20 minute workouts posted Monday thru Saturday requiring little or no equipment to complete.
Saturday 31 Jan 2009: RUN FOR DISTANCE
Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.
Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.
Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.
Post results to Comments.
Friday 30 Jan 2009: JR + PU/SU
Jump/Skip rope in 30/30 intervals for twenty minutes performing quick sets of calisthenics during the rest intervals.
This is a challenging workout, but it is effective and very satisfying to complete. During the thirty seconds between sets of rope skipping you will complete a brief set of an additional exercise. Alternate sets of push-ups and sit-ups so that you perform ten sets of each during the twenty minutes.
You do not have long to perform each set. You also will need extra time to transition from skipping to pushing or crunching and back again. Plan to keep the sets small (e.g. 5-20 reps) and allow ~5 seconds for the first transition and 5-10 seconds for the transition back to the rope.
Start with sets of push-ups and sit-ups smaller than you think you can handle. This is a conditioning drill, not a strength workout.
This does not have to be done at an all-out sprint. Find a rhythm and work from one exercise to the other.
Advanced
Complete ten sets of:
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Push-ups
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Sit-ups
Intermediate - Basic
Complete ten sets of:
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Crunches
30/30 Interval = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Post results to Comments.
Thursday 30 Jan 2009: SPRINT PYRAMID
- 5 minutes - Run or Run-walk
- 10 seconds – Sprint
- 1 minute – Recovery
- 15 seconds – Sprint
- 1 minute – Recovery
- 20 seconds – Sprint
- 90 seconds – Recovery
- 30 seconds – Sprint
- 90 seconds – Recovery
- 20 seconds – Sprint
- 1 minute – Recovery
- 15 seconds – Sprint
- 1 minute – Recovery
- 10 seconds – Sprint
- 1 minute – Recovery
- 5 minutes - Run or Run-walk
Post results to Comments.
Wednesday 28 Jan 2009: ALT PULL-PU OTM
ALTERNATE PULL-UPS AND PUSH-UPS
ON THE MINUTE
Perform a set of pull-ups or push-ups at the top of every minute for twenty minutes. Perform pull-ups on the odd numbered minutes (1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19) and push-ups on the even numbered minutes (2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20). You will perform ten sets of each exercise. The alternating pattern will allow you to do more reps and/or more challenging reps in each set than you could do in superset fashion.
Advanced:
- Pull-ups or Chin-ups
- Push-ups, Dips, Handstand PU, or other challenging variation
Intermediate:
- Partial, Assisted, and/or Jumping Pull-ups
- Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
Basic:
- Bodyrows
- Knee Push-ups
Post results to Comments.
Tuesday 27 Jan 2009: B-CIRCUITS
B-CIRCUITS
Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes.
If you are not accustomed to plyometric training or are obese, perform the Basic WOD.
Advanced:
- 12 Short Range Squat Jumps
(Half-Squat Jumps: Squat until your elbows touch your knees and thighs are parallel to ground and then jump for height or distance) - 12 Full Range Squat Jumps
(Deep Squat Jumps: Squat deep until your hands touch the ground and then jump for height or distance) - 20 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
(Squat while maintaining conscious tension of the leg muscles)
Intermediate:
- 6 Short Range Squat Jumps
- 6 Full Range Squat Jumps
- 10 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
Basic:
- 5 Half-Squat Jumps
- 10 Lunges (Each leg)
- 10 Calf Raise and Flex
Are you tempted to cheat on the jump as your legs become tired? Try Traveling B-Circuits by jumping for distance instead of height. Try to cover the same total distance on each circuit as the workout progresses to ensure that you are pushing yourself adequately.
Post results to Comments.
B-Circuits are covered in Bryce's excellent booklet Fitness Secrets of the Road Ninja. I also highly recommend The Booklet of Bodyweight Power and A Mighty River of Steel.
Monday 26 Jan 2009: 5BX
This circuit can be performed virtually anywhere. It requires very little room to complete. When time crunched, try performing a single circuit (10 minutes) for a quick physical and mental boost.
Complete two of the following circuits in twenty minutes.
