To all of you guys who have made it a week through the first week of your New Year’s resolutions, congratulations. You’re part of the minority. Keep working hard. For the rest who have fallen off the wagon, it’s never too late to hop back on. Here are three workouts you can do at home or the gym and ways to implement them into your training. Hit up Google if you have questions about the movements.

Workout 1
5 Rounds, each for time:
Sprint 200 meters
15 Push-ups
Rest 1 minute

This workout is short but very intense. Mark off about 130 paces (2 steps equals 1 pace) and start a stopwatch. As fast as you can move, run from one end to the other. When you’re at the end of the 200 meters, perform 15 push-ups. These are chest-to-deck push-ups. No half-way, here. Rest exactly one minute and repeat 4 more times. After you’ve finished the fourth set of 15 push-ups, stop the clock. This is your measured time.

Just like how guys measure a car’s performance, CrossFit workouts test measure human performance. A Porsche 911′s data is measurable, observable and repeatable. So are these workouts.

Workout 2
3 Rounds for time:
30 Air Squats
20 Sit-ups
10 Pull-ups

Like Workout 1, start a stopwatch and get moving. Air squats are done without any weight and below parallel, but if you’re feeling froggy, grab a bag of dog food and have at it. Sit-ups, like every other movement, have a defined start and end point. Touch behind your head lying down then sit up and touch your toes. As for those pesky pull-ups, give jumping pull-ups a shot if you’re not ready for the real thing. Either way, lock out your elbows at the bottom and get your chin over the bar.

Holding a high standard is very important. When you try the workout again in a few weeks, you want to be using the same standards. Troy Polamalu doesn’t run a 35 yard sprint and call it a solid 40.

Workout 3
4 Rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
50 Air Squats

This is a CrossFit workout that has appeared on the mainsite many times over the last few years. It’s a great way to measure cardiovascular endurance, stamina and just sheer will to gut it out through the pain. Find a track, start a stopwatch and hit it hard. A respectable completion time on this is under 10 minutes. Warning:Don’t do this if you have an important job the next few days that requires walking or carrying.

Putting these workouts into a training program is easy. Test, train and retest. If you’re seeing improvements across these three workouts, you’re on the right track. Drive on. If you’re still struggling to finish one, check out a local CrossFit affiliate and try one of their free community workouts.

So, feel free to ditch the gym tonight. Stay home and try a high intensity workout that is more productive than any elliptical. Then shoot me an email with your time and thoughts. Enjoy a new year and a new you!