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
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
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
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
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
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
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:
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:
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:
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.
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 #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
Getting in a killer cardio workout doesn’t have to mean using a piece of cardio equipment.
You don’t need a treadmill or a bike or to spend hours running to improve your cardiovascular health and conditioning while blasting fat to help with your weight loss efforts!
So if you’re short on time and need a workout you can do ANYWHERE, these 10 moves can help you out!
Whether you pick 4-6 and do 30 seconds of work with 15 seconds of rest or even do a 20/20/20 set up, you can get in a killer workout no matter where you are in just under 30 minutes!
Need some killer cardio workouts using these moves?
This move will get your blood pumping as it sets your legs, lungs and, even your core, on fire!
This hybrid move combining Snow Board Hops with Plank Skiers is a great full body movement that’s a “fun” spin on that traditional burpee.
To do Snowboard Hop Skiers, start with your feet in a slightly staggered stance and your back foot out in front of your front foot. Look forward over that front leg and then squat down to place your front hand down on the ground by your toe. Do not simply round over to place your hand on the ground. Squat down. Do not touch the ground if that means rounding over with your butt up.
Then jump up and rotate, switching to land in the slightly staggered stance on the other side. Sink down then reach your hands down to jump back into a high plank position from your feet and hands with your hands under your shoulders and feet close together.
Holding the plank, jump your feet up and in toward one side, bringing your knees as close to the outside of your elbow as possible.
Jump back into the high plank position center then jump your feet up to the other side, again bringing your knees as close to the outside of that elbow as possible. You want to feel your core rotate to tuck your knees up to the outside.
Jump back center then jump up and in to come into that snowboard squat position.
Lift your hands up and jump back to that first side before jumping back again to repeat the plank and skier hops to each side.
You can include just two snowboard hops and always jump back on the same side if you alternate which side you start with and have an even number of rounds. Or you can include 3 snowboard hops even so you are alternating sides you jump back for the skier hops on.
Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks:
This killer burpee twist will work your legs, especially your quads, as well as your abs and shoulders. It is a high impact movement, that requires proper landing mechanics.
So if you have knee pain or need to reduce impact, sub in a bodyweight squat for the tuck jump and step back and in instead of jumping for the plank tucks.
To do Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks, start standing tall before sinking to place your hands on the ground and jump your feet back into a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet a few inches apart.
Brace your abs and don’t let your hips sag as you jump both feet in to bring your knees close to your elbows. Try to jump in so your knees are at least under your hips if not closer in. Use your abs to try to get them just a few inches from your elbows.
Do not jump in so much that you sit back on your heels.
Then jump back out into the high plank position. Do not let your butt go up in the air and keep your hands under your shoulders.
From the high plank position, jump your feet all the way up to come back up to standing. As you come up to standing, swing your arms back and jump up, tucking your knees up toward your chest.
Land with your knees soft and then sink back down to move back into that high plank position before tucking your knees in again.
Beginners can do a squat jump or bodyweight squat instead of the tuck jump. They can also step back into the plank position and step one knee in at a time. And then extend one leg back out at a time to keep the move lower impact. You can also modify the plank and tuck by placing your hands up on a bench after the bodyweight squat if you can’t get down to the ground.
Squat Double Lunge:
Can you say jello legs?!
This hybrid leg exercise will get your blood pumping and really target your legs. (It will also challenge your coordination a bit, which is never a bad thing!)
To do the Squat Double Lunge, start standing with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Sink down into a squat, sitting back as you sink to about parallel to the ground. Keep your chest up and your heels down.
Jump up out of the squat and, as you come to land, sink into a lunge with one foot forward and the other foot back. Make sure your front heel is down and all of your weight isn’t in that front leg.
Drop your back knee down toward the ground as you bend that front knee to about 90 degrees then explode up and switch legs, landing in a lunge on the other side.
Again sink into that deep lunge and jump up, bringing both feet back to parallel to sink into a squat.
Make sure that as you land with each move, you bend your knees and don’t land with your legs locked out.
Each time you will perform the squat then a lunge to each side. You can alternate which side you lunge with first.
Beginners may step instead of jumping and may not perform as big a range of motion. You may also step and do a straighter leg lunge if you need to reduce knee flexion.
Squat Twists:
Work your legs and your core with this squat to twist movement.
The squat jumps will get your blood pumping and legs working, while the twist is a great move for your core, especially your obliques!
To do Squat Twists, start standing with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Sink into a squat to about parallel to the ground, keeping your heels down and chest up. Really sit your butt down and back.
