I am kicking off the OutdoorFitnessProject on January 1st, 2015! That’s right, New Year’s Day. It is not a New Year’s resolution, it is a challenge. Can I stay in shape? Will I stick with my workouts? Putting a huge constraint on myself by training exclusively outdoors will force me to try new things, spark innovation, and build a community that is willing to challenge themselves.
In full disclosure, I will still be training jujitsu indoors. Martial arts training will be my only workouts under a roof.
There is something rewarding in knowing that while I am pushing my limits and challenging myself in the elements, others are confined to their gyms or worse, sitting on the couch eating pie. Actually I am jealous of those eating pie, I just threw that in to make myself feel better.
Kicking off the challenge, I am going to start out with no equipment workouts for the first few weeks. This will help me find training spots suitable for varying weather conditions. Over the next several months after that, I plan on only using my jungle gym tactical suspension trainers and a weight vest. When the weather gets a little warmer, I may introduce a sled. I always wanted one and this is a great excuse. That’s it. I will chronicle my project and share what I learn right here in my blog.
I know that you can stay in great shape from bodyweight training exclusively. I did it for years when I was training several hours a week in jujitsu and cycling around 150 miles a week. Bodyweight training kept me strong and was much easier on my joints than traditional weights. In recent years I have reduced the amount of time on the bike and cut back on jujitsu. I have increased the amount of barbell work and conditioning I do to balance out my training time. The big change will be training outside and shifting back away from the barbell work.
Starting in 10 degree weather with snow on the ground is going to suck. If I make it past March, the rest of the year should be a breeze. Any tips on training in this type of weather? Shoot me an e-mail at outdoorfitnessproject@gmail.com.
Nutrition goes hand and hand with training. I will also be posting my take on diet and nutrition on a regular basis.
If you want to join me on my journey or you just want some new training ideas, I’d love some company. Subscribe to the OutdoorFitnessProject and you will receive an e-mail when I post a new blog entry or article.