You have a gym membership and time to use it regularly. Your facility most likely offers heart-rate elevating devices such as treadmills, ellipticals, and climbers. In addition, you have your compliment of barbells, dumbbells, and plate-loading and selectorized machines. If so, your gym membership gives you access to a lot of tools to play with.

You have a gym membership and time to use it regularly. Your facility most likely offers heart-rate elevating devices such as treadmills, ellipticals, and climbers. In addition, you have your compliment of barbells, dumbbells, and plate-loading and selectorized machines. If so, your gym membership gives you access to a lot of tools to play with.

Congratulations. You’re in business. Provided you use that equipment properly you can go a long way in achieving your goals of losing fat, getting strong, and improving endurance.

But what if you don’t have access to a swank facility or you only possess limited equipment to train with? Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have. But if you work hard, you can still go achieve your goals, even with minimal equipment. The key is to be creative with what you have at your disposal.

“If you work hard, you can still go achieve your goals, even with minimal equipment.”

For example, what would you do if you only had these items?

1. A long length of rope
2. Two cinder blocks
3. A sturdy bench

Here are three killer workouts that only use these three simple items:

Workout #1

1A. Cinder block squat
1B. Push up
1C. Rope pull up, from ground to standing with the rope secured overhead
2A. Cinder block lunge
2B. Cinder block overhead press
2C. Cinder block bent-over row
3A. Bench step up
3B. Bench dip
3C. Rope isometric upright row while standing on the rope
4A. Cinder block stiff-leg deadlift
4B. Push up with feet on the bench
4C. Rope isometric pull up with the rope secured safely overhead
ShowAndGoTraining.com: Natalie – 5 Rope Pull-ups
Watch this video on YouTube

Here are options for working through these exercises:

• Two to four rounds of each of the four segments
• Maximum repetitions each or a set number (i.e., 15 or 20) of each exercise
• No rest, :20, or :40 between exercises, between segments, or rounds depending on the number of rounds

Workout #2

1. Mountain climbers x 100 repetitions
2. Jumping jacks x 50 repetitions
3. Burpees x 15 repetitions
4. Cinder block sumo deadlift x 30 repetitions
5. Cinder block curl to press x maximum repetitions
6. Cinder block one-arm bent-over row on the bench x maximum repetitions
7. Rope biceps curl and triceps extension with the rope safely secured x maximum repetitions

Mud Run Maniac Training – Deep Squat Sumo Deadlift
Watch this video on YouTube

Set and rest time options:

• Two to three rounds of the seven exercises
• No rest, :15, or :30 between exercises and segments, depending on the number of
• rounds.

Workout #3

1. Rope pull up from the ground to standing x maximum repetitions
2. Bodyweight walking lunge x 20 on each leg
3. Cinder block overhead press x maximum repetitions
4. Rope isometric low row x 1:00
5. Cinder block isometric squat hold for maximum time
6. One or two cinder block bench press x maximum repetitions
7. Frog jumps x 20 repetitions
8. Bicycle crunch x 150 repetitions
9. Rope pull up x maximum repetitions
10. Bench mountain climbers x 200 repetitions
11. Cinder block crunch ups x 20 repetitions
12. Rope decline push up x maximum repetitions
13. Bodyweight squat x 100 repetitions

Set and rest time options:

• Two rounds should be enough, but a third or fourth round would be admirable.

It’s All About Effort

Having a limited amount of conventional training devices should not preclude you from obtaining a productive workout. Whatever the equipment and devices you have at your disposal, you can make gains provided you train as hard as possible.

Check out these related articles:

• List of simple workouts and fun exercises to do when stuck at home.
• 3 Tips for Building a Home Gym on a Budget
• 10 Essential Items for Building Your Home Gym
• 4 Ancient Bodyweight Exercises for New Results

Photo 1 courtesy of Breaking Muscle.