Something Fun.

Well, it's Spring time here in Boston, which means Summer is right around the corner. In just a few short weeks, you'll be encountering situations that involve less clothing than you've been used to for the last several months.

You've been lifting weights and eating well all Winter, right? Hopefully, that is true. But if you're like me, you hate doing conditioning work inside of the gym. Treadmills, bikes and rowing ergs just don't appeal to me. I like being outside running hills, doing sprints and pushing sleds; that is the stuff that is fun for me. If you can get yourself outside to do some of that good conditioning work (assuming you're still eating well) you can start to peel away that last bit of Winter fat and get your ab-game right for the Summer.

What it is: The Medicine Ball Throw and Chase. In this video, I'm using an 8 pound MB. The weight can vary, but be aware that a heavier ball just won't get thrown as far as a lighter one. This is a conditioning exercise, not a power exercise, so use a lighter ball than you think you should be. I'm doing a reverse overhead throw, but you can use whatever variation you'd like. Chest pass, rotational throw, shot-put, etc etc. Do them all, if you want!

How to do it: Get a medicine ball. Throw it. Chase it and catch it. Throw it again. Rest and repeat. Not too hard, right?

This is, really, a pretty easy way to get in some conditioning. It's not super hard, so you could do it several times a week. Since it's not super hard, you can do it post-workout and you won't be doing yourself any damage in terms of recovery. Conversely, doing hill sprints is pretty tough and will often times make me want to puke (in a good way). I don't currently have access to a Prowler, so this is a great lighter type of conditioning work. It also has the added power component to it; as I'm launching that ball, I'm in a triple-extension position throwing a sub-max weight as far as I can. Boom - power development.

Go give it a shot, and let me know how it goes!