You don’t always need to use traditional exercise equipment and training routines in your workout program, as there are many great “alternative” training methods. One of my favourite “alternative” workout tools is the sledgehammer, although this is the first time in ages that I’ve used it. Using my 14lb sledgehammer and 20kg kettlebell after a quick warm up I performed:

* 10 sledge swings from each side x 2 (total of 20 each side)
* 20 2 handed kettlebell swings
* 15 incline push-ups (feet resting on the bottom of my free standing punch bag)

* 90 seconds rest

* 20 sledge swings from each side
* 10 kettlebell swings with each hand
* 15 incline push-ups

* 90 seconds rest

* 15 sledge swings from each side x 2 (total of 30 each side)
* 30 2 handed kettlebell swings
* 15 incline push-ups

* 90 seconds rest

* 30 sledge swings from each side
* 15 kettlebell swings with each hand
* 15 incline push-ups
* Grab a drink and cool down.

This was my workout for July 15th 2010.

For this evenings workout I put together an upper body workout made up of burpees, push ups and bag work. After a warm up. I started with one five minute round of 30 seconds of burpees followed by 30 seconds of shadow boxing. For the first five minutes I concentrated on getting as many burpees into the 30 seconds as possible (10 per 30 seconds). Then after a quick drink, I did another five minutes of the same this time taking it a little easier on the burpees (8 per 30 seconds) but going a little harder on the shadow boxing. I then did 20 0f each of the following push ups interspersed with 30 second rounds on the bag.

1. Standard
2. Wide
3. Bosu
4. One Leg Up (10 with one up and 10 with the other)
5. Diamond
6. Hindu
7. Kempo
8. Robot
9. Three count
10. Inclined (with my feet on the base of the bag)
11. The Pit push up. One set, of one then two then three and so on up to a ten no rest in between push ups, basicly one set of 55 pushups.
12. 20 right hand up followed by 20 left hand up.

Then after a quick drink 3 two minute rounds on the bag.

Finally after another quick drink starting from five and working up to ten clap pushups with jogging on the spot between sets for active rest.

For this evenings workout I ran to the local football pitch and worked through a couple of decks of cards.

Suits
* Spades = Sit ups
* Hearts = Push ups
* Diamonds = Hindu Squats
* 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.

Completed twice.

The deck of cards workout is one of my staples, they’re cheap, natural, you can do them anywhere and most of all, they’re effective. A no nonsense workout that works!

Todays workout was a deck of cards workout.

Suits
* Spades = Bicycle Crunchies
* Hearts = Push-ups
* Diamonds =Star Jumps
* 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 worked through the deck of cards twice for a total of 908 exercises, I know I keep banging on about it but make no mistake about it, there really are few routines that are as challenging as a deck of cards workout. Don’t rest between exercises and only have a very short rest between decks.

This evenings workout, another deck of cards workout:

Suits
* Spades = Rustys
* Hearts = Push-ups
* Diamonds =Tuck Jumps
* 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 worked through the deck of cards twice for a total of 908 exercises, make no mistake about it, there are few routines that are as challenging as a deck of cards workout. Don’t rest between exercises and only have a very short rest between decks.

I have 8′ x 4′ of space at the bottom of my bed in the hotel room I’m staying at this evening and thats all the workout room I need give myself a great workout.

After a quick warm up:

Squat thrusts
Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up. 30.

Push ups
Begin in push up position, on knees or toes. Perform 4 push ups, abs in and back straight. On the 5th push up, lower halfway down and hold for 4 counts. Push back up and repeat the series – 4 regular push ups and 1 halfway. 6 times for 30 push-ups.

Tuck Jump
The tuck jump exercise ranks near the top of the list for developing explosive power using only your body weight. 30.

Chair dips
Use two chairs, (or a bed and a chair ) for this excellent tricep exercise. Place two chairs facing each other, about 3 feet apart. Sit on one chair with your hands palm down and gripping the edge of the chair. Place your heels on the edge of the other chair and hold yourself up using your triceps. Slide forward just far enough that your behind clears the edge of the chair and lower yourself so your elbows are at 90 degrees. 30.

Jumping jacks
The basic jumping jack is a great cardio and strength training exercise. 30.

Punching Crunch
Just do a standard stomach crunch and at top of crunch do a punch with each arm in the air them back to bottom of crunch and repeat. 30.

Good morning
Bend over while standing till your upper body is parallel with floor then stand up straight again, this works your lower back, (I wouldn’t use any weights with this exercise as personally I think its dangerous to do so, though some people do). 30.

Hindu Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointing forward. Keeping your back straight, lower your body by bending your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor ensuring your hands are behind your body as you lower yourself. Your heels should rise as you come closer to the floor. When you reach the bottom of the exercise push off your toes, raising your body until standing, this should be a fast explosive movement. You are aiming to perform one repetition as rapidly as possible. As you raise yourself your hands should be infront of your body, parallel to floor. 30.

This was my workout for 29th June. I worked through this routine 4 times.

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.

Not, I was going to make this evenings workout an HIIT workout but unfortunately I’d forgotten to charge a battery for the gymboss timer. I’d wanted to make this evenings workout bodyweight only as I’d done a kettlebell workout yesterday, since I’d also no battery for the mp3 player (I could have put a DVD on but wanted to workout outdoors), I was left with the deck of cards. This evenings workout was a deck of cards workout. I worked through the deck twice.

First deck was:

Spades = crunches
Diamonds = Jumping Jacks
Hearts = push-ups
Clubs = squat thrusts

Second deck was:

Spades = rustys
Diamonds = quantum jumps
Hearts = push-ups
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’m in an hotel this evening so decided on the pit full body workout as I haven’t done it for a couple of weeks, there is no equipment necessary and it can be done anywhere, I did the workout in the little courtyard at the rear of the hotel.

Todays workout was done on the beach. Its a nice easy one, 4 sets of 30 squat thrusts, 30 boxers sit ups, 30 push ups, 30 jumping jacks with no rests or breaks, done as fast as possible with good form.