Then jump up out of the squat and, as you leave the ground, rotate your hips to pivot your lower body and feet toward the right or left. Land on the balls of your feet with your hips angled toward one side but your chest still fighting to face forward. Swing your arms to the opposite side you’ve rotated your feet to.
Land quickly on the balls of your feet and push off to move back into the squat facing forward. Bend your knees as you land and quickly sink to then jump back up and rotate your hips the other way. Feel your core working to twist.
Beginners may not sink as low in the squat and may stand up out of the squat, stepping with just one leg in front to twist their hips, touching that toe to the ground before stepping back to sink back down.
Corn Cob Push Ups:
Not every cardio move we do has to be high impact.
And by mixing up the areas we work over a cardio circuit, we can allow ourselves to recover while not having to fully rest.
So if you did a Squat Double Lunge, you could then “rest” your legs by doing a Corn Cob Push Up to work your chest, shoulders, triceps and core.
This way you’re still getting work done and even keeping your blood pumping while allowing different areas to recover.
To do Corn Cob Push Ups, set up in the high plank position with your feet together. Your hands should be just outside your chest or maybe slightly wider.
With your body in a nice straight line, lower your chest to the ground. Holding just hovering over the ground, shift your weight to one side. Then shift back center. Then shift your weight to the other side.
Come back center and then press back up. Make sure your body is in a nice straight line the entire time.
Beginners can do this from their knees or off an incline. Make sure as you move at the bottom that your butt doesn’t go up in the air.
Push Back Push Up:
This push up variation is a great one to include in your cardio workouts as it will not only work your upper body, but also really challenge your core while getting your blood pumping!
However, it is a very challenging variation when done from your toes. So make sure to modify off an incline or from your knees to prevent neck, shoulder or even lower back aches and pains if needed.
To do the Push Back Push Up, set up in the high plank position with your feet about hip-width apart or slightly closer together and your hands just outside your chest. Beginners can also do this from their knees.
Then from this plank position sit your butt back toward your heels as if doing a child’s pose without your knees on the ground. Beginners can actually do child’s pose, sitting back with their knees down.
As you come back forward stay as close to the ground as possible. You are shooting forward into the bottom of the push up. You want to think about skimming forward with your body just off the ground.
Once you’re in a nice straight line at the bottom of a push up, press up to the high plank position then sit back again to repeat.
Do not let your elbows flare way up above your shoulders as you come forward or push up. You want your upper arms to create more of an arrow shape with your body or even stay in slightly closer to your sides.
Beginners can do this all from their knees. To make this move a little less advanced from the toes, you can reverse the move.
Instead go from the high plank to the bottom of the push up then from the bottom of the push up sit your butt back onto your heels. You will then come back forward into the high plank position to repeat. This makes the movement a little easier on your upper body, but far from easy!
If the knee version is too easy but the others from the feet are too much, try placing your hands up on a low incline!
Plank Skater Hops:
Cardio and core all in one move.
This hybrid plank is a great way to challenge your shoulders, abs, obliques and quads while setting those lungs on fire hehe
(It’s always great when we can also include a diversity of movements that get us moving in every direction too!)
To do Plank Skater Hops, start in a bulldog position from your hands and toes with your knees bent to about 90 degrees and feet together behind you. Straighten one leg out to the side and slight back, touching the toe down. You may even slightly shift the other foot more center under your body as you reach the straight leg out to the side.
Then hop that straight leg back in, bending it as you do, as you hop the other leg out laterally. You will almost be shuffling back and forth laterally while in the plank position. Keep your hands under your shoulders as you do. Your butt shouldn’t be way up in the air as you shuffle/hop side to side. You may “bounce” but your butt shouldn’t be up in the air.
Beginners may do less of a hop and move more slowly while advanced exercisers should hop quickly side to side. Remember to keep one knee bent under your body as the other leg goes out to the side. The straight leg will be out to the side and slightly back as you hop back and forth.
Single Arm Plank Jacks:
Work on your anti-rotational core strength, and even your coordination, with this plank jack variation! This is most definitely an advanced movement so you may either need to slow it down to start or stick with the basic plank jack.
But this move is a great way to challenge your shoulder stability while really targeting those obliques, quads, glutes and even your inner thighs!
To do Single Arm Plank Jacks, set up in a high plank position with your hands a bit closer together under your shoulders and your feet together. Brace your abs and make sure your body is in a nice straight line.
Then jump your feet out wide, and as you do, lift one hand to touch your opposite shoulder. Resist the urge to really rotate as you lift the hand or let your butt go up in the air. Try to keep your hips down and your core as square to the ground as possible.
Jump your feet back together and place the hand back down. When you quickly jump your feet out again, this time lift the other hand to touch your opposite shoulder.
