Workouts Library

Using our specialty 5x5x5 structure, we present you with the 5x5x5 Pulse Workout for leaner legs and a firmer booty. Just in case you haven’t seen it before on one of our other workouts, here’s how this structure works: -5 Full range repetitions -5 Pulses at the hardest range of the motion -5 Times through All of these exercises are ones that facilitate toning without building a significant amount of muscle mass, leaning & shaping the lower body (do note that building lean muscle mass makes it easier to stay lean, due to the fact that muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain). They are low resistance, low weight bearing exercises. You won’t need a single piece of equipment for this bodyweight workout; however, you can bump up the toning component of these exercises by wearing ankle weights. Workout Structure: 7 Minute Cardio Warm Up 13 Minute Leg Slimming Workout Exercises in this routine: Warm Up: 1 Minute Each -Pendulum Swings -Boxer Squats -Toe Touch Kicks (30 seconds each side) -Slow Butt Kickers + Arm Swings -Boxer Shuffle -Butt Kickers -Up & Out Jacks By the time you are done with this cardio warm up, your body will be ready for the workout and you will have burned an extra 50-80 calories. 5x5x5 Exercises Side Lifts – These are an awesome outer thigh exercise. By the 4-5 round of Pulse reps, you are likely going to be feeling a decent amount of burn in those muscles. Repeat on each side. Flutter Kicks – Your pulse motion is going to take place in the middle of the range of motion for this one; just use a mini version of the regular full range of motion to do smaller kicks. This one is great for thigh toning and as an added benefit, your abdominals have to kick in, too. Inside Leg Lifts – Inner thigh toning at its best, this exercise works especially well with the pulses added in. Don’t be surprised if this feels like a very small range of motion; it’s still working. Repeat on each side. Rear Leg Raises – From all fours, lift one leg up in a smooth and controlled motion, and then lower it back down to the ground. The pulses happen at the top of the lifting motion. This is a great butt lifting exercise. Learn to love the burn! Repeat on each side. Back Bows – Lying on your stomach, squeeze up both upper and lower body simultaneously. You should feel this in your hamstrings and glutes, as well as your lower back. The pulses occur at the top of the squeezing motion. It’s very important for all of Fitness Health Track’s Pulse Workouts that you use a slow and controlled motion for the “pulses”. You don’t want to be jerking or using momentum to complete the movement – it’s all about maintaining control over your own body in order to use smooth & slow motions. Using momentum just lets your body & muscles “cheat”, which defeats the purpose of the workout. How many calories does this routine burn? Aside from doing a stellar job of toning you up, this workout also helps burn off extra calories. We estimate that this workout burns between 5-9 calories a minute, depending on your weight, lean muscle mass, and many other variables that are going to be specific to each individual. That means that in the 20 minutes of this routine, you could burn between 100-180 calories – possibly more if you weigh more than 180 & less if you weigh under 120. Do you like our 5x5x5 workout structure? What is your favorite FB routine that uses this strategy?

As you may already know, stretching is an integral part of any fitness routine and there are many different styles and ways to do it. Trying to decide which style to use and when can be very confusing. We have made one choice easy for you by creating a cool down stretch routine. This routine utilizes non-corrective stretches (a short duration hold that wont loosen your joints) to help release tight muscles and promote circulation to flush out waste products created while exercising. This routine is not to increase flexibility but instead to give you a way to bring down your heart rate and core temperature at a controlled pace to give the body time to filter out waste products that can increase the intensity and duration of soreness and stiffness. This routine is also intended to give just enough of a stretch that though it may not increase flexibility, it will help you maintain your current flexibility which often diminishes when muscle tissues are damaged as happens with strength training, HIIT, plyometric training, Kettlebell training, and so on. In the following section we have listed each exercise that is included in this routine, in order, and what part of your body that each move focuses on (i.e. where you should feel it). Stretches included in this routine: Chest Cross Arm Swing: When combined with side steps or walking in place, this is a great way to keep the heart rate elevated slightly so it can more effectively push waste products to the kidneys and liver while taxing your body only slightly as to not create any excessive waste itself. You will primarily feel this in your chest and the front of your shoulder when your arms are pulled back behind your ribcage and in the rear of your shoulder and upper back when your arms are crossed over in front of your ribcage. Just be sure to move slowly and alternate which arm is on top when your arms are in front of your body. Wide Toe Touch: With your feet wider than shoulder width you stretch a slightly different part of your lower back, hamstring (back of the thigh), glute (butt) and calf (only slightly) than you would when doing a regular toe touch (aka straight leg hang) with your feet together. Try modifying this by pointing your toes out or in to target different areas of your legs, back, and hips. Squatting Glute Stretch: Though this stretch requires a bit of extra balance and control to do without assistance, it is a great way to stretch deep into the glute (butt) muscles and also will hit parts of the lower back. Start with only a shallow squat then build up over time until you have the flexibility and strength to get to a full squat. Inside Thigh Stretch: This position gives you the same benefits of dropping down to do the side splits (or trying anyway) but without the uncomfortable feeling by focusing on only one leg at a time. With one leg bent you are able to focus on getting the stretch on the inside thigh/groin of the straight leg. To intensify the move, you don’t need to drop further into a side lunge, instead just focus on dropping your hip lower (on the side with the straight leg). Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch: The hip flexor (front of the hip joint) can be a hard location to stretch properly but this position does a really good job of isolating the hip flexor one side at a time. The key with this position is to keep the back leg straight (this is the side of the body where you will feel it). To intensify the pull, lunge lower and/or lean back slightly. Just be careful to move to the identical position on the opposite side. Standing Quad Stretch: This is another position that can be a bit challenging for balance without any assistance but it is a great way to target the quadriceps (the front/top of the thigh). Only pull your heel as close to your butt as you can without your knee feeling uncomfortable; don’t pull too hard as it can over compress and damage/loosen your knee joint. Once you have a slight stretch, pull your knee back behind you (using the muscles in your leg) to intensify the feeling in the hip and quadriceps. Side Bends: This motion targets the obliques as you lean sideways. It can be modified to incorporate the outer thigh as well by bringing your foot across in front of you at the same time. For example if you are leaning to the left then pull your right leg (the same side you will feel it in) across to the left as well. This should intensify the pull on the right oblique as well as adding a pull to the right outside thigh and hip. Arm Cross Shoulder Stretch: This motion targets the rear of the deltoid (shoulder) and the rhomboid (upper back, over the shoulder blade). Depending on the flexibility of these areas you may not feel much of a pull, but keeping your upper arm close to your chest and pulling with the opposite arm across and away from the shoulder to be stretched should intensify this motion. Overhead Tricep Stretch: Targeting the tricep (back of the upper arm) can be difficult but this position does a good job of not only targeting the tricep but also various parts of the shoulder complex (muscles that surround the shoulder socket). Be sure to reach back to the same shoulder as arm you are stretching to get the most tricep pull. Wall Shoulder Stretch: Shoulder range of motion is often an issue that can limit ones ability to perform various upper body exercises properly. This position is a great way to keep from losing that range of motion and when held for longer time periods it can help you to regain lost range of motion, allowing you more freedom of movement with the arm fully extended overhead. Just be sure to keep a flat back rather than letting it arch as this can cause back pain/injuries if hyperextended.

Another round of unique and effective torture in the form of a 5x5x5 Pulse Workout, this time for the upper body. Fitness Health Track’s 5x5x5 Pulse structure works like this: 5 Repetitions 5 Pulses at the hardest range of the movement 5 Times through Can you tell that we truly enjoy thinking of new & fun ways to give our beloved viewers sore muscles? Depending on your upper body strength, this workout can feel fairly challenging. You are always welcome to step it up a notch by lifting a weight that pushes your own limits, or to take it down a level of difficulty by taking quick rests when you need to or even doing some of the exercises without any extra resistance. These exercises target the pectorals, triceps, biceps, latissimus dorsi (lats), deltoids, rhomboids (upper back) and core. Even with just 5 exercises, this is a very thorough and comprehensive routine for the upper body. Workout Structure 7 Minute Cardio Warm Up – Get your blood pumping and your muscles warmed with this short cardio intro, then jump straight into the upper body toning routine. All you need for this routine is a pair of dumbbells. Exercises in this routine: Push Ups – If a modified version from the knees is too easy for you, by all means do the 5x5x5 reps from a full push up position. You could even start from a full version and then move to the easier modification if and when your muscles start to give out. The pulse reps take place at the bottom of the motion, when you are hovering just above the ground. Pullovers – The pulsing occurs when your hands are straight out above your head, just above the ground. Tricep Extensions – The small pulsing motion happens at the point where your arms are fully extended over your head. Bicep Curls – The midpoint of a curl, when your forearms are roughly parallel to the ground, will be the midpoint of your pulsing movement. Overhead Presses – In between the full extension and the end of the rep when your elbows are tucked in back at your sides, this is when you will do the 5 pulses. Afraid to lift weights because you don’t want to bulk up? Don’t be. Women have a very hard time “bulking up”, and it takes a ton of discipline, some seriously heavy lifting, and more often than not supplementation to make it happen. If you do this routine with a weight that makes it difficult to complete the entire 5x5x5 structure, the only thing that is going to happen is that you are going to build some lean muscle that is going to help keep you at a healthy bodyweight – remember, muscle burns more calories than fat does. You are not going to get arms like a bodybuilder and you’re not going to develop arms that are bursting from your t-shirt sleeves. How many calories do I burn doing this? We estimate that a person can burn 156 – 220 calories doing this workout video. Remember that these are just estimations and exact figures will be specific to your body and your fitness level. The real benefit of a workout like this one lies in the lean muscle that you are building. More than the calories burned while you are actually doing this workout, you will expend energy at a higher rate even while you are resting if you increase your muscle content. If you are feeling energetic or your upper body is not too worn out when the video is over, you can always repeat a second round of the 5x5x5 exercises. Do this routine 2-3 times a week, giving sore muscles a chance to heal in between workouts. Remember to mix it up – even if you love one workout in particular, you can keep your exercise sessions more effective by frequently challenging your muscles with new variations of exercises and different training styles.

