6 Low Impact Exercises | Exercises For Beginners

6 Low Impact Exercises | Exercises For Beginners

When you’re first starting out, or even first starting back to training, it can be so easy to jump in and end up doing moves we aren’t yet ready for.

Not only can this make us so sore we struggle to get consistent with our training, but it can also lead to injury while holding us back from achieving results.

As stinky as it is to have to sometimes go back to basics, we need to regress to progress and master those fundamental movement patterns first.

We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to build our mind-body connection so we aren’t just going through the motions with moves but actually using the correct muscles to power the movements.

This will not only help us rebuild faster, but it can even help us build up stronger.

We have to remember that every movement is earned and built off of these basics.

That’s why I wanted to share 6 fundamental moves I not only return to myself and use as part of my workouts but use with any of my clients rebuilding after time off or just starting back.

These bodyweight moves can help you get in a full-body workout and retrain a variety of movement patterns from pressing to pulling to hip hinging and squatting!

 

6 Moves Beginners Should Master First:

#1: Bulldog Hold

This move looks so simple, but it is more challenging than we give it credit for. It’s a great way to vary our plank work and improve our shoulder, hip and knee stability.

Not only will this move work your arms, shoulders and abs, but you’ll also feel those quads burning.

It’s a great way to strengthen your quads if you can’t perform active knee flexion yet even.

And off of this move, you can build up to fun plank variations as well as crawling movements!

To do the Bulldog Hold, set up on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

Think about engaging the side of your back as you extend your toes and lift up onto the balls of your feet and your hands.

You want your knees to be hovering just off the ground, no more than a few inches up. This makes your quads have to work harder.

Hold here, bracing your abs as if being punched in the gut.

As you fatigue, do not let your butt go up in the air.

From here you can start to add in even little movements, like foot lifts or shoulder taps before you start to fully crawl.

If you find this is too much on your shoulders, abs or quads, you can modify the movement, placing your hands up on a bench even to start!

#2: Glute Bridge

The glute bridge is honestly a key move to include no matter your fitness level.

While it may be a main exercise in your workouts starting out, and move to more of your activation series and warm up as you progress, it is a fundamental move we all need to be more intentional with.

It’s also often a move we do incorrectly, allowing our lower backs and hamstrings to compensate and work for our glutes.

But if you want to get the full benefit of this move, you need to make sure your glutes are driving the hip extension and you’re only bridging up as high as you can truly control while using your glutes.

To do the glute bridge, set up on your back with your feet flat on the ground just beyond your finger tips when your hands are down by your sides. You can play around with this positioning based on your mobility, putting them slightly further out.

Then bend your elbows to drive your upper arms down into the ground.

Tilt your pelvis up toward your ribs to perform a posterior pelvic tilt and engage your abs and glute maximus before you even lift up off the ground.

Then engage your glutes to lift up. Think about driving your knees toward your toes as you drive through your upper arms and back.

Do not lose that posterior pelvic tilt and begin to arch as you lift.

Make sure to keep your feet flat on the ground and do not let your heels come up.

Pause and squeeze your glutes as hard as you can, then lower down.

You want to make sure you aren’t arching to get up higher or driving yourself backward.

Feel those glutes and do not let your hamstrings take over.

Lower back down and repeat the move. Focus more on engaging those glutes over lifting higher.

To progress the move you can move to a unilateral bridge when ready or even increase the range of motion by placing your feet up on something.

If you struggle to engage your glutes with this bodyweight variation, you can try a frog bridge. The external rotation of your hips can help you better engage your glutes!

#3: Inverted Row

Learning to properly engage your back as you’re getting back into working out is key.

Too often, we let our biceps do the work, pulling with our arms, or end up with neck or shoulder pain because we don’t have proper scapular control.

The Inverted Row is an amazing bodyweight move to learn how to really engage your back to power the pull while having an amazing core strengthening bonus.

Just make sure as you do this row, and any other rowing movements, that you are focused not only on pulling the weight or handles toward you, but also on moving those shoulder blades toward your spine so your back is truly working!

