Posts in Physical Friday
Tom Rowland’s Gym Tour - The Ultimate Home Gym
Tom Rowland’s Gym Tour - The Ultimate Home Gym

For Physical Friday this week, we take a look at where I do all of my workouts. Over the years (and with help from LOTS of people), I have built up what some people call “The Ultimate Home Gym” in my garage and yard. I have a solid group consisting of hundreds of people over the years that have donated and contributed to building this gym. We are all able to reap the benefits, and I am just lucky enough to have the space to keep it all. I would argue that this is a great alternative to a gym membership, and you can do this too in your own community. Follow along as I go through what we use every morning in my gym to ensure that we stay performing at the highest level.

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How To Climb A Rope With MAXIMUM Efficiency For Fitness Or Survival
How To Climb A Rope With MAXIMUM Efficiency For Fitness Or Survival

Climbing a rope is a great way to build strength in your grip, arms shoulders back and core. It is an old school tool used by wrestlers, gymnasts, the military and CrossFit to quickly develop strength needed for each activity.

Besides building strength, knowing how to climb a rope can save your life in the outdoors. Many people only use their arms when climbing rope, but if you are going for speed, efficiency, or survival, using your legs can make a huge difference.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
The BURPEE - Progressions That Allow Anyone To Work Their Way To Full Burpees
The BURPEE - Progressions That Allow Anyone To Work Their Way To Full Burpees

The exercise called the Burpee is the foundation of my fitness. The burpee is really a very simple exercise but it is a difficult exercise that many people do not like. You basically throw yourself on the ground on your chest and do a pushup and get back to your feet and jump off the ground. While it is a simple and effective exercise, not everyone is ready to just start doing full burpees. If you are not ready to throw yourself on the ground, don’t worry, there are ways that you can use progressions to get from not being able to complete a burpee to being comfortable with the full burpee. In this week’s episode, I break down a simple progression of steps that will bring you all the way to a full burpee. Check out these progressions and jump in where you are able. You can take this as fast or as slow as you want. If you are not ready to move on to the next step of this progression, continue the steps that you can complete until you feel strong and confident enough to continue. If you continue to work on the burpee you will eventually be ready to tackle the 100 day burpee challenge that we have done through this podcast. Be sure to send this to someone who might find it helpful.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical Friday, burpeeComment
The Road to Fitness - Step 4 - Recovery (Step 4 of 4)
The Road to Fitness - Step 4 - Recovery (Step 4 of 4)

For the past three weeks we have talked about the different steps to your road to fitness. We started with CONSISTENCY, then discussed ACCURACY. Last week we talked about INTENSITY, and this week we are discussing the final step, RECOVERY. This step is crucial to your extended health and ends up leading right back into consistency. If you do not recover correctly and get injured, then you will not be able to be consistent with your workouts. Recovery can mean a number of things, and I suggest you take a look at some resources offered by online coaches. Kelly Starrett is a great resource and has a book on recovery called “Becoming a Supple Lepoard”. Sleep is another crucial step to recovery. Enhancing your sleeping environment (your bedroom) can lead to you being well rested, resulting in better fitness recovery. Matthew Walker has a great book on this called “Why We Sleep”.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical Friday, accuracyComment
The Road To Fitness - Step 2 - Accuracy (Step 2 of 4)
The Road To Fitness - Step 2 - Accuracy (Step 2 of 4)

Last week we talked about how to develop CONSISTENCY as the first step in your road to fitness. In this episode, we talk about the second step in the process, ACCURACY. In order to make the most out of your workout, you want to make sure that you are doing all of the movements and exercises correctly. This may require getting a coach, or even something as simple as watching some YouTube videos. Doing 20 perfect pushups can be a lot better for you than doing 100 pushups with bad form. If you are going to put in the time to work out, you want to make sure that you are making the most out of it, you owe it to yourself. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you will be notified when we talk about step 3 of 4, which is INTENSITY.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical Friday, accuracyComment
How To Begin Your Road To Fitness (Step 1 of 4) - Consistency
How To Begin Your Road To Fitness (Step 1 of 4) - Consistency