We operate under the concept that if you are taking the time out of your busy schedule to do one of our workout videos, we are going to do our best to make sure that it is maximally effective and that you get rewarded for every second’s worth of effort that you put into your sweat session. Why do just a regular squat when you could add in a ventral raise for the upper body, or a simple, traditional lunge when you could add in a torso twist to further challenge your core? Looking at the combination of exercises below, you can probably tell that this routine is not only great for building functional strength & balance, it’s also great for burning calories. This workout for fat loss and increased strength is a great program and a relatively quick and efficient way to get stronger and leaner. You are going to need a set of dumbbells for this routine. If you don’t have any dumbbells, you could also use a medicine ball, kettlebells, resistance bands, water bottles, or a set of small to medium kittens (though dumbbells are probably the best option for this combination of exercises). Here’s what this routine looks like: – 8 Exercises – 3 Rounds – 33 Minutes total Printable Workout Routine: 14 Push Ups 14 Dead Lifts + Reverse Flys 10 Single Arm Pullovers + Opposite Leg Raises (repeat on each side) 14 Squats + Ventral Raises 14 Alternating Lunges +Row Kickbacks 14 Squat Crosses + Presses 14 Alternating Lunges + Torso Rotations 14 Crunches with Cross Punches Common Questions How many calories does this workout burn? Because of all of the muscle groups engaged simultaneously, this one is a calorie torcher! We estimate that in the 33 minutes of this video, the vast majority of the population will expend 8-12 calories a minute. That’s roughly 264-396 total. Here’s the thing; you can easily step up the burn even more by grabbing weights that are heavy & challenging for you to lift. Just make sure that you don’t ever sacrifice form for a heavier weight. How often should I do this routine? It depends on the weight that you lift, what your goals are, and how sore you are after each workout. Here’s a quick reference guide: Lifting heavy & want quick results & gains? Do this 2-3 times weekly Lifting lighter, or for toning and/or weight loss goals? 3-4x/week will do the trick. With that said, make sure that you don’t do the same workout video over & over again. Mix up combinations of Fitness Health Track videos for the best results. We recommend that you do the workout routine along with this video, at least the first time through, just to be sure that you are familiar with all of the moves and that you have been exposed to the tips and pointers for proper form.

