4 Gym Alternatives

Published September 24, 2015 04:26PM

Triathletes tend to like the freedom of the open road and water and often feel stifled by the limitations of a gym. If you are of the aforementioned ilk, you probably spend a whole lot of time swimming, biking and running because, after all, that’s the very definition of our sport. Even still, triathletes who shun the gym need to work on strength and flexibility, and may even need an alternate cardio workout every now and again.

This is where you have to get creative. Consider the following workouts that guarantee to spice up your training life and achieve better strength without requiring you to step one foot in a gym.

Kettlebell Kickboxing

A hybrid strength and cardio workout, Kettlebell Kickboxing is a workout easily done at home, only requiring a kettlebell or a dumbbell to complete. Promoting full-body strength and endurance, this workout combines martial arts with kettlebells for an intense but fun workout. $60 for an at-home DVD series of four, Kettlebellkickboxing.com

Barre Workout

Modeled after the intense workouts performed by world-class ballerinas, barre training promotes the development of lean muscles, as well as improving flexibility and balance. Using a chair and some dumbbells, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for ballet dancers. What’s more, it’ll assist in increasing range of motion in stubborn areas, like the hips, which means sounder and seamless movement all along the kinetic chain. $160 for the Pure Barre Collector’s Set (equipment plus six DVDs), Purebarre.com

ElliptiGo

This contraption is quickly getting popular among professional endurance athletes. Best described as an outdoor elliptical bike, it provides a no-impact cardio workout that rivals your everyday triathlon training sessions. Invented by two Ironman triathletes, it has multiple gears like a bike, and can reach up to 25 miles per hour. Most importantly, it realistically mimics a running motion and allows you to burn more calories than you would on a bike. $1,799–$3,499, Elliptigo.com

TRX

Utilizing gravity, the TRX Suspension Training system puts a new spin on bodyweight exercises by adding an element of stability and balance. Regular lunges are enhanced with a suspended leg (which mimics a running position), and suspended crunches require you to use your core to stabilize your entire body as you bring your legs into your body. By strengthening all of those muscles that often get neglected during swim, bike and run training, this workout will not only help prevent injury; it might make you faster too. $200 (includes six workout videos), Trxtraining.com