Plenty of new fitness discoveries have been uncovered and rediscovered in the last decade. Medicine balls and kettlebells have been around for ages but just recently plowed onto the fitness scene. Massages went from being a luxury to an affordable necessity with the foam roller. I’ve even recently read that video games may help burn calories since one’s heart rate remains elevated during gameplay. Here are a few more peculiar ideas for perhaps the next big fitness breakthrough. Vitruvean


Adrenaline as a Means to a Six-Pack. Back in mid-summer I had the luxury of stopping an intruder from knocking down my back door. Thankfully it was relatively uneventful but needless to say my adrenaline was at an all time high for the decade and my body was buzzing for about three hours. My workout energy that night was paltry in comparison to the events earlier in the day. One may be able to burn a substantial number of calories by skydiving all day long. It makes sense that competitive athletes would burn more calories than a relaxed one doing the same amount of work. It is unlikely to find an overweight extreme sports enthusiast – or on a side note – someone who is elderly and obese. Food for thought.

Fat Suit Day. When I started lifting weights it was a full body – day on, day off routine. I noticed gymnasts who focused on repetitive body weight movements for extended periods of time were usually very cut. Some people wear weighted vests for their workout but what if you wore the dang thing all day long. The body is extremely adaptable. Wearing it to bed might even cause an improvement in breathing habits. Adding even 10% of your weight could create some impressive gains to your birthday suit.

Internal Abdominal Stretch. It’s good to relax into a stretch after your workout so why not eat your self into a stretch after your workout? The abdominals are a unique muscle since more you eat and drink the more your belly muscles are going to protrude and stretch. Stuffing your stomach post workout and the occasional belt buster of a meal could potentially add that eight pack. Drinking an extra quart of liquid post workout could help put the finishing touches to a washboard stomach.

UnderWorkout For Your Health It seems whenever I have tried to add a sizeable addition to my workout schedule it never sticks. I wanted to give yoga a shot three days a week but after a week that quickly dropped to once a month. I got overtly excited to start running a few years ago so I ran hard for five miles every day for a week but I quickly became bored and injured soon after. However, when I tacked a ten minute cardio session on at the end of my weight workout it worked like a charm. My ten minute dynamic stretching routine in the morning has also stuck around for the long haul. The hard part is creating a habit so fostering that by batching it all together or keeping it simple with short workouts is a surefire way for long term gains.