I use very little weights but maximize my household items in my supplemental training. What sort of devices have you utilized?
I’ve invented various exercises and routines using anything in my room or basement I can find.
Three exercises I am currently experimenting with are:
Throwups
Hanging situps
Beer walks
the beer walks sound fun how do you do it/ what benefits do you get?
I’ve used sand bags of varying weight (50-200 lbs), 5 gallon buckets full of water or sand, kettlebells, and my own bodyweight. After using all those, I’ve come full circle to see why almost all pro-athletes use weights combined with aerobic/anaerobic training to condition themselves… because they work the best!
somehow i’m guessing the “throwups” come AFTER the “beer walks”???
=)
Beer walks are intense if done properly and focus mainly on the forearms, the triceps, abs and lower back.
To perform the beer walk;
hold an empty beer in each hand
start with just your knees and the bottoms of the beer bottles in each hand. . Then walk your hands out as far as you can without touching the ground with your body. Try to get them as overhead as possible and then slowly walk back.
Eventually the goal is to do them on your toes and go straight out and then back
Throwups
simply lie on your back and throw a medicine ball or a small punching bag into the air. Upon catching it, pull your knees to your chest and crunch your body and use the momentum to stand up. As you stand up, holding under the ball, swing it upwards with a large arc and throw it into the air above your head. When it comes down catch it and then squat down and back onto the floor.
Lots of fun
Unconventional is defintely the word for those. You are far more brave then I am using beer bottles…hope they don’t break on you.
I am, though, having a heck of a time figuring how the “beer walk” hits the tris…sounds like you have to keep your arms locked throughout the movement, yes? Not a lot of tri recruitment there it seems.
Throwups sounds like you are combining a few different exercises. The crunchup with the ball part is a Pilates movement. The ground throw is a basic plyometric move. This is just my opinion, but it seems to me like you might get more muscle-specific results from breaking the movements up. For instance, you don’t see a lot of guys perform a bench press rep, bring it down, roll up off the bench then throw the weight in the air. But again, that’s just my opinion. If it works for you, cool. 
hey there
Try finding some5 -10 L water contianers fill them up and start walking holding them by your sides.
I like good old pack walking but its best done out in the bush.
I have a 1-inch diameter, 3 foot long steel bar that I “workout” with.
I have a forearm thingie: tie a rope around a heavy weight, tie the other end around a shortened broomstick or something similar. Then holding the ‘handle’ in both hands, slowly wrap the rope around the middle of the handle, kind of “winding” the weight up from the ground to your hands, then back down, and just before it gets to the ground, reverse and repeat. This has to be done slowly. I think I got this from the Tao of Jeet Kune Do or some Bruce Lee book.
SCUBA DIVING WEIGHTS!
You can get them in nearly any weight (from 1/2lb to probably 40lb) The kinds that are basically just shot poored into a mesh bag are the best, you can throw those around without worrying about really breaking anything (like tables and floorboards etc.)
You can get the kind that have zippers and handles, so you can add as much shot as you want. I like to keep a 5lb one and a 10lb one at my desk at work, much fun.
heavy weapons, brass rings and leg weights.
Instead of using a rattan staff, I use a double dragon oak staff.
I do sets with brass rings and do regular workouts with leg weights.
I have never used wushu performance weapons and always use full/true weighted swords, knives and halbierds. Nor do I use the tapered or thin staffs that one sees, only rattan for performance and heavy oak for working out and basics.
peace
The triceps is targeted in a constant pressure. While you walk out one at a time, the triceps holds you up.
How about
swinging an ax…
I did this one today. I had a friend who needs to clear out space in his backyard and there were some fallen trees back there that need to be chopped up so it can be hauled off. Man, thats tough stuff. We took turns taking hacks at the timber and we got pretty tired. It seemed like a good upper body workout.
Just a thought…
How about you just start doing laboring jobs;)
Axes are excellent workouts as well as hauling all the wood you’ll be cutting up. Also portaging and rowing a boat at sea is an excellent back workout.
Another couple I’ve pulled out of my ass are:
High Walking
Rollies
Throwing Randow Heavy Objects
Scale a Wall
Walking on your hands
High walking is simple; as you walk raise your heel for every step and fiercely flex your calves to achieve maximum height. Looks stupid but works and makes walking interesting.
Rollies; lay on your back and raise your entire body three or so inches off the ground with just your ass on it. Now roll over to the left onto your hip and then to the right. That’s one. Keep going and feel a complete abdomen workout.
Throwing heavy objects and scaling a wall are pretty straight forward as well as walking on your hands.
I got a good one for the abs and the lower back. Its called “The Thinker.” To do it you have to get down in the pushup position, but instead of putting your hands on the ground you rest your elbows on the ground and your hands on your chin. Keep the rest of your body off the ground and you will feel the burn after a little bit.
“The Thinker”! Great! That sounds good I will do it next workout. Have you ever played Hackey Sack? That’ll do your cooridination, balance a workout. Fun too.
Originally posted by tri2bmt
Have you ever played Hackey Sack? That’ll do your cooridination, balance a workout. Fun too.
I am always playing hackey sack in school. I usually get in trouble for it and any martial arts or meditation that I do. It does help with coordination though.
Dinosaur training
Hey.
The exercise with two heavy weights in each hand that you then walk with is called the farmer’s walk. Dumbells are the best to use at first; it will strengthen your legs, back and grip–make sure you use somethinhg that will assist your grip.
Lifting akward objects will build your strength too.
There is a training referrede to as Dinsosuar trainign where they do such a thing.
They lift anvils, or canvas bags filled with sand or weight plates; the shifting weight needs more control than a standard plate.
Try this: Take a barbell weight, at least 35 pounds, and try to pick it up by the edge and lift it up. Hard. Or, for forearm, lift a sledgehammer by the handle and try to lift it up with one hand.
How about bending freebar with your bare hands. (you know that stuff that is placed inside the cement to add support.)
OR wearing a 30 pound vest with 2.5 pound leg weights at all times.
Or Attaching some 5 foot long bungie cords to tree trunks. Get a hold of them and stand a few feet away and start punching away.
Rock climing(enuff said).
Get a large back pack and fill it with a rock ever few miles. And don’t stop until it is full.
Get some rope and make a harness. Attach the ropes to your car or truck and start pulling your car to
where you want to go:)
Jump on Jupiter(not possible. ha ha ha)
Unconventional Strength Training
What do you do for strength that isn’t exactly mainstream? I like activities that have multiple purposes, which I call true multitasking.
I walk fair distances at work and purposely carry a briefcase. I’d estimate it may get up to 20lbs or more.
I just finished splitting 4 cords of wood.
How about you?
To clarify, I’m interested in how people integrate strength training into their existing routine / life instead of an actual workout. For example, squeezing a gripper during a subway commute.