# Work Out Help!



## stonewall1350 (Jul 14, 2012)

So I will shortly be done with an intensive summer job (working at a camp and I am moving pretty much 12-13 hours a day and eating food that resembles something out of a bad prison movie). I have already lost 20 lbs. So I am starting to think about what I do when I get back to the real world.

My workouts have been lax the past year or so because my BIGGEST problem is that I HATE...HATE...HATE....weight lifting and I also cannot stand running(I have bad knees and straight cardio running is hard on them). I don't hate the difficulty. I hate it because it is so intensely boring. I just can't keep my focus on it for the span of time it requires to be a decent work out. I do a lot of heavy lifting and a lot of cardio at my job (water coolers, ladders, tires, high ropes, people, swimming, and basically anything I can and I am moving all the time). So I really want some recommendations for fun workouts that are strength training and some that are cardio. I am at 238 lbs right now at 6'1. I am looking to get down to 205 ish (I am happy at 210-215).

PS:

I will be working out with some volunteer firefighters (or assisting them in their workouts because I am related to several). So any great and fun workouts we would LOVE because it would also help the community around us. Anything?

I understand that workouts are by their nature hard. But the boring workouts is the reason I started boxing, and then did Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. I wanted something new and different. Not same old same old. I am willing to do tough. But when they are boring I just don't stick to them. Any ideas?


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## grumpywolfman (Jul 17, 2012)

Basketball is one that comes to mind; it would be a good cardio workout, and a fun way to spend time with friends.


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## brownie710 (Jul 25, 2012)

while I'm fairly new to the martial arts, 6th Kyu, I have been a backpacking guide and have rock and ice climbed for over a decade requiring similar strength and endurance. If you hate running and the time it takes one thing you might want to try is Tabata. If you have never heard of it it is essentially 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest on a loop, eight excercises that are repeated anywhere from 4-16 minutes. Lots of folks argue about true tabata but at the end of a 16 minute cycle it is hard to argue it is not a great conditioning workout. There is a free online timer I use for my home workouts at http://www.tabatatimer.com/   The tabata cycelworkout I use is:
Run in place
Jumping jacks
Pushups
Squats
bicycle crunches
lunges
burpees
shadow boxing (jab/cross/hook)
then repeat.
As far as wanting to get away from weights a slosh tube can be a fun piece of equipment to use at home. It is cheap to build, $20, and is a great strength/endurance tool. It is a 4inch diameter, 8 foot long pvc pipe filled 3/4 full with water and capped at both ends (see youtube videos for construction). shoulder presses, static over the head holds, squats, holding while in a horse stance, or on chest while doing situps is a crazy workout because your entire core and body is trying to stabilize the 40 pounds of water sloshing in the tube. Just a few ideas for you.


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