- 2 minutes - Sun Salutations
- 1 minute - Squats
- 1 minute - Push-ups
- 1 minute - Sit-ups or Leg Raises
- 5 minutes - Jump Rope, Jumping Jacks, or Run in Place
Modifications for Intermediate and Basic trainees
- Perform Half-Squats instead of Squats
- Perform Knee Push-ups instead of Push-ups
- Perform Crunches instead of Sit-ups
- Perform Cardio Exercise 30/30 style (30 sec. work, 30 sec. rest)
Post results to Comments.
Saturday 24 Jan 2009: RUN FOR DISTANCE
Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.
Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.
Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.
Post results to Comments.
Friday 23 Jan 2009: 90/30 CALS
PUSH-UP, LEG LEVER, TUCK JUMP
Today's training session involves 90 seconds of continuous calisthenics alternated with 30 seconds of rest.
Perform ten circuits in twenty minutes.
Advanced:
- 30 seconds: Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
- 30 seconds: Leg Levers
(Lie on your back with your legs straight and your hands under your hips to provide lower back support. Keeping your legs straight, raise them until your legs are at a 45 degree or greater angle. Lower them again but stop short of touching your feet to the floor. Repeat.) - 30 seconds: Tuck Jumps
(Perform a squat jump but in midair bring your knees to your chest.) - 30 seconds: Rest
Intermediate:
- 30 seconds: Knee Push-ups
- 30 seconds: Reverse Crunches
(Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your feet and curl your knees toward your chest.) - 30 seconds: Squat Jumps
- 30 seconds: Rest
Basic:
- 30 seconds: Countertop Push-ups
- 30 seconds: Reverse Crunches
(Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your feet and curl your knees toward your chest.) - 30 seconds: Half Squats
- 30 seconds: Rest
Post results to Comments.
Thursday 22 Jan 2009: SPRINT + JUMP
SPRINT + JUMP
Complete ten circuits of the following in twenty minutes.
Advanced:
- Sprint: 15 seconds
- Tuck Jumps: 5 seconds
(Perform a squat jump but in midair bring your knees to your chest.) - Rest: 100 seconds
Intermediate:
- Sprint: 15 seconds
- Squat Jumps: 5 seconds
(Squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then jump into the air. Land softly.) - Rest: 100 seconds
Basic:
- Sprint: 10-15 seconds
- Half-Squat: 10 seconds
(Squat until your thighs are almost parallel to the ground.) - Rest: 95-100 seconds
Post results to Comments.
Wednesday 21 Jan 2009: PULL OTM
Perform a set of pull-ups at the top of every minute for twenty minutes.
Post results to Comments.
Tuesday 20 Jan 2009: LOWER BODY STRENGTH
Complete ten of the following circuits in twenty minutes.
Advanced:
- 45/15 Squats
- 45/15 Lunges
Intermediate-Basic:
- 30/30 Half-Squats
- 30/30 Lunges
45/15 = 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
30/30 = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Post results to Comments.
Monday 19 Jan 2009: SPARTAN RUN #3
Get ready. This one is tough.
Complete the following circuit in twenty minutes.
- Max Pull-ups in 1 minute
- Run 2 minutes
- Max Sit-ups in 1 minute
- Run 2 minutes
- Max Push-ups in 1 minute
- Run 2 minutes
- Max Pull-ups in 30 seconds
- Run 2 minutes
- Max Sit-ups in 30 seconds
- Run 2 minutes
- Max Push-ups in 30 seconds
- Run 2 minutes
- Max Pull-ups in 30 seconds
- Max Sit-ups in 30 seconds
- Max Push-ups in 30 seconds
- Run 2 minutes
Intermediate and Basic trainees should substitute as necessary:
- Partial/Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows for Pull-ups
- Crunches for Sit-ups
- Knee Push-ups for Push-ups
- Powerwalking for Running
- 30/30 or 15/15 Calisthenic Intervals for 1 minute or 30 second assigned Intervals
(E.g. 30/30 Bodyrows instead of 1 minute Pull-ups; 15/15 Knee PU instead of 30 seconds Push-ups)
There are no assigned rest intervals in this WOD except as modified above. Your body will learn to recover "on the run" (literally). Pace yourself as necessary.
Post results to Comments.
Saturday 17 Jan 2009: RUN FOR DISTANCE
Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.
Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.
Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.
Post results to Comments.
