Improve Your Results with Unconventional Training!

As they say, "variety is the spice of life!"

This is also true for your workouts.

Not only is variety going to make your training more fun, your body actually craves it!

The problem with conventional exercise and conventional exercise equipment is that we can easily fall into a rut.

By using the same old workout routine, the same old workout equipment, and same intensity, our progress can start to slow.

Here's a simple formula for you to plateau with your results, burn out, and get injured:

Use the same equipment and do the same exercises with that equipment, repeatedly. 

Yes, I am talking to you treadmill runners! 

Our bodies are efficient machines that quickly adapt to whatever is thrown at them.

Running 2 miles today? 2 more miles later in the week? Are you going to run 2 miles again next week?

What if I told you that your body actually gets better at running and you actually burn less calories each time.

Yes, it actually takes your body less energy to perform the same exercises when you do them repeatedly. 

One way to avoid this plateau, overuse, and burnout is with variety.

One of our favorite ways to spice things up is with unconventional training.

This is a series of movements or variations of movements you've probably done like squats, lunges, presses, rows, planks, etc. (and most likely some movements you've never done) completed with unconventional training tools.

Not only are they fun to include, they present a new and different challenge to your workouts, helping you continue to make progress!

Unconventional training challenges you in a way that traditional exercise like jogging and machine exercises doesn't.

It not only creates a new physical challenge but also greatly challenges your mind as you work to coordinate new movements. 

Your body will have to work harder to complete the movements. 

You will really love the mindfulness to technique and body awareness that unconventional exercise creates. 

Let's get into our 5 favorite unconventional training tools and why you're going to LOVE them.

We've even included a sample workout for you to do with each unconventional training tool!

It's time to SPICE UP your workouts and see some fantastic results! Just in time for summer! 

1| The Sandbag

The sandbag has been around forever but only recently has gained popularity in the worlds of health and fitness, gaining it's training popularity with combat athletes especially.

Like with all of our unconventional tools, one thing we love about the sandbag is it's versatility. 

You can bring it and use it just about anywhere.

It can be used to complete just about any exercise and because it can easily move, bend, twist, etc. during your movements it adds a very unique challenge. 

This is HUGE for building the strength of your core, the very important injury prevention/stabilizer muscles of your spine, hips, and shoulders.

Drag it. Press it. Row it. Shoulder it. The limits are endless.

It's fantastic for building:

• Grip strength
• Core and total body strength
• Endurance
• Helping you work in a variety of planes

Your Workout

Set a timer for 10-15 minutes. Complete as many rounds a possible.

x10 Clean to Squat
x5/side Zercher Step Through Lunges
x10 Bent-Over Rows
x10 Back Squat 1.5
x5/side Plank Drag Throughs

2| The Kettlebell (KB)

The kettlebell might be our favorite piece of equipment at DSC.

Since its birth in Russian performance training years and years ago, the kettlebell is certainly gaining popularity and rightfully so!

I could write an entire article on it's benefits and why we LOVE the kettlebell. 

Here are a few:

• Accessibility (use it just about anywhere)
• Versatility (your movements are just about endless)
• Increased total body strength
• Increased total body mobility
• Increased posture and injury prevention
• Fat loss
• Muscle gain
• Improved fitness and endurance
• Etc. Etc

Your Workout

Set a timer for :35 of work and :25 of rest for each exercise. Complete each exercise in order with the right hand and then move to the left hand. Complete 4 total rounds.

1-Arm Swing
1-Arm Thruster
1-Arm Split-Stance Row
Jackhammer

3| The Medicine Ball

You're going to LOVE these!

The medicine ball has really gained popularity over the years in training athletes and their ability to produce speed and power.

The medicine ball has since then started to make its way into general fitness programs and is a BIG part of our Adult Group Training Programs here at Dynamic.

One of our favorite reasons is because their joint friendly nature make them a great training tool for those with bad knees and backs. 

They are fantastic for:

• Building speed and power
• Improving reaction
• Shredding fat
• Building core strength

Your Workout

Set a timer for :30 of work followed by :30 of rest. Complete each exercise either against a wall or with a partner! Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds. Complete 3-4 rounds.

Slams
Reverse Lunge to Chest Pass
Hip Toss
Burpee Chest Pass with Step
Push-Up Crossover

4| The Steel Mace

Game of Thrones, anyone? 

Think of the steel mace as a medieval weapon or a kettlebell on a stick! HAHA!

What you'll first notice about the mace is it's deliberate unevenness. 

On one side you have a pole or stick and on the other is the weighted head of the mace.

This is one reason why we love the mace.

Most pieces of equipment, like the dumbbell or a barbell, are balanced weight-wise.

The mace being uneven and heavy on one side challenges you to not tip or lean during your movements.

This keeps you very mindful of your technique and greatly increases the work your core must do to keep you tall during your movements. 

They are great for:

• Shredding fat
• Increasing injury prevention, joint mobility and health
• Correcting posture
• Adding variety to your workouts
• Improving your strength and technique of conventional exercises like barbell squats and deadlifts

Check out our beginners guide to the steel mace, HERE!

Your Workout

Set a timer for 10-15 minutes. Complete as many rounds as possible.

x5/side Switch Squats
x10 Hip Hinges
x5/side Alternating Lateral Lunges
x5/side Alternating Reverse Lunges
x5/side Halos
x5/side Straight Leg Sit-Ups

5| The Jammer

If you've watched our Instagram page, you've probably seen some highlights of the Jammer.

It's a new, rare, incredibly fun and versatile piece of equipment that is great for building strength, power and overall fitness.

What we LOVE most about the Jammer is its rotating handles.

Many conventional exercises like barbell cleans and squats can be tough and can beat up your joints because of the amount of joint mobility required to do them properly and safely. 

The Jammer allows our members, even ones that are incredibly stiff, to still reap the benefits of some of the exercises that they wouldn't normally be able to do or be able to do without discomfort. 

The Jammer is great for:

• Fun!
• Building strength
• Shredding fat
• Improving your fitness

Your Workout

Complete each exercise in order and then rest 1-2 minutes. Complete 3-5 rounds.

x6 Bent-Over Row
x6 Cleans
x6 Push Press
x6/side Reverse Lunges