Bored of the same old triathlon workouts routines program? Are you ready for some routines that are going to absolutely blow your mind and put some fresh intensity into your training program. In no particular order of importance, here are 15 of the best triathlon workouts that you aren't doing:
1. Treadmill Hiking Sprints
You'll never think of a treadmill the same way after this massive leg strength building triathlon workout. Hop onto the belt, and after a brief warm-up, immediately crank yourself up to a brisk walking pace. Here's the kicker: now bring the incline up to somewhere between 9.0 and 12.0 percent. Try to stay on that belt for 5 minutes. Your recovery from this hike is going to be a run. Bring the incline down to 1.0, and pick up a light jogging base, about 55-65% intensity. After 5 minutes, crank yourself back up to your uphill hike. Go back and forth for the time length of your workout, preferably 30-60 minutes.
2. Hulu Movie Endurance
Have you discovered all the free movies yet, over at the Hulu website? If you haven't, surf over to the website, find your favorite movie, then set-up your computer in front of your indoor trainer for this longer bike endurance triathlon workout. Ride at your regular aerobic pace while the movie is playing (you may need headphones), but for every 30 second commercial that pops up on Hulu, stand and sprint as hard as possible at 100%. When the movie comes back on, go back into your aerobic pace. You'll squeeze in your favorite flick, and a great workout.
3. Open Water Pool Power Workout
This crazy pool based workout will instantly make you more powerful and mentally tougher in the open water. Get out your notepad, preferably the waterproof one. You ready? 500m warm-up. Progress to 1x Death Sprint, in which you go as hard as possible for as long as possible. No rules, but you should be able to last 200-300 yards. Recover 2 minutes, then complete 15 pool-side pushups to a 50m all-out sprint. Recover 45 seconds after each repeat, and do 5 of these. Recover 1 minute. Then do a 50m all-out sprint that you take directly into a 250m "cruise" at about 70% intensity. Do two of these "sprints-to-cruises", and recover 1 minute between each. Then progress to 3x100 "no-stop" intervals, in which you swim a 100m all-out pace, but your recovery is a 50m very easy swim, rather than resting poolside. Next, swim 3x75m with NO turning at the walls - instead, turn at the "T" and use the power of your legs to reverse direction. Recovery on these is a very easy breaststroke or backstroke back to your starting wall. Finally, finish with 10x25 "hypoxic" sets... no breathing or as little breathing as possible. 20 second rest after each 25. Whew! That's it!
4. Swim/Spin Brick
Another great pool and indoor-based session. This works very well for a time trial swim in which you're going to swim at maximum sustainable pace for 20-30 minutes. Schedule your swim to end just 5 minutes before the spin class at a gym. Hop in the water and go. After a quick 5 minute transition, race to the spin class and take whatever the instructor happens to throw at you. This is a great "fun" early or winter season triathlon workout for you cold birds.
5. Cartlek Run
That's right, I didn't mis-spell Fartlek, that term that refers to random speed training. Cartlek is your trafficked road version. Here's how it works: Settle into an aerobic pace, at about 55-65% intensity. Every time a car passes you *from behind*, you must pick up the pace to a comfortable but fast run at about 85% for 100 steps. If a "string" of cars passes, then you begin your 85% stride after the last car goes by. If a car passes you during those 100 steps, you pick up the pace to maximum 100% for however many steps you have left. Once you're done with the 100 step stride, you can settle in until the next car approaches. This triathlon workout is basically Fartlek training with an unpredictable twist, and is good when you don't have a group to run with to do the pace-changing. Have fun (it works best on roads that aren't *too* heavily trafficked).
6. Standing Flats
Here's a fun and simple triathlon workout that builds hip flexor strength and low back endurance. Go on a bike ride, but at one point during that bike ride (that's right, it only takes once), stand for as long as possible on the longest stretch of flat road you can find. If you can make it 2 minutes, you're pretty good. 5 minutes is tough. 10 minutes would qualify you as a rock star triathlete!
7. Indoor TV-Watching Fartleks
Back to another fartlek workout, this time on the treadmill and indoors. Hop onto the belt and turn on your favorite sports game, movie, or TV show. Folks, this is a pretty simple one: easy aerobic run while your program is playing, following by an all-out sprint during the commercials. During the average Super Bowl style football game, you'll find yourself completely exhausted if you can make it 30 minutes in this triathlon workout.
8. Aqua Bursts
This run sprint workout will allow you to truly achieve maximum running speed form with a low risk of injury. Find one of those flotation belts at the pool. If you don't have one, go to Swim Outlet or some other online source. Once you're wearing the flotation belt, hop into the pool start aqua jogging as soon as the water is too deep to touch. Lean forward and drive from the hips. For a 25m pool, about halfway down, stop. This is going to be your starting point for this run workout. Giving yourself a highly motivated "Ready, Set, Go!" and burst sprint as hard as possible to the wall 12.5 meters away (running, not swimming), then jog back to your starting point for recovery. The idea behind sprinting is that quick bursts can improve endurance just as much as the long slogs.
9. Drained Sprints
Here's a good way to ensure that you last strong to the finish, especially in the triathlon races with long or difficult bike legs. Go on your normal long bike triathlon workout, which will be 1 hours up to 6 hours, depending on who you are! After you finish your ride, find a long flat section of road, then stand and sprint for 20 seconds as hard as possible. Recover for 40-60 seconds, then repeat. This is called a "drained sprint" because you're completely devoid of energy by the time you start the series of sprints, and it builds some serious mental and physical toughness. Shoot for 10 sprints total.
10. Beach Bricks
You'll need a nice long section of beach for this triathlon workout. With your goggles hung around your neck, run 1 mile at a fairly quick pace, about 80-90% intensity. Then, without any recovery, make a detour and run into the water. Swim for 2-5 minutes at your cruise pace, then get out of the water and start running again. Your goal is 3-5 repeats. The water will feel nice as it cools your core between your harder mile repeats.
11. Open Water Running
If you've worn a wetsuit, you know that the buoyancy helps you float quite nicely in the open water. But have you tried water running in the open water in your wetsuit? Next time you're doing an open water swim triathlon workout, finish with 5-10 minutes of vigorously pumping the arms and running in the water in your wetsuit, where you can't touch the bottom! It's a great alternative to teaching your body how to get blood from the upper sections to the lower sections, especially if you don't have time to get on a bike after your swim.
