In our current climate of social distancing and with the mass closure of gyms, exercising in the outdoors has never been a more attractive option for those in need of their daily training fix. Such are its many health benefits that even with fewer restrictions in place, various outdoor methods are to be encouraged as an energizing and efficient means to improving both body and mind.
Of the many different outdoor training options, park training remains one of the most popular. And it has a number of unique benefits for those wanting to avoid their usual clammy gym environs.
A good park training program does not require extensive equipment; can be enjoyed by virtually anyone, of any age, making it a family-friendly exercise option; is inexpensive (a good pair of shoes and water bottle and you are good to go); and, with a softer grassy surface, is relatively low-impact and easier on the joints, making it a safer option for older populations or for those rehabbing from injury. Besides all of that, getting more fresh air and sunshine will likely do us all a world of good.16, 17, 18, 22, 25
Perhaps best of all, park workouts can be designed to incorporate a range of different movements and protocols, the likes of which may be difficult, if not impossible, to include in more conventional training spaces. For example, functional bodyweight movements such as bear crawls and crab walks can be combined with 100-meter sprints and walking lunges to give the legs and core a hefty workout that’s hard to replicate in comparatively overcrowded and smaller gyms.
In addition, by combining such movements with the increasing array of equipment on offer at many of the more modern outdoor gyms we can target multiple muscles while receiving the aforementioned functional benefits, the end result being a leaner, healthier, more muscular, and better performing physique.
The purpose of this article is to get you into the best shape of your life with a series of park gym workouts, each devoted to blasting a smaller number of muscle groupings in around 45 minutes per session. In the plan to follow you’ll be training five days a week and hitting 1-2 major body-parts per session with maximum intensity and high volume.
Due to the intensive nature of this plan, full recovery between workouts is mandatory. Included in this article are five key supplements that will allow you to do just that.
By combining your park training with advanced supplementation and a well-balanced diet you’ll be super-impressed with your results after just 12 weeks of devoted effort. Let’s now review the movements you’ll be tackling in the program to follow.
- If required, work your way up to the prescribed rep count for all movements.
- Include morning cardio schedule of your choosing.
- Pull-ups supersetted with Wide Grip Push-ups: 6 sets of 15 reps per set (per movement)
- Close-Grip Push-ups supersetted with Inverted Rows: 6 sets of 20 reps per set (per movement)
- T-Supermans supersetted with Overhead Parallel Bar Hand Walks: 6 sets of 15 reps per set of Supermans and 1-minute of Hand Walking.
- Chest Dips: 3 sets of 15 reps per set
- Hanging Leg Raises supersetted with Bear Crawls: 4 sets of 15 reps per set of Leg Raises and 1-minute of Crawls.
- Crunches supersetted with Crab Walks: 4 sets of 20 reps per set of Crunches and 1-minute of Crab Walks.
- Walking Lunges supersetted with Sprints: 4 sets of 20 per set of Lunges and 20-second Sprints.
- Pike Shoulder Push-ups: 6 sets of 15 reps per set.
- Triceps Dips supersetted with Chin-ups: 6 sets of 15 reps per set (per movement).
- Wide-Grip Push-ups: 6 sets of 15 reps per set.
- Sprints supersetted with Squats: 5 sets of 20-seconds of Sprints and 25 reps per set of Squats.
- Walking Lunges trisetted with Crunches/Hanging Leg Raises: 4 sets of 25 reps per set (per movement).
- Overhead Parallel Bar Walks supersetted with Crab Walks: 3 sets of 1.5 minutes per set (per movement).
- Pull-ups supersetted with Inverted Rows: 6 sets of 15 reps per set (per movement).
- Close-Grip Push-ups supersetted with Chest Dips: 6 sets of 15 reps per set (per movement).
- Bear Crawls supersetted with T-Supermans: 3 sets of 1-minute of Crawls and 25 reps per set of Supermans.
The most perfectly structured training routine may, at best, be ineffective without the right amount of recovery between sessions. At worst, poor recovery may lead to incomplete muscle healing and possible injury. The harder we train, the more recovery we need. As such, with the following short and intensive series of sessions you’ll need all the recovery you can get.
