Who needs to spend hours on the treadmill when you can get your heart-pumping cardio on in less than 20 minutes? Maximize your time and see better results with these 18 incredibly effective bodyweight moves. Get ready to feel the burn from head to toe and get more accomplished in one workout than ever before.
1. Mountain Climber: (1) Get in a push up position. Your body should be in a straight, diagonal line from your head to your toes. (2) Raise your right knee toward your chest. (3) Kick the right leg back as the left leg comes forward. The feet only touch the floor when they return to the back. That’s one rep. (4) Alternate legs quickly for 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your speed or range of motion.
2. Frog Jump: (1) Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width distance apart. Lower into a squat; extend your arms between your legs and let your fingertips lightly touch the ground (make certain to keep your chest lifted and knees behind your toes). (2) Jump up explosively, while simultaneously stretching your arms up towards the ceiling and tapping your heels together. (3) As soon as you land, perform another jump, keeping up the momentum. That’s one rep. Repeat the movement for 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your range of motion on both the jump and the drop. Hop rather than jump and squat rather than touch the floor.
3. Jumping Lunges: You’ll really feel the burn in your thighs with this one. It combines strength and cardio; what more could you ask for? (1) Begin in the lunge position. Place your feet far enough away form each other to create 90-degree bends in both knees. The front knee should not pass over the front toes. The back knee, ideally, should touch or be a few inches from the ground. Chest is lifted. (2) Power yourself out of the lunge by squeezing your glutes and core. Use your arms to help with propulsion. Both feet leave the ground at the same time. (3) Land in your lunge with the opposite leg forward. Both feet hit the ground at the same time. The chest stays lifted. Perform this move for 60 seconds. Modification: Remove the jump and reduce your range of motion.
4. Up + Over: (1) Start in plank position, but with knees bent. (2) Keeping arms locked, knees bent and legs together throughout, propel legs up and over to right side of side of your mat. (3) Then explode to the left side of your mat for one rep. Continue exploding up and over to each side for as many reps as possible for 60 seconds. Modification: Instead of hopping from side to side, just step at your own pace.
5. High Knees: Your heart will be pumping hard after this one! You’ll feel it in your core and lower body.
6. 180-Degree Squat Jump: (1) Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower into a standard squat with your back straight and chest up. (2) Swinging your arms back by your hips. Quickly jump up and over to the right, turning your body 180-degrees; mid-air. Swinging arms in front of you for momentum. (3) Land in squat position, swinging arms back by hips. Hold and repeat on the other side. (4) Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease range of motion by lessening the angle of the turn or removing the jump.
7. Burpee: The dreaded burpee will kick your butt, but it gets results!
8. Ab Roll Up: (1) To begin, lie on your back with arms at your sides and palms facing down. Lift your butt and lower back up in the air so that the bottoms of your feet are facing the ceiling. (2) In one fluid motion, lower your back and legs and transition to your feet while jumping in the air as high as you can with arms extended straight overhead. That is one rep. Do as many as you can within 60 seconds.
9. Football Drill: (1) Begin with feet shoulder-width apart, leaning slightly forward with arms tight to body fists up. Lower into a shallow squat position on the balls of your feet, keeping abs tight and spine straight. Shuffle your feet in place, tapping the balls of your feet on the ground as quickly as you can, switching from left to right foot and maintaining squat position for 15 seconds. Modification: Slow the speed of your foot taps. (2) Turn your body to the right by 90 degrees and repeat for 15 seconds. (3) Turn your body to the right by another 90 degrees and repeat for 15 seconds. (3) Turn your body to the right by another 90 degrees and repeat for 15 seconds (you should be back to your starting position).
10. Switch Kicks: (1) Begin sitting on the ground with hands situated behind you, fingers pointed in toward your butt and both feet placed on the ground in front of you. (2) Raise the butt up off the floor and kick the right leg straight up into the air bringing it back down and quickly kicking up the left. Continue alternating legs as many time as possible for 60 seconds. Modification: Slow down the movement — lift one leg, set it down. Lift the other leg, set it down.
11. Skater Jump: Skater jumps will get the sweat pouring and the blood flowing. You’ll feel like a regular Tony Hawk after this is over! .
12. Sprint in Place: (1) Sprint in place as fast as you can for 60 seconds. If you can, add light ankle weights or hold light dumbbells. Modification: Reduce your pace to a march, focusing on raising your knees as high as you can.
13. Prisoner Jacks: For an intense cardio move, try the prisoner jack. Sounds easy; it’s not. Check it out here.
14. Baboon Jumps: Work your core and quads with this jump. This will help your agility and strength in ways you didn’t even know existed.
15. Tuck Jump: (1) Stand with your feet slightly apart and place your hands in a boxer’s stance. (2) Squat down, then jump up and bring your knees up towards your chest. Land with soft knees. (4) Do as many tuck jumps as you can in 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your range of motion by not tucking your knees up as high.
16. Crossover Lunge: (1) Stand straight with your feet facing forward. (2) Step out and cross your lead foot in front of your back foot. This should look like a curtsy. Make sure your knee stays behind your toes. (3) Pause in the lunge and then push yourself back to starting position. Repeat with alternating legs for 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your range of motion. Don’t cross over as far or lunge as deep.
17. Heisman: You’re almost there! Don’t stop now! You gotta keep that heart pumpin’.
18. Cross Jacks: (1) Stand with your feet about hip-width distance apart, arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height. (2) Simultaneously cross your arms in front of your chest and jump up just enough to cross your right leg in front of your left. (3) Quickly reverse the motion and return to the starting position. Repeat, crossing your left leg in front of your right. Continue alternating feet.
