I usually train everyday in the the early evening, either using bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine ball a mixture of them all or I may go for a run, no matter what I train, I have one or two days off a month, but most days I exercise. Just recently I went for a run which consisted of about 5 miles that was a mixture of running on the road and cross country. On the cross-country portion of a run I came across a log about 4 feet long and a foot wide. Looking at it I thought that would be a great piece of equipment for a whole host of exercises, from step ups to presses. Anyway I picked it up, ran with it, dropped it, did a few push-ups with my feet resting on it, jumped up did a few steps then astride jumps. Lay down on the floor and pressed it. I carried on for a few more minutes doing as many exercises as I could think of and no surprise here, you can perform just about any exercise with a log that you can with a conventional barbell, its just the grip that’s a little difficult. Anyway I was a few miles from home so decided to carry on with my run.

Just recently I was browsing a well known internet auction site looking for a new exercise mat when I came across a listing for a sandbag, a “20 kg powerbag” actually, what I’d call a “posh sandbag”. It was very cheap compared to the price of a new one and not much more expensive than if I’d made my own, so I bought it and then began to look about for exercises to perform with it, you can use a sandbag for just about any exercise that you can can perform with a barbell, Clean and Press, Snatch, Push Press, Get Ups, Lunges, Dead lifts, Squats and Rows to mention just a few.

I put together a circuit including all of the exercises mentioned above and a couple more, performing each exercise as fast as possible with good form for 1 minute time, with only a few seconds rest between exercises and a couple of minutes to grab a drink between circuits. I ran through the circuit 3 times, after the first circuit I was gassed, after the second I was wasted, after the third I was on my knees gasping for breath and ready to puke and this is only with a 20 kg sandbag remember.

A sandbag is the most uncooperative and unpredictable piece of exercise equipment. It requires you use every muscle possible to hold and lift it. Working with a sandbag is like fighting an opponent who is constantly changing, moving and adapting. You aren’t pushing, lifting, holding and gripping at straight angles similar to a barbell or dumbbells. This means that with a sandbag your typically only able to lift 40/50% of what you would typically lift with traditional weights.

Due to the inherent instability of the sandbag the lifter must use more muscles, making each exercise more beneficial and efficient. Sandbags are easily manipulated for use at any fitness level from beginner to the advanced athlete. Because of these benefits, sandbags are perfect for shedding body fat, in fact they won’t just help you shed fat they’ll rip it away.

Studies have shown that circuit training is the most effective way to build cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. Circuit training combining both strength and cardiovascular exercises is an excellent way to improve both aspects of your fitness at the same time.

A typical circuit has around 10 or so ‘stations’ where a person completes a certain exercise at each station for a set period of time, before moving on to the next station. At each station there is a different exercise which is selected depending on what benefits you are looking to achieve from that particular circuit, a typical circuit will have bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, squat thrusts, burpees etc… and resistance exercises such as dumbbell or barbell curls, shoulder presses and pull ups.

You don’t need expensive equipment for circuit training either. All you really need for a circuit training is space if you make all exercise stations bodyweight exercises.

You can also suit the circuit to the space you have, whether it be a small gym or a football pitch. The main advantage of circuit training is that there is an infinite way that a circuit can be designed, so circuit training can benefit everyone, no matter what your sport.

The main disadvantage of circuit training is that is that it doesn’t build bulk. Circuit training is primarily aimed at improving cardiovascular and muscular endurance and the exercises are done at a high intensity with high repetitions with little resistance. In order to build bulk circuit training, you should reduce the number of repetitions at each station and use heavier weights or greater resistance.

Circuit training is a great tool and most circuits don’t take too long either, so be sure to include them in your routine.

Example Circuit:

Plyometric Push-ups
Dumbbell Curls
Vee Ups
Mountain Climbers
Military Press
Rustys
Squat Thrusts
Jumping Jacks
Squats to Presses
Burpees

This was my workout for 19th June, I worked through this circuit three times.

Barbell Workout from MMA Team Quest.