Just this past month, I competed in my first ever mud dash here in Dallas. Finishing the muddy 2+ mile obstacle course in just under 28-minutes, I accomplished my life-long dream of beating my boyfriend in a sport. :-)

All jokes aside, the mud run was addictive not just because I got to live out my pseudo-military combat fantasy, but because the mud run represented the pinnacle of my experiment in "unconventional" fitness. What started as a make-shift attempt to stay in shape has blossomed into my preferred workout regimen. Like most things in my life lately, this madness all started when I graduated from college...After school, I decided to make a two month long pit-stop to my parents' house in order to relax before moving permanently and starting my new job. My first few days of sheer nothingness were fabulous of course (especially after writing endless term papers in my final days of school) but it wasn't long before I began to feel restless. After all of the hard work spent in the gym the previous year, I was pleased to see that my body had come to require physical activity—that first week home without working out had left me feeling out of place and a little crazy. Right then and there, I resolved that I would (attempt) to maintain a workout routine while at home.The only problem was, at home I no longer had free and easy access to a gym. At school, there was always the campus gym where I could get a quick workout in before or after class. At my folks' house, however, there was only the neighboorhood recreation center which charged $10 per day for non-members (i.e. me). Not wanting to create a de facto bill for myself just to get in a good workout, I decided to take a closer look at "non-gym" workout options I discovered months ago online:LovingFit.com by Tatianna"Hang Tight with MarC" by MarC"ZWOW" workouts by Zuzana LightI'm not exactly sure what to call these types of workouts but these were perfect for me at the time because:

1. Not much equipment is needed to do them
2. They are all generally 20 minutes or less
3. They kick your butt!
4. I could do them right in my mom's living room :-)

Workouts like the one's above kept me sane and in shape while I was hanging out at home. In fact, I loved them so much that I decided to keep them in my routine when I moved even though my apartment complex has a full gym. My general routine is to do one of the above workout early in the morning before work (i.e. 5:30am) just to get my heart rate up and set the tone for my day, then I head to the gym when I get home after work to do more focused weight training on specific body parts. I do this for 3 days in a row, alternating the body parts I weight train in the evening. On the 4th and 5th day, I'll do a bootcamp, go running, or just do a total body workout. By incorporating these intense, at home workouts, I've noticed the following improvements:

1. My cardio has improved GREATLY even though I don't run all that much. In order to train for my mud run, I ran 3 miles for the first time in a long time with some friends and I was able to maintain a 10-minute mile the entire time. I really was shocked because I am NOT the long distance running type, but my stamina was just so much better since adding in these little workouts.
2. My abs are starting to come in. Enough said!
3. My legs really began to tone up when I started doing these exercises. Most of these workouts include some sort of jumping, lunging or squatting so I believe I am activating muscles that I don't always hit while in the gym.

So in short, these "non-gym" workouts have been really fun and really beneficial—I definitely encourage you to try them. Now the only thing I need to get back on track is my eating (darn you Texas brisket!), but I'll save that for another day...***Do you workout in the gym or at home? What does your routine look like?