1. Mountain Climber: (1) Get in a push up position. Your body should be in a straight, diagonal line from your head to your toes. (2) Raise your right knee toward your chest. (3) Kick the right leg back as the left leg comes forward. The feet only touch the floor when they return to the back. That’s one rep. (4) Alternate legs quickly for 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your speed or range of motion.
2. Frog Jump: (1) Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width distance apart. Lower into a squat; extend your arms between your legs and let your fingertips lightly touch the ground (make certain to keep your chest lifted and knees behind your toes). (2) Jump up explosively, while simultaneously stretching your arms up towards the ceiling and tapping your heels together. (3) As soon as you land, perform another jump, keeping up the momentum. That’s one rep. Repeat the movement for 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your range of motion on both the jump and the drop. Hop rather than jump and squat rather than touch the floor.
3. Jumping Lunges: You’ll really feel the burn in your thighs with this one. It combines strength and cardio; what more could you ask for? (1) Begin in the lunge position. Place your feet far enough away form each other to create 90-degree bends in both knees. The front knee should not pass over the front toes. The back knee, ideally, should touch or be a few inches from the ground. Chest is lifted. (2) Power yourself out of the lunge by squeezing your glutes and core. Use your arms to help with propulsion. Both feet leave the ground at the same time. (3) Land in your lunge with the opposite leg forward. Both feet hit the ground at the same time. The chest stays lifted. Perform this move for 60 seconds. Modification: Remove the jump and reduce your range of motion.
4. Up + Over: (1) Start in plank position, but with knees bent. (2) Keeping arms locked, knees bent and legs together throughout, propel legs up and over to right side of side of your mat. (3) Then explode to the left side of your mat for one rep. Continue exploding up and over to each side for as many reps as possible for 60 seconds. Modification: Instead of hopping from side to side, just step at your own pace.
5. High Knees: Your heart will be pumping hard after this one! You’ll feel it in your core and lower body.
6. 180-Degree Squat Jump: (1) Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower into a standard squat with your back straight and chest up. (2) Swinging your arms back by your hips. Quickly jump up and over to the right, turning your body 180-degrees; mid-air. Swinging arms in front of you for momentum. (3) Land in squat position, swinging arms back by hips. Hold and repeat on the other side. (4) Repeat as many times as you can in 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease range of motion by lessening the angle of the turn or removing the jump.
7. Burpee: The dreaded burpee will kick your butt, but it gets results!
8. Ab Roll Up: (1) To begin, lie on your back with arms at your sides and palms facing down. Lift your butt and lower back up in the air so that the bottoms of your feet are facing the ceiling. (2) In one fluid motion, lower your back and legs and transition to your feet while jumping in the air as high as you can with arms extended straight overhead. That is one rep. Do as many as you can within 60 seconds.
9. Football Drill: (1) Begin with feet shoulder-width apart, leaning slightly forward with arms tight to body fists up. Lower into a shallow squat position on the balls of your feet, keeping abs tight and spine straight. Shuffle your feet in place, tapping the balls of your feet on the ground as quickly as you can, switching from left to right foot and maintaining squat position for 15 seconds. Modification: Slow the speed of your foot taps. (2) Turn your body to the right by 90 degrees and repeat for 15 seconds. (3) Turn your body to the right by another 90 degrees and repeat for 15 seconds. (3) Turn your body to the right by another 90 degrees and repeat for 15 seconds (you should be back to your starting position).
10. Switch Kicks: (1) Begin sitting on the ground with hands situated behind you, fingers pointed in toward your butt and both feet placed on the ground in front of you. (2) Raise the butt up off the floor and kick the right leg straight up into the air bringing it back down and quickly kicking up the left. Continue alternating legs as many time as possible for 60 seconds. Modification: Slow down the movement — lift one leg, set it down. Lift the other leg, set it down.
11. Skater Jump: Skater jumps will get the sweat pouring and the blood flowing. You’ll feel like a regular Tony Hawk after this is over! .
12. Sprint in Place: (1) Sprint in place as fast as you can for 60 seconds. If you can, add light ankle weights or hold light dumbbells. Modification: Reduce your pace to a march, focusing on raising your knees as high as you can.
13. Prisoner Jacks: For an intense cardio move, try the prisoner jack. Sounds easy; it’s not. Check it out here.
14. Baboon Jumps: Work your core and quads with this jump. This will help your agility and strength in ways you didn’t even know existed.
15. Tuck Jump: (1) Stand with your feet slightly apart and place your hands in a boxer’s stance. (2) Squat down, then jump up and bring your knees up towards your chest. Land with soft knees. (4) Do as many tuck jumps as you can in 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your range of motion by not tucking your knees up as high.
16. Crossover Lunge: (1) Stand straight with your feet facing forward. (2) Step out and cross your lead foot in front of your back foot. This should look like a curtsy. Make sure your knee stays behind your toes. (3) Pause in the lunge and then push yourself back to starting position. Repeat with alternating legs for 60 seconds. Modification: Decrease your range of motion. Don’t cross over as far or lunge as deep.
17. Heisman: You’re almost there! Don’t stop now! You gotta keep that heart pumpin’.
18. Cross Jacks: (1) Stand with your feet about hip-width distance apart, arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height. (2) Simultaneously cross your arms in front of your chest and jump up just enough to cross your right leg in front of your left. (3) Quickly reverse the motion and return to the starting position. Repeat, crossing your left leg in front of your right. Continue alternating feet.
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| Credit:skinnymom.com |
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