Dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells aren’t the only training tools you can use to build strength outside of the gym. If you own a backpack or vest with weights, you can do a little exercise.
Rucking involves putting additional stress on the body and going for a run or brisk walk. It’s a smart way to turn your daily walk into an endurance-boosting cardio session.
If you want to use exercise to build some serious muscle, you can try doing a mini-workout in the middle of your hike — like the one shown below, from CrossFit PRVN Fitness and fitness brand Built For Athletes.
It should take you less than 10 minutes to do, but it will strengthen your legs and give you a little cardio boost.
How to do the exercise
(Image credit: Getty Images)
- Walk / run with a backpack for one mile
- Backpack upgrade k21,15, 9
- Backpack squats x21,15, 9
- Jumps in the backpack x21,15, 9
- Walk / run with a backpack for one mile
This workout consists of a three-movement circuit, sandwiched between a pair of one-mile walks or runs. You’ll wear a weight pack for all exercises and the one-mile run, although you can adjust the weight between moves to suit your strength and fitness level.
To start, put on your backpack and walk the first mile. Once you’ve done this, go through three rounds of a circuit consisting of backpack steps, backpack squats, and backpack lunges. In the first round you will do 21 repetitions of each exercise, in the second you will reduce this to 15, and for the last round you will do nine of each exercise.
Once all three laps are complete, move on to another one-mile walk or run. Once you reach the mile mark, the workout is over.
I used the new Built For Athletes Pro Series backpack when I tried this workout, with a bag that is load-tested up to 66 lb/30 kg. But a comfortable backpack full of clothes will also help make the moves more challenging.
Exercises
Boxing step-up
Sets: 3 Repetitions: 21, 15, 9
- Carrying a backpack filled to your desired weight, stand facing a box, step, bench, or similar firm surface with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step onto the box with one foot. Drive through the heel of this foot to bring the other leg up and onto the box.
- Land with the first foot, then the other. That’s one repetition. Alternate which leg you’re stepping on for each rep.
Coach signals
“Keep your core engaged for stability, focusing on the muscles you work with each step; in this case the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Take care to control your movement and avoid using momentum.”
Sets: 3 Repetitions: 21, 15, 9
- When carrying a backpack, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and turned slightly outward.
- Push your hips back and then lower them toward the ground, as if you were sitting in a chair behind you.
- Brace your core and keep your back straight, drop your hips as far as you can toward the ground while maintaining good form.
- Once you’ve lowered your hips as far as they can go, drive through your heels to return to the starting position. That’s one repetition.
Coach signals
“Maintain proper form by keeping your chest straight and your back straight, ensuring your knees stay in line with your toes, and controlling both eccentric and concentric [upwards and downwards] parts of the movement”.
Sets: 3 Repetitions: 21, 15, 9
- Stand carrying your backpack with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take a step forward with one leg, keeping your chest up. Bend both knees until the knee of your back leg touches the floor.
- Push through the heel of the front foot to return to the starting position. That’s one repetition. Alternate the leg you step forward with for each repetition.
Coach signals
“Make sure you keep your core engaged and that all parts of the lunge are slow and controlled to avoid losing your balance.”
Bonus top tips from PRVN coach Nick Johnston
When you try something for the first time, it can be tempting to do everything quickly. But PRVN coach Nick Johnston advises against this.
“Tempo will be key for this workout because you don’t want to exert all your energy on the first run or early workouts and be tired by the end,” he says.
“You can also adapt this exercise to your fitness level by lowering or increasing the weight on each movement, or increasing the rest time—don’t change the rep range, though.”
If you’re looking for more ways to train without a gym membership, check out our six-movement bodyweight workout for beginners, which can help you build strength and muscle at home without any equipment.
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Image Source : www.fitandwell.com