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While lifting weights at the gym and performing intense home workouts are great for building strength and muscle, there is something unique about outdoor exercises that puts them on a completely different pedestal.
First off, exercising outdoors acts as a natural anti-depressant and mood elevator due to serotonin production. Exercising outdoors in natural terrain challenges you more and provides a unique stimulus that helps boost athletic performance and real-world work capacity.
If you’re looking to develop an athletic physique with explosive strength, take a look at the top six outdoor exercises you can add to your workout routine.
Top Six Outdoor Exercises To Boost Athletic Performance
1) Sled Push and Drag
Ever seen strongmen on TV hauling airplanes and giant 18-wheelers? While you may not be able to emulate that, you can definitely pick up a sled at a nearby shopping goods store. The sled drag is a full-body exercise that increases speed, builds explosive strength, and burns a ton of calories. If you want to build raw power, definitely add them to your list of outdoor exercises.
Another exercise that you can perform with the sled is the sled push. It is ideal for athletes looking to build total body power and acceleration, and improve overall conditioning. In fact, it is a staple in the workout routines of most NFL and combat athletes. Alternate between sled drags and pushes for optimal benefits.
2) Tire Flips
Tire flips are the best outdoor exercises for building unparalleled lower body explosiveness. It is routinely used by sprinters, swimmers, footballers, strongmen, and MMA athletes to develop explosive power in the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core.
It is also helpful when you need to combine strength training with cardio. To perform a tire flip, start off with your feet and hips at shoulder-width. Squat down while keeping your back flat and core braced. Now, use an underhand grip to place your fingers on the tire treads. Drive up your hips explosively, and use your lower body to push the tire to a vertical position. Be sure to push the tire with your palms, and topple it to the ground to complete one repetition.
3) Farmer's Carry
Want to blast your core, upper back, lower body, and forearms while torching body fat? In that case, add farmers' carries to your arsenal of outdoor exercises.
Simply pick up two dumbbells or weight plates in both hands. You can also use specifically made handles or a trap bar to load more weight.
Now, brace your core, keep your chest up, and start walking. You can either use lighter weights over longer distances, or heavier weights over shorter distances (like strongman athletes).
4) Cycling
If you are an endurance or speed athlete, cycling should definitely be added to your index of outdoor exercises to enhance sports performance, lower risk of injury, and improve cardiovascular fitness. Hop on your bike and head out to your favorite nature trail for a relaxing, low-intensity workout.
5) Sandbag Exercises
Many outdoor exercises are not effective for hypertrophy. This is where sandbag training enters the equation.
Sandbags have been used for strength training since late 1800s. They help build strength in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes of motion. The asymmetrical loading helps build outstanding core and mental strength.
Check out some advanced sandbag exercises to build serious athletic power and muscle size.
6) Sprinting
Outdoor exercises are incomplete without some kind of sprint or high-intensity interval training.
Ever noticed the difference between a sprinter's and marathon runner's legs? The sprinter will have extremely muscular quads, hamstrings, and quads relative to the marathon runner. Sprinting is a form of HIIT that helps improve speed and explosive lower body strength, while burning nearly 200 calories in just two and a half minutes.
Takeaway
Outdoor exercises can be made extremely enjoyable and challenging by incorporating the aforementioned movements. Perform them routinely if you want to boost athletic performance and develop impressive explosive power.