12. Hypoxic Sets
Not allowing yourself to breath, or breathing minimally, can teach your body how to be incredibly efficient during a swim set. Here's how this triathlon workout goes: do your normal swim workout, but in between each main set, whether it be a 100, 200, 500, or 800, swim 25-50 meters without breathing or breathing as little as possible. Another option is to finish your workout with 10x25 of "hypoxic" sets, again, breathing as little as possible.
13. Urban Running (can't run 5 blocks without running 1 on a curb, must jump 3x onto every bench, stoplights isometric squat, stair must repeat 1x
This is a fantastic triathlon workout when you're stuck downtown, live in the city, or must run in an urban environment. Simply strap on the running shoes and head out on our run, but follow these simple rules: 1) you can't run for more than 5 blocks without either sprinting 1 block or running 1 block balanced "on the curb"; 2) anytime you pass a bench, you must stop and jump onto it three times; 3) anytime you have to stop at a stoplight or stop sign, go into a deep squat and hold it until it's time to run again; 4) anytime you go up a flight of stairs, you have to go back down to the bottom and climb the stairs one more time.
14. Mile Marker Madness
This workout requires you to be riding your bike in an area with clearly identifiable mile markers. It works best for a shorter triathlon workout. Anytime you get to a mile marker, you get to stand and sprint for 15 seconds, then get down into your race position and time trial to the end of that mile. The next mile is an easy recovery spin.
15. Office Triathlon (elastic band pulls --> lunge jumps --> jumping jacks)
So let's say you're stuck in your office, you have no time to get to the gym, on your bike, or even into a pair of running shoes, but you still want to do a triathlon workout. Here's a quick workout that will trigger your triathlon muscles without requiring you to change or leave your office. You'll need an elastic band, which you can find at just about any sporting goods store. Attach it to a stationary object in your office, and perform alternating arm pulls while kneeling or standing. Keep the elbows high, just like swimming and do as many as you can in one minute. Then switch to lunge jumps or lunges for another minute, in which you bend the front knee to at least 90 degrees, so that you work the cycling muscles. Finish with jumping jacks for 1 minute. If you have time, repeat the workout anywhere from 2-5x through.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3416150
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
10 Sensible Tips to Make the Most of Your Health Related Fitness Workout Routines
I do not intend to oversimplify things - there are obvious considerations: knowing what you'd like to achieve and realizing that you will have to make the time and effort to work out. Realize that these are given, or you will be wasting your time. Sorry, nothing good comes without sacrifice.
But you will enjoy your success more than you can imagine right now, once you get there.
So, what is the glue that holds your overall progress and results together to make a real difference?
Consistency - autonomic sense of routine - motivation - enjoyment - results = more enjoyment.
With very little additional effort on your part, these simple and commonsense steps can take your performance and results to a new level. We're not talking about scientific secrets or involved strategies, they are merely techniques that will keep you and your workout routines "on-track", and give you the results you "should" be getting.
But surely there's a whole lot more to this than a few simple procedures?
No, many fitness authorities do tend to make health related fitness rather complicated - and expensive, but it needn't be. The essence is a sensible and practical approach.
Assuming that you've done the necessary preliminaries like your medical check-up and workout program selection, here's how you can make the most from your Health Related Fitness Workout Routines program:
1 - MEAL PLANNING, TIMING AND FREQUENCY
Needless to say, you should be following a sensible healthy eating plan of mostly low fat meals to support steady gains from your workout routines. This will allow you to maintain or steadily lose weight.
For maximum benefits, your meals need to be planned ahead of time so that you don't leave things to chance and risk eating incorrectly. Humans are not infallible, and nobody likes to feel deprived - so if you eat responsibly and correctly most of the time, you will have a little welcome flexibility to occasionally eat out or grab that irresistible pizza at the weekend.
Meal-timing can make or break your workout program. Even by training hard, if your nutrition intake is haphazard, you will be spinning your wheels. Aim to eat no sooner than 2 hours before your workout routines, unless you are training first thing in the morning in which case you would be best advised to train on an empty stomach. The timing of post-workout meals is also important for recovery and for building or repairing your body. The ideal window is 30 to 60 minutes after your workout.
In terms of meal frequency, you will also find yourself falling short of your goals if you don't consume wholesome food (good quality carbs, protein and healthy fats) and keep your intake consistent. 5 to 6 healthy low fat meals a day is the way to go. This will enable you to lose weight sensibly and gain lean mass.
2 - A WORKOUT LOG
Without a plan, you are pretty much shooting in the dark. It is vital to "map out" your workout routines and keep track of your progress if you intend realizing your program goals. You should use a workout log to assist you not only in setting out your program activities and recording your performance, but also to track your body measurements. Your documented progress is also a great way to boost your motivation.
In addition, make a commitment to yourself in your log in the form of a simple contract. The prospect of a reward if you fulfil your training goals, is another way to motivate your efforts.
3 - THINK ABOUT YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINES
This does not mean obsessing about them. It simply means that briefly visualizing the workouts and going through the programmed exercise acts like a rehearsal in your mind - an appetizer if you like. As you start making gains and progressing with your program, you may even find that this happens without willing it - and gets you excited. If you can savour the prospect of working out, then you are really into your program. That's a good sign.
4 - BIORHYTHMS OR OTHER OBSTACLES
Sometimes you may feel "under the weather" for no apparent reason, or you may have a cold or other illness. If it's merely a case that you just do not feel up to it, I would be inclined to say give it a go. Chances are that you will perform better than you thought you would, and feel better for it afterwards. However, if you do have a cold or the flu, there is obviously little sense in pushing through a workout routine - it could even be dangerous. Don't get hung up and work out just for your peace of mind - adopt a sensible approach. Rest and get yourself ready for your comeback - you will make up lost ground.
5 - A SENSE OF ROUTINE
This is an important catalyst and precursor to help get you motivated. Your motivation will then take care of your sense of routine, and vice versa. The fastest way to fall off the proverbial bus is to miss successive planned workouts. Then, making excuses why you need to miss more becomes less difficult to rationalize. Before you know it, you've packed it in and given up.