Even a quick 10-minute workout can make a big difference when it comes to reaching fitness goals. It makes a particularly significant difference when the routine is like this one; a blend of vigorous toning moves that crank up the heart rate so that you are engaging muscles and burning an elevated number of calories at the same time. Research has shown that several short incremental workouts a day are just as effective as one longer bout of exercise. If you have a really busy schedule our ten minute routines are an ideal way to tone up and potentially drop weight. To get the most benefit and see changes the fastest, we recommend that you do three of our short videos like this one, at three separate times of the day. This way you only have to create a few different intervals of one sixth of an hour, three times a day. You will give your metabolism a boost both by increasing your lean muscle content and giving yourself several metabolic-stoking jumpstarts through the day. There are 10 different exercises in this cardio workout video; you will do each for 45 seconds with ten seconds rest in between. You will need an open wall & a medicine ball to do a couple of the exercises – however, if you don’t have these things, you can still do the entire routine with just slight modifications. Exercises in this routine: Lateral Jumps – Really push off back and forth, trying to get the most distance from side to side, and this will tone the legs and get your heart pumping. Deep Squats + Optional Ball Toss – If you don’t have an open wall or a medicine ball (or volleyball, basketball, etc), you can just do a deep squat with an overhead press. If you are doing the exercise as shown, try to make the motions quick – catch the ball as you are going into the squat and push it off above your head as you are coming up out of it. Plank Tuck & Kicks – In a plank position, bring a thigh up and under your body, towards the opposite elbow. Then take that same leg and extend it up and behind your body for a rear leg lift before repeating the motion on the opposite leg. Side Steps + Center Squats – Do two side pushes (one on each side, while hopping laterally) before jumping with both feet in the center and dropping down into a squat. Up and Out Jacks – These are kind of a fun calorie burning exercise that has just a slightly modified motion from a regular Jumping Jack; bringing the arms out in front of the body on every other jump. Jumping Oblique Twists – Target your obliques and general core while burnings calories with this simple move. Make sure that you focus on landing with toes pointing as far to the left or right as you can on each hop in order to get the most toning for your midsection. Squat Jacks – These hurt! But they hurt because they work. Aside from toning the glutes, they are also great for cranking up the caloric burn of a cardio workout and also work to tone inner and outer thighs. Side Shuffle Hops – If your legs weren’t tired before this point in the routine, this will help finish them off. This one is an inner and outer thigh exercise that also targets the glutes (if you stay low) and the calves (when you jump upward at each side of the side shuffling). Plyometric Push Ups – These are a bit more intense than a regular push up because of the powerful push-off motion. You can make these harder by doing the pushups on the floor, with the explosive motion. High Knees – Focus on getting those knees up high and those 45 active seconds will feel like they are dragging on forever! If you want to make this easier, you can always slow down the movement a bit by only raising one foot up off of the floor at a time and eliminating the bouncing motion.

I don’t care how busy you are – everyone has ten spare minutes in his or her day for routines like the one above. If you honestly believe that you don’t have time for ten minutes of exercising each day, then you need to reprioritize and hollow out that sixth of an hour from your schedule, just for yourself and your health. You’ll be a better person for it. This particular 10 minute home workout video is ideal for sandwiching between 2 short bouts of cardio; one to get the muscles nice and warm and ready to work, and another to cool down just before you stretch. Because of the dynamic movements and the large muscle groups used, this short routine even burns a fair amount of calories. We estimate that this routine will burn roughly 90 – 135 calories (specific figures depending on gender, bodyweight, muscle mass, how much effort is put into each exercise, etc)   How this routine is structured: There are nine different exercises (counting the instances where you must repeat a movement on both sides of the body) that target the glutes, thighs, and calves. The core is also challenged, particularly during exercises that place demand on your balance skills. You will do each exercise for roughly 45 seconds. There is a demonstration of each of the exercises just before the 45 second active interval begins; this 10 second period will also serve as your resting phase before you jump back into the next exercise. If any of the moves is too hard for you to do with proper form for a full 45 seconds, you can always take a very quick break. Exercises in this routine: Side Lunges + Reach – You will feel this one in your quadriceps and glutes. If you focus on reaching to the opposite foot on each side lunge, you will also engage your obliques. Swinging Bridge – Really concentrate on a nice full range of motion on this movement and make sure that you get a good upward squeeze of the glutes on each side of the “bridge”. Squats + Alternating Lifts – If you have coordination or balance issues that need working on, it’s going to be evident when you start doing this exercise. If you need to, you can hold onto a wall or chair to help steady yourself, but only do so lightly so that you can see improvements in both categories. Pulse Lunges – These hurt! Make sure that your pulsing is slow and controlled and that you are not bouncing without any attempt to exert control over your own body. Try to keep your bodyweight so that it is dropping right between your feet, rather than forward over your toes or too far backward. Shoulder Bridge – Pilates exercises like this one make for toned legs that have that always sought after “long and lean” look. You may find that your hamstrings limit your range of motion for this one; stretch if you need to and know that with practice your flexibility will increase. Side Plank Leg Lifts – Good for the entire core, and the outer thighs, this one is a multi-tasker that works great for toning you up quickly. What other routines should I use with this one? This 10 Minute Butt and Thigh Workout is great for squeezing in with short bouts of cardio, but you could also significantly increase your caloric burn and the toning benefit of this video by doing 2-3 rounds through the entire thing (if you’ve got the time and the endurance). How often should you do this butt and thigh workout? Every other day is fine – you can do it more often if you are only doing one round and your muscles are not sore from the last time you’ve done it.