To do the Inverted Row, you can do this move off a bar or suspension trainer. I love the suspension trainer especially when first starting out because you can use a variety of grips.

Using the suspension trainer, hold a handle in each hand with a neutral grip to start, or your palms facing in.

Walk your feet forward as you lean back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be.

Flex your feet, pulling your toes up toward your shins as you squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. You want to think about this as a plank and create tension from your feet up.

With your arms straight, make sure to unshrug your shoulders.

Draw your shoulder blades toward your spine as you pull your chest up toward the handles.

You want that initial movement to come from beginning to move your shoulder blades.

Row your chest up toward the handles but don’t try and pull so far you start to round forward just to increase the range of motion.

Stop when you’ve pulled your shoulder blades as close to your spine as you can.

Pause to feel your back then control the lower back down and full arm extension.

Based on your scapular control you can round out a bit at the bottom and protract those shoulder blades, but if you’re just starting out, you may not want to fully disengage your back.

Make sure not to shrug as you pull!

#4: Split Squat

The squat is a fundamental, knee dominant movement pattern. But is also one we often struggle to control and perform correctly through a full range of motion.

That is why, when first starting back, the split squat is a great unilateral option that will not only strengthen your legs but also help you improve your hip mobility and stability.

It’s a great way to also make sure you’re addressing any imbalances and not letting your stronger side take over and perpetuate any issues or pain.

Based on your mobility, you may choose to do this move from the ground or starting with your knee on a block.

Setting up at the bottom of this move is a great way to use this to stretch your hips while truly learning how to control the movement.

Set up kneeling on the block or ground with your front ankle under your front knee and your back knee about under your hip with toes extended so you’re on the ball of your foot.

Really press the ball of your back foot down into the ground as you squeeze that back glute to extend your hip.

Push through the ball of that back foot and your entire front foot to drive up to standing.

Once standing, slowly lower back down to come to rest on the ground.

Then repeat driving back up.

Focus on your feet and their connection to the ground.

And make sure to engage that back glute.

Working through this full range of motion will help you maintain your mobility while improving your stability!

#5: Push Up

The push ups is basically a moving plank so not only a fabulous core move but also a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders and triceps.

However, the full push up from your toes can easily turn into the worm if we don’t yet have the strength to perform it correctly which can lead to wrist, elbow and shoulder aches and pains.

When building back with the push up, an incline variation works well as even the knee push up can be more advanced than we often give it credit for!

To do the push up off an incline, you can start off a wall and slowly lower the incline you use as you progress.

With your arms out in front of you, place your hands on the wall so your hands are just outside your chest. Walk your feet a couple of feet back from the wall so you’re leaning into your hands on the wall.

Spread your fingers to create tension into your hands and drive your heels toward the ground flexing your quads.

Lower your chest toward the wall, making sure not to shrug. You want your body moving as one unit.

Make sure your elbows don’t flare up by your shoulders and create a T shape with your body. You want your upper arms and body to create an arrow shape.

Once you lower your chest toward the wall, press the wall away to fully extend your arms back out.

As you lower the incline, do not do so if you can’t still perform a full range of motion.

#6: Wall Hinge

The final amazing bodyweight basic I think you need to include as you rebuild is the Wall Hinge.

Too often when we do hip hinging movements like the deadlift, we let our lower backs take over and do all of the work instead of engaging our glutes like we should.

When we’re first rebuilding it’s key we learn to control that proper hip hinge to load our glutes and hamstrings so our lower back doesn’t end up overloaded and injured.

While you may find you quickly progress past this movement and either add loads to the hip hinge or move on to unilateral variations like the single leg deadlift, this is a great place to start to make sure you aren’t simply leaning or rounding over.

To do the Wall Hip Hinge, stand about 6 inches to a foot from the wall with your back to the wall and your feet about hip width apart.

You can cross your hands over your chest as you stand tall.

Focus on your entire foot pushing into the ground as you push your butt back toward the wall behind you.

Do not start this move by bending your knees to squat down. You are moving at the hips and then softening your knees in response to reach back.

