Change of Pace Workouts for the Regulars
Hey Guys,
My regular workouts are weight training, sprinting, a weekly swim and a weekly bike.
No matter what your workout consists of, if you're workout contains repetitive elements (as most do) every few months, at least a few weeks of something different will provide dividends in fitness, performance and injury prevention.
Here are some that come to mind:
1. Interval training in a different exercise
2. Shadow boxing or repeating martial arts moves
3. Plyometrics (Jump training)
4. Yoga
5. Powerlifting (start light, just going through the motions provides benefit, especially if you've been a pretty serious resistance trainer)
6. Hip hop dance class (babes galore! See 4, above)
7. Well thought out calisthenics routines. P90X has a pushup-pullup workout that goes through 5-6 types of pushup combined with 4-5 grips of pullups that really feels effective.
8. The rowing machine - a killer when the legs are incorporated correctly
I'm sure there must be more. Does anyone else have favorite change of pace or crosstraining routines?
Best Wishes,
Dave
P90X contains 2,3,4, 7 and some motion a little similar to dance in one or two of the videos. It also contains a lot of the weight training motions that I'm used too, just more reps and more sets (each with slight variation). So I'm getting change, but with some similarity. One good benefit of "The X" is, with the variety that the program contains, you probably would not need a change of pace.
Down side of the X: If you don't have people to do it with you, it could get boring, not because the routine is boring, but there's just something abou****ching a routine on a screen, listening to BG music/ instructor bantor and so forth.
All the Best,
Dave
This is kind of becoming a series of "on line workout log" musings, but here's another one about "Shadow boxing": I've read here and there that vigorous shadow boxing and bag work becomes "Sprints for the upper body." Faigin, in Natural Hormonal Enhancement (NHE) says that because sparring occurs so often in nature, amongst young predatory animals and with human children, that we are pre-wired to box and tossle and implies that there may be hormonal benefits.
Shadow boxing, bag work and sparring, powerlifting and jump training are all partly plyometric, that is the increase muscles' ability to move explosively and forcefully and have the potential to cause natural release of growth hormone.
Faigin and others seem to be saying, "You are as young as you move" (as your choice of motion, in other words).
