How to Crush Your Workout Without a Large Gym

Overcoming Space Limitations in Fitness Training

Don't have a large gym? You don't need much to crush a workout.

Early in my coaching career, I had the opportunity to run training programs for a diverse group of athletes, all teenagers from across the globe. We trained athletes from almost every country imaginable. While this was an incredible experience filled with lasting memories, it also came with its challenges. Communication was tricky since English was the second language for most athletes. The even bigger issue was the limited space and outdated equipment we had to work with.

The gym at the university was small and in disrepair. We dealt with broken machines, rusty barbells, overhead pipes that constantly leaked, and a poor ventilation system. Despite these setbacks, we managed to deliver effective workouts and create an amazing summer experience for the kids. However, our limited space proved to be a significant hurdle.

The Unexpected Setback

Things took a turn for the worse right in the heat of summer. Our camp, located just outside Philadelphia, was caught in a high humidity heat wave. One day, we received a call from the university informing us that a pipe had burst. Our gym would be off-limits for at least half a week, possibly longer.

Now, 95 degrees might sound bad enough, but these kids were not used to our humid climate. They were drenched in sweat and, like typical teenagers, they started to rebel against the situation. We faced a major challenge: how to adjust our training plans and keep the athletes engaged.

Introducing the Truck Pull

In a creative and spontaneous move, we quickly grabbed the largest battle rope we could find and wrapped it around the frame of a car. We told the kids to do one thing: pull.

This was a dramatic shift. Prior to this moment, we struggled to motivate them even for a warm-up walk. Now, they were pulling thousands of pounds across the scorching blacktop, while others cheered from under the trees. We turned the situation into an exciting competition. Who could pull the truck the farthest or the fastest? Could the girls outperform the boys? Who could navigate a speed bump?

What initially seemed like a major setback evolution into a huge success. The truck pull became a badge of honor for these athletes.

Coaches Get Their Own Fun

As an added bonus, we coaches got to relax in an air-conditioned car with AC/DC blasting. We took turns tapping the brakes whenever a kid got a little too cocky.

The Importance of Adaptability

Why is this important? Challenges will arise. Pipes will burst, weight rooms will get double-booked, and things will inevitably go wrong. Complaining won’t fix anything. Instead, it's crucial to suck it up and adapt.

I can't count the number of times I've seen coaches lose their temper because they couldn't access the weight room. Often, the reason for this was simple: they forgot to schedule the space and were too embarrassed to admit it to their team. Some of the best workouts I've devised happened in hallways with minimal equipment.

Anyone who has trained with me knows that I usually focus on barbells. However, nothing beats the sight of a team of 30 to 50 athletes lined up in a hallway, drenched in sweat, executing an intense bodyweight routine. Picture teenagers pushing themselves to the limit while their English teacher weaves through them, avoiding the determined athletes.

Making the Most of Your Workout

This approach to training has become a staple for us. How did we achieve this? By remaining calm when faced with obstacles like room overbookings or burst pipes—trust me, those pipes certainly have a knack for exploding at the worst possible moments.

I've seen coaches scream, curse, and stomp their feet. I've even witnessed a grown man attempt to grab a barbell from a 15-year-old girl while shouting, "THIS IS MY BARBELL!" (which, by the way, was not his—it was a resource provided by taxpayers for all athletes). His reasoning? “I shouldn’t have to schedule like everyone else. I went to high school here.” While that was not the most outrageous thing to say, it certainly was foolish.

Conclusion: You Don’t Need Perfect Scenarios

What I want to convey through this lengthy blog post is simple: you don’t need an ideal room, the best equipment, or everything to go perfectly to achieve a great workout. Effective training can happen anywhere at any time. The key is to get your athletes excited and inject some fun into your sessions.

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