Hey gang!
I'm back to where it all began: Philadelphia is not only the "city of brotherly love" but is where the United States began. As much as I've been enjoying my old gym and friends and family, the ol' Coach still loves workout out outdoors the most, especially when the weather is less than optimal. This is a unique way to challenge myself. I like going where few dare to tread. When others scurry for the indoor comforts, I seek the mental, physical and spiritual challenges of pitting myself against Mother Nature. The weather has been typical of Philadelphia in July: high 90s with 90% humidity. It definitely reminds me of one of the many reasons I left!
So there I was, in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, just along the picturesque Schuykill River...with a heat index of 110. You people living in hot weather, quit yer bitchin. Get your ass out ther and work out--if I can do it, you can do it!
Today's workout:
* I'm wearing an Iron Wear weight vest . I think it's the best vest for this type of workout , where you're lying upon the ground a lot, because: the weights are very soft and flexible and don't hurt you when you lie on them. The vest also conforms to the body very well without shaking or loosening, it stays nice and snug. If you want to add a weight vest to make your body weight routines more interesting, start with about 10% of your body weight.
I did a circuit training, consisting of 3 rounds of the following exercises:
1) Pull-Ups
2) Power Wheel Roll-Outs
3) Hindu Push-Ups on push-up board
4) Power Wheel Leg Curls
5) Power Wheel Pike Ups
6) Deck Squats
Whatever number you get for your pull-ups sets the numbers for the rest of the exercises,
* Pull-ups and roll-outs = same number of reps
* Double that number for the Hindu push-ups, leg curls and pike ups
* Double that number for the deck squats
The weight vest REALLY made the deck squats hard! Rolling up into the squat position while being so top heavy was a challenge. The routine became quite cardio.
If you notice, there are many yogic conditioning elements in the routines I construct and every routine is geared towards mobility and ROM enhancement, with special emphasis placed on spinal movement.
Living in a van and not being in proximity to a gym, well, showers can be challenging. I joined a bunch of kids romping in a fountain on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and cooled off. Then it was down to Fourth St. Famous Deli for a giant omelette. Tonight, after BJJ training at Maxercise, it's off to see The Dark Knight.
There's still time to join me Sunday for my Body Weight Training Certification, where I'll show you many exercises, like the ones in the following video clips, along with their progressions, to help your clients become all they can be.
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7 comments:
Sweet!
That reminds me of when I lived on the Australian Goldcoast, the park by the beach was set up with a whole array of pull up, dip, pushup, decline sit up stations, I honestly think I was better conditioned there then anywhere else in the world, and it got hot!!
Our shower time usually consisted of bodysurfing and a quick (cold) beach shower before home for breakfast.
Over here in the emerald Isle, well it's more like swimming half the time, the Isle is green for a reason!! Plus as there is very little in the way of outdoor workstations and the mums get irate when I kick little johnny of the climbing frame...
But still we persist. I'll have some outdoor training footage posted soon.
Till then, keep living the dream.
Dave
Wild Geese
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com
Your posts have inspired me to take more of my own workouts outdoors, to one of the local parks where there're jungle gyms and places to climb.
Made the mistake, though, of working one day in the bright sun, on a patch of kiddie sand -- white, fine kiddie sand. It was about 90 degrees, but the reflection parboiled me after 2 circuit run throughs.
Note to self: stay on the grass.
Steve, I seem to remember you mentioning on the Dragon Door forum that you hurt your back doing Roll Outs. Did you make a change so that it's safer for you, or am I remembering it wrong?
Jordan, You're remembering it right but the Lifeline Power Wheel, because of its design is a much more stable and safe tool than the typical cheap ab rollers out there, the kind I was using when I injured my back. Because the Power Wheel is larger, the handles are longer, which create little stress on the shoulders. I also always use a wall or step, as a safety stop, now when doing roll-outs from the feet. from the knees is another thing.
Further, I don't work out when I'm so fatigued anymore and I'm more careful in the placement of the roll-out exercise within the workout. - Steve
Thank you for the explanation. Very thorough. :-)
Steve, Hi, I'm just reading your blog now and love it. Than you. I have three questions.
1-Should I work out every day or every other day?
2-With the weighted vest, do you suggest the long or short. I'm 5'7
3-For the Jingle Gym do you suggest the jungle gym #1 or the new jungle gym spit. Seems the is better to do pull ups?
I'm a raw vegan author www.paulnison.com and youtube look up my name.
Thanks for your answers. I just ordered your dvd's
paul Nison
Hi Paul,
Thanks for reading and buying my DVDs.
1- There's a couple different models for that. It all depends on what your goals are. If you're involved with a sports activity, you can do conditioning on one day and specific sports skills the next without interfering with recovery ability--it's all about your ability to recover. If you're not an athlete, but train "just" for health, lighter workouts can be sandwiched between heavier workouts. Light, meaning mobility, flexibility, sometimes cardio, depending. My DVD routines, you'll want to do 2-3 times week, on non-consecutive days, with active recovery on the "off" days.
2. Weight vest: for 5'7" go with the short vest. Unless you have an extraordinarily long torso.
3. The advantage of the split JG is you can get a wider grip on chins, dips and pull-ups, more like a shoulder-width.
-Steve
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