This evenings workout was another deck of cards, I’m in a hotel this evening so worked out in a small courtyard at the rear of the hotel. The exercises were:

Suits
* Spades = Boxers sit ups
* Hearts = Push ups
* Diamonds = Jumping Jacks
* Clubs = Squat Thrusts

Repetitions
* ace = 11 reps
* 2 = 2 reps
* 3 = 3 reps and so on
* Jack = 11 reps
* Queen = 12 reps
* King = 13 reps
* Joker = 25 of the previous exercise.

I did this twice for a total of 908 exercises, make no mistake about it, if this workout is done correctly there are few routines that are as challenging as this one. Don’t rest between exercises and only have a very short rest between decks.

The deck of cards workouts are some of my favorite workouts as they don’t require any equipment, can be done anywhere, are portable and are as challenging as any workouts you could try. Each shuffle of the deck provides a new workout. Give the deck of cards a whirl and you won’t be disappointed.

Originally posted 2009-06-01 22:23:43.

An eclectic mix of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. Utilizing both upper body and lower body exercises at the same time. This evenings workout 9th June.

After a quick warm up:
Squats with dumbbell shoulder presses 20 reps.
Astride Jumps with dumbbell shoulder presses 20 reps.
Side squats with dumbbell lateral raises 20 reps.
Dumbbell shadow boxing, upper cuts, crosses, straight punches, 12 of each x 2 sets.
Calf raises 12 holding the dumbbells.
Calf raises 12 with the toes turned out and front and side lateral raises.
30 squat thrusts.
30 seconds mountain climbers.
30 press-ups.
20 press-ups with alternating leg lifts.
30 seconds plank.
10 bodyweight squats.
20 quantum jumps.
10 bodyweight squats.
20 quantum jumps.
16 sumo lunges on each leg.
16 lunges.
16 sumo lunges with a kick on each leg.
20 quantum jumps.
Plie squats with lateral raises 20 reps.
Dumbbell shoulder presses 20 reps.
Dumbbell arnold presses 16 reps.
Chest press with a lunge on the right leg 20 reps.
Flys with a lunge on the right leg 20 reps.
Bicep curls 20 reps.
Tricep kick backs.
Jumping jacks with front and side lateral raises 32 reps.
Chest press with a squat 16 reps.
Flys with a squat 16 reps.
Dips 15 reps.
leg circles 20 reps.
Dips 15 reps.
leg circles 20 reps.
Press-ups 3 sets of 30, wide, shoulder width, wide.
Press-ups 1 set of 20 narrow, palms side by side.
30 seconds plank.
75 Crunches.

Minimum rest between exercises of just a few seconds.

Originally posted 2009-06-09 20:02:03.

This upper body workout incorporates kettlebells, dumbbells and bodyweight. Since yesterdays workout was mostly lower body this evening I decided to do this upper body workout.
10 x 5 is 10 sets of 5 reps. Kettlebell weighs 16kg and dumbbell 12kg.

* Kettlebell cleans 10 x 5 on each arm alternate
* Kettlebell floor chest press 10 x 5 on each arm alternate
* Kettlebell shoulder press 10 x 5 on each arm alternate
* Narrow push ups on the medicine ball X 25
* Kettlebell bent over rows 10 x 5 on each arm alternate
* Dumbbell triple crush x 50
* Kettlebell Seated shoulder press 10 x 5 on each arm alternate
* Wide push ups x 50
* Dumbbell pullovers x 25 Dumbbell russian twists x 25 Dumbbell sicilian crunch
* Shoulder width push ups x 50
* Rustys x 50

Originally posted 2009-05-27 20:48:30.

This evenings workout was a bodyweight workout using a deck of cards and weighted vest. The exercises were:

Suits
* Spades = Leg Raises
* Hearts = Push ups
* Diamonds = Lunges
* Clubs = Squat Thrusts

Repetitions
* ace = 11 reps
* 2 = 2 reps
* 3 = 3 reps and so on
* Jack = 11 reps
* Queen = 12 reps
* King = 13 reps
* Joker = 25 of the previous exercise.

I performed it twice, the second time wearing the weighted vest, this adds up to a total of 908 exercises. I haven’t used the vest in a few weeks and by the end of the workout I was lathered.

