Circuit Training: Low and High Impact Home Cardio Workouts
StrongHer is where women warriors are made, both physically and mentally. A London based STRICTLY women only fitness and nutrition brand whose mission is to educate, enrich and empower women from all diversities, cultures and faiths.
Their Co-Founder, Tig Hodson, has created low and high cardio circuits that can be done at home.
LOW IMPACT CIRCUIT
5 exercises with the option of 2 different formats:
Option 1 – AMRAP – Keep the reps as they are and set a time frame (anywhere between 15-30 minutes) and complete as many rounds of the circuit as you can within that time frame
Option 2 – Ignore the amount of reps and complete 45 seconds of as many reps of that exercise as you can, take 15 seconds to rest between exercises and then complete the whole circuit anywhere from 3-6 rounds depending on your timeframe and/or your level of ability.
1. 20x Alternating Lunges
Taking the movement either forward or back (reverse a little easier and less pressure off those knees) and working into everything from the hips down!
If that’s a little too hard, change to be kept in a split position and just dropping that back knee down towards the floor or change to a normal squat position.
2. 15x StrongHer Burpees
Like the regular burpee but minus the push up and the jump at the top – hoorah! Dropping your hands straight down, either jumping or stepping the feet out to your plank whilst lowering yourself to the floor and then jump/step your feet back in and standing up like the StrongHer you are!
3. 10x Push Up with a Dynamic Plank
From your plank position and dropping down into your push up (chest down to the floor – if that’s too difficult, drop those knees down to enable getting that chest lower) once back to your start position, keep the body and hips still and drop to your elbows and push back up to your hands.
To regress – take out the dynamic plank and stick just to those push ups.
4. 20x Mountain Climbers
Sticking in your full plank position, bring one knee at a time in towards your chest whilst keeping your shoulders on top of your wrists and your hips in line.
If that’s a little too hard, just come into your standing position and bring it into “marches” driving your knees up to your chest.
5. 30x Bicycle Crunches
Laying on your back and keeping your shoulders off the floor, hands by your head, bringing your opposite knee to elbow and switching legs (like you’re riding a bicycle) and extending your legs away from you – as close to the floor that you can whilst keeping your lower back into the floor.
To regress – keep your legs up at a 90 degree angle and just switch in your upper body, getting as much rotation as you can and again, keeping your lower back into the floor.
HIGH IMPACT CIRCUIT
For this circuit, go down the ladder of exercises and back up again x2.
Test how long it takes or give yourself a time cap and see how many you can do in that time.
1. 12x Each Leg Start Lines
Ok so imagine you are starting a race, lets start on the right side, you are in a similar position to a reverse lunge but your back leg (right leg in this instance) is extended back behind you in a straight line, with the ball of the foot on the floor and your hands are framing your left foot.
From here you drive up through your left leg thrusting your right knee up towards your chest and do a little jump off the left foot, then reverse the movement so you are back to the starting position.
2. 10x Broad Jumps
A great explosive move for your butt, hamstrings and quads. Feet hip distance apart and use your arms to propel you forward. Swing your arms back as you bend your knees and hinge your hips back.
Then swing your arms forward as you drive your feet into the ground, push the hips forward and explode like a little pocket rocket off the ground. Landing on your feet softly through your knees.
3. 8x Push up and Floor Thruster
So going into a high plank position, with hands just outside of shoulders and feet hip distance apart, squeeze your bum really tight and imagine you’re being punched in the tummy (then you know your core is braced).
We are going to lower down to the floor, bending at the elbows making sure our chest touches the floor. As soon as it does, we push back up to the top of the movement and jump both feet outside the hands, then send them back to their original position.
4. 6x V-UPS
Lie on your back and extend your arms behind your head. Keep your feet together and toes pointed. Keep your legs straight and lift them up as you simultaneously raise your upper body off the floor.
Keep your core tight as you reach for your toes with your hands. Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.
5. 4x Hollow Hold Supermans
So similar to the previous exercise in terms of setup this is where you start. Lie on your back and extend your arms behind your head, make sure the small of your back in pressed into the floor and keep your feet together, and toes pointed.
From here you will flip onto onto your belly, keeping the chest off the floor so we are extending through your back and place your hands on your temple you then flip back over to the hollow hold repeat.
6. 2x Burpees
Dropping your hands straight down and jumping your feet out to your plank whilst lowering yourself to the floor.
Then push yourself back up in any old fashion and then jump/step your feet back in and standing up like the StrongHer you are!
StrongHer is opening a ground-breaking new strength and conditioning studio in Bethnal Green, London, that will educate, empower, and help women prioritise their health in a supportive environment. Click here for more info. Sure sure to also follow StrongHer on Instagram.