Cardio Combo 4

This is a perfect week to bust out a new cardio combo just in time for Turkey dinner and leftovers. This combo is two exercises done as quickly as possible and repeated for one (1) minute. As always sprinkle this in amidst your regular workout or pepper it throughout your day (every hour, every time you’re about to reach for another snack etc). The first exercise is 10 Split Jumps (5 per leg – 10 total) that are plyometric, high impact lunges where you switch your legs in the air. Start in a semi lunge, right foot forward and jump up, switch legs and land with your left foot forward in a semi lunge. Keep your landings soft through the knees and well paced. Try not to pause or stop between jumps. The second exercise is 10 Forearm Plank Jacks. After completing the split jumps, quickly drop down into a forearm plank (body straight, abs engaged, elbows under shoulders) and jump your feet apart and together (like Jacks) 10 times. Quickly jump up and immediately back into the split jumps. How many rounds can you do in one minute?

Notes: Work as quickly as you can while maintaining impeccable form. Keep breathing. Keep the knees over the feet, not past the toes in the lunges and soft landings.

Easier: Take the plyo out of the two moves by doing alternating quick rear lunges and then alternating but quick side toe taps in your forearm plank.

Harder: The deeper the lunge, the more challenging; hold light weights during the lunges; ankle weights; do your forearm plank on a BOSU.