Written & Produced by Alyssa Parten

Skip the gym and head to Jemison Park as the temperatures cool down at last. You won’t need any mats, weights or bands for these three workouts—just bring yourself (and a friend if you like) and find a green bench or open space.

Open Space Workout

These “supersets,” or two exercises performed back-to-back, are another way to get more “bang for your buck” in a shorter amount of time. This workout focuses on lower body and core power, strength, and stability while also providing a quick “sweat sesh.”

Superset 1:

  • Jump Squats, 3 sets of 10
  • Jumping Jacks, 3 sets of 20

Superset 2:

  • Walking Lunges, 3 sets of 10
  • Plank Kick Throughs, 3 sets of 10

Superset 3:

  • Jack Squats, 3 sets of 10
  • Froggers, 3 sets of 10

 

Jump Squats

  • Position your feet shoulder width apart. Keeping your glutes tight and knees tracking over your toes, sit into a squat. From there propel yourself up, jumping out of your position with as much effort as you can. As you land, continue downward into your next squat jump.

Jumping Jacks

  • Starting in an upright standing position, jump while moving your feet apart and your arms simultaneously out and over your head. Jump back in, coming back to the starting position, and repeat.

Walking Lunges

  • In an upright standing position with your hands on your hips, take a large step forward. As soon as your front foot makes contact with the ground, begin to lower your back knee towards to ground. Once the back knee is 2-3 inches from the ground, ascend back up, bringing your back foot toward your front foot. You can stop in the standing position to catch your balance before stepping forward on the alternate leg.

Plank Kick Throughs

  • In a push-up position, slide one foot up and out to one side while reaching the opposite side hand out to touch your shoe. Bring your foot and hand back to the starting push-up position and repeat on the opposite side.

Jack Squats

  • To start this combination of a Squat Jump and Jumping Jack, begin in shoulder width squat stance, and jump to move your feet in and back out. As your feet land back out, squat and touch your hands to the ground. Pay attention to not round your back in squatting and touching the ground. Keep your chest up, glutes tight and knees tracking over your toes.

Froggers

  • For this bottom portion of a Burpee, start in a push-up position, and jump both feet in, bringing your knees close to your chest. After your feet land on the ground, jump and move them all the way back out into the starting push-up position. Keep your core engaged, glutes from lifting up, and lower back from dipping down.

Jenna Charnock

Personal Coach & Facility Sport Specialist

Wearing Navy/Silver Beyond Yoga Alloy Ombre Legging, $110; Navy Beyond Yoga Double Back Alloy Bra, $68; Navy Beyond Yoga Reverse Direction Tank, $66; all from Eleven Eleven, Mountain Brook Village

“Challenge your body and take care of it – it is amazing the mobility your body has and what it can do when you incorporate strengthen and conditioning.” – Jenna

Park Bench Workout

In this full body workout, you will complete a set of each individual exercise before moving on to the next to build strength and muscle.

  • Bench Squats: 3 sets of 12
  • Incline Bench Push Ups: 3 sets of 6-10
  • Knee Ups: 3 sets of 12 for each leg
  • Bulgarian Split Squats: 2 sets of 8-10
  • Bench Tricep: Dips 3 sets of 10-12
  • Plank Step Ups: 3 sets of 6-8 for each arm
  • Incline Plank Kick Backs: 3 sets of 10 for each leg

 

Bench Squats

  • With your feet shoulder width apart and chest straight ahead, take a controlled sit on the bench. Then using your glutes, stand back up while keeping your chest up and shoulders back.

Incline Bench Push Ups

  • With your hands positioned on the bench just outside the width of your trunk, carefully lower your body by bending at the elbows, keeping them slightly tucked in, until your chest in 1-2 inches from the bench.

Knee Ups

  • Place one foot on the bench and use the glute of your lifted leg to push your self up while bringing the back leg off the ground and knee up.