What I am saying is that sticking to your program is essential, even when you sometimes do not feel like it. It can happen though that you need to miss a workout here and there - but don't make a habit of it. Capitalize on the momentum and don't forfeit your investment. ROUTINE = MOTIVATION = ROUTINE = SUCCESS.
6 - VARIETY BRINGS WELCOME STIMULATION
Obviously too much repetition, especially with long workouts, can lead to boredom. Remember, the sense of routine is important, but do not misunderstand this to infer that you should stick to the same program design for all eternity. It applies to the "consistency" in working out. In the larger realm of things, cycling your exercise routines is a good way to keep your fitness program stimulating and interesting. Build in some variety into your workouts. Even your muscles tend to get bored with the same workout routine or order of exercises. Try reversing or alternating exercise types in successive workouts, not only for variety, but also to keep your muscles "thinking."
I revise my workout programs monthly. I additionally build in a low-impact month after each 3-month period to alleviate any possible sense of boredom and maximize my recovery. This useful "mini layoff" keeps me interested, and gets me eager to come back for more success.
7 - MUSIC TO SET THE MOOD
I appreciate background music when I train, but I personally avoid the use headphones when I do my weight workouts. It goes without saying that if you are handling heavy weights, you need to be perfectly attuned to your body, breathing and positioning to achieve proper results, as well as avoiding any possible accidents. Of course doing cardio presents less of a danger, aside from cycling or road running where traffic could pose risks to your safety. Use whatever works for you, but apply due caution and do it the sensible way.
8 - REST AND SLEEP
A hectic work schedule and little sleep unfortunately do not bode well for successfully fulfilling a workout program. You need to give your body adequate rest after your workouts to derive the benefits of physical exercise. One has to be sensible about this. Among the quickest ways to fall prey to colds and flu is by lowering your resistance through physical exertion and lack of sleep. And you will need even more if you're following a tough workout program. Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels in the blood and compromises the efficacy of your natural antibodies.
9 - PICTURE IT
Photography is an excellent way to boost your morale and keep you on track with your exercise program. Naturally, you need to be doing your workouts regularly and eating well in order to progress and show the progress in your body condition. Comparing before and after photos is a tried and trusted method to keep commitment and motivation high.
10 - NO EXCUSES PLEASE
Excuses work as an interesting double-edged sword, and I know this from personal experience. Once you are actively partaking in a workout program and seeing results, you will better understand what this is all about. If you were previously inactive, you may recall how easy it was to use excuses for why you couldn't work out like: I have no time, there're too many other important commitments, or perhaps even the gym is too far and so forth.
Once you get active and become serious, you will find yourself making excuses for why you cannot miss your workout routines. In fact you will do almost anything to abide by your training schedule. If you can relate to this, it means you're on the right track and making the most of your workout routines. Always try and stay focused so you use the correct edge.
So, with your decision to work out made, incorporate these tips and a small measure of commonsense into your health related fitness program. You'll be getting better results and enriching your workout experience, making it fun and all the more worthwhile.
Cleto Tirabassi is a certified Fitness Trainer with the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). His work centers on the "sensible approach" to Health-Related Fitness, which entails the use of practical, flexible and sustainable methods to achieve optimal levels of health and physical fitness. His clientele belongs mostly to the group he calls "average everyday people", who in short want to be in excellent shape, yet still lead a conventional life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3292763
But you will enjoy your success more than you can imagine right now, once you get there.
So, what is the glue that holds your overall progress and results together to make a real difference?
Consistency - autonomic sense of routine - motivation - enjoyment - results = more enjoyment.
With very little additional effort on your part, these simple and commonsense steps can take your performance and results to a new level. We're not talking about scientific secrets or involved strategies, they are merely techniques that will keep you and your workout routines "on-track", and give you the results you "should" be getting.
But surely there's a whole lot more to this than a few simple procedures?
No, many fitness authorities do tend to make health related fitness rather complicated - and expensive, but it needn't be. The essence is a sensible and practical approach.
Assuming that you've done the necessary preliminaries like your medical check-up and workout program selection, here's how you can make the most from your Health Related Fitness Workout Routines program:
1 - MEAL PLANNING, TIMING AND FREQUENCY
Needless to say, you should be following a sensible healthy eating plan of mostly low fat meals to support steady gains from your workout routines. This will allow you to maintain or steadily lose weight.
For maximum benefits, your meals need to be planned ahead of time so that you don't leave things to chance and risk eating incorrectly. Humans are not infallible, and nobody likes to feel deprived - so if you eat responsibly and correctly most of the time, you will have a little welcome flexibility to occasionally eat out or grab that irresistible pizza at the weekend.
Meal-timing can make or break your workout program. Even by training hard, if your nutrition intake is haphazard, you will be spinning your wheels. Aim to eat no sooner than 2 hours before your workout routines, unless you are training first thing in the morning in which case you would be best advised to train on an empty stomach. The timing of post-workout meals is also important for recovery and for building or repairing your body. The ideal window is 30 to 60 minutes after your workout.
In terms of meal frequency, you will also find yourself falling short of your goals if you don't consume wholesome food (good quality carbs, protein and healthy fats) and keep your intake consistent. 5 to 6 healthy low fat meals a day is the way to go. This will enable you to lose weight sensibly and gain lean mass.
2 - A WORKOUT LOG
Without a plan, you are pretty much shooting in the dark. It is vital to "map out" your workout routines and keep track of your progress if you intend realizing your program goals. You should use a workout log to assist you not only in setting out your program activities and recording your performance, but also to track your body measurements. Your documented progress is also a great way to boost your motivation.
In addition, make a commitment to yourself in your log in the form of a simple contract. The prospect of a reward if you fulfil your training goals, is another way to motivate your efforts.
3 - THINK ABOUT YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINES
This does not mean obsessing about them. It simply means that briefly visualizing the workouts and going through the programmed exercise acts like a rehearsal in your mind - an appetizer if you like. As you start making gains and progressing with your program, you may even find that this happens without willing it - and gets you excited. If you can savour the prospect of working out, then you are really into your program. That's a good sign.
