Chapter 5: A New Lifestyle of Workouts

 

When Tuesday comes and Wednesday dawns before you, not only will you need to be strong to survive, you’ll have to stay strong as well. Here is a great list of workouts you can do on the run or when you’re cooped up in a storage shed for three days.

 

Beginner Body Weight Workout

 

Body weight circuits are a phenomenal way to get stronger and leaner. Every exercise involved utilizes multiple muscle groups, gets your heart rate pumping, and burns tons of calories. This workout can be done almost anywhere: your backyard, kitchen, a park, etc.

 

In a circuit routine, you’ll do each exercise in succession without stopping in between.  Once you’ve finished all exercises in the circuit, you do it again.  If you’re still feeling good after a second full run, go for a third. 

 

Since all of the exercises come one after another, you’re going to get tired sooner or later.  Remember that it’s better to stop and rest than to do a rep half-heartedly (and therefore incorrectly).  If you’re unable to do all three circuits without stopping, that gives you a concrete goal towards which to work.

 

ALWAYS warm up.  Get your heart rate pumping and get your muscles warm (and more flexible) or you’re going to find yourself in a world of hurt—probably sooner than later.  If time is short, trim your workout down, leave your warm up as it is. 

 

There are a variety of options for warming up: You can run in place, jump rope, do a few push-ups, jog up and down the stairs, etc.  Don’t exhaust yourself, just aim to get your heart moving and maybe sweat a little.  After the warm up, here is exactly what you need to do:

 

         20 body weight squats
         10 push ups
         20 walking lunges
         10 dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug)
         15 second plank
         30 Jumping Jacks

 

Useful Tips:

 

         Always stretch after your workout. All the lifting has contracted your muscles and in order to rebuild, they need to be stretched back out.

 

         If you’re not yet a master of any of the exercises (like squats or lunges), it’s okay to use something to steady yourself (chair, balance beam, whatever).

 

         For the body weight squats, imagine you’re sitting back into a chair. Aim to sit down and immediately stand up again, the goal is to achieve balance by getting back up without having to lean forward.

 

         For the lunges, keep your eyes ahead and your upper body completely vertical.

 

         Regardng rows: If you don’t have dumbbells, think milk jugs, buckets of stones, etc. Essentially anything heavy (with a handle) will do. Find something that is challenging to lift 10 times in a row.

 

         This routine is meant to be done 2-3 times a week, but never on consecutive days. Remember that muscle is built during rest periods, not during workouts.