The Double F Workout…

Here is a workout that is both fun and free.  It won’t cost you a penny and you will smile more than you ever have on a bow-flex, solo-flex, or weight bench.  What is it?

Well first a few clues.  Almost anywhere you go in this great nation you probably won’t have to go to far to find this free gym.  It is open all day and only closes when the sun goes down- but it opens again at sunrise.

Have you guessed yet?  Well if you haven’t here is the answer…

Now before I show you the kind of exercises you can do at public parks all across America let me dispense some tips

1. Arrive early. You want to beat the day care and summer camp crowd to the punch.  Get there at sunrise or soon after.
2. Bring a Towel.  You’ll be sweating, so it will come in handy.
3. Bring Water. Drinking fountain water is rarely tasty.
4. Bring at least on of your children.  It makes for a great warm-up session.

Now before you get to working out take a half hour and PLAY.  Help your child up and down the slide, chase them around the park, help them chase butterflies, whatever makes them smile.

WARNING: It is advisable to bring your own child as other people usually don’t want you messing with theirs.

Now you can get down to business.

I like to start with some plyometric jump squats followed by push-ups.  All you need is a set of stair where you can place your feet.  This kind of push-up definitely makes you focus more on your shoulders and chest, and I think it is harder than a traditional push-up.

My wife caught me mid chin-up and cut my head off.  Okay, I admit it is creepy.  But you get the point.  Not only can you do chin-ups and pull-ups, and knee-ups, but you can use those bars to go back and forth- talk about a shoulder workout.  Try going back and forth three times without letting your feet touch the ground.  It will surprise you how hard that is.

If you’ve never done these before you will be surprised at the difficulty level.  I think they are called reverse rows.  You simply grasp the bar with your legs straight (heels on the ground) and pull your body up until your chest touches the bar.  This is an awesome exercise.

Here is an old standby, the chest dip.  It really makes those chest muscles work (along with the triceps).

Triceps hurting yet?  No?  Try this…

This modified dip/press really pushes your triceps to the extreme.  It is a great way to end your workout.

And when your workout is over how about having some more fun?

How could you not smile?