I got LUCKY.
I Found myself a GREAT playground, still in need of finding pull up bars and dip bars that are up HIGH so my feet don't drag on the ground.
I've seen these "advanced playgrounds" in videos outside of the states & in the suburbs of NYC, but I fear there is a conspiracy to keep people weak by removing playgrounds all around the country.
We filmed a TON of footage at this playground for the new Bodyweight Training Course.
Now, although I've been cranking LOTS of bodyweight workouts at the playground lately, you might be asking how I train the lower body.... GREAT question, as I wonder the same when I see the BEASTS on the playgrounds, it's ALL Upper Body work and NO lower body training.
Remember: If you wanna be as strong as a house, you gotta build the foundation (your legs!).
I mountain bike 2 x week now, yesterday I took a solo trek on the mountain bike for about 2 hours in the brutal heat and it felt GREAT. The bike riding is brutal on the legs and great for conditioning.
I also sprint outside in front of my house once or twice a week and perform jumps outside as well.
I also do the bodyweight exercises for lower body found inside The Convict Conditioning Training Manual.
And, I have been hitting some VERY light deadlifts 2 x week to keep the legs and back strong. Nothing crazy on the deads, but enough to feel em'. I found that if you kill the deadlift, it will kill you. I keep a bar loaded in my garage with 275 or 325 and perform 3 - 5 reps at a time. Grease the Groove style.
My training goes in waves kind of like the seasons. When it's warm outside I want to spend more time outdoors. I want to train outdoors. I want the fresh air. I will run and get outside with a Kettlebell in my backyard and go through Bells and Bodyweight.
In the Winter I will lift heavier and get more barbell strength training in.
The key is to never sway more to one side than the other unless you are training for something specifically.
Any questions you have, feel free to post them below in the comments section.
Live The Code 365
--Z--
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18 Responses
My 9 year olds BW workout “the VIRUS”.
2 rounds of…
-4 full burpees
-4 wide pull ups
-4 12″ box jumps
-4 cg pull ups
-4 plyo push ups
-once finished take one rep away from each exercise and repeat. When you reach 1 rep on each exercise you have finished one round. Rest/repeat.
I have done this workout with my son. Its pretty kick-ass and if your pressed for time should take less than 15 minutes.
B. Black
Big Z, hey brotha – i don’t put shit on here much, but i’m always rocking bodyweight workouts so i thought i’d drop a few ideas. i’m a Crossfitter and an Undergrounder and i love to mix the two. My best bodyweight workouts are a combo of running and various exercises – something like Crossfit’s “Murph” and one of your MOS challenge workouts rolled into one. Start w/ endurance work – usually 40 to 50yd sprints, 10-15 reps, or a mile. Then i’ll crank out a couple sets of opposing movements, ie. pullups and dips, rows and pushups, squats and lunges/step ups – keeping reps about 12-15ea. The next round of exercises will all be dynamic, ie. jumping pullups or burpees, more dips/rows, plyo pushups, squat jumps or box jumps, walking lunges or lunge jumps. Then, when everything is good and gased i’ll crank out a round of iso holds for as long as i can, ie. holding pullups, wall sits, holding pushups – you get the idea. To finish i’ll do more endurance work – various sprints, jump rope tabata, rowing, or maybe another mile. Nothing fancy, just a good ‘ole fashioned ass kickin.
Hey Zach,
First time commenting. For lower body I’m a big fan of pistols. In a park setting like this, I might cycle through some pullups(gotta lock out those arms, brother!:) then pistols, then dips on those parallel bars. Maybe rounds of 5-10, or rounds of 10,9,8, etc.
BTW, looking HUGE, man! What are you putting in your shake? 😉
B
might need gloves for ropes(?) @ the end … but theres a playground (few actually) not to far from me, the best one is @ the community center. It has a dragon theme, very child friendly, but a climbing cargo net is real nice, imitation stones make for good plyo work, slides for decline and incline pushups, another line of ropes that you navigate from one to the next, makes good body rows. Fun and makes you real get creative with your movements. No bars for dips though, but another playground has them. I dont know about kickass with these movements, but I feel them.
I follow the Convict Conditioning style of training. At present I train 4x per week in the manner of “Good behavior.” That means that on day 1, 2 and 3, I follow what is in the book (and may I add I’m feeling it big time even on level 3 for all of the exercises). Being a student of the martial arts however, I want to ge a little conditioning in so on day 4, I go to a Mountain park in the middle of our city and follow the trail for some road work. Once I reach the trail at the bottom, I walk followed by a light jog and I’ll do whatever comes to mind such as go into a sprint for 20 seconds. Rather than stop, I continue walking and go into a push up frenzy and then walk again and get into burpees. The great thing about this trail is there are trees good enough to crank out some pull ups. You get the idea. Once I reach the top of the trail, I take a breather and walk back down with the same idea. The one rule is you don’t stop. About 2 hours later, I’m beat.
