Here's a quick circuit to blast through that will have you feeling the burn, just using your own bodyweight
While adding resistance and doing plenty of weight training is good, there's more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, and a bodyweight circuit can be a great way to really push yourself, even if you think it might not be too difficult.
Scott Herman has a great routine already put together that you can watch in the video below, but we'll run you through the few moves that you'll need to know first.
For the full workout, do four rounds of this circuit, taking as little or as much rest as you need. You might be leaning towards the latter, but as your fitness improves you should notice you're cutting down on your time as well.
Pullups
As we've said a few times, this is a classic but is still one of the best exercises out there. It works your entire upper body, and it's really difficult, which of course means that it's working. Scott's one tip on this one is to make sure that you stay on the bar for all 15 reps, instead of jumping down to take a break.
Box jumps
Another great exercise for explosive strength training, the box jump is one that you should definitely have in your weekly routines. The key here is to explode up off the ground and on to the top of the box, making sure that both feet land at the same time. Any good gym should have a few different sizes of box jump, so make sure to start small and build up. Make sure that you only take a small dip down and explode up, rather than getting all the way down into a squad position, or lower, as you should aim to practice a functional movement that you would be able to replicate outside the gym. If you find that you need to bend your knees beyond 90° to get the power you need for the jump, lower the height of the box. Once you hit your landing position, stand up, and step down off the box slowly and carefully.
Again, do 15 reps of this exercise, taking as little or as much of a break as you need when transitioning or in between reps.
Leg lifts
Leg lifts are a great exercise to throw in any day that you're doing an upper body workout (JOE likes to superset them on the days we do chest exercises) and boy are they difficult. With a shoulder-width grip, jump up on to a pull up bar and put your legs together as they hang below you. With a controlled movement, lift both legs up so that they are moving towards a 90° angle to your body. Make sure that you get your knees up above the line of your hips.
In the video, Scott performs what he calls a Toe-to-bar, which is even more difficult than the leg lift, so if you feel that you can pull it off, then go for it, just make sure that you get the form right and don't sacrifice the numbers for doing the exercise right. Again, do 15 reps of this exercise.
Spiderman pushups
It might sound like great fun, but of course it's never as pleasant as it sounds. However it is a great exercise for both your core and your chest, so it's worth the effort. Assume a push up position and as you go down, twist your hips out slightly and bring your knees towards your elbow.
Reverse the movement to return to the starting position, and then do the same on the opposite leg, trying to touch your knee to your elbow. On this exercise, do ten on each leg, for a total of 20 reps overall.
If you want to get a look at some of the form for these exercises, then here's Scott admirably busting through the set so we don't have to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev70Ls7ldUs
One of the key factors with any workout program is nutrition, so make sure you get some protein to help maintain and grow muscle mass. For something that’s delicious, try Mooju chocolate milk. With over 10g of protein in a 250ml container, as well as carbohydrate, Mooju is a great choice for your workout.
Hat-tip to Scott Herman Fitness. Check out his vids for more great ideas
