gym

Without using any equipment at all, this low impact cardio workout gently warms up all of the major muscle groups. It's only ten minutes long and since all it uses is your own bodyweight, you can do it anywhere, anytime.

Because of the low impact exercises, slower motions and emphasis on range of motion, this makes for a great beginner workout. It's also what I like to think of as a "quick-pick-me-up" workout, and even though I love lifting and have a love hate relationship with HIIT, these kinds of gentle workouts also play a role in my life. It seems like we're all increasingly spending more and more time in front of a screen for work or entertainment; quick workouts like this one help increase mindfulness of posture and how you're holding your body, and it also keeps aches and pains at bay from sitting too long. Short bursts of light movement throughout the work day can also help improve mood, circulation, creativity and focus. I frequently use this easy trick within my own work day.

If you're using this as a warm up before starting another workout: Start nice and slow until you're sure you've mastered the move and are achieving the full range of motion that you're capable of, and then pick up the pace. As your muscles feel more warm, increase both the pace and the depth of each motion. Aim to have some light huffing and puffing going on by the end of the ten minutes.

If you're a beginner: Have fun with this! Watch your self talk; kicking negative self talk to the curb during exercise can help you increase your positive feelings about exercise. As you feel comfor , allow yourself to find your own pace and feel free to increase either or both speed and depth of movement as you can. Listen to your body; take breaks or modify whenever and wherever necessary. Aim to do at least part of each of the ten intervals (extra breaks are fine if necessary). Related: My best tips for getting started + 10 Beginner Workouts that you can do at home for free.

Workout Structure
10 Quick minutes; no separate warm up or cool down necessary. No equipment. 50 Seconds active with 10 seconds active rest in between each interval.

Printable Low Impact Cardio Beginner Workout
Reverse Step + Reverse Arm Circle (alternating)
Side Step + Overhead Press
Forward Step + Forward Arm Circle (alternating)
Pivot Back + Bow & Turn
Pivot Forward + Slow Punch/Extension
Bicep Curl + Knee Raises
Good Mornings + Calf Raises
Shallow Side Lunge + Arm Sweep
Curtsy Step + Chest Opener
Squat + Chop

Realize and embrace that what our bodies most need may vary each day, week, month and year. It's important to keep those lines of communication open. It's crucial that we tune out the noise - other people's expectations of our bodies, or even our own perception of where we think we "should" be fitness-wise, and give our bodies what they need. It's one of the nicest things we can do for ourselves.

When you workout you should always incorporate a warm up before and a cool down afterward. Warm ups are best for loosening and preparing cold muscles and joints for intense workouts but stretching moves (particularly non-dynamic, static stretches held for any period longer than 5-10 seconds) should be saved for after your workout is complete.

Coming in at under 5 minutes in length, this cool down was built especially for people with limited time for exercise - just because your schedule is tight doesn't mean your body will forgive you for skipping warm ups and cool downs! These feel good stretches are enough to bring your heart rate down gradually and stretch out the muscles, without adding a significant amount of time to your overall exercise session.

Workout Structure
- Start with very light cardio to bring down the heart rate, then move into stretches for a wide variety of muscle groups
-15 Seconds per exercise or stretch
- Under 5 minutes in length, total
- You will need: an open wall

In this Routine:
Boxer Shuffle
Roundabout Toe Touch
Torso Twist
Shoulder Rolls
Arm Pull and Hip Flexor Stretch (Left and Right)
Wall Shoulder Stretch
Wall Chest Stretch (Left and Right)
Wide Toe Touch Stretch
Bent Over Quadricep Stretch (Left and Right)
Standing Glute Stretch (Left and Right)
Inside Thigh and Over Head Tricep Stretch (Left and Right)

Though it might be sometimes hard to justify taking the time to include the warm up and cool down portions of your workout, especially if your free time is limited, it's an important part of your routine that's not only good for the body and helpful in avoiding injuries, but also an important variable that allows you to push yourself harder and perform at a more intense level than if you tried to leave it out.

We made this cool down stretch with busy people in mind. We've kept the cool down cardio and stretch intervals very short so that you can quickly release all of the muscle groups that you've just used, without spending 20 minutes or more on what might be your least favorite part of your routine.

We know how tempting it can be to skip a cool down and stretch after a good HIIT or strength workout. After all, your muscles have been worked, many calories have been burned off - Mission accomplished, your work here is done, right? In reality it's just as important for the health of your body as that seemingly more effective workout strength or cardio session.

In fact many studies have shown that the pre-workout rituals of a proper warm up and cool down are significant factors in how effective the actual workout is. So while you might have a hard time committing to the extra minutes spent preparing or unwinding from a routine, just keep in mind that they actually play a real role in how hard you are able to push yourself, in the gains in strength and performance that your body is able to make during your workout sessions. It's a good example of working smarter, not harder; don't skip the seemingly petty before and after practices as it only cuts into the effectiveness of your "real" training.

Depending on what routines you have completed before you get to this video, you may find that there are a few muscle groups that feel as though they have been missed, or ones that were worked particularly hard, and that feel as though they need a little extra attention. Feel free to add your own extra combination of stretches after you've completed this video in order to hit all of those muscles.

Make sure not to do any prolonged stretching exercises before you jump into a strength or HIIT workout. This is especially true for stretches held for longer than 20 seconds. Stretching before an intense workout can lead to injuries, so save routines like this one for after your harder routines.

You can also do this video as a standalone workout - it's a great option for those days when you have been stuck at a desk all day long and need to get up and get your circulation going. Standing up and moving around a bit can help with concentration and is a generally healthy habit to try and adopt to avoid back pain, the pooling of blood in extremities from sitting all day, and overly high stress levels.

This Fitness Blender Cool Down Workout video is made of thorough stretches to help you slowly bring down your heart rate and help fend off muscle soreness after a tough workout.

So long as your muscles aren’t completely cold (for example, if you have been sitting in front of your work computer all day), you can also do this stretching workout as a standalone routine to help improve flexibility and decrease stress. If you’ve been sedentary for a long period of time, do a quick 2-3 minutes of marching in place in order to get your blood moving and your muscles more primed for a good stretch, then jump right in.

We are holding each stretch for 30 seconds. Holding a position for this length of a period is wonderful for improving flexibility, but you don’t want to hold a stretch for that long before a workout – make sure that you don’t do this routine before a more strenuous HIIT or strength workout as it can actually increase your chances of injury.

Cool Down Stretches
Toe Touch
Inside Thigh
Wide Toe Touch
Standing Quadriceps
Hip Flexor + Arm Cross Pull
Overhead Triceps
Downward Dog
Downward Dog + Leg Extension, Hip Opener
Plank Calf Stretch
Modified Pigeon
Cobra
Child’s Pose
Lying Torso Twist
Full Body

Use smooth and controlled motions to go through each one of these movements. You never want to bounce or force a range of motion that is painful, as this could end up doing far more harm than good, and even causing injury. As you can, push the range of motion, very slowly and very gently, but never to the point of pain.

This is one of our longer videos of this sort, but if you give this routine a shot you’re going to find that you like the way that you feel by the time you’re done (particularly after that nice long full body stretch). The harder the workout that you did before you got to this video, the better that these flexibility exercises are going to feel.

You can do this video every day of the week if you like, even several times a day if you are feeling as though you are having extra muscle stiffness or soreness.

This Fitness Blender Stretching Workout is meant to feel good. This is yoga and Pilates inspired, without necessarily sticking to the traditions or rules of either. Stretching and flexibility is far too often overlooked in it's importance in terms of it's role in achieving and maintaining a fit, healthy body. It's as crucial to the foundation as fitness as cardiovascular training or strength building. We know it's easy to get zoned in on technical product goals associated with the more superficial appearance of being fit (weight loss, mass gained, inches lost, etc) and lose sight of goals that are actually indicative of true health and fitness. Add this relaxing and effective stretch routine to your program (preferably after your workouts) to treat your muscles to a nice refreshing stretch so that you can keep doing the more intense workouts that you love. This routine can easily be used as a cool down; you could also use it as a morning stretch routine or something that you do to help clear your head before you lay down at night.

Cobra to Child's Pose: From a prone position place hands palms down next to your rib cage, slowly press into your hands lifting your chest as high up as is comfortable for your lower back, then hold for 2-5 seconds before dropping your chest and sitting back in your heals stretching arms away for child's pose again hold for 2-5 seconds before moving back to cobra position.

Cat to Cow: On hands and knees starting with a neutral spine, with knees under your hip joint and hands under shoulders. Slowly arch your back up pulling your shoulders and hips together and tucking your head slightly to feel a stretch along the spine, then slowly lower your back dipping down and looking up slightly feeling a stretch throughout your abdominal muscles and possibly even your chest.

Lying Side Jacks: Lying on your left side with your left hand out at a 45° angle against ground for balance and legs extended out straight in line with torso. Lift your right arm and leg up so that they meet just above your torso then slowly lower them just off the ground stretching them in opposite directions for 2-5 seconds to feel a stretch through right side of rib cage, shoulder and possibly hip and thigh repeat motions for set time or repetitions. Repeat motion on opposite side.

Pilates Saw: From a seated position extend your legs out straight on the ground as wide as is comfortable. Elongate your spine sitting erect and raise your hands out to your sides at shoulder height. Rotate you shoulders and lean forward bringing your left hand to the outside of your right foot sit back up then repeat on the opposite side. You should feel this throughout your torso and hamstrings.

Toe Touch Swoops: From a seated position similar to the Pilates Saw, but with your hands in front of your body reach both hands down the left leg to your maximum then slide in between your legs to the right leg and return to start position then reverse the motion. You should feel this through your hamstrings, glutes, lower torso and possibly even upper torso.

Butterfly + Chest Stretch: Sitting on the ground put the soles of your feet together with your knees pointing off to the sides. Slowly pull your thighs down towards the ground using your outside leg muscles while pushing your chest forward and pulling your shoulders behind you holding for 2-5 seconds before letting your legs relax and relaxing your chest and shoulders. Repeat this motion for a set number of repetitions or time.

Squat Circle Stretch: Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder width and extend your arms up over your head. Squat down keeping a flat back swooping your arms of to the left as you drop, coming to the center at the bottom of your squat the bringing arms up across the right as you stand back up. Once at a full extension pause then squat down again bringing your arms down to the right this time performing the motion in the opposite direction. Keep alternating each repetition.

Back & Hamstring Windmill: Standing with feet shoulder width apart slowly reach down in between your feet rounding your spine. Slowly come up across the left in a circular pattern up over your head then down across the right back to the starting point before moving in the opposite direction to complete one repetition. This should be felt in the hamstrings, along the spine, obliques and even abdominal muscles if you lean backwards slightly at the top of the motion.

Quad Pull Pulses: Stand on your right leg kick your left foot into your left hand and hold it as close to your butt as is comfortable. Slowly tilt forward and drop into a 1/4 or 1/2 squat pulling your left leg back and up before standing back up and repeating the motion. Switch legs and repeat with right leg up. You should feel this in your quadriceps (front of thigh) and hip flexors (front of hip).

Calories burned during this routine Obviously stretching is not going to be a huge calorie burner, but something is better than nothing, and stretching is what allows you to be able to do those more intense, calorie blasting workouts anyway. In addition, these are dynamic, fluid stretches with a lot of movement. We estimate that you can burn 3-7 calories per minute while following along with this video.

Light cardio and fluid stretching movements are essential to lessening the likelihood of muscle and ligament strains. It’s also a good idea to gradually introduce physical effort to your cardiovascular system so as to not shock the body into sudden exertion.

This 5 minute warm up cardio workout is ideal for getting the blood flowing and the muscles warmed up for more strenuous challenges to follow.

As an added benefit, this is a calorie burning warm up that helps you get a jumpstart on your fat burning because of the multiple muscle groups used during the light bodyweight cardio moves.

Here’s the breakdown:
10 Exercises
30 Seconds each
No equipment needed; only bodyweight exercises are used

Warm Up Exercises in this Routine Lateral Steps + Pulls – Step from side to side, tapping your foot behind the body of the leading leg. At the same time, wave both arms up in front of your body (in front of and above your head) and then pull them back downwards to your sides in a full sweeping range of motion.

Slow Rocking Butt Kickers – A slower less intense of our regular butt kickers to get your lower body warmed up; add in upper body movements as well if you like, especially if you are about to jump into a routine that is heavy in upper body exercises.

High Knee Pulls – Pull one knee upwards towards your core, while reaching up and then down with both hands so that your elbows and high knee are near your core at the same time.

Arm Swings + lateral Steps – Similar to the first move, step from side to side while tapping the toe of the following foot behind the leading/supporting leg, all while swinging arms out and then in front of the body, crossing over one another.

4 Torso Twists + Knees – wist from side to side four times, and then bring one knee up to the opposite elbow. If you follow this same count (1, 2, 3, 4, knee), you should be bringing a different knee up each and every time.

Jog in Place – Just like it sounds; get that heart rate up!

Bodyweight Squats – If your legs aren’t feeling quite warmed up yet, keep the squats shallow. Keep your butt back and your weight in your heels.

Front Kicks – Kick high and in front of the body, alternating which kick is doing the kicking. Keep your core tight for an added toning benefit.

Boxer Shuffle – Hop from side to side, tapping the non-leading leg on the ground in the center of the distance that you are hopping back and forth.

Cross Toe Touches – Reach down to touch the toes of your foot with the opposite hand, doing a very slight squat each time that you reach downward.

Once you are finished with this cardio warm up workout, you will be ready to tackle any of Fitness Blender’s hundreds of challenging strength, HIIT, endurance, toning or stretching workout videos.

*Do keep in mind that there are some special populations and individuals with certain health conditions (diabetes, arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, etc) that should have a warm up that is longer than 5 minutes. Remember to always talk to your doctor about what workouts & program structures are appropriate specifically for you.

There is a long list of benefits to doing a cool down after every workout, but still most people continue to skip it. We know that it can be tempting to want to dedicate your scarce resource of time to just burning through your most intense, results-driven training routine that builds muscle, burns fat, or more directly meets whatever fitness goals you might be barreling towards, but the cool down is part of allows your more intense training sessions to remain effective.

Here are just a few of the ways that light cardio and stretching cool down workouts can enhance your overall performance and health:
- Cool down stretches can help improve your flexibility, which is crucial to avoiding injuries and being able to stay physically active over the years.
- A gradual decrease in physical activity allows the blood to redistribute itself properly, notably; returning to the brain and heart rather than pooling in your lower extremities, which can cause fainting, light headedness, irregular heartbeat, etc.
- Though some research has been debating this as of late, it has long been believed that cool down stretches help dissipate lactic acid buildup in the muscles, that may otherwise cause delayed onset soreness (DOMS) the next day.
- The body gets a chance to reregulate all of the systems that have been engaged throughout your workout sessions; your heartbeat, circulation, body temperature, hormones, etc.

Ideally, a person would spend 10 minutes doing a cool down (possibly even longer for people with certain health conditions, which is why it’s so important to talk to your doctor before you start any kind of exercise program). In the interest of “something is always better than nothing”, we have created a short, time efficient cool down and stretch video that runs through a few very light cardio exercises to bring the heart rate back down, and then a series of stretches held for 20 seconds each. If time allows, it would be a good idea to do a few minutes of additional light cool down cardio before starting this video, or even doing the video twice.

Even if you haven’t just finished a workout, you can still benefit from this routine. This short cool down routine can also be a great way to mentally and physically prep yourself for going to sleep.

Workout Structure:
- 4 30 Second intervals of light bodyweight cardio to bring the heart rate back down gradually
- 5 Stretches held for 20 seconds on each side of the body

30 Seconds Each:
Torso Rotations
Rocking Side Kicks
Rocking Butt Kickers + Ventral Pulls
Arm Crossover Swings + Lateral Steps

20 Seconds Each Stretch:
Standing Quadriceps
Leaning Hamstring
Rocking Inside Thigh
Wall Chest Stretch
Rhomboid Pull

In this video we held each position for 20 seconds, but if you like you can hold the stretches for longer. Static stretching (holding positions for longer than roughly 20 seconds, up to 30-60 seconds) is more appropriate for after a physically demanding routine, and not before.

As you may already know, stretching is an integral part of any fitness routine and there are many different styles and ways to do it. Trying to decide which style to use and when can be very confusing. We have made one choice easy for you by creating a cool down stretch routine.

This routine utilizes non-corrective stretches (a short duration hold that wont loosen your joints) to help release tight muscles and promote circulation to flush out waste products created while exercising. This routine is not to increase flexibility but instead to give you a way to bring down your heart rate and core temperature at a controlled pace to give the body time to filter out waste products that can increase the intensity and duration of soreness and stiffness. This routine is also intended to give just enough of a stretch that though it may not increase flexibility, it will help you maintain your current flexibility which often diminishes when muscle tissues are damaged as happens with strength training, HIIT, plyometric training, Kettlebell training, and so on.

In the following section we have listed each exercise that is included in this routine, in order, and what part of your body that each move focuses on (i.e. where you should feel it).

Stretches included in this routine:

Chest Cross Arm Swing: When combined with side steps or walking in place, this is a great way to keep the heart rate elevated slightly so it can more effectively push waste products to the kidneys and liver while taxing your body only slightly as to not create any excessive waste itself. You will primarily feel this in your chest and the front of your shoulder when your arms are pulled back behind your ribcage and in the rear of your shoulder and upper back when your arms are crossed over in front of your ribcage. Just be sure to move slowly and alternate which arm is on top when your arms are in front of your body.

