My training over the last couple of weeks has gravitated over to boxing type training. I now have a training partner and both of us have boxed in the past, we’ll usually warm up with some jump rope then we work for 12 two minute rounds with 30 seconds rest between round. One of us will hit the bag for one round of straight punches, the next round will be hooks to the head, the next hooks to the body, the next combinations and so on… while the other does bodyweight exercises. We’ll then do 12 two minute rounds with the focus pads each alternating between gloves and pads. We usually finish up with 3 two minute rounds of light sparring. We’ve been training six days a week with one day off. One day will be training of the type I’ve described above, the next will be a kettlebell workout, the third probaby a bodyweight workout that includes shadow boxing and the fourth day we’ll mix it up to include all of the above.

This evening I ran to the football pitch and using my gymboss timer did a tabata burpee workout and it wiped me out, I felt like I was going to die, I don’t know wether it was the heat or because I hadn’t eaten much but the workout totaled me, this workout is hardcore! 8 x 20 seconds of burpees with 10 seconds rest in between. I did this 4 times in total with short rests for a drink.

This evenings workout was once again the Providence Kettlebell workout. I love this Kettlebell workout although I really should put together more of my own. I’ve been doing this workout with a 20kg Kettlebell for a while now so I may just get myself a 24kg Kettlebell and see if I can manage it with a one. You can read a full description of the workout here.

Went running this evening 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back. A few abs exercises too:

50 sit ups
50 leg raises
50 bicycles
50 rusties
50 seated twists

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.

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.

This evenings workout was the pit full body workout, I love this workout, its my absolute favourite no equipment necessary work along workout. You can find the full workout here.

Not really a workout this evening. I went for a 6 mile run over a mixture of terrain on and off road.

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!