Touch your butt to the wall and make sure to keep your back flat. Do not round toward the ground.

Then push the ground away with your feet to drive back up to standing.

Your torso will lean forward to keep you balanced as you sit back. Do not let your weight shift forward!

SUMMARY:

As you rebuild, always continue to assess how you feel with moves. Remember progress is never linear so at points you do want to step back.

We are NEVER above the basics and there is always more we can do to improve even these fundamental moves.

Slow and steady use these moves in your training to regress to progress and earn those harder variations and heavier loads!

Looking for help while rebuilding?

Check out my 3-Part RS Formula!

The Best Bodyweight Tricep Exercise (NO EQUIPMENT)

The Best Bodyweight Tricep Exercise (NO EQUIPMENT)

If you want to build muscle, you want to use a combination of compound and isolation movements in your workout routine, especially for any “stubborn” areas you really struggle to build.

Those isolation exercises can be key to create the additional stimulus we need to build muscle, especially in more advanced exercisers.

But what if you don’t have any equipment to use to help you target and challenge those areas?

How can you target muscles, like your triceps, without any tools?

Whether you’re training at home, while you travel or even if you simply want to mix up your workouts with some bodyweight moves, I want to share with you one of my favorite bodyweight exercises to target those triceps.

This exercise not only allows you to work each side independently, to correct any imbalances, but is also safer for your shoulders than traditional bench dips, which are often our go-to tricep isolation move.

While I don’t think we should just demonize dips off a bench, and there are definitely times I not only include them personally, but even with clients, I think it is also key we note their drawbacks.

When we know when and how to use a move correctly, we can not only get better results, but even avoid injury and overload.

With bench dips, if you’ve had shoulder aches and pains, this move may not be right for you especially.

While they can be a great way to target those triceps without any tools, as you can even do them off a coffee table or chair, they can put more strain on your shoulders due to the anterior humeral glide or the forward movement of your shoulder in the socket during the lower down.

That is why I love to use Tricep Push Ups as often as possible instead.

This movement is much safer for the shoulders and allows you to target each side independently to correct any imbalances between sides.

To do the Tricep Push Up, lie on your side with your legs out straight or bottom knee bent. If you bend both legs it will make it harder. 

Wrap your bottom arm up and around your so you can’t use this hand to assist. Place your top hand down on the ground at about shoulder height or right below.

The lower down toward your belly button you place your hand, the harder the move will be.

Then press the ground away with that hand on the ground, feeling your tricep work to push your upper body up and extend your elbow. Press up until your arm is extended and then lower back down to the ground.

Keep yourself on your side as you press and lower. Your chest may slightly rotate toward the ground as you press, but make sure you really focus on the back of your arm working.

Repeat, pressing up again until your arm is fully extended. Adjust your hand placement or your legs so you can press and stay under control.

Do not let your legs flop around and make sure to drive the movement with your tricep instead of just trying to use your obliques to bend to the side.

To modify this move you can push off a wall or incline, such as a bench, instead of pressing fully from the ground.

To advance the move you can also change up the tempo, slowing down tempo of the press ,even pausing briefly before touching back down to the ground.

SUMMARY:

The best muscle building results happen when we combine compound and isolation exercises together.

For a killer burner using both, try finishing your workout with a close grip push up and tricep push up compound set. Go back and forth between the two moves for 2-3 minutes, completing 5-10 reps of each back to back. If you find you can’t completely 5 reps solidly in a row, you’re done even if time isn’t up.

5 Bodyweight Exercises For A Full-Body Workout – Try these 2 Home Workouts!

5 Bodyweight Exercises For A Full-Body Workout – Try these 2 Home Workouts!

I love giving clients no excuse to skip their workouts. Even if you have very little space and just your own bodyweight, you can get in an amazing full body routine. 

Below are 5 moves that can be combined for a killer full-body workout and I’ll share a few ways to modify each to meet your current fitness level.

So even if you’re working out in your living room, you can build strength and muscle!

