At the Playground

     You ever have one of those days where you just can’t seem to corral the troops in time to hit the gym before the babysitting hours end?  Or your significant other calls to inform you that he won’t make it home from his meeting in time to get “Joey” to the field for baseball practice?  So now instead of hitting the gym, you have to head to the ball field.  This means that the workout you were planning to put in before dinner has to wait until tomorrow, right?  Wrong!!!

     “Do Not Pass Go!”  Put on your sneakers; grab Joey and head directly to the playground!  Following is an example of some exercises you can do to work out while waiting for the kids to play…just don’t forget to bring Joey’s baseball mitt! 

Put That Bench to Work!

     Every playground has at least one table and bench that are not being used for a picnic.  Put it to good use as equipment to help you train.

For Legs:

Step-ups on bench

     Step up on bench with one leg and follow through with the other.  Bring the first leg down repeating the follow through.  This would be considered one rep.

     For a More intense leg workout, add or alternate with One-legged Squats using the bench.  Stand on ground facing away from bench.  Place one leg up on bench and bring supporting leg out in lunge position.  Bend knee without letting knee go over the foot.  Return to standing position to complete one rep.

You can make it even more challenging by taking your one-legged squats to the swings.

For Chest or Triceps:

Decline push-ups

     Place legs on the bench and hands on the ground extended to sides, beyond the shoulders.  Bend arms at elbows to lower body and straighten to raise body.  To train triceps bring arms in to shoulder width and bend at elbows under body.
      Want more intensity?  Head over to the swings!  By placing your feet on the seats and hands on the ground, you can do push ups that challenge your core in addition to training your chest.  Suspension training at its best!

Use 1 Swing...

Or Two!

For Shoulders or Triceps

  

Bench Dips

     Sit on bench with body facing outward.  Move rear off bench using your arms to support your body weight.  Bend elbows to flex and straighten to extend.  Place arms further apart at sides to hit shoulders.  Place arms closer to train triceps.

Monkey Bars are a Must!

      I have to admit, I personally like to have all the blood rush to my head by wrapping my legs around the bar and swinging upside down. But for purposes of training, don’t monkey around on the bars!  Use them to train your Abs, Back and Biceps!

For Abs:

Hanging Leg Lifts

     Grab bars with hands about shoulder with apart.  Allow your body to hang and raise straightened legs to about a 90 degree angle.  Lower legs to starting position to complete rep and repeat.  To make this move easier, raise legs in bent position to 90 degree angle, straighten and repeat.

Upside Down Crunches

Grab bar with hands.  Bring legs up through arms and lock legs around bar.  Lower upper body into extended position.  Bend body to crunch position, squeeze and repeat.

  

For Back and Biceps:

Pull-ups

     Place hands more than shoulder with apart on outside of bar.  Straighten arms to hang body then lift body by bending elbows and bringing chin up to bar.

     For biceps, place hands on inside of bar (reverse grip) approximately shoulder width apart.

     Do 10-15 reps of each exercise for a minimum of 3 sets.  Want to add a cardio component to boost your burn?  Bring a jump rope and jump for 2 minutes in between each set.  The more you workout at the playground, the more you will find additional ways to train.  This is just to help you get started.  Be sure to have fun with it!  

Happy Training!