While it’s assumed that you’ll be eating the right foods at the right times, what many often overlook is the right supplement plan, consistently implemented. By incorporating the following products, you can be assured that your muscles will respond well to the demands of your new intensive training schedule.
With the following supplement strategy in place you should, from week to week, experience more energy and your motivation to hit each session with maximum intensity will be higher than ever. Best of all, you’ll experience your best ever muscle gains and performance improvements. Why? Keep reading.
Just as the full array of ingredients contained in CVOL are more rapidly assimilated and put to work restoring damaged muscles post-training, so can the high-grade Whey Isolate featured in ISOFLEX be best absorbed and transformed into new muscle tissue with increased post-workout insulin sensitivity.
With 27g of laboratory-tested whey protein per serving, ISOFLEX is packed with non-denatured whey protein fractions, making it the perfect solution for post-workout muscle repair.
No matter how hard we work out, the training effect will always be limited by the extent to which we may recover between sessions. The protein we choose to nourish our muscles with makes all the difference in whether we come back stronger or continue to fall behind in our quest to become larger and stronger. You can be assured that by using ISOFLEX, full muscle repair can be achieved in the fastest possible timeframe.
While much of our muscle recovery occurs following the final rep of an arduous session, recovery should also be considered during training, where the muscles are subjected to increasing levels of catabolic stress. Indeed, along with anabolic hormone production, the body also increases intra-workout levels of the catabolic cortisol to help us overcome the physical challenge of training.7, 11, 19
Hard resistance training (whether with added resistance or bodyweight) can exact a tremendous toll on the body as muscle tissue is broken down in order to become larger and stronger for future sessions (and, in some cases, to supply energy). However, smart lifters expedite the recovery process by eliminating the potential catabolic consequences of intensive training.
One effective way to offset this intra-workout muscle catabolism is to take a reputable BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acid) product both before and during training. Along with being proven to reduce fatigue to enhance training output, the BCAAs, perhaps more critically, also drive down muscle inflammation in addition to stimulating muscle protein synthesis.6, 12, 13, 15 Each of these factors combined can improve muscle anabolism (growth) during training, which may lessen the amount of recovery needed post-training.
AMINOCORE is the perfect BCAA solution for intra-workout recovery and growth enhancement. Featuring a desirable 9:6:5 ratio of Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine for a combined total of 8.18g of BCAAs, this product has become popular for its rapid assimilation, great taste, and ability to boost workout performance and recovery. At its very core, AMINOCORE boosts muscle anabolism and muscle protein synthesis, making it a great addition to any intensive park training session.
CVOL is a sugar-free, all-in-one recovery formula that not only supplies the muscles with ingredients of specific importance to rebuilding damaged muscle tissue; it also prepares the body for the next intensive session to allow for a greater number of workouts and more combined training volume across a given training week.
Because the post-workout period is the best time to maximize nutrient assimilation – with specialized insulin receptors regulating nutrient uptake at such times – it makes sense to consume a formula containing the best of such ingredients immediately following each session.1, 2, 14
One such ingredient is Creatine, an essential component of anaerobic output and a proven muscle builder and cell volumizer. Containing three unique and fast-acting forms of Creatine combined with an absorption matrix to assist with assimilation, CVOL rapidly overloads the muscles with this key performance enhancer to boost muscle growth while setting you up for the next session.
CVOL further enhances recovery with high doses of Beta Alanine (which extends performance by decreasing intramuscular acidification and increasing Nitric Oxide (NO) production to enhance muscle pumping); Taurine (further enhances NO production while also improving electrolyte regulation); L Carnitine L Tartrate (reduces post-training muscle cell damage by as much as 40% while also decreasing lactic acid accumulation and glycogen depletion); and Betaine (promotes energy release and muscle anabolism by decreasing cortisol production, increasing growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor, and maintaining cellular fluid balance).5
Considered a conditionally essential amino acid, Glutamine is particularly essential for hard training lifters as the body’s ability to produce enough of is often superseded by how fast it is used to provide energy for cellular biosynthesis. In short, without sufficient Glutamine on board, our muscles may fast become catabolic, healing is compromised, and immunity is likely to be decreased, all of which can interfere with full recovery between sessions.4, 23, 24
Glutamine’s importance to muscle seekers is demonstrated by the fact that muscle Glutamine levels drop whenever the body enters a catabolic stress state (i.e., upon engaging in strenuous activity of a chronic nature). This means that to engage muscle healing, we must have enough Glutamine to facilitate optimal recovery and subsequent growth.