Wide Toe Touch: With your feet wider than shoulder width you stretch a slightly different part of your lower back, hamstring (back of the thigh), glute (butt) and calf (only slightly) than you would when doing a regular toe touch (aka straight leg hang) with your feet together. Try modifying this by pointing your toes out or in to target different areas of your legs, back, and hips.

Squatting Glute Stretch: Though this stretch requires a bit of extra balance and control to do without assistance, it is a great way to stretch deep into the glute (butt) muscles and also will hit parts of the lower back. Start with only a shallow squat then build up over time until you have the flexibility and strength to get to a full squat.

Inside Thigh Stretch: This position gives you the same benefits of dropping down to do the side splits (or trying anyway) but without the uncomfortable feeling by focusing on only one leg at a time. With one leg bent you are able to focus on getting the stretch on the inside thigh/groin of the straight leg. To intensify the move, you don’t need to drop further into a side lunge, instead just focus on dropping your hip lower (on the side with the straight leg).

Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch: The hip flexor (front of the hip joint) can be a hard location to stretch properly but this position does a really good job of isolating the hip flexor one side at a time. The key with this position is to keep the back leg straight (this is the side of the body where you will feel it). To intensify the pull, lunge lower and/or lean back slightly. Just be careful to move to the identical position on the opposite side.

Standing Quad Stretch: This is another position that can be a bit challenging for balance without any assistance but it is a great way to target the quadriceps (the front/top of the thigh). Only pull your heel as close to your butt as you can without your knee feeling uncomfortable; don’t pull too hard as it can over compress and damage/loosen your knee joint. Once you have a slight stretch, pull your knee back behind you (using the muscles in your leg) to intensify the feeling in the hip and quadriceps.

Side Bends: This motion targets the obliques as you lean sideways. It can be modified to incorporate the outer thigh as well by bringing your foot across in front of you at the same time. For example if you are leaning to the left then pull your right leg (the same side you will feel it in) across to the left as well. This should intensify the pull on the right oblique as well as adding a pull to the right outside thigh and hip.

Arm Cross Shoulder Stretch: This motion targets the rear of the deltoid (shoulder) and the rhomboid (upper back, over the shoulder blade). Depending on the flexibility of these areas you may not feel much of a pull, but keeping your upper arm close to your chest and pulling with the opposite arm across and away from the shoulder to be stretched should intensify this motion.

Overhead Tricep Stretch: Targeting the tricep (back of the upper arm) can be difficult but this position does a good job of not only targeting the tricep but also various parts of the shoulder complex (muscles that surround the shoulder socket). Be sure to reach back to the same shoulder as arm you are stretching to get the most tricep pull.

Wall Shoulder Stretch: Shoulder range of motion is often an issue that can limit ones ability to perform various upper body exercises properly. This position is a great way to keep from losing that range of motion and when held for longer time periods it can help you to regain lost range of motion, allowing you more freedom of movement with the arm fully extended overhead. Just be sure to keep a flat back rather than letting it arch as this can cause back pain/injuries if hyperextended.

Bring your heart rate down at an ideal pace and stretch your entire body thoroughly with this Cool Down & Total Body Stretch video.

When you bring your heart rate down slowly, you allow your body to continually flush out all of the waste products that you built up over the course of your more strenuous workout routine. Your heart gets to slow down at a gradual pace instead of coming to a sudden stop.

Cool Down: 30 Seconds of Each
Jumping Jacks
Jogging in Place
Standing Toe Touches
Side Lunges
Walking Arm Stretches

10 Minutes of Total Body Stretching
Standing Stretches – 15 Seconds Each

Straight Leg Hang – Lock out your knees and reach for your toes. You will feel this in your hamstrings.
Overhead Triceps Pull – Raise your arm above your head, bend at the elbow and use the opposite hand to pull it across your shoulders.
Standing Quadriceps – Bend one leg at the knee and hold the heel of the foot against your butt. You will feel this in your quads (the front of your thighs).
Wall Chest Stretch – Place one hand on a wall with your fingers pointed behind you. Rotate your body away from the wall until you feel it through the front of your chest.
Inside Thigh Stretch – With feet spread wide apart, lean backward until you feel it through the inside of the thigh you are leaning away from.
Wall Shoulder Stretch – Press both hands up against a wall at about head height. Press your chest & head down towards the floor until you feel it through the front of your shoulders.

Seated Stretches – 15 Seconds Each

Prone Calf Stretch – Get into a push up position and put your weight into just one leg to get a good release through the calf of that supporting leg.
Arm Cross Pull – Pull one arm across your body, using the other hand to pull the elbow for more range of movement. You will feel this in the back of your shoulder and your deltoids.
Butterfly – Bring the soles of your feet together, bring them in towards your body and lay your legs down toward the ground.
Three Way Hamstring – There are three different leg positions that you will use; to the outside, straight out, and angled inside, to thoroughly target the thighs and hamstrings. Repeat on both sides of the body.
Supine Torso Twist – Lie flat on your back and rotate on the torso to lie both legs on either side of the body.
Deep Glute Stretch – Lie on your back, bend one leg & place it across the other thigh, and then pull that straightened leg inwards in order to feel it through the leg that is crossed. This is a great exercise for back pain and avoiding sciatica.
Cobra – Lie on your stomach and use your hands to press your upper body and core up and off of the mat. You will feel this through the front of your body.
Shell Stretch – From the Cobra, press back so that you are on all fours. Round your back and shoulders and press your hands into the floor in order to press your shoulders down towards your hips. You will feel this one in the lower back, rhomboids and trapezius.

12 Minutes may feel like a lot of time to spend cooling down and stretching, but it’s very important to realize how important flexibility is to the overall picture of health and fitness. Strength, endurance, flexibility, weight loss, and overall health will suffer without proper attention to maintaining dexterity & elasticity of the muscles. In other words the twelve minutes you spend doing this routine after a workout is very much time well spent.

Pre-workout cardio and stretching is often grossly underestimated in importance.

When warming up, a stretch position should not be held for longer than 10 – 15 seconds. When doing a preworkout stretch routine, a short hold is enough to loosen up stiff muscles, but it is not enough to loosen up a joint.

Stretches done with the intention of increasing range of motion (corrective stretching) should be done after a full length exercise routine, when muscles are fully warmed - or at periods of the day when you have a significant amount of time before your next bout of rigorous physical activity.

For warming up, you should never hold stretches for an elongated period of time as this can expand and loosen joints making them more susceptible to injury.

Though different studies have debated back and forth about the benefit of stretching cold muscles before jumping straight into a strenuous workout, gentle cardio and working the range of motion of joints is inarguably a good way to start any kind of exercise routine.

When you go from a standstill directly into some kind of high intensity cardio that raises your heart rate and engages your muscles without a warming up, it causes a greater amount of stress on your body. This is because when your heart tries to circulate your blood supply through constricted blood vessels to feed your muscle tissue, it meets resistance and causes your blood pressure to spike momentarily.

Aside from potential health repercussions, this can also interfere with your fitness progress by leading to premature fatiguing, because your body has to catch up to the demands of blood and oxygen flow that your muscles are requiring.

This short total body routine engages a multitude of muscle groups in a way that steadily increases blood flow and flexibility, rather than shocking your system with positions that tax the muscles before they are ready, or before you jump straight into a full blown cardio routine.

This would also serve as a great cool down workout. If you want to use this as a cool down, do the cardio component at the beginning of the workout, rather than at the end.

If you're looking for a workout to wind you down and destress you, you're in the right place. You can use this routine as a warm up, a cool down and stretch, or you can use it to soothe next-day soreness after more intense workouts. You can start your mornings with this light workout, or you can use it to clear your head and stretch your body before bed (as a bonus, you're likely to sleep much better).

This low key stretching routine follows no real rules or structure. Feel free to move along at your own pace, and if you come across a stretch or exercise that either causes you pain or makes you uncomfortable, simply substitute that exercise for something that feels good to you.

The only thing that you'll need for this stretching workout is an open space (big enough to stretch out), and an exercise mat (if you're working out on a hard surface). Choose a quiet place to do the routine for maximum de-stressing, or turn on some music that relaxes you, or if you're in a time/space/motivation pinch, you can always turn this video on and follow along while binge watching your favorite shows - no one's judging so do what works best for you.

Whether you are using this to finish up your workout for the day or you just want a good stand-alone total body stretch this video will do the job well. In this workout we have incorporated complex movements (utilizing multiple muscle groups and body parts simultaneously) to not only quickly stretch the entire body but to also challenge your ability to control your own body in space.

Each one of our compound stretches and movements not only targets multiple areas of the body but it also forces your brain to work hard to coordinate each movement which has huge benefits. We are not trying to only exercise the body but the brain as well. This extra effort your brain has to put into these stretches helps improve/stimulate brain plasticity which improves overall brain health and function.

When done properly, stretching can help to improve overall body coordination, as well as improve your body/brain’s ability to learn new physical tasks more quickly. These simple tasks can have huge benefits to long term quality of life from maintaining or improving coordination as we said before but also improving or maintaining flexibility and range of motion which can lower the chance of injury.

Just remember that even if you are in a hurry your cooldown is an integral part of your overall fitness regimen and does more for your fitness then you may initially realise.

Cool Down Structure (30 Second Each)

Boxer Shuffle
Over Head Tricep Stretch w/ Inside Thigh Stretch (L)
Over Head Tricep Stretch w/ Inside Thigh Stretch (R)
Torso Twist w/ Arm Cross Stretch (L)
Torso Twist w/ Arm Cross Stretch (R)
Toe Touch w/ Overhead Shoulder Stretch
Standing Quad Stretch w/ Chest Stretch(L)
Standing Quad Stretch w/ Chest Stretch(R)
Neck Stretch w/ Wrist Stretch (L)
Neck Stretch w/ Wrist Stretch (R)

Deep Glute Stretch (L)
Deep Glute Stretch (R)
Cobra
Shell Stretch

Though Yoga did not get a foothold in the United States until the 1960’s, it has actually been a legitimate form of exercise for centuries, with stone statues depicting yoga poses found in the Indus Valley dating back 5,000 years or more (according to the American Yoga Association). Just because it has been around a long time is not a good enough reason to do it, but the health benefits are.

Yoga has a number of very important health benefits but, since the first thing most people think of is flexibility, lets start with that.
Flexibility:

Poses done in Yoga can improve your overall flexibility and joint range of motion, which can combat a number of issues that arise for those who do a lot of traditional strength training, or just have physical jobs. The damage done to muscle tissue from strength training especially but also everyday life activities can build up what is essentially scar tissue in the muscles that can over the years reduce a muscle's maximum range causing joint pain, posture issues, uneven wear of joints and more. So by working on flexibility around all of your joints and muscles you can effectively improve overall body function and quality of life.

Heart Health:
Yoga has been linked to lowering blood pressure and heart rate and it does this not only by means of releasing “good” hormones into your body like many other forms of exercise but it can also have an extra stress relieving effect which bumps up those “good” hormones and drops the “bad” ones even more. There are even studies that suggest yoga can improve immune function in the body.

Breathing and Body Awareness:
When breathing is focused on during a Yoga routine extra care is taken to keep lungs open which causes the body to have to work against some of its natural tendencies to hold the breath. This hold is typical seen while doing movements that require the abdominals, obliques and lower back to contract to stabilize a position or to move through a position. By concentrating on keeping your lungs open, you train your body to be more “connected” in the sense that you are teaching your body to be able to use all muscle groups simultaneously rather than just a few at a time which typically is easier for your body not just in energy consumption but also concentration.

By forcing your body to work in a more “complete” way you also inadvertently teach your body how to adapt to changing demands more readily. This happens not so much in the muscles themselves but in the brain and how the brain processes physical demands. This is one of the most important aspects of Yoga, or any other type of functional, multi planer exercises.

If you need to improve flexibility and you would also like an extra boost to heart health and body awareness then Yoga is definitely a good place to start especially this routine which uses relatively beginner friendly moves. If you are a true beginner and are not very flexible than just limit your range of motion as needed. Just keep at it on a regular basis and you will improve your flexibility in no time.

Workout Structure:
- Freeform Routine
- Total Body Yoga Stretch

Equipment:
- Exercise Mat (optional)

Warm Up/Cooldown:
- None Needed

The HIIT structure of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off is a great way to keep things fun, interesting and effective during a workout - even if you're not doing high impact exercises. For that reason, we've put together an interval cardio workout that uses only low impact moves, meaning that the even beginners can reap the rewards of metabolism boosting high intensity interval training.

Most people think of high impact exercises like jump squats, star jumps, and Burpees when they think of HIIT, but the truth is that HIIT can be relative to your own fitness level. For example, if 20 seconds of marching in place feels difficult to you and by the end of that interval you feel like you can't go on much longer, congratulations; you're officially technically practicing high intensity interval training. It's great because HIIT is incredibly effective, not just at lowering body fat but at quickly increasing endurance, and improving insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation, just to name a few of the many benefits.

Whether you're new to exercising or you just want to go light on your cardio routine today, we think you'll love this low impact HIIT that uses what we consider the 4 best bodyweight cardio exercises that involve no jumping at all.

Workout Structure
4 Exercises
20 Seconds on, 10 seconds rest, 4x through for each exercise
No equipment
Warm up and cool down not included

The 4 Best Low Impact Cardio Exercises
1) Walkdown Push Ups - We love these because they force multiple muscle groups to engage as you walk down into a plank; the push up at the bottom is arguably one of the best bodyweight exercises period (there are very few muscles not used during a push up), and the "walking" to a tall plank and back places demands on your core strength while increasing range of motion and flexibility in the body.

2) Squats + Kicks -The squat is easily modified for beginners (squat as shallow as you need to until you've got the form down & your strength increases) and the kicks are an easy cardio component that target the core muscles and the leg muscles.

3) Lateral Step Pulls - The lateral steps target the butt and thighs (with the abs/core playing a supporting role) while the standing rows target the muscles of the upper back. Make sure to focus on really contracting those muscles, pretending to "work against yourself" in the motion, to get the most out of the exercise.
4) 3 Punches + 2 High Knee Pulls - This is a great cardiovacular combo that targets the arms, shoulders, thighs, and core. Throw three punches and then bring your elbows to each knee in a pulling motion. Make sure to switch which side of the body is throwing the first punch each time - don't feel discouraged if you feel uncoordinated; that's part of the point and challenge!

Whether you are a pro athlete or an exercise novice, low impact exercise can be a very important part of your fitness plan.

The human body cannot and should not be pushed to its limits with HIIT or strength training on a daily basis. Some of your biggest fitness gains, no matter your fitness level, will happen while you are resting. If you don't allow yourself proper rest, you run the risk of not only undoing the hard work that you're putting in towards your workouts, but also causing serious harm to your body. If you haven't heard of overtraining, you should at least take the time to briefly familiarize yourself with the condition; it's a real thing and it should be taken seriously (see below for a couple of quick warning signs).

Because we want to encourage people to live an active, balanced lifestyle, these beginner workouts, or low impact workouts, are an important part of Fitness Blender - for the people who are looking for an introductory workout, and for the people who are looking to stay active - using very light workouts to get a bit of a calorie burn boost without the strain of an intensive workout.

This is a no-jump, low impact workout that makes for a good starting place if you are brand new to exercise or looking to take it easy on your joints.

Workout Structure
10 Different intervals
50 Seconds on; 10 seconds off
No equipment (exercise mat optional)
No warm up or cool down included

Printable Low Impact Cardio Workout
1 Warrior Lunges
2 Toe Touch Kick + Floor Tap
3 3 High Knees + Kick
4 Walk Down + Side Star
5 3 Torso Twists + Knee
6 Tricep Push Ups to Cobra
7 Bicycle Crunches
8 Back Bow Pulls
9 3 Flutterkicks + Leg Pulls
10 Leg Cross Bridges (alternating)

Signs of overtraining (for beginners or advanced exercisers)
- Mood swings; depression or an altered mood (agitation, shorter temper, etc)
- An increase in illness or injuries; either can be a sign that you're pushing yourself too hard, too often
- Changes in appetite (especially a decreased appetite)
- An elevated heart rate (even while you're resting)
- A change in menstrual cycle (for women; missed periods are something to consider, especially in the presence of these other symptoms)
- Excessive fatigue
- If your usual workouts are feeling much harder than normal and you have stopped making gains, you may actually need a rest
- Body aches that are not easily explained (different from delayed onset muscle soreness)

If you ever feel like you have noticed a number of these items being true for you, talk to your doctor and consider taking your workouts down a notch for a least a little while. Our bodies are constantly sending us signals; do yourself a favor and don't ignore them!

Whether you are looking to increase your flexibility, or reduce cramps, body aches, and stress, we think you'll like this very gentle yoga, Pilates, stretching blend.

You wont find the Fitness Blender calorie bar or interval timer in this particular workout video. That's because the sole focus of this workout is to carve out some quiet time in your day, and to relieve your body's muscles and your mind from any stress that you might be carrying. Don't worry about calories burned, just clear your head and move smoothly through this fluid series of stretches and core strengthening exercises. Don't worry about moving at the exact same pace as me, just focus on loosely following along, doing lots of deep breathing, and try to force any stressful thoughts of of your head, if not even just for these 27 minutes.