4 - BIORHYTHMS OR OTHER OBSTACLES
Sometimes you may feel "under the weather" for no apparent reason, or you may have a cold or other illness. If it's merely a case that you just do not feel up to it, I would be inclined to say give it a go. Chances are that you will perform better than you thought you would, and feel better for it afterwards. However, if you do have a cold or the flu, there is obviously little sense in pushing through a workout routine - it could even be dangerous. Don't get hung up and work out just for your peace of mind - adopt a sensible approach. Rest and get yourself ready for your comeback - you will make up lost ground.
5 - A SENSE OF ROUTINE
This is an important catalyst and precursor to help get you motivated. Your motivation will then take care of your sense of routine, and vice versa. The fastest way to fall off the proverbial bus is to miss successive planned workouts. Then, making excuses why you need to miss more becomes less difficult to rationalize. Before you know it, you've packed it in and given up.
What I am saying is that sticking to your program is essential, even when you sometimes do not feel like it. It can happen though that you need to miss a workout here and there - but don't make a habit of it. Capitalize on the momentum and don't forfeit your investment. ROUTINE = MOTIVATION = ROUTINE = SUCCESS.
6 - VARIETY BRINGS WELCOME STIMULATION
Obviously too much repetition, especially with long workouts, can lead to boredom. Remember, the sense of routine is important, but do not misunderstand this to infer that you should stick to the same program design for all eternity. It applies to the "consistency" in working out. In the larger realm of things, cycling your exercise routines is a good way to keep your fitness program stimulating and interesting. Build in some variety into your workouts. Even your muscles tend to get bored with the same workout routine or order of exercises. Try reversing or alternating exercise types in successive workouts, not only for variety, but also to keep your muscles "thinking."
I revise my workout programs monthly. I additionally build in a low-impact month after each 3-month period to alleviate any possible sense of boredom and maximize my recovery. This useful "mini layoff" keeps me interested, and gets me eager to come back for more success.
7 - MUSIC TO SET THE MOOD
I appreciate background music when I train, but I personally avoid the use headphones when I do my weight workouts. It goes without saying that if you are handling heavy weights, you need to be perfectly attuned to your body, breathing and positioning to achieve proper results, as well as avoiding any possible accidents. Of course doing cardio presents less of a danger, aside from cycling or road running where traffic could pose risks to your safety. Use whatever works for you, but apply due caution and do it the sensible way.
8 - REST AND SLEEP
A hectic work schedule and little sleep unfortunately do not bode well for successfully fulfilling a workout program. You need to give your body adequate rest after your workouts to derive the benefits of physical exercise. One has to be sensible about this. Among the quickest ways to fall prey to colds and flu is by lowering your resistance through physical exertion and lack of sleep. And you will need even more if you're following a tough workout program. Lack of sleep increases cortisol levels in the blood and compromises the efficacy of your natural antibodies.
9 - PICTURE IT
Photography is an excellent way to boost your morale and keep you on track with your exercise program. Naturally, you need to be doing your workouts regularly and eating well in order to progress and show the progress in your body condition. Comparing before and after photos is a tried and trusted method to keep commitment and motivation high.
10 - NO EXCUSES PLEASE
Excuses work as an interesting double-edged sword, and I know this from personal experience. Once you are actively partaking in a workout program and seeing results, you will better understand what this is all about. If you were previously inactive, you may recall how easy it was to use excuses for why you couldn't work out like: I have no time, there're too many other important commitments, or perhaps even the gym is too far and so forth.
Once you get active and become serious, you will find yourself making excuses for why you cannot miss your workout routines. In fact you will do almost anything to abide by your training schedule. If you can relate to this, it means you're on the right track and making the most of your workout routines. Always try and stay focused so you use the correct edge.
So, with your decision to work out made, incorporate these tips and a small measure of commonsense into your health related fitness program. You'll be getting better results and enriching your workout experience, making it fun and all the more worthwhile.
Cleto Tirabassi is a certified Fitness Trainer with the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). His work centers on the "sensible approach" to Health-Related Fitness, which entails the use of practical, flexible and sustainable methods to achieve optimal levels of health and physical fitness. His clientele belongs mostly to the group he calls "average everyday people", who in short want to be in excellent shape, yet still lead a conventional life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3292763
My Top 15 Non-Traditional, Muscle Building, Fat Scorching Workouts
If you have been a subscriber to my newsletter for some time, you know that I'm always trying to give you ways to make your workouts more interesting and fun, while also stimulating big-time results. Don't you agree that your training should be fun? This is what separates the people who jump on and off the "fitness bandwagon" a couple times every year without ever making any real progress from the people that actually adopt a true fitness lifestyle and finally achieve the body they have always wanted. Make it interesting, make it fun, and make your fitness a priority, and you'll have the body that you want.
What I have noticed over the years is that many people will train regularly for a few months and then will either get bored with the same old weight training and cardio routines, or will get discouraged because their progress comes to a grinding halt after a while. In my opinion, I don't think your workouts ever need to get boring or stale. You just need to have an open mind to the huge world of various training styles and techniques that are out there. Seriously, there are so many different and fun training styles out there, that there is no reason you should ever get bored with your workouts and give up on that lean ripped body that you've been looking for. Also, mixing in various training styles builds stronger joints by reducing repetitive movement pattern overload and varying your training stressors.
Now before I start with some of my favorite non-traditional training styles, I will state that I think one of the best ways to achieve a lean, muscular and healthy body is through a consistent weight training routine with free weights. You can choose to integrate some of these alternative training techniques with your weight training routines on the same day, as alternative workouts on separate days of the week, or even as separate training cycles where you try some of these techniques for several weeks at a time before cycling back to a traditional weight training workout. Try some of these training styles out and you'll be on your way to never being bored again with your workouts routines program...and your body will thank you with muscles popping out that you never knew existed!