Originally posted 2009-05-19 19:38:50.

This bodyweight only workout was my workout for 02/04/2011.

200 Punches
100 Squat With a Kick
150 Push-Ups
150 Squats
100 Sit-ups
80 Squat Thrusts
60 Elephants

If you’re pressed for time and can’t get to the gym, bodyweight exercises are just what you need.

These exercises aren’t a substitute for a ‘real’ workout they are a ‘real’ workout. If you put in the effort these exercises can completely change your body all on their own. And fast.

Once you start learning about all the different body weight exercises you can do, you’ll see there are endless ways to put bodyweight exercises into routines..

Some great bodyweight exercises you can use include:

Bodyweight squats.
Pushups.
Lunges (forward, reverse, walking, jumping in place).
Mountain climbers.
Jumping Jacks.
Leg raises.
Squat thrusts.
Burpee.

Many bodyweight exercises have a lot of variations. Take the pushup, for example – regular, hands close together, one handed, spiderman pushups, feet elevated pushups, etc. There are hundreds of bodyweight exercises available.

Using your bodyweight alone, you can get your heart rate up, your blood pumping, and get yourself breathing heavily a lot quicker than you’d think.

You can combine the exercises in any way you see fit and adjust the number of reps based on your current ability.

Sample bodyweight workout. Start anywhere and work through:
20 Bodyweight Squats.
20 Pushups.
Plank hold of 30 seconds.
20 Mountain Climbers.
20 Burpees.
20 Jumping Jacks.
20 Sit-ups.
20 Squat Thrusts.
20 Lunges (ten per leg).
Repeat 3 to 4 times.

If you just want a quick and “easy” leg workout try seeing how many bodyweight squats you can do before the burn in your legs forces you to stop.

This was my workout for January 18th 2011.

This evenings workout was a kettlebell workout using a 20kg kettlebell and my own bodyweight:

After warming up I performed: Ten rounds of squat thrusts for 30 reps and then one arm kettlebell swings 15 reps each arm. A round is one set of squat thrusts and one arm kettlebell swings done back to back with as little rest as possible between rounds, just enough to shake out your body and grab a quick drink of water. The squat thrust is a bodyweight exercise in which you squat down, get into the top position of a pushup, and then get back to up the standing position.

This evenings workout will be a bodyweight and medicine ball workout that I put together on my iPhone using THI Personal Trainer LITE this app takes full advantage of the iPhone and iPods capabilities. The app includes a sample exercise library with complete and clear instructions. The sample workouts are professionally designed (CSCS certified) or you can create your own, use the Workout Editor to add exercises, create new training programs and modify existing routines quickly and conveniently.

Whether you are looking to build muscle, find an effective total body workout you can do anywhere or just improve your overall flexibility THI Personal Trainer’s professionally designed workout programs will be a great addition to your workout arsenal. High quality video combined with professionally designed training routines that are fully customizable makes this app the perfect personal fitness assistant. All information is contained within the app, meaning all videos load quickly and there is no need to connect to your wifi or 3G networks to run it.

FEATURES
- Sample exercise library
- Pre-built Training Programs designed by professional Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists (CSCS)
- Logging system
- Graphing system
- Fitness reports
- Interval timers
- Capability to build your own customized workouts
- Capability to add your own exercises

PRE-BUILT WORKOUTS INCLUDING:
- Beginner Programs
- Intermediate Programs
- Advanced Programs
- Sample Hypertrophy routine
- Sample Metabloic routine

Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch Requires iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later. Oh and did I mention its free!

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.

This workout is a bodyweight and dumbbell circuit. 30 seconds of each exercise with just a quick shakeout in between exercises.

* Press-ups
* Shoulder press
* Plank
* Dumbbell lunges
* Mountain climbers
* Bent over row
* Boxers sit-ups
* Seated press
* Squat thrusts
* Press-ups
* Seated Russian twists
* One arm snatch
* Jumping jacks
* Dorsal raise
* Chest press
* Squat thrusts
* Sicilian crunch
* Squat with a press

I worked through this circuit twice. This was my workout for 16th June.