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3 Cycling Workouts You Can Do at the Park

By Dan Kehlenbach

Daily responsibilities often trump the time you have allotted for riding your bike. Instead of giving up on your workout, there are simple exercises that can be done with minimal equipment almost anywhere.

With a little creativity and experimentation, you can come up with a dynamic workout routine that will increase your strength, power, balance and stability on the bike—all while having some fun in the process. Try one of these three workouts that are perfect for the local playground or park the next time you're short on time.

Equipment

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Here is a list of equipment that would be helpful to have and should be able to fit in a gym bag that you can take along with you for an outdoor workout:

1. Some form of weight. This could be dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, sandbags, water-filled jugs etc.

2. Yoga mat or towel to make ground-based exercises more comfortable. Resistance bands. These are versatile and weigh next to nothing.

3. Jump rope

4. Cones/markers. These are ideal for marking out courses for drills. You can also use water bottles.

5. Suspension trainer. TRX, Jungle gym, or similar will work for more advanced workouts.

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Workout #1

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Warm-up: Walk or jog 5 to 10 minutes around the park.

Dynamic preparation: Set up two cones 5 yards apart. Skip from one cone to the other, then jog back. Repeat five times.

Movement drill: Complete a square drill. With your cones, mark out a square (about 5 yards between cones). Start at one corner of the square and sprint to the cone in front of you. Shuffle to the next cone, backpedal to the third cone, and shuffle back to the starting cone. Rest for one minute and repeat 2 to 3 times.

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Workout #1 Continued

Strength Phase: Front Plank 3 of 17

Core exercise: Use a yoga mat or towel to make things more comfortable. Perform a traditional plank, pressing up onto your elbows as your lift your hips off the ground. Hold the position for three sets of 30 seconds.

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Workout #1 Continued

Strength Phase: Step Ups 4 of 17

Lower body exercise: Bench step-ups. Find a bench 12 to 15 inches in height. Alternate stepping up onto the bench. Place both feet on the ground before beginning the next step up. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions with each leg.

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Workout #1 Continued

Strength Phase: Chest Press 5 of 17

Upper body "push" exercise: Chest press with resistance band. Tie the band on a poll or post. Start in a standing pushup position with your elbows bent. With a band in each hand and with your back to the post, push until your arms are straight. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.

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Workout #1 Continued

Strength Phase: Monkey Bars 6 of 17

Upper body "pull" exercise: Monkey bars. Tie a resistance band on the monkey bars above your head. Start on your knees and with your arms above your head. Pull the band down until your elbows are at your sides. Repetitions will vary depending on the length of the bars. Try to complete 1 to 2 lengths. Rest and repeat 2 to 3 times or adjust as necessary.

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Workout #2

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Warm-up: Walk or jog 5 to 10 minutes around the park.

Dynamic preparation: Set up two cones 5 yards apart. Jog with high knees from one cone to the other and job back. Repeat five times.

Movement drill: This run drill is called suicides. Arrange three cones 5 yards apart in a straight line. Sprint to the first cone and return to the start. Sprint to the second cone, return, and sprint to the last cone and return. Rest for two minutes between sets and repeat 2 to 3 times.

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Workout #2 Continued

Strength Phase: Side Plank 8 of 17

Core: Complete a side plank. On your side, lift your waist off the ground while supporting your bodyweight on your elbow. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Repeat three times on each side.

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Workout #2 Continued

Strength Phase: Walking Lunges 9 of 17

Lower body: Complete three sets of 20 repetitions of walking lunges, alternating legs with every step. Be sure to bend with your front leg to a 90-degree angle. Back leg should be straight.

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Workout #2 Continued

Strength Phase: TRX Chest Press 10 of 17

Upper "push" exercise: Suspension trainer chest press. With a TRX or other suspension cord in your hands, lean forward so that your elbows are bent to a 90-degree angle. Keep your legs straight and press up onto the balls of your feet. Push your body up as you would when performing a standard push-up. Your arms should be straight at the end of the motion. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.

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Workout #2 Continued

Strength Phase: TRX Rows 11 of 17

Upper "pull" exercise: Suspension trainer rows. Face the bar and lean back with the suspension cables in your hands. Pull yourself up, bending the elbows to 90 degrees at the end of the motion. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.

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Workout #3

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Warm-up: Walk or jog for 5 to 10 minutes around the park.

Dynamic preparation: Set up two cones five yards apart. Shuffle from the first cone to the second cone. Jog back and repeat, shuffling the opposite direction. Repeat three times in each direction.

Movement drill: This drill is called a T-drill. Arrange your cones in the shape of a "T." Start at the base of the T and sprint to the top. Shuffle across to the left, across to the right and back to the center before backpedaling to the start. Rest for one minute and repeat 2 to 3 times.

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Workout #3 Continued

Strength Phase: Bird Dogs 13 of 17

Core exercise: Bird dog. On your hands and knees, raise your opposite arm and leg off the ground, keeping your back flat. Complete three sets of five repetitions, alternating arm and leg between each repetition.

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Workout #3 Continued

Strength Phase: Elevated Split Squat 14 of 17

Lower body exercise: Elevated split squat. These are similar to regular split squats, but you'll place your trailing leg on a park bench. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions with each leg.

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Workout #3 Continued

Strength Phase: Chest Pass 15 of 17

Upper body "push" exercise: Medicine ball chest throw. From a standing position with a medicine ball at chest level, throw the ball forward as far as you can. Sprint to the ball and repeat. Complete three sets of six repetitions.

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Workout #3 Continued

Strength Phase: Pull-down 16 of 17

Upper body "pull" exercise: Resistance band pull-down. Anchor the resistance band on a tree branch or a part of the playground. Sit (or kneel depending on desired resistance) and perform a basic pull-down. Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.

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