The key to challenging yourself with just your own bodyweight is using unilateral moves, a combination of both rotational and ANTI-rotational exercise, increasing the range of motion of basic exercises, creating hybrid exercises and even moving in every plane of motion.

And with these 5 moves, I’ll show you how to use all of those forms of progression!

5 Bodyweight Exercises To Use At Home:

Exercise #1: Airborne Lunge 

bodyweight leg exercise

Want a more glute-focused variation of the pistol squat? Or maybe something just a bit more accessible to use in your routine?

Then you’ll love the Airborne Lunge.

If you find the single leg deadlift easy and want to work your quads and hamstrings while targeting your glutes a bit more, this unilateral move is an amazing way to do just that. 

It’s also a great way to work through a full range of motion and, because it is a unilateral move, it adds in that balance challenge. Also, you now have to support all of your weight on one side, which increases the “load” you have to carry on both legs.

To do this move, you’ll stand on one leg with your other knee bent to pull your heel up toward your butt. Start by hinging at the hips. This isn’t a squat it is a hip hinge movement, so you will lean forward as you sit your butt back.

Then sink down dropping that other knee down toward the ground. Keep your heel pulled up toward your butt so you can’t push off that other foot as you touch your knee down.

Also, avoid reaching that other knee back too far. Focus on loading that standing glute and sinking to touch the knee down then driving back up through your standing heel. Squeeze your glute at the top and only touch the foot down if you need to balance.

To modify, you do not have to sink as low or you can hold on to a doorway or counter or stair rail. 

You could also take a cushion or pillow to give yourself something to lower down to and even do an eccentric only variation. Lowering down using this move, then touching your foot down to stand back up and reset.

And the single leg deadlift is always an option, with a slower tempo, if you do have knee pain with flexion.

To advance the Airborne Lunge, you can also use a slower tempo and even a pause at the bottom. 

Exercise #2: Row Push Ups

push up variation

If you want a push up variation that works not only your chest, shoulders and triceps but also your back, you need to try this hybrid push up variation – the Row Push Up.

This is also a great anti-rotational core move, which will target your obliques and improve your shoulder stability. You’ll even feel your GLUTES working to help you fight the urge to rotate as you row.

While tempting, it is key with this move that you don’t rush the row because you start to lose balance. And unlike the standard push up, where your feet will be together, you want to place your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart so you can really focus on fighting rotation. 

When you do this push up, fight to keep your body from rotating as you row your hand up toward your chest. And don’t just simply lift your hand, focus on feeling your back pull your hand up. This is a great way to work on that scapular movement as you stabilize in that plank position.

It will improve your shoulder and scapular stability.

For the full, advanced, variation, you’ll perform a push up in between each row. A great way to modify the movement to start is to first do a row on each side then a push up instead of a push up after each row.

If you can’t yet do a full push up, I recommend modifying off an incline or, if you don’t have an incline, you can do the move completely from your knees.

It’s even possible to do a hybrid of knees and feet, performing the push up on your knees then moving to your toes for the plank row.

To advance the move, play around with tempos, full hand release at the bottom or even do the same but different as a decline variation. 

But do not rush through the row thinking it is a simple hand lift.

Exercise #3: Side Lunge to Curtsy Lunge

side-to-curtsy-lunge

Improve your hip mobility and build leg strength through multiple planes of motion by combining the side lunge and curtsy lunge into a series. 

A great way to progress moves, and create a new challenge for your body, is to slightly alter the plane of motion you are working in and even combine moves so that you are working the same muscle groups but in different ways.

This lunge series is a great way to target not only your entire leg but specifically your glutes and adductors.

If you’re just starting out with this move, you may tap your foot down between reps  as you come center or not sink as deep in the lunge.

As you work to advance the lunge series, perform a bigger range of motion, lunging deeper, and avoid touching your foot down between lunges. This forces you to perform a more powerful push out of each lunge to work your legs while also forcing your core to work to keep you balanced.

If you find you have to do a stutter step to push back up and center, you’ve performed too big a range of motion for your current fitness level.

