Spring Training: New Workout Ideas

Add Some Madness to Your March Workouts

Invigorate your training plan and challenge your body like never before with these insane-sounding exercise methods
By Greg Presto fitbie
 

Get Airborne with Every Move

Explosive exercises—those in which your body or the weight leaves the ground—not only make you feel like a superhero, but also increase your power. In a 2-month study, New Jersey researchers had men do explosive chest exercises before a heavy bench workout. The explosive guys benched 5% more weight than those who skipped the power moves.

Another benefit? You can’t cheat a jump. Either your body leaves the ground or it doesn't, meaning your intensity won’t be in question. Try these explosive swaps for some of your favorite exercises.

Instead of squats, try a set of jump squats: With or without dumbbells at your sides, push your hips back and lower into a squat until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Push out of the squat so explosively that your feet leave the floor, jumping as high as you can. Land softly, reset, and repeat.

Swap pushups for explosive pushups: Perform a regular pushup, and as you press back up, push with enough force to lift your hands off the ground. Land, and repeat.

Swap bodyweight lunges for scissor lunges: With your feet shoulder-width apart, step forward into a lunge, and lower until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Push out of the lunge into a jump and scissor your feet in the air, landing with your feet in opposite positions—your back foot in front, your front foot in back. Dip into a lunge, and repeat.

Does your workout make you smell?

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