USMCHokie Posted July 7, 2010 Posted July 7, 2010 Lately at the gym, I've been getting kind of bored with some of the things I've been doing, so I'm looking towards the LS community for interesting new ideas. In particular, I'm looking for any creative and imaginative ideas of exercises and workouts that you've done or seen that are unique, challenging, and may even border on reckless, while looking hella cool (I'm probably the biggest attention whore you'll ever see at the gym... Remember, look good, play good!!! :laugh:) I'd also like this thread to be a collection of fitness and exercise ideas for those who are looking for something different or new. I know it'd probably be easier for me to ask this question to a fitness forum, but I'd like this to become a resource available to LS members. Something new I've been doing is a simple dead-hang pullup. However, at the dead hang, you have a partner who throw a 20 lb medicine ball at your stomach as hard as he can. Then you do another pullup...followed by another thrown ball to the gut...continue until you fall off the bar... DISCLAIMER: Don't be stupid and get hurt...
norajane Posted July 7, 2010 Posted July 7, 2010 Well, not so crazy and daring, but different and fun...belly dancing. I started taking classes a few years ago when I lived in San Francisco, and loved it. It's a fully body work out, actually, once you learn the different parts and pieces and put them together. And it works out muscles you didn't even know you had, and it has a way of making you realize how sexy and sensuous your hips/tummy area actually are. I won't even go into how you can use your moves during sex... So, ok, maybe not an idea for you, but for the ladies out there, I highly recommend it!
Shakz Posted July 7, 2010 Posted July 7, 2010 Right on, Hokie, you are hard core! I've always been a big proponent of plyometrics, and have seen some amazing results. Before I put anyone through a weight lifting program, I always prep them with vigorous plyo. They're ready for just about anthing after that, and once they get ripped like you, why not a medicine ball in the gut?
monkeymaid Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) i personally like the deck of cards conditioning workout using 4 basic, but very dynamic exercises. try it and you will hurt i dont care how good of shape you think you are in get a deck of cards. each suit is an exercise, each card is the rep number. face cards=10, j=11q=12k=13 a=15 you have to do the whole deck and time yourself so you get faster. my personal favorites are: hearts = muscle ups clubs = back extensions diamonds = 10 count body builders ...add a clapping push up to a burpee spades = pistol squats (squats with 1 leg while you hold the other striaght out with yoru hand ..remember stick aout your ass and feet flat!) fastest was 36 minutes to do the whole deck. and i slept for over 10 hours. follow it with some suicide drills for cardio and you should be busy for the next 6-12 mos! handstand pushups, any capoeira movement ...i like dynamic pullups where you switch your grip after every pull up (this is like a clapping pushup) stability ball bench press, ball squats, ...man ive got a list of weird exercises ...ill see if i can find it. Edited July 8, 2010 by monkeymaid
Author USMCHokie Posted July 8, 2010 Author Posted July 8, 2010 Monkey, that is an awesome idea!!! I definitely need to give it a try. But 15 muscle-ups?! I'm the only person at my gym who can do one of those, though I've maxed at about 8 or so...and even my last few get a little sketchy...so 15...? Unless we have different definitions of a muscle-up...I'm thinking a dead hang pull-up to an arms locked-out position above the bar...
bayouboi Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 I'm always impressed when my buddy straps a plate or more to his belt & does pull ups. I'll notice others in the gym stopping what they're doing just to watch it, too.
monkeymaid Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 deadlock down to dead lock up. ..youre right. ...keeppracticing, youll get there use your knees as a drive if you need to. ...i dont care who tells you its bad form, it is actually good form in that movement. the whole thing is designed to providedynamic efficiency ...its amazing how you can oush your body through a breakup
Author USMCHokie Posted July 8, 2010 Author Posted July 8, 2010 deadlock down to dead lock up. ..youre right. ...keeppracticing, youll get there use your knees as a drive if you need to. ...i dont care who tells you its bad form, it is actually good form in that movement. the whole thing is designed to providedynamic efficiency NEVER!!! I have major beef with Crossfit...and will never kip to perform pullup motions...ask a Crossfitter to do a real pullup, and they'll give you one of these () and then perform about 2...but then again, Marines tend to get snobby with their pullups...
