Cardio substitutes

103 degrees in NYC today.  PROBABLY not a good idea to go outside and do cardiovascular training.

Okay, DEFINITELY not a good idea.

But what if you don't have access to a treadmill?  Then what?  And if you only have small equipment in your apartment?

Try this little warmup/cardio routine, after you have completed your mobility drills.  Not sure what those are?  Check out my Youtube Page. No kettlebell?  Use bodyweight, and increase reps for swing and squat to 25.  Substitute prisoner squat for front squat (hands behind head) and prisoner good morning/waiter's bow (hands behind head or hands across opposite shoulders).  No TRX?  Substitute bands, otherwise, SOL.  Sorry!





Warmup Circuit:
A. Front squat/Goblet Squat with kettlebell: 3 sets of 8 reps
B. Pushup 3 sets of 25 reps (10-15 for women, on a bench or barbell in a squat rack)
C. Swing KB 3 sets of 25 reps
D. Turkish Get up or Windmill, 3 sets of 1-3 reps
E. TRX row: 3 sets of 8 reps with 1-2 count squeeze at top of range-of-motion
Minimum rest after each exercise, if any.

With each exercise, focus on perfect form, and keep weight light until form is perfect.  Average time to completion is 10-12 minutes.  My best so far was 10m30s with a 24k kettlebell for each exercise. 

My other cardio today was to practice kettlebells, taking 5 different movements, alternating them, and only doing 5 reps for each hand, perfectly.  For today, it went like this:

SA Swing x 5 reps
SA Clean x 5 reps
SA high pull x 5 reps
SA Snatch x 5 reps
SA swing/clean combo x 5 reps of each exercise

I started each exercise on the :00 of the clock, and did 4 rounds of this with a 24k (53 pound) kettlebell.

Finally, I did slideboard intervals.  You can view the slideboard movement HERE.  I'm really liking the slideboard for cardio these days as it works your groin, inner quad (vastus medialis oblique, or VMO for short), and also peroneals (outside calf muscles).  These are NOT used much for propulsion while running; hence the good idea to add them into a runner's program. 

Today's intervals for slideboard was 40 seconds of work with 20 seconds of rest, for 10 rounds (10 minutes total).  Altogether, today's 'Cardio' workout lasted about 35 minutes, and that does NOT include my strength work.  More on the final parts of Dan John's program coming soon.

Stay cool, smart, and don't be afraid to get creative.

-Coach Kev