Friday 16 January 2009: BP + PULL CHALLENGE
BURPEE + PULL-UP CHALLENGE
Today's workout involves back-to-back ten minute challenges.
Advanced:
- Perform as many burpees as possible in ten minutes
- Perform as many pull-ups as possible in ten minutes
Intermediate:
- Perform as many squat thrusts as possible in ten minutes
- Perform as many partial, assisted, or jumping pull-ups as possible in ten minutes
Basic:
- Perform as many jumping jacks as possible in ten minutes
- Perform as many body rows as possible in ten minutes
Post results to Comments.
Thursday 15 January 2009: CRAWL...SPRINT #2
Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes.
- 30 seconds Bear Crawl
- 15 seconds Sprint
- 30 seconds Crab Crawl
- 15 seconds Sprint
Advanced trainees should rest as necessary between rounds.
Intermediate and Basic trainees should rest as necessary during each round.
30/30 = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, repeat for specified repetitions
15/45 = 15 seconds work, 45 seconds rest, repeat for specified repetitions
Post results to Comments.
Wednesday 14 January 2009: DIPS + CHINS
The tried and true bodybuilder...
Perform sets of Dips and Chin-ups back to back for twenty minutes. Rest between supersets as necessary (e.g. set of dips, set of chins, rest, repeat).
Options for performing dips include parallel bars, positioning the hands on the backs of two chairs, or using the corner of a countertop.
Intermediate and Basic trainees should substitute chair dips, push-ups, or knee push-ups as necessary.
Post results to Comments.
Tuesday 13 Jan 2009: B-CIRCUITS
B-CIRCUITS
Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes.
If you are not accustomed to plyometric training or are obese, perform the Basic WOD.
Advanced:
- 12 Short Range Squat Jumps
(Half-Squat Jumps: Squat until your elbows touch your knees and thighs are parallel to ground and then jump for height or distance) - 12 Full Range Squat Jumps
(Deep Squat Jumps: Squat deep until your hands touch the ground and then jump for height or distance) - 20 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
(Squat while maintaining conscious tension of the leg mucles)
Intermediate:
- 6 Short Range Squat Jumps
- 6 Full Range Squat Jumps
- 10 High Tension Bodyweight Squats
Basic:
- 5 Half-Squat Jumps
- 10 Lunges (Each leg)
- 10 Calf Raise and Flex
Are you tempted to cheat on the jump as your legs become tired? Try Traveling B-Circuits by jumping for distance instead of height. Try to cover the same total distance on each circuit as the workout progresses to ensure that you are pushing yourself adequately.
Post results to Comments.
B-Circuits are covered in Bryce's excellent booklet Fitness Secrets of the Road Ninja. I also highly recommend The Booklet of Bodyweight Power and A Mighty River of Steel.
Monday 12 Jan 2009: HT-SM PU/PULL
PUSH-UPS & PULL-UPS
Today's workout uses high tension techniques and slow reps to increase the difficulty of two of our favorite bodyweight exercises: the push-up and the pull-up. High tension involves a conscious, greater than necessary contraction of the muscles involved in each exercise. Imagine that you are pressing or pulling a tremendous weight as you perform each exercise. Slow motion will also be utilized on each rep to enhance the difficulty. Slow motion reps help increase the strength building value of the exercise while protecting the joints from injury.
Do not hold your breath during these exercises. If you find the reps too difficult to complete: Reduce the amount of tension you are generating, and/or Move to an easier version of the exercise.
The sets and reps listed below are suggestions. The idea is to perform five sets of each exercise with each set lasting approximately 0.5-1 minute and with 1-1.5 minutes of rest between sets. You may find it necessary to decrease the number of reps, increase the speed of the reps, or decrease the amount of tension being generated. Feel free to adjust the sets/reps as necessary.
- Perform one set of HT-SM Pushups at the top of every second minute for ten minutes. (On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th minutes)
- Perform one set of HT-SM Pull-ups at the top of every second minute for ten minutes. (On the 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th minutes)
Advanced:
- 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Pushups
(5-6 seconds down, 5-6 seconds up)
(Rest at least one minute between sets) - 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Pull-ups
(5-6 seconds down, 5-6 seconds up)
(Rest at least one minute between sets)
Intermediate:
- 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Knee Pushups
(3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
(Rest at least one minute between sets) - 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Lying Body Rows
(3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
(Rest at least one minute between sets)
Basic:
- 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Countertop Pushups
(3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
(Rest at least one minute between sets) - 5 x 5 High-tension, Slow-mo Standing Body Rows
(3-6 seconds down, 3-6 seconds up)
(Rest at least one minute between sets)
Post results to Comments.
