By now the allure of Netflix (and the insanity that is Tiger King) has worn off and the plethora of extra snacks in the house has taken its toll. With warmer weather starting to grace the country and the hope of packrafting season on the horizon, it’s time to start getting into packrafting shape. Let’s face it, with many trails closed off, access to rivers limited, and gyms closed for the foreseeable future, getting in packrafting shape takes a bit of creativity.

Don't worry, we have you covered. We sat down with a trainer this week to create a total-body workout completely designed around bodyweight exercises. That means you can get in a full workout without needing any fancy equipment lying around the house.

Let’s dive in.

First, we have two different workout series creatively named Workout A and Workout B. On your first week, complete workout A on Monday and Friday. Tackle Workout B on Wednesday. On week two, switch up your workouts, doing Workout B on Monday and Friday and Workout A on Wednesday. Before you jumpstart your workout, we recommend reading through the entire workout set and making sure you are familiar with the exercises. For those out of the box exercises, we’ve linked to YouTube for a demonstration. Making sure your form is top-notch is clutch.

WORKOUT A

WARM-UP

1. March in place for 1 minute (keep knees as high as you can)
2. 10 push-ups
3. 15 bodyweight squats
4. 30-second plank hold

MAIN WORKOUT

Complete three circuits of all 10 exercises. If you need to rest, take a 5 count rest before continuing.

1. Split squats (right foot forward) down and up for 1 minute (Example)
2. Pushups for 1 minute
3. Split squats (left foot forward) down and up for 1 minute
4. Plank hold for 1 minute
5. Bodyweight squats for 1 minute
6. Lying prone shoulder hold for 1 minute
   1. Lay face down on the ground. Put your arms straight over your head, similar to a superman hold, and then lift off the ground as high as you can. Hold the pose.
7. Flutter kicks for 1 minute (Example)
8. Superman hold for 1 minute (Example)
9. Combo crunch for 1 minute (Example)
10. Windshield wipers for 1 minute (Example)

WORKOUT B

WARM-UP

1. March in place for 1 minute (keep knees as high as you can)
2. 10 push-ups
3. 15 bodyweight squats
4. 30-second plank hold

MAIN WORKOUT

Complete three circuits of all 10 exercises. If you need to rest, take a 5 count rest before continuing.

1. With your right foot stationary, Front to Back Lunges for 1 minute. (Example)
2. Negative pushup for 1 minute (Example)
   1. From a pushup position, slight bend in the elbow and lower slowly (for a 10 count), push back up and repeat
3. With your left foot stationary, Front to Back Lunges for 1 minute. (Example)
4. Lying prone shoulder hold for 1 minute
   1. Lay face down on the ground. Put your arms straight over head, similar to a superman hold, and then lift off the ground as high as you can. Hold the pose.
5. Pogo jumps for 1 minute
6. Marching plank for 1 minute (Example)
7. Boat pose for  1 minute (Example)
   1. * If the Boat pose is to hard try the ¬Ω Boat pose (Example)
8. Superman hold for 1 minute (Example)
9. Bicycle Crunches for 1 minute (Example)
10. Windshield wipers for  1 minute (Example)

Cardio

Make sure to change things up a bit by complementing the first exercise plan with your favorite aerobic/anaerobic endurance exercises. Anything from running, biking, swimming, to uphill walking that gets your heart rate pumping gets the job done.* That added burst of sunshine and fresh is good for the soul as well. If you have them around the house, row machines, stationary bikes, and elliptical machines work great as well.

Rather than heading out for a steady run of the mill walk or ride, consider spicing up your cardio with sprint or interval training. It's more effective than steady aerobic activity for performance. It also has the added advantage of enabling you to recover faster after strenuous packrafting sessions, as well as helping you perform a higher volume of work during your workouts.

Sprint Interval training should be done twice per week. It can be done on your off days, before, or after your workout.

*Before biking or trail running outside, make sure to check with your local social distancing guidelines.

CARDIO A: DAY 1

• Warm-up for 10 minutes
  • Do the equivalent of a fast walk for whichever modality you're using.
• Sprint 30 seconds/rest 30 seconds for 20 minutes
• Cool down for 6 - 10 minutes
  • Go back to the same pace as your warm-up.

CARDIO B: DAY 1

• Warm-up for 10 minutes
  • Do the equivalent of a fast walk for whichever modality you're using.
• Sprint 60 seconds/rest 60 seconds for 20 minutes
• Cool down for 6 - 10 minutes
  • Go back to the same pace as your warm-up.

Kokopelli Packraft strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercises.