A Bodyweight Workout Not Only For Abs and Core, but Full Body

It happened last Friday.  I had plans to go to the pool to do my swim workout when all of sudden plans changed and I had to go with my wife to meet some friends that had come into town.  All I had time for was a workout at home, but I didn’t want to do a workout that was easy.  I needed something that would challenge me.

I found the following workout that uses bodyweight-only exercises, but gives you a very intense workout.  This workout is for people at advanced fitness levels.

Keeping that in mind if you’re not yet at an advanced level, you can still use this by simply using the basic format of the workout, and just do less of whatever exercises you struggle with, or choose an easier alternate exercise that’s similar.

Here goes…

This workout not only uses your abs and core muscles, but the entire body so you get a total body workout that will get your heart rate elevated.  You will notice that the rest periods are kept as short as possible.  This workout uses no added weight and you don’t need it.  Instead it includes plyometrics which means that your bodyweight provides the resistence.

Start with a 2-3 min warmup of light jogging, jumping jacks, or jump rope.

Then, move through these exercises in circuit fashion, one right after the other with only 10 seconds rest between each (repeat the circuit 3-5 times for a killer total body workout):

1. bodyweight squats – 12 reps

2. plyo pushups (clapping) – 10 reps

3. walking lunges up 6 steps and back 6 steps

4. floor mountain climbers for 30 seconds

5. lunge jumps – 6 reps to each side

6. lying leg thrusts (abs) on floor in pushup position, jump and bring legs into chest and out again- 12 reps

7. squat jumps – 8 reps

8. side plank hold 30 seconds one side, then 30 sec opposite side

Rest 2 min after each circuit; repeat circuit 3-5x

If that doesn’t challenge you then nothing will.  This style of workout is great for the cardiovascular system, the abs and core, and for weight loss.