As is stressed throughout the workout video; none of these exercises should cause you any pain. If you're feeling pain, you need to use a smaller range of motion in that stretch. It takes a lot of practice to increase flexibility, so be patient with yourself, and listen to the feedback that your body is constantly sending you. Read more how long after working out do you start to see results? - A breakdown by goal.

Use slow, controlled movements while you're doing this workout. You are highly likely to sprain something if you try to gain more range of motion in any stretch by using bouncing or jerking motions.

If you're having back pain, it's always best to talk to your doctor before doing any set of stretches or exercises. With that said, a lot of the exercises in this routine are fantastic for either building up strength and integrity in the lower back, or for reducing back pain and/or stiffness.

How often can I do this workout? You can do this stretching workout as often as you like, even multiple times a day.

When should I do this workout?
You can do this routine anytime of the day, but because this mixed Pilates yoga workout is so mellow, it makes for a great stretching workout before bedtime. Just start this routine about an hour before you want to go to sleep, and you may even find that you fall asleep faster, and get a more thorough rest. The only time that you should not use this stretching routine is right before a more intense workout (prolonged stretching is best saved for after workouts, in order to prevent avoidable injuries). If you feel like you need a long stretch, this can even make for a great cool down workout.

You guys have been asking for a lengthier stretching workout for a very long time, so I hope this workout hits the spot. Let me know if you liked the format of this relaxing routine and I would be happy to create more like it.

Fast, easy, and fun, this cardio warm up will help you burn off a few extra calories and thoroughly prepare you for whatever workout that you might have in store for the day.

Light cardio warm up exercises like these are a great way to help avoid preventable injuries during your regular workout. They also allow you to push yourself harder safely during your actual routine. That means that a warm up is not only safe and smart, but can actually help you get more out of your "real" workout. That means that if you're doing a HIIT workout, you can push yourself further, and burn more calories. If you're doing strength training, that might mean that you're able to hit a new maximum in your lifting, and it might allow you to eventually build additional muscle, size or strength. Either way, a good warm up is absolutely an important part of your workout that should not be underestimated.

Another great way to use this short cardio workout would be doing it periodically during the long work day, especially if you have a desk job. Taking just five minutes to get up and move around can help alleviate everything from a headache to a backache, and it helps redirect your focus and keep up healthy circulation. When you find yourself staring at the computer screen with no breaks for more than 60-90 minutes, try standing up and doing some of the exercises in this video in order to give your brain, eyes, and body a break.

Workout Structure
25 Seconds per Interval
Under 5 Minutes Total
No Equipment

Printable Workout
Boxer Shuffle
2 Twists + Knee
Butt Kickers
Squat + Stretch
Fly Jacks
Toe Touch & Reach
Toe Touch Kicks
Walkdown + Cobra
Jumping Jacks
Lunge + Reach
What next? Pick a Fitness Blender workout video that you will love! This warm up prepares you for anything - from high intensity interval training to yoga, Pilates to strength training.

At some point everyone is a beginner at any given talent, skill, or knowledge and the knowledge and skill of exercise is no different. Though some people may have a fuzzy memory of playing sports as a child others may have never done anything more than attempting to run to their car to avoid being rained on.

No matter which category you identify with most, starting into an physical fitness program and feeling like a beginner can be a scary and daunting obstacle. We have made this video specifically for those who have no formal training or experience following an exercise routine as a way to ease yourself into exercise. We have chosen exercises that can be modified to be easy but can also be modified to be difficult so even if you are starting with very little strength, this routine can work for you and if you are starting from having some strength but just a bit out of shape then this routine can also fit your needs as well.

For example if you know you are particularly weak in your legs then you can limit the distance you move with each exercise motion to make that particular exercise easier to complete. Where if you know you have strong legs then you can attempt a more full range of motion as long as you can comfortably control your body through that full range. Everyone is different so everyone will need to start at a different level of difficulty and the only way you can decide what is right for you is by trying it and listening to your body.

In this video we go through two set of 10 repetitions, meaning we will do 10 motions of each exercise, pause for a small rest then complete another 10. Now, though that is what we use in the video you do have to or need to start there. In fact it would be better to start with just a few repetitions (4-6) and only do one set until you know how your body will react to the entire routine. If you are not sore or in discomfort the next day then by all means add more repetitions or sets until you do start to feel a small amount of soreness the next day. Once you hit that point try to focus on improving your form by completing a more full range of motion every time you do this video again. And once you can do this exercise with perfect form and full range, then you can add additional weight to make each exercise harder.

One of the best pieces of advice I can give to beginners is this; no matter how quickly you want to see results take your time and progress slowly. If you start well below what you think you are capable of and slowly increase it will not only improve your chances of sticking with an physical fitness routine but it will also drastically reduce your chances for injury and overtaxing yourself and giving up.

This video uses the following exercises in the order shown.

Low Impact for Beginners

Warm Up
(1 Set of 20 Seconds for each motion)

Total Body Strength and Toning
(2 Sets of 10 repetitions for each movement)

Alternating Lunge
Push Up
Squat
Bent over Arm Circles
Ice Skaters
Lateral Arm Raises
Core (Abs, Obliques, Lower Back)
(2 sets of 10 repetitions for each movement)

Crunch
Side Hip Raise (Left)
Side Hip Raise (Right)
Pilates Swimmers
Cool Down/Stretch

(1 set of ~20 seconds each stretch)

This 7 minute bodyweight workout is great for those who want to tax all of the muscles in their body in minimal time, with minimal jarring impact on the joints.

High intensity interval training tends to be very high impact; this routine is not. HIIT workouts use moves that tax your body to the extent that you would not be able to maintain that level of exertion for any extended period of time. These exercises are definitely not as cardiovascular challenging as the ones that you will find in our other HIIT workout videos, but this is still a great option for beginners, those who need low impact exercises while recovering from injuries, and those who want to challenge their muscles in a different way than normal on a “recovery” day between tougher workouts

There are just 2 exercises in this routine and you wont need any equipment at all.

Routine Structure: 2 Exercises
20 Seconds Active; 10 Seconds Rest x 2 (per side of the body)
2 Rounds

Low Impact Exercises
Squat Circles + Rows
Stand with feet together, bend your knees and stick your butt out behind you to lower into a ski squat. Maintain this static squat position while you lift one foot from its position as a stabilizer, and use it to draw a circle around that side of your body. The entire time, have your arms pulling & pushing in an above-the-head Row motion. Once your foot is back in the starting position, repeat on the opposite foot. Don’t let up from the squat position until the active interval is over (unless you start to fatigue and form is jeopardized). Deltoids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, your entire core, butt and thighs all get a good working over with this move.

Single Leg Deadlifts + Arm Circles Balance on one leg and hinge at the hip joint with a flat back to lower into a Single Leg Deadlift. All the while, have your arms extended straight out at the shoulder joint, doing small arm circles. The motion looks a little goofy but it’s incredibly effective at increasing balance and toning the thighs, glutes, abs and lower back, shoulders and arms.

In order to get the most benefit from this workout, make sure that your motions are extremely deliberate. For example, with the rowing motion in the first exercise, focus on working against yourself, providing resistance with your own body.

You can also increase the difficultly level, intensity, and caloric burn of this routine by holding onto weights while you do the exercises. It would not take much weight to significantly increase the challenge of these exercises.

Calories Burned
We estimate that this routine can burn 5-7 calories a minute. This is not an incredibly high rate of expenditure but it is also great at toning and building lean muscle. If you are looking for a higher calorie burn via workouts for bad knees, you could definitely pair this video with some of our low impact cardio workouts that are meant to be easy on those joints. You could also repeat this workout more than once – sequentially or at separate times during the day – in order to see better results, faster.

As a side note for those of you who are looking to avoid high impact workouts or who are looking to stay lean while temporarily unable to do more intense workouts due to injuries, another great low impact option is always strength training. Strength training burns calories while you are doing it, but even better, it also builds lean muscle that will help you to burn calories at a higher rate, even while you are not working out. Think of muscle building routines as an investment for a faster metabolism.

HIIT workouts are known for being wildly intense and wildly effective, but they aren’t notorious for catering to many fitness levels outside of that of the elite.

Fitness Blender’s Beginner HIIT Workout is by no means easy, but it does strive to accommodate those who are not quite ready to tackle those high intensity interval training routines that require full blown, 110%, total body exertion.

For those that are well accustomed to regular cardio, this HIIT video will serve as a great routine to get the heart rate up and the muscles toned. On the other hand, if you are not an avid exerciser, this workout will be a great way to challenge yourself and take your fitness to the next level. This is a great routine for fat burning and muscle toning – an ideal way for a beginner to intermediate level exerciser to get the benefits of a HIIT plan without as much of the jarring impact or extreme, full out exertion periods.

How to do this workout
After a 4-minute cardio warm up, your muscles will be warmed and ready to work. That’s when we jump into the HIIT portion of our routine that engages the upper body, lower body, and core.

Warm Up Exercises
• Crossover Toe Touch Stretch
• Standing Crisscross Crunches
• Torso Rotations
• High Kicks
• Leg Swings, Front to Back

HIIT Exercises
• Jumping Jacks
• Ski Squats + Kicks
• Traveling Push Ups
• Crossover Crunches
• Fingertip to Toe Jacks

Workout Structure: For the exercises in the highest intensity part of the routine, you will do 20 seconds on, and 10 seconds off, three times through. Then you will move onto the next exercise. After you have gone through all five exercises in the plan, you will get two minutes of active rest.

For the active rest interval, make sure that you keep moving. You can march in place, do jumping jacks, or just pace around the room – just make sure that you don’t sit or lie down.

Once your active rest period is over, you are going to repeat the HIIT exercises once more.

How many calories does this Fitness Blender HIIT workout burn?
One of the biggest factors in how many calories any given program burns is the fitness level of the individual who is doing it – it’s all relative. For example, if you are out of shape, this routine may have you gasping for breath and sweating up a storm (actually it might even do that if you are in fairly good shape!). If you do this workout and find that that is the case for you, you are likely burning a higher number of calories per minute than the avid exerciser who just breezes right through the routine without feeling much of a challenge.

With that said, we estimate that this video burns between 7-12 calories a minute, or 152-252 calories. This number will vary depending on your weight (if you weigh more than 190 pounds you will likely burn more than is given in the estimate above), your gender (men burn up energy at a higher rate), and lean muscle mass.

How often should I do this workout?
This is technically a HIIT routine because of the way that it is structured, but because it is for beginners, the exercises are not remarkably high impact. Because of that, you could do this workout video more often than you would a more typical high intensity interval training routine (three to four times a week, max for traditional versions).

You could use this routine 5-6 days a week, though we do recommend that you choose a combination of other Fitness Blender videos in order to keep your muscles guessing and the workouts maximally effective.

Does anyone else out there work a sedentary job? Or, spend long hours in lectures, or reading and studying as a student? Despite owning a fitness company, I spend the vast majority of my work day sitting on my bum in meetings or working on my laptop. A lot of us have work days like this, despite the fact that sitting for long hours is horrible for the health of our bodies. One way to diminish the negative effects of prolonged inactivity is (surprise?) working short bouts of exercise into your day.

It doesn't have to be complicated, and even a little bit is way better than nothing. In fact, if you do "even a little bit" several times a day, it can end up adding up to a significant amount of movement. This workout has exercises that can be done anywhere - it's a no equipment cardio workout that requires less than ten minutes of your time. You can do this in your office, break room, or dorm room. It's a total body cardio workout, which makes it an excellent option for warming up before tough workouts.

Exercise is one of those things that we often feel like we don't have time for, but the truth is that we're likely to be more creative, focused, and efficient after we've had a good workout. Know that dedicating time to movement is absolutely, without a doubt, worth your time.

Workout Structure
This quick cardio workout uses 30 second intervals back to back (no rest) in order to warm up all of the major muscle groups, wake the body & brain up, and burn off a few extra calories.

Jog in Place
High Knee March
Chest Opener & Reach
Arm Swing Butt Kickers
Up & Over Steps
Deadlift Fly
Toe Touch Kicks
(other side)
Jumping Jacks
Step Kicks
(other side)
Squats
Lunges
Walkdown Toe Taps
Push Ups
Plank Toe Taps
Lateral Jumps
Jump Squat Combo

Anytime you find yourself in a slump or starting to have trouble focusing - whether you're at work, studying, or anything else - try adding this quick workout in and you will likely notice a difference in how effective you are.

This workout is light enough that you could do it frequently, so if you're looking for a smart warm up or something to break up a sedentary work day, make sure to save this workout to your favorites!

Cardio kickboxing and bodyweight cardio moves come together for a sweaty interval workout that is great for burning fat and improving cardiovascular endurance. This is a total body workout; targeting all of the major muscle groups lightly, with a heavy emphasis on core and lower body. A workout like this one is a great way to blow off steam and lower stress levels. Do your best to push yourself throughout this workout and you’re going to find that you’re a sweaty, satisfied mess at the end.

You won't need any equipment at all for this home workout, and it can easily be done in a small space - with slight modifications, this can easily be an apartment or hotel workout (just watch for the low impact modifications if you’re worried about neighbors below).

We’ve also tried to keep this workout as excuse-proof and convenient as possible by including your warm up; make sure not to skip a good cool down & stretch, as each are an important part of a smart, effective, safe workout.

This routine is easily scaleable in difficulty, so watch for modification cues throughout if you’re looking to make the routine easier, low impact, or more difficult. Feel free to take longer or shorter rest periods as you need to; when you’re working out alone, it’s 100% up to you to modify in order to make certain that you’re pushing yourself in order to get the most out of this routine.

If you’re reading this and on the fence about working out - we encourage you to stop contemplating and jump right in. This workout is fun and it goes by fast - turn on some music, put on some comfortable clothes and earn your workout complete.

Workout Structure
After a quick cardio warm up, we’ll be doing intervals consisting of 40 seconds of activity, followed by 15 seconds of active rest. Exercises are in groups of two - one dynamic bodyweight move and one cardio kickboxing move. We’ll repeat each twice in an AB, AB format before moving onto the next group of exercises.

Warm Up: (25 seconds each)
Boxer Shuffle
Overhead Stretch + Back/Chest Stretch
Toe Touch Circles
Torso Twist + Knee
Row + Lateral Step
2 Butt Kickers + Front Kick
Slow Burpee
Squats
Leg Swing Toe Touches

Cardio Kickboxing Workout: 40 seconds each exercise with 15 sec jog/boxer shuffle in-between each exercise. Do alternating sets of each group of two exercises for a total of two sets per exercise.

Jumping Jack Tap Down
2 Hook + 2 Upper Cuts + Drop

2 Side Squats + Curtsy
Jab Cross Jab Knee (switch stances)

---Water Break---

2 Front Kicks + Side Lunge
3 Hook Jumping Jacks

2 Knees + Switch
Pivot Squats

Walkdown Plank Slaps
2 Hooks + Duck

Cool Down

Have fun, work hard, and happy Workout Complete!

We love this routine because it's incredibly versatile. Aside from the wide range of fitness levels that it can appeal to (because of all of the available modifications that we point out as we go) it can be used in a lot of different ways depending on what your needs and goals are. How to use this workout; toning, strength, and/or cardio For example, you could use this as a low impact cardio routine - done properly, this workout will get your heart rate up and have you sweating, all without a single jumping motion. You can also use this as a toning routine - I know a lot of people hate the word "toning" at this point, but like it or not, it is an actual, real concept in fitness. High rep with no/low weight will cause the muscle you do have to remain taut, even after you're done exercising. The more aggressive form (the one more effective for long term results, weight & fat loss) is strength training. When you lift heavily (typically high weight, low rep) to tear muscle fibers you cause a greater metabolic disturbance as well as causing the muscle tissue to heal back stronger and with a higher permanent energy need (i.e. a faster metabolism, even while at rest). If you want to use this for cardio and toning, be sure to constantly keep your muscles engaged and never let them rest - even when you're not using a specific body part, keep those muscles contracted as well. This takes a little bit more discipline and focus, but can dramatically increase the amount of calories burned through this routine as well as the cardiovascular effect. To use it for a high cardio strength workout, simply add resistance.

Workout Structure
- Quick cardio warm up
- Low impact toning and cardio routine
- Cool down & stretch included

Warm Up
- 45 Seconds each

- Walking in place
- Up and Outs (slow)
- Squatted Push and Pull
- Torso Circles
- Front Leg Raises (Left)
- Front Leg Raises (Right)
- Side Step Jumping Jack

Printable Low Impact Cardio Workout:
- 45 Seconds each, with a 15 second break in between each (done in groups of 2 in an ABAB format)

- Slow Burpee
- Side Lunge and Reach (alternating)
- Plank w/ Lift (arms and legs)
- Sumo Squat Calf Raise
- Side Plank Leg Lift (Left)
- Side Plank Leg Lift (Right)
- Deep Squat
- Side Step Jumping Jack

Cool down & stretch

I built this workout because I was craving a return to the more classic bodyweight boot camp exercises, the ones that have been around forever, and for good reason; they're effective. I love that the combination of these bodyweight exercises allows you to touch on every muscle group, in 15 minutes or less. And, you don't need any equipment to get it done, meaning that there are no excuses not to complete it.

