That doesnt mean though that I have always been able to make it to the gym. There have been times in my life where my children are sick, my car has been broken down, or I have been short on time and had to bust out a training session in the comfort of my own home.
This has been one of the worst winters on record for many people across the United States. There have been freezing cold temperatures and more snow than anyone could ever want to see again-and I know many people who have been stranded at home because of the inclement weather. They need to be able to train, too.
Here are two of my favorite (and most effective) at-home workouts for those days you just cant make it into the gym and are forced to take a snow day. The routines dont require any equipment, and they dont require a lot of time. The only thing they do require is the will to suffer a little bit. Just because you can do something in the comfort of your home shouldnt mean the workout will be comfortable, right?
Workout 1
Death by Burpees
This workout is particularly great at forcing you to face what I call the moment, that special point in a workout where you cave in to your mental demons and quit, or overcome, continue pushing, and finish mentally and physically stronger.
Directions:
Start a timer, and do 1 burpee during minute one. Do 2 burpees during minute two, 3 burpees during minute three, and so on, until youre all out of burpees and can't finish in a minute. This workout usually takes people 10 to 20 minutes.
Do you want more workouts from Bobby Maximus? Check out the Men's Health Maximus Body book for even more intense routines.
Workout 2
Fire Fight
This is a workout that I teach at every military seminar I lead. Its an incredible routine to have in your back pocket if youre a special forces operator. It doesnt require equipment, and it doesnt take much time, two things most deployed soldiers dont have.
The workout improves every aspect of their overall fitness, so they can perform their jobs at the highest level and stay safe. Tackle it with the tenacity of a soldier-itll be exceedingly difficult, if youre truly willing to go after as many reps as possible.
Directions:
Do the exercises in the order shown. Complete all the sets of exercise 1, resting, as needed, followed by all the sets of exercise 2 and exercise 3. Then, move on to exercise 4. For this exercise, perform as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest. Thats 1 round.
Do a total of 4 rounds. On your last round, rest for 2 minutes instead of 30 seconds. Use that same procedure for exercise 6 and exercise 8.
- 1. Wall Squat: 2 sets, 5 reps
- 2. Air Squat: 3 sets, 20 reps
- 3. Jump Squat: 3 sets, 5 reps
- 4. Burpee: 4 sets of 30 seconds each (Rest for 30 seconds between sets)
- 5. Rest: 2 Minutes
- 6. Split Jump: 4 sets of 30 seconds each (Rest for 30 seconds between sets)
- 7. Rest: 2 Minutes
- 8. Frog Hop: 4 sets of 30 seconds each (Rest for 30 seconds between sets)
Time: 20 to 25 Minutes