Improve my workout?

[Taita]

Hi,

I run through this program twice a week with a mate in his garage, its for general all round cardio and I get in 1-2 longish runs each week also. Each exercise is run in sets of 3 with 60sec rest between them. Eg 2mins jog, 60s rest, 2mins jog, 60s rest etc.

2mins jog on spot
Quick stretch
2mins heels to arse
2mins slowly bring knees up to waist
1min sprinting on spot

1min Burpees max effort
1min rowing on hardest setting
1min Knees to chest (jumping)

1min Pressups - at least 25. Last set beat your score by 5.
1min Situps - at least 25. Last set beat your score by 5.
1min Chinups - Bang out 4, swap person, he does 4, swap, etc until failure. Then 2 sets of negatives.
1min Pullups - sets of 3-5.
1min Leg raises (try writing your full name with your toes!)
1min 15kg Weighted Squats (just hold plate in my arms)

Looking to add in extra exercises or increase severity (suggestions apart from 5minutes burpees please!).

Equipment available is:

Pull up bar (see above)
Weight bench + dumbells + barbells
Plates
Skipping rope
No space to set up the heavy bag unfortunately!

Might be missing one or two exercises, it is on a bit of paper taped to the wall in the garage!

[Mansell's 'tash]

through in a few heavy sets with the weights, esp legs if possible. Lifting heavy weights has been linked with increased HGH production.

[Animal]

Could you go halves on a set of focus pads, 19oz boxing gloves and a couple of pairs or wraps?

Provided you know how to throw punches you could have an excellent couple of rounds of boxing to throw into the mix...

[Taita]

Hmmm, space is a bit of issue, however there always is the lawn and the light from the kitchen window!

It is for cardio mainly, will the heavy leg presses improve run times or just the amount I can lift. Would have more muscle to cart around?

[cheeky_chops]

planks? left, right then facedown - 30 secs each for 3 sets

[Taita]

As many as I can do in 30s? Or hold for 30s?

[996 sps]

To improve or maintain cardio fitness you need to be working a minimum of 40mins, thats fact, if your using this session as a supplement for fitness no problems, will aid as a bolt on.

Edited to add I see you now do 3 sets so getting over your 40 mins, why don't you skip the warm up go for a 20 min run and go straight into your circuit as soon as you return, also on the squats rather than hold the weight to your front grab a barbell and start overhead squats, google overhead squats for technique, to add if your after improving cardio put the rower on level 6/7 as this is harder work than level 10.

Edited by 996 sps on Thursday 31st December 08:45

[Halb]

It's tough!!
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/O...

[996 sps]

Halb said:

It's tough!!
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/O...

Nice one Halb, once you get the technique of this then super set it with jump squats with dumbells in each hand, that'll get you blowing and be more functional than just weighted squats with an olympic weight.

[996 sps]

Also OP I would not just do 1 minute of heaves (chin-ups) and stick to set of 4 reps, try pyramid (called Matrix and variety of other yank terms) were partner jumps on does 5 reps (controlled full ext of elbows chin over bar) come off then 5 press ups then you on the bar complete 5, then partner on does 4 reps and so on until your on 1 rep, when I complete 1 rep I go up to a count of 5 then hold at the top and negative rep down for a count to 5 good technique and good discpline, you'll find that you'll increase reps and increase muscle memory rather than doing 4 reps all the time, eventually you'll be able to do 10 down to 1 including the press ups and 1 back up to 10 including the press ups. Don't sacrfice technique for reps.