Everyone loves a challenge that makes them better and gives the little extra edge in their training, helps build resilience and confidence and revs up the session.
Workout finishers can be just that, especially if you’re training with a friend or a group where everyone can help push you to break through and get just a little better than last time. I also like them to teach focus at the end of the workout where people want to start focusing on other things.
Here are 5 challenging workout finishers you can plug into the end of your training session (pick just one per workout).
1. KB Farmers Walk Push Up Finisher
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Grab a pair of heavy KB’s or DB’s (try for at least half of bodyweight) and walk until your grip gives out. When you get to that point drop down and do max. amount of quality push ups you can squeeze out (focus on quality and form). Get back up and farmers walk until the next time your grip gives out then repeat with max push ups again.
Repeat until you cannot continue because of grip strength giving up completely or until a set number of push ups (for instance, once you get to 100 push ups).
2. Ascending KB Swing/Goblet Squat Ladder
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Take a KB/DB that you can squat for 20-25 reps or so with good form and go through the following ascending ladder without putting the weight down:
2 swings/1 squat
4 swings/2 squats
6 swings/3 squats
8 swings/4 squats
10 swings/5 squats
To make it more challenging you can then go right back down to 2 swings/1 squat. To progress this add one ladder (ex: 12 swings/6 squats) every week or two. After you have done 20% more volume, up the weight.
3. KB Loaded Conditioning
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Take a weight that you can press overhead for at least 10 reps. You will start by doing 6-reps and then walking 30-40 yards with the weight overhead in a waiters walk. From there you will do 6-reps of squats then walk in a rack position for 30-40 yards. You will finish off with alternating bent rows for 6-reps each and then farmers walk 80 yards to finish it off. As a bonus you can add 15 double KB swings at the end to make it more spicy.
We’d do this for 2-4 rounds. Every week you can increase distance or increase the amount of reps you do.
4. DB Complex
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Take a weight that you can press overhead at least 12 times and then do the following complex (a complex means you repeat all the repetitions of an exercise before going on to the next one without putting the weight down until you’re finished with the whole complex).
DB RDL x 8
DB Row x 8
DB Explosive High Pull x 8
DB Front Squat x 8
DB Push Press x 8
DB Reverse Lunge x 8/side
Repeat for 2-4 rounds based on your fitness level and rest between 120-45 seconds (I like to use the HR monitor and wait for people to get under 130 BPM to make it more individual). You can progress this by increasing reps, reducing rest time, doing it faster, or to ad more sets (volume).
5. KB Goblet Squat 21’s + Push Up w/ Sit Out
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Take a weight you’re comfortable with for the KB goblet squat and you will do 21’s. This means your first 7 reps will be the first (bottom) part of the squat only coming half way up. The second 7 reps will be the upper half of the rep range (basically a half squat) and the last 7 reps will be full range of motion reps.
As soon as you’re done with that you will do 60 seconds non stop of push ups with a sit out (you can regress the push up part).
Do this for 1-3 rounds with a 90-120 second break.
Your goal is to beat the time on the 21’s (with quality form) as well as get more push ups w/ sit outs.
Enjoy and let me know how it went.
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