To advance the move, you could slow down the tempo or add in a pulse to each lunge. You can even combine other lunges into the series or find ways to increase the range of motion even using a stair!

If you struggle to properly load your glutes during these moves, touching your hand back toward your heel in the side lunge or using a slight hip hinge, leaning forward to sit your butt back, can help.

Also watch that you don’t rotate open with the curtsy lunge but instead really focus on crossing your leg behind.

If you have knee pain you can reduce the active knee flexion even doing taps from more of a skater squat position. 

Exercise #4: Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge

great core exercises

This is a killer rotational core move that will work everything down your frontside AND your backside while improving your shoulder stability!

Glutes, abs, obliques, quads, arms, back…it’s all working! This move does require more shoulder stability though to start so please implement it slowly if you’ve had previous shoulder injuries!

To do this move, start in the plank position and pull one knee across toward the opposite elbow. Really think about pulling that knee in with your abs and not just flexing at your hips. Think about rotating your entire torso to engage your core.

Then, as you extend your leg back out, rotate open toward the ceiling to actually kick that leg behind you so you will place that foot flat on the ground. You will keep that knee bent, almost as if doing a donkey kick as you rotate open.

As you rotate, you’ll place the foot of the bent knee down on the ground and really engage your glutes to move into a Turkish Bridge position. Squeeze your glutes to drive your hips up. Make sure to engage your back to support your shoulder as you reach your other hand up toward the ceiling. Focus on keeping that shoulder over your hand.

If you let your hand sneak out beyond your shoulder, it can place more strain on your shoulder and neck.

Pause for a second, squeezing your glutes, then bring that leg back across as your rotate closed to drive your knee back in toward your elbow.

To modify, you can do this off an incline or you can perform it from more of a bulldog, tabletop bridge position.

Exercise #5: Leg Lowers Plus 

leg lowers plus

This is an advanced core move that works your abs in a stabilizing fashion (as you lift and lower your legs), but also through spinal flexion because of that bonus lift at the top.

It is a very advanced variation of the pelvic tilt progression so if you can’t perform the basic straight leg lowers without your hands behind your lower back, you haven’t YET earned this move.

You will want to start with bent knees and perform a bent knee curl at the top.

The key with this exercise is to engage your core to brace and protect your lower back as you lower your legs down. You will do this by posteriorly tilting your pelvic and pressing your lower back into the ground

When you lower your legs toward the ground, flex your glutes even at the bottom. 

Lift your legs back up toward the ceiling and then, as if they are attached by a string, press them straight up toward the ceiling flexing your spine to lift your butt up.

Do not swing or use moment to lift as much as you can avoid it. I know it’s tempting to get a bigger range of motion since the lift can feel really small.

You can have your hands on the ground beside you and even push down into the ground to help you better engage your abs for that little plus lift at the top.

Or you can have your hands behind your head and even lift your head up to work your core more.

If you feel your lower back with basic leg lowers, keep your knees bent as you lower and curl in. And think about curling your knees in toward your head for the plus. Move slowly so that you aren’t using momentum!

2 Full-Body Bodyweight Home Workouts:

Not only can we slightly tweak moves to match our needs and goals, but we can also adjust our IMPLEMENTATION of the same basic moves.

Below are two different ways to use these moves to build full-body strength. One is interval based while the other is a rep ladder. Both will help you increase your training density to build strength using just your own bodyweight!

WORKOUT #1: The Bodyweight Strength Ladder

Start with 10 reps of each move (or per side) on the first round through the circuit. The next round through, perform 9 reps. Then 8,7,6…until you perform one rep on the final round. Rest only as needed. As the reps go down, progress movements as needed so they are still challenging. Time how long it takes you to beat that time next time through!

CIRCUIT:
10-1 rep per side Airborne Lunges
10-1 rep per side Row Push Ups
10-1 rep per side Side to Curtsy Lunge
10-1 rep per side Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge
10-1 rep Leg Lowers Plus

WORKOUT #2: The One-Minute Max Out

Set a timer for 1 minute intervals of work and complete each move back to back without resting. Perform as many reps of each move as you can in that time and record how many you do each round to try and beat it. Rest for 1 minute between rounds. Complete 3-5 rounds through. Beginners can start with just 30 seconds per move.

