Total body workout, from the floor!

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Jamo2, Apr 26, 2007.

  1. Jamo2

    Jamo2 The Louie Vitton Don

    Havent posted around here in a while, and i thought it was about time.

    So, im boxing 3-4 days a week still and ive just gained myself some extra time. Looking a bit skinny, weighing in at 70kgs at 5foot9, i thought it was about time to get back onto the weights. Problem is, i dont particularyl want to go back to the gym, and i have a lovely garden area.

    I want to invest in a barbell, i can do MOST of the exercises i love out there, but im having some imagination difficulties.

    So say deadlifts and rows for my back (not on same day, im just throwing exercises out there to get started)

    Then we got deadlifts again for my legs

    Cleans for my lats and stuff again.

    Overhead presses for my shoulders.

    Now squats can be an issue. I usually squat till i drop, and that isnt a good idea when you have no support around you. Any ideas?

    Then theres my chest, surely impossible to work without a bench or something to lean back on? Any help appreciated fellas.
     
  2. Capt Ann

    Capt Ann Valued Member

    1. Search for the thread where everyone picked their 'top five' - this was everyone's recommendations on, if they could only pick five exercises as essential in a workout, which would they pick. Read the suggestions, and from that, come up with your own 'short list' of what is best/most needed.

    2. Use variety in your squats, since you are without a spotter. Try front squats, hack squats, overheads, zeurcher, etc etc. This should keep you going for quite a while before you get to where you still could use a spotter.

    3. Throw some body weight exercises in the mix. Ross Enamait wrote the book 'Never Gymless' while his wife was expecting their first child, knowing that his days of endless gym time would be over. He wanted to continue full-body workouts and frequent fight training, without having to pack off to a gym on a regular basis. Read the articles on his site (free!) for some great ideas from this book, then if you decide it's worth it to you, consider getting or borrowing the book. It emphasizes body weight exercises and homemade/inexpensive equipment (where any equipment is used).
     
  3. tom pain

    tom pain I want Chewbacc for good

    Ever considered sandbag training?
     
  4. Cuchulain82

    Cuchulain82 Custodia Legis

    Olympic lifts are your friends! :D

    -Cleans, power cleans, clean and press, clean and jerk, etc.
    -Deadlifts (you mentioned them already, but they deserve a second spot)
    -Squats- overhead, front, and back. Since you're worried about failure with squats and no rack, get good at front squats. When you're too tired, just dump it.
    -Snatches, one handed when you get good

    Other good exercises:

    -Upright rows
    -Floor wipers (from gymjones.com )
    -rack pulls (kinda like a clean)
    -full contact twists

    If you have a bench and a bar, you can go a long way! Mix up how you lift- real heavy sometimes, tabata other times, and when you get sick of that, do circuits against the clock. FYI- If you can get your hands on a few kettlebells, you'll probably love them.
     
  5. CosmicFish

    CosmicFish Aleprechaunist

    Some good replies already. Here's a couple of my own:

    How about Dumbell Squats.

    Dips could be a good alternative, providing you can find something to dip off.
     
  6. dogdragon

    dogdragon New Member

    This is in regards to chest work. One handed push-ups, might do the trick. I sometimes do an exercise where I lay face down on the floor place the balls of my toes on the floor, so my les are slightly of the ground starting at the hip, then I spred my arms out in line with the shoulders to form a cross shape, decide how close my hands need to be to my body (2 feet away is the strongest I've ever tried for but anything where the placement of your hands causes your forearms to be at a greater angle than ninety to the flour should do). When I decide how far out to try the press-up I turn my fingers out spread them in line with my shoulders and press up into an ellivated cross, then hold till it becomes hard to breath without forcing. It won't give you big pecs but it makes the ones you do have and the skeletal mucles underneath rather strong. Also tossing a small dumbell weight back and forth in front of your body with your arms fairly straight gives some good impact effects.
     
  7. Jamo2

    Jamo2 The Louie Vitton Don

    Hmmm, some good ideas. Thanks gents.

    Im still worried about my chest though. I wont have a bench, or two parrallel bars to dip off.
    Just imagine a big empty room with a barbell and some weight plates in the middle. Thats all you got.

    Somebody suggested benching off the floor, but surely your ROM would be rubbish.
    I know i know, im going to say it.......what about pec flies off the floor. Better than nothing right?

    Weighted push ups?
     
  8. CosmicFish

    CosmicFish Aleprechaunist

    Benching off the floor = bad idea for chest, IMO. You'd be doing a floor press, which doesn't hit the chest particularly hard. You'd get some nice triceps though!

    Weighted pushups might work, providing you can find some way of stopping the plates from sliding about. One idea might be to make yourself a load of small sandbags, and add an extra one or more each session. A backpack with a hip-belt would help reduce slipping too.

    I've never been convinced that flies (flyes?) are any good for strength building, but I could be mistaken on that one. I'm going purely on the general principle that to get strong you need to move heavy weights.
     
  9. Cuchulain82

    Cuchulain82 Custodia Legis

    Weighted pushups aren't a bad idea, but try to get some handles or blocks so you can go lower in your ROM. CosmicFish's idea about a backpack is a good one, If you can get an old bag and put weight in it that will help.

    However- is it really that hard to get a bench? Seriously- if you can't find one on ebay (or whatever you brits have ;) ) then you can build one easily enough. There was a thread here a while back about a homemade gym... McG or someone else might remember what it was called...

    A few more:

    -Anything with sandbags is a good idea. Go get a big back of sand and then start trying to press, carry, throw, etc. that thing. You'll get tons of functional strength.
    -While we're here, just about any of those highland-games-type lifts will help- weighted sprints, tire flipping or dragging, ridiculously long farmers walks... whatever.
    -I personally like flies. I don't know if they've ever made me stronger, but I've always felt them a day after doing them, which is more than I can say for some exercises.
    -Do you have somewhere to anchor your feet and lay out flat? If you do, you can try a GHD press- I don't know how to describe them other than to say that you should look at the first picture on this page. I did them yesterday for the first time and I like 'em! :D They're about 1/3 chest, 2/3 core. (I'm really trying to think outside the box)

    -Genearlly, Look at some of the websites like crossfit and gymjones. Their routines and the way they train will be a little more accessible if you don't have a full gym spread. It'll be tough to get big training like those guys, but if you incoporate a few of their routines or learn a new exercise it will be beneficial.

    Edit: Did you see my post about Sparrow's Dozens . Try that one on for size... I guarantee that one will make you sufficiently tired.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2007
  10. CosmicFish

    CosmicFish Aleprechaunist

Share This Page