Get back into your groove and give your muscles what they want with this quick, sweat-inducing bodyweight workout. If you've got 30 minutes, you've got enough time to strengthen your arms, legs, and core. Grab a buddy and get ready to work.
The 30-Minute Bodyweight Circuit
This workout will activate your muscles as you go, so you don't need to warm up beforehand. If you'd like, feel free to do a few dynamic exercises before getting started.
Complete the specified reps for each exercise listed before advancing to the next move. Since this is a circuit, take little to no rest in between each exercise. Once you've completed one round of all the exercises, take 90 seconds of rest. Repeat this circuit for a total of four rounds. Don't forget to stretch afterward!
Stand at the back of your mat and circle your arms out to the sides to reach toward the ceiling. Look up and feel your chest opening up.
Keeping your back straight, bend forward, hinging at your hips to bring your hands to the mat. This position brings length to the back of the legs. If your hamstrings are tight, bend your knees a bit to take tension off the muscles.
Walk your hands forward, moving into a plank, and hold each step to stretch your calves a bit. This warms up the shoulders and hands nicely.
Hold the plank for a few seconds to really wake up your core.
From your plank, walk your hands back to your feet until you are in another forward bend. Slowly roll up to standing, letting your head hang and keeping your neck relaxed. Once you are fully upright, you're ready to repeat the walkout for a total of 10 reps.
Stand with your feet wide, toes pointing out. Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply, so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure to keep your weight back in your heels.
Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely and squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement to get the most from the exercise.
Begin in a plank position with your feet in line with your hips.
Lower your body toward the floor, and then push through your arms, returning to plank.
Twist to the left, reaching your left arm to the ceiling without letting your pelvis rise or lower.
Return to plank position, bringing your hand back to the floor, and perform another push-up. When returning to plank, twist to the right, and reach your right arm to the ceiling.
Return back to plank position, returning your arm to the floor. This completes one rep.
Complete five reps.
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4Forward Backward Lunge
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Stand with the feet together.
Put weight in the left foot, lift your right knee up, and step into a forward lunge. The front knee should be at a 90-degree angle with the left knee just barely hovering above the ground.
Push into your right heel, come to stand, and immediately step the right foot behind you into a reverse lunge with the left knee at a 90-degree angle.
This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps on each leg.
Sit on the ground with your knees bent, your hands two inches behind you, and your fingers pointing away from your body. If this is too much weight on your wrists, slightly turn your fingers out to the sides of your body. Lift your hips two to three inches off the ground.
Step your right foot forward as you simultaneously move your left hand forward. Then repeat on the opposite side. This completes one rep. Focus on perfecting the contralateral movement (moving opposite body parts at the same time).
Continue walking forward for a total of 10 reps, or 15 meters. To advance this movement, walk forward for 10 reps and then walk backward for 10 reps, targeting your triceps.
With your palms flat, raise up off your knees onto your toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in.
With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat — don't let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
With control, slowly tap your left knee to the ground without moving your hips. Lift your left knee back up, returning to the starting position. Repeat the same movement with the right leg. This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Lie flat on your back. Extend your arms so they're against the sides of your body with your palms pressing into the floor, or bend your elbows and place your palms under the back of your head. Bend your knees and draw them into your ribs. This will make it easier to pull your navel in toward your spine and actively press your lower back flat on the ground.
Lift both legs straight up toward the ceiling, continuing to engage your abs and pressing your lower back into the ground. Keeping your core strong, slowly lower your right leg down toward the ground until it is a few inches above.
Then slowly scissor your legs, lifting your right leg back up as you lower your left leg down toward the ground. This completes one rep. Do a total of 10 reps.