CIRCUIT:
1 minute Airborne Lunges
1 minute Row Push Ups
1 minute Side to Curtsy Lunge
1 minute Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge
1 minute Leg Lowers Plus
1 minute Rest

Want more amazing workouts you can do anywhere? Check out my Dynamic Strength Program!

At-Home Bodyweight Workout: The 20s Chest And Legs Trisets

At-Home Bodyweight Workout: The 20s Chest And Legs Trisets

Just because you can’t make it to the gym doesn’t mean you have an excuse to skip your workout!

When you don’t have access to equipment, you can still get amazing results using just your own bodyweight.

By shortening rest, increasing volume slightly and by using different tempos and hybrid movements, you can challenge yourself without any tools in a very small space.

So if you can’t hit the gym, you can stay on track with this 20s Triset Blast to torch your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs and legs!

The 20s Chest And Legs Trisets

QUICK WARM UP OPTION:
Complete 1 round through the quick stretching flow below as well as 1-2 rounds of the activation.
STRETCHING:
5-10 reps per side Inchworm Flow
ACTIVATION:
10-15 reps Tabletop Bridge
10-15 reps Downward Dog Scapular Presses
8-12 reps per side Bulldog Shoulder Taps

WORKOUT:
Complete 3 rounds of each triset, resting only as needed. After you complete all 3 rounds on a triset, quickly move to the next series. Time how long it takes you to complete everything and try to beat that time next week! For any unilateral or one-sided move like the Lunges or Tricep Push Ups, you can complete 10 reps per side if you’re a beginner to intermediate exerciser. If you’re more advanced and have been working out consistently, you can work up to 20 per side!

TRISET #1:
20 reps Squat with Pulse
20 reps Forward to Backward Lunge
20 reps Bulldog Ins and Outs
TRISET #2:
20 reps Wide Grip Push Ups
20 reps Tricep Push Ups
20 reps Plank Hip Dips
TRISET #3:
20 reps Sumo Squat to Calf Raise
20 reps Push Up Toe Touch
20 reps Tabletop Dip Toe Touch

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Squat with Pulse:

squat with pulse

To do the Squat with Pulse, start standing tall with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Sit your butt back and down, squatting through a full range of motion. Keep your chest up and don’t round over.

Sink down to about parallel while keeping your heels down. You may go slightly below parallel but don’t make this the deepest squat you’ve ever done. From the bottom of your squat, pulse up a few inches then sink quickly back down.

While you don’t want to bounce, this is a very quickly little pulse a few inches up and then back down.

 Then drive back up to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top before repeating the squat with a pulse at the bottom.

Forward to Backward Lunge:

front to back lunge

To do the Forward to Backward Lunge, start standing tall with your feet together. Then lunge forward on one side. Bend your knees as you sink down as if lowering to half kneel on the ground. Try to get your front knee bent to about 90 degrees, sitting back in your heel. Drop your back knee down toward the ground as you keep your chest up.

Then drive back through your front heel to come back up to standing. You can tap your toe down center if needed or move right into the backward lunge.

Step back with the same leg you lunged forward with and sink into a backward lunge. Keep your chest up as you sit back in your front heel and drop your back knee down toward the ground. Then drive back up to standing, driving through your front heel.

Repeat, moving right back into the forward lunge on the same side.

Bulldog Ins and Outs:

bulldog bodyweight core move

To do Bulldog Ins and Outs, set up on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and hands under your shoulders. Flex your feet and lift up onto your hands and the balls of your feet. 

Holding this bulldog position, jump your feet out wider so that your legs move open while your knees still stay about under your hips. Don’t let your legs straighten out as you jump out wide.

Then jump your feet back in and even closer together than where you started. You can jump them all the way together even and then jump back out.

Keep jumping your feet in and out as you keep your butt down and stay in that bulldog position.