Alright, here are some of my favorite non-traditional training techniques:
1. Staircase Workouts - This is great because stairs are everywhere. You can go to a football field and do stadium stairs, any building that has stairs like a hotel (most people take the elevator, so you will not even have many people looking at you while you're working out), or even the stairs in your own home. For an awesome full body workout, try mixing stairs sprints with an upper body exercise like pushups or pull-ups. If done with a high enough intensity, stairs workouts help to create changes throughout your entire body due to the muscle building and fat burning hormonal response and metabolism increase that you get through working the biggest muscle groups in your entire body. If you thought that going up and down the stairs was the only way to get a good stairs workout...think again. My fellow trainer and friend, Virgil Aponte, has developed a website that focuses on creative stairs workouts using all kinds of exercises you never would have thought of before. You can find out more info on stairs exercises workouts at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
2. Wind Sprints and Hill Sprints - Find any open field in a park or athletic field and try 50, 75, and 100-yard all-out wind sprints. After each sprint, rest long enough to catch your breath before the next one (generally 1-2 minutes). Try workouts of anywhere from 6 to 20 wind sprints for a great "cutting" workout. Also, if you have a hill nearby, hill sprints are also great workouts. Sprint up the hill as fast as you can and walk down for your rest interval. Repeat until you're whooped (a 20-30 minute hill workout is plenty). These sprint workouts are so amazingly effective at changing your entire body for the same reason as stairs exercises...by powerfully working the biggest muscle groups in your entire body, you greatly stimulate your metabolism while simultaneously increasing your fat burning and muscle building hormones.
Just look at any world class 100-meter sprinters and notice how ripped-to-shreds those guys are. Now compare that to the emaciated weakling physiques of many marathoners, and you'll see that sprinting is where the action is at for a healthy, ripped, powerful body! Now I don't want to upset all of you distance runners out there. Hey, if distance running is something you enjoy, then go right ahead. But don't say you're doing it for the health benefits, because I might just have to disagree. You can read my full story on why I believe variable intensity training is far superior to steady-state endurance training in one of my other ezinearticles.com articles at Cardio-Enthusiasts: Discover a More Effective Training Method for Fat Loss and Heart Health!
3. Kettlebell Training - If you've been reading my articles for some time, you've probably heard me praise kettlebell training many times before, but I will have to reiterate that it has been one of the best training methods that I've ever tried and has taken my physical capabilities to a whole new level. Kettlebells are an alternative type of free-weight training instead of barbells and dumbbells. Their unique construction and weight distribution (basically a cannonball with a handle) allows for a whole different realm of exercises that's available compared to dumbbells and barbells. Kettlebells have been typically used for training hard-core athletes, military units, martial arts competitors, and other tough individuals, but there is no reason that anybody looking to get stronger, bigger, or more cut can't learn the exercises and benefit from them.
It's been a little over a year now since I've incorporated kettlebell training into my routines, and I'll admit that I'm hooked for life! At between $100-$150 per kettlebell, they are definitely not cheap, but they are well worth the money. Just one or two kettlebells and you've literally got yourself an entire home gym that you can use for the rest of your life...worth every penny in my book! If you want to give these body-hardening kettlebells a try, you can find more info at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
4. Bodyweight Workouts - For a change of pace, try adding to your routine one or two workouts a week at home with just bodyweight based exercises. These can be great because you can get a high intensity workout done in only 15-30 minutes without having to go to the gym on days that you might not have time for a trip to the gym. Try alternating bodyweight squats, pushups variations, lunges, and floor abs exercises continuously for 15-30 minutes. Try to take very short rest periods or none at all to really amp up the intensity since this will be a brief workout. If you're more advanced, you can even incorporate more challenging exercises like handstand pushups, one-arm pushups, and one-legged squats into your bodyweight training routines.
5. Ring Training - This type of training basically uses portable gymnastic rings that you can take anywhere with you. You throw the straps up over any high bar like a pullup bar, the top of a power rack, or even over a football field goal crossbar. Then you can quickly adjust the rings to do exercises like ring dips, ring pushups, ring pull-ups, hanging leg raises, horizontal body rows, L-sits, and more. Dips and pushups on the rings are my favorites and the rings really make them a hell of a lot more difficult, while also incorporating your stabilizer muscles to a much greater degree. The rings allow your joints to move in a more natural pattern and can help you prevent or even recover from shoulder injuries. Personally, when I try dips on a normal dip stand, it hurts my shoulders. However, dips on the training rings feel perfect, and also give me a much better muscle pump. The training rings are one of the best training devices I've ever bought. Give them a try...I think you'll like them if you're up for a challenge. I found my rings, which you can hang up easily on a power rack, pullup bars, or at a park, at ringtraining.com.
6. Swimming - A great full body workout that stresses the muscles and joints in a much different way than most resistance training. Incorporating swimming workouts once or twice a week into your normal training routines can really enhance your physique. I recommend trying a "sprint" style swimming workout, which will help more for building muscle compared with endurance long distance swimming. For sprint style, swim as hard as you can to the other side of a 25-meter or 50-meter pool (or sprint swim similar distances in a lake or the ocean if you like to swim outdoors). Rest enough to catch your breath between sprint swims (about 20-40 seconds). Try to keep the rest intervals fairly short with swim sprints. You can also mix different strokes (crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke, butterfly) on each swim sprint. I've found that sprint swimming gives me a great muscle pump (especially in the upper body), without any soreness the next day as is typical with weight training. This is because swimming has no eccentric movement (the negative portion of a lift), which is what causes muscle soreness. Keep in mind that even though swimming works your muscles well and is a nice alternative workout to mix in once or twice a week, it does not strengthen your bones. You still need to do regular weight training to do that.
7. Sandbag Training - This form of training is a nice variation to mix in with your strength training. It works your body with an unstable object, which makes muscles that might normally be neglected get in on the action to perform the movements. I've been mixing some sandbag training into my routines for over a year now, and I've found it is a very intense method of training that works your muscles in a different way and gets you huffing and puffing like crazy. You can make your own sandbags to train with by filling various sized duffle bags with sand, or you can use those construction type sandbags that come in several shapes. Sandbag exercises can be done as squats, cleans, presses, lunges, shouldering, throws or heaves, carrying up hills, etc. Make no mistake, training intensely with sandbags will get you ripped in no time flat! I've actually found an entire book devoted to sandbag training, which gave me some great ideas for doing sandbag based workouts. If you're interested in this type of training, you can find more info at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
8. Mountain Biking - As you may have figured by now, I'm not a proponent of steady pace endurance exercise, but rather, highly variable intensity exercise that works with bursts of exertion followed by recovery intervals. Well, mountain biking fits this bill perfectly. You get the leg pumping exertion during the uphill climbs, while also getting the adrenaline rush of the downhill acting as your recovery intervals. Mix it all together and you get a super-fun, high-intensity, leg burning workout that will melt fat off of your entire body and build awesome legs at the same time. The climbs can be tough and will challenge you both physically and mentally as you pump away trying to make it up steep hills without having to resort to getting off of the bike. Then after you make it up the challenging climbs, you get rewarded with the adrenaline rush of flying down steep hills while jumping off of boulders and logs and trying not to stumble or fall off the bike. It's such an addicting thrill...I love it! See, who says that working out has to be boring!