These are the exercises we used the most in our very first workout videos, years ago now, so they have some sentimental value for me. Yes, even the Burpees, though that is a complicated love/hate relationship - which I think a lot of you can relate to.

The best part about this workout is that it's over quickly. Don't over think it when it comes to this routine, just do a quick cardio warm up and jump right in. I had already filmed a workout before I did this one, and was feeling a lot of dread in terms of getting excited to push myself again. I mustered up the motivation and felt so much better when I was done; satisfied that I had pushed myself through it, and less stressed than when I first began.

Workout Structure
9 Exercises
35 Seconds On; 10 Seconds Rest
Two Round Through
No equipment
No warm up or cool down, both are recommended

Printable Workout
Lateral Jumps
Alternating Lunges
Burpees
Butt Kickers
Push Ups
Jump Squats
Crunches
Back Bows
Jumping Jacks

Remember to choose both a warm up and cool down video using our search tool for that category.

There is a quick rest period in between rounds one and two. Use this as a chance to catch your breath if you need it, and hit pause for a quick water break if necessary. Just make sure that you don't take too long of a break, and never stop move; you don't want your muscles to get cold.

On the second round through, I forgot the Jump Squats, so if you want to make sure that you have even rounds of the exercises, throw in an extra 35 seconds of those at the end of this routine. Even if you don't do them on your own, don't worry; you still got in a great workout.

Which of these traditional, go-to exercises is your favorite? What about your least favorite?

This endurance, burnout style workout is going to sneak right up on you and likely give you some pretty sore muscles the next day.

Here's how it works; there are ten exercises, each of which you'll be doing for a time interval that descends as you go. You'll start out doing each exercise for a whopping two full minutes, meaning that the remaining two - the 1 minute and 30 second intervals, are going to feel very difficult to complete as well. It's a 43 minute fat burning low impact workout to really burnout your muscles, without jarring your joints.

We've rated this workout a 3/5 on the difficulty scale, just because it's so versatile in terms of the wide variance of fitness levels that it can accommodate. Technically, these are all very simple, relatively easy exercises. They are low impact exercises; easy on the body and manageable for a beginner. The potential challenge lies in the number of reps that you do. While this is a perfect low impact beginner workout, allowing a person to stop the routine and take extra breaks whenever necessary, more advanced exercisers are also going to find their muscles screaming if they push themselves in order to complete the hardest version of any of these bodyweight exercises, all the way through the time interval. You can even turn this into an incredibly difficult workout by adding weights (for example, during the arm circles, bridges, squats, etc)

Workout Structure
10 Exercises
Three Intervals: 2 Minutes, 1 Minute, and 30 Seconds
10 Seconds rest in between each exercise; this is a pretty quick transition, so be ready to move

Note: If and when your form starts to suffer, stop and take a minute to shake out your limbs. It's better to do the exercises for less time with perfect form than it is to go for longer time periods or more reps, with lousy form. If you need to take a break, don't feel bad. Just get right back into the motion as soon as you've caught your breath and feel ready to push yourself again.

Bodyweight exercises in this routine
Crunches
Squatting Calf Raises
Push Ups
Alternating Lunges
Arm Circles (switch directions halfway through)
Bridge
Front Leg Raises - Left
Front Leg Raises - Right
Oblique Crunches + Leg Raises - Left
Oblique Crunches + Leg Raises - Right

There is no warm up or cool down included in this video; make sure you choose one of each from our workout videos in order to help reduce next day soreness.

What did you think of this burnout workout challenge? Did you make it through all of the time intervals without taking any extra breaks?

Why work so hard to get a "summer body"? Shouldn't we want strong, healthy, fit bodies all year long? Add this Bikini Body Pilates Workout video to your regular program and you'll feel ready to throw on your bathing suit any time of the year.

Pilates is known for creating long lean muscles, a strong core, and a dancer like physique. The lesser known benefits are that it can actually increase flexibility and range of motion, improve posture (lessening back stiffness and discomfort), and boost the mind-body connection. With the emphasis on range of movement and focused breathing, it forces you to be aware of your weaknesses, and it can even serve as a sort of meditative, centering activity once you get the hang of it. If superficial, appearance related benefits aren't enough to motivate you, you should realize that there are many other (more significant) benefits to doing this kind of workout other than a tight toned stomach, and killer lean legs.

Bikini Body Pilates Structure
Just like in a Pilates class, we'll walk you through each Pilates exercise, step by step. There are varying reps for each move; follow the instructions in the upper left hand screen and Daniel's instructions and you wont have any trouble at all keeping up. Many of these moves are progressive in difficulty - if one version is too hard for you to complete with proper form, simply stick with the hardest version that you can manage until we move onto the next exercise.

Exercises in this routine
Imprint
Toe Taps (Levels 1 & 2)
Hundreds (Levels 1-3)
Breast Stroke
Heel Taps
Heel Tap Pulses
3 Way Side Leg Raises - Toes down, up, and level
Small Pilates Leg Circles
Large Leg Circles
Hip Raises (Levels 1 & 2)
Seated Straight Leg Lift

Who is this Pilates Workout meant for?
Everyone. This is a low impact workout that works well on recovery days for a more rigorous program full of HIIT and/or strength training. Because it's easy on the body and versatile in difficulty, it's also a great Pilates workout for beginners. No matter what your fitness goals are, you need a well rounded program in order to be truly healthy and fit. People who are lifting heavy in order to gain muscle mass or even size can benefit from Pilates because of the flexibility benefits - similarly, people who are trying to get a lean body with Pilates would also benefit from doing strength training (yes, even lifting heavily) in order to add muscle mass to help reduce body fat more quickly. Long story short, make sure that your workout program is dynamic - we have videos of every training style out there, so you're high and dry in terms of the excuse of not having access to any free resources!

How often can I do this workout?
Because it's a low impact workout that's easy on the body, you could do this routine 3-5 times a week, though as we mentioned before, we recommend that you use our workout videos to create a program that uses multiple training styles for best results.

You don’t need an expensive gym membership or hours and hours of daily exercise in order to get in good shape.

All it takes is commitment, the willingness to make fitness a priority in your life, and a little creativity in putting your own bodyweight to good use in order to create a smart, well rounded, dynamic program – and that’s what you’ve got Fitness Blender for.

Short workouts done periodically throughout the day are not only “good enough” for maintaining or losing weight and good health, they can be even more advantageous than longer duration sessions.

Think of it this way; each time you get a good sweat going and your metabolism kicked into full gear, it takes a while for your body to return to it’s normal rate of caloric expenditure. It is easy logic that you would want to “jumpstart” your metabolism not just once a day, but multiple times a day, to maximize the number of hours that your body is burning calories at a higher rate than normal.

High intensity interval training cardio (like this routine) and strength training provide the most drastic after burn effect - much more so than steady state cardio which is typically done at a significantly lessened level of exertion.

How to use this routine:
There are many different options that depend on how much extra time you’ve got in the day, your training/fitness goals, and more.

Here are a few ideas depending on whether you are on a cardio/recovery day, or strength training day:

Cardio Day: For a longer cardio session, do this routine in conjunction with one of Fitness Blender’s cardio workouts that are lengthier, to make up a cardio session that is 20-70 minutes total. If you’re looking to lose weight and burn belly fat but your schedule is jam packed, squeeze this 8 minute routine into your day 2-3 separate times to get the highest calorie burn for your efforts.

Strength Training Day: This can also serve as an advanced warm up before starting a toning or strength training workout. Your muscles will definitely be warm by the time you are done and it will bump up your overall calorie burn as well.

Workout Structure
8 Exercises
50 Second Intervals
No Equipment
10 Second Transition between intervals where a demonstration
is shown for the next exercise

Printable Workout
Jump Squat Twists – Holding a static squat, move both hands to the outside right thigh; then to the left; then back to the right before jumping explosively upward out of the squat. Go right back into the squat & repeat, this time starting on the left.

Lateral Burpees – Drop down & kick your feet out into a plank, jump straight back up, jump to the side and immediately go back down into a Burpee.

Windmill Steps – Take a long step (or leap to make it harder) to the side, windmilling arms overhead. Use strong movements, keeping all muscles tight throughout the motion.

Toe Touch Jacks – Jump feet apart and hands overhead like you would with a traditional jumping jack. Jump feet back together and swiftly bend down in a squat to touch your toes; from this position, jump back into the top of the motion (feet spread, arms overhead).

2 Knees + 2 Side Leg Raises – Pull 2 knees upward, then kick each leg out to the side – be careful to use controlled motions, not momentum.

Plank Tuck & Lifts – Hold a static plank and lift one knee up to your elbow, then back out directly up into a lift. Alternate repetitions on each side.

Heel Tap Hops – Stand with feet hip width apart and jump upwards, tapping your heels together quickly before landing with feet back in their starting position.

Jab + Cross + 2 Kicks – Just like it sounds; hop in between each repetition in order to alternate which side is doing the work.

How many calories does this burn?
We estimate that this Cardio Butt Buster burns between 8-12 calories a minute. Remember, you can maximize your benefit & your belly fat burning results if you pair it with some of our lengthier videos, or if you repeat it multiple times in the day.

All of the exercises in this routine are fun, extremely effective, and time efficient. There are just seven bodyweight exercises in this routine, but each of them are a hybrid of at least 2 moves, fused together to bring you the maximum results in the least amount of time possible.

Some workouts of this nature focus on the shoulders, or the glutes, or maybe the thighs. In Fitness Blender’s Little Black Dress Workout, there are no muscle groups neglected - think about it; what part of your body do you not want to feel good about while you’re wearing a LBD? These exercises tackle the muscles of the upper body, lower body, and everything in between, all while burning off a decent amount of calories.

Here’s a complete breakdown of both the routine; how to do the exercises, where you should feel them working, muscles used, and more.

Basic Structure
7 Exercises
50 Seconds Each
10 Second Rest/Transition

Pulsing Reverse Lunge + Lifts – Step back into a reverse lunge; stay down at the bottom of the range of motion for two pulses. Come back up from your lunge and balance on your leading foot to do 2 pulsing leg lifts on the opposite leg. Glutes and thighs will be working overtime, and your entire core will pitch in to stabilize.

Downward Dog Lifts + Pike Push Ups – From a Downward Dog position, do a leg lift on each leg before bending at the elbows to lower your head towards the ground in a Pike Push Up. Again, glutes, thighs, and core all get worked over, and this time the push up motion also utilizes your deltoids, trapezius, triceps, and chest.

Pendulum Squats – Swing your legs in our “pendulum” style for four counts, then drop straight down into a squat; go directly back into the leg swinging motion. Aside from toning the entire lower body and calling upon the oblique muscles, this one gets your heart rate up and helps bump up the caloric burn.

Crab Kick Bridge + Tricep Dips – Sit with weight in feet and hands, belly facing up towards the ceiling. Extend each leg quickly in a kicking motion, and then bend at the elbows to do a tricep dip. This is a great exercise for your core (including lower back), quads, and triceps.

3 Jacks + Walkdown Push Ups – Just like it sounds; do three Jumping Jacks, and then bend over, plae your hands flat on the floor and “walk” out to a push up position. Do a push up and then “walk” back up. Repeat this total body exercise for 50 seconds.

Squats + Pulses – 30 Seconds of regular squats, 20 seconds of pulses at the bottom of the range of motion. There is no need for me to tell you where you will feel this one; those engaged muscles will not go unheard during this interval.

Plank Touchdowns – Go into a plank position with your bodyweight in your forearms and toes. Lower one hip muscle to “tap” the floor. Come directly back up into the plank (without resting on the ground) and then repeat the tapping on the opposite hip. Go back and forth through the entire interval, not taking a rest unless you really need to. This is a great core workout but really most of the muscles in the body have to engage at least slightly to pull this move off.

How to pair this workout with our other routines
This workout is not technically full-blown cardio but it will definitely have you sweating and maybe even huffing and puffing a bit. It pairs very well with a couple of our short cardio routines; say 10 minutes before and another 10 minutes after, if you are feeling really motivated and want to burn a great deal of calories and/or tone up fast.

Calories Burned
We estimate that this workout burns 5-8 calories per minute.

Feel good in your LBD, no matter your shape or size. The only thing that really matters is that your body is healthy, not how it looks in a dress.

Coming in at just under 20 minutes, this Cardio Boot Camp workout blasts calories and tones the body quickly.

Here’s how this routine is structured: for one-minute intervals, you will do a bodyweight toning exercise that is heavily taxing on your cardiovascular endurance. In between each exercise, there is a fifteen second rest period where you will see a clip of what exercise is coming up next. There are five exercises total and the video includes three rounds of the entire routine.

Before each exercise interval begins, we count you down from the last 5 seconds so that you will be ready to start. We’ll also count you down when you’re in the last five seconds of a round, just before you get to rest.

There are a long list of variables that play into how many calories an individual will burn while doing this cardio workout video, including how hard you are willing to push yourself and what your current level of fitness is. With that said, we estimate that you can burn 185-245 calories with this routine.

If at any point during this routine you need a break, don’t hesitate to pause the video and take a breather. It’s important to push yourself and your limits, but you should also listen to your body and give yourself a break if you start to feel too uncomfortable. Sometimes just stopping for 5-10 seconds can be enough of a rest that you can jump back in and finish a round of an exercise.

Exercises in this toning and cardio boot camp workout:

Reverse Lunges with High Knee – Fantastic for toning and shaping the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, this bodyweight exercise also uses a large number of calories because of the large muscle groups involved. The addition of the high knee makes the move a bit more complex and calls upon your core for stabilization and your hip flexors to complete the motion.

Reaching Side Lunges with Jump – In addition to using the glutes, hamstrings and quads, the reaching movement engages your core (especially the obliques), and the jump in the middle keeps your heart rate nice and high (if it wasn’t already).

Power Skips – This is essentially a very exaggerated skip-in-place motion that primarily targets your calves and hip flexors, though it becomes a total body exercise in that both upper and lower body must work together to complete the movement.

Alternating Push Hops – This is a simple lightweight cardio move that has the main function of keeping you moving. You can punch alternating from left to right or use a motion as if you were pushing a wall further away from your body, just make sure that you are always using your opposite arm from the direction you are “pushing” or punching, and that your feet switch positions quickly with each direction change (see video).

Flutter Kick Squats – The simple addition of the “flutter” kick, where your feet briefly stop in two different positions before you sink into a squat, bumps up the challenge of the traditional squat a bit and helps you to burn even more calories during this routine. Make sure that you switch which foot leads in the flutter kick after each squat.

If you are looking to tone up quickly and increase your metabolism and your body’s ability to burn fat, this Cardio Boot Camp is a great go-to routine, especially if you are limited on time or workout equipment.

This home toning routine is a combination of some of my favorite exercises to work the entire body. These functional movements incorporate a wide range of muscle groups and challenge strength, endurance, and flexibility, making this a well-rounded, efficient workout.

In this routine there are 10 repetitions of eight different bodyweight exercises. There are three rounds total, making for a total workout time that is just over 32 minutes. Here’s a bit about the bodyweight exercises that make up this routine:

T Stabilizations are great for building balance control when moving through various planes. They force you to use multiple senses to know where your body is in space, all while forcing multiple muscles to work in unison to keep you from losing your balance. This is a fantastic exercise for building core strength and increasing your overall balance and body control.

Side Lunge with a Reach helps to tone and strengthen the whole lower body as well as tone the core. The use of multiple large muscle groups also forces the heart and lungs to build endurance as well.

Walk Down Push Ups incorporate challenges to flexibility and strength, making it a great functional exercise. Doing this motion challenges many muscles your body, literally from your neck to your toes, including your chest, abs, quads, lower back, shoulders, and traps. If you can’t do a full push up from your toes, you can make this move easier by dropping to your knees to do a half push up.

Leg Extension Crunches primarily work your abs but also engage your thighs, making it a good core exercise not only for toning and strengthening but also for burning some extra calories.

Tricep Push Up with Shell Stretch is a nice instant gratification exercise as you get to stretch the muscles you are using after every repetition. Taking that short pause to stretch after every repetition gives you time for your muscles to rest a bit, allowing you to keep your form nice and clean and do more repetitions before becoming tired.

Reverse Lunges with High Knees have all the benefits of a regular lunge, but also demand more from your core because it is forced to balance and stabilize your body weight each time you go up onto one leg. The high knee motion also further engages your hip flexors and your abdominal muscles.

Downward Dog with Leg Raise is a great glute exercise; the Downward Dog position significantly increases the range of movement possible for completing the leg lifting motion. This allows you to really comprehensively target those butt muscles. This move also helps to increase flexibility while at the same time building muscle strength and tone, similar to the benefit that Pilates offers.

Plank Rotation Kicks take a regular core-engaging plank and step it up a notch so that it tones more muscles and burns more calories. When you rotate and kick your leg out to each side, your obliques are engaged and your inside thigh and quads have to work harder to execute the motion. This is another exercise that is great for building balance and body control.

This workout video would be great to sandwich between two short bouts of cardio, ideally 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after, to make for an hour-long workout total.