If you often feel tension in your neck or lower back while doing traditional core workouts, these standing ab exercises could be a great option for you. You guys liked our short Standing Ab Workout so much that we decided to treat you to another one – this one much longer than the first. In the 34 minutes of this routine, we first get your heart rate up to get your muscles warmed and your calorie burn up. Next, you are going to twist, rotate, and reach your way to a slimmer waist – all without ever sitting down on a mat for a traditional crunch. What’s in this video: 3 Minute Cardio Warm Up 7 Standing Ab Exercises 3 Rounds Total Exercises in this routine: 15 Standing Oblique Crunches – Balance on one leg while you bring one knee up to that same elbow. Make sure that you focus on squeezing through that side. Repeat on both sides of the body. 15 Bent Over Torso Rotations – Bend over at the waist, and extend your hands out in front of you. Keeping your back flat and torso as parallel to the ground as possible, rotate slowly back and forth from side to side. Make this harder by holding onto a weighted object. 15 Standing Toe Touch Crunches – Balance on one leg while you bring the other up and out in front of your body in a slow controlled lifting motion. Once your leg is at the top of it’s range of motion, crunch forward and reach for those toes. Alternate back and forth between which leg you are lifting. 15 Diagonal Crunches – Lean forward while you rotate your shoulders, reaching that elbow to the opposite foot. Come back up the same way you stretched down, and repeat on the opposite side. 20 X Pivots – Place your hands behind your head and lean forward and across the left side of your body, down towards the left foot, then make a straight line to the right side of your body, where you pull yourself upward in the same manner that you went down on the opposite side. Once you are back in the starting position, repeat the motion, this time starting by leaning down and across to the right side of your body & pulling back up on the left side. 15 Bent Over Back Extensions – Bend over and get your back and torso as close to parallel to the ground as you can. Once you are in this position, round your upper back forward, and then extend it back upwards. This exercise looks deceptively easy, but you will definitely feel this in your lower back. 10 Corkscrew Squats – Bring your hands up to one side of your body and then rotate downwards to the opposite side as far as you can, then come back up to the starting position. Do 10 reps in each direction. How often should I do this routine? Do this routine 3-4 times a week to keep your body trim and your abs toned, all without a single traditional crunch. This particular video would go really well with a short, intense cardio workout – one of our HIIT videos would be a great choice. Calorie Burn Estimations We estimate that this upright ab workout burns between 6-8 calories per minute, or roughly 204 – 272 total. These estimation ranges are based on a women weighing 130 lbs and a man weighing 180 lbs. If you weight more or less than that, your expenditure may be over or under the figures we have listed.

All of the moves in this routine are very dynamic and work the thigh and glute muscles in ranges of motion that are not commonly found in natural, everyday activities. The result is that your muscles get worked from multiple angles, all of which provide significant reshaping and toning benefits. I was sore for three days after filming this workout of glute, inner, and outer thigh exercises! If you do this routine 2-4 times per week, you will start to notice a difference in the shape of your lower body in as little as two weeks. Exercises in this workout Frog Leg Lifts – 14 Reps – Lie on your stomach and bend your knees, placing the soles of your feet together so that your legs bow out like frog legs. While pressing your soles together and maintaining that frog-legged pose, lift your legs upward. You will feel this predominately in your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Squat + Side Leg Raises – 20 Reps – Drop into a deep squat and go up onto one leg as you come back up into a standing position. While balancing on that leg, lift the other leg out to the side. This is one of my favorite exercises because it is so effective for the glutes, outer thighs, core and obliques. Butterfly Bridges – 20 Reps – Lie on your back, bend your knees, and bring your feet inward and upward to press the soles of your feet together. While maintaining this position, press your hips upward as you would for a regular bridge. This is an excellent inner and outer thigh exercise and it also hits the glute muscles in a unique way. “U” Leg Lifts – 10 Reps on each Side – Lie on your side with your feet stacked. Lift the top leg straight up for a side leg lift, still in line with that bottom leg. Bring it back down (without letting it rest on the bottom leg) and immediately bring that top leg forward so that it’s in front of your body; once there, lift it again. Lower it back down towards the ground before bringing it back it over the bottom leg in the starting position. You are essentially drawing a giant, boxy “U” shape with the top leg. You will definitely feel this in your outer thighs. Slider Squats – 10 Reps – Drop into a squat and slowly transfer your weight from evenly distributed