By far the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue, Glutamine must not be allowed to drop beyond what is needed to keep the muscles in a steady growth state. An effective way to do this is to take ALLMAX’s unique version of GLUTAMINE.
Using a hyper-particulation process called GLUTASURE, this highly-advanced product is manufactured to be the fastest acting and most rapidly absorbed among other such products. With each serving of pharmaceutical-grade, clinically-dosed ALLMAX GLUTAMINE, battle-tested muscles get exactly what they need for complete healing and regeneration.
While post-training remains the best time to load up on recovery nutrients, the recovery process does not end with post-training supplementation. In fact, our focus should be on fully maximizing this most essential process right up until bedtime, and beyond.
Getting up in the early hours of the morning to consume a meal is not practical nor entirely beneficial for muscle growth (sleep being just as important for restoring damaged muscles). However, by taking a serving of quality Casein protein before bed we nourish our muscles with a hefty dose of slow-release aminos, to keep the muscles in an anabolic state while we sleep.10, 20
One study demonstrated the long-term effects of pre-sleep Casein protein ingestion on skeletal muscle conditioning in healthy young men during a 12-week resistance type exercise training program.21 What the researchers found was a greater increase in skeletal muscle mass and strength in subjects that ingested 27.5 grams of protein (a 50% casein + 50% casein hydrolysate mix) compared with a non-protein placebo (the pre-bed protein was taken on both training and non-training days). Other such studies have shown similar results.20
Compared to other protein sources, Casein is classed as the gold-standard in pre-bed protein consumption. This is in part due to acidic environment of the stomach causing Casein to clot, thereby delaying gastric emptying into the small intestine, which results in a moderate and sustained increase in plasma amino acid concentrations.
ALLMAX CASEIN-FX is a superior form of Casein for sustained muscle growth. With an 8-10-hour release rate, this product is designed to keep muscle tissue anabolic and growth consistent during sleep.
CASEIN-FX also features an enzyme-activated absorption blend called ACTIVASE, a patented pH sensitive enzyme activation technology that enhances the breakdown of proteins into readily-absorbable amino acids to ensure optimal assimilation. This product is also 100% Micellar Casein, by far the most efficient and effective form of Casein available today.
Before attempting the movements to be included in your new park training plan, it’s recommended that you first select a training area with plenty of room to move and a readily-accessible gym with pull-up and dipping bars, along with parallel bars for select key movements.
-Dips
Chest
The humble dip remains the king of the upper body blasters. With a few subtle adjustments it can be used to target both chest and triceps. In fact, many consider the dip to be a superior chest builder and its reputation for filling out the tris remains unquestioned.
Whereas many lifters receive comparatively little direct pec stimulation from bench presses (which tend to hit the shoulders just as hard), the dip is one compound that really does isolate, and heavily overload, this key grouping (particularly the lower section).
To perform:
Grasping dipping bars, lean forward while keeping elbows a little wider than shoulder-width, knees back and feet behind body. Slowly lower the body, keeping head in alignment with the spine. Using pec strength, press back to starting position.
Triceps
A great way to fully flesh out the tris, this movement can be done on dipping bars but is best performed on a simple park bench or chair.
To perform:
Gripping the front of a bench or chair with hands (fingers facing in) and keeping core tight, place feet flat on ground and bend knees so thighs are parallel with the floor. Straighten arms to full extension. From this starting position slowly lower the body until the upper arms are at 90 degrees; using triceps strength, press body back to a full lockout.
-Push-Ups
Wide Grip
The wide grip push-up is one of the more challenging of the push-up variations in that it places the chest and biceps in a more lengthened state, thus limiting the amount of force we may produce through its full range of motion. As such, it requires much core stability and control.
Rather than hitting the chest and shoulders, this variation tends to emphasize the biceps and back musculature (it’s been shown to place as much as 20% more tension on the biceps compared to the standard push-up variation).8
To perform:
Adopt a prone plank position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Bend elbows out to the sides to lower body to the floor. Press back to starting position.
