Training outdoors is a much or effective environment then in the gym or the living room IME. Why do people pay a company to breathe in the germ infested air conditioned gym environment where the apparatus is controlled and not realistic? Unless you are weight training or taking classes such as spinning or yoga it's not effective, you can run 10miles on a tread mill but will struggle to do 5 on the street or in the park.
I've done a few triathlons in the past and started training in the gym, I then cancelled the membership as a friend advised me of the benefits of training outdoors. I do all my upper, core, lower body and cardio training in the park (bar swimming for which I prefer Tooting Bec Lido). Where the ground is uneven, the sun, wind and rain mirror a race environment and adding additional mental and physical challenges day to day.
Last month I started circuit training in Ravenscourt Park (use your local park or quiet streets). I start with a run, 2-3 laps of the park (luckily for me 1 lap = 1 mile), then a circuit ( I use the trees (lamp posts if on the street) in the park as markers to jog between as recovery time between sets); First Half, 5 press-ups and 10 crunchies at alternating trees; Third quarter, 10 leg raises and 10 star jumps; Fourth quarter, 10 squat thrusts and 10 air-cycling (for want of a better description).
Obviously taper the repetitions and sets to suit your fitness level and increase them every few weeks as you see fit.
I find this cross training gives me a really intense workout in a short space of time around 90 minutes. I don't log my training at the moment as I'm not competing, but if you suffer from ill discipline (as I do from time to time), then it is important to log your training and record your progress and see your achievements. I have used a spreadsheet for this, a calendar and diary in the past; then I discovered an extremely usefully website for logging your training routes, times, calories consumed and so forth; although I only use it for calculating routes and logging time.
check out www.beginnertriathlete.com it's free to sign up and has a wealth of information from nutrition, exercise programs and the rest. If you do sign up we can create a group where we mentor and monitor each others workout and progress.
Training outdoors is a much or effective environment then in the gym or the living room IME. Why do people pay a company to breathe in the germ infested air conditioned gym environment where the apparatus is controlled and not realistic? Unless you are weight training or taking classes such as spinning or yoga it's not effective, you can run 10miles on a tread mill but will struggle to do 5 on the street or in the park.
I've done a few triathlons in the past and started training in the gym, I then cancelled the membership as a friend advised me of the benefits of training outdoors. I do all my upper, core, lower body and cardio training in the park (bar swimming for which I prefer Tooting Bec Lido). Where the ground is uneven, the sun, wind and rain mirror a race environment and adding additional mental and physical challenges day to day.
Last month I started circuit training in Ravenscourt Park (use your local park or quiet streets). I start with a run, 2-3 laps of the park (luckily for me 1 lap = 1 mile), then a circuit ( I use the trees (lamp posts if on the street) in the park as markers to jog between as recovery time between sets); First Half, 5 press-ups and 10 crunchies at alternating trees; Third quarter, 10 leg raises and 10 star jumps; Fourth quarter, 10 squat thrusts and 10 air-cycling (for want of a better description).
Obviously taper the repetitions and sets to suit your fitness level and increase them every few weeks as you see fit.
I find this cross training gives me a really intense workout in a short space of time around 90 minutes. I don't log my training at the moment as I'm not competing, but if you suffer from ill discipline (as I do from time to time), then it is important to log your training and record your progress and see your achievements. I have used a spreadsheet for this, a calendar and diary in the past; then I discovered an extremely usefully website for logging your training routes, times, calories consumed and so forth; although I only use it for calculating routes and logging time.
check out www.beginnertriathlete.com it's free to sign up and has a wealth of information from nutrition, exercise programs and the rest. If you do sign up we can create a group where we mentor and monitor each others workout and progress.