Are you always on the go, and can't find a gym, or are the ones that you do find not quite up to snuff? If you normally work out at home, and have limited access to heavy equipment, what can you use to add to your répertoire?
Look no further than furniture sliders! One of my favorite pieces of budget equipment, I keep a pair around the house, in the car, and always make sure to carry them on trips.
You may notice at your local sporting goods store a version made specifically for exercise, but don't waste your money, and just get a pack of these. They are pretty much the same thing if not better, since the surface area is larger. The going rate is roughly $12-15 for a set of four.
Once you have mastered the basic movements, there is a plethora of variations you can add to change things up. Have a blast!
Performing planks is one of the simpler, more effective methods of increasing core strength. If you are bored of the same old, you can make it slightly more challenging by incorporating the time tested Tabata Method, which follows a 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off scheme.
However, instead of resting at the 10 second interval, you will perform the following:
20 seconds to one side (left or right)
10 seconds to the front
20 seconds to the other side
Repeat until time is up
Of course, the prerequisite would be being able to hold a plank in each direction for 30 seconds to a minute nonstop. Add this to your repertoire, and you'll definitely notice an increase in core strength!
Are you tired of doing regular air squats, pistols, etc., but don't have any free weights to do weighted squats? One of the most effective exercises to develop leg strength and coordination is the Chinese squat (no pun intended). The only equipment you need is a flat wall and your own body!
When first trying it out, make sure not to go too fast, or you might end up on your duff! It takes a little bit of practice, but once you have it, you will be well on your way to a great leg workout.
One of the best ways to achieve the vaunted "time under tension" while doing bar work is to perform a combination of moves all in a row. This is one my personal favorites, which consists of front levers, ice cream makers, back levers, and pull ups.
Of course, before diving into this combo set, make sure you can are able to do each of the moves on their own without too much of a struggle. You can always piece together a few of your own favorite exercises as well, so feel free to get creative!
And by Globo Gym, I most likely am referring to 24 Hour Fitness, City Sports Club, or any other big box gym you can think of. Why the sudden outrage? Well, a few months ago, I already wrote about the sad state of calisthenics parks in our area, and likely around the country.
I was quite disappointed that my favorite calisthenics park finally succumbed to neglect by the city, but I was soon happy to find on Google Maps that there was an alternative not too far away.
Unfortunately, I'd never really had the time to check it out, but today was the fateful day I was finally able to go, only to see...
Darn Globo Gym! You can't tell from the photo, but there are still fresh holes in the ground from where the pillars used to stand.
Why direct my frustration at big box gyms, you ask? Well, the answer is simple. It is no coincidence that the time when gym chains started to proliferate exactly coincides with when these "parcourse" parks no longer became a priority. It's up to individuals like us to keep them alive before they are all gone forever!
The worst thing is that unlike the previous one, which was made out of wood, this one was entirely metal, so there was absolutely no way that it was crumbling. Oh well, fortunately, the kids area was relatively empty, and so I was able to make the most of it. Muscle ups on the swing anyone?
When it comes to working out on the bar, you often see individuals performing complex moves that test the boundaries of human strength. However, you don't necessarily have to try anything quite as daunting to get amazing results.
It all boils down to the basics - muscle ups, dips, and pull ups. As demonstrated in this video here, if performed only a few times per week, this simple superset is sure to provide stellar upper body development. Once these become easy, there are many different variations you can attempt. Happy training!
As mentioned on our old Posterous-hosted blog, we've moved over to our new home here at Posthaven! We've also taken the liberty to transfer all of our old posts, so you don't have to worry about not being able to find some of your favorites. However, since Posthaven is still working on ironing out the kinks, some of the features don't quite work yet, such as the index, and the formatting also may be a little bit off.
Thanks for visiting, and we hope you enjoy reading our content. As always, be safe, and have a fun workout!
The notion of "going to the gym" for an hour or two per day is an entirely modern idea concocted to make up for an entire day of sitting behind a desk. The bottom line is that the human body was not designed to sit sedentarily all day, nor was it meant to compensate for this by fiddling with metallic weights and machinery at an indoor facility for a few hours immediately after a long state of stagnation.
Over the course of thousands of years, humans have evolved to create the perfect physique for hunting, gathering, farming, etc. all day long. This is why you often see individuals with labor intensive jobs who are still ripped to shreds without ever "lifting weights." They are doing what their body was made to do.
So, what if you work at an office? No need to worry. Since exercise equipment is limited, the best way to emulate what the human body was created for is to do calisthenics and other natural bodyweight movements such as parkour throughout the day in short spurts. You can always perform push ups, pull ups, squats etc. every top of the hour or every time you take a restroom break. Best of all, you save a ton of time by not needing to head to the gym.
And by "TUT," we are not referring to good old King Tutankhaman, nor the dance moves that are named after him, but in this instance, it stands for "Time Under Tension." When it comes to calisthenics, in order to build muscle, it's not about how many reps you can bang out in a row, nor the amount of weight pushed or pressed, but rather, as the name suggests, how much time you put your muscles under pressure, or tension.
See how the gymnasts do long sets on the rings, parallel bars, and pommel horse? That is what is referred to as time under tension, and is the very thing that allows them to create such massive musculature. Doing a 100+ push ups every day, while an impressive feat in its own right, will not give you that long sought after shredded physique. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that your strength and endurance may have gone through the roof, your body may not look much different at all.
As demonstrated by the gymnasts, time under tension is accomplished by performing long, drawn out, continuous sets with multiple movements. For example, on the bars, you can start with muscle ups, then move onto front levers, back levers, ice cream makers, pull ups, etc. all back-to-back, nonstop. Basically, you just keep going until you get gassed. The same can be done on the floor, with varying positions of push ups, handstands, planche (or planche progressions), etc. Just remember to do each rep in a slow and controlled motion. The idea is not to do as many as you can, as fast as you can, but to be able to feel the tension on your muscles for the entire duration.
For an example of "TUT" in action, check out this video. It's one of our favorites. ;-)
Not too long ago, I wrote an article about the pathetic state of calisthenics parks aka parcourse in the area. Well, no need to worry about that anymore. I was going about my morning routine the other day when I was rudely greeted by this.
The weird thing was that I was just at this park a few weeks ago filming my promotional video for MEELectronics. *Please vote for us by "Liking" the video on YouTube!*
I can't help but think that perhaps it was I who contributed to the demise of the park with my moves. Then again, I was merely doing what the equipment should have been intended for... had it actually been maintained properly. Good thing I wasn't actually working my magic when it collapsed! Then again, I could have sued the city for millions! Darn... missed opportunities are the story of my life.
To top if off, I got accosted by a homeless dude for infringing on his territory. The local parks and recreation will be receiving an e-mail shortly.
