You Think You re In Shape Until. Come on, don t BS me. You think you re in pretty decent shape. Then one day you do something a little different, something that has nothing to do with working out and you catch yourself winded, tired, maybe even struggling? What was it? Possibly a game of two hand touch Football with your son and the neighborhood kids? Maybe you cleaned out your garage and carried out all the junk to the side walk? Maybe you decided to warm up with 5 minutes of lay ups on the Basketball court but could barely make it past 2 minutes with out having to stop and catch your breath! This is where supersets and circuits come into play. In addition, if you re anything like me, super busy, you don t have 60 minutes to train every time. Sometimes I have 30 minutes or less and I must find a way to get that workout in! Here are a few ways to step up the intensity of your training to get your ass in shape! Remember though, being in shape can be very specific for what you do. This is why variety in your training endeavors are key here. Most of us would have a major problem if we tried surfing with Mike Stehle and Mike Hanley. Paddling out time after time through the waves for several hours at a time with no food or water breaks.
Try completing one of Jason C. Browns Kettlebell Couplet work outs and you ll feel like your heart is going to jump out of your chest! Let s see how we can up the ante and become more well rounded! Sled / Tire Work Out: I love sled training and hit the sled often in the spring, summer and fall. I did a long sled workout at Martin Rooney s facility and my legs practically fell off! Two of the guys in the group fell down and the other two guys were in major pain! It was a long walk (not sure of the distance) of approx. 150 200 ft. I ll assume. 1. forwards drag down and back 2. backwards drag down and back 3. sideways drag down and back 4. run with the sled down and back The sled was strapped to a weight lifting belt. This circuit was done non stop and only took 6 minutes or so, maybe slightly more? I get my athletes on the sleds doing this above workout for 10 12 minutes non stop before or after at least half of their workouts! No matter how strong they are under the weights, the sled always exposes their weaknesses and let s me know how well their GPP is!
Upper / Lower Body Supersets: This is one way to up the ante on your conditioning. It will also elevate your mental toughness because we all know that serious leg training kicks your ass enough when done alone, now follow it up with a loaded or non loaded upper body movement and we might need the bucket! Examples: 1. box squat & flat dumbbell bench 2. sandbag squat & pull ups 3. Barbell rows & dumbbell lunges 4. Log squat & rope climbing 5. Double Kettlebell squat & double kettlebell military press 6. Thick Bar Dead Lift & Flat Barbell Benching Start with the leg movement, rest 30 seconds 1 minute, then hit the upper body, rest a minute, repeat. Then, progress to doing two exercises in a row, then rest 1 minute after exercise # 2 and repeat.
Eventually you will be going back and forth non stop for desired sets per movement or for times rounds. 10 15 minute training rounds will thoroughly kick your ass when you do this style of training. Here is an example of how I used an upper body and lower body superset today (rest periods were only for changing weights): 1. warmed up thoroughly 2A. Box Squat 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 3, 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 3 2B. Flat DB bench 50 x 5, 60 x 5, 70 x 5, 85 x 5, 95 x 5, 5 Above, box squats using bands 3. 1 round of the combat complex, non stop, using 1.5 pood Kettlebell 1. snatch x 6 reps 2. clean & press x 6 reps 3. 2 hand squat x 10 4. 2 hand reverse lunge x 10 5. 1 arm high pull x 6 6. 1 arm row x 6 7. 2 hand swings x 12
That was a fast workout, and I cranked out everything I could in a short time. Tomorrow will be a small group of wrestlers so I ll be hitting a full work out with them. Often I don t train with my clients as that is their time, but, they like me to jump in and step up they wanna make sure I can Walk the Walk. The gym is my office, so I make sure I step it up big time and kick their ass with a fast paced workout. You can t show them you re tired or they ll eat you alive. Young athletes are like hungry sharks, they re always trying to knock off the Big Dogs! Three Way Circuit: This is where you will step up the upper / lower body superset method by adding a full body movement to the complex. I m wishing you luck now my friend Example: 1) Trap Bar Dead Lift 7 x 3 6 reps 2) Pull Ups 7 x max reps (varied grip every set) 3) 1 arm Dumbbell Snatch 7 x 7 left / right
I did the above workout before for seven sets, but you can also go for 10, 15 or 20 minutes getting as many rounds in as possible. Here is another example of a Three Way Circuit: 1. sandbag zercher squat 2. push ups / any variation 3. sledge hammer work x 20 reps per set, changing grip / sides at the 10 rep mark Above, sandbag zercher squat This style of training is very intense and will get your body working double time. It is time efficient and forces you to set goals. This is a great way to train with a partner or a few partners. Of course, if you re a Coach, training large groups, then partnering or grouping individuals together to work in 3 way circuits is great for organizing as well. The last ass kicker for you to try are some of Jason C Brown s favorites, but I warn you, they are TOUGH!
2 Movement Kettlebell Couplet Work out 1. walking swings (mark out a 20 ft distance for starters, longer for more advanced) 2. push ups x 20 3. Walking swings back to start point 4. Push ups x 18 5. Keep repeating, lowering push ups by 2 reps each set until finished. You can turn the above workout into a 3 movement Kettlebell Couplet by adding a pulling movement for upper body, pull ups would be the easiest choice here. The walking swings will hammer away at the legs, and then you include upper body push / pull. I actually did this work out a playground near by which has pull up bars and parallel bars. Yes, this park is a gem as pull up bars are growing extinct and parallel bars are definitely a rarity! Now it s time for you get in shape by turning up the ante with your workouts. I highly suggest getting in regular sled work asap since the weather is so great now. Don t let yourself get caught tired again! For more hard core training programs, articles and interviews go to the Ultimate resource for innovative training methods that bring home the results!