Contributed by: Michael Devon

When you hear the word exercise, what comes to mind? Hopefully it’s a positive thought, but do you envision yourself having to run for hours on a treadmill or lifting weights everyday? That sounds mundane and unnecessary. Now, when you hear the words TRX training, calisthenics, kettlebell training, medicine balls, battle ropes, or interval training, what do you picture yourself doing? Do these sound a little more intriguing and less boring?

* TRX training is great for using your own body weight as resistance and your core is maximally engaged while doing this type of training.
* Calisthenics is yet another training style that allows you to use your own body to move through a variety of planes. Calisthenics can be sprinkled in throughout our strength workout so you get both a strength and cardiovascular benefit from one workout.
* Kettlebell training allows the body to work aerobically and anaerobically at the same time resulting in full body conditioning.
* Medicine ball training is a great way to incorporate bursts of power into your workout. Try them between working sets, in the 5-15 rep range, during your next strength workout.
* Battle rope training is a go to approach to ramp up your cardio. It involves the total body from start to finish and brings a new meaning to muscular endurance training.
* Interval training involves the use of timed sets, followed by timed rest, and repeated for a desired duration. The amount of time working and resting depends on an individual’s fitness level and the type of exercise being performed.

Exercise does not always have to mean lifting weights or running every morning before work. The key is to find something that you enjoy doing safely and simultaneously progress toward your goals.