Do you want a full-body workout that includes cardio?
For a comprehensive workout, combine cardiovascular exercise with strength training. Click HERE to read our companion article about bodyweight training circuits.
Include a Warm-Up
If you wish to add nine minutes of cardiovascular exercise to this strength training regimen, start with three minutes of each of the following exercises. They will incorporate heart-pumping aerobics into your program and prepare your body for weight-bearing activities.
These foundational exercises are probably already familiar to you, and for good reason: they are excellent for a burst of heart-pounding, lung-expanding aerobic exercise. The best part is that you can perform them all in a relatively short area.
After you’ve completed these three exercises, take a one-minute break before beginning the strength training session.
If you suffer knee or ankle pain, concentrate on your form rather than your speed. To ensure that your muscles, not your joints, suffer the burden of these workouts, always land on the balls of feet with your knees bent.
Change it: Jumping jacks can also be made easier on your joints by wearing well-cushioned sneakers.
How to Perform a Jumping Jack
A fundamental cardiovascular workout that can be performed in a little amount of space.
- 1. Stand tall with your legs together and your arms at your sides.
- 2. Jump into the air while bending your knees slightly.
- 3. When jumping, spread your legs shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms above your head.
- 4. Return to the starting location.
- 5. Repeat.
How to Perform Pogo Hops
A modified controlled leap for cardiovascular health.
- 1. Stand tall, feet slightly wide, about hip-width apart.
- 2. Raise your heels to the point where you are up on the balls of your feet.
- 3. Bounce up and down quickly on the balls of your feet. Keep your heels off the ground.
How to Perform Reverse Lunges
When compared to a standard lunge, this exercise puts less strain on the knees while still toning the entire leg.
- 1. Stand tall with your hands on your hips.
- 2. With your left foot, take a huge stride back.
- 3. Lower your hips to the point where your right thigh (front leg) is parallel to the floor and your right knee is directly over your ankle. With your left heel elevated, your left leg should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the knee and pointing toward the floor.
- 4. To complete one rep, return to a standing position by pressing your right heel into the ground and bringing your left leg forward.
- 5. Alternate legs and take a step back with your right leg.
Set a goal for yourself: Experiment with this exercise with your hands over your head.
What You’ll Need for Strength Training
You probably already have everything you need for this workout in your closet.
- Shoes: A pair of comfy sneakers will suffice. You can also execute this workout barefoot on a non-slippery surface if necessary.
- Timer: All phones today have timers built in, or you may own an actual watch with a second hand that will do the job..
- Clothes: Wear loose, breathable clothing.
- Any seven-foot-by-three-foot area will suffice.
Workout Music Can Help You Get a Boost
Making a workout playlist of your favorite high-energy songs will not make your workout feel simpler, but it may result in you exercising harder without even realizing it. The best part is that you just need three or four terrific songs to get through this workout. Make your own music to listen to while exercising if you want to try something new. Sing, hum, clap your hands, or do anything you can to keep up with your playlist. It can give you a lift to finish strong.
How to Proceed
This program can be modified to accommodate your changing fitness level.
Increasing Strength
The best part about the nine-minute strength training program is that you don’t have to start a new exercise routine to keep challenging yourself as you progress. You will, however, need to increase the duration of your workout in order to maintain your strength and cardiovascular health.
Workouts for Intermediate and Advanced
When the 9-Minute Strength Training Workout becomes too easy, gradually increase the time you spend on each exercise. Continue to rest one minute between sets, and add a 20-30 minute aerobic warm-up.
Why Strength Training Is Effective
This fitness routine is scientifically sound.
Understanding H.I.I.T.
This workout mixes interval training, which has been scientifically proven to improve your health the most, with weight-bearing exercises to develop your muscles. The end result? A full-body workout that will build your heart, lungs, and muscles without the use of a gym or other equipment. It’s based on the concepts of H.I.I.T., or high-intensity interval training, which uses short bursts of rigorous exercise to have a huge impact on the body. If a 20-minute jog is beneficial for your metabolism, lungs, and heart, H.I.I.T. compresses all of the advantages of that workout, and then some, into a just few minutes. H.I.I.T. may sound too good to be true, but understanding and applying this exercise approach to your life can mean saving hours at the gym.
The Advantages of Body Weight Exercises
The human body is by far the most portable gym known to humans, and while technology has advanced dramatically in the last 200 years, the design of the human body has remained consistent for thousands of years. You don’t need any expensive equipment to become fit. Body weight training has numerous advantages: These exercises can be performed anywhere, at any time, and for no cost.
However, training with only your body weight has an added benefit. Because our muscles regulate every action we make, learning to connect with your body’s potential can help you master your own body. We don’t walk around with weighted vests, but we do need to be able to work with our own body weight during every activity. Training the body to better sustain its own weight can help us avoid injuries and stay flexible as we age.
A Final Thought from DigEnet
Do you have any reservations regarding strength training? We’ll get rid of them.
- I’m not looking for bulky muscles. When you hear the word strength, you immediately think of large, muscular muscles. This workout will increase functional strength through natural body motions that you do without thinking. They will leave you feeling powerful and toned, but without the appearance of a bodybuilder.
- I’m too [insert your reason here] to lift weights. These exercises are appropriate for people of all ages and abilities, from children to the elderly. Exercise is like medicine, and strength training is a very potent component of any body’s prescription – it makes you stronger, faster, and more flexible, and it can assist with injuries, arthritis, osteoporosis, and many other conditions.
- Should I consult my doctor? Most people do not require it. These workouts are accessible to almost everyone. However, if you’re over 40 and have been inactive for a long, you should certainly consult with your doctor before diving headfirst into a strength program. This is especially true when discussing H.I.I.T.
- I’m simply too busy to exercise. That cannot be correct. With just 10 minutes of exercise every day, people of all ages and fitness levels can enhance their strength, fitness, and cellular metabolism. This workout can be done in a conference room at work, in your bathroom before showering, or in your living room while watching TV.