HSC vs JKC - Backyard Conditioning

So, I got together with my buddy Jon-Erik Kawamoto of JKConditioning.com for a little backyard conditioning the other day. I just wanted to share with you a little bit of what we tortured ourselves with, as well as give you some ideas for training sessions that involve some more unconventional methods. Although by no means do I believe you need 100's of different pieces of exercise equipment (I'd be happy with a bar, some plates, and some dumbbells), I do think there are a few relatively inexpensive tools that must be added to every strength coach's home-toolbox:

• A ring system of some sort (TRX, blastraps, rings, etc) - Great for bringing with you on trips, outdoor training, and building strength in a full range of motion.
• A kettlebell - probably the best bang for your buck across the board. Conditioning, stability, mobility, strength, power, and endurance can be built with proper KB training.
• A sled of some sort - you can either buy a sled or make one out of a tire like the one you'll see in the pictures below. Great for pulling, pushing, towing.
• A medicine ball - Great for upper body plyometrics and conditioning stints.
• A band system (bungee, superbands) - Can add some resistance to movement drills as well as provide a continuous load to your regular strength exercises (bench, squats, etc).

For the backyard conditioning session we used a 225 lb tractor tire, 10 lb sledge hammer, modified tire sled, 24kg kettlebell, adjustable dumbbell (we used 65lbs), a 60 lb sandbag, and an ab roller. Here's a taste of the workout:

#1 - Dynamic Warm-up: I won't bore you with the details but here's a couple pics of x-over to side lunges and tin soldier walks.

#2 - Rollout to tire paired with 24kg kettlebell swings - 3 x 1min each with no rest.

#3 - Tire flips paired with 1-Arm 65 lbs DB Snatches - 3 x 1 min each with no rest.

#4 - 10 lb sledge hammer slams in tire paired with hand over hand rows with 60lb sand bag on tire-sled + push-ups - 3 x 1 min each with no rest.

#5 - Tire Wrestling - Try to flip tire over on opponent. After Hemsworth took an early 3-0 lead, Kawamoto battled back to tie it at 3-3. Hemsworth managed to take the deciding game 7, but it was a battle for the ages...check out the scars.

This is a great exercise for multi-dimensional team sport athletes who need to learn how to stabilize and create tension in a dynamic setting.

#6 - Reverse Tire-Sled Towing w/partner + 60lb sandbag - 3 x length of pavement (~60 feet).

The quads burned worse than Miss South Carolina.

#7 - Forward Tire-Sled Drags w/partner + 60lb sandbag -3 x length of pavement.

Finished...and still friends.