Author USMCHokie Posted July 8, 2010 Author Posted July 8, 2010 I'm always impressed when my buddy straps a plate or more to his belt & does pull ups. I'll notice others in the gym stopping what they're doing just to watch it, too. Yep, this is definitely a good one. It is the most effective way to improve your pullups. 100 lb plate, anyone...?
monkeymaid Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 NEVER!!! I have major beef with Crossfit...and will never kip to perform pullup motions...ask a Crossfitter to do a real pullup, and they'll give you one of these () and then perform about 2...but then again, Marines tend to get snobby with their pullups... hahaha!! ...i hate crossfit as well. dont get me started. i love parkour though and use that movement to get on top of stuff when im playing. i do dead hang pullups as well as i agree with you about proper technique for proper stength, you just asked for some different exercises.
xpaperxcutx Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 HIIT! 12 reps of pushups 12 reps of sumo squat jumps ( when you sumo squat, both your hands have to touch the floor) 12 reps of plank jumps ( get into plank position and jump to sides) 12 reps of side backward lunges with leg jump repeat in 3 cycles if you want it to be challenging do them in 30 secs each and only rest once a cycle is done. Rest for 10 secs and repeat until all three cycles are done You should be sweating at the end.
xpaperxcutx Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 PS. The person I learned it from called it " the OMG SEXY Workout"
Author USMCHokie Posted July 8, 2010 Author Posted July 8, 2010 hahaha!! ...i hate crossfit as well. dont get me started. i love parkour though and use that movement to get on top of stuff when im playing. i do dead hang pullups as well as i agree with you about proper technique for proper stength, you just asked for some different exercises. I have always been curious about parkour and can definitely see the importance of specific techniques in doing some of the movements with as little energy expended as possible. But you're right, I'm definitely looking for different things to do...just don't mess with my pullups... :laugh:
Author USMCHokie Posted July 8, 2010 Author Posted July 8, 2010 HIIT! 12 reps of pushups 12 reps of sumo squat jumps ( when you sumo squat, both your hands have to touch the floor) 12 reps of plank jumps ( get into plank position and jump to sides) 12 reps of side backward lunges with leg jump repeat in 3 cycles if you want it to be challenging do them in 30 secs each and only rest once a cycle is done. Rest for 10 secs and repeat until all three cycles are done You should be sweating at the end. Ooh, HIIT with bodyweight exercises are excellent! If you want to spice it up a little, add a few minutes of jump rope between cycles to really get your heart going!
tman666 Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 Deadlift challenge: Try deadlifting 315 lbs as many times as you can in 30 minutes. Perhaps try to get one every 30 seconds?
Author USMCHokie Posted July 8, 2010 Author Posted July 8, 2010 Deadlift challenge: Try deadlifting 315 lbs as many times as you can in 30 minutes. Perhaps try to get one every 30 seconds? Hmmm, this is actually quite interesting, but it'd certainly be difficult to maintain focus for that long... My powerlifter friend at the gym suggested this in response to my medicine ball pullups: heavy squats...where you hold yourself in the down position...and get punched in the face...before squatting the weight back up... And so this started a whole new family of exercises...barbell bench press with medicine ball thrown at the gut after each rep...barbell military press with medicine ball...etc...