To modify the move, step one foot out wide and then the other before stepping both back in and together.

Wide Grip Push Ups:

To do the Wide Grip Push Up, set up in the high plank position with your hands out wider at chest height. A great way to figure out a width to start with is to make your hands into fists and place your knuckles together. Lean forward and lay your arms on the ground with your knuckles together. Your elbows will be pointing out and, right at the end of each elbow, you will place your hands. Make sure your hands are at chest height and not way up by your head.

Then in the high plank position with your feet close together and your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels, lower your chest down to the ground. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air. Make sure your entire body moves as one unit.

Lower all the way down then press back up with your body moving as one unit. Full straighten your arms out at the top and repeat, lowering back down. Try to keep your entire palm firmly on the ground as you press and lower.

Beginners can do the Wide Grip Push Up from their knees or off an incline.

Tricep Push Ups:

To do Tricep Push Ups, lie on your side with your legs out straight or bottom knee bent. If you bend both legs it will make it harder. Wrap your bottom arm up and place your hand on your opposite shoulder or around your ribs. Place your top hand down on the ground at about shoulder height or right below. The more you place the hand down toward your belly button, the harder the move will be.

Then press the ground away with that hand on the ground, feeling your tricep work to push your upper body up. Press up until your arm is extended and lower back down to the ground. Keep yourself on your side as you press and lower. Your chest may slightly rotate toward the ground as you press, but make sure you really focus on the back of your arm working.

Repeat, pressing up again until your arm is fully extended. Adjust your hand placement or your legs so you can press and stay under control. Also, engage your abs so your legs aren’t flopping around as you lift. You want to keep your legs down or regress the move to make sure that you can.

Plank Hip Dips:

To do the Plank Hip Dips, set up on your forearms and either your knees (beginner) or toes (advanced). Your elbows should be under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels or knees. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight with your belly button drawn in toward your spine. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up toward the ceiling.

Then rotate, dropping your hips toward one side. Try to touch the ground as you rotate without your hips sagging or butt going up in the air. Also, do not let your elbows come up off the ground.

Come back center then drop your hip to the other side. Alternate hip touches until all reps are complete.

You will feel everything twisting even down to your feet or knees. Do not let yourself go all the way over. Make sure to control the twists and just touch the hip down before twisting to the other side.

Sumo Squat to Calf Raise:

To do the Sumo Squat to Calf Raise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Turn your toes out slightly. Keeping your chest up, sink down in a squat. Sit your butt back and keep your chest up. Make sure your knees stay in line with your hips and ankles. Do not let your knees cave in.

If your knees cave in, adjust your stance, bringing your feet closer together. Then drive back up to standing and squeeze your butt.

As you fully stand, push off the balls of your feet to raise your heels off the ground and perform the calf raise. Keep your toes slightly pointed out and make sure to push off the entire ball of your foot.

Lower your heels back down to the ground and repeat the sumo squat.

Push Up Toe Touch:

To do the Push Up Toe Touch, set up in the plank position on your feet and hands with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about shoulder-width apart. Putting your feet closer together can make it harder to balance and force your core to work harder. Your body should be in a nice straight line.

Then from this plank position, reach one hand back toward the opposite ankle. As you reach back, push your butt up in the air. Reach back toward the opposite ankle and then move back into the plank position, placing your hand back down on the ground.

Perform a push up, dropping your chest toward the ground with your body moving as one unit. Press back up and then reach the other hand back toward the opposite ankle.

Push your butt up into the air every time you reach back, but make sure to come back forward into the plank position before performing the push up.

Tabletop Dip Toe Touch:

To do the Tabletop Dip to Toe Touch, start with your butt on the ground and then place your hands behind you as you bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground.

Then lift your butt up off the ground. Perform a little dip, bending your elbows as you touch your butt back down to the ground.

Then lift up, bridging your hips up a bit, as you kick your leg up and reach your opposite hand to touch your toe. Place your hand and foot back down, then repeat the dip and then kick the other leg up and reach your other hand to touch your toe.