Narrow Grip
With this variation the pressing mechanics are similar to the standard push-up, the only difference being the adoption of a more closely-spaced grip (which allows the pectoralis major and triceps to receive 10% and 15% more activation respectively compared to a standard push-up).3, 8 It also hits more of the pectoralis minor (a smaller pec muscle) and the infraspinatus (a major muscle of the rotator cuff), thus making it a good all-round upper body builder.
To perform:
From a prone plank position, place hands about two inches apart while keeping the core tight throughout. Slowly lower body to the floor while inhaling through the nose; push body back to starting position while exhaling through the mouth (use this same breathing technique for all pressing variations).
-Pike Shoulder Push-Ups
This push-up variation is used to develop shoulder and core strength. Safer and easier to perform than the handstand push-up, it is nevertheless an effective bodyweight shoulder movement that can be executed by most people, in most training spaces.
To perform:
With the balls of feet solidly planted on the edge of a chair or bench, backside raised up, and hands flat on the ground with fingers out, slowly lower head toward the ground (the less elbow movement the better). Aim the have the nose touch the ground, using shoulder strength to lower and raise the body.
-Pull-Ups
Among the best back movements, the pull-up increases lat width and is considered to be a true test of upper body strength.
To perform:
Grasping an overhead bar with a palms-down grip, arms fully extended, and back muscles tensed, begin by pulling your shoulder blades back and down as your elbows travel towards your ribs. Keep pulling until your chin clears the bar. Keep pulling and hold for a two-count at the top of the movement (keeping hips and feet slightly in front of the bar). Slowly lower.
-Chin-Ups
Use the same mechanics as you would for the pull-up, but instead with a palms-up grip. Again, aim to ‘clear the bar’, this time by placing more emphasis on the biceps but also keeping tension on the back musculature throughout. As with pull-ups, focus on using the correct muscles with minimal use of momentum (no swinging or bouncing).
-T-Supermans
Though not as effective at working the bulk of the back compared to either ‘pulls’ and ‘chins’, this movement does provide some unique benefits, namely stronger lower back, core, and shoulder muscles (along with a decent amount of glute and hamstring activation) and greater muscle endurance.
To perform:
Lie facedown with legs straight and arms outstretched to the sides. Complete by raising arms and legs 15cms off the floor, contracting the back and glutes as hard as possible. Hold contraction for two seconds before lowering arms and legs to starting position.
-Inverted Rows
This movement could be considered the bodyweight equivalent to the standard bent over barbell row, but with a few additional challenges of its own: namely, the unique stimulus of pulling through a horizontal plane while having to stabilize the upper body throughout. The inverted row is a no-fuss way to work all of the ‘pull’ muscles: back; biceps; forearms; grip; and the various stabilizers that make all of these muscles work together.
To perform:
Find a bar that’s waist height (most park gyms have these). From a lying position, reach up and grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width overhand grip. Contracting the abs and glutes and keeping the legs straight, pull upper body up until chest touches the bar. Slowly lower.
-Bear Crawls
An unorthodox movement that’s considered to be one of the very best strength and conditioning exercises around, bear crawls target each of the major muscle groups in unison, making them great for total body development, cardiovascular fitness, and maximum fat loss. Think of this movement as dynamic version of the stationary plank that forces the whole body to work hard.
To perform:
Crouch down with arms extended to the front, hips high, and legs back. ‘Crawl’ forward, starting with right hand and left foot, quickly followed by left hand and right foot.
-Crab Walks
Another great functional, weight-bearing movement, the crab walk similarly works all of our major muscles at once, but places more emphasis on the triceps, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s a challenging and effective way to enhance agility, coordination, and total body strength.
To perform:
Sitting on the ground with knees bent and hands roughly two-inches behind the body (with fingers pointing back), elevate the glutes while simultaneously moving the right hand and left leg forward. Then move left hand and right leg forward, continuing in this fashion.
-Overhead Parallel Bar Hand Walks
This movement requires tremendous upper body strength and stamina, so start slow and work your way up to the prescribed protocol (see below).
To perform:
Grasping overhead bars (those commonly found in most jungle gym set ups), ‘walk’ by transferring weight from one hand to the other, using a little momentum but keeping tension on the arms and back muscles (though all upper body muscles will be incorporated to some degree).
