Paradigm Shift

Through out my time training I’ve tried enjoyed both bodybuilding oriented and powerlifting oriented workouts. Work and family life have made it alot more difficult to get an in a work out at the gym. My work schedule will go from nights to days multiple times during the week. When I’m on day’s, i get home from work at about 1700. By the time I change clothes, do a warm up and drive to the gym, work out and drive home its now 1900. Enough time to have dinner with family and put my son to bed. An entire day with out spending time with my son.

I want to come up with a workout I can do at home. This way I don’t spend as much time out and my 2.5yo son gets to see me working out and I can role model that behaviour for him.

I have The following equipment at home:
sandbag that i can adjust from 35-145lbs
2xAdjustable dumbells with 4x10, 4x5, 4x2.5
power rings that i have not put up yet

I am willing to purchase more, but only have a 1 car garage so i cant convert the whole garage into a gym.

I’ve done a little bit of cross fit in the past to supplement my work outs, but I am not a big fan of the haphazard workout planning. With out a plan, it feels like just working out/exercising instead of actually training (much the same way you see people go to the local golds gym and wander from machine to machine randomly and then wonder why they dont see any progress).

I’m struggling with changing how I think about training. Does any one have any resources they could share, or tips for developing a program with what equipment I have? Like I said, I’m willing to buy more, but i dont have the funds or space for a squatrack, and as it is i have to pull the wifes car out of the garage to do anything. I’d like to come up with/find 2-4 home workouts using the equipment i have and bodyweight, that I can rotate through. Then after 4-6 weeks, change the programs a little bit much the way I have done in the past.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

Can you workout in the mornings? I have the same issue with family so I get up at 5 now. I hate it but at least
I’m done for the day.

[quote]hill-jack wrote:
Can you workout in the mornings? I have the same issue with family so I get up at 5 now. I hate it but at least
I’m done for the day. [/quote]

What is difficult about that is one day I go to work from 1500-0000 (but as late as 0300). the next day i might still have to be in at 1100am, and again work 1500-0000 the next day.

I’m really feeling like for this phase of my life, home based workouts are my best option but I dont want to just do push-ups, sit-ups, and run…

I purchased the 135lb ultimate sandbag a while back. i’m considering getting a weighted vest as well. (V-Force or MiR short vest…50lbs?)

I guess i dont really know what protocols I should use. How should I select exercises? How many exercises? How many reps? Should I do circuits? How man rounds? I feel I have a good grasp on these things for bodybuilding/powerlifting. But since I’m looking at focusing more on GPP, I don’t feel I know how to design a program.

I guess I could just do something, and if it feels too easy…try an extra round of the circuit? Add an extra exercises? Add extra reps?

I would invest in a Sled/Prowler if you’re wanting to focus mostly on GPP.Those things are great for Conditioning. I would say (and this is just my view) that doing some kind of BW strenght stuff with the weighted vest you are thinking of getting (i.e. sets of weighted dips, pullups, pushups, 1-leg squats, lunges etc.) foolowed by some conditioning with the sandbag (try doing sandbag Curtis P’s - 1 x squat clean , 1 x lunge left, 1 x lunge right, 1x pushpress = 1 rep, try to get as many as you can in 10 minutes) would be a good bet.As a side note, I’ve found that doing farmer’s walks while wearing a weighted vest is one of the hardest forms of conditioning one can do.Maybe invest in some more weight for those DB’s to make loaded carries more challenging ?

Michael Ranfone wrote a good article a few months back about GPP(or it might have been work capacity, same thing really) definately go give that a read if you’re looking for ideas.

Also, if you’ve got the $$$ and are willing to spend it, investing in a good barbell and some weight could add another dimension to your training(check out roguefitness.com)

Sorry if this post was all over the place lol, good luck with your training man !!

I think a sled/prowler might be too much space in the garage, but i would definately like to get an oly bar and set of plates.

Thanks for the article/website. I’ll take a look at em.

i’m kind of thinking about browsing crossfit WODS/workouts till i find 4 that look good rotate through those as a starting place. i’m trying not to buy into crossfit too much, its a fricken cult (unlike T-Nation, hahaha).

Anyway I’m very fond of the trifecta and core crusher.

I would look at some of the ebooks by Paul Wade for inspiration, Bodyweight training is about progression, you can make home based work-outs tremendously challenging

If you haven’t yet, scroll through some of Dan John’s articles on the site. He’s always putting up ingenious ways to get the most out of a little. If you’re going to invest just a little (under $100) I’d say get some of the exercise bands in different thickness. You can do a hundred exercises with them, especially if you have something sturdy to wrap them around and secure them in place.

Kettlebell, pull up bar, goals. I’ve been in your situation. A kb can save you until things get back to normal(whatever that means). Good luck

One word: shovelglove

shovelglove???

[quote]tornado9v wrote:
shovelglove???[/quote]
Just search google

My advice. Go to Academy and buy their Barbell + weight combo for $199. The bar sucks but is good enough. Should be enough weight to get something done. Be creative. Look up some of Dan Johns articles.

Find and old tire and make a sled out of it. Buy a Spud Sled Strap or buy some handles and attach a rope and you have enough equipment to kick some ass.

And I feel you. My son is the same age and I’m a coach with football in full swing. I usually train when he goes to bed. Just sucks. I hate being at the gym late.