 By David Otto
Your Professional Guide to Fitness
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No Gym, No Problem
Two Workouts you can do anywhere, anytime with little to no equipment.
If II think too many people get wrapped up in thinking that they need a gym to get a great workout and that's far from the case. Just look at the military and how they whip people into shape using basic exercises that require little to no equipment.
Let's say you can't make it to the gym, are on vacation or can't break away from the office but need a nice and quick workout that can literally be done anywhere in about 20-25 minutes. These exercises are about as basic as they come and you can use this workout as a blue print to substitute in different exercises if you need a bit more of a challenge or some variety. Here are two workouts you can choose from and by the way these will kick your butt. .
Climbing the Mountain
- Warm up with 20-30Jumping Jacks, 20 Mountain Climbers (per leg) and 20 Squat, Thrust, Jumps. OR…5-10 minutes light aerobic activity like jogging, jumping rope, etc. Yes, this will seem like more of a workout than a warm up but we want the warm up to count.
- The Workout: You will be performing FOUR different movements. One lower body movement, one upper body pushing movement, one upper body pulling movement and one abdominal movement. In between each movement you will be performing either Jumping Jacks or Mountain Climbers for 10 repetitions.
- The Routine: Perform the routine in circuit fashion, taking little to no rest in between movements.
- Perform each movement for 10 reps for the first circuit.
- Then go back through it but perform 8 reps per movement EXCEPT you will still perform 10 reps for the Jumping Jacks or Mountain Climbers.
- Next go back through the circuit again but this time perform 6 reps per movement while performing 10 for the Jumping Jacks and Mt. Climbers. See the pattern?
- Work your way down to 2 reps per movement AND THEN work your way back up again (2,4,6,8,10).
- Once you get really good count down and then back up again by 1's
Lower body movement; choose one (Body Weight Squats, Walking or Alternating Lunges, jump squats)
Upper body pushing movement; choose one (pushups, bench or chair dips, plyometric pushups)
Upper body pulling movement; choose one (inverted rows, chins or pull-ups) This exercise will require either a pull-up bar of some sort, a table you can lie underneath and pull yourself up to or two chairs spaced apart with a strong rod in between them.
Abdominal movement; choose one (crunches, reverse crunches/ leg raises, pushup position knee ins (pictured next page), V-Up crunches)
An example of how it will look:
Squats X 10 (then 8, 6, 4,2, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
Jumping Jacks X 10 (same reps each circuit)
Push Ups X 10 (then 8, 6, 4,2, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
Mt. Climbers X 10 per leg (same reps each circuit)
Inverted Rows X 10 (then 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
Jumping Jacks X 10 (same reps each circuit)
Reverse Crunches X 10 (then 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
**Be Sure to set a training goal or time limit you want to complete the workout in. Strive to do better each consecutive workout.
**It's simple but not easy. NOTHING in life worth having doesn't come without its challenges.
Hellacious Hundreds
This one is sort of like the previous workout but simpler in format.
- Warm up with 20-30 Jumping Jacks, 20 Mt. Climbers and 20 Squat, Thrust, Jumps OR…5-10 minutes light aerobic activity like jogging, jumping rope, etc.
- Choose the same FOUR exercises from the groups listed above.
- You will be striving to get 100 reps per each exercise. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
- Start by performing as many Body Weight (BW) Squats as you can until you can't get any more with STRICT Form. That means if your form begins to falter…STOP! This goes for EACH exercise!
- In order to reach 100 reps you should rest/ pause for the amount of seconds it will take to achieve the corresponding rep count until you hit 100. For example if you have 50 reps left until you reach 100; rest for 50 seconds and then keep going until you can't get anymore. Use the same rest principle again then keep going until you reach 100.
- After finishing the first exercise, rest for 30-60 seconds and perform the next exercise in the same fashion and so on until you complete all four exercises.
**Set a time limit goal for completing the workout and try to beat that time each time you perform the workout.
**If you are de-conditioned start by shooting for 50-75 reps using the same rest/ pause principle.
**Once you can complete 100 reps without pausing or only use 2 Rest/ Pauses, it's time to add 25 reps on top of that 100 reps that's now become so easy to complete. Use 25 rep increments each time you need to move up in challenging the body.
Squat, Trust, Jumps (not pictured) Movement: squat down till thighs parallel to floor, keeping back straight (Squat). Then bend over and put hands on floor and jump out into pushup position (Thrust). Next, jump legs back inward bringing feet outside of hands. Stand up and then jump into the air. When feet hit the floor, BE SURE to bend the knees for shock absorption (A MUST!). Repeat the movement. This exercise should be done in a continuous motion.
Mt. Climbers (not pictured) Get in regular pushup position. Performed similar to Pushup Knee Ins but in rhythmic fashion by alternating legs back and forth like you are running in place with your hands on the ground.
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