9. Indoor (or outdoor) Rock Climbing - This is yet another fun way to get in a great workout that will also challenge you both physically and mentally. Indoor rock climbing gyms have starting popping up all over the place in recent years and will be more accessible than outdoor rock climbing to most people. Rock climbing is a great workout for your legs, arms, shoulders, and your entire back. It also really works your grip strength and forearms like crazy. Whenever I go indoor rock climbing (which is only on occasion), my forearms are sore for about 2-3 days afterwards. Give it a try if you've never done it...it may be just what you're looking for to spice up your fitness routine.
10. Stick Wrestling - This is a killer full body workout and can also be a great competition between you and your friends. This is probably more of a guy thing for most people. You could even come up with your own "fight club" and have stick wrestling competitions with your buddies to see who is toughest. There are actually sticks designed specifically for stick wresting, but you can even just use a strong broomstick cut down to about 30-36 inches long and taped up with some athletic tape to prevent splinters. For your stick wrestling workout, stand on a soft mat or carpeted area (or grass if outdoors), match up with a friend or foe. You'll both grab the same stick toward the ends with your hands on the outsides of your partner's hands, on the inside, or staggered. Then you simply push, pull, jerk, and thrash your opponent around trying to knock them off balance until they either fall or lose their grip of the stick...and you win that round! Be careful not to get the stick up high and knock each other in the face. Use common sense. You can do this in 1-2 minute rounds or just keep going until someone gives up. Be creative and keep going until you've gotten a killer workout. Your forearms and legs will be screaming!
11. Strongman Training - This type of training is a little more hard-core, but it's a blast for those who are into trying something different. The premise is based on the types of exercises competitors perform in the "worlds strongest man" competitions. If you have a yard, you can even set up some of these exercises in your yard and do some outdoor workouts to have a little fun. Your neighbors will probably give you some funny looks, but it's fun, so who cares! You can get one of those giant tractor tires and do tire flips (which is basically a deadlift followed by a push-press). You can also try your hand at log lifts, boulder lifts and carries, keg lifts and tosses, weighted sled dragging...anything that involves pulling, pushing, lifting, or heaving any types of odd objects. You don't need to be a monster to enjoy this type of training...just handle whatever size objects are challenging for your individual strength. Strongman training works your entire body in a very intense fashion and could easily spark some new results. If you're interested in finding out more ideas for strongman training, check out my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
12. Rope Climbing - This goes back to the old high school days of climbing the rope in gym class. Seriously, if you have access to a rope, either at a gym or somewhere outdoors, rope climbing builds a powerful and ripped upper body like no other exercise. A great way to incorporate rope climbing into intense workouts is to do a climb up, then lower yourself back down. Then while your upper body is recovering for the next climb, you can do a lower body exercise like squats or lunges, or go up and down stairs. Keep alternating the upper body rope climbs with the lower body exercises in between and you'll get one hell of a full body workout.
13. Bag Boxing - You can use a heavy bag, a speed bag, or even one of those rebound bags to get a great workout. Among the three, the heavy bag is the best all around full body workout, while the speed bag will test your rhythm and timing and give you a great upper body workout. If available at your gym or if you have a bag at home, try mixing these in as a good warm-up or as an intense finish to your strength routine.
14. Rope Skipping - You can't beat rope jumping as a great full body exercise. I like to use it as a warm-up for my weight training workouts. I prefer to use the really cheap "speed" ropes with a plastic rope instead of a fabric rope. Once you get good, you can jump rope much faster with the plastic ropes than the fabric ones, which will allow you to get a more intense workout. And don't mess with the weighted handle ropes...they'll just slow you down. Your goal is speed when rope skipping. Try mixing together two legged jumps, one-legged jumps, arm crossovers, double jumps (rope passes under feet twice for each jump) to keep things interesting and increase the intensity. Also, try alternating 15-20 second high intensity bursts where you jump as fast as you possibly can, followed by 15-20 second recovery intervals where you jump slowly to get ready for your next burst. Keep repeating until you're whooped, which might happen pretty quick!
15. Jumping exercises - squat jumps, box jumps, lunge jumps, and broad jumps are some of the best ways to incorporate explosive jumping exercises into your routines. The explosive and powerful nature of jumping exercises works your leg muscles in an entirely different way than most normal slow grinding strength training moves. I've even seen a university study cited once that found squat jumps to elicit the greatest testosterone response of all exercises studied. That means more muscle and less fat on your entire body, not just your legs. Try super-setting jumping exercises with upper body exercises for some really intense workouts.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed all of these ideas for ways to really shake up your workouts and make them fun again. I know some of them may seem a little "out there", but open your mind to the possibilities and you'll never be bored again...and your body will respond with new found results!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/115302
What I have noticed over the years is that many people will train regularly for a few months and then will either get bored with the same old weight training and cardio routines, or will get discouraged because their progress comes to a grinding halt after a while. In my opinion, I don't think your workouts ever need to get boring or stale. You just need to have an open mind to the huge world of various training styles and techniques that are out there. Seriously, there are so many different and fun training styles out there, that there is no reason you should ever get bored with your workouts and give up on that lean ripped body that you've been looking for. Also, mixing in various training styles builds stronger joints by reducing repetitive movement pattern overload and varying your training stressors.
