Ehh cardio.....It is definitely not my favorite thing to do and I think its safe to say you feel the same. Running in place on a treadmill, cycling on the bike or sweating on the elliptical just doesn't compare to knocking out some pullups or pulling a heavy deadlift off the floor. The good news is that you can make conditioning more fun and more interesting and here are some ideas.
1) JUMP ROPE-Hard to not think of Rocky or really any boxer when talking about jumping rope. Jumping rope is great for your feet and agility and overall is a solid conditioning exercise. One of the drawbacks of jumping rope of course is not everyone can do it. Despite that drawback, jumping rope is time and space efficient and will make you feel more athletic. A sample jump rope workout could look like this below.
JUMP ROPE for time
CORE-1 SET
repeat this for 6-8 rounds
( you could include this with your normal cardio....doing half jump rope half cardio on the treadmill etc )
2) PLATE PUSHES-This is the alternate version to doing the Prowler ( for those who don't know is a sled you push ) that can be done indoors. Basically put between a 25-45lb plate on the floor and push it. Sounds simple but don't think simple means easy. For those stronger you might even need to stack 45s. Keep in mind the type of surface you have in your gym. Make sure to keep your spine and head in neutral when pushing the plate. Below is a sample workout you can do.
PUSH THE PLATE ABOUT 25 YARDS, REST 15-25SEC....THEN PUSH IT BACK THE SAME DISTANCE. NOW REST 60-90 SEC OR SO.
*THIS EQUALS 1 SET. DO 5-8 SETS
** To change things you can push for a longer distance, do more rounds or decrease your rest periods
3) HILL SPRINTS-If they were good enough to get Walter Payton into great shape then they are good enough for you and I. Hill sprints are intense and they will leave your legs and lunges burning like no other. Keep in mind the steeper the hill the harder it will be. One of the drawbacks is finding a good hill especially if you live in the city. Another drawback is hill sprints tend to be tough of the ankles and Achilles. There is no exact workout for hill sprints but I would start with something you can do. Generally get up the hill as fast as you can, walk down and repeat 6-10x. Remember that hill sprints are tough on the body so I would only do them 1-2x a week.
