Fall is here, which means better weather and time to take your workouts outside. This is my favorite time of year because football season has started, the temperature is getting cooler, and the new season marks a new beginning.
This is your chance to switch things up and try new ways to challenge your muscles and metabolism. Before it gets too cold why not challenge your muscles outside? The exercises I am going to give you are for people who want to sweat, tone up, and burn excess calories. Outside is the best place to rev up that metabolism, define muscles and feel like a kid again.
Bonus!
Exercising outdoors has additional benefits as well:
- Get necessary natural Vitamin D, since most pools are closed
- Can workout anywhere and at anytime
- Little or no equipment is needed
- Free
- No driving time and you can shower in your own bathroom
- Burn more calories than in the gym
- Challenge your muscles in new ways
Those are just a few benefits, but I think there are enough great reasons for you to give it a try! I am going to give you two different types of outdoor workouts, park training and stadium training.
These workouts can be done anywhere, so get creative. I am going to end with some additional exercises you can add in or switch up with. You know me, I always like to keep the body guessing!
I will warn you, these exercises are tough. They will leave you sweaty, and your muscles will be wondering what just happened! This also means higher metabolism and more calories burned post-workout.
Let Us Begin
Stadium Workout
- Run or bike to the closest football stadium. It can be high school, pee wee, college, or even a different sport. As soon as you get there find a set of stadium stairs and sprint up them. Jog down and immediately turn around and sprint up, skipping a stair in between. Repeat two more times, starting with single step and then double step.
- Rest for 1 minute.
- Push-ups – Perform 20 push ups, chest touches the ground!
- Bench Step-Ups – Use a bench on the field or something equivalent and perform 20 step-ups with a hop at the top. Really drive up that opposite knee and try to get some height.
- Triceps Dips – Turn around on the bench with legs straight out, and put one foot on top of the other, toe to heel. Perform 30 dips, making sure elbows do not bow out. Get that butt down to the ground and then press up. Keep a quick pace when doing these.
- Burpees – Perform 25 burpees with a jump up as you come up. Do these fast.
- Slow Mountain Climbers – Perform 50 slow mountain climbers, really focusing on getting that knee into the chest. Keep your butt down and shoulders over your hands.
- Squat Jumps – 100 yards! That is right. Start with feet together, bend those knees, allowing your arms to come back and jump as far as you can. Land in squat position and immediately jump forward. Continue for length of the field.
- Walking Lunges – Turn around after squat jumps and perform walking lunges all the way back. Get that back knee down, so it is just touching the ground.
- Incline Push-ups with a Clap – Find a bench and put hands on bench and get in push up position. Shoulders over hands and butt even with body, drop down and as you push up, push away from the bench and clap your hands in between, then return to push up position. Repeat 15 times.
- Crunch to jump up – Sit on the ground and get in sit up position with legs bent. Perform a normal, old school sit up, but when your body comes up, jump your body up in the air. Land, sit and start again. Perform 20.
- Rest and repeat 3 times, starting with stairs.
- When finished run home and shower!
Park Workout
- Run or bike to the nearest park.
- Find a branch or a bar in the play area, and perform 15 Chin-Ups.
- Toe Taps – Find a bench or something that has the equivalent height. Stand in front and touch the bench as fast as you can with each foot. Lift high knees in place. Go for 1 minute.
- One Legged Squats – Stand with butt facing bench. Stand on one leg and with opposite leg lift and straighten it off the ground. With standing leg, bend reaching your butt towards the bench until it just, ever so slightly touches the bench, and then push. Perform 15 on that leg without letting opposite leg touch. Switch.
- Push-Ups with a jump – Go back to your chin up “bar.” Do a push up and then jump up and immediately do a chin up. Repeat 15 times fast.
- Walking Lunges – Go one direction for 25 lunges, stop. Do 10 squat jumps. Then turn around and lunge back to starting spot.
- Monkey Bars – That is right. Hang from one side and walk your hands across to the other side with your feet up. Challenge yourself to turn around and come back without letting your feet touch the ground.
- Bench Jumps – Find a bench or flat surface that is about 3 feet high. Same concept as box jumps but jump onto the bench and jump off. Repeat 15 times.
- Swing Push-Ups – Go to the swings and place one hand in center of each of two swings. Bend your elbows and drop down, letting your hands go out a bit. Then bring your hands together as you push up. Repeat 12 times.
- Swing Rows – Turn around and grab the chain of the swings higher up with each hand. Walk your feet out, so your legs are straight and your body is at a 45 degree angle with the ground. Let your body drop down as arms straighten staying and then pull up. Repeat 15 times.
- Swing Roll Outs – Use one swing and place both hands in the center. Get in plank position and let your hands go straight out in front of you and then pull back in to original position. Keep abs tight through entire movement. Repeat 12 times.
- Rest and Repeat 3 times.
- When you are done pick one of your park trails and run for 10 to 15 mins.
Other Variations
Here are some other exercises you can throw into each of these workouts for more variation.
- Tire Throws – This is one of my favorites. Using a large tire, bend over it with flat back, abs tight, and butt out. Pick up the tire and flip it over. Continue in one direction for 10 throws and then turn around and flip tire back to start.
- Sled Pulls – Go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and buy a sled. Attach two ropes to one side. These are so you can pull it. Put weights, sand bags, or the kids inside and pull it, as fast as you can, for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 and turn around and sprint with sled for 30 more seconds.
- Tree Plank – Find a tree or wall of some sort. Put your feet flat against the wall and get into plank position. Hold for 1 minute.
- Hill Sprints – Love these! Sprint up the hill. Now here is the catch. Sprint down the hill, as fast as you can, without losing control. Great way to increase stride length and speed!
These workouts should challenge your muscles in new ways. Fall only lasts for a short time, so get out and enjoy it!