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You have 30 minutes to work out. Is it worth it? Heck, YEAH! You have 30 minutes to work out! If you choose your workout wisely, a half-hour is plenty of time to get in an extremely productive head-to-toe workout. Another perk is that the time allotted takes the guesswork out of what the focus of your workout should be. Endurance is out of the question. It’s time to satisfy your need for speed, power, and strength. 30 minutes is perfect for cardio and strength intervals!

Take 5 minutes to warm-up. That means starting slowly and doing some active stretches and rehearsal moves that mimic what you will be doing full-force later on. Allot 5 minutes at the end for cool down and a few static stretches. That leaves you 20 minutes to let an interval workout kick your butt.

The cardio bouts you do should be fast and furious. On a scale of 1-10, work around an 8.5 or 9 during the cardio/speed burst. If you were running, your bursts would be akin to a sprint. You should not be able to maintain that amped-up effort for very long. If you feel like you can sustain it past a minute, you’re not working hard enough. Use a strength move for recovery so your perceived rate of exertion from a heart rate perspective falls to a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1-10.


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The workout presented below uses a 2:1 work/recovery ratio. If you want a longer recovery, take it. Intervals are sometimes referred to as “speed play.” There is wiggle room when it comes to the length of the bouts. HIIT workouts are interval workouts that use very short cardio bursts. However, that is only one type of interval workout. It’s OK to mix it up as long as you get the short spurts of elevated heart rate punctuated by active rest.

Interval workouts involve anaerobic activity. Unlike cardiovascular exercise that is safe to do most days, intervals should not be performed on consecutive days. Your body needs time to recover from the intensity.

Give This 30-minute Equipment-Free Interval Workout a Go

push upsWarm-up:

Walk Forward and Backward 1 min.
Then do 30 repetitions each:
– Step Side-to-Side
– Hamstring curl (butt-kicker)
– Knee Lifts
– Calf-raises
– Squat
– Squat with a Side Leg Lift

Once you’ve broken a sweat, work through the pairs of exercises below. Repeat the cycle two more times to equal THREE ROUNDS.

Cardio Movement- 1 min.

Jumping Jacks

Burpees (approx. 15) (any variation)

Bounding (lateral leap)

High Knee Run

Fast Shuffle (lateral)

Strength- 10 Reps Each

Push-ups

Power Lunges (any variation)

Tricep Dips (any variation)

Kneeling Get-ups (any variation)

V-sits (any variation)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use the final 5 minutes to stretch. Lean into a calf stretch on each leg. Pull your heel to your rear end to loosen quads and hips. Target your hamstrings with a seated forward bend. Hold static stretches for 10-30 seconds a piece.

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