to one leg or the other until the opposite leg is straightened – all while never leaving a squat position. The squat targets the glutes, while the sliding motion engages and tones the inner and outer thigh. Single Leg Pendulums – 10 Reps on each Side – Balance on one leg while doing leg lifts on both the outside and inside of the body. The outer leg lift targets the outside thigh, while the leg lift in front of the body tones inner thighs. Use slow and controlled “swings” for this one – you don’t want to use too much momentum or else your muscles get off easy. Your core also has to work to complete this movement; it’s largely what keeps you from falling over (hopefully). If you are lacking in the balance department, you can always hold onto a chair or stand by a wall for a little extra support. Sumo Squats + Pick Ups – 10 Reps on each Side – Go into a deep squat and set a weighted object next to the toes of one foot. Come back up from the squat, and go back down to pick the object or weight back up. During the next Sumo Squat, repeat the set-down, pick-up movement next to the toes of the opposite foot. You can do this oblique, glute, and outer thigh exercise without any equipment, but you can also make it a lot harder by bumping up the amount of weight you are maneuvering around. Seated Leg Lift & Sweeps – 7 Reps on each Side – Sit on a mat with your feet extended straight out in front of your body. Without letting your torso or hips twist, lift one leg up off of the ground and slowly swing it to the outside of your hip. Immediately bring it back to the front of your body and lower it to the starting position before repeating the movement on the other leg. This one is a lot harder than it looks and is a good challenge for the quadriceps, outer and inner thighs. How many calories does this Fitness Health Track workout burn? If you do all three rounds of this 38 minute routine, you could burn between 280 – 420 calories. This is a large window of variance but is reflective of the highly complicated set of variables that play into calorie expenditure (height, weight, gender, fitness level, body fat percentage, etc). For example, for a woman weighing 130 lbs, this workout will burn around 8 calories a minute, or around 305 calories. More important than calorie burn, you will be waking up hibernating muscles and toning up your lower body.

This is a very fast paced Jump Rope Pyramid Workout routine is great for getting your heart rate up and burning off some calories in a hurry. What’s unique about pyramid workouts is the structure of the intervals. Here’s how this one in particular plays out, in terms of repetitions. Rep Structure: 5-10-15-10-5 We have four different exercises that we go through using this structure of reps. In between each group of reps, we stoke up your fat burning furnace by adding in a 1-minute interval of jumping rope. Exercises in this workout: • Squats • Push Ups • Bridges • Toe Touch Crunches Styles of Jumping Rope used: • Jogging – Just like it sounds, time your steps to miss the rope. • 2 Foot Hop – Keep both of your feet together as you hop over the rotation of the rope, swinging it as quickly as you can coordinate. • Boxer Shuffle – Jump back and forth on both feet from side to side slightly, and in between each hop tap the toe of one foot on the ground in front of you. • Skip Extensions – In a skipping motion, kick one foot out in front of your body while hopping over the rope with the other (alternating). • Backwards Double Hop – The same as a 2 Foot Hop, only this time you are going to be swinging the rope backwards. This jump roping workout is a great option for days when your schedule is tight and you feel pressed for time. Because it is only 14 minutes long, it would go great paired with another one of our 10 minute workout videos – find another 1 or 2 of our shorter routines that you like & by the end of the day you will have squeezed in half an hour of exercise despite having a hectic schedule. How many calories does this jump rope workout burn? We estimate that this routine burns between 8 and 14 calories a minute. That’s 112-196 calories total in under 15 minutes. If you are male and heavier than roughly 180 lbs, you may burn more while doing this video, while if you are female and under 130 lbs, you may burn fewer. What muscles are targeted in this routine? Jump roping is truly a total body workout; there are very few muscles that are not engaged while you are doing it. The squats are an excellent thigh and glutes exercise, push ups target the chest, triceps, and core (among other supporting muscles), the bridges target the hamstrings and glutes, and the toe touch crunches target the core. What if I am not good at jump roping? There are several different styles of jumping rope in this videos that may take a little time to become familiar with – especially if you haven’t touched one of these “toys” since grade school. You don’t have to do the kinds of jumping rope that are shown in the video, but it’s not a bad idea to try, even if you do have the coordination of a baby giraffe. Over time this kind of workout can help to build your agility and dexterity. Jump ropes are an awesome piece of home cardio equipment that everyone should own. You can get them for as little as $5-12, they are super easy to store, and they allow you to get in a good workout in under 10 minutes.

