Cromwell Field New OUTDOOR Equipment

By Matthew Freihofner

Trojans! For those of you who want to workout but want to get outside at the same time there’s great news. Cromwell field, across from the bookstore, just put in BRAND NEW outdoor fitness equipment. I personally love mixing it up and working out outside on the weekends. I’m especially excited to use the new equipment at Cromwell called a ‘Rogue Rig’. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, here’s what it looks like and what you can do with it.

Pull Ups – Pull-ups are one of my favorite exercises and one of the best things you can do for your body. They work out a ton of different muscles including lats, biceps, shoulders, and chest. Plus there are a bunch of different variations,

1. Front Facing (Standard) – Palms facing forward and your grip should be about shoulder width. These are your standard pull up there medium in difficulty.

2. Chin Up – Palms facing you and shoulder width grip. A lot of people find chin-ups to be easier so if you’re struggling with standard pulls ups give these a shot. These are great for your biceps and back.

3. Wide Grip – The hardest of the three, wide grip pull-ups are the same as standard but with your grip much wider. These are some of the toughest and will really kick your butt. Not for the faint of heart.

Plyo Boxes – Another favorite of mine. Plyo boxes are so great for athletes. They really work at increasing your explosiveness and fast twitch muscle fibers. If you want power in your lower body these are for you. Also, your vertical jump will sky rocket. There’s a ton of variations and different things you can do with plyo boxes. Here are a few of them,

1. Step Ups – Great for beginners and for the end of your workout’s when your body is too tired to do anything else. Simply step onto the box with one foot and drive your opposite knee up. Step down and repeat. These are great for strengthening your legs and calves.

2. Box Jump – My personal preference. Box jumps are very explosive and really transfers over to athletic performance. Not for show muscles, box jumps will really help you become a better athlete. Stand in front of the box get into a low squat and jump onto the box landing with both feet as soft as you can. You can either step of the box or jump backwards and land in the same position with both feet. The Faster you go the better but make sure to keep your form.

3. Push Ups – Plyo boxes can also serve as a great way to change up your standard push up. Get set in your normal push up position except put your feet on top of the box to help increase the difficulty and range of motion. This will work your chest, triceps, and abs.

Wall Ball – Attached to the ‘Rogue Rig’ the sign esque metal sticking out from on top with the USC logo. This workout requires a medicine ball. Get into a squat position in front of the wall ball and as you explode upward holding the ball throw it against the USC logo and as you catch it coming down do a deep squat holding the ball outwards or over your head. Repeat. This is probably the most difficult and draining of all the exercise and will really help build strong leg muscles.

Track! The best part about the new equipment is that it’s located at the track so after or before your workout you can run around the track outside instead of on a treadmill.

Get outside and get motivated!

Check out this video from people who workout EXCLUSIVELY outside of the weight room. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3MTqRWPiZU