I love using a little unconventional ways to build strength. I do use dumbbells and medicine balls in my workouts and I'm in love with kettlebells, but if I can try something different, I'm always up for it.
Working Out With Different Tools
For example, sandbag is one of the things I use in my workouts a lot. You can find couple of videos on what to do with sandbags here, here and here. If you are creative and love working on DIY projects, you can even make your own sandbag.
Next time when you are walking in a forest (I hope you do that!) and find a piece of log, use it. If you are used to work out with a barbell at a gym, go ahead and do the same things that you are doing with a barbell with this log.
You can lift it up or press it like you do with a barbell, but there's no need to limit yourself to those things only. Try something different. Throw it around, carry or roll it. Forget about having to “workout”, play instead. It can be more fun than you have thought when you are not afraid to get creative and get your hands dirty.
[tweet_box design=”default”]Forget about having to workout, play instead.[/tweet_box]Any way of moving that makes you to use your full body is great. The more and the bigger muscles you recruit, the better workout you get. Pushing, pulling, flipping, dragging and lifting are awesome whole body exercises that put the majority of the big muscle groups into work.
Tire Flipping
Tires are another really fun tools to use for full body training.
Here's what I love about working out with tires:
- It's location-free. You can flip you tire in your backyard.
- It can be really heavy, depending on the tire, and it requires the full body to work.
- It's raw, dirty and a little bit ugly.
- For the last two reasons, working out with a tires makes me feel like a badass.
Here's an example of me doing tire flips the other day.
You can use the tires for other exercises as well. For example, I combined it with Tire Box Jumps and elevated Clap Push Ups.
Tire Box Jumps
Clap Push Ups
In Push Ups, placing the hands higher makes the exercise easier, which I needed after all those flips. My arms were tired! If you want to do a harder version, put the legs up and keep the hands on the floor.
To Flips, Jumps and Push Ups I added dumbbell Thrusters (no video) and ended up doing 5 rounds of the following:
Here's a short example of one round of the workout (without thrusters):
Keep Your Form Good
Flipping a tire is an excellent workout, but it's crucial to pay attention to your form.
Your back is the number one thing to think of: Keep it flat, straight and tight. Never round your back!
Pick the tire up by bending your legs, keeping the back straight and lifting with your legs. Your quads, hamstrings, hips and glutes should be working hard.
Then, extend the legs and push the tire over. You can use your whole body, also chest and hips, to support the tire and keep it from falling back. The most important thing is to keep your back nice and tight.
Also, especially if you are new to it, don't try do flip the tire too fast. If you rush through the exercise, you are not able to control the back as well as you should.
All You Need is 15 Minutes
You can get a good workout by only flipping a tire and you don't have to spend a whole lot time on it. 15 minutes may be all you need.
Here are couple of examples of how to use 15 or less minutes efficiently:
- Flip the tire for one minute, then rest 30 seconds. Do 5-6 rounds.
- Do 10 Tire Flips, take 30 second rest, then do 10 Tire Flips. Do 5-6 rounds.
Make sure to stretch after the workout. Especially if you are new to flipping, you may find that you get sore from places that you never even think of.
Try it out! Tire flipping may be a little different from what you are used to, but it's absolutely fun. And I promise, it will make you feel like a badass.
Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links in it, but they are for products that I use and recommend.
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