The month of October, also known as ROCKTOBER or SQUATOBER and famous for Halloween, is here. I thought I would put together two workouts—a fun workout, Pumpkin Partners, and a challenging workout, The Hell Bridge—that everyone can enjoy this October! Both are great for outdoor training in cooler weather
The fun workout requires one large pumpkin between partners. If you don’t want to bring a pumpkin to the gym, there are plenty of med-balls to use instead to do the trick. The challenging workout requires good running shoes and a couple of trips across the bridge between the NCAA and the Indianapolis Zoo.
Fun Workout: Pumpkin Partners
This workout is a two-part AMRAP workout (AMRAP means “as many rounds as possible”).
Part 1
Pair up and complete as many rounds as possible of the circuit in 12minutes. Partner #1 does the exercises below while Partner #2 is resting. Switch roles, alternating partners, after completing the circuit.
- x15 yds Traveling Overhead (MB / Pumpkin) Lunges—Traveling Down
- 20x Thrusters (MB/Pumpkin) Squat to an Overhead Shoulder Press
- x15 yds Traveling Squat Jumps with (MB / Pumpkin) [Swing MB/Pumpkin as you Jump]—Travel Back to Start
- 20x Mountain Climbers with Hands on (MB / Pumpkin)
Part 2
Another paired-up AMRAP of 8 minutes. Again, Partner #1 does the exercises below, while Partner #2 is resting. Switch roles, alternating partners, after completing the circuit.
- 5x (MB / Pumpkin) Push-ups [Close grip for harder variation, one hand on/one hand off for easier variation]
- 10x (MB / Pumpkin) Sit & Reach Crunches [Crunch with an Overhead Press as You Sit Up]
- 15x (MB / Pumpkin) Half Burpee OH Presses [Burpee with no Push-up to a Pumpkin Curl and Press Overhead]
Finisher
Partner who completes the most work during both workouts gets to Pumpkin Toss:
- 1x Reverse (MB / Pumpkin) Toss for Height… Throw as high as possible and smash that pumpkin!
I suggest you do this outdoors to avoid a big mess. If pumpkin does not break on the first toss, repeat between partners until it is destroyed. HAVE FUN!
Challenging Workout: The Hell Bridge
Head out to the bridge between the NCAA headquarters and the Indianapolis Zoo. (It’s the bridge with all the art installations in the middle.) The workout is run SHORT to LONG, starting at the blue art installation next to the NCAA side of the bridge. Your goal is to do the exercise listed below all the way to the break in the grass/sidewalk. Each lap will get progressively longer. Follow with a run back to the start (the blue art installation) at the break in the grass/side walk. Essentially you will be making big circles/loops that progressively get longer until you have finally made it all the way across the bridge.
- Lap 1: Burpee Broad Jumps (Leap Frog + Push-ups) + Run Back to Start
- Lap 2: Zig-zags (Line Skaters) + Run Back to Start
- Lap 3: Lunges (change any direction—FWD/BKW/Side) + Run Back to Start
- Lap 4: Sprint (as fast as possible—middle of the bridge) + Run Back to Start
- Lap 5: Power Skips + Run Back to Start
- Lap 6: Lateral Shuffles (stay low, no galloping) + Run Back to Start
- Lap 7: Back Pedal + Run Back to Start
- Lap 8: Sprint (all the way to the Zoo—as fast as possible) + Run Back to Start—FINISHED!
Whichever workout you choose (or possibly both), please get a good cool-down and stretch. You’ve earned it: go trick-or-treating after you’ve completed these workouts!
This blog was written by Michael Blume, MS, SCCC; Athletic Performance Coach. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.