Play Time

Fitness innovation can take many forms. Sometimes, it's a brand-spanking-new piece of equipment or a game-changing scientific theory. And in other instances, results are achieved by taking something familiar, and using it in a smarter, more strategic way.

It may be one of the tried-and-true strength-training machines in the club—but you’ve never seen the jungle gym used like this before. “The jungle gym is my favorite piece of equipment,” says Joel Mayers, a Tier 3 personal trainer and group fitness instructor in Tysons Corner. “But I incorporate new things to make traditional exercises more interesting.”

Tired of the run-of-the-mill fare of lat pulldowns, woodchoppers and chin-ups, Mayers designed this surprising routine that torches calories as it tones. “The more muscles you can incorporate into one exercise, the more calories you burn,” says Mayers.

Ready to revisit your recess days? Click through the slideshow on Q to see animated gifs of the moves. Choose a light weight to start, so you can focus on form, and perform the indicated reps for each exercise once, circuit-style, then repeat 3 times.