Many athletic men and women look for more challenges. They’ve conquered many of the exercises people traditionally do in the gym and either have to push the number of repetitions or opt for more weight in a strength-building regimen. Many look to the tried-and-true bodyweight workouts and modify them, creating difficult variations, if not almost impossible ones to do. It’s all about the challenge, the rush of adrenaline, and pushing yourself to the limit.
You’ll immediately identify any core weakness with the bird dog plank on a stability ball.
Lower onto a large stability ball, putting your weight on your toes and forearms. Move to bird dog position, leaving one forearm perpendicular to your body, while lifting the opposite arm and pointing straight ahead. As you do that, raise the opposite leg. Hold the position for a few seconds and switch the arm and leg raised. You’ll recognize any muscles that need attention.
Try all the modifications of a push-up.
If you’re already athletic, you probably already can do traditional push-ups, but have you tried the Aztec push-up where you touch your toes in the air on the upward movement? To do an Aztec push-up, you have to conquer other variations first. A clapping push-up is one of those. Start in push-up position, drop your body down, then rise with explosive force, lifting your hands off the ground and clapping. Once you’ve mastered the explosive movement to clap your hands, take it one step further and lift your feet off the ground simultaneously. Other preparation push-ups are the X push-up, explosive mountain pose, and the knee tap push-up.
See if you have what it takes to do a plank row chest press.
Start by squatting down, bending one leg at the knee, and putting your weight on that foot and the upper arm lying on the bench. Bend your arm with the forearm perpendicular to the bench. In your free outside hand, hold a weight. As you do a one-arm chest press, lift the opposite—interior–leg off the ground and point it directly out. Do this several times, switch sides, and press with the opposite arm.
- Burpees can tax anyone’s energy. Newer variations like the burpee box jump can test your athleticism while improving your explosive speed and strength. You can also do one-legged burpees or weighted burpees.
- Everyone can run, so why is this run so challenging? You’re trying to run at top speed and intensity for a mile. Track your time and try to make the run faster each run or set a goal for a specific number of minutes.
- A walking lunge isn’t that difficult unless you add weights. Wear a weighted vest as you do a walking lunge on a quarter-mile track. Do you want to make it more difficult? Hold dumbbells in your hands.
- Our trainers can help you build a tough workout that will challenge you every time you come to the gym. You pick the goal and our trainers will help you reach it with exercises to progress you toward the impossible workout.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