-Sprints
In its most basic form, sprinting involves covering on foot as much distance as possible in a short space of time (typically 10-30 seconds). Due to the muscular depletion of phosphocreatine stores limiting the distance we may cover, sprinting is considered to be one of the purest forms of short-burst, anaerobic activity. As such, it’s a great way to severely tax the leg muscles and enhance lower body conditioning (while also turning the body into a fat burning machine due to the famed afterburn effect, where fat stores may continue to be utilized for up to 24 hours post-workout).9
To perform:
Find clear space (a large grassy field is ideal) and use arms and legs to generate as much speed as possible within the prescribed timeframe (see below).
-Walking Lunges
Due to the bodyweight nature of the following program, these will be performed without weights. This lunge variation primarily works the hips, glutes, legs, and core, while increasing flexibility and agility across all of these areas.
To perform:
In an open area (again, a large grassy field is excellent), stand with hands on hips and take a large step forward with right leg, placing the majority of your weight on your right heel. Bend the right knee so the forward upper leg is parallel to the ground and rear knee almost touches the ground. Without moving right leg, step through with the left leg, repeating the same lunging technique.
-Squats
This king of resistance movements need not be performed with bar-bending weights to enhance total body strength and conditioning. To fully overload the leg musculature, this unparalleled strength and size builder will in the program to follow be performed with high reps and perfect form directly following other strenuous movements.
To perform:
With a medium stance and arms folded across chest, squat down. Be sure to keep bodyweight across the entire foot with heels firmly planted, shoulders back, back slightly arched, and core tight at all times (picture yourself sitting in a chair). Don’t tip too far forward; instead, keep the knees behind the feet at all times and keep head facing forward. Take 2-3 seconds on the way down and explode back to the top for a controlled one-count.
-Hanging Leg Raises
This leg raise variation works all of the major muscles of the abdominal wall (in particular the lower abs) in addition to the hip flexors and the external obliques. This movement can be performed either hanging from a bar or with the use of a machine (with elbow supports). For the purposes of this article we will do our raises hanging, a functionally superior option that requires greater upper body strength and provides a nice lat stretch (great for increasing range of motion through the upper body and enhancing core mobility).
To perform:
From a dead hang and using a palms-down (pronated) grip, flex the abdominal muscles while raising the legs to just beyond 90 degrees; keep the upper body stable and drive through the glutes in order to completely flex the abs. Note: to get the most from this movement be sure to pre-stretch the abs from a hanging position before beginning the first rep and roll the pelvis under and up as the legs are raised.
-Crunches
The good old abdominal crunch can be performed virtually anywhere and remains a superior ab training option. Unlike other ab movements (such as the leg raise and sit up), the crunch works only the ab muscles thus limiting the involvement of assisting muscles such as the hip flexors and lower back. Crunches therefore remain the best movement for fully isolating the abs and building as much muscle as possible across the entire abdominal wall.
To perform:
Lying on the ground with feet firmly fixed in place, knees bent, and arms across the chest, pre flex the abs by pulling the belly button toward the spine and squeezing hard. Contract the abs to raise the upper back 4-5 inches off the ground while exhaling. Keep neck straight and head up (picture a tennis ball under your chin). Hold contraction for 2-3 seconds at the top of the movement. Slowly return.
Five Supplements to Supercharge Recovery
The most perfectly structured training routine may, at best, be ineffective without the right amount of recovery between sessions. At worst, poor recovery may lead to incomplete muscle healing and possible injury. The harder we train, the more recovery we need. As such, with the following short and intensive series of sessions you’ll need all the recovery you can get.
While it’s assumed that you’ll be eating the right foods at the right times, what many often overlook is the right supplement plan, consistently implemented. By incorporating the following products, you can be assured that your muscles will respond well to the demands of your new intensive training schedule.
With the following supplement strategy in place you should, from week to week, experience more energy and your motivation to hit each session with maximum intensity will be higher than ever. Best of all, you’ll experience your best ever muscle gains and performance improvements. Why? Keep reading.
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- Snijders, T. et al. (2015). Protein ingestion before sleep increases muscle mass and strength gains during prolonged resistance-type exercise training in healthy young men. J Nutr. 145:1178–84.
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