Intervals Exercise

My friend Harry asked me to develop a workout with the following specs:

1. Eight-exercise inverval
2. Challenging to the whole body
3. Doable at home with limited, inexpensive equipement
4. Fast
5. Can benefit all levels of fitness

So lets take this step by step. These are the pieces of equipment I have at home:

1. Jump Rope
2. Pull-up Bar
3. 300 lb Barbell Set
4. 15 LB Medicine Ball
5. 15 LB Dumbbell

Before we choose our exercises, we first need to figure out what interval pattern we’re using. My friend’s current workout is 1 minute work, with 1 minute rest. So the total workout would last 16 minutes. Not bad, but I think I can do better.

I remember reading about Alwyne Cosgrove’s Complex Training methods on Mike Mahler’s website. The idea is to do a bunch of exercises in a row with light weights and no rest. After the end of each circuit you rest and repeat the circuit. Here are the two complexes from Mike’s website:

Complex One
• Dead lift – 6 reps
• Romanian Dead lift – 6 reps
• Bent Over Row – 6 reps
• Power Clean – 6 reps
• Front Squat – 6 reps
• Push Press – 6 reps
• Back Squat – 6 reps
• Good Morning – 6 reps

Complex Two
• Snatch Grip Dead lift – 6 reps
• Snatch Pull – 6 reps
• Upright Row – 6 reps
• Power Snatch – 6 reps
• Reverse Lunge – 6 reps each leg
• Push Jerk – 6 reps
• Jump Squat – 6 reps

Click here for Some more Barbell, Dumbbell and Bodyweight Workouts

So lets develop these workouts using limited equipment:

Bodyweight Only Workout:

Hindu Push-ups
Bodyweight Squat
Sit-ups
Incline Pushups
Lunges
Leg Raises
Plyometric Pushups
Squat Jumps

Bodyweight + Pull-up Bar:

Hindu Pushups
Pull-ups
Bodyweight Squat
Sit-ups
Chin-ups
Incline Pushups
Lunges
Inverted Row

Click here to Learn over a 100 Bodyweight Exercises

Dumbbell Only Workout:

One-arm DB Clean and Press
One-arm DB Bent-over Row
One-arm DB Swing
One-arm DB Overhead Squat
T-pushups
One-arm DB Snatch
One-arm Renegade Row
Incline T-pushups

Click here for Some more Dumbbell – Only Workouts

Medicine Ball and Dumbbell Workout:

One-arm DB Clean and Press
Medicine Ball Wood chop
One-arm DB Bent-over Row
Medicine Ball Hay baler
One-arm DB Swing
One-arm DB Overhead Squat
Medicine Ball Overhead Squat
T-pushups

Click here for Some more Medicine Ball – Only Workouts

Ok, so the combinations are endless. Now lets take these workouts to the next level. Mike Mahler also has a workout on his website called HOC, or High Octane Cardio. It revolves around alternating between short cardio intervals and resistance training. I think jump roping is the best form of high intensity cardio. Here are my versions:

Beginner Routine:

Hindu Pushups
1 minute regular Jump Roping
Bodyweight Squat
1 minute regular Jump Roping
Pull-ups
1 minute regular Jump Roping
Sit-ups
1 minute regular Jump Roping
One-arm DB Clean and Press
1 minute regular Jump Roping
One-arm DB Bent-over Row
1 minute regular Jump Roping
Medicine Ball Wood chop
1 minute regular Jump Roping
Medicine Ball Hay baler
1 minute regular Jump Roping

Intermediate/Advanced Routines:

There are two Jump Roping tricks that I can do. These are the Cross-overs and Double Under. Cross-Overs are where you cross-over your arms across your chest and jump. Double unders are where you perform two jump for one swing of the rope. I also like to do some footwork drills.

Progression, sets and reps:

Start off the circuits with a cautious number of reps per exercise. The first round should be pretty easy and act as a warm-up. The next two or three rounds should be tougher. If you can do 5 rounds without sweating, then increase the reps.

Click here for Some more High Intensity Workouts

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