tman666 Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 Hmmm, this is actually quite interesting, but it'd certainly be difficult to maintain focus for that long... My powerlifter friend at the gym suggested this in response to my medicine ball pullups: heavy squats...where you hold yourself in the down position...and get punched in the face...before squatting the weight back up... And so this started a whole new family of exercises...barbell bench press with medicine ball thrown at the gut after each rep...barbell military press with medicine ball...etc... Haha I don't know about the getting punched in the face part. If you have a glass jaw, you probably don't want to find out that you do whilst underneath a loaded barbell, not to mention the whole "potential for permanent brain damage" part. I'm sure he was kidding... As far as the medicine ball to the gut. Well, I suppose if you really trust your partner not to miss and hit your junk then go for it. It could potentially improve mental focus. I guess my take on it is that I don't think that any sort of outside interference should be part of any barbell or dumbbell lift. I just don't see how the benefit outweighs the potential risks. However, for stuff like pull ups and other movements that you don't have the risk of dropping something heavy on your trachea, it sounds like a fun twist.
xpaperxcutx Posted July 8, 2010 Posted July 8, 2010 Ooh, HIIT with bodyweight exercises are excellent! If you want to spice it up a little, add a few minutes of jump rope between cycles to really get your heart going! Thanks for the tip. Incorporated jump rope and jumping jacks and really got a sweat on this morning.
Nuprin Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 hmm... I've seen guys pick up heavy truck tires and run sprints carrying it. Since you're a gym bunny, you can start competitions with your fellow buff machines and create an obstacle course to see who can go through the various exercises the fasteset. The trainers do that with each other at my gym. You can also try out classes like boxing or martial arts type classes. The beefy regulars at my gym who only powerlifts come to my kickboxing class once in a while and usually quit mid way through because it's too hard for them. * Make sure the instructor is a jacked guy though.
tman666 Posted July 9, 2010 Posted July 9, 2010 This pretty much sums it up: http://www.cracked.com/blog/workouts-for-firming-you-up-and-creeping-everyone-else-out/
tman666 Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 I did a fun variation on traditional dips yesterday. Get a 20 lb chain and attach a plate of your choice (I used a 25 this time). Hang the chain over your neck so that the plate is hanging down your front. At the top position of the dip (locked out) use your knees to grip the plate. This does two things: it keeps the plate from swinging around, and it makes you hold tension in your core muscles throughout the set of dips. Not all that crazy, but a fun and purposeful alternative to using a weight belt.
Author USMCHokie Posted July 10, 2010 Author Posted July 10, 2010 I did a fun variation on traditional dips yesterday. Get a 20 lb chain and attach a plate of your choice (I used a 25 this time). Hang the chain over your neck so that the plate is hanging down your front. At the top position of the dip (locked out) use your knees to grip the plate. This does two things: it keeps the plate from swinging around, and it makes you hold tension in your core muscles throughout the set of dips. Not all that crazy, but a fun and purposeful alternative to using a weight belt. Hmmm, this is interesting...and it's emulates that one machine that women love...the hip abductor machine (?) where you squeeze your hot loins together...? But seriously, that's a pretty good idea. Don't know if I could hold up anything more than a 25 pound plate...the C-note would be out of the question...
xpaperxcutx Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 Hmmm, this is interesting...and it's emulates that one machine that women love...the hip abductor machine (?) where you squeeze your hot loins together...? But seriously, that's a pretty good idea. Don't know if I could hold up anything more than a 25 pound plate...the C-note would be out of the question... And what's wrong with hip abductor machines? They're not just for women, but they do make ya inner " loins" burn for hours afterwards.
tman666 Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 Hmmm, this is interesting...and it's emulates that one machine that women love...the hip abductor machine (?) where you squeeze your hot loins together...? But seriously, that's a pretty good idea. Don't know if I could hold up anything more than a 25 pound plate...the C-note would be out of the question... (In Butthead voice) Heh heh heh, he said "hot loins" heh heh. The dip belt at my gym is broken, so I was forced to get creative. Plenty of chains and what not lying around, but only one dip belt... It's not like your entirely supporting the 25 lb plate from falling. Keep in mind that it's hanging around your neck. Mostly, your just holding a semi-crunched position while doing the dip, which takes (at least for me) more focus to keeping the position tight. If your crunched position starts to slack, you immediately notice because it starts digging into your neck more. It's a weird feeling, but give it a shot and see what you think.
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