All too often, I’m asked: “If you could only do one workout, what would it be?” Although I wish I could say it was a home workout, I’d need my own rowing machine for that! So, other than finding myself a gym with a rowing machine (which by the way, are often unoccupied), I choose this simple workout. It is powerfully effective; it boosts strength & stamina with only 2–3 exercises and can be modified 3 different ways.
Pre-Workout
- Warm up until you feel loose
- Punching bag, skipping, drills, or dynamic stretching (up to you). Head and arm rotation. .
- Adding a weighted vest/backpack or resistance bands will dramatically increase intensity (burpees with weight vests are the best!)
- Dumbbells –– weight is up to you.
Workout #1
- One-mile run
- 30 burpees (I love throwing this in just for fun)
- 3000 meters rowing –– threshold pace (this means neither too hard nor too easy)
- 50 pushups (can be an alternative for bench press)
- 2000 meters rowing –– threshold
- 40 pushups
- 1000 meters rowing –– threshold
- 30 pushups
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint (i.e., as hard as you can go)
- 20 pushups
- 250 meters rowing –– full sprint
- One-mile run
Modification: lunges, dumbbell arm curls to super-set the pushups
Total rowing: 6750 meters
Total running: 2 miles
Total push/strength exercise: 140 reps
Workout #2
- One-mile run
- 30 burpees
- 3000 meters rowing –– threshold pace
- 50 dumbbell shoulder presses (can be an alternative for barbell shoulder press)
- 2000 meters rowing –– threshold
- 40 dumbbell shoulder presses
- 1000 meters rowing –– threshold
- 30 dumbbell shoulder presses
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint
- 20 dumbbell shoulder presses
- 250 meters rowing –– full sprint
- One-mile run
Modification: lunges, dumbbell arm curls to super-set the pushups
Total rowing: 6750 meters
Total running: 2 miles
Total push/strength exercise: 140 reps
Workout #3
- One-mile run
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or pushups (can be an alternative for barbell press)
- 500 meters rowing –– threshold pace
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or push-ups
- 500 meters rowing –– threshold
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or pushups
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or pushups
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or pushups
- 500 meters rowing –– threshold
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or pushups
- 500 meters rowing –– threshold
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses
- 500 meters rowing –– full sprint
- 10 dumbbell shoulder presses or pushups (can be alternatives for barbell press)
- Two-mile run
Modification: lunges, dumbbell arm curls to super-set the pushups
Total rowing: 4000 meters
Total running: 3 miles
Total push/strength press: 100 reps
You can alternate between these four workouts with a day or even two in between. On your “off day,” you can do light cardio, yoga or light stretching.
Enjoy and be well!