Smarter Gym Workout – You Can Get You Kicked!

If your gym is like most, it is divided into zones. Cardio here, resistance training there, the two will never meet. The ubiquitous “No Weight Cardio” signage: They’re so inflexible that you may even be asked to walk away for any noticeable transgression. Ask me how I know. So fussy, you’d think it was a Johnny Knoxville stunt I did.

Unfortunately, this same segregated logic or schism influences the typical gym-goers routine, treating the two as two separate worlds – a fitness distinction your body simply doesn’t make. Most clients are guilty of being charged, having done or doing the 30 minutes of heavy lifting with ear accessories in steady state, followed by a vague, symbolic, selectorized weight training circuit, spied on by the sweaty guy two machines about. Well, stale training never looked better – you’re in the predictable limo heading for the complacency hotel, unless there are motivational outbursts. You’re shorting your fitness, you need to fix this now and I’ll tell you why and how. This is how the pathways to strength building and ultimately calorie burning are made. By neurologically confusing him or throwing curveballs at him, you are facilitating new movement patterns and establishing a better overall fitness arsenal. You need to start being consistent with an unusual movement. Start by ditching that two-course entree you’ve been choking on and think buffet training. It’s not the gluteal license to quit smoking, a deep contributor to our kind of obesity epidemic, but filling your exercise plate with variety. High intensity circuits or short timed intervals that fuse cardio with resistance. verboten zoned! Proceed at your own risk, choose your off-peak hours … or you just have a reason to build a home gym and avoid all the inconvenience.

This interaction will keep you focused, challenged, and motivated as you think creatively outside the white lines. And all is not lost, you can use the good morning steady state cardio as recovery days and catch up on your new shocks. Here’s the rundown of some mash-ups you can try the next time you’re at the gym.

Side Shuffle / Renegade Row:

Representative Scheme: Random x 10, Row x 5

Rounds in 3 min x 5 rds

Team:

Treadmill

Dumbbells (m: 25-50, w: 8-15)

• Warm up: do eight minutes of brisk walking interspersed with 5-10 push-ups every 2 minutes.
• Position the dumbbells so that they are in the north / south position parallel to the treadmill. Use a countdown timer set for 3 minutes or make it a companion workout, alternating so your 3-minute recovery is your work cycle.
• To begin, establish a slow jog pace on the treadmill and then turn to the side. Start time. Now shuffle laterally x 10 keeping the rhythm of the belt, turn and repeat on the other side.
• Lower yourself down and immediately get into the push-up position (without sinking!) With your arms fully extended and your hands on the dumbbells. Pull the dumbbell toward your torso so that the elbow rises above your back, alternating with the other side x 5 for each side.
• Continue the shuffle / row cycle until time runs out. Record how many rounds you completed (partial round count) in three minutes. Your objective is to overcome the previous round. Rest 3 minutes between each round.

Concept II Row / Push Press / Squat Thrust:

Row x 10 kcal

Push Press / Squat Thrust x 10

7 rounds per time

Team:

Rower Concept II

Dumbbells (m: 15-45, w: 8-15)

• Warm-up: 500 m rowing and then adjust the monitor to the calories burned.
• Place dumbbells next to the rower and begin rowing until you reach 10 calories. Lower yourself, lift dumbbells, stand on your shoulders and then dip / lower yourself by slightly bending your hips and knees (1/4 squat) and come up by extending the dumbbells in an overhead press. Now lower the dumbbells to the floor and transition to the right into a squat. That’s 1 rep, 9 more left. 🙂
• This is a full time effort with no rest between rounds, so move as fast as you can while maintaining good form. Another great companion exercise if you are not in shape, as you can alternate efforts.