Two of our most popular types of workout videos have to be HIIT and Core, so with this routine we thought we would pack both of these popular styles into the same workout. To add a little more of a spin to this routine we have also use combination movements for the HIIT exercises making it not only hard for your muscles but also hard for your brain. After all, you need to exercise your brain just like you would a muscle to make sure it stays sharp as you age.

With this 38+ minute workout we have set up multiple types of movements in different groups. We of course start off with a quick 5 minute warm up but feel free to do more if you have been particularly sedentary before starting this video or if you are just a bit stiff from a workout the day before. Once done with the warm up we start immediately with the first of three HIIT sections, each with their own particular style. Each HIIT section will be roughly 6 minutes long and consists of three groups of two exercises that we will be doing in an AB, AB format with our typical 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. There will not be any extra rest between groups so be sure to pay attention to what is coming up after each group is done.

In between each HIIT section we have also included a quick Core focused section to tone and strengthen your abdominals, obliques, and lower back. Each Core section will be roughly 2 minutes in length and consist of two individual exercises done for 50 seconds straight with a quick 10 second break to move into position for the second exercise in each section.

As with any routine, try and challenge yourself but be sure to keep your form under control. Because of the dynamic style of routine it may take you a few times through until you are comfortable enough with the movements to really challenge yourself. If you need to modify these exercises to make them easier or lower impact feel free as you should never feel as though you have to do these workouts exactly as we show them but should instead modify them to your needs so you can get the best workout for your needs and/or restrictions.

Hope you enjoy this routine and please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Warm Up: 5 Minutes
- Arm Circles
- Side Step Arm Cross
- Torso twist with Knee
- Toe touch Sweeps
- Warrior Overhead Reach L
- Warrior Overhead Reach R
- Squatting Push Pull
- Boxer Shuffle
- Up and Outs
- Jumping Jack

HIIT: Round 1 - 6 Minutes; 20 Seconds On, 10 Off, 2 Sets Each
- Burpee / Push Up
- Toe Touch Get Up

- Quick Feet Burpee
- Lateral / Squat Jump

- Star Jump / Burpee
- Sumo to Lunge Jump

Core: Round 1 - 2 Minutes; 50 On, 10 Off, 1 Set Each - Crisscross Crunch
- Toe Touch Crunch

HIIT: Round 2 - 6 Minutes
- High Knee / Jumping Jack (4 count :1)
- Mt. Climbers

- Squat Jack / Jump (3 Count :1)
- Lizard Hops

- Front Jack / Squat Pops (2 Count :2)
- Seal Push Up

Core: Round 2 - 2 Minutes
- Russian Twist
- Back Bow Twist

HIIT: Round 3 - 6 Minutes
- Star Jump / Knee
- Walk Down / Plank Knee

- Burpee / Jab Cross
- Supine Push Up / Toe Touch Get Up

- Jumping Lunge / Uppercut
- Jab Cross L/R

Core: Round 3 - 2 Minutes
- Side Hip Raise L
- Side Hip Raise R

Cool Down: 5 Minutes
- Free form

Workout Complete!

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to get fit quick - not just looking fit, but feeling fit, as well. It's a great workout for burning fat, boosting endurance, toning up allover and building explosive speed and strength. If you're looking to get or stay lean, HIIT workouts should show up in your routine between 1-3 times a week, depending on your goals, training intensity and fitness level, or how quickly you recover in between sweat sessions.

HIIT cardio is a fat burning powerhouse; the short intervals ask you to push yourself much harder than you would be able to if you were doing longer duration bouts of movement. Because it only lasts 20 seconds each time, you're basically seeking out discomfort in the form of a pace that is not sustainable for much more than that short interval.

Related: We just lanched a brand new workout program that uses a smart combination of HIIT & Strength, check out 4 Week FB Burn!

This unsustainable, intense burst of energy output revs up the metabolism because the body does not instantly return to the normal rate of expenditure. Instead, it slowly normalizes itself over the next hours and sometime even days (depending on the intensity of the workout). While it's returning to normal, you get the benefit of burning calories at a higher rate than normal - even while you're just sitting around. It's a great example of working smarter, instead of harder, though no one is about to argue that HIIT is not difficult.

My lower body was so thoroughly sore after this workout! Definitely sore in the glutes, inner and outer thighs, quads and hamstrings. It really pushed me and though I struggled my through the workout, I still felt really great by the time it was all over.

I've tried to make this no equipment workout as accessible as possible by using only bodyweight exercises, meaning that you can take this routine with you anywhere. This is not a beginner workout, but I've also included both low impact and advanced versions of each exercise all the way through, just in case you need a break from the more intense intervals or if you have neighbors living below you. Feel free to move back and forth between the different modifications shown as you need to; whatever you do, just make sure that you're pushing yourself.

Workout Structure After a cardio warm up, we jump right into the HIIT workout, which uses intervals of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds active rest, three times through for each set. The exercises target the glutes, thighs, and core, and there is a heavy emphasis on both cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Cool down and stretch is included.

Turn on some music that you love and get ready to work hard!

Warm Up Cardio: 25 seconds per interval
Jog in Place
Swing + Step
3 Torso Twists + Knee
Standing Pike
Warrior Jacks
Toe Touch Circles
Butt Kickers
Squats
Long Lunges
Other Side
Slow Burpee
Up & Over Hops
Up & Out Jacks
Plyo Side Lunges

Printable HIIT Workout: 20 Seconds on, 10 seconds rest, x 3 per exercise
Jump Squat Front Kick
Push Ups
Jumping Lunge
Skip Jump
X Burpee (just 2 rounds since I set my timer wrong; lucky you :) )

Water Break

Squat Jacks
Heel Click Drop + Step
High Knees
Burpee + Side Kick
Tall Plank Leg Lifts
Squat Drop + Ankle Tap (alternating sides)
Broad Jump Forwad + 3 Squatted Steps Back
2 Runner Drops
Lateral Jump Squat Jack

Cool Down and Stretch

I really loved this workout; it kicked my butt. The "squat drop ankle tap" move really snuck up on me, as did the broad jumps (they always do). I think I will do this again with you guys once we've released it.

I would love to know what you thought; were you sore afterwards? Thanks for working out with me!

With this workout, my goal was to design an efficient, thorough cardiovascular challenge in the form of HIIT, that especially targeted the large muscles of the lower body. I wanted to push endurance, burn fat, and focus on the butt and thighs - but I wanted all of this in 40 minutes or less, because life is busy and I don't usually have time for a longer workout than that. I know I'm not the only one with an (arguably overly) busy life, so I thought this might be helpful to you, too.

This HIIT workout video doesn't use any equipment at all, which means that you can do it anywhere - any time, as well. If you are new to HIIT or have neighbors below, I've also included low impact modifications. Feel free to stick with this version if you are struggling, or you can even move back and forth between the two versions as your energy and endurance allows.

Not only is this workout great for toning butt and thighs, it's also great for building endurance and burning fat. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is also the only kind of cardio training that can actually build muscle, as well. In addition to all of these perks, the exercises in this video also help build coordination, balance, and control over your own body. All this to say; don't feel discouraged if you start to feel your coordination being challenged - these are all things that dynamic, functional, varied workouts like this one can help improve.

I was really surprised by how red, sweaty and winded I was all throughout this routine. If you stay tuned into the workout and focus on pushing yourself hard, you will likely also find yourself sweaty and happily spent by the time you reach that Workout Complete screen.

About this workout
After a gradual cardio warm up, we jump right into this bodyweight only cardio HIIT workout that doesn't use any equipment at all. I've also included your cool down and stretch at the end of the video, so the only thing that you have to worry about is showing up and pushing yourself. Advanced and low impact/intermediate options are provided throughout this video.

Warm Up Cardio - 25 Seconds each
Jog in place
Overhead stretch + toe touch
Torso twist + knee
Front kicks
Warrior stretch
Up and over lateral steps
Squats
Side lunges
Reverse lunges
Butt Kickers
Split Jumps
Jumping Jacks

HIIT Cardio Workout - 20 Seconds on, 10 seconds rest, 3x through for each exercise
3 Switchfoot jumps + side lunge
Jump squat + step back (or lunge)
Reverse lunge + high kick
High knee stutter
Split jump burpee
Jump squat

Water break

Lateral jump squat jack
Static squat + single leg kickout
Bicycle crunch
Push up + lift
Squat jump + outside taps
Double curtsy jumping lunge
2 Runners + tap down
Side lunge burpee
Jumping jacks

Freestyle cool down & stretch

Remember, you shouldn't do HIIT more than 3 times a week. Your body needs time to repair itself in between tough workouts. If you feel like you have more energy or want to workout more once this workout is finished, I would recommend adding in a quick butt and thigh strength workout, before you do the cool down.

What did you think of this workout? What would you rate it on our 1-5 difficulty scale?

Thank you for working out with me!

This is another fun and tiring cardio kickboxing workout with a little extra torture for the legs. Most people have a bit of a love-hate relationship with cardio kickboxing workouts but that does not make them any less impressive at burning calories or toning up muscle tissue. We wanted to add an extra calorie burn to this cardiovascular workout so we decided to add a couple short bouts of strength training for the lower body just to make sure you get a good full body workout.

In this routine we have broken up the workout slightly with two independent groups of cardio kickboxing to get your heart pumping as well as two groups of lower body strength training exercises to make sure we hit as much of the body as possible. To keep us moving we have designed each group based on timed intervals. The kickboxing sections are set to our favorite cardio intervals of 20 seconds of activity and 10 seconds of rest. The strength section will be running longer intervals of 45 seconds on and 15 seconds to make sure you can get the most strength gain out of each set.

As with any cardio kickboxing routine, be sure that you are pushing yourself and not just going through the motions. The number of calories you burn and the amount of physical, cardiovascular, and pulmonary benefit you get from this form of exercise is directly related to your own level of effort, so the harder you push yourself the more calories you will burn.

Workout Structure:
- 4 Groups Total
- 2 Cardio Kickboxing
- 2 Lower Body Strength
- Interval Timed, in AB, AB Format

Equipment:
- Dumbbells (optional)

Warm Up / Cooldown:
- Both Included

Workout

Warm up: (5 min; 30sec each)
- Slow Buttkickers w/ Arm Cross Swing
- High Knee March w/ Torso Rotation
- Squat Push Pull
- Side Lunge Toe Touch
- Arm Circles
- Boxer Shuffle
- Up and Outs
- Jumping Jacks
- Butt Kickers
- Squat Pops

Workout: (35 min; 2 Groups Each of Cardio Kickboxing and Lower Body Strength)

Kickboxing Group 1 (20 On, 10 Off; AB, AB)
- Jab x2, Cross (L)
- Jab x2, Cross (R)

- Hook x2, Knee x2 (L)
- Hook x2, Knee x2 (R)

- Uppercut x2, Jab, Cross (L)
- Uppercut x2, Jab, Cross (R)

- Duck, Jab x2, Cross (L)
- Duck, Jab x2, Cross (R)

- Knee x2, Jab, Cross, Hook x2 (L)
- Knee x2, Jab, Cross, Hook x2 (L)

Lower Strength Group 1 (45 On, 15 Off; AB, AB)
- Rotational Lunge
- Side Lunge

- Squat Press
- Single Leg Deadlift

Kickboxing Group 2 (20 On, 10 Off; AB, AB)
- Duck x2, Jab, Cross, Uppercut x2 (L)
- Duck x2, Jab, Cross, Uppercut x2 (R)

- Shin Block, Jab, Cross, Shin Block (L)
- Shin Block, Jab, Cross, Shin Block (R)

- Jab, Cross, Hook x2, Knee x2 (L)
- Jab, Cross, Hook x2, Knee x2 (R)

- Jab x2, Duck, Uppercut x2 (L)
- Jab x2, Duck, Uppercut x2 (L)

- Shin Block, Knee x2, Hook, Uppercut (L)
- Shin Block, Knee x2, Hook, Uppercut (R)

Lower Strength Group 1 (45 On, 15 Off; AB, AB)
- Ski Squat
- SIngle Leg Hip Raise (L)

- Sumo Squat
- Single Leg Hip Raise (R)

Cooldown: (5 minutes; 30 sec each)
- Toe Touch
- Inside Thigh Stretch (L)
- Inside Thigh Stretch (R)
- Quad Stretch (L)
- Quad Stretch (R)
- Arm Cross (L)
- Arm Cross (R)
- Overhead Tricep Stretch (L)
- Overhead Tricep Stretch (R)
- Downward Dog to Cobra

This is another one of our Cardio Kickboxing workout videos, but to keep things interesting we have changed it up just a bit by swapping repetitions of each Kickboxing combination with a timed interval so you don’t have to keep track of where you are; you just go until the timer tells you to stop. On top of that change we have also incorporated rounds of abdominal work as well.

It breaks down like this; after a quick 5 minute warm up specifically designed for this routine, we start in with our first 5 minute round of abdominal work that includes 5 exercises that focus on the entire core section. Each is done for 45 seconds with a 15 second break in between each move. Once done with one set of each exercise in this section we move onto our first round of Cardio Kickboxing. This group has 5 combinations of kickboxing moves that are done in an interval format of 45 seconds on; 15 second off, just like the core section but this time each combination will be done twice. Once with the left foot forward and again with the right foot forward. Once both sets are done you move onto the next combination. After all the combinations are done on both the left and right side we get a water break to recover and get ready for the next group

Group three is another abdominal section focusing on the entire core. It is set up the same exact way as group one but has all new exercises. Once complete we move onto group four which is our second Cardio Kickboxing section. This section is set up just like the first kickboxing section but again with all different combinations. After this group you get another water break to set up for our last workout group which is another core section set up the same way as the first two but again with new exercises. This should finish off those abdominal muscles and leave you nice and sore the next day.

After our workout is complete we have also included a 5 minute freestyle cool down to help lower your heart rate gradually and continue flushing any lactic acid and any other waste products out of your muscle tissue.

If you want to do this routine without the video the written workout is below.

Cardio Kickboxing and Abs

Workout Structure:

-5 Groups Total
-3 Core Groups; 2 Kickboxing Groups
- 45 Seconds On 15 Seconds Off per Exercise

Warm Up/Cool Down:
-Both Included

Equipment:
-No Equipment Needed

Warm Up (5 Minutes; 30 seconds each)

High Knee March Arm Cross Swing
Side Lunge & Reach
Boxer Stance Torso Rotation
Squat & Ventral Arm Stretch
Bent Over Rotation
Boxer Shuffle
Up and Outs
Jumping Jack
Front Jack
Ventral Jack

Cardio Kickboxing Workout

Group One: Core (5 Minutes) (45 on; 15 off)

Crossover Crunch
Back Bow
Russian Twist
Crunch
Back Bow Crossover

Group Two: Kickboxing (10 Minutes) (45 on 15 off)

Jab, Jab, Cross
Jab Cross x2 Knee
Jab x2, Hook, Hook
Jab x2, Uppercut
Jab, Cross Knee x2 Jab Cross

Group Three: Core (5 Minutes)

Plank
Reverse Plank
Side Plank Left
Side Plank Right
Plank Dip

Group Four: Kickboxing (10 Minutes)

Knee Jab Hook Knee
Front Kick, Knee, Jab, Cross
Knee, Elbow, Jab, Cross
Uppercut x 2, Knee x2
Front Kick, Knee, Uppercut x2

Group Five: Core (5 Minutes)

Knee Tuck Crunch
Prone Leg Lifts
Side Hip Raise L
Side Hip Raise R
Bicycle Crunch

Cool Down: (5 Minutes) Free Form

Calorie Burn Estimate:

This routine is bodyweight only and predominantly cardio based; because of that the calories each individual will burn with this routine is completely dependent upon each individual and how hard each individual is willing to work. The harder you push yourself the more calories you will burn. With that said there will be a large range of potential calorie burn for this routine. The average person can expect to burn from 225 calories on the low end up to 585 calories or more on the high end.

If you love shaking muscles and burning lungs, you're probably going to enjoy this workout. Even if you don't like those things, you're going to love this routine once you see how incredibly effective it is. This workout had me sweating and swearing (at least in my mind) in under 30 minutes - and that's even including a warm up and cool down.

All you're going to need for this strength and HIIT routine is a set of dumbbells, but if you don't have any, you can always get creative with water gallon jugs, bags of books, or even water bottles. If you're a steady-state cardio addict, I dare and implore you to try this workout, which we confidently estimate to be as effective at burning fat and toning the butt and thighs than double the time on any given piece of cardio equipment you'll find at the gym. You might be doubtful upon reading that but if you push yourself through the length of this routine, your doubt will likely fade away pretty quick.

Tips to make this maximally effective: Lift heavy during the strength training exercises. Women, don't be afraid to build muscle; lean muscle mass makes you capable, and it helps your body burn fat more efficiently - lift as heavily as you can with proper form and you're going to find that your body becomes more toned, more shapely, smaller and more compact.

Push yourself during the HIIT cardio but make sure that you don't let your form get sloppy. There's a big difference between going through the motions of a workout and pushing yourself consciously, the entire way through.

Make this routine work for you; we do have lots of easier workout videos to choose from, but if you're trying to increase your endurance and burn off more fat by making the transition to high intensity interval training, you can always make this workout a little easier by taking more frequent breaks and occasionally switching to the easier version of an exercise. Do the best that you can and try to beat yourself each time you try it. Even slow progress adds up over time and you're going to be so proud of yourself when you notice that you're getting faster and stronger (not to mention more fit with killer bum and thighs)!

