Erasums Workout

So, as I promised about a month and a half ago... here is my weighted back pack workout. (You need to fill your backpack with heavy stuff. I filled bottles with fluid, stuffed in textbooks, etc.) I just did it for the first time, and here are my initial thoughts: the weight in the backpack is definitely sufficient to overload smaller muscle groups such as biceps and deltoids. For larger muscles groups, like quads, glutes, hams, and back, this is more of a muscular endurance workout than a raw strength workout. It is definitely adequate to fatigue all your muscles, but I think I would recommend it as more of a once a week or once every other week workout to supplement what you´re already doing as opposed to being your only or your main workout. Some of the exercises in this workout don´t use the pack, mainly because I couldn´t think of a safe way to carry the load. I set this workout up as a circuit workout, because due to the fact that the load is lighter, I needed to get my heartrate up to make the intensity, well... intense enough. OK, so let´s get started.

Circuit 1:
1. 30 Alternating Rear Lunges
2. 15 Push Ups
3. 20 Bent Over Rows
The first thing to keep in mind is that these repetitions are simply how many I felt comfortable doing. Your number of repetitions may vary depending on your fitness level and how much the stuff you shove in your backpack weighs.
For the rear lunges, hang the backpack off the front of your body, emulating the form of a pregnant woman with the backpack. Be careful. This is an unnatural way to carry the load for resistance training (although it will give you a greater appreciation for the pregnant woman and mothers in your life). Engage your abdominal muscles so that you pull your pelvis directly underneath your ribcage. Your butt shouldn´t stick out too much. (Why? Because it keeps the pressure off your lumbar spine and helps take the demand off the small muscles of the lowback.) If you feel too much pressure in your low back, ditch the backpack and continue without it. You´ve done a good rep if your hips and knees have continued facing forward, your pelvis stayed under your ribs, and your back knee touched the floor.
The push ups are fairly self-explanatory, but just some reminders on form. Your butt shouldn´t be up in the air, and you shouldn´t go sway back (like a mule). Neutral spine all the way, and you should be able to touch your nose to the floor (or close... if you feel very weary, don´t attempt the nose to the floor, because you may wind up with a bloody nose.) Depending on your strength level, you may choose to do these on your knees to make them easier, add more repetitions if you´re stronger, or even do decline push ups if you really want to wreck yourself.
The bent over rows are a little tricky with the backpack. It´s necessary to have your legs wider than normal. Grip the straps of the pack, bend your knees slightly, and pivot from the hips so that your chest spills over as you bend (as opposed to just hanging your chest over... your back should be pretty straight, almost parallel to the floor). Then pull the pack in as far as possible to your body, and repeat. To make it a little harder (the pack didn´t provide quite enough resistance for me), hold for a second at the top.
Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between circuits, and go through three times.

Circuit 2:
1. Wall sit with the pack
2. Tricep push up (10ish)
3. Pilates 100
A word of caution on the wall sit: as I mentioned, the pack is a bit of an unnatural load, so be careful. I found it useful to have a chair nearby to sit the pack on before I stood back up so as not to put a weird strain on my back. You can also do the wall sit without the pack. Just put your back against a wall, slide down until your femur (big bone in your thigh) is parallel to the floor and ceiling. Hold until you can´t anymore. Keep your pelvis under your ribs.
Tricep push ups, for those who may be unsure, are like regular push-ups, except that when you lower your body, your elbows go straight back. These are harder than regular push-ups, because you are relying pretty exclusively on your triceps to do the work. Since your elbows aren´t flaring out, your chest is no longer involved. You may want to do these on your knees, but if you have the strength, go ahead and do them regular.
Pilates Hundred... there are too many variations of this to explain them all right now. Either Youtube it or substitue your own favorite abs exercise. Go to failure, not just until you feel the burn.

Circuit 3:
1. Jump Squats, 10
2. Bicep curls
3. Upright row
For the jump squats, come into a squat position. Hold until you start to feel your butt and legs, then jump up as high as you can, reaching for the ceiling. Land SOFTLY in a squat position. Repeat ten times.
Bicep curls: Grip your back pack with both hands on the handle that´s on top. Again, because the load is weird, pay extra attention to your spinal position. Pelvis beneath your ribs, abs engaged, chest lifted. Perform 12ish repetitions... that´s what I was able to do anyway. Do more or fewer as you´re able.
Upright row: You need to change your grip for this one. If you keep the same grip you had for the bicep curls, you´ll be targeting your trapezius muscles more than your shoulders. This was probably the most awkward grip of the whole thing. Hold the backpack by only one strap, one hand on each side of the strap. As your perform the row, you may notice that it feels harder for one side of your body than the other. This is because, in all likelihood, the majority of the pack´s weight is positioned in the bottom of the pack. Compensate for this by changing sides on the next set, and for the last set, perform half your repetitions on one side, half on the other.

CORE:
I like to finish all my workouts with some extra core work. This one wasn´t a circuit. I just did it once, but if you´re feeling froggy, you can do it all three times.
1. Forearm plank... however long you can hold it, until failure.
2. Sweeps (on your back, start by pulling your knees into your chest with your arms. Simultaneously shoot your legs and arms out in opposite directions. To finish one rep, pull your knees into your chest while sweeping your arms out to the side of your body in a circle and finally pulling your knees into your chest with your arms again. This is a fairly advanced move... repeat 10-15 times.)
3. Superman... lie prone, feet apart. Squeeze your butt tight to protect your lowback. Arms are out overhead in a V-shape. Slowly raise arms and legs at the same time to work your back. Note: You don´t have to come up high for this. Work within a sensible and safe range of motion.

OK. Good job. In about 50 minutes you´ve worked all your major muscle groups. Have a cookie, er... I mean, a nice healthy fruit, yogurt and granola parfait... ok, yeah right... cookie.