Gym boredom and how to beat it

Posted at 10:37 on Aug 17, 2010 by Muscle Blog

If you’re fed up with your regular gym workouts, doing cardio outdoors makes a refreshing change from running on a treadmill for what seems like hours on end. One of the most effective forms of outdoor cardio for boosting your fitness is a type of interval training known as “Walk Back Running”.

After warming up, you begin by sprinting at or close to maximum effort for a set distance, usually between 80-100 metres. Then you stop, turn round and walk back to the start.

You can use cones to mark the start and end point, or use a local running track. Once you’ve walked back to the start, the sprint part is repeated until a fixed number of repetitions have been completed, usually around 5-8. This workout doesn’t last very long, but it’s extremely tough!

What if you want a whole-body workout?

Bring a sandbag with you. Used extensively in military fitness training, the ever-shifting shape of a sandbag means they’re very hard to handle, which makes every workout a little different from the last.

Sandbags are also cheap, and you can pick one up from your local DIY store. Here are four sandbag exercises that will give you a fitter, stronger body.

Walking Lunge. Hold a sandbag close to your body in the crooks of your arms. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Your torso should remain upright. Push off your front leg and step forward and up so that your body is in the starting position again. Repeat the exercise, but step forward with the opposite leg.

The Sandbag Lift. With a sandbag on the ground in front of you, bend at your hips and knees until you can grab the bag by its sides. Make sure to avoid rounding the spine as you bend, and maintain the natural arch in your lower back.In one movement, return to a standing position lifting the bag onto your right shoulder. Return the bag to the floor and repeat the exercise, but lift the bag onto your left shoulder.

The Sandbag Row. This is a great way to build strength in the forearms as well as working both your back and biceps. Take hold of the bag with both hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping the natural arch in your lower back, bend your knees slightly and bend forward at the waist. Pull your shoulders back and push your chest forward. Pull the bag into the waist area and then return to the start position.

The Sandbag Walk. Hold the sandbag as if you're hugging it (or hold it overhead for a real challenge) and walk for 30-60 seconds. If you really want to push your body to the limit, combine several of these exercises to form a highly effective (but brutal!) outdoor training circuit that will make you fitter, faster and stronger in a hurry.

Outdoor Killer Circuit

Warm-up: 5-10 minutes
Walk Back Run x 1
Press Ups x 20 reps
Walk Back Run x 1
Sandbag Row x 20 reps
Walk Back Run x 1
Press Ups x 20 reps
Walk Back Run x 1
Sandbag Row x 20 reps
Walk Back Run x 1
Sandbag Lift x 10 (5 each side)
Walk Back Run x 1
Sandbag Lift x 10 (5 each side)
Walk Back Run x 1
Sandbag Walk 200 metres

Editor’s note: Viper Active can be used immediately before your workout, or sipped on during your workout to help you train harder and longer.To help restore lost energy and repair damaged muscle, take Maxi-Milk after your workout.

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