Bulgarian Split Squats

  • Facing away from the bench, prop one foot up on it so that you have to distribute your weight on the front foot that is still on the ground. Carefully bend the front knee while simultaneously lowering the back knee to perform a lunge. Using your front leg glute, lift yourself back up to straighten the front knee before repeating the move.

Bench Tricep Dips

  • Sitting on the bench, place your hands on the edge with your thumbs tucked under you. Move your feet straight up till your knees are only slightly bent. Slide off the bench holding yourself up with your hands until your glutes are just grazing the side of then bench. Lower yourself till your elbows make about a 90-degree angle, then using your triceps push yourself straight up until your elbows are locked.

Plank Step Ups

  • Positions yourself into a push-up position on the ground facing the bench, and walk one hand then the other up onto the bench and back down again. Finish all repetitions on one side before starting the other.

Incline Plank Kick Backs

  • Place your forearms on the bench and walk your feet all the way out behind you until you position yourself in an inclined plank. Keep your core engaged without letting your hips shoot up or lower back dip down, and lift one foot in the air and back down again.

Brian Kulbersh
Pediatric ENT Surgeon, Children’s of Alabama

Wearing Blue Under Armour Vanishing Tee, $40; Grey Under Armour Heat Gear Shorts, $35; all from Mountain Brook Sporting Goods, Crestline Village

“The hardest part is just starting your work out. Once you do, you just make it a part of your daily routine just like anything else you do every day: brushing your teeth, going to work, etc. Once it’s in that routine, you will feel weird not working out.” – Brian

Trail Workout

Cycle routines like this one are great for increasing your endurance and getting a workout in relatively quickly. You can always increase the duration of the workout by adding rounds or really challenge yourself by giving yourself a time limit to complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP).

Complete 3-4 rounds of each of this routine:

  • 5-Minute Walk or Jog
  • 5 Squat Jumps
  • 5 Walk Out to Shoulder Taps
  • Side Squat Skips, 5 each way
  • 5 Walk Out to Mountain Climbers
  • 5 Broad Jumps

 

Squat Jumps

  • Position your feet shoulder width apart. While keeping your glutes tight and knees tracking over your toes, sit into a squat. From there propel yourself up, jumping up with as much effort as you can. As you land, continue downward into your next squat jump.

Walk Out to Shoulder Taps

  • Starting in an upright standing position, reach your hands down in front of your feet. Walk your hands out in front of you in small, controlled steps so your hips don’t sway side to side much. Once you are out into a push-up position, engage your core and tap your right hand on your left shoulder. Place that hand back down and repeat on the other side, and repeat the sets of taps five times. Walk back into your feet and then right back out again for your next set.

Side Squat Skips

  • Begin by standing up tall with your feet shoulder width apart. From there sit into a squat with your glutes tight, chest up and knees tracking over your toes. In one swift movement, hop out of the squat, skipping to the side and land in another shoulder width stance, fluidly sitting into the next squat repetition. Complete all repitiions nad repeat going the other direction.  r

Walk Out to Mountain Climbers

  • Similar to the Walk Out Shoulder Taps, walk out to a push-up position again, but this time bring one knee into your chest and quickly switch sides by pushing that foot back and the other knee in. Repeat this five times, making sure to keep your core engaged and shoulders stacked over your hands. Walk back into your feet and then right back out again for your next set.

Broad Jumps

  • Begin in a shoulder width squat stance. Lower yourself into a squat and with as much effort as you can, jump forward. Once you land, stand back up and repeat.

Rachel Presley

Levite Jewish Community Center Group Fitness Instructor

Wearing Scarlet Sun Beyond Yoga SportFlex Midi Legging, $79; Off White One x Eleven Eleven Luster Tee, $74; all from Eleven Eleven, Mountain Brook Village

“As a mom to three littles, I use exercise as ‘me’ time. It gives me time to clear my head, enjoy some alone time, sweat and get stronger. I really enjoy group fitness because it brings out my competitive side. More than that, it has brought me many friendships for which I am very thankful. Instead of focusing on being skinny, I want all my fellow mommas to hone in on their strength-both inner and outer!” – Rachel