How I Create Unplanned Improvised Late Night Workouts

Last night while getting ready to workout, the allergies came out of nowhere. I was about to tap out but I slammed some preworkout and staggered into the gym instead. 

With no plan I decided to show you how I make it happen. Follow me through an unplanned improvised midnight workout. 

The key is to get in the gym and start moving. I usually go right to my sanddune stepper. I warmup with 2 minutes of marching in place. 

I do one minute facing one direction followed by one minute of facing the other direction. This gets the cardio going and lights up the calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 

Then I will pick a core exercise to let the legs recover. In this case I picked modified back extensions. My back and hip are my old injured problem areas so I try to keep them strong. I knocked out 12 reps. 

Next was a lower body / leg exercise that I haven’t done recently. I went for the trapbar deadlift for 6 reps.

From there I hit another core exercise. I chose the flat bench 1/4 crunch for 20 reps. This version of the crunch protects my lower back, minimizes hip flexor involvement, and isolates the rectus abdominus or abs. 

My final exercise was for the upper body and went with 20 reps of elevated bar push ups. This exercise works the chest, triceps and anterior deltoid or front shoulder. 

I tried to keep the rest periods as short as I could and then I did a second round. It was a full body workout that hit all of the major muscle groups. Not bad for having no workout planned. 

And I was seriously contemplating not working out at all. So get in the gym even without a plan and make it happen. I used a simple warmup, core, legs, core, upper body guideline. 

Here is the workout video.

Remember the key is to get in the gym and do something even if you don’t feel like it and have no plan. You’ll be surprised at what you accomplish .

If you want some detailed muscle and strength building info and workout plans to follow, check out my ebook package here: Muscle and Strength Building 

The Gym is more that just a place to workout for many

Catching my breath in between sets, in front of the fan. It was hot and humid. Yet I was able to pull off a decent slingshot bench press workout. It was a 4 sets of 4 reps night. So I managed 135x10, 225x4, 235x4, 245x4, 255x4.

It’s usually nighttime when I workout, when everyone else is asleep. And I’m always alone, except for Jesus, who is my spotter, and Joey, the cat, who is my strength coach. 

The gym is peaceful and calming. Like my survival site, the gym is one of my safe spaces where it doubles as a church, a sanctuary, a place of therapy, and as a place of challenge. 

I’ve always preferred small or private gyms to the big, crowded, noisy franchise gyms. I’ve spent a lifetime in both settings as a trainer and a trainee, depending on the time and place throughout the ages. 

My first gym was a room down in the cellar of my family’s house. My Dad rebuilt it and helped me create a gym / martial arts dojo. Yard sale weight sets and exercise gear with heavy bags, mats and old boxing gear started the journey of a lifetime. 

I started fitness training when I was ten. I started martial arts training when I was 11. I ran my first training class when I was 12, as an apprentice/intern assistant instructor. 

The first training experience came early. 

I started training the tiny dragons and little tigers kids (ages 5-7) class. That would progress over the years until I was running almost all of the classes for youth, teens, and adults. 

At 17, I was selected to become the head instructor of the Kenpo Karate school that I had attended daily from the age of 11. 

Then I joined the Army instead and went in a very different direction. But of course, fitness and martial arts where always with me during that 20 year adventure. 

For the past 15 years, the Iron Garage has been my main gym despite working simultaneously at several other gyms and locations over the years. 

One of the biggest and simplest takeaways that I can give you is this: you must conquer your mind and emotions in order to play the long game in fitness and health. 

Nobody cares so work harder. There is no excuse. You either benefit or suffer from what you choose to do. You reap what you sew. You and only you are responsible for all that you do or fail to do. 

So with that being said let’s go hit the weights!

The Jack Stand Romanian Deadlift

The Jack Stand Romanian Deadlift is a great posterior chain exercise which helps to strengthen all of the major players involved in all forms of deadlifts and squats. It also strengthens your core and helps with good posture. 

The Jack Stands are 45lbs each so it saves on the initial 45lb plates. They have adjustable height. This takes the place of block pulls. It is great for older adults, beginners, and people with mobility and range of motion limitations (like me 😀).

Bands, BowFlex, and TRX Workout

Band/ BowFlex/ TRX workout: we have had rain in my area, off and on for the past two weeks. This causes my arthritis, asthma, and allergies to crank up to an annoying level where I basically feel like crap all the time. 

The joints have been hurting far more than usual. Plenty of reasons to justify to myself that skipping workouts is authorized under these conditions. Long term health, wellness, and fitness are directly impacted by these mental conversations. Skipping one workout leads to skipping a second and so on. Can’t let that happen.

The program called for my usual heavy bench press workout. That wasn’t gonna happen. So I compromised and decided to go in the gym and do whatever I could do. I improvised a workout that I was actually able to do mentally. 

So I started off with the resistance bands. Then I moved to the BowFlex. Then I transitioned to the TRX and some crunches. I ended up doing 4 sets of 5 reps on 10 exercises with minimal rest between sets. It wasn’t the hardest, fastest, heaviest workout by any means. It started off easy. By the end I was tired and had worked chest, back, and abs. 

Instead of skipping a workout, I ended up doing far more than I imagined. Once again, as I always say, just get in the gym and do something. 99% of the time you will end up doing way more than you thought you would. 

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Slingshot Bench Press Progression Program

This week’s slingshot bench progression was on track.

I got 275x3. If I had a spotter I’m sure I could have done 4, and maybe the 5th.

At 2am, with no spotter, I was happy with 3 good reps. I wasn’t about to push my luck.

Next week, I’ll go for the 4th rep.

Last week I got 265x5, and the week before that was 255x5, and before that was 245x5. 

I started this cycle with 225x5.

Realistic, safe progression is attainable and practical.

Mentally it tests your patience and ego.

I haven’t benched 275 in awhile because of the old shoulder injuries.

Now with my new program, I got three reps, pain free.

My micro experiment in the Iron Garage is working.

Hit the weights hard, and smart for optimal results.

275 is my gateway weight on the bench. 

This is where things get tough and slow down. 

We will see what happens next week.

Give this sequence a try with whatever weight you are using and see if it works for you.

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Late Night Trap Bar Deadlift Workout

A good night of training in the Iron Garage.

Tested the back and hip with 405.

It went up easy with no pain. I could have done a lot more.

But I’m trying to be the old wise man instead of the young fool.

The program is working, so let it work.

The next goal will be 425. If the back and hip are good, I’ll go from there.

The lesson of slower safe progression is one I wished I’d learned in my teen years.

Leave your ego outside the gym and you will find success.

Eric Dempsey

Master Sergeant, US Army Retired,

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness