10 Ways to Spice up your Workout Routine (Cheaply)

Lucky for you I kicked boredom’s ass, and I’m more than happy to tell you how I did it.  Here are…

10 Ways to Kick Workout Boredom’s Ass (on the Cheap)

1. Ask a buddy if you can work out with him. See what he’s doing and steal ideas. Good news is, his gym probably gives out free guest passes like they’re Mentos.
2. Take a class. If money is an issue, there is an excellent chance that your local county or city is about to publish its Summer class catalog, if it hasn’t already. Some of those classes — even the dancing and martial arts ones– are super affordable.  Most police athletic leagues offer really cheap classes too.
3. Have cable? Go to the free on demand area and check out all of the free workouts. There’s all kinds of Yoga and Pilates workouts on there.  Pull one up and follow along.
4. Go get a set of PTDICE and create random calisthenics workouts.
5. Get a cheap new toy to play with.  Check out your local Goodwill store. Last time I was in there I saw a Total Gym for $100.00 (I used to have one back in the day, before I got into calisthenics, and it was lots of fun).  They also had two complete sets of P90x and a slew of other cheap workout DVDs. And don’t forget to check Craigslist. I’ve gotten some brand new stuff on there for half price, including two heavy bags and my mountain bike.
6. Does your employer sponsor any corporate games, have a softball team, golf team, etc.? You might be able to earn some brownie points while saving on greens fees or fitness club memberships.
7. Preorder The Calisthenics Codex eBook and use it to create virtually unlimited calisthenics workouts that you can do at home for free. Click here to pre-order at Barnes & Noble, or here to pre-order on iTunes/iBooks.  Only $2.50 until 5/31.
8. Set a goal. Training is a lot more interesting when you’re training with purpose. Sign up for a 10K or a mud run, a charity walk or bike ride, enter a tournament, etc. If you want to get lean for swimsuit season, get a copy of Cut! and learn how to do it sensibly — without insane workouts, crazy or complex diets, or freaky supplements.
9. Got any old auto tires laying around in the garage?  You don’t have to go crazy and invest in expensive, gut-busting tractor tires.  Put on some gloves and get to work.
10. Go outside and explore your local parks.  Walking is still the safest way to exercise, and although it seems like every year’s workout fad is more extreme than last’s, walking 5 miles burns just as many calories as running 5 miles, and walking may even be better for your heart.  Yes, I’m telling you to go take a hike.