Workout Structure

Overall Format: AB Strength + 4 intervals of HIIT + AB Strength + 4 intervals of HIIT
Strength Format: Exercises in groups of two, 8 reps each, twice through for each set
HIIT Format: 20 On, 10 off, x 4 in an AABB Format s

Warm Up Cardio - 30 Seconds Each
- High Knee Pulls
- Butt Kickers
- Toe Touch Kicks
- Squats
- Lunges
- High Knee Hold

Printable HIIT Cardio and Butt and Thigh Strength Workout

Butt and Thigh Workout - 8 Reps Each
Squats - Kelli is using 15 lbs/6.8 kg per hand
Deadlifts - Kelli is using 24 lbs/10.9 kg per hand

HIIT Cardio Workout - 20 On, 10 Off x 2 for each exercise
Downward Dog Push Off
3 Split Jumps + Toe Touch

Water Break

Butt and Thigh Workout - 8 Reps Each
Lunges - Kelli is using 12 lbs/5.4 kg per hand
Ski Squat - Kelli is using 12 lbs/5.4 kg per hand
HIIT Cardio Workout - 20 On, 10 Off x 2 for each exercise
Squat Jumps
Squat Hold Burpee

Cool Down & Stretch

Even though this routine snuck up on me and kicked my butt, I have to say that I loved it. Sign in & tell me what you think below - our small team of 2 can't always get back to every comment anymore but we always read your messages and use the feedback to build a better and stronger Fitness Blender for you. What did you guys think of this strength and HIIT worko ut?

This workout has everything you need to get fit at home without a single piece of equipment. Fat burning, lean muscle building, total body toning, flexibility, endurance, coordination and speed - you name it - it's tackled in this workout video. It will change your body quickly, and it wont cost you a penny.

Workout Breakdown:

-Warm Up Cardio - Light exercises to get your muscles warmed up
-HIIT Workout - 20 On, 10 Off X 3 - Intervals meant to burn off body fat and push your limits
-Total Body Toning Workout - In the interest of keeping this routine bodyweight only, I've weaved together groups of three that target these areas; butt and thighs, abs and obliques, and upper body. These are some of the best tried and true bodyweight exercises for toning up quickly.
-Cool Down & Stretch
-No equipment necessary, but you can add dumbbells to bump up the challenge and caloric expenditure

HIIT Workout - 20 On, 10 Off X 3

Pop Squats
Power Curtsy (2 curtsy lunge jumps & switch)

Round of Applause (heel click + jump & hand clap overhead)
Burpee Holds

Quick Water Break

Broad Jump Rewinds (squat jump forward, 2 jumps back)
3 Hop Drops (3 single foot jumps laterally; touch the ground & repeat in the opposite direction)

Burpee Splits (Burpee + 2 split jumps)
Downward Dog + Knee Tucks (press up into downward dog, bring each knee up towards elbows)

Total Body Toning Workout - 10 Reps - 2 Sets Each
No equipment necessary, but if you have free weights, grab them in order to make this workout even more effective. This section is fast paced - we wont waste any of your time just standing around.

Squats
Toe Touch Crunches
Push Ups

Reverse Lunges
Scissored Crunch
Tricep Dips

Calf Raises
Russian Twists
Plank + Rows

Cool Down & Stretch

Heads up; some of these exercises are different and you might feel goofy doing them...But, they're also wildly effective and even a little fun (if I'm using the word fun liberally), so you're going to want to try this routine. After all, fitness is a lifelong project so it's nice to break away from routine staples like jumping jacks and push ups every now and again to shake things up a bit. Try it and you're going to find that your brain appreciates new challenges, and that because of the unfamiliar movement patterns your muscles will be talking to you in new ways, too. Just be glad that you're likely doing this at home in your living room, and your not on the world wide web doing these weird exercises in the name of keeping things interesting and challenging!

What did you think of this workout? Did you feel like a rockstar when you finished it? If you can think of new combinations of training types that you'd like to see together, leave your suggestion in the comment section below. Check out the first FB Blend Workout video for a routine that uses a similar structure to this one.

FB Blend is everything you need in one workout. In this particular video, it includes warm up exercises, bodyweight cardio, fat burning HIIT, total body strength training, an abs intensive workout, and a cool down and stretch. Though these FB Blend workout videos will vary in training type, the one thing they'll always have in common is that all you have to do to set yourself up for a safe, incredibly effective, free workout, is to hit play - we'll take care of all of the behind the scenes strategy and planning and all that's left for you to do is push yourself through the workout.

Workout Structure - What You'll Find In This Routine -Escalating Cardio Warm Up - Get the muscles warmed up and ready to work
-Cardio Workout - Burn off extra calories and prepare the body for more demanding high intensity interval training
-Fat Burning HIIT Workout - Stoke up the metabolism, burn fat, increase endurance and speed, build lean muscle
-Total Body Strength - Build lean muscle, increase metabolism, increase bone density, lessen the likelihood of a multitude of diseases and illnesses
-Abs and Obliques Workout - Exercises to tone and strengthen the midsection
-Cool Down & Stretch - Increase flexibility, potentially lessen the likelihood of next-day soreness (there are some studies that suggest conflicting ideas about post-workout stretching and DOMS but stretching is so beneficial to good health that there’s never a good enough reason to skip it).

Escalating Cardio Warm Up & Workout (25 Seconds Each)
High Knee Pulls
Boxer Shuffle
High Kick Jacks
Stutter Split Jumps
Stutter Jacks
Side Lunge Toe Touches
Reverse Lunges
Squats
Flutterkick Squats
Butt Kickers
3 Side Shuffles + Tap
15 Minute HIIT Workout (20 On, 10 Off x 3)
Broad Jump + Burpee Kickout
3 High Knees + Touchdown

Static Squat + Up or Down
Plank Walks + Shoulder Slaps

Mt Climber Warrior
Sumo/Ski Squat Jumps

Double Burpees
Jumping Curtsy Lunge (center jump)

TB Strength - 10 Reps, X 2 Each; AB/AB Format (I've included the weight that I'm lifting but the weight that you use will be completely dependent on your own strengths & weaknesses)
Dumbbell Swing + Tricep Extension (12)
Lunge + Curl (12)

Squat + Overhead Press (12)
Bridge + Pullover (12)

Reverse Fly (3-6)
High Plank + Row + Deadlift (9)

Abs & Obliques - 40 Seconds On, 10 Off
Mt Top Abs
Alternating Jackknives
High Plank In & Outs
123 Toe Touch Crunches
Back Bow Pulls
Leg Drops

Cool Down & Stretch

"Fitness Blender Blend" is a term you might see more of around here, if you like the structure of this workout video. As always, let us know what you think; your feedback is what shapes Fitness Blender.

This is the second installment of our new Red Light, Green Light format, inspired by the kids’ game of the same name. We have made it easier to follow but bumped up the intensity and the length.

If you have done our original Red Light Green Light Cardio workout then you know that we have built this style of routine specifically to have random intervals of work and rest, keeping your body and mind constantly guessing. This style of routine not only helps you burn calories at an elevated rate but it also keeps you more engaged by never letting you get into a predictable pattern. This is a workout routine that you can’t sleep your way through – you’re going to need to stay alert and aware of your movements in order to stay on track with the rapid stop and go demands of these timing intervals.

The exercises in this routine predominately target the glutes and abdominals. There is a high cardiovascular component in order to keep the calorie burn high while you are toning up.

Each bodyweight exercise group will be done for a total of two minutes. Both the rest and the active intervals will be random lengths.

Workout Structure
25 Minutes Total
2 Minute Quick Warm Up Cardio
23 Minute HIIT Workout
Cool Down not included

Warm Up: (30sec each)
Side Step Pulls
Jogging in Place
Jumping Jacks
Front Kick Pulls

RLGL Workout & Muscles Targeted (2 Minutes total per exercise)
Crisscross Jump Slaps – This one is great for getting the heart pounding, and you will definitely feel this in your glutes and thighs.

Push Up Dips – Chest, arms, abs, obliques and shoulders will be working hard to pull off this motion.

Push Jacks and Alternating Lunges – A traditional and incredibly effective butt and thigh exercise, this time with a bit of an extra cardio component.

Toe Touch Crunches – Keep this a 100% abs exercise by not using momentum to cheat your way through the motion.

Forward and Back Squats – Lungs, legs, and glutes have to work hard for this demanding motion.

Side Plank Pulses (Right) – You will feel this one in your core and obliques.

Jumping Jack + Squats – Cardio + glutes, thighs, calves

Side Plank Pulses (Left) – Core & obliques

Jump Turn Flutterkick Squats – Core, glutes, thighs, calves

Swimmers – Upper and lower back, glutes, shoulders

If at any point in the routine you get so tired that your form starts to suffer, hit pause, get a drink of water, and then come back to this routine. You will not lose any significant progress by taking extra breaks when you need to.

We estimate that this 25 minute HIIT workout routine burns 230-306 calories total.

My favorite kinds of workouts are the ones that dynamically challenge muscles and cardiovascular endurance at the same time. The combo of cardio & toning that you see in this video is a great example of a workout that boosts both endurance and strength simultaneously. This combination is also easily the most effective method of training for someone who is looking to lose or maintain weight.

This bodyweight cardio and toning workout video is a fast way to get in a serious calorie burn, all while toning up the butt, thighs, and calves.

To keep the workout maximally effective, focus on maintaining great form throughout all of the movements. You can also significantly increase the effectiveness and the difficulty of the exercises by focusing on flexing your muscles through the range of motion and pretending like you are working against yourself the whole time.

We have structured this routine in the way that many of you love; short intervals of fairly intense cardio, with sets of especially grueling, painful-in-a-good-way toning exercises in between. There is no warm up in this video so make sure that you do at least 5-10 minutes of independent, light cardio before jumping right in. Being diligent about doing the light cardio warm up beforehand will help you avoid any undue muscle soreness in the days following. You won’t need a single piece of equipment for this routine.

This workout is demanding; expect to be sore the next day, especially if you do both rounds.

Here’s how this video is laid out:
6 Lower Body Exercises: 14 Reps each
6 Cardio Intervals: 30 Seconds each
2 Rounds
39 Minutes Total
Quick Cool Down & Stretch at the end

Printable Workout Routine:
Up and Out Jacks
Bridge Pulls

Lateral Burpees
Side Plank Circles

Up and Overs
30 Lunge Pulses (per side)

Quick Feet
Circle Squats

Plank Jacks + Leg Raises
Side Plank Toe Touches

Toe Touch Jacks
30 Squat Pulses

Note:
The cardio & strength exercises are paired, and done twice in an “a-b, a-b” format before moving onto the next pair. You will have ample cues in the video for which exercise is coming up next.

When we do exercises that are targeting just one side of the body (ex: Side Plank Circles), we will do just one set of reps on each side of the body between cardio intervals (so that each side is targeted once).

You can make this workout even more demanding by adding in extra resistance where applicable; dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, or resistance bands can be added into some of the toning exercises to take the exercise from toning, to strength or mass building.

How many calories does this burn?
As always, your exact caloric expenditure is going to depend on a large number of variables that is very specific to you. Things like bodyweight, gender, muscle mass, baseline fitness level, effort put forth, and even your muscle’s familiarity with the exercises in any given workout, can significantly effect the actual number of calories that you burn. With that said, we estimate that this routine burns between 9-15 calories a minute, or 351-585 total. If you want your total calorie burn to be at the top end of that range, make sure that you are pushing yourself throughout the routine – but also don’t think that all progress is lost if you need to stop and take a breather at any point. Some of this exercises are fairly high intensity and there’s nothing wrong with taking a break when you need to.

Athleticism is a combination of speed, endurance, and agility. All of the exercises in this Sports Endurance & Agility Workout support the ability to move quickly, move with precision, and outlast an opponent.

Nearly all of the moves that make up this routine employ the principles of plyometric training, which can help speed/shorten the reaction time of the muscles in the body. Plyometrics can also be great for challenging cardiovascular endurance, especially ones like Burpees, Mountain Climbers and Jumping Lunges – incredibly effective exercises that everyone loves to hate.

Soccer, basketball, volleyball, football, trail running and rugby are just a few of the kinds of sports that have players that would benefit immensely from Fitness Blender’s Endurance & Agility Workout. With that said, even if you are not into sports this workout should be of interest to you. Improved balance, cardiovascular threshold, and agility are qualities that should be of interest to anyone who wants to improve their fitness and mobility. As an added bonus, the agility exercises in this routine are also cardio exercises that burn a good deal of calories.

Routine Structure:
8 Exercises
16 Repetitions Each
2 Rounds

This workout does not include a warm up or cool down, but both are recommended. You can find many options for both Cool Down and Warm Up videos under our Full Length Workout Videos tab.

Plyometric Agility Exercises

16 Single Leg Lateral Hops (on each leg) – Build strength and stability through the outside thigh, hip, ankle and knee joint, all while you get your heart rate up.

16 Squat Jumps – Aside from burning a tremendous amount of calories & pushing your lungs to their maximum (in high reps), this lower body exercise is excellent for building explosive strength and speed in the legs.

16 Single Leg Ventral Hops (on each leg) – Learn to maintain control over the direction that your body is going, even while you don’t have a centered balance.

16 Burpees – Burpees are often despised but they are also incredibly effective. It’s an awesome bodyweight exercise that leaves very few muscles not screaming.

16 Lateral Jumps – Another cardiovascular move that lessens the chance of joint injuries by strengthening the muscles that surround and support them.

16 Jumping Lunges (alternating) – Glutes, thighs, abs, calves all pitch in for this one. These hurt, but it’s better that you burn out your lungs and legs while working out alone in your living room, than when you are face to face with an opponent.

16 Agility Dots (each leg, each direction) – These are great for building up the ankle and knee complex. This will help in improving speed of direction changes on the court or field and make it less likely that you roll an ankle while you’re at it.

16 Mountain Climbers – A bodyweight cardio workout that tones the arms, abs, quads, glutes, and hamstrings.

Remember to cool down and stretch when you are finished.

During the off season, do this workout a few times a week in combination with Fitness Blender’s cardio and strength training workouts in order to improve your performance for your sport. Once you are back to your sport full time you should still aim to do this 1-2 times a week in order to maintain the gains that you made.

Calories burned
We estimate that this workout burns between 8-13 calories per minute, or 112-182 total. You could always increase the challenge and the calorie burn by wearing a weighted vest while you do the workout.

Our 30 Minute Weight Loss Boot Camp burns a high number of calories and builds functional strength, which is great for toning and burning a great deal of calories.

We start off with a 3 minute cardio warm up (feel free to do more than just the three minutes shown) and then move directly into the seven bodyweight exercises that make up this routine. You won’t need a single piece of equipment.

Warm Up:
1 Minute Jogging in Place
1 Minute Up and Out Jacks
1 Minute Butt Kickers

*We build our warm ups for people who have zero workout equipment at home – if you have a treadmill or elliptical, you could always use those to get your muscles warmed – or, even a walk around the block works just fine.

Exercises in this routine:

14 Two Hop Squats – Just like it sounds, hop laterally on one leg and then drop into a deep squat before repeating on the opposite side. This targets the outer thigh and bumps up the cardiovascular challenge of a regular static squat.

12 Plank Tuck Jacks – Go into a full push up position and tuck one knee up towards the opposite elbow; repeat on each side. Once you have done a tuck on each side and both feet are back out in a full extension, hop your feet together and apart, twice. This is a full body exercise.

14 Rocket Squats – In three pulsing motions, drop down into a squat (going lower each time) and then jump up explosively, bringing your thighs up as high as you can, slapping or tapping them with your hands. This is a huge calorie burner and glute/thigh toner.

14 Butt Kicker Hops – In a high push up position, bounce two times before kicking yourself in the butt while hopping & landing on the opposite side of your body (in an arc). Hamstrings, hip flexors, quads, calves, obliques, shoulders & chest all get worked over in this “fun” exercise.

14 Side Lunge Up & Overs – Drop into a side lunge, touching the ground by your toes with both hands. Quickly stand back up, raising your hands up and over your head before dropping down to touch your toes in a lunge on the opposite side.

14 Diagonal Jackknife Crunches – Lie flat on your back with one arm extended over your head. Use the arm that is over your head to reach across to the opposite leg, bringing that leg up so that it is straight up over your hip joint. Repeat the reps on both sides of the body.

14 Back Bow Oblique Crunches – Bend over so that your chest is parallel to the ground, keeping your back perfectly flat. Round your back and drop your shoulders down towards the ground before arching your back as high as is comfortable. Drop back to a flat back before standing up straight and doing an “elbow to knee” oblique crunch on each side before starting the series of movements all over again. This works your back & your abdominals.

How many calories does this burn?
In the 30 minutes of this Weight Loss Boot Camp, we estimate that a person could burn between 210 – 333 calories – actual expenditure is based on a complex set of variables that is specific to each individual.

This routine started off as one that was intended to really target those glute and thigh muscles. However, as it developed it became a workout that was very dynamic in that not many muscle groups were spared with the exercises that we used.

The 26 minutes of this routine will definitely get your heart rate up, almost as if you were doing a full blown cardio workout. The best part is that while you are burning calories as if you were doing cardio, you are doing movements that require functional strength and agility, so you are toning up at the same time.