For Physical Friday this week, we start a 4 step process to beginning a road to fitness. I get emails all the time from people that want to get into fitness, but are not sure where to start. Over the next 4 weeks, I will go over in detail the 4 crucial steps involved in getting started. Week 1 is all about consistency. This is the first step in making fitness a part of your life. I go over some key things that you can do to help with consistency, and explain how I have applied these to my everyday life. Make sure you subscribe and stay tuned because next week we will discuss part 2, which is accuracy.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
8 Exercises With Just A Pullup Bar - Fitness Does Not Have To Be Expensive
8 Exercises With Just A Pullup Bar - Fitness Does Not Have To Be Expensive

I go over 8 exercises today that require nothing more than a pullup bar. Heck, it doesn’t even need to be a real pullup bar. A jungle gym, playground equipment or any bar you can hang from will work.

Bar hang, Knees to Elbows, Toes To Bar, Dead Hang Pullup, Kipping Pullups, Clap Pullups, and the Muscle Up are all covered. There is a video that goes with this episode that may help you to understand exactly what I am talking about in this episode. Check out this link and subscribe to our Youtube channel to get a new video every week.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical Friday, pullup, pullup bar, muscle upComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - 3 Stretches To Avoid Or Eliminate Low Back Pain On The Boat
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - 3 Stretches To Avoid Or Eliminate Low Back Pain On The Boat

Fishermen are notorious for having back problems. It is a very physical activity that often requires heavy lifting and carrying heavy things. This can cause issues, however the big issue that has caused back problems for me has been all the sitting. Long drives to fishing locations, long rides on the boat and often a week of sitting in the office waiting to go fishing on the weekend can be the cause of chronic low back pain. When we sit for long periods we get “short’ in the front of the hip which can cause issues in the low back. This week we discuss 3 crucial stretches for taking care of those tight hips. 3The first stretch that I go over I call the helm stretch because I do it while standing at the helm of my boat all the time. You can use anything of the right height to do this stretch. I use two coolers for this example, but it is easy to find a gunnel or lean post on your boat that is the perfect height. The second stretch is the couch stretch. You can do this while you watch TV or with any item about the height of a couch. The third stretch is the lying hamstring stretch. I use any type of strap or band that I can find to do this stretch. All three of these are great ways to avoid or reduce lower back pain, and increase the time that you can spend out on the water.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical Friday, mobility, stretching, stretches, couch stretch, Helm Stretch, Hamstring StretchComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Farmer’s Walk To Build Grip, Forearm, Shoulder and Neck Strength
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Farmer’s Walk To Build Grip, Forearm, Shoulder and Neck Strength

This week is all about the importance of grip strength in fishing. The farmer’s walk is an Old School exercise that has stood the test of time for a good reason…it works! It is just like it sounds, you basically take something that is heavy and walk around with it. Just like everything else I do, this one does not require anything expensive or only available in a gym. I fill up two 5 gallon buckets and take a few laps around my driveway. To make things harder, I also do this with heavy kettlebells. The Farmers Walk and Farmer’s Hold are not flashy or new. They are time tested and effective. Throw this into your workout a couple of times a week and I promise that you will be able to hold that cast net longer, pull the anchor faster, carry more ice, lift heavier coolers all without hurting your back. Plus, when we get back to shaking hands with each other you will crush people and make a great first impression. Just don’t break anyone’s hands. You will be COUNTRY STRONG! Email me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com or tag me on Instagram @tom_rowland with any creative ways that you use the farmer’s carry.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Descending/Ascending Rep Scheme Workouts to Keep it Interesting
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Descending/Ascending Rep Scheme Workouts to Keep it Interesting

The ascending/descending workout is a great way to keep workouts interesting. I like to create workouts that have 2 parts. On the first part the reps will decrease each round and on the other part the reps will increase. You feel great knowing that your next set will be less reps on the first part but you are also building reps on the other side. Try a couple of the variations I discuss in this episode and Let me know ways that you use this workout. Tag me on Instagram @tom_rowland or by emailing me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com. If you liked this episode please subscribe and leave a rating and review. Share with a friend who needs a new workout.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Weighted Vest
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Weighted Vest

With a lot of gyms still closed, many people are trying to find creative ways to work out at home. Using your own body weight can be a great workout, but sometimes you want a little bit more of a challenge. That is when the weighted vest comes into play. You can do all of your same body weight workouts, but just with more of a challenge. The great thing about these weighted vests is that you can add or remove weight based on where you’re at. Email me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com to let me know how you implement the weighted vest into your workouts.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Supplements
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Supplements

People always ask me what kind of supplements I am taking, and I really only take one. When I am out on the water or doing anything that will result in a lot of sweating, I always drink plenty of water, and I will add in a supplement to replenish my electrolytes. I take Hammer Endurolytes, but there are a number of alternatives. What’s most important is that you stay hydrated and are able to replenish your electrolytes during a hot day in the sun.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Sledgehammer Workout
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Sledgehammer Workout

With the coronavirus shutting down gyms, many online retailers are completely sold out of equipment for home gyms. In this video we talk about a great workout with equipment that you can get at your local hardware store and junkyard. A sledgehammer workout can be a great high-intensity exercise that you can do right in your backyard. Combine this with burpees, squats, or a number of other exercises to ramp up the intensity. Let me know what variations of this workout you use by dropping a comment below or emailing me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Isometric Partner Workouts
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Isometric Partner Workouts

For this week’s Physical Friday, we’re talking about partner workouts combining isometric and rep exercises. Working out with a partner will help keep you motivated while pushing each other to the next level. With these workouts, you will establish a rep goal and work together to achieve that goal. You can make these as easy or as hard as you want, making them a part of a circuit or establishing high rep counts. Let me know how you use this workout by emailing podcast@saltwaterexperience.com

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PHYSICAL FRIDAY - The Ultimate Travel Workout
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - The Ultimate Travel Workout

One of the hardest parts of traveling for me is staying in a consistent workout routine. The deck of cards is certainly not my idea and it is not a new idea, but one that I use all the time. I learned this from Ross Enamait (@Rosstraining) but athletes for many years have used a deck of cards to create all kinds of workouts. Ray Lewis is one of many famous and successful athletes who have used a deck of cards for years. The Deck not only gives you a great format to work out without a gym, but also will help to keep you motivated on a daily basis, because you already know what your workout will be. I go over some of my favorite variations of the Deck of Cards and how I use them but the possibilities are literally endless.

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PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Pull-up Progression For Safety In The Outdoors
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Pull-up Progression For Safety In The Outdoors

One of the most necessary skills when out on the water is the ability to pull your bodyweight up. Imagine that you get tossed out of the boat. Would you have the strength to pull yourself back up onto the deck? If you fall off the dock, could you get yourself back up? Simply training for this scenario can result in life or death. In this week’s Physical Friday, I walk through some progressions to gradually get anyone to be able to do a full pull-up. Things like elastic bands and olympic rings can help to build up your strength slowly, and then eventually graduate into the full pull-up. Then, you will be strong and confident in the outdoors. Be Safe, Be Strong!

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PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Using Dice for Workouts on the Road
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - Using Dice for Workouts on the Road

Traveling can always make having a consistent workout routine more difficult. We have talked about the deck-of-cards workout as a way to overcome this, but using a pair of dice is another great way to work out on the road. You may not always have access to the same equipment, but I have put together a few different sets of dice for different situations on the road. Some dice require just one piece of basic equipment, and others require none at all. Let me know if you use this method or if you have any other travel tricks for keeping your workouts consistent by emailing podcast@saltwaterexperience.com

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - 100 Day Challenge Formats
PHYSICAL FRIDAY - 100 Day Challenge Formats

For Physical Friday this week, we will be talking about formats for setting challenges for periods of time. Whether that be a 30 day workout challenge, or something like the 100 day burpee challenge that we just finished. Setting challenges with an end date will help to keep you motivated to push through. It is also a great way to build up your endurance as you build sets day by day.

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Physical FridayTom Rowlandfitness, health, physical FridayComment