Have a Fun Workout Part 2

by Nia Shanks | Follow her on Twitter here

Note – For more information on “fun workouts” be sure to check out Have a Fun Workout.

It was a breezy, blue sky Sunday afternoon with temperatures in the low 90s. We stood in the middle of a large park with soccer fields, hair being blown from the wind, my crazy dog running around with her tongue hanging from her mouth, and we stared at the toys we brought with us: three kettlebells and one 50 pound homemade sandbag.

Let the fun begin.

It was Memorial Day, and being a Monday I was scheduled to perform squats, according to my current training program. However, it was a beautiful sunny day, and we couldn’t resist the urge to go outside and train.

I absolutely love my 9’x9’ “Power Rack Room” that I have in my home, but I also enjoy getting outside and training – I can get some sunshine, fresh air, and, dare I say it: have some fun while getting out of breath, getting stronger, and burning some body fat.

So instead of performing barbell squats, I ended up performing a fun, impromptu outdoor workout. And, yes, it was a lot of fun.

We didn’t have an initial plan for the outdoor workout. We packed up the most portable fitness tools available, which happened to be one 35 and two 26 pound kettlebells, and a 50 pound homemade sandbag.

I ended up doing a combination of kettlebell swings and sprints – perform 15 swings and then immediately sprint about 60 yards. After a few of those I was completely out of breath and sweating. Off to a good start.

I also did various overhead presses, zercher squats with the sandbag, and finished up with some uneven farmer carries (one 35 and one 26 pound kettlebell).

Since that outdoor workout I’ve already returned to the park for some sprints and more swings, and I know I’ll be returning again this weekend.

For the past couple of months I have been doing nothing but squats, deadlifts, rows, push presses, bench presses, and chin-ups with an average of only five reps per set. The sprints, farmer carries, and various other exercises I can perform outside are a very welcome change of pace.

The majority of the time you should have a training program, and a plan for each time you train. But then again, you should also make it a priority to have fun with your training from time to time. Do something different. Get outside and train. Perform some different lifts. Run some sprints.

If you’re not having fun with your training, you are more likely to skip out on your scheduled sessions. This would be a great time to have some fun outdoor workouts and break up the monotony of your current training. Use your imagination and go wild.

And don’t assume that if you don’t have kettlebells or a sandbag that you can’t have a great workout. Go crazy with various sprints and bodyweight exercises, or even find a playground and do a swing set workout. There are no excuses.

What are you some of your favorite outdoor workouts?