Backpack Workouts

Working out at home can be a struggle when the mentality of the individual is along the lines of ‘I need weight’ ‘I need to push and pull’. However, thinking outside of the box and how the style of many CrossFit/functional training workouts are being designed, backpacks are a perfect way of replicating weight. 

The structure of the backpack allows a thinking process to be put in place by training the proprioception of the body. Ensuring the correct position of movements are performed with a backpack rather than a barbell. Fitness components which will be activated following the previous point: Balance, stability, proprioception, unilateral skill, body weight functionality. 

Alongside the functionality of the backpack, by getting your hands on a heavy-duty fitness bag will allow weight to be added. Inputting a dumbbell/Kettlebell or even a military armour shield will provide resistance to exercise against. This will replicate a gym session with no substantial equipment and will allow results to be made and no time wasting of the current time period. 

Below workouts are designed to be performed with a backpack. However, it can be done with just body weight. To increase the intensity, input a weight to your own ability. 

Workout 1 

50 Squats

40 Press ups 

30 Squats

20 Press ups

10 Squats 

2 rounds For Time.

Workout 2 – (‘300 Spartan style’)

20 Backpack swings 

30 Overhead Squats

20 lunges with a twist 

15 Push ups

15 Bent over rows

3 rounds For Time. 

Workout 3 – EMOM – Every minute on the minute 

5 Burpees

6 Press ups

7 Squats 

For 20 minutes.  

Alasdair Hamilton MSc Sp&ExPhys, BSc SpSci – Instagram: alasdairhamilton