One of the biggest short comings to working out at home, is many of us (myself included!) struggle at times to get the heart rate properly elevated. The bottom line is, it is difficult to get a challenging workout in when you’re out of your ‘element.’ Therefore, unless you have a piece of cardio equipment at home, there’s a decent chance you’re not able to get your heart rate to a level that would constitute true cardiovascular work.
With most of our other daily activities grinding to a halt, it is essential to still have a cardio component to your home-workouts in order to keep the Quarantine weight gain to a minimum. Below I’m going to outline 8 exercises- that are all body weight- and when done to maximum effort, in the combinations I present, will get you feeling like you just did a series of sprints. In order to get the most out of this workout, I would still recommend you downloading a timer app (as I’ve stated previously, my preference is simply the ‘Tabata’ APP).
****Not all of these exercises will be right for everybody. There is a plyometric component that may cause joint discomfort to some. IF you feel any discomfort, immediately regress to the basic strength move- in other words, take the jump or plyometric component out of the move. ****
Parameters:
- Repeat Sequence for 3 – 6 Rounds
- Work Time: 20 – 40 seconds (begin with 20, and build up from there)
- Rest Time: 10 – 20 seconds (always keep the 2:1 work to rest ratio)
- Rest Between Rounds: 45 – 90 seconds
Exercises:
Ice Skaters
Pushup- Position Spiders
Squat Jumps
Push-up Position Toe to Opposite Hand
Split Squat Jumps (Left side only)
Push-up Position Knee to Opposite Elbow
Split Squat Jumps (Right side only)
Bear Crawls (6 steps up & back)
PRO Tips
FIRST and foremost, before you dive headfirst into this workout, make sure you check out my blog from earlier this week to get a nice warm up in. (Click here to view that) Many of these moves are challenging on the hips, adductors and shoulders, so it is imperative you are properly warmed up to avoid injury.
Second, don’t be afraid to play with the tempo of these exercises. For example, cut the set in half and change the tempo for the second half of the set. If your set is 30 seconds long, do the first 15 seconds of reps at a slower tempo, then the second 15 seconds as hard as you possibly can- to the point that you can’t possibly do one more rep when the time is up. This method will allow you to train both your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems- similar to sprint intervals with jogs in between.
Third, the exercises are laid out in a way that you can go through the rounds in a “snake style” exercise order. In other words, Round 1 you’d start with Ice Skaters and end with Bear Crawls. Then Round 2, you’d start with Bear Crawls and end with Ice Skaters. With Round 3 beginning with Ice Skaters and finishing with Bear Crawls, etc. etc. This is a great way to break up the monotony of 5 or 6 rounds. It’ll also getting you “feeling” exercises a little different by doing the combinations backwards.
My final piece of advice during these tumultuous times in our society is to get outside and do this workout if you can! I went through this exact workout in the exact location I filmed it, and man did it feel good to be moving around outside!! I understand that not everyone has a yard with proper separation from others, however, even a porch would be great. Try to fill your lungs with some fresh air, and it will do wonders for you mentally as well as physically!
Stay safe and stay tuned for more free workouts coming this week!
Yours in Fitness and Health,
TC
Your Final Reward Will Be Heartache and Tears, If You’ve Cheated the Guy in the Glass.
