Senator Scott Brown's Get Fit Moves

The race for the Massachusetts Senate seat may be over, but there is still a lot of attention on how Scott Brown maintains his youthful physique at age 50. What's the newly-elected official's secret? Brown may be a known triathlete and gym-goer, but following his recent victory, he challenged President Obama to a basketball game (a sport he played in college at Tufts University, where he was known as Downtown Scotty Brown).

If the soon-to-be Senator is still skilled enough to offer that kind of challenge, he obviously shoots a few hoops when he's not campaigning. Smart, since playing basketball also burns between 500 to 650 calories an hour.

Even if you can't hit a basket to save your life, there are still a few basketball drills you can do that can be equally effective at losing that winter weight by burning fat and calories. The following drills and exercises are tried-and-true moves that many colleges and universities use with their players to get them in season shape. Now, you can use them to do the same -- whether you're running for office or not.

Full Court W-Sprints. Start in the right corner of one end of a basketball court. Sprint down the court until you're underneath the other basket. Without turning around, sprint straight backwards to the center of the court. Stop, spin 180 degrees and sprint backwards right under the basket again. Turn and face the basket, jump up and touch (or at least reach for) the backboard five to 10 times without stopping, then sprint to the left corner on the other side of the court. Perform the drill from the left corner until you're back in the right corner where you started from. Repeat for as many times as you can. (To make things interesting, have a friend throw you the ball each time you return to the corner and try shooting a jumper.)

Box Jumps. Start by standing on top of a sturdy six to 12-inch box (If you don't have a box, use the bottom step of a staircase), arms at sides with elbows bent at 90-degree angles. Take a small hop forward off the box and land on the balls of your feet. The moment your toes touch the floor, immediately jump straight up as high as you can. Simultaneously swing your arms forward and reach up toward the ceiling. On the way back down, bend your elbows and draw your arms down along your sides. Land on your toes and repeat twice more, again jumping and reaching as high as possible. Step back on the box and perform the drill 10 more times. To make the exercise harder, try jumping more than three times before stepping back onto the box (up to ten times). Or try jump in a variety of directions (forward, left, right or even back on the box).

Baseline Figure-Eights. For this exercise, you'll use the lane area of the court (the box drawn on the floor in front of the basket). Stand underneath the basket with your back to the middle of the court. Jump up and tap the backboard three times, then shuffle sideways to the left corner. Jog straight back to the back left corner of the box, then sprint forward to the basket. Jump up and tap the backboard three more times, then repeat the movement in reverse (shuffling to the right corner, jogging straight back to the back right corner, then rushing forward to tap the board three times). Run this drill five to eight times, then stand facing the court and try reversing the order, running forward from the basket to a far corner, jogging straight back, then shuffling back under the basket.

Chest Pass. Grab a three to four kilo rubber medicine ball in both hands and stand about four feet from a sturdy wall. With the ball tucked close to your ribcage, extend your arms and throw the ball (as hard as possible) at the wall, just a few inches above chest level. Catch the rebound (it should fall around chest level), tuck the ball back into your ribs and immediately throw it back into the wall. Repeat for 25 to 50 repetitions.

Medicine Ball Extensions. Hold a one kilogram (about two-pound) rubber medicine ball in your shooting hand and stand two feet from a wall. Raise your arm in a shooting position, keeping your other arm at your side, and shoot the ball about a foot above your head. Catch the rebound (with your shooting hand) and repeat continuously for 25 to 50 reps. Switch to work your other arm.

Want more bang for your buck? Read about these three easy ways to get more from every workout.

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have,Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and co-author of The Men's Health Gym Bible and Face It & Fix It: A Three-Step Plan to Break Free from Denial and Discover the Life You Deserve.