The Fast, Full-Body Circuit Workout to Boost Your Heart Rate
How it works: The entire workout is broken down into four progressive movements, each lasting two minutes each, for a total of eight minutes of work. You'll break that down even further by segmenting and then progressing each two-minute move into four 30-second parts. Every 30 seconds you'll add on to the move, until you're performing the entire exercise at high-intensity, fast pace.
Total time: 8 minutes
What you'll need: No-equipment required, just bring your A-game.
Burpee
-0:30: For the first 30 seconds, begin in high plank (on your palms). Tuck your lower abs up towards your belly button to engage the core, while squeezing your glutes and thighs together, keeping your weight over your shoulders.
0:30-1:00: Send your elbows back and tight to your sides, mimicking the downward movement of a triceps push-up, dropping your weight to the floor just when you start to hoover. Repeat parts 1 and 2 of your burpee.
1:00-1:30: Pop up from the floor and jump your legs forward to either side of your hands; then release your hands from the floor coming to a squat position. Repeat parts 1, 2, and 3 of your burpee.
1:30-2:00: From the squat position, jump straight up to complete the full range of motion. Complete as many full burpees as you can during these final 30 seconds of work.
Reaction Drill
-0:30: Stand with feet wide to perform a football high-speed run in place on your toes.
0:30-1:00: Drop down and perform a burpee intermittently between toe-tap "runs."
1:00-1:30: Repeat part 1 of your reaction drill
1:30-2:00: Repeat part 2 of your reaction drill, going through as many run-burpee sequences as you can during these final 30 seconds.
Punch Sequence
-0:30: Perform a strong and swift right jab forward, followed by a left jab forward. Continue to switch arms for this first 30 seconds.
0:30-1:00: Perform a cross punch with your right arm (punching across the midline of your body in an angled motion). Perform the cross jab with your left arm. Repeat parts 1 and 2 of your sequence together: Two jabs, then two cross-punches.
1:00-1:30: Build on to the movement by adding two jumping jacks after the cross-punches. Repeat parts 1, 2, and 3 of the sequence together: Two jabs, two cross-punches, then two jumping jacks.
1:30-2:00: Build on to the movement
Spider Push-up
-0:30: Hold a high palm-plank for the first 30 seconds, making sure to keep abs tight and shoulders down, maintaining a straight line from head to toes.
0:30-1:00: With elbows out wide, bring chest to the floor for a push-up. Squeeze shoulder blades as you push your chest back up to high-plank. Repeat this push-up for the remainder of part 2.
1:00-1:30: From high-plank, bend your right knee in toward your right elbow as you lower down into your push-up. Knee should be in, foot out. Push back to high-plank, bringing right foot back to starting position. Repeat the movement still using your right leg for the remainder of part 3.
1:30-2:00: Switch legs to bring your left knee to left elbow as you lower down to a push-up position. Continue on your left side for the remainder of the sequence.