Here is the workout. It takes about 40 minutes to do. All you need for this is a pull-up bar. You will do three sets, try for the number of reps listed. After each time going through the circuit run 400 yards. Then rest 1-2min.
1a) Pull-ups Palms facing away 15,20,10
1b) Jump Squats 15,20,10
1c) Plyometric push-ups 15,20,10
1d) Jumping Lunges 15 per side, 20 per side, 10 per side
1e) Handstand Push-ups 10,12,8
1f) Chin-ups Palms facing you 15,20,10
1g) Plank 45 seconds, 60 seconds, 30 seconds
1h) Hanging Leg Raises 10,12,8
1i) Burpees (no push-up) 15,20,10
1j) 8 Count Body Builders 15,20,10
When I’m short on time or need to deload from heavy weights I hit this workout
1.Pyramid from 10 down to 1 and back up to 10:
a.) pushups any kind
b.) V ups
c.) squat jumps
2.) run mile for time
3.) 50 pull ups (get it done… rest as needed)
or I’ll do 30 sand bag loads with half my body weight onto chest high platform.
4.) cool down stretch maybe some roll outs or I’ll warm uo with roll outs
Hey Z,
Couldn’t you curl your body up under you and use those parallel bars for some form of dips? And at the ens of both sets of monkey bars have atleast a lil bit of space between rung and up pipes…..
This is the exact workout that ripped my right callus off my hand last friday. All playground… all bodyweight…BANG
WU and mobility
1. High Pull Up Bar Muscle Up’s (I can cheat a few singles)
2. Squat to Pull up’s 3 x 8
3. Monkey bar side shuffles
3a. Monkey bar fat bar alternating hand climbs
3b. Jump Lunges 3 x 10
4. Explosive dip bar dips
4a. feet elevated chest clap push up’s
4b. feet elevated inverted rows
5. Fence plyo hop to 40 yard sprint 5 reps
I’m diggin’ ALL these ideas, guys, BIG thanks! Some brutal WOs going down!!!
Brett – 22 years of busting my ass 🙂
Dan – I dig the trail workout, I’ve done this as well, in area where I go mtn biking!
Sean – holy s**t, so you run 2 1/2 miles plus all the calisthenics? LEGIT!
Zach – you’re an Undergrounder now, I dif it!!
Here is the workout I did today:
Hill sprints 5 up a hill and 5 down a hill take a 30 sec rest
Go back home did 2×5 one arm assisted pull ups both hands 30 sec rest
Did 1 x1 one arm pull up both hands was tried by then or I would do more 30 sec rest
Did 1×3 muscle ups and finished for morning in the evening i was ready again and did it again all
Note the reason I can do a one arm pull up I think is because I weigh at 125 pounds I can’t get any muscle I don’t know why but always get stronger and for some excises I didn’t count my rest but I know it was a low rest.
This workout i came up with at our gym , it s similar to the 300 workout i wanted to do a workout that was hard but people of all levels of fitness can do. my best Time is 15:55 the beat time at our gym is 13 :45 .
The 500
50 burpees
100 pushups
100 crunches
100 asisted chins
100 squats (body weight.)
50 burpees.
Next week we are taking a family vacation to take my son down to college. He will be playing football at Azusa Pacific University in L.A. so we are going to cruise down the coast and spend a week on vacation.
Camp starts Aug 7 and he’s been hitting the weights hard the past 6 seeks so this will be a perfect de-load week – we’ll search out playgrounds, parks, beaches and have some fun bodyweight training, vacation style!
I am SO EXCITED!!!
Here’s a workout I do for conditioning. It really taxes the cardio system all exercises except pullups are done in plyometric manner as quickly as possible. All 12 exercises for 10 reps each = 1 circuit.
1. Speed Skaters*
2. Crossover Push ups*
3. Lateral Jumps*
4.Typewriter Pull up
4. Typewriter Pull up
5. Scissor Lunge*
6. Alternating Staggered Push up*
7. Forward and Backward Jump Squat
8. Commando Pull up
9. 180 Jump Squat*
10. Clock Push up (1/4 turn)*
11. Jumping Jack Squat
12. Over/Under Grip Pull up
* = both sides equals 1 rep
3rd circuit is brutal. I usually start reaching muscle failure before 10 reps in round 3.
Simple fast paced routine we used in wrestling season after practice, we don’t strength train but I wish we did.
100 push ups
200 v ups
50 diamonds
For time, in no specific order, when finished run back and forth in the wrestling room until everyone is done
A go-to workout i do that is all body-weight: Big-ass deck of cards conditioning. The big choice is how many lifts. Start with 3. Say, pushups, suspension rows, bw squats. Draw a card, do that many of each exercise. Time it to see how long it takes you. Next time try to beat previous time. 4 exercises? Add a v-up or kb swing. The swing ill do for a flat 10 per card. If im out of shape, it takes over an hour. But dont be afraid to occasionally do this at a more leisurely pace. If too difficult, shuffle the deck, split in half. Do one half.
Btw, face cards = 10. Jokers, if includes = 20!!!
Have fun!