Fancy a fitness blast that will get your blood pumping – and takes less than half an hour?
A high-intensity cardio workout is a fantastic way to build endurance, improve stamina and take your overall strength to the next level too.
Anthony Mayatt, personal trainer and owner of Breathe Fitness, has designed this bespoke workout that focuses on opposites, and will be a great challenge for gym bunnies.
‘This is a workout that will really test your fitness levels and strength,’ says Anthony.
‘This basis behind this workout is to “superset” 2 movements that work in the opposite way. So, exercise 1 is a very slow controlled movement, then exercise 2 is fast and explosive – but works the same or similar muscle group.
‘Completing both exercises will equal 1 round. I would like you to do a total of 3 for each series of exercises – with a short rest between (30 seconds between rounds, 60 seconds between routines).
Routine 1
Slow squats – 45 seconds
Squat jumps – 30 seconds
X 3
Routine 2
Slow push-ups – 45 seconds
Burpees – 30 seconds
Routine 3
Side lunges (alternating) – 45 seconds
Skaters – 30 seconds
Routine 4
Plank touches – 45 seconds
Mountain climbers – 30 seconds
‘Notice that not only your lungs work hard from this workout, but your muscle strength as well,’ Anthony adds.
‘Warm up for 5-10 mins beforehand and get in a good stretch afterwards.’
Full body opposites workout
Slow squats
Stand with your feet roughly hip width and drop your hips back and down as if sitting in a chair.
Squeeze your glutes and push back to the starting position using your heels. 2-3 seconds down and the same on the return.
Squat jumps
Stand with your feet roughly hip width and drop your hips back and down as if sitting in a chair.
Squeeze your glutes and push up into a jump through the heels then land straight into the next squat.
Slow push-ups
Hands on the floor directly below your shoulders and feet stretched out behind you.
Lower your chest and hips towards the floor, pause then press back to the start position.
You can also do the same dropping the knees to the floor to make the movement easier. 2 seconds down and the same on the return.
Burpees
Stand upright. Crouch down touching your hands to the floor in front of your feet, then jump your legs all the way out as if getting to a push up position.
Lower your body to the floor, then push back up, jump the legs back in and jump in the air.
Side lunges
Stand upright with feet together. Take a large step with your right foot out to the side keeping it facing forwards so you are in a wide stance.
Bend the right knee, keeping the left leg straight. Push back to a starting position and repeat on the left side.
Skaters
Stand upright with feet together. Jump with your right leg to the side, land then immediately jump to the left.
Try to stay light on your feet and make the jumps as big as possible.
Plank touches
Lay on your front with elbows stacked below shoulders and forearms flat on the ground.
Lift into a straight line with only forearms and toes on the ground and this is the starting point.
1 repetition is reaching your right arm out to the side and tapping the floor then returning it and swapping arms, then doing the same with your feet tapping to the sides.
Mountain climbers
Start in a push up position with hands below the shoulders and legs out behind you.
Drive your knee towards your elbow and as the leg returns to the starting position, swap legs and do the same with the opposite.
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