We recommend that you do 5 minutes of warm up cardio before jumping into this workout.

Workout Breakdown:
• 8 Bodyweight Exercises
• 50 Seconds per Exercise
• 3 Rounds through

Exercises
• Burpees with Side Leg Raises – Start in a standing position and shoot your feet backwards to go down into a full plank, then bring your feet back up to your hands, stand back up (as you would with a burpee), but instead of jumping upwards do a side leg raise with each leg. Balance, core strength, control over your own body, and a decent cardio threshold are all “must haves” for this move. We could list the muscle groups that it targets but there really aren’t many that it doesn’t engage.

• Ski Squats + Windmill Steps – Hold onto weights to make this one more challenging for your upper body (water bottles would work – you do not need much extra weight for this). This motion is similar to a slow-mo jumping jack, except that you have a Ski Squat (feet planted close together) in the center, and steps out to each side instead of simultaneous hopping of the feet apart. This is a great move for the glutes, inner and outer thighs, and upper body.

• Boxer Squats + Flutterkicks – Squat down and transfer your weight from one leg to the other as if you were ducking down to go underneath something. Once you get to the other side, stand up straight and do four hops of a “flutterkick” (jumping, switching which foot is in front of the other each time) before going back down into a low Boxer Squat.

• Twisted Mountain Climber + Leg Lifts – From a full plank position, hop and bring both feet up to either side of the body. Hop back into a full plank, then bring your feet up to the other side of your body. Return to a full plank, and then do a reverse leg lift on each leg before repeating the whole sequence over again. There are really no muscles that wont be crying out by the end of these 50 seconds.

• Bridge with Kicks – Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground, press upward through your heels to raise into a Bridge position. As soon as you reach the top of the motion, kick one leg out straight. Drop back down to hover over the floor before going back up into a Bridge and kicking with the opposite foot. You will feel this in your glutes, hamstrings, quads, abdominals and lower back.

• Double Jack Squats – Do 2 Jumping Jacks, and then jump forward into a squat. This is a very effective combo of a great bodyweight cardio exercise and one of the most effective lower body exercises out there.

• Crossover Toe Tap Leg Lifts – From a full push up position, do two leg lifts; one that is straight up, and the other that comes back down to tap the ground on the outside of the opposite foot. Once you have done both of the leg lifts, switch to repeat the same thing on the other leg. Focus on squeezing at the top of both of the leg lift positions.

• Reverse Lunge Skips – Step backwards to drop down into a Reverse Lunge. Push back up from the lunge and drive that knee upwards into a high skip. This one is great for the lower body and for bringing up the caloric burn of this routine.

How many calories does this burn?
In 26 minutes, this bodyweight cardio and toning blend burns roughly 8-13 calories a minute. That is 208-338 calories in under half an hour. These numbers have been estimated for a woman weighing 130 and a man weighing 180. Keep in mind that if you are heavier than the numbers used for calculating this range, you may expend energy at a higher rate than we have listed here.

Make sure that you cool down and stretch thoroughly after doing this workout.

This is a fast paced workout, a great option for people who want to hit all major muscle groups in a short period of time. There is very little transition time between exercises, which keeps your heart rate high and makes this routine a bit of a cardiovascular challenge, as well as a toning regime.

There are ten repetitions of each exercise; listen for the verbal cue of what exercise you will switch to next (you will also see the name of the next exercise pop up on the screen on the last repetition of each exercise).

The entire routine is broken up into two segments, one focuses primarily on the upper body and abdominals, and the other targets the lower body. You will do the entire thing three times through, for a total workout time of about 25 minutes.

The number of calories you burn doing this routine will depend on your gender, body composition, existing fitness level, exertion intensity, bodyweight, and more.

Aside from calories burned, you also end up doing exercises that help to tone a large number of muscle groups. While the main focuses of this workout are the arms, glutes, and abs, there are plenty of other supporting muscles that are engaged when you use this home workout video.

For example, inner and outer thighs, shoulders, obliques, lower back, calves, rhomboids, and hip flexors (just to name a few) are all called upon to execute these motions.

This routine incorporates toning moves, the effort of large muscle groups (which in turn burns a significant number of calories), and even balance exercises, making it a well rounded option for when you are trying to fit in a bit of physical activity in a limited amount of time.

Though one or two of the exercises in this routine uses dumbbells, you certainly do not need them in order to do this workout video.

If you don’t have immediate access to hand weights of any sort, you could also use resistance bands, bottles of water, or cans of soup.

Otherwise the only thing that you are going to need is something forgiving to do the floor exercises on, preferably a thick exercise mat.

If any of these exercises are too challenging, look through our exercise library in order to find an easier modification – many of the movements have varying levels of difficulty. Your top priority should always be form; never sacrifice proper form of an exercise in order to do a harder level or number of repetitions as this can result in injury or reduced effectiveness of the movement.

In fact, if you cannot complete the ten repetitions of any given set, you can just reduce the number of reps (i.e. doing only 7/10 reps of each movement).

This 17 minute At Home Cardio Workout uses high intensity interval training (HIIT) to blast calories and tone the body quickly. It is a great way to get maximum benefit from a routine in minimal time.

There are 6 exercises, each done for a full 60 seconds with a 20 second low intensity interval in between (during those rest intervals you will keep moving by marching in place). If you can’t complete an entire minute of any of the exercises without stopping, that’s okay. Just jump right back into the motion as soon as you can. Watch: How to "Listen to Your Body" During a Workout - When to Stop & When to Keep Pushing If you do this routine regularly, it wont take very long for your cardiovascular fitness and endurance to improve. This is a no equipment cardio workout; it uses only bodyweight exercises.

Cardio is definitely a great example of how every little bit counts when it comes to getting in shape, particularly when it comes to a HIIT workout structure. Because of the short, intense bouts of exertion you can actually end up giving yourself a metabolic boost. Try doing this routine two different times throughout the day for the most dramatic benefit.

Exercises in this routine:
Jumping Jacks – A classic cardio move, these are a fantastic way to get your heart rate up without any equipment. Aside from using a great deal of energy (cals), these also tone the inside and outside thighs, deltoids, quads, and lats.

Lateral Jumps – Lateral jumps are a light plyometric exercise that builds strength within the ankles, hips, and knees. They target the outer thighs, inner thighs, glutes, quads, and calves, and also lightly engage the core muscles.

Jumping Oblique Twist – This is a great exercise for a slimmer waist for two reasons; it burns calories, and it calls heavily upon the muscles that wrap around the midsection. Aside from the obliques, it also engages the glutes, calves, lower back, deltoids and quads.

Burpees – Everyone loves to hate Burpees because they are challenging but they are also extremely effective at increasing your cardio threshold. This bodyweight exercise tones your pecs, glutes, abdominals, lower back, calves, hip flexors and delts.

Pendulum Swings – This at home cardio exercise tone the thighs and is an easy way to get the heart rate up when you don’t have any gym equipment available. It is also good for building basic coordination and agility in the lower body.

High Knees – A full 60 seconds of these is harder than it looks. These tone your thighs, hip flexors, and abdominal muscles.

Calories Burned Estimate
Though there are a large number of variables that factor into an individuals calorie burn during any routine, we estimate that the average expenditure for men and women of varying weights will fall between the range of 155 - 217.

The thing to remember about this kind of workout is that with high intensity interval cardio, your body will burn calories at an elevated rate, even once you are finished with the routine (it takes a while for your body to regulate and go back to a normal rate).

This brutal workout has three different unique HIIT (high intensity interval training) structures all rolled into one. The end result is a sweaty, fat burning challenge that builds lean muscle and builds endurance.

Aside from burning fat and building lean fast twitch muscle that will help further burn fat and increase speed and power, these exercises are also great for building agility, coordination and control over one’s own body.

You won’t need any equipment for this HIIT cardio workout and we’ve included both your warm up and your cool down.

Heads up: this is a tough workout and is not meant for beginners. Even for more intermediate or even advanced exercisers; keep in mind that you solely are in charge of modifying the exercises to make them appropriately challenging for your fitness level. There’s no benefit from puking during a workout - this means you’ve pushed past signals to stop that you should have listened to. On the other hand, there is really no fitness level that should make this routine feel like a walk in the park; if it feels easy, check your form, check your depth of motion, check your speed, check your intensity. If you’re pushing yourself properly, this total body workout will be plenty challenging.

You should be pushing yourself hard enough during the length of this workout that you do not have the energy to go through another intense workout. Remember; more is not necessarily better, even though it may seem counterproductive, especially when it comes to cardio and HIIT (HIIT more than 3x a week cancels out benefits & puts you at risk for injury & overtraining).

Workout Structure:
- HIIT Ladder Intervals
- HIIT Pyramid Intervals
- HIIT Tabata Intervals

Equipment: - Exercise Mat (optional)

Warm Up / Cool Down:
- Both Included

Warm Up: (4.5 Minutes; 45 sec each)
- High Knee March
- Arm Push Pulls
- Toe Touch Circles
- Boxer Shuffle
- Up and Outs
- Jumping Jacks

HIIT Round 1: Descending Ladder - Decreasing Timed Intervals Per Exercise (15 seconds of rest) - Start with a 50 second interval, and work down to a 10 second interval. Do an entire descending ladder with each exercise. (7 min total)

50 Burpees
40 &
30 Pop Squat
20
10

HIIT Round 2: Pyramid Structure - Per Exercise (15 seconds of rest)
- Start with a 10 second interval; increase by 10 seconds each interval, until a maximum length of 40 seconds before decreasing again. Do an entire pyramid with each exercise. (8.3 min total)

10 Knee Up Push Up
20 &
30 Star Jump
40
30
20
10

HIIT Round Three: Tabata - 20 On, 10 Off; AA,BB (10 min total)
- Basic Tabata structure; do two rounds of each exercise before moving to the next.

1 Lateral Jumps
2 Seal Push Ups
3 Sumo Squat w/ Leg Raise L&R
4 Jumping Jacks
5 Jumping Lunges
6 Agility Dots L&R
7 Side Plank Toe Touches L&R
8 High Knees
9 Front Jack
10 Rocket Squats

Cool Down: (free form)

We know you love HIIT workouts, and we do too, but this routine is tough enough that you might just change your mind. HIIT is designed to push you to your limits with short bouts of intense full body movements so it is not intended to be done for extended periods of time. That is why we have split this 50 minute HIIT routine into three groups. The first two groups will last 15 minutes each and the last group will be 5 minutes shorter at 10 minutes, though by this point of the routine it will most likely not feel any shorter.

Each group will have a set number of exercises that we will be doing in a Tabata style of 20 seconds of activity with 10 seconds of rest. Each exercise will be done twice in a row before moving on to the next exercise. Once done with the group you will repeat it twice more for a total of 3 sets per group. At the end of the three sets you will be given a longer rest break to recover and get ready for the next group.

Remember that HIIT routines are intended to push you to your cardio threshold so when you are going through this routine remember that you are in control of how hard each exercise is. So, you can slow down or modify the exercise if you are about to burnout or you can make the exercises more difficult by moving more quickly, keeping muscles contracted even if they don’t need to be or using more explosive power with each movement to really challenge yourself.

What I am trying to say is that it does not matter if you are just getting into HIIT or you are a professional athlete, this routine - like all HIIT routines - can be modified to meet your desired level of challenge (though it should be noted that we do not recommend this workout for beginners). You are in charge so be sure to push yourself as hard as you can without having to stop; you might just be surprised what your body can do.

Workout Structure

Warm Up: (5 Minutes; 30 seconds each)
Torso Circles
Torso Rotation
Squat Push Pulls
Arm Circles
Leg Swings R
Leg Swings L
Squat Circles
Up and Outs
Boxer Shuffle
Jumping Jack

Printable HIIT Workout: (42 Minutes) Each exercise is done twice in a row in a 20 on 10 off pattern and the whole group is repeated three times each.

Group One (15 Minutes)
-Jumping Jack
-Pop Squats
-Jumping Lunges
-Burpee
-High Knees

Group Two (15 Minutes)
-Front Jack
-Walk Down Push Up
-Rocket Squats
-Mt. Climbers
-Side Lunge Pop (L&R)

Group Three (12 Minutes)
-Push Up Knee Up
-Squat Jacks
-Side Plank with Toe Touch (L&R)
-Star Jumps

Cooldown: (5 Minutes; 30 seconds each)
Boxer Shuffle
Toe Touch
Inside Thigh with Reach L
Inside Thigh with Reach R
Seated Torso Rotation L
Seated Torso Rotation R
Deep Glute L
Deep Glute R
Cobra
Shell

Calorie Count
This is a HIIT routine so our calorie burn can get very high but it will still vary by the individual. You can expect to burn around 5 calories per minute on the low end and around 15 calories per minute on the high end including the warm up and cool down. This gives you a total calorie burn of 272 to 791 calories for this 52 minute workout.

When I set out to get in a good workout I want to know that I did something when I am done and this workout video definitely gave me that feeling. The slight wobbly shaky feeling when done along with the perfect amount of soreness the next day (or two) were both there to let me know I had pushed myself. With that I also know that I had trouble keeping my form and endurance up throughout the routine which serves as motivation to do better next time.

All of these factors are what tell me that I have put a challenging workout together and now it is your turn to feel the satisfaction of pushing your limits and reaping the rewards of increased endurance, strength, cardiovascular efficiency, and a good healthy dose of mood boosting, stress reducing endorphins that exercise can give.

This routine has been set as a Level 5 for very good reason. The nature of the dynamic exercises in this routine challenge (almost literally) every muscle in your body from those in your feet and and ankle complex all the way up to your neck (and even some involuntary contortions of the face). When you take into account the amount of coordination and muscle recruitment needed to do each of these exercises it is easy to see why this gets a level 5 and if not just a do a few rounds and you will understand.

When doing a routine this intense keep in mind that you may need to limit your effort to keep from burning out too early. If this is your first time through take your time to learn and master the form of each movement rather than pushing yourself to exhaustion. You can always push harder next time and taking your time to increase intensity can also save you from potential injury.

The following is the summary of the workout including both the order of exercises and the structure of the intervals used. Feel free to modify any of the exercises to fit your particular needs.

Insane HIIT Challenge

Workout Structure:
- 7 Groups of 2 Exercises
- 3 Sets per Exercise
- Tabata Style; 20 Sec Active, 10 Sec Rest
- AB, AB, Format
- No Extra Rest Between Groups

Equipment:
- None

Warm Up / Cool Down
- Both Included

Warm Up:
30 Seconds Each

- Boxer Shuffle
- Warrior with Stretch (Left)
- Warrior with Stretch (Right)
- Deep Squat
- Rotational Knee Up
- Knee Up Mt. Climbers
- Standing Toe Touch (Kick)
- Up & Outs
- Push Pull Side Lunge
- Jumping Jack

Workout:
20 Seconds Active, 10 Seconds Rest; 3 Sets each

- High Knees
- Jackknife Get Ups

- Star Jumps
- Side Plank Kicks (Left)

- Thigh Slap Jumps
- Side Plank Kicks (Right)

----- Water Break -----

- Burpees
- Kick Throughs

- Jump Squats
- Mt. Climbers

- Jumping Lunges
- Walk Down Push Ups

- Lizard Hops
- Hop Squats

Cool Down:
30 Seconds Each

- Boxer Shuffle
- Inside Thigh L
- Inside Thigh R
- Leg Swing L
- Leg Swing R
- Butterfly Stretch
- Deep Glute Stretch
- Toe Touch
- Quad Stretch L
- Quad Stretch R
- Cobra

We Start off with a cardio warm up, then move into an intense and and obliques workout, and then an equally intense HIIT cardio workout, with a nice cool down and stretch to wrap things up - all this, in just 45 minutes.
The abs and obliques portion is deceptively difficult, and you're going to find out very quickly that all of the exercises work much more than just your abs - upper body, butt and thighs all get a good working over, as well. During the HIIT workout, all your muscles and your lungs are going to be screaming, but your butt and thighs are going to get a particularly good workout.
A lot of people will wonder which is better for burning calories; cardio equipment at the gym, or bodyweight workouts like this one. Try each, and you wont wonder anymore. Bodyweight workouts like this one are far superior to working out on clunky, overrated, expensive gym equipment. Workouts like this one - especially because of the Tabata style intervals, are much more effective at burning fat than hours of steady state cardio on a one dimensional machine. This will feel harder, but it's also working a lot better, and it will bring about changes in your body and fitness levels faster, which makes it worth it.

Workout Structure
Cardio Warm Up included
Abs and Obliques Workout
HIIT Workout
Cool Down and Stretch included

Core Workout - 50 On, 10 Off; no rest, quick transitions

3 Toe Touch + 2 Single Jackknife
Mini Scissor Kicks
Plank Steps
Leg Drop Pulls
Bicycle Leg Drops
Circle Crunches
Swimmer Pulses
Downward Dog Tucks
Side Plank Drop + Kick
Russian Twists
Flutter Kicks
Reclined Oblique Twists
5 Toe Touch Crunches + Stretch

HIIT Cardio Workout - 20 On, 10 Off x 4 Each

Squat Pops
Burpee Thigh Slaps
Broad Jumps + 2 Jacks
Lateral Jumps
Push Ups
Lunge + Tap + Kick
3, 2, 1, Squats

You can do this workout three times a week; keeping in mind that HIIT should not be done anymore than that, as the body needs time to recover from such intense training.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water after this workout, as you've likely sweated a great deal; it's important to thoroughly rehydrate yourself. You'll also want to eat a meal as soon as you're finished with your workout - if for some reason you can't eat a well balanced meal right after your workout, a high carbohydrate snack will suffice until you are able to eat a meal.

