There are staples for any type of training program out there. Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Overhead Press should be the basis of any good program right? Does that mean they have to always be completed in the gym? Nope.
If you are stuck in a plateau no matter what your physique or athletic goals are, then you need to do something different. You need to fix your diet, change your routine, or just change your entire workout location.
Spend a month training in your backyard, driveway, track, or nearest park, and you will blow past that plateau like it wasn’t ever there.
I can hear it now, “But I don’t have the $$$ to spend on equipment at home” or “It’s hot and humid” or better yet “I am way too strong to just lift outside… I need big heavy weights to keep progressing”. All of these are crap and are saved for the people who really don’t care about their results and instead just want to say they “work out”.
Yes it is going to be hot, but when has a little heat ever been a bad thing? Yes you always need to progress on your weights to keep getting results, and yes purchasing home equipment is expensive… Unless you think outside the box.
You want a good summer workout that will smash every plateau, turn you into a beast, and maybe even give you a great tan? Then read on and I’ll lay out a month’s routine that won’t just get results, but also be designed around equipment that will cost under $100.
First up you need some equipment.
#1 – a tire. One tire is all you need and it doesn’t even have to be a big tire. It can be any crappy one you can find from your local junk yard, tire shop (they will give them for free so they don’t have to pay to dispose of them), or even take the spare off your car. If you google your city and the words “used tire”, you will find an assortment of places willing to give you as many tires you want. COST = $0.00
#2 – a sledgehammer. You want to get any where from a 6-10lb sledgehammer depending on your strength, but for the most part an 8lb is perfect. I recommend a fiberglass handle as the wood ones really wear down. You can pick this up at any local hardware store or if you aren’t by a hardware store you can order one from here. COST = $35.00
#3 – a keg. There are a few ways you can go about this, but by far the easiest, cheapest, and most fun is to just go purchase one, split the cost with some friends, throw a party, float it, and never return it. For most places, the deposit put on a keg is $50, or if you live in a bigger city, there are always people selling empty shells on craigslist for $30-$50.
Now comes the fun part. Filling up your keg to a weight that lets you do plenty of exercises, but isn’t too light or heavy. For the most part, shoot to fill up your keg with water or sand so it roughly weighs anywhere from 60-80lbs (again depending on how strong you are). For instructions on how to open and fill up your keg, check out these videos
COST = $50.00 – MAX
#4 – a place to do pull-ups. Go find a place that has a low hanging tree-branch, swing set, monkey bars, or anything else that can support you to do a pull-up. I have even see people do pull-ups on the doors at their houses without any problems, so no excuses. COST = $0.00
That is it. The only other thing you need for this workout besides the will to sweat and succeed, is your body weight, so this brings the total cost to roughly $85.00 and lets get after it.
The split is a 3x a week split with conditioning thrown in at the end of each workout. Feel free to move the conditioning to your off days or if you are worried about packing on size then only performing it once a week.
Workout #1:
Overhead Tire Slams: 5 x 5 – 60 Seconds Rest Between Each Set – Grab your tire with both hands and put it directly over your head. Then as fast and explosively as you can, slam it into the ground and try not to let it bounce back up.
2A) Keg Press – 3 x 8 – 10 – Clean the keg up into the pressing position, and then press it for the recommended rep range. You don’t need to clean the keg up for each rep in this exercise.
2B) Pull-Ups – 3 x MAX – Perform some sort of pull-up for max reps but not failure. The way to determine this is by stopping your pull-ups once the speed of each one slows down. If you are starting to struggle to get the rep then the set is done.
Rest 0 seconds between 2A and 2B and 60 seconds before repeating.
3A) Zercher Keg Lunges – 3 x 10 Each Leg – Hold the keg in the Zercher position and lunge for 10 reps each leg. Doing these walking is preferred.
3B) Overhead Tire Hops – 3 x 10 Yards – Hold the tire over your head and from a squatted position, hop for minimum 10 yards.
0 Seconds Rest Between 3A & 3B, and 90 seconds rest before repeating.
4)Keg Carries – 4 x Max Distance – 60 seconds rest between rounds. Grab the keg and carry it for as far as you can turning if needed. Hold the keg a different way each set and every week try to either reach that distance faster, or take it further.
Different Ways You Can Carry The Keg:
* Zercher Style
*Shouldered – Alternating Shoulders Each Set
* Bear Hug – Don’t/Try Not to Hold Hands.
* Or any other creative way you can come up with.
5) Conditioning (Optional) – Sledgehammer Swings into the tire- 3 x 10 Each Side. 30 Seconds Rest Between Each Set, and Switch Starting Sides Each Set
Workout 2:
1) Keg Cleans – 5 x 5 – 60 Seconds Rest. From the ground, clean the keg and lower it back down. Be as explosive as possible with a flat back and try to jump and throw the keg straight up in the air.
2A) Keg Push-Ups – 4 x MAX – There are two variations depending on how many push-ups you can do.
*Variation 1 – Perform the push-ups while holding onto the keg trying to stabilize and rep it out.
*Variation 2 – Perform the push-ups while on the ground and your feet up on the keg (upright or on it’s side) and rep it out.
2B) Keg Bent Over Rows – 4 x MAX – Perform a normal bent over row, while allowing yourself enough space for the keg to sit between your legs.
For both 2A & 2B stop the set when the speed of the lift decreases and you start to struggle. Rest 0 seconds between 2A & 2B and 90 seconds between sets.
Conditioning:
3A) Tire Throw & Sprint – 3 sets 50 yards – Get your tire below your legs and as forceful as possible, try to throw the tire up over your head backwards as far as you can. Turn around and sprint to the tire and repeat. You can go longer than 50 yards, just make sure you are some place open with not a ton of traffic.
3B) Plank – 3 x MAX Time – After you cross your determined finish line with the Tire Throws, drop down into a plank and hold for as long as possible. If you have a partner, have them place the tire on your back for added weight.
0 Seconds rest between 3A and 3B with 60 seconds rest between sets.
Workout 3:
1) Overhead Sledgehammer Swings – 4 x 10 – 60 seconds rest between sets. Come to a complete stop once the sledgehammer is back in the starting position, and forcefully slam it into the tire. Try to pull the sledgehammer with your hips and elbows instead of trying to swing it into the tire. Alternate grips for every set.
2A) Keg Press – 4 x MAX Reps – Just like you would be performing a floor press with a BB or DB, lay on the ground and press the Keg.
2B) Pull-Ups – 4 x 5 – We are only going for 5 reps, so if you can get 5 easily then put the tire around your waist before getting into pull-up position.
0 seconds rest between 2A & 2B and 90 seconds rest between sets.
3A) Keg Squats – 4 x 10 – 12 – Shoulder the keg and perform 10 – 12 reps of deep squats, then perform 3B. You should do 2 sets on the right shoulder and 2 sets on the left shoulder.
3B) Hanging Leg Raises – 4 x MAX – Jump up to your pull-up position and perform hanging leg raises with no momentum. If you can’t perform them with your legs going straight out parallel to the ground, then start off just pulling your knees explosively to your chest.
0 seconds rest between 3A & 3B and 90 seconds rest between sets.
Conditioning:
4) Sprints: 4 x 40 – 60 Yards – Rest equals your walk back to the start + 10 seconds.
That is it. There is your summer blast workout that you can perform anywhere, get excellent results, for less than $100.
Be sure to drop a comment if you have any questions or anything else to say and make sure you subscribe to check out more ways to reach your physique and athletic goals as fast as possible.
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