I Don't Need No Stinkin Gym - Part 2

"You will never reach your potential if you stay in the cozy confines of your gym." - Dan John

Anybody who reads stuff by Dan John and Zach Even-Esh knows that they've been touting the benefits of training outdoors for years - there's just something about taking some basic, primitive equipment (or no equipment) and heading out to a field or park and just working hard for 45 minutes. Even Arnold used to take a barbell set out to the woods and do endless sets of squats.

So despite yesterday being a rather dreary and gloomy day, I headed out to a local playground with my 53lb. kettlebell and some jump stretch bands and had at it for about 40 minutes. I ended up doing a total body warm up with the bands and then endless sets of various swings, snatches, clean and presses, different pull up variations, push up variations, recline rows, single leg squats off a bench, and some windshield wipers/hanging ab work off the monkey bars. There wasn't any thinking, or really much if any time off between sets - just hard work while breathing in some fresh air.

So take the advice of Arnold, Dan John, Zach Even-Esh, and yours truly and train outdoors. Take maybe a heavy dumbbell, or a sandbag, or maybe even a kettlebell or a barbell loaded with your bodyweight - whatever. Just get out of the confines of your commercial or home gym and explore what REAL training is all about.

Here's possibly the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Fedor Emelienenko getting down with some outdoors training.