4 WORKOUT OPTIONS FOR A STALE ROUTINE

Are your workouts getting dull and boring?? Are you stuck in a routine that lacks spice and enthusiasm? Well here are 4 workout options you can use to improve your workouts and give your workouts brand new life!

I believe every now and then its good to add a new workout style. Are you a  traditionalist? The typical gym goer who does 20-40 mins of treadmill walking and then hits the same ole machines working the same body parts every session? Or maybe you're workouts are more well rounded than those I previously mentioned, but they're getting stale. Are you spending too much time doing one thing? Come out of the dark ages for starters. There is tons of information out there to help you shape and design a more well balanced approach. To save you a little time, consider these options:

• Add Yoga!- Yoga can be a great addition to a traditional and somewhat stale workout routine. Yoga offers you the opportunity to learn a ton about yourself all while increasing mobility, flexibility, strength, and in some cases burning fat. Yoga is not for everyone, it requires a lot of patience and practice. But, once you have taken a few classes, you'll begin to notice subtle changes that may be a surprise to you. In addition to the benefits I already mentioned, yoga also helps speed up the muscle regeneration process, flush harmful toxins and increase blood flow. In short, Yoga can be a great addition or change to your program that can help you get a break from the norm and see an increase in health and vitality.

• Pool workouts! Pool work can be a tone of fun but can also be grueling. The great thing about this style of training is there is so much room for variety. You can do traditional lap work choosing one of the various types of swimming. You can also use the exercises some use for recovery from injury. Exercises like water sprints, treading water, and the different arm and leg eercises that will certainly give you a run for your money. Pool work and also can act as a recovery tool and be a refreshing change from the norm.

• MMA or kick boxing workouts! This may be my personal favorite. MMA training is the new craze and has been proven to produce dramatic results for the general population. MMA or Mixed Martial Arts is basically a general mix of many of the popular martial arts people have studied for years. A very short list of MMA styles include; Brazilian Jiu Juitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing and Kick Boxing. These styles of fighting all present extreme challenges and can all be effective for increasing aerobic/anaerobic fitness and helping with strength and fat loss. If you're a stand up type of person, you may want to try boxing or cardio kick boxing classes for a challenge. If you want to get a little more frisky, Muay Thai and BJJ can give you the challenge of your life! Trust me, if you want a change and can handle the challenge, these classes are for you. 

photo from Nick Catone's MMA Academy in Brick NJ
http://www.nickcatonefitness.com/
• Its important to remember to seek professional help on how to program this type of training into your normal routine. Training incorrectly can cause problems and induce more fatigue than may be necessary. A great source for understanding the biodynamics of MMA and how it can help you whether you're a high level fighter or a average person looking to train to maximize your potential is Joel Jamiesons' Ultimate MMA Conditioning book. This book give a detailed and very down to earth approach on how to train and when to do what. More importantly Joel inspires thought and doesnt just outline a 1 size fits all program for the readers. He instead teaches you the steps so that you can learn your body and get better results! 

• Strongman training variants! Strong man training is another form of extreme training that can be loads of fun and extremely hard. This will test your true grit and force you to find out the limits of how hard you want to push yourself. There are many variants out there than can be effective for you. The best options for the general population looking for a little exercise variety are; 

• tire flipping - this is a full body exercise that forces you bend, grip, pull, extend and push all at maximal efforts. Be sure to pick a tire you can handle and give it a whirl. If you're worried about injury, dont be. The tire is safe as long as you bend adequately using a vertical spine and drive with the legs. Be sure to keep the momentum going as you lift the tire to hip level and keep pressing forward until the tire is completely flipped on its opposite site. 3 - 5 sets of 4-5 flips will definitely give you a challenge and help keep things fresh and fun. 
• Sled dragging and pulling. These are great for building good hypertrophy and general conditioning. Sleds can be as heavy or as light as you can handle. Just be sure you have a safe towing surface. This exercise is tuff on the legs and grip/forearms. Done correctly they can be a great additive and very challenging. Most commercial gyms don't have sleds, so other variations would be car pushing or prowler pushing. A Prowler is a very unique piece of equipment that allows you to load weights and either push it from behind or pull it from in front. Again both variations present a different challenge and can test your full limits. Try pulling/pushing for distances of close to 30yards. Rest for 1-3 minutes and repeat. You can also change up the difficulty and intensity by going lighter and moving faster (running) or going heavier and somewhat shorter distances. Either way, give it a go.

farmers walks
• Farmers Walk. These are great for core conditioning and testing your true toughness. All you need is two relatively heavy dumbbells or farmers walk implements and walk a pretty significant distance. We usually go 30-40yds at a time and rest about 1-3minutes between sets. 

Im sure there are many more styles you could add to your workouts to give you an added challenge or spice up the routine. The goal is to think outside the box and have fun. These workout styles are all completely different and present challenges within themselves. Please choose exercises wisely and make sure you seek professional help before embarking on any workout program.

Get Strong Be Explosive!