It's time to challenge your body. Cardio doesn't need to be done
on a treadmill, bike, or in an aerobics room with some
super-caffeinated girly-girl yelling at you to pedal a Spinning
bike 390 r.p.m.
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Maybe you've already gotten the interval cardio thing figured
out, but you're still using a bike or a treadmill to get your heart
rate up. Even those workouts can get really boring, really fast.
It's time to change things up!
Here's a bodyweight circuit that won't put too much demand on
your muscles, but will get your heart rate cranked up while
challenging your body like nothing you've done
before.
This workout should be done on days when you're not doing
strength training, but this shouldn't take the place of it. It should, however, take the place of your plain, old cardio
workout.
This training is done interval-style. Your heart rate will
increase, then you'll recover, and then you'll repeat the process.
This is the most effective type of fat burning cardio you
can do!
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Be sure to get set up in front of a clock, or have a stopwatch
handy, so you can accurately track your work and rest times. Also,
be sure to have your training notebook nearby. Unlike regular
workouts, this one does sets for time instead of reps. It's very
important that you record how many reps you complete with each
exercise so you can keep track of improvements.
Go as hard as you can through the entire workout. Your heart
rate should get to a level where you're breathing hard and you
can't carry on a full conversation or chit-chat about the latest
celeb gossip.
Perform this workout two times per week, and really push
yourself to progress and do more reps in the same amount of time
with each consecutive workout.
This plan is made up of four circuits, each consisting of four
exercises. You'll perform the four exercises in order, one after
another, but with special rest periods: Do A1, immediately followed
by A2, rest 1 minute, and then move on to A3, immediately followed
by A4, then you rest 2 minutes before repeating again with
A1.
Then repeat from 1A again right through before you move on to
the next circuit of 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D.
The Bodyweight Metabolic Circuit
| Exercise | Sets | Work |
| A1) Static squat in and out jump | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| A2) Prone cross-toe | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 1 minute | ||
| A3) Split jack | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| A4) One-leg burpee (alternate legs each rep) | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 2 minutes | ||
| B1) Mountain climber | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| B2) Bodyweight squat (or jump squat) | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 1 minute | ||
| B3) Inch worm | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| B4) Spider-man climb | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 2 minutes | ||
| C1) Over/under | 1-2 | 30 seconds with each leg |
| C2) 5-dot drill | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 1 minute | ||
| C3) Bicycle crunch | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| C4) Explosive step-up | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 2 minutes | ||
| D1) Skiers on Swiss ball | 1-2 | 30 seconds with each leg |
| D2) Lateral step-out | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 1 minute | ||
| D3) Swiss ball alternating step-off | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| D4) Jump lunge | 1-2 | 1 minute |
| Rest 2 minutes |
Exercise Descriptions
There's a good chance you haven't heard of some of the exercises
I'm suggesting because they're from my little black book of torture
methods, um... I mean, exercises my clients love and look forward
to.
Static Squat In and Out Jump
While holding a semi-squat position, jump both feet out to the
sides (when you land, you're in a wide-stance squat), and then
quickly bring both feet back in to the center. That completes one
rep. Remember to keep the legs bent in a half-squat the entire
time.
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Prone Cross-Toe Touch
From a push-up position, bring one foot across your body to
touch the opposite side's hand, and then return to the full push-up
position. Alternate sides for each rep (one right and one left is
one rep).
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Split Jack
Think of these as jumping jacks for the 21st century. Instead of
hopping laterally, you're going to stay in place, but skip front
and back while moving opposing arms and legs to keep your balance
(right arm and left leg go forward while the left arm and right leg
go backwards.) It requires a little coordination, but you should be
able to get into a good rhythm during your set.
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One-Leg Burpee
With one foot slightly off the ground (it stays off the
ground the entire time), stand up tall with arms overhead. Squat
down and put your hands on the floor, jump your leg back and land
on the ball of your foot, and then reverse the process (jump the
foot in and stand up tall). Switch feet with each new
rep.
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Mountain Climber
From a push-up position, quickly bring one knee in towards your
chest, return to the push-up position, and then bring the other
knee into your chest. You should be able to crank these reps out
fast, fast, fast.
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Bodyweight Squat (or Jump Squat)
Nothing fancy here. Cross your arms in front of your body and
perform a standard squat, as far down as your flexibility will
allow. If basic squats aren't challenging enough, do jump squats
instead — actually jumping straight up in the air at the top
of each rep.
Inch Worm
Bend forward and place your hands on the ground just in front of
your toes. You're your weight onto your hands and "walk" your
hands forward until you're reaching out as far as you can, and then
"walk" your hands back to the starting position.
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Spider-Man Climb
For this one, imagine that the floor has just become the outside
wall of a skyscraper and you've just become the friendly
neighborhood Spider-Man, climbing up to the rooftop. From a push-up
position, bring one knee up towards the elbow on the same side, and
then return to start. Alternate sides with each rep.
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Over/Under
From a standing position, take a big step over an
imaginary rope about waist-high, then duck under an
imaginary rope about waist-high and stand back up. See where this
exercise gets its name? Alternate stepping legs with each
rep.
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5-Dot Drill
I hope you're in a dancing mood for this one; it might remind
you of the hokey-pokey. From "position one" (standing upright, with
feet together), take a small jump forward and land with your feet
wide, then jump back to "position one."
Immediately take a small jump backwards, landing with
your feet wide, and then jump back to "position one." That's all
one rep — Start at position one, jump forward, return to
position one, jump backwards, return to position
one.
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Bicycle Crunch
A classic ab exercise. Really crank out those reps quickly and
focus on bringing alternate knees and elbows into the
center.
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Explosive Step-up
Similar to a basic step-up (where the leg on the step does all
the work), but focus on exploding into the air at the top of
the rep and switching feet just before you land. Alternate legs
with each rep.
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Skiers on Swiss Ball
With your shins on top of a Swiss ball and your hands in a
push-up position, imagine you're a doing the slalom down a snowy
Colorado ski slope. Focus on twisting with the abs, but stay on top
of the ball (no wipeouts!)
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Lateral Step-Out Squat
Begin in a semi-squat position, and take a wide step out to the
side with one foot. Return to center and immediately repeat with
the other leg/to the other side. You can develop a rhythm with
this, almost tick-tocking as you go, but be sure to maintain that
semi-squat position.
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Swiss Ball Alternating Step-Off
With your shins/shoelaces up on a Swiss ball and your hands in a
push-up position, bring one foot off the ball to quickly touch the
ground, then return it up on top of the ball and repeat with the
other leg.
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Jump Lunge
Similar to a basic forward lunge, except that after lunging
forward with one leg, you're going to explosively jump up into the
air, switch legs before you land, and immediately repeat with the
other leg.
Wrap-up
No more boring treadmills, Stairmasters, or spinning your wheels
like a hamster! Now you can use metabolic circuits to challenge
your body and see changes like never before.
Be sure to push yourself out of your comfort zone when doing
this routine. You'll rev up your metabolism and create an afterburn
effect that will increase your metabolism for the next 24-48 hours.
Get metabolic and burn, baby, burn!
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