The Berserker warriors of old Norse literature were known for working themselves into a trance-like state before battle, fighting with an almost uncontrollable rage and fury making them legendary fighters.

This Berserker HIIT Challenge is your foe and by starting this video you are walking on to your own personal battlefield. Now it is your turn to "fight" with the intensity of the Berserkers of old by pushing through this short but brutally challenging workout, the challenge, to complete the video without stopping. Keep your focus and don't let your mind get the better of you when it tells you that you have done enough. Finishing this workout in 16 minutes with 100% effort will burn a hefty 192 calories on the low end and up to, and possibly over, 250 calories on the high end.

Though you may not be able to finish this workout all the way through the first time, don't give up, trying it again from time to time until you win the battle over this challenge.

This workout is not for beginners or even the occasional exerciser. It requires a high level of strength, control, and cardiovascular endurance to complete and though it is far from impossible it is still very demanding. Many of these exercises are high impact so if you have knee issues you may want to skip this workout or at least do some modifications to protect your joints a bit more.

For those who do feel up to the challenge keep in mind that you can easily move slower or modify exercises to make them easier without even realizing that you are doing it. Be sure to keep focused on pushing as hard as you can and keeping your form as clean as you can for each exercise and repetition. This routine is only as hard as you make it so be sure to challenge yourself, trying to do more repetitions or harder versions of exercises every time you come back and try this challenge again.

Routine Format: Repeat each group two times for a total of 4 minutes per group. There are no breaks except for the 30 seconds of active rest.

60 Sec - Jumping Jack (regular)

30 Sec - Thigh Slap Jumps

30 Sec - Boxer Shuffle (active recovery)

60 Sec - Fly Jack

30 Sec - Mt. Climber Burpee

30 Sec - Boxer Shuffle (active recovery)

60 Sec - Front Jack

30 Sec - Lizard Hops

30 Sec - Boxer Shuffle (active recovery)

60 Sec - Triple Jack

30 Sec - Star Jump

30 Sec - Boxer Shuffle (active recovery)

Fitness Blender's third 1000 Calorie Workout video brings you another fully comprehensive workout session in just one video; warm up, abs and oblique exercises, high intensity interval training, strength training, and a cool down are all included in this monster of a routine. During the actual workout you might feel exhausted, but by the time you're finished, you're going to feel re-energized and very satisfied.

Because this routine is so intensive, you really don't want to do it any more than three times a week, maximum. It includes both HIIT and strength training, which your body needs time to heal from - otherwise you run the risk of just undoing any progress that you may have otherwise made, or worse, overtraining, which can be dangerous. That doesn't necessarily mean that you can't exercise for the rest of the week - Fitness Blender has hundreds of workout videos that are lower in impact that would be great options for burning off some extra calories on those recovery days.

Workout Breakdown: 6 Minute Cardio Warm Up
10 Minute Abs and Obliques Workout
36 Minute HIIT Routine
26 Minute Total Body Strength Training
8 Minute Cool Down & Stretch

Warm Up - 40 Seconds each

Shoulder Rolls
Arm Cross Swings
Boxer Shuffle
High Knee Pulls
Squats + Reach
4 Torso Twists + Knee
Jumping Jacks
Butt Kickers

10 Minute Abs - 50 Seconds each, 10 seconds transition

Circle Crunches
Backbow Crossovers
T Stabilization Reaches
Other Side
Leg Drop Crunches
High Plank Knee Circles
Alternating Jackknife Crunches
Knee Tuck Crunches
Figure 4 Leg Raises
Crunch Pulses

HIIT Workout - Groups of 2 exercises; 20 On, 10 Off x2, twice for a total of roughly 4 minutes per group (AA BB, AA BB format)

1 Minute Boxer Shuffle to get the heart rate back up & the muscles nice and warm

Switchfoot Kicks
Squat Jumps

Lateral Hop Jumps
Burpee Holds

Single Foot Lunge Hops
4 High Knees + 2 Jack Steps

2 Plank Jacks + 2 Knee Tucks
Jackknife Get Ups

Lateral Jumps
3 Squat Jacks + Jump

Wall Jumps
Static Runners

Roundabout Push Ups
3 Heel Taps + Leg Raises

Fly Jacks
Burpees

Total Body Strength Training - Groups of two in an AB AB format, 10 Reps each

Bicep Curls
Tricep Extensions

Squats
Standing Hamstring Curls

Chest Presses + Bridge
Reverse Fly

Squats + Side Leg Raises
Calf Raises

Shoulder Presses
Squats + Inside Thigh Raises

Pullovers
Prone Leg Lifts + Curls

Cool Down & Stretch - 20 Second Holds

Wide Toe Touch
Inside Thigh + Arm Cross Pull
Overhead Triceps Stretch
Wall Chest Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch
Downward Dog
Modified Pigeon
Cobra
Torso Twist
Full Body Stretch

Does this 1000 Calorie Workout really burn that many calories? Calorie expenditure depends on a long list of variables, including bodyweight, muscle mass, effort levels, baseline fitness levels, and more. Not everyone will burn 1000 calories with this workout, but some people will burn even more than we have estimated. It's important to realize that everyone is different when it comes to expenditure - and, that there's more to fitness than just burning off calories. This routine also focuses on strength, flexibility, balance, speed, agility, and cardiovascular endurance (both because of the high intensity intervals and because of how long the routine is). Also keep in mind that heart rate monitors are for monitoring heart rate, and that if there is a calorie burn calculator on it, it is highly likely using a standard, general equation that will not be specific to your personal variables. These are best used for their intended purpose (tracking heart rate) and any figures pertaining to expenditure should be taken with a grain of salt.

This is a long routine - if you need to you can break it up into multiple parts to fit the whole thing into your daily schedule - just make sure that you do at least a quick warm up and cool down each time you start or finish vigorous exercise.

We have created this routine for those of you who want to seriously challenge yourself. It is a cardio workout intent on pushing you to your maximum capacity in a very short time period. Because each 4 minute section of this routine is so intense, we give you a break after each one. We set aside one minute to help you recover before moving on to the next group but you can always take more time if you need.

We have not done an interval routine quite like this one before as it is based off of the typical 20 second of activity per exercise like we often use but altered to make it more difficult cardiovascularly. In this HIIT we do a group of two exercises at a time, completing each for 20 seconds. What is different about this video from our typical HIIT is that we will be doing the two exercises back to back rather than giving a rest break. Once you have completed one set of each exercise for 20 seconds then you get a 20 second rest break before doing this cycle another three times for a total of 4 rounds per group.

After each group is done then you get your longer 1 minute break to get ready for the next round. We only have four total groups but that is more than enough to get an impressive number of calories burned. Though this workout is 21 minutes long in total, if you remove the rest breaks and explanations then you are working for a very intense 16 minutes.

Because of the nature of these exercises we have put together a workout that burns a massive number of calories in a very short period of time. This HIIT routine can burn 12 calories per minute on the low end and up to 19 calories per minute on the high end, averaging in the rest breaks as well. This gives you the opportunity to burn from 240 to 380 total calories in the intense 20 minute workout video. Just be sure to listen to your body and push as hard as you can, stop and rest when you need to, just don't stop moving.

The following is a quick reference for how to do the workout in this video and what exercises are used.

Advanced HIIT Workout
20 Sec exercise A, 20 exercise sec B, 20 sec rest (4 rounds each group)
Squat Jacks
Push Ups w Oblique Knee (alternating)

Star Jumps
Mt. Climbers

Thigh Slap Jumps
Squats w Front Leg Slide

High Knees
Jumping Lunges

In this hour-long HIIT workout we will start out with a 5 minute warm up to slowly increase your heart rate and core temperature, focusing on quickly limbering up your joints to increase range of motion and prepare you for the HIIT portion of this workout. Once we start the HIIT portion of this routine it will be no time at all until those muscles are burning.

We will be using a Tabata style timing of 20 seconds of work for every 10 seconds of rest. Each exercise will be done for 4 minutes straight for a total of 8 Tabata cycles. We will have a 20 second break at the end of each group of 8 sets to get ready for the next exercise. Since running through this routine straight would be a bit too much punishment we have a longer 1 minute break in the middle of the HIIT routine to let you recover a bit more.

Keep in mind that you should do this routine at your own pace so feel free to pause the video at any time if you feel as though you need a little extra rest.

Once we are finished with our last HIIT cycle we will move on to a short 5 minute cool down stretch. If you are not going to be doing another workout directly after this one (which you should not need to) then be sure not to skip the cool down section. The cool down is very important in keeping your blood circulating as well as slowly letting your heart rate and core temperature drop. This gives your body the necessary time to metabolize the lactic acid in the muscles as well as clean out the waste byproducts in your system that are a result of exercise. Immediately stopping your workout without a proper cool down can actually increase the soreness you experience and increase your recovery time from an intense workout.

This workout focuses on the entire body but especially focuses on the core muscles. Because of this the total calorie burn is slightly lower than a regular HIIT workout however this routine still burns a very high number of calories. This HIIT Cardio and Abs workout averages 6-12 calories per minute including the warm up and cool down. The total calorie burn for this 63 minute workout is 387 to 758. This wide range is due to multiple factors such as height, weight, age, gender, as well as arguably the largest cause of the difference, your own individual level of effort.

Exercises in this routine

1. Switchfoot Mt Climber
2. Mini Scissors
3. Jumping Jacks Plus a High Kick
4. Toe Tap Crunch
5. Switchfoot Burpee
6. Plank Steps
7. Walk Down Plank
8. Side Plank with Leg Kick (Left)
9. 4 High Knee Plus Floor Tap
10. Side Plank with Leg Kick (Right)
11. Broad Jump Plus 3 Hops Back
12. Russian Twist

This workout video enables you to burn a very high number of calories in minimal time – just twenty minutes.

The best part about this at home HIIT workout is that the benefits extend far beyond that third of an hour where you are actually exercising. High intensity interval training is popular because it actually ends up revving up your metabolism so that you burn calories at an elevated rate for hours after your sweat session is finished.

HIIT exercises are those that require merciless, full-blown effort. They are exercises that are so demanding on your cardiovascular system that just a few rounds of twenty second intervals make you feel like you’ve been running for the last hour.

A HIIT workout is extremely effective for fat and/or weight loss, because of the metabolic disturbance that it causes. When you rattle your body’s systems with such an intense output of exertion, it takes time for it to reregulate itself and return to it’s normal rate of energy expenditure. What this means is that even though you only busted your butt for a short time, your body will keep burning fuel as though you are still working out.

Workout Structure

5 Minute Cardio Warm Up
• 60 Seconds Butt Kickers
• 60 Seconds Stutter Steps
• 60 Seconds Lateral Jumps
• 30 Seconds Arm Crossover Swings
• 30 Seconds Torso Twists
• 60 Seconds Up & Out Jacks

10 Minute HIIT Workout
There are only two exercises to this portion of the HIIT program; Sidewinder Mountain Climbers, and Toe Touch Jacks.

In each round, you will be doing twenty seconds “On”, and 10 seconds “Off”, twice, for each exercise. There are two groups of each exercise per round. Make sense? It sounds a lot more complicated than it is; just follow along with the HIIT video and you will come out just fine.

You will do two four-minute rounds of butt busting high intensity exercise, with a full two minutes Active Rest in between. The Active Rest is just that – active. Don’t let yourself sit down, and don’t lie down. Instead, do whatever kind of movement your energy stores allow. For example, if you are feeling beat, just pace around the room or march in place slowly. If on the other hand you feel as though you have plenty of energy left, do jumping jacks, lateral jumps, or even jumping lunges, if you really want to push yourself and kick up the fat burn.

5 Minutes Cool Down & Stretch; 60 Seconds of each
• Butt Kickers
• Slow Butt Kickers with Arm Swings in Front
• Crossover Toe Touch Stretches
• Standing Quad Stretches
• Wall Chest Stretches

How many calories does this high intensity interval workout burn?
Depending on your intensity (actual exertion of effort), weight, height, and gender, you can expect to burn between 8 and 15 calories a minute doing this Fitness Blender routine. That’s a whooping 168 – 315 calories for just twenty minutes of effort.

That estimation doesn’t even take into account the elevated calorie burn that you will have for the next 24-48 hours.

High intensity interval training is a great option for when you are too busy for a full workout. The best way to use HIIT is in combination with regular endurance cardio. For example, on the days of the week when you don’t have a full hour to exercise, do a quick routine like this one. When you have a little extra space in your schedule, do 30-60 minutes of lower impact, sustained cardio such as light jogging, the elliptical, swimming, or even walking.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water after this workout so that you don’t end up dehydrated. Also remember to be kind to your body nutritionally after a workout like this one – the last thing you want to do after making your body work so hard is to eat junk food!

Whether you have never done a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) routine before and you want more from your workouts, or you are a pro at interval training and are looking for a new challenge, you have found your next workout.

This HIIT routine starts with a quick 5 minute warm up then dives into a Tabata style interval routine that uses only two exercises to burn a massive amount of calories; then we follow that up with a short 5 minute cool down and stretch.

If this sounds too simple then you have never done a HIIT training routine before. This workout will get you so worn out that you wont be able to tell your elbow from your ankle.

Once you are done with this brutal workout your first thought may be to never do a HIIT workout again but once you realize that you just burned more calories in around 20 minutes than most people burn in 60 minutes of cardio you will be coming back for more.

Though High Intensity Interval Training comes in many different styles, ranging in work to rest ratios from 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 or 1:1 and time per cycle ranging from minutes to seconds, in this routine you will utilizes a style known as Tabata that has a 2:1 ratio of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest.

These cycles are repeated for one minute per exercise, alternating back and forth for a total of 4 minutes before you get a long, active rest break of 2 minutes. Then you repeat the full 4 minute cycle over again before moving on to your cool down.

Tabata is a common interval training style and is one of our favorites for burning a lot of calories in a short period of time, without completely exhausting your body.

To get an even higher calorie burn out of this workout we selected two exercises that target the biggest muscles in your body, those of your legs.

The Squat Jumps primarily focus on the large leg muscles in the thigh, butt, and lower leg, but they also target the muscles in the core for stability while jumping. Those large leg muscles, however, are the primary heavy hitter when it comes to calorie burn.

The Burpee is a sick exercise that takes you from a plank or push up to a standing position with an optional jump. This exercise uses the large leg and butt muscles as well as the chest and core, just to name a few. Utilizing all of the muscles causes this motion to be a monster of a calorie burner.

Because these routines are so intense you will want to start slow and only use them once to twice a week. After your body starts to build up more aerobic and anaerobic endurance, start to add one more HIIT routine per week until you get to four to five max per week.

With the increased intensity comes increased wear and tear on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, so make sure you take time to fully recover every week. We suggest taking at least one day per week completely off and possibly even two; however, you can do very low intensity and light impact training on those days if you are not sore.

In the full twenty minutes of this routine, a person could burn between 9-13 calories a minutes. During the actual HIIT part of the workout, a person likely burns more along the lines of 12-16 calories a minute.

Aside from the calories burned while you are actually working out, it’s important to remember one of the biggest benefits of a high intensity interval workout like this one; long after you are finished working out, your caloric burn remains higher as your metabolism tries to restore your body to its normal physical and chemical resting state after the “disturbance” that you cause in your system’s preferred balance.

FAT TO FIT

Key Elements

Low Impact Cardio Workout for Beginners - Feel Good Cardio

Duration:

10 Mins

Caleries Burn:

54 to 89

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Low Impact, Warm Up/Cool Down

Fast 5 Minute Cool Down and Stretching Workout for Busy People

Duration:

5 Mins

Caleries Burn:

14 to 21

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Warm Up/Cool Down, Yoga/Flexibility

Quick Cool Down Stretching Workout Routine

Duration:

5 Mins

Caleries Burn:

14 to 21

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Low Impact, Warm Up/Cool Down, Yoga/Flexibility

Cool Down Workout - Cool Down Stretching Routine

Duration:

13 Mins

Caleries Burn:

39 to 62

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Low Impact, Warm Up/Cool Down, Yoga/Flexibility

Feel Good Stretching Workout - Calming Evening or Morning Stretch Routine

Duration:

15 Mins

Caleries Burn:

45 to 105

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Low Impact, Pilates, Warm Up/Cool Down, Yoga/Flexibility

Easy Warm Up Cardio Workout

Duration:

6 Mins

Caleries Burn:

23 to 42

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Warm Up/Cool Down

Light Cardio and Stretching Cool Down Workout

Duration:

5 Mins

Caleries Burn:

18 to 26

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Warm Up/Cool Down, Yoga/Flexibility

Quick Cool Down Stretch

Duration:

5 Mins

Caleries Burn:

12 to 15

Difficulty:

1/5

Training Type:

Warm Up/Cool Down, Yoga/Flexibility

Cool Down and Full Body Stretch

Duration:

12 Mins

Caleries Burn:

40 to 65

Difficulty: