The Dreaded Fitness Obstacle Course!

So every couple of weeks,  I take all of my personal training clients through what I call “The Dreaded Obstacle Course!”  But it really is not an activity to be dreaded—instead it is a great way to track your level of overall fitness, set goals, and just have a great intense workout.  The Course measures a mixture of cardio, upper body, lower body, and core strengths—key elements in any successful workout plan.   I recommend you include it in your workout program too!

With the Obstacle Course, you want to do the best you can on each exercise, and the specific exercise stops once you stop to rest (must be continuous motion).  It might take you a couple of tries to determine the appropriate weight on some exercises.  Shoot for a weight that allows you to do 15-25 continuous repetitions.  Don’t rest between exercises, only between sets.  The course is as follows:

2 Minutes Treadmill
Lat Pulldown Machine (outside grip)
Leg Extension
Stairs (find stairs that are between 10-14 steps; only do a single staircase)
Push Ups
Ball Crunches (this counts as rest, only 25 reps)
Explosions
Inner Pull Ups
Standing Lunge (hold weights in hands to make it harder)
Dumbbell Down & Out (bent over, bring dumbbells out to the side)
1 Min. Bike
Plank

Complete two sets total, and write your results as you go along.  This way you can keep track month after month to look for improvements and to challenge yourself.

Of course you might not have access to equipment to perform all of the above exercises, so feel free to drop/add similar exercises to fit your routine.  Again, this is more of a measuring tool and should only be included in your workouts once or twice per month.  For more information on exercises, workouts, videos, and more, feel free to visit our website, www.solerahealthclub.com.