Now before I start with some of my favorite non-traditional training styles, I will state that I think one of the best ways to achieve a lean, muscular and healthy body is through a consistent weight training routine with free weights. You can choose to integrate some of these alternative training techniques with your weight training routines on the same day, as alternative workouts on separate days of the week, or even as separate training cycles where you try some of these techniques for several weeks at a time before cycling back to a traditional weight training workout. Try some of these training styles out and you'll be on your way to never being bored again with your workouts routines program...and your body will thank you with muscles popping out that you never knew existed!
Alright, here are some of my favorite non-traditional training techniques:
1. Staircase Workouts - This is great because stairs are everywhere. You can go to a football field and do stadium stairs, any building that has stairs like a hotel (most people take the elevator, so you will not even have many people looking at you while you're working out), or even the stairs in your own home. For an awesome full body workout, try mixing stairs sprints with an upper body exercise like pushups or pull-ups. If done with a high enough intensity, stairs workouts help to create changes throughout your entire body due to the muscle building and fat burning hormonal response and metabolism increase that you get through working the biggest muscle groups in your entire body. If you thought that going up and down the stairs was the only way to get a good stairs workout...think again. My fellow trainer and friend, Virgil Aponte, has developed a website that focuses on creative stairs workouts using all kinds of exercises you never would have thought of before. You can find out more info on stairs exercises workouts at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
2. Wind Sprints and Hill Sprints - Find any open field in a park or athletic field and try 50, 75, and 100-yard all-out wind sprints. After each sprint, rest long enough to catch your breath before the next one (generally 1-2 minutes). Try workouts of anywhere from 6 to 20 wind sprints for a great "cutting" workout. Also, if you have a hill nearby, hill sprints are also great workouts. Sprint up the hill as fast as you can and walk down for your rest interval. Repeat until you're whooped (a 20-30 minute hill workout is plenty). These sprint workouts are so amazingly effective at changing your entire body for the same reason as stairs exercises...by powerfully working the biggest muscle groups in your entire body, you greatly stimulate your metabolism while simultaneously increasing your fat burning and muscle building hormones.
Just look at any world class 100-meter sprinters and notice how ripped-to-shreds those guys are. Now compare that to the emaciated weakling physiques of many marathoners, and you'll see that sprinting is where the action is at for a healthy, ripped, powerful body! Now I don't want to upset all of you distance runners out there. Hey, if distance running is something you enjoy, then go right ahead. But don't say you're doing it for the health benefits, because I might just have to disagree. You can read my full story on why I believe variable intensity training is far superior to steady-state endurance training in one of my other ezinearticles.com articles at Cardio-Enthusiasts: Discover a More Effective Training Method for Fat Loss and Heart Health!
3. Kettlebell Training - If you've been reading my articles for some time, you've probably heard me praise kettlebell training many times before, but I will have to reiterate that it has been one of the best training methods that I've ever tried and has taken my physical capabilities to a whole new level. Kettlebells are an alternative type of free-weight training instead of barbells and dumbbells. Their unique construction and weight distribution (basically a cannonball with a handle) allows for a whole different realm of exercises that's available compared to dumbbells and barbells. Kettlebells have been typically used for training hard-core athletes, military units, martial arts competitors, and other tough individuals, but there is no reason that anybody looking to get stronger, bigger, or more cut can't learn the exercises and benefit from them.
It's been a little over a year now since I've incorporated kettlebell training into my routines, and I'll admit that I'm hooked for life! At between $100-$150 per kettlebell, they are definitely not cheap, but they are well worth the money. Just one or two kettlebells and you've literally got yourself an entire home gym that you can use for the rest of your life...worth every penny in my book! If you want to give these body-hardening kettlebells a try, you can find more info at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
4. Bodyweight Workouts - For a change of pace, try adding to your routine one or two workouts a week at home with just bodyweight based exercises. These can be great because you can get a high intensity workout done in only 15-30 minutes without having to go to the gym on days that you might not have time for a trip to the gym. Try alternating bodyweight squats, pushups variations, lunges, and floor abs exercises continuously for 15-30 minutes. Try to take very short rest periods or none at all to really amp up the intensity since this will be a brief workout. If you're more advanced, you can even incorporate more challenging exercises like handstand pushups, one-arm pushups, and one-legged squats into your bodyweight training routines.
5. Ring Training - This type of training basically uses portable gymnastic rings that you can take anywhere with you. You throw the straps up over any high bar like a pullup bar, the top of a power rack, or even over a football field goal crossbar. Then you can quickly adjust the rings to do exercises like ring dips, ring pushups, ring pull-ups, hanging leg raises, horizontal body rows, L-sits, and more. Dips and pushups on the rings are my favorites and the rings really make them a hell of a lot more difficult, while also incorporating your stabilizer muscles to a much greater degree. The rings allow your joints to move in a more natural pattern and can help you prevent or even recover from shoulder injuries. Personally, when I try dips on a normal dip stand, it hurts my shoulders. However, dips on the training rings feel perfect, and also give me a much better muscle pump. The training rings are one of the best training devices I've ever bought. Give them a try...I think you'll like them if you're up for a challenge. I found my rings, which you can hang up easily on a power rack, pullup bars, or at a park, at ringtraining.com.
6. Swimming - A great full body workout that stresses the muscles and joints in a much different way than most resistance training. Incorporating swimming workouts once or twice a week into your normal training routines can really enhance your physique. I recommend trying a "sprint" style swimming workout, which will help more for building muscle compared with endurance long distance swimming. For sprint style, swim as hard as you can to the other side of a 25-meter or 50-meter pool (or sprint swim similar distances in a lake or the ocean if you like to swim outdoors). Rest enough to catch your breath between sprint swims (about 20-40 seconds). Try to keep the rest intervals fairly short with swim sprints. You can also mix different strokes (crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke, butterfly) on each swim sprint. I've found that sprint swimming gives me a great muscle pump (especially in the upper body), without any soreness the next day as is typical with weight training. This is because swimming has no eccentric movement (the negative portion of a lift), which is what causes muscle soreness. Keep in mind that even though swimming works your muscles well and is a nice alternative workout to mix in once or twice a week, it does not strengthen your bones. You still need to do regular weight training to do that.
