Gymless. Free.

Every now and again it’s nice to sit down and take a look at the parts of your life that make you happy.

1. Odell Brewing Red Ale. Hoppy, but not so much as an IPA. Very tasty. Definitely one of the best beers I’ve had recently.

2. Loaded burgers. It’s one of the most American meals you can fuel yourself with. Tonight’s special? Sauteed sweet onion, tomato, KC BBQ sauce, southwestern style hashbrowns, and smoked provolone.

3. Nintendo 3DS. In my opinion, the portable system to own. Some may argue the current game lineup is lacking, but I’m doing just fine with Ghost Recon, Legend of Zelda, and Lego Pirates. Not to mention Star Fox, Harvest Moon, and Driver due in September, plus the 20 free games Nintendo is providing me with for being an early-adopter.

4. New Mexico thunderstorms. They’re glorious. One minute it’s sunny and warm, the next it’s darkness and downpour. I’ll be sad to see the end of monsoon season.

5. Bodyweight workouts at Sunset Park. Without current gym access, I’m getting a little creative with my workouts. Luckily, the Albuquerque park system is wonderful.

It’s different here in Albuquerque. People ride bikes to work. People run the trails before the sun is even up. People hold daily boot camps in any of the several developed and undeveloped parks found around town. It’s like I’m on a different planet.

I walked up to a local park yesterday, expecting to find little more than a small playground and some benches for parents to sit while their kids play. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I was greeted by not only a playground and benches, but a small basketball court, parallel bars, rings, and a pull-up station. And not to mention lots of green, green grass surrounded by a short paved trail.

Parallel bars, rings, and a pull-up station at one of the smallest parks in the city and within walking distance of my apartment…New Mexico clearly is the land of enchantment.

My backyard in 33 days. Excited? Obviously.

If the five beginner and intermediate variations are too easy for your badass self, try these:

VI: Chirpee with variation pull. Instead of a simple pullup, chinup, or parallel grip chinup, use a more difficult variation. Try clap pullups, wide grip pullups, running man (around the world) pullups, or in/out pullups.

VII: Chirpee with leg or knee raise. Start as normal, and as you jump to get ready for the pull, perform a leg or knee raise. Return to the hanging position and complete the pull. Add a variation pull for increased difficulty.

VIII: Chirpee with leg raise and l-sit hold. Same as VII, but hold the l-sit position through the pull. Add a variation pull for increased difficulty.

IX: Chirpee with variation pushup, leg raise and l-sit hold. Same as VIII, but replace the standard pushup with a variation. Add a variation pull for increased difficulty.

X: Chirpee to muscle up. Perform a standard chirpee, but as you finish the pull, explode into a muscle up.

One important thing to note:  burpees are primarily seen as a conditioning exercise. As you add more parts to the standard burpee, the overall movement obviously takes longer to complete. If you’re already in excellent condition, you will probably see a decrease in heart rate. The latter variations transform burpees from a conditioning exercise into a total body strength and endurance exercise. Mix and match the variations based on your goals.

As I’ve been burpee-obsessed lately, here’s a five part burpee progression for beginner and intermediate athletes:

I: No pushup burpee, also known as a squat thrust or squamp. Kneel down, drop into a pushup position, jump back into a kneeling position and explode upwards.

II: Standard burpee. Same as I, but add the pushup.

III: Variation pushup burpees. Same as II, but substitute these pushups variations: diamond, clap, twisting, alternating grip, triangle.

IV: Burpees with a pull, also known as chirpees (haven’t quite figured that out yet). Same as II, but add a pullup, chinup, or parallel grip chinup after the jump.

V: Variation pushup chirpees. Same as III, but add the components from IV.

With college coming to a close, I decided it’s time to start posting again (regularly, seriously this time). And, of course, completely overhaul the site (including switching over to the wonderful wordpress.com).

Posts soon to come.

I headed out to Toledo Bend Reservoir late Thursday afternoon for a weekend-long paddling trip. I was slow out the door and didn’t even leave my apartment until 4:45. The drive was pretty easy..at least until it got dark. I circled all over my put-in area until I finally managed to find the campgrounds. The drive was something like 2.5 hours. Continue reading →