Jump quickly back in and lower the hand back down. Keep repeating the jack with your feet, alternating which hand you lift to tap your shoulder.
Run, Punch, Banana:
Just like I like to include push ups so that you can allow areas to recover while still putting in work, I also love including more isolated core movements in my cardio workouts.
Not only can these moves help you build a lean, strong core, but they can also help you lower the intensity for an interval to more fully recover WITHOUT actually having to fully rest.
Sometimes it’s not just cycling the areas you’re working but actually about cycling the intensity of the movements you include!
This is a great way to get more out of less time!
To do Run, Punch, Banana, start lying on your back with your legs out straight and arms reaching back overhead. Lift your shoulder blades and legs off the ground, bracing your abs and engaging your glutes. You can think about pressing your lower back down into the ground to help engage your abs. Your head should be in line with your arms overhead. Do not tuck your chin. This position is the banana.
Then roll to one side. Do not roll all the way over, but just angled onto your side to feel your obliques work. Do not touch your hands or legs down.
Roll back center then sit up, drawing one knee in as you punch the opposite hand out toward your feet. Keep the other leg out straight on the ground as you bring your other hand in at your chest.
Straighten that leg back out as you bring your hand back in toward your chest. You will want to tuck the other knee in and punch the other hand out to switch sides at the same time. (So as one leg is straightening out the other is tucking in so that you can run and punch quickly.)
After performing a knee tuck and punch to each side, straighten both legs out and reach both hands back overhead to lower back down into the banana position.
Roll onto your other side once you’ve lowered down then come back into the banana position and repeat the punch and run sitting up.
Beginners can keep their legs up higher toward the ceiling in banana and perform more of a crunch instead of sitting all the way up to run. They can even touch the toe of the opposite leg from the one they are tucking in down to the ground to reduce the strain on their abs so their lower back doesn’t take over.
If you feel your lower back engaging during this move, it is key you modify so you can feel your abs working!
C-Sit With Rotational Chops:
This is another great core-intensive move that, while working your abs, hip flexors and quads, will allow your heart rate to come down and your body to recover a bit for the next intense bout.
This can be a more challenging move if you struggle to prevent your lower back from engaging so make sure to really get that c curve as you sit back. Do not arch! If you feel your lower back engaging, you need to modify.
To do C-Sit Rotational Chops, sit on the ground with your knees bent and heels on the ground. Then hinge back, rounding your back almost as if you are slouching or creating a “c” shape with your back. Engage your abs. Reach both arms out in front of you at about chest height.
Then twist to reach one hand back toward the ground behind you as you kick the leg on that side up toward the ceiling and reach your other hand toward the outside of that foot. You will reach the opposite hand toward the opposite foot as you rotate.
Open your chest up as much as possible and actually twist through your spine don’t just try to reach further from your shoulder.
Then lower the foot back down as you rotate and reach the other way, kicking the other leg up as you reach toward that foot and then also back toward the ground behind you.
Move at a controlled pace as you really reach both back toward the ground behind you and toward your foot. Feel around your rib cage as well as your abs and quads working.
Need some killer cardio workouts using these moves?
Split Squat Jumps are a great cardio and leg exercise, but also a very challenging movement, requiring strength and balance.
Plus, if you struggle to properly load your glutes during a basic lunge, and tend to put too much strain on your knees, you’re going to struggle to control your recruitment patterns even more as you speed this move up and actually jump up off the ground.
With jumping lunges of any kind, one of the first modifications to try is to reduce the impact.
Start with a smaller jump or even a skip to switch instead of a big jump where both feet leave the ground at the same time.
You can even slow them down, doing a pulse in each lunge to work your legs while reducing the impact and giving you an extra second to stabilize.
If flexion is an issue, you can try not sinking as low and instead do a slight bit more of a hip hinge on the lunge with a straight back leg.
You can also step back instead of jumping or do a skater squat with backward tap.
While stepping back you can use more or less flexion as needed, the skater squat will completely eliminate active flexion as you’ll stay in that high hinged squat and simply touch back.
You can also reduce impact and even make the step back lunge a bit more challenging by adding in sliders!
If you move quickly, all of these can really get your blood pumping!
Another option is to completely swap moves and instead do a kettlebell swing or speed hip hinge if you have knee issues making lunges contraindicated.
These are posterior chain focused leg moves that will get your blood pumping.
While you always want to start by modifying with as similar a movement pattern as possible, both of these two moves are still lower body focused and will get your blood pumping even if they aren’t lunges!
The key is to modify and stay true to what you want to work and get out of the workout!
Want more ways to modify common cardio moves? Want some great cardio workouts to help you burn fat and build strength?
