Weight Stacking

This is a great technique if you are really bored one day and want to do something completely different but effective.  It is as easy as it sounds; you stack weight on top of each other, and then transfer the stack to another point or place.  What you do in between that stacking is what makes it interesting.  For example, if you are seated on the floor and have one stack of five 10lb plates on your right side,  begin by twisting your trunk picking up one 10lb plate and placing it on your left hand side.  Then twist back to your right side stack and repeat until you have moved all five plates back to their original position. This is a great exercise for developing the serratus and oblique’s.   You will find that not only is the trunk twisting good for ab and back strength, but the slow control stacking makes you focus on not hurting your fingers increases the intensity of the movement.  A cardio version of this would be to place one stack at the end of a basketball court, or make up a distance and carry two at a time, such as a farmers walk, then stack at the other end, and perform one full round.  Obviously increasing weight, shortening time, speed, etc. will increase the intensity of the workout.  For a good upper body and core workout try doing pushups with a stack and after each pushup moving one plate to the other side and back also.

Exercises
Seated Trunk twist-While seated on a mat or floor, start with a short stack on the left and transfer one plate at a time to the right side, then take the stack on the right one plate at a time and return it to its original start position. 
Farmers Carry-This can be done walking or funning with one plate in both hands or one plate in each hand. Start with one stack on a side of the room at least 20-40 feet apart.  Run to the stack and pick up one plate and run back to the other end and begin the stack.  Run back and repeat until stack is back to its original position.  Using a stopwatch is great for benchmarking and setting goals for future workouts of improvement.
Pushup Challenge-After performing one pushup  grab a plate and move it to your other hand, then repeat until the stack is back in its original position.  This workout will focus more on the core strength then chest and triceps.

       …For more information and tips, check my website, www.chadamartin.com.