7. Sandbag Training - This form of training is a nice variation to mix in with your strength training. It works your body with an unstable object, which makes muscles that might normally be neglected get in on the action to perform the movements. I've been mixing some sandbag training into my routines for over a year now, and I've found it is a very intense method of training that works your muscles in a different way and gets you huffing and puffing like crazy. You can make your own sandbags to train with by filling various sized duffle bags with sand, or you can use those construction type sandbags that come in several shapes. Sandbag exercises can be done as squats, cleans, presses, lunges, shouldering, throws or heaves, carrying up hills, etc. Make no mistake, training intensely with sandbags will get you ripped in no time flat! I've actually found an entire book devoted to sandbag training, which gave me some great ideas for doing sandbag based workouts. If you're interested in this type of training, you can find more info at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
8. Mountain Biking - As you may have figured by now, I'm not a proponent of steady pace endurance exercise, but rather, highly variable intensity exercise that works with bursts of exertion followed by recovery intervals. Well, mountain biking fits this bill perfectly. You get the leg pumping exertion during the uphill climbs, while also getting the adrenaline rush of the downhill acting as your recovery intervals. Mix it all together and you get a super-fun, high-intensity, leg burning workout that will melt fat off of your entire body and build awesome legs at the same time. The climbs can be tough and will challenge you both physically and mentally as you pump away trying to make it up steep hills without having to resort to getting off of the bike. Then after you make it up the challenging climbs, you get rewarded with the adrenaline rush of flying down steep hills while jumping off of boulders and logs and trying not to stumble or fall off the bike. It's such an addicting thrill...I love it! See, who says that working out has to be boring!
9. Indoor (or outdoor) Rock Climbing - This is yet another fun way to get in a great workout that will also challenge you both physically and mentally. Indoor rock climbing gyms have starting popping up all over the place in recent years and will be more accessible than outdoor rock climbing to most people. Rock climbing is a great workout for your legs, arms, shoulders, and your entire back. It also really works your grip strength and forearms like crazy. Whenever I go indoor rock climbing (which is only on occasion), my forearms are sore for about 2-3 days afterwards. Give it a try if you've never done it...it may be just what you're looking for to spice up your fitness routine.
10. Stick Wrestling - This is a killer full body workout and can also be a great competition between you and your friends. This is probably more of a guy thing for most people. You could even come up with your own "fight club" and have stick wrestling competitions with your buddies to see who is toughest. There are actually sticks designed specifically for stick wresting, but you can even just use a strong broomstick cut down to about 30-36 inches long and taped up with some athletic tape to prevent splinters. For your stick wrestling workout, stand on a soft mat or carpeted area (or grass if outdoors), match up with a friend or foe. You'll both grab the same stick toward the ends with your hands on the outsides of your partner's hands, on the inside, or staggered. Then you simply push, pull, jerk, and thrash your opponent around trying to knock them off balance until they either fall or lose their grip of the stick...and you win that round! Be careful not to get the stick up high and knock each other in the face. Use common sense. You can do this in 1-2 minute rounds or just keep going until someone gives up. Be creative and keep going until you've gotten a killer workout. Your forearms and legs will be screaming!
11. Strongman Training - This type of training is a little more hard-core, but it's a blast for those who are into trying something different. The premise is based on the types of exercises competitors perform in the "worlds strongest man" competitions. If you have a yard, you can even set up some of these exercises in your yard and do some outdoor workouts to have a little fun. Your neighbors will probably give you some funny looks, but it's fun, so who cares! You can get one of those giant tractor tires and do tire flips (which is basically a deadlift followed by a push-press). You can also try your hand at log lifts, boulder lifts and carries, keg lifts and tosses, weighted sled dragging...anything that involves pulling, pushing, lifting, or heaving any types of odd objects. You don't need to be a monster to enjoy this type of training...just handle whatever size objects are challenging for your individual strength. Strongman training works your entire body in a very intense fashion and could easily spark some new results. If you're interested in finding out more ideas for strongman training, check out my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.
12. Rope Climbing - This goes back to the old high school days of climbing the rope in gym class. Seriously, if you have access to a rope, either at a gym or somewhere outdoors, rope climbing builds a powerful and ripped upper body like no other exercise. A great way to incorporate rope climbing into intense workouts is to do a climb up, then lower yourself back down. Then while your upper body is recovering for the next climb, you can do a lower body exercise like squats or lunges, or go up and down stairs. Keep alternating the upper body rope climbs with the lower body exercises in between and you'll get one hell of a full body workout.
13. Bag Boxing - You can use a heavy bag, a speed bag, or even one of those rebound bags to get a great workout. Among the three, the heavy bag is the best all around full body workout, while the speed bag will test your rhythm and timing and give you a great upper body workout. If available at your gym or if you have a bag at home, try mixing these in as a good warm-up or as an intense finish to your strength routine.
14. Rope Skipping - You can't beat rope jumping as a great full body exercise. I like to use it as a warm-up for my weight training workouts. I prefer to use the really cheap "speed" ropes with a plastic rope instead of a fabric rope. Once you get good, you can jump rope much faster with the plastic ropes than the fabric ones, which will allow you to get a more intense workout. And don't mess with the weighted handle ropes...they'll just slow you down. Your goal is speed when rope skipping. Try mixing together two legged jumps, one-legged jumps, arm crossovers, double jumps (rope passes under feet twice for each jump) to keep things interesting and increase the intensity. Also, try alternating 15-20 second high intensity bursts where you jump as fast as you possibly can, followed by 15-20 second recovery intervals where you jump slowly to get ready for your next burst. Keep repeating until you're whooped, which might happen pretty quick!
15. Jumping exercises - squat jumps, box jumps, lunge jumps, and broad jumps are some of the best ways to incorporate explosive jumping exercises into your routines. The explosive and powerful nature of jumping exercises works your leg muscles in an entirely different way than most normal slow grinding strength training moves. I've even seen a university study cited once that found squat jumps to elicit the greatest testosterone response of all exercises studied. That means more muscle and less fat on your entire body, not just your legs. Try super-setting jumping exercises with upper body exercises for some really intense workouts.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed all of these ideas for ways to really shake up your workouts and make them fun again. I know some of them may seem a little "out there", but open your mind to the possibilities and you'll never be bored again...and your body will respond with new found results!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/115302
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