Move quickly without rushing so much that you don’t stay balanced. Also, make sure to perform a little dip after each toe touch, bending your elbows slightly to touch your butt down.

4 Full-Body HIIT Workouts – No Equipment Needed!

4 Full-Body HIIT Workouts – No Equipment Needed!

Looking for a calorie-torching HIIT workout you can do anywhere, no equipment needed? Then you’ll love these 4 Full-Body HIIT Workouts using just your own bodyweight!

Whether you have 5 minutes or 30 minutes, these high intensity interval workouts have you covered!

So whether you need a quick option to do at home on a busy day, or a way to burn fat while you travel, you have 4 killer workout options below!

4 Bodyweight HIIT Workouts 

You’ll find each workout in the videos at the times below. And for quick reference, I’ve written out the workouts below as well! 

1. The 30 Minute 30s Blast! (0:10)
2. The 5-Minute Full-Body Cardio Burner (3:34)
3. The 10-Minute Cardio Pyramid (4:32)
4. The 30/15 Full-Body Blast (6:54) 

The 30 Minute 30s Blast! 

Complete 4 rounds through each circuit, moving from exercise to exercise without resting. Bring your heart rate down between rounds with the active rest movement. If needed, fully rest during that time instead of performing the exercise. Or perform a modified variation that allows you to recover. Rest 1-2 minutes after completing all rounds of a circuit before moving on to the next one. 

CIRCUIT #1:
30 seconds Double Lunge Burpee
30 seconds Push Up Scorpions
30 seconds Squat Cross Jacks
30 seconds Elbow Bicycles
30 seconds Rotational Skiers Hops “Active Rest” 

CIRCUIT #2:
30 seconds Sumo Squat Jumps
30 seconds Criss Cross Push Up Hop
30 seconds Low Side To Side Lunges
30 seconds Lateral Crawl Shoulder Tap
30 seconds Two-Way March “Active Rest” 

CIRCUIT #3:
30 seconds Double Hop Burpee
30 seconds Climber Push Up Rolls
30 seconds Lateral Hops
30 seconds C-Sit Rotational Knees
30 seconds Fighter Practice “Active Rest” 

The 5-Minute Full-Body Cardio Burner 

Set a timer for 20 second intervals of work and move from exercise to exercise without resting. Complete 3 rounds through. 

CIRCUIT:
20 seconds per side Curtsy To Skip
20 seconds Downward Dog To Knee Tuck Push Up
20 seconds In and Out Squats
20 seconds Rotational Row Sit Up 

The 10-Minute Cardio Pyramid 

Set a timer for 30 second intervals of work and move from exercise to exercise without resting. You will go through the exercises to the “active rest” then go backward through the moves. If needed, fully rest during the 30 seconds of active rest. 

PYRAMID:
30 seconds Double Hop Burpee
30 seconds Criss Cross Push Up Hop
30 seconds Squat Cross Jacks
30 seconds Lateral Crawl Shoulder Tap
30 seconds C-Sit Rotational Knees
30 seconds Lateral Hops
30 seconds Climber Push Up Rolls
30 seconds Rotational Row Sit Up
30 seconds Sumo Squat Jumps
30 seconds Two-Way March “Active Rest”
30 seconds Sumo Squat Jumps
30 seconds Rotational Row Sit Up
30 seconds Climber Push Up Rolls
30 seconds Lateral Hops
30 seconds C-Sit Rotational Knees
30 seconds Lateral Crawl Shoulder Tap
30 seconds Squat Cross Jacks
30 seconds Criss Cross Push Up Hop
30 seconds Double Hop Burpee 

The 30/15 Full-Body Blast 

Set a timer for 30 second intervals of work with 15 seconds to transition between moves. Complete 4-6 rounds through. Rest an additional 45 seconds between rounds if needed otherwise only rest the 15 seconds between moves!

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Double Lunge Burpee
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Push Up Scorpions
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds In and Out Squats
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Lateral Crawl Shoulder Tap
15 seconds Rest
30 seconds Elbow Bicycles
15 seconds Rest