WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats
WORKOUT
Do 3-5 rounds of the circuit below. Do as many reps of each exercise as you can in 30 seconds.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Partner Get Ups
30 seconds per side Partner Pulls
30 seconds per side Partner Pushes
30 seconds Partner Crawl and Jump
30 seconds each Partner Hamstring Curls
30 seconds each Partner Leg Throws
COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Groin
Hips/Glutes
Chest/Shoulders/Traps
Back/Lats
NOTES:
Do as much work as you can in the 30 seconds. This workout is best done with partners of about an equal height/weight and exercise level.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Partner Get Ups – Stand facing your partner with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Your feet can be slightly staggered if you want. Grab hands so that you are holding right to right or left to left. One partner will then sit down on the ground and roll back onto their back. Without using their other hand, they will roll up and drive through their heels to come to a standing position. The other partner will have to move forward with them (aka lean forward a bit) as they roll back so that they can help “pull” them back up to standing. Once the partner is standing, the other partner will roll back and then plant their feet and come back to standing. Keep alternating partners for the allotted amount of time and then switch to the other hand and repeat.
Partner Pulls – Grab your partner’s hand and step the opposite foot forward into a strong staggered stance facing your partner. Your goal is to keep tension the entire time you are doing this move. You want to make each other really work for every inch of movement. However, you do not want to resist so hard that the other person can’t move. There should be slow and steady movement back and forth. To do this move, set up and then one person should pull toward their armpit while the other slowly allows their arm to extend, resisting the pull. As soon as the partner is fully extended, they should start pulling back toward their armpit while the other person resists. A slight rotation as you pull is fine, but you shouldn’t rotate a lot. Also do not round the shoulders or really lean back. Keep a nice tall posture and a slight leg bend. Make sure your shoulders do not shrug as you pull.
Partner Pushes – Place your hand palm to palm with your partner’s and step the opposite forward into a strong staggered stance facing your partner. Your goal is to keep tension the entire time you are doing this move. You want to make each other really work for every inch of movement. However, you do not want to resist so hard that the other person can’t move. There should be slow and steady movement back and forth. To do this move, set up and then one person should push toward their partner, slowly extending their arm. The other partner should push back so that the partner pushing has to work for every inch. As soon as the partner is fully extended, the other partner will push them back to the starting position. Do not round the shoulders or really lean back as you push. Keep a nice tall posture and a slight leg bend. Make sure your shoulders do not shrug as you push.
Partner Crawl and Jump – Have one person set up in sort of a pike/downward dog position. They should have their butt up in the air a bit to give their partner plenty of room to crawl under. The other partner will crawl under. To make the crawl easier, have your knees on the ground. To make it harder, try not to allow your knees to touch the ground while still managing to crawl under your partner. Once you crawl under, your partner will drop to the ground (like at the bottom of a push up) so that you can jump over. To make the drop harder, hold at the bottom of a push up just a few inches off the ground. To make it a bit easier, just rest on the ground. Hop laterally over your partner. Try to hop with both feet together, however, you can jump forward or hop one foot at a time if you are just beginning. Once you’ve jumped over, drop to the ground and set up so that the partner on the ground can crawl under and then jump over. Keep alternating crawls and plank holds.
Partner Hamstring Curls – One partner should kneel on a mat or slightly cushioned flooring and flex their feet. The other partner will kneel behind them. The partner behind will grab the ankles of the front partner and really hold them into the ground. The back partner is the anchor that helps the other partner curl back up. The harder the back partner presses into the ground, the more assistance they give the front partner. The front partner will then slowly fall forward toward the ground with their hands outside their chest to catch them once they hit the ground. Go as slowly toward the ground as you can to really work your hamstrings. Basically all that should be happening is that the front partner is straightening at the knees as they go over. Their body should stay in a nice straight line. Once the front partner hits the ground, they will then press themselves back with their hands only as much as needed and PULL themselves back up with their hamstrings. They should keep their body in a straight line. If their butt starts to go back first, they didn’t push up enough with their arms. This move (especially the curling back up part) is very advanced. Beginners may want to start with a wall in front of them. Control your decent toward the wall. Truly go as slowly as possible. Once you hit the wall, press yourself away, trying to curl yourself back up as much as possible with your hamstrings. Repeat all reps and then the other partner goes.
Partner Leg Throws – One partner will lie on their back on the ground. The other partner will stand right behind their head. The partner on the ground will reach overhead and grab the standing partner’s ankles. The partner on the ground will then lift their legs straight up and bring them back to the partner behind them. The back partner will then “throw” the other partner’s legs toward the ground. They can throw them straight ahead or angled to one side or the other. Mix it up and make them react to the throw. Try not to let your feet hit the ground when your legs are thrown. You want to control their decent and stop them just short of hitting. This is an advanced move. Beginners may want to start with a more basic move like a pelvic tilt with marching to make sure their abs are engaged to protect their low backs before trying a partner leg throw or even straight leg lowers.