Get your heart rate up and your core leaned out with this blend of bodyweight cardio exercises that target the abdominals without a single crunch. You wont need a single piece of equipment for this one. There are 8 standing abs exercises and you will be doing each for 50 seconds each. You will have 10 seconds transition time/rest in between each, where you get a preview of the upcoming exercise. Cardio is an enormous factor in getting defined abs or a flat belly. That’s why this workout is an ideal component in any fat burning plan – particularly for those who need a low impact cardio option. These are all exercises that get the heart rate up while engaging those core muscles (all without having to do a single crunch). Workout Structure 8 Standing ab exercises 50 Seconds each 9 Minutes total Printable Routine Ceiling Circles – Stand straight up and raise your arms up above your head. Now draw circles; alternating clockwise and counterclockwise, on the ceiling above your head. High Knee Jacks – A low impact cardio exercise that is also very effective at engaging the abdominals. Make windmills with your arms (similar to a jumping jack motion) while you do slow and controlled high knees. It’s important that you maintain control over your body while you do this motion; doing this movement wildly and without focus will lessen the demand on the abdominals. Single Leg Running Man Kicks – Use just one leg to do a “running man” type motion (a forward kick, and then step back) just one leg at a time. Because you have to balance on that one supporting leg, your entire core will be engaged while you complete the motion. As an added benefit, the kicks of the active leg also work the abdominals and the thighs, as well as drive up the caloric burn of this routine. You will do half of the reps with one side leading and then switch; listen for our cue. Standing Oblique Crunches – Stand straight up, and place hands behind head (as you would if you were just about to do a regular mat crunch). Raise one bent knee to the outside of the body, while lowering the elbow on the same side of the body to “meet” the raised knee in the middle. You will feel this especially in your obliques, but the rest of your core will also have to pitch in in order to maintain balance. Boxer Leans – This one looks completely goofy (at least you are in your own living room) but it’s a great crunchless workout to really burn out the ab muscles. Stand straight up and “lean” backwards and to one side until you feel your abs contract; lean backwards and to the opposite side, and then go back to the other side for a double lean. So it looks like this; lean (switch sides), lean (switch sides), double lean. 2 Knee Double Kicks – Drive 2 knees up (both left & right) and then do 2 forward kicks on the same foot. Repeat; alternating which foot is doing the 2 forward kicks each time. 2 Side Reaches + Corkscrew Toe Touches – Stand straight up, arms extended at shoulder height, and lean from side to side (keep hips as static as possible to make it purely ab work). Then lean down to touch your hand to the foot of the opposite side of the body. Come back up, and then repeat the toe touch on opposite sides of the body. Standing Crisscross Crunch – Just like you would do a crisscross crunch on the mat; standing straight up, bring one elbow down to meet the opposite knee at about hip level. Alternate back and forth through the entire interval. How many calories does this crunch free abs workout burn? We estimate that this routine burns between 3-6 calories a minute, or 27-54 total. You could always do this routine more than once in a day to drive up your overall expenditure, or mix and match this routine with some of our more intense cardio workouts for even better results.

Lately on Fitness Blender we have had a number of people asking for longer workouts as well as Pilates routines so we though we would answer your requests with this long 30+ minute Pilates routine that will have your legs burning by the time you are done. This routine has been designed to be done straight through without any breaks (aside from quick water break in the middle) to build muscle endurance as well as muscle tone in your legs and core, giving you long and lean muscles that are strong and defined. With this workout we intentionally filmed in just one shot to make it as close as possible to how I taught my Pilates classes. I have given short pauses between exercises and level changes to allow you to rest if needed, though to get the most out of this routine try and use them sparingly or only when you have to relax to move to a new position. There are individual exercises where you will be following along with me as well as exercises where I progressively increase the difficulty by modifying the motion. You can choose whether or not to follow along with me or stay at a lower difficulty level, though the first time through you may want to stick to the easiest version to see how your body handles the full routine before making it harder for yourself. As you get comfortable with the routine, feel free to start on the harder modifications from the beginning of each exercise. As with any Pilates workout, core contraction and breathing are key, so take your time to learn the breathing patterns as they can greatly enhance the calorie burn as well as the core toning effect. Also remember that all of these motions should be done slowly and fluidly. The