Bizarre workouts to tickle your fancy

With a celebrity trainer introducing Naked workout in the US, After Hrs takes a look at exercises which, we kid you not, border on the bizarre...

Thug workout

(For the Thug workout, people use playground equipment)

When you’re too broke to pay for your gym memberships, you can turn to free playgrounds. Ruff Ryders, a hip hop collective from the US, created this workout that uses kids’ playground equipment, scaffolding, picnic tables, etc. Scaffoldings can be used to do push-ups, whereas a picnic table serves as a tool to do tricep dips and abandoned tyres provide resistance for shoulder press.

High Heel workout

(The High Heel workout helps to strengthen calf and foot muscles)-Thinkstock​

This would be a podiatrist’s nightmare, who often warn against problems like bunions, ankle sprains, pain in the joints and even back pain arising from wearing heels. But what’s a more bizarre way to exercise than sporting stilettos, right? In these fitness classes, women do a series of squats and lunges to strengthen their lower bodies while wearing sneakers. Later, they don heels due to which their centre of gravity shifts to the front. Then, they are taught to fix their posture to prevent damage to their feet and lower back. Also, their calf and foot muscles are strengthened by doing specially-designed exercises.

Pogo

(One can burn up to 600 calories an hour as part of the Pogo workout)-Thinkstock​

It doesn’t get funnier than this. You jump around using a pogo stick. But before you dismiss it as something silly, know this — it is a pretty decent cardio workout, burning up to 600 calories an hour, which is around the same as running. And though it may look a bit daunting, it is believed to have less impact on the joints.

Naked workout

(The naked workout claims to create complete awareness about the body)-Thinkstock​

We’re not joking. From January 5 onwards, Hanson Fitness, a New York gym chain, has started nude workout sessions at its Soho outlet. Conducted by celebrity trainer Harry Hanson, whose clientele boasts of the who’s who of Hollywood including Tom Cruise, Sandra Bullock and Rihanna, the purpose of these classes is to make you look and feel good in the buff. Here, participants use their body weight as resistance to work their core, glutes, legs and butt. And why would anyone choose to work out in the nude, you might ask. Well, according to a post on the gym’s social networking page, “Exercising in the nude provides a number of benefits, “including skin breathing, the release of endorphins due to Vitamin D from sunlight and complete body awareness so that you can see if you’re cheating on your exercise routine.” Now, who’s game for this one?

Karaoke workout

(Karaoke workout)-Thinkstock​

Often, people down some liquid courage before hitting the stage at a karaoke session. But they are advised against doing the same before this regime. The only drinks permitted at these sessions are water and electrolyte beverages. A TV screen with song lyrics is attached to the exercise bike to aid participants to belt out peppy numbers while they are spinning or cycling. There’s also Karaoke yoga that comprises singing, stretching, and laughing. And hey, Broadway fans aren’t left out as there’s one such variety which incorporates classic tunes and easy choreographed dance moves.

Powerbocking

(Powerbocking)

Though powerbocking originated abroad, this unusual workout is available in Mumbai. It seems intimidating but it’s not difficult to do it, assures Rahul Singh who is the founder of Ultimate Striderz, a centre where you can try your hands, rather legs at Powerbocking. One has to balance his/her body on arc-shaped metal frames called ‘stilts’ and walk, jump, sprint, etc. Rahul imported these stilts from abroad, learnt to use them and even trained in advance levels abroad. Around five years ago, he started conducting these sessions and has trained celebs like Dino Morea, Rithvik Dhanjani and Gauahar Khan, to name a few. “Despite being 18 inches above the ground, you can jump in the air at a height of six feet and above and run at the speed of 40 km/hour. Each stilt weighs around 3.5 kg but you can’t stand still on them, you have to keep moving — walking, running, jumping. This improves agility, strengthens your core, and uses around 90 per cent of the body muscles in activity. Also, you can burn around 350 calories in 10 minutes,” informs Rahul.

Trampoline workout

(Trampoline workout)-Thinkstock​

Jumping endlessly on a trampoline is so much fun. As part of this regime, which incorporates fitness with fun, a rebounder or a mini trampoline is used to provide more resistance and lesser bounce. Certain movements are done to engage the abdominal muscles, thereby strengthening the core. For the upper body, dumbbells or a beach ball are used. If you follow this for 20 minutes on a daily basis, then reportedly, you can have a toned body within six weeks.

Punk rock workout

(Punk rock workout)-Thinkstock​

The co-founder of this workout claims it helps people break out of the “fascist fitness regime”. Instead of exercising in a gym, here, participants perform vigorous aerobics to the tunes of punk rock’s greatest hits in clubs, amidst the odour of beer and smoke. Also, weight-lifting is done via lifting bricks.

Zuu

(The Zuu workout)

This one’s a wild workout indeed! Aptly named, it mimics the movements of wild animals. Zuu was invented in Australia. This fitness routine is a combination of cardio, strength training coupled with agility exercises based on animal movements. For example, one crawls on the ground like a bear, swing your arms like a chimpanzee and loads of movements from other animals in the wild that you probably imitated when you were a kid.

Pound

(Pound workout)

POUND® is the world’s first cardio-jam session inspired by the playing of the drums. It uses Ripstix®, lightly weighted drumsticks engineered specifically for exercising. Started in Los Angeles in 2011, it came to India last year. Pound transforms drumming into an effective way of working out. Here, instead of listening to music, participants become the music by incorporating a full-body workout using the combination of cardio, strength training with yoga and Pilates-inspired movements.