My New (Non-Basketball) Workouts

Staying in shape used to be my job.  It was a pretty sweet gig, I didn’t have to make extra time for it.  I didn’t have to do it on TOP of a 9-5 job; it was pretty much something I got paid to do.

Oh, how the tides have turned.

Everyone says how difficult it is to work out when you have a job and a family to tend to.  I don’t have a family but the hours I work add up but I told myself I will not allow working out to be the first thing to go on the back burner when I’m feeling overloaded.

No, working out is a pain reliever, a stimulant, a relaxer, and even a life-saver at times.  Now that it’s not something I HAVE to do, it might even be more enjoyable.

I don’t have to prepare for competition anymore.  I don’t have to worry about weight lifting programs or exercises that work on basketball movements.  I don’t have to worry about bulking up to survive in the low post, either.  It’s kind of nice…

…Yet also very foreign to me.  Ever since grade school the reason I “stayed in shape” was to play sports.  I was either at practice, a game, or preparing for one of the two.  I’d work out on my own but ultimately it came down to one objective: making myself a better basketball player.

Just a couple months ago I decided that playing basketball wasn’t going to be my job anymore.  I was a little worried that working out would become more difficult but it’s just become very different.

Probably the fact that I don’t have many friends here in Gorham and that my roommate is a former professional basketball player also helps me to make time to exercise.

Here’s what I have discovered and has turned into a love/hate relationship: Circuits!

I try to work out two times a day and quick circuits help me do that.  (I also don’t have to be to work until 9am so it’s easy to get sweating early).

Here are my tried and true workouts:

Deck of Cards workout.  Got this from some fellow camp coaches at Bentley.  It’s about 30 minutes long and includes cardio and body weight exercises.  What I like most about it, is the order of the moves changes every time.  It’s easy, shuffle up a deck of cards, make a list similar to the below and proceed to flip them over and do the exercise.  Two-nine equals reps, 10-K equals 10-13 (can be doubled for more cardio), and the Aces are abs.  I like to do two exercises with arms (red suits) and two with legs (black suits).

I have also, of course, been searching Pinterest for inspiration and motivation.  My favorite quick work outs are the following:

This one takes under 15 minutes if you do it straight through.  I like that it gets you sweating RIGHT away, it’s all cardio, and you don’t need a lot of space.  Sometimes I roll out of bed, put some workout clothes on and just get to it.  I’m done quick, hop in the shower, and I’m ready for the day.

The 100 workout is harder than it looks, takes about 20 minutes and you don’t realize how many jumping jacks 100 really are until you are doing it…

I also have one more circuit workout that is really tough.  One of our basketball players suggested it to us.  Nine exercises, you can do them as three sets of 30 seconds with 30 second breaks in between or two sets of 50 seconds with ten second breaks in between.  The latter is tough but you just bang it out and get it done.  Here are the nine exercises:

Jumping Jacks

Jump Rope

Burpees

Side Lunges with a high knee

20 mountain climbers/20 hip splits continuous

Crunches

Push ups

Side jump with floor touch

Five seconds foot fires/ 2 jump squats continuous.

This one is a doozy but if you keep working at it you’ll see progress and that you can go longer than you think you can.

 

I do these circuits to get something done quick and efficiently ( I don’t have endless amounts of free time anymore).  But I also try to get my basketball in, which is fun and a good workout.  Plus, of course, I’ll never be done with basketball; my roommate and I are playing three on three in a men’s league.

So if you don’t have much time or just like to get workouts over with I highly recommend cardio circuit training and bodyweight exercises.  But try to keep up with a sport if you want, so you can have fun AND exercise, too.

Danielle Clark

About Danielle Clark

I am 28 years old and for 5 years out of college I played basketball for a living. I was a professional basketball player in Europe so I spent most of my years there and came back to Maine for summers and a couple weeks at Christmas time. I thought my years there would open my eyes to what I want to be when I "grow up." That didn't happen. I have discovered, however, that I just have to try something. Just do things and toss myself into them. I have currently tossed myself into being a college basketball assistant coach and one on one reading tutor. I grew up in Corinna, Maine and have been a resident Mainer. I love sports, reading, writing, cooking, baking, watching movies... everything. I have lots of hobbies and not enough time in the day!