muscle activation required to move slowly and under control requires more coordination and burns far more calories than the same motion done quickly, with an uncontrolled swinging. With that said, if you make sure you are using a slow controlled motion and you go through the same progression I do then you can expect to burn anywhere from 6 to 10 calories per minute, that is a total of 198 to 330 calories burned with this 30 minute routine. I know that this is nowhere near the calorie burn many of our HIIT routines have but Pilates is not a heavy hitter when it comes to burning calories. However this routine is invaluable for when you need a challenging workout but you can’t or shouldn’t do any more high impact workouts. Pilates for Lean Legs and a Toned Core Group One – Pelvic Tilt / Imprint – Single Leg Toe Taps Level 1 – Single Leg Toe Taps Level 2 – Double Leg Toe Taps – Scissor Kicks x 2 – Leg Extensions – Double Pulse Scissor Kicks – Leg Extension – Leg Drop – Full Body Stretch Group Two – Side Leg Raises Progression R – Shell Stretch – Side Leg Raises Progression L – Shell Stretch – Kneeling Leg Raise Progression R – Shell Stretch – Kneeling Leg Raise Progression L – Shell Stretch Group Three – Shoulder Bridge – Single Leg Shoulder Bridge R – Single Leg Shoulder Bridge L – Single Leg Hamstring Stretch R – Small Leg Circles R – Single Leg Hamstring Stretch L – Small Leg Circles L – Inside Thigh Raise/Pulse L – Inside Thigh Raise/Pulse R Stretches and Cool Down – Hamstring Torso Stretch L & R – Butterfly Stretch – Hip Socket Stretch – Straight Leg Hang – Hip Flexor Stretch L & R – Shell Stretch

If you came across this video because you are looking to tone and strengthen your inner thighs then you are definitely in the right place. Unlike most thigh routines this routine intensively focuses on the inner thigh with every exercise using multiple assisting muscle groups in the process, so not only will you tone and shape your inner thigh but you will also get some residual toning throughout the body. This routine is intended to be used only 3 to 4 times per week, using it more than this is not recommended because it is so focused on just one muscle group. Coupling this workout with cardio, abs or upper body routines is a great way to burn extra calories, and help increase fat loss if needed. The following is a transcript from the video of each exercise and what they target. 5 Min Inner Thigh Workout: Tap Dancer: (Left) This exercise is done standing and focuses on the inner thigh and the hip flexor as you lift your knee and rotate your thigh to get the inner thigh to engage. Tap Dancer: (Right) Inside Thigh Raise Pulse: (Right) Lying on your left side you lift your left leg as high as you can, using short pulses at the top of the range of motion; this focuses completely on the inner thigh. You have some muscle working to stabilize your hips but no other motions. Inside Thigh Raise: (Right) This exercise is identical to the previous exercise with the exception of the motion of the leg. Instead of a short pulse you use as much range of motion as you can without touching the ground. Inside Thigh Raise Pulse: (Left) Inside Thigh Raise: (Left) Scissor Kicks: Laying on your back with your legs anywhere from 45 to 90 off the ground, kick you legs out wide then cross them over top of each other making sure to alternate which foot is on top each time. This targets not only the inner thigh but also the Quadriceps (top of the thigh), hip flexors (front of hip joint), outside thigh, and abdominals. Supine Leg Drops: (Left) Lying on your back keep your right leg straight up over your hip and drop your left leg off to the left side of your body as low as you can without touching the ground. This exercise used similar muscles to the scissor kicks but also engages the obliques and shoulders for stabilization. Supine Leg Drops: (Right) The question that always gets asked; Can you tell me how to get an inner thigh gap? Are these inner thigh gap exercises? Here’s my take on this one; it might not be what you are looking for/hoping to hear, but it’s the truth. An inner thigh gap is often seen on very lean individuals, but it also has something to do with the width of your hips compared to the length of your femoral head. In the case of the latter, there’s not a whole lot that you can do to change how far apart your thighs are from one another (it has to do with bone structure). Not everyone who has that space between their thighs is unhealthily thin and many people’s bodies have it naturally and they don’t think twice about it. With that said, there is a strong association with disordered thinking (eating disorders, body dysmorphia, etc) and striving for a thigh gap. The short and sweet of my opinion on this matter is that there is absolutely no health benefit from having a thigh gap, so it is not a fitness goal that you benefit from setting your sights on. It doesn’t make you stronger. It doesn’t make your heart beat more powerfully, it doesn’t make you run faster, and it doesn’t make you healthier. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to tone up the inner thighs, and the exercises in the video above work, but if I could convince just one Fitness Blender viewer to switch their focus from this meaningless, empty goal that breeds potentially detrimental thoughts, to one that is more focused on a strong and healthy body, then this was a rant worth ranting.