How to Maximize Open Gym

How to Create a Workout

Do you ever think about trying Open Gym, but you don’t know where to start or what to do? Do you find you stick with what you are good at because you enjoy performing those movements? Maybe you ask yourself, what movements should I do? How many rounds? How long should I work out?

I'm a fan of making fitness explorative and fun, like recess when I was a kid. Some days I played kickball or basketball. Other days I ran around and played tag or football. I found myself navigating the playscape a few days a week too. We all know getting started on a workout is the hardest part. So, one way to start your workout is with a movement you are good at and enjoy doing. This will put your brain in a positive mindset. Next, choose one movement you are not so good at. Pair these movements up and perform 3-5 sets (rounds) of as many reps as you can, while still leaving a few in the tank.

The technical term for this is Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). This is common programming in the powerlifting world. You may not feel great every day, so instead of going off a set number of reps, go off how the weight feels and how much your body can do that day. You have heard this in class. In class, reps in our programming are a guideline. You can always adjust the reps according to how you feel on a day-to-day basis. I'll go deeper into this in another blog on how RPE works and the scaling.

I know I digressed for a moment, but back to building a program. If you choose 2 movements, try to get 30 reps in. Why 30? It's a number that will definitely create enough stress on your muscles to grow in size and strength. Don't worry, you won't get bulky. Nutrition is the determining factor on growing the size of your muscles. If you are looking for strength, choose lower reps with more weight. If you’re looking for definition or size, go for higher reps and lower weight. You will also need high sets to build size and definition, so hitting just 30 reps might not be enough. If you are just getting started, 3 sets of 12 reps is the common starting ground for size and definition. So what might this look like?

Strength Based Movement

Let's pick push-ups and lunges as our two movements. Grab weights for the lunges to make a challenging but doable set of 6 reps per leg. After the first set of lunges, perform one set of 6 reps of challenging but doable push-ups. Rest about one minute between sets to allow your muscles to recover, then continue through a total of 5 sets. The most optimal strength program is performing the same movements with the same weight twice a week. Try to increase the weight as the weeks go on. Remember, consistency is key when trying to build strength in a specific muscle group.

Set #1

6 lunges per leg

6 push-ups

rest 1:00

Set #2

6 lunges per leg

6 push-ups

rest 1:00

Repeat for sets #3-5

Endurance, Size and Definition Based Movement

Let's use the same movements but create a program to target the shape of your muscles. This time, choose a weight/difficulty of the movements that allow you to perform 12-15 reps per set. If you are new to the movements or have a hard time performing them, stick with 3 sets total or 12-15 reps. You are looking to feel a pump in your muscles. If your body is shaking while performing the movements, you are creating size/definition. That's the body recruiting more muscle fibers to perform the movement you are asking it to do. If you feel like you didn’t tire out your muscles after 3 sets, increase to 4 or 5 sets. The more sets, the more definition. If you drop under 12 reps it's a good sign you got the pump you needed for those movements. Also, take a shorter rest between the lunges and push-ups so your muscles get more time under tension. Spend just 30-45 seconds before starting the next set.

Set #1

15 lunges per leg

15 push-ups

rest :30

Set #2

15 lunges per leg

13 push-ups

rest :30

Set #3

14 lunges per leg

12 push-ups

rest :45

Set #4

12 lunges per leg

10 push-ups

STOP

Notice how the reps changed. That's normal and will happen. The goal is to push the muscle to almost failure but still keep the reps above 12. Once you go below twelve you can stop performing sets. If one movement drops below 12, but the other doesn't, add in another set for the muscles that still have juice in them.

But what if I want a cardio workout?

An easy way to do this is pick how long you want to work out. Aim to elevate your heart rate for at least 15 minutes. Pick a cardio-based movement like running, rowing, biking, or jumping rope, then pick 2-3 other movements. Consider choosing both upper body and lower body. This way you are attacking everything your body needs. Pick a longer running distance if you want to work on endurance, or a shorter distance if you want to work on your sprints. You can still apply the strength or endurance based rep scheme for your workout too. Here are a couple examples.

Strength Based Workout

15 minutes to move through:

200m run/250m row/500m bike

5 Heavy KB Swings

3 Strict Pull Ups

or

15 minutes to move through:

30 single unders

6 Heavy DB Z-Press

6 Heavy Goblet Squats

Endurance Based Workout

15 minutes to move through:

400m run/500m row/ 1000m bike

15 unbroken KB Swings

12 Band Assisted Pull Ups or Ring Rows

or

15 minutes to move through:

100 single unders

12 DB Z-Press

12 Goblet Squats

If you still feel lost head over to our YouTube channel and click on the Movement Library playlist. We have plenty of movement demos that will challenge you.

Open Gym is free until September 15th. The schedule is updated in our PushPress app. Come try it out, ask us questions and continue to explore movement every day. Fitness is not rocket science. Don't complicate it to the point you do nothing at all. You don't need to work out an hour every day. Sometimes you need 20 minutes, others you need 2 hours. Listen to your body and start challenging yourself to break the habits which prevent you from putting you first when it comes to your fitness.

“There are no bad movements, just more efficient ones.”