No Excuses for Not Training – Killer Cottage Workout

I have never been able to understand why, to most people, a vacation from work means a vacation from training. I hear it time and time again - “I missed my workouts last week – we were at the cottage.”, or “I'm ready to get back at it. We were on vacation for two weeks. The hotel had a gym, but you know... who wants to workout on vacation?”. Serious lifters. Anyone who takes their training serious. Everyone who lifts for the love of it not because they feel they have to. If you are taking the time to visit NaturalStrength.com or the Hard Training Women section, then I am going to assume that you look forward to weekend away workouts.

Let me introduce you to the “Cottage Workout”.

Required equipment: minimum. Required effort: maximum.

  • You will need a 40 L water bottle, filled and capped. Reinforce the cap with duct tape.
  • 2 cast iron frying pans
  • Anything to do chins off of (beams, thick tree branch, bunk beds... be resourceful)
  • 2 chairs
  • 2 - 1.5 L water bottles, filled
  • A steep hill

 

Start out the workout by walking up and down the steep hill, followed by some Range of Motion exercises to prepare the joints and nervous system. This should take about 5 minutes. Hopefully it's really hot and humid just to make for an ideal training environment that only non-wimps could tolerate.

Exercises in order:

  1. Water bottle front squats – Hold the 40 L water bottle long ways in front of the body. I recommend you have your training partner (spouse, brother, friend, co-worker... who ever you drag to the cottage with you for a seemingly “relaxing getaway”), place the water bottle in the crook of your elbows after you have held your arms out front palms facing upwards. The water bottle will be quite big so you'll be able to wrap your arms around it just a bit. This will also serve as a killer bicep workout.

    ● 3 x 6-8 reps

  2. Water bottle front 10-second pause squats – Exercise 1 was just a warm up for exercise 2. Using the same form as outlined above but hold the front squat in the bottom position for a full 10 second count (have your partner time it or count out 1-one thousand, 2-one thousand...), do 2 sets of 6 with 1 minute rest in between each set for 3 cycles. You will get 3 minutes in between each cycle. Use “fire breathing” at the bottom. Forcefully exhale from the diaphragm with each count on the 10 second pauses. You should hear your breath “shee – shee – shee” through your teeth. If you don't breath properly, you won't survive these. Force your knees out to the sides during the pause and forcefully push your body up after the 10 second pause.

    ● 2 x 6 reps (1 minute rest) for 3 cycles (3 minutes rest between cycles)

  3. Overhand Close Grip Pull ups – Now that your legs are a shaking mess, hit the upper body. You will likely not have a nice clean place to do easy underhand chin ups. A beam or tree branch will allow you to do thick grip overhand pull ups. You can do these for 4-5 sets of max reps with strict form or do “ladder” style competitively with your partner.

    ● “Ladders” - 1,2,3,4,5.... and so on to failure. Once you are not able to complete the required reps in that set, go back down to 1,2,3.... Do 3 “ladders”. Often you will be able to perform more total reps when doing “ladders”. Rest between sets - how ever long it takes your partner to get their reps (translation: little to none)

  4. Water bottle Clean & Shoulder – Hold the top of the water bottle with one hand and the bottom with the other. Squat down and clean it up to the shoulder for 6 to 10 reps. Use some speed. Then perform the lift on the other shoulder, switching hands for the same reps. Do 3-4 sets. Rest when your partner is going.

    ● 3-4 x 6-10 each side

  5. Frying Pan Hammer Curl super-setted with Tricep Dips – Hold onto the handles of the frying pans and curl using a 1-1-3 count (1 second blast upwards, 1 second pause at the top, 3 second lowering down) for 8-10 reps. For extra grip work, hold the frying pans by the body, not the handle. Then perform as many tricep dips with your feet elevated as you can. For the super strong, have a young child or small adult sit on your lap. Lower to 90 degrees in the arm only and keep your chest out, don't let it cave it at the bottom.

    ● 3 sets of 8-10 curls
    ● 3 sets of max reps dips

  6. Upper Back Circuit – Standing, bent over at the waist, knees slightly bent.

    ● Straight Arm Flies, pinkies lead x 6 to 10 reps... immediately to
    ● Straight Arm Flies, thumbs lead x 6 to 10 reps... immediately to
    ● Superman forward flies, thumbs lead x 6 to 10 reps... rest 1-2 minutes, repeat 2-3 times

 

Then take it outdoors to the hill or any challenging terrain and do sprints up the hill and walk down. Rest time is your walk down. Do for 10 to 20 minutes.

Now go eat! I highly recommend my revised pancake recipe:

1 part eggs (6 eggs)
1 part cottage cheese (1 cup)
1 part dry oatmeal (1 cup)
cinnamon

Blend in blender until smooth and pancake batter consistency. If it is too runny, add a bit of oatmeal and cottage cheese. If it is too thick, add an egg. Cook like regular pancake batter. Flip when bubbles raise to the top. Serve with bacon, maple syrup, and a strawberry and spinach salad.

To all the impostors out there who pretend to be serious lifters - acknowledge that using the cottage or any vacation as an excuse not to train is for wimps only. Go get creative and come up with your own killer cottage workout. I would love to hear about them.

Happy holidays!

Krista Schaus www.definingedge.ca Krista is a former police officer, competitive powerlifter and current Police Foundations college professor in Ontario Canada. She has her own business teaching functional strength training to athletes, advanced trainees and police officers.

DE Coaching Team

Krista Schaus PICP CPT
Ontario CANADA krista@definingedge.ca

Kate Kline PICP CFT
Arizona USA
kate@definingedge.ca

DE Client Services

info@definingedge.ca

 

Upcoming Events:

Where you can find the Defining Edge team or athletes

  • Janary 2010 - Strength & Beauty "Next Level" (Milton, ON)
  • January 2010 - Ontario Powerlifting Provincials (St. Catharines, ON)
  • March 2010 - Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding Championship (Columbus, OH)
  • April 2010 - Canadian Powerlifting Nationals (Quebec City, QU)
  • April 2010 - CFBB Canadian Natural Physique Championships (Laval, QU)