Extreme Fitness - Intense Workouts & Exercises

Have you noticed the groups of free runners jumping off steps and bouncing about parks and city streets? Maybe you noticed the latest television commercial showing a new fitness extreme called Extreme? Side holds off lamp posts, back tucks off stair tops and climbing buildings are some of the more intense tricks you might see shown in the commercial but you can take this sport to a park and have some fun with it even if you are not a Extreme expert!

The basic idea is to keep moving and not stop, using obstacles as your medium for jumping, hoping, climbing and clearing. If you find a park with jungle gym equipment you can use the various monkey bars with your hands or try climbing and walking atop then sliding down and hopping to the ground. Side hops over stadium seats versus running the stairs is the whole idea if you are in a park with stands, you don't want to use the medium as it is traditionally used but rather using it in a new way to get to your next obstacle. When you hit an area which has no obstacle then you can roll, cartwheel, leap, hop, spin and use any tricks you know to keep the intensity up and movement going. You can help set things up with various things like rocks or cones for spaces which are open between your obstacles.

Keep things easy and slow finding areas which are suitable, wearing any knee or elbow padding you may need as you are practicing and learning to better your balance. Remember this is for fun and to liven up your fitness regimen so above all do not get hurt. There are Extreme classes you can take which help you learn the basics and how to safely progress. Avoid doing this on wet or icy days, ideally on dry bright days.

You may be able to do complete 3 five minute stints at first if that, no matter how fit you this can be intense, so progress slowly and practicing 2-6 times per week.

Some of the excellent plyometric exercises you can do to help prepare your body for better Extreme free running would be exercises such as tuck leaps, squat leaps, box jumps, lateral jumps and calve leaps which will help prepare the body to spring better and improves hamstring torque.

Some of the strength exercises you can do to help improve your body for Extreme fitness would be single leg squats with the ball, squat in generally, hamstring curls, shoulder and chest presses as well as most body weight exercises since many of the upper body moves used in Extreme would need shoulder and chest strength. Core exercises for the abs and lower back will also benefit your body toward this sport. With these weight training choices I would suggest higher rep training with lighter weight except in the body weight work where you would be lifting your body and working toward higher reps.

By Linda Cusmano