Saturday 10 Jan 2009: RUN FOR DISTANCE
RUN FOR DISTANCE
Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.
Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.
Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.
Post results to Comments.
Friday 9 Jan 2009: JR + PU/SQ
Jump/Skip rope in 30/30 intervals for twenty minutes performing quick sets of calisthenics during the rest intervals.
This is a challenging workout, but it is effective and very satisfying to complete. During the thirty seconds between sets of rope skipping you will complete a brief set of an additional exercise. Alternate sets of push-ups and squats so that you perform ten sets of each during the twenty minutes.
You do not have long to perform each set. You also will need extra time to transition from skipping to pushing or squatting and back again. Plan to keep the sets small (e.g. 5-20 reps) and allow ~5 seconds for the first transition and 5-10 seconds for the transition back to the rope. Start with sets of push-ups and squats smaller than you think you can handle. This is a conditioning drill, not a strength workout.
This does not have to be done at an all-out sprint. Find a rhythm and work from one exercise to the other.
Advanced
Complete ten sets of:
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Push-ups
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Squats (e.g. Deep Knee Bend, Hindu, Sumo, Lunge, etc.)
Intermediate - Basic
Complete ten sets of:
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Push-ups (go to your knees if necessary)
- 30/30 Skipping Rope or Jumping Jacks
- A set of Half Squats
30/30 Interval = 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Post results to Comments.
Wednesday 7 Jan 2009: PU DROP SETS
- Feet Elevated PU
- Regular PU
- Knee PU
Intermediate:
- Regular PU
- Knee PU
- Countertop PU
- Knee PU
- Countertop PU
- Countertop PU (move feet closer to the countertop)
Post results to Comments.
Tuesday 6 Jan 2009: CONDITIONING CIRCUITS
Complete as many circuits as possible in twenty minutes.
Advanced:
- 30 seconds - Walking Lunges
- A set of Burpees
- Bear Crawl back to start
(Or 30 sec. crawl)
Intermediate - Basic:
- 20-30 seconds - Walking Lunges
- A set of Squat Thrusts
- Bear Crawl back to start
(Or 20-30 sec. crawl)
Post results to Comments.
Monday 5 Jan 2009: PFT
Advanced:
- Max Pull-ups in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Sit-ups in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Push-ups in 1 minute
- Rest 3 minutes
- Run 12 minutes for distance
Intermediate:
- Max Partial or Assisted Pull-ups or Body Rows
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Sit-ups or Crunches in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Push-ups in 1 minute
- Rest 3 minutes
- Run-walk 12 minutes for distance
Basic:
- Max Body Rows in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Crunches in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Knee Push-ups in 1 minute
- Rest 3 minutes
- Powerwalk 12 minutes for distance
Post results to Comments.
Saturday 3 Jan 2009: RUN FOR DISTANCE
Advanced:
Run for twenty minutes.
Intermediate:
Run-walk for twenty minutes.
Basic:
Powerwalk for twenty minutes.
Post results to Comments.
Friday 2 January 2009: 30/90 CALS + CARDIO
Perform five of the following circuits in twenty minutes.
- 30 seconds - A set of Push-ups
- 90 seconds - Cardio
- 30 seconds - A set of Pull-ups
- 90 seconds - Cardio
The sets of push-ups and pull-ups do not have to last the entire thirty seconds allotted for them. Simply perform a set based on your current ability, allowing adequate time to transition back to the cardio movement of your choice.
Cardio Suggestions:
- Jump Rope or Jumping Jacks or Squats
- Burpees or Squat Thrusts
- Running or Powerwalking
- Dumbbell/Kettlebell/Sand-jug Swings
- Heavy Bag Punching or Shadowboxing
Substitutions for Intermediate and Basic:
- Push-ups - Knee Push-ups
- Pull-ups - Partial, Assisted, or Jumping Pull-ups or BodyRows
Post results to Comments.