a flint, water bottle, knife, and watch. How does he fare when put to the test?
Ok, now for MAN vs. SPEED. A sprinter is expected to reach a PR in 3 months time. He is in the middle of nowhere with no modern equipment. He has an axe, knife, water, food and shelter.
Here’s the test. What crude equipment would you think he would be able to make for his training? What training methods would he have to use? Keep in mind, he has no spotter, no coach, no timing apparatus. Lets give example programs for fun:)
man vs wild is a crock.
not that what he does isn’t impressive, its just that he has a camera crew and a team of people to basicly medvac him if nessicary so he does a bunch of stupid crap that he’d be ill advised were he in a real survival situation.
as for man vs speed: he’d probably just do hill work and SE if he could find a flat spot.
so d, would you do half that stuff even with the allowances given? lol. I’m not talking about what the guy on MAN vs. WILD would do. I’m talking about a hypothetical sprinter with very crude materials.
My reason for posting this thread is to really break things down to very simple, very basic training methods. Any takers?
I’d say run…which is what they normally do lol. When do you need objects other than for weightlifting and perhaps blocks? Weightlifting you do bodyweight rep stuff (chinups on tree branches, situps, pushups with monkeys on your back), and other then that you find a field and run.
Man vs Wild is great. Of course he has a camera crew, so what? He doesn’t claim he’s really stranded. In the act of doing all this stuff he gives a lot of practical information that you will remember better than just reading a book or something. He knows a lot and gives a lot of info, it isn’t just “watch me do something manly”.
I heard he stays in hotels at night.
I guess speed work, plyos, hills etc could all be done easily.
As for the weight training(progressive overload), that would be pretty impossible. 
The camera crew cannot interfere with his trial unless it is a life and death situation. Which he has come close to on more than one episode.
In any case…would you trust a camera crew to save you in a life and death situation? Of coarse not! So, yes, he does have EMS available if needed.
But guess what, his camera crew and EMS get to be in nice warm, dry clothing. He is the one swimming in 40 degree water and eating scorpions…lol.