As a general rule, you should aim to do workouts that target all the muscles in your body each week in order to function optimally. You don’t have to do full-body workouts daily, but when you plan your training for the week, at some point, you should target all your muscles.

And when it comes to the upper body, incorporating workouts that single out your back and shoulders will set you up for success. After all, these are postural muscles that affect how you move throughout the world. A back and shoulder strength-training session can help you “with your everyday movement, like closing doors, pulling things off of the floor, or maybe even pulling down a suitcase from an overhead bin when you’re on an airplane,” says Alo Moves strength trainer Roxie Jones. “It can prevent future injuries in your shoulders and help you have a really strong back.”

Having a strong back supports and stabilizes your spine, improves your posture, and helps to prevent you from experiencing aches and pains that commonly occur when your muscles are weaker and aren’t being recruited and firing properly.

Why do back and shoulder exercises work so well together? First, doing them together will be more time efficient and you’ll be able to do more exercises that target both muscle groups at once. Second, because your back is a major muscle group and your shoulders are considered “accessory” muscles, they complement one another and you won’t have to worry about overdoing it during your sweat sessions throughout the week.

If you’re not sure where to get started on your back and shoulder journey, Jones has put together a back and shoulder workout routine for Well+Good’s “Good Moves” series that you can do in just 16 minutes. You’ll start with two warm-up exercises meant to lubricate the joints, followed by two supersets that contain two strength moves and an active recovery exercise each. You can check out the video above for the routine, or follow the steps below.

A 16-minute back and shoulder workout

Format: One warm-up set of two moves done twice plus two supersets of three moves, each superset done twice.

Equipment needed: One light and one medium dumbbell or kettlebell.

Who is this for?: This is an all-levels workout for anyone who wants to improve back and shoulder strength and mobility. Adjust the difficulty by increasing or decreasing the weights and/or numbers of reps.

Warm-up

Half-kneeling halo (30 seconds)

1. In a half-kneeling position, hold one light weight between your hands.
2. Move the weight to the side of your head, behind your head, and then to the other side.
3. Reverse the direction between every rotation.
4. For the second set, switch the position of your legs.

Scapula push-up (30 seconds)

1. Come into a plank position (or knees-down plank).
2. Let the chest sink down to the floor as the shoulders detract in the shoulder socket.
3. Push the floor away to come back into original plank position.

Repeat the warm-up two times.

Superset A

1: Single arm bent over row (8 reps)

1. Come into a kick stance, with one leg forward and bent, and the other leg behind and bent, but without the knee touching the ground.
2. Pick up the medium weight on the side of the back leg. Place the arm on the side of the front leg on your front thigh for support.
3. While leaning forward with your arm hanging straight down, engage your back muscles as you bend your elbow and bring up the weight to just about waist height, keeping your elbow tucked into your body (not flared out).
4. Slowly, and with control, return your arm to its original elongated position.
5. After 8 reps, repeat on the other side.

2: Half-kneeling windmill into a press (5 reps)

1. Set your legs up in a T-shape: Get in a half kneeling position, but shift the front leg with the foot on the floor to the side so that it is perpendicular to the back bent leg leg.
2. On the side of your front leg, rack your light weight at your shoulder.
3. Press the weight up overhead.
4. While holding the weight overhead, reach your other hand down and out onto the ground, shifting your hips back behind you.
5. Squeeze your glutes and return to the kneeling pose.
6. Bring your lifted arm with the weight back down.
7. After 5 reps, repeat on the other side.

3: Alternating single-side dead bug (30 seconds of active recovery)

1. Come into a Pilates table top position, with your back on the floor, and hips and knees bent at 90-degree angles.
2. Lightly place your hands your thighs.
3. Extend the arm and leg of the same side, reaching the leg out straight in front of you, and bringing the arm out straight behind you. Keep your core engaged, with your lower back pressing into the floor, at all times.
4. Repeat on the other side and continuously alternate.

Repeat superset A two times.

Superset B

1: Tall kneeling shoulder raises (12 reps)

1. Come into a kneeling position, with both knees on the ground. Hold the light weight between your hands.
2. With straight arms, raise the weight up to shoulder height, so that your hands and the weight are directly in front of you.
3. Lower back down.
4. Repeat for 12 reps.

2: Lying down pullovers (10 reps)

1. Lie on your back in a Pilates table top position with legs bent and lower back pushed into the floor.
2. Hold your medium weight between your hands.
3. Lift your arms straight up above your head.
4. Keeping your arms as straight as possible, lower your arms towards the ground behind your head.
5. Return weight to starting position.
6. Repeat for 10 reps.

3: Bear hold (30 seconds)

1. Come onto your hands and knees with a neutral spine, toes tucked.
2. Keeping your knees in a 90-degree angle, lift your knees one or two inches off the ground. Engage through the shoulders, back, and core.
3. Hold for 30 seconds.

Repeat superset B two times.

Other Shoulder and back exercises

Want to put together your own back and shoulder routine? Here are some of our other favorite moves.

1. Rows

Rows are one of the best exercises you can do for your back, and there are so many variations like bent-over rows and single-arm rows.

How to do it: With a slight bend in your knees and your torso tilted at a 45-degree angle, reach a pair of dumbbells to the floor, one in each hand. Your core should be engaged and your back should be in a natural position. With control, drive your elbows back and slightly out. Hold for two seconds, then return your arms to the starting position.

2. Supermans

This bodyweight exercise may look easy, but you’ll feel it challenging your muscles after a few reps.

How to do it: Start by lying on the ground on your stomach. With control, engage your glutes and abs as you simultaneously lift your arms and legs off of the ground. Hold for a few seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

3. Glute bridges

Yes, glute bridges are great for your butt, but they also strengthen your lower-back muscles, helping to stabilize your spine.

How to do it: Start by lying on your back with arms fully extended, your palms flat on the ground, and your knees bent and feet about hips-width distance apart. Your knees and ankles should be aligned. Gently squeeze your glutes and drive your heels into the ground as you lift your back up off of the ground. Your spine should be in a neutral position and there should be no arching or rounding of your back. Hold for two to three seconds at the top of the move, then lower back down to the starting position.

4. Kettlebell deadlifts

Deadlifts are another exercise that most people do for the lower body, but that also strengthens your lower-back muscles.

How to do it: Start with your kettlebell lined up in between your ankles. Slightly bend your knees, maintaining a flat back with your chin in a neutral position, and grab the kettlebell with both hands. Think about squeezing your armpits together as you engage your core and your glutes, driving through your feet to come into a standing position as you raise the kettlebell to shoulder height. With control, lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position.

5. Overhead shoulder press

The video above shows how to do an overhead press with resistance bands, which is great for beginners. If you’re ready to progress the move, try doing an overhead press with dumbbells.

How to do it: Start standing with your feet about hips-width distance apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Engage your core and make sure to have a slight bend in your knees. With control, curl your arms up to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height; your palms can face forward or in. Keeping your core engaged and a neutral spine, press both dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended. Then lower them back down to your shoulders.

6. Plank with shoulder tap

Planks are great for your abs, but they’re also great for strengthening your back as well.

How to do it: Start by coming into a traditional plank, with your core engaged and your elbows and hands directly underneath your shoulders. Imagine that there is a straight line from your head all the way down to your heels. Once you’re set, lift your right hand up and off the ground and gently tap your left shoulder. Your hips should stay square and be pointing toward the ground throughout the duration of the movement. Place your right hand back on the ground with control, then repeat on the opposite side.

Need more back and shoulder workout inspo? Here’s another routine you can do—this time, with kettlebells!

The Murph Challenge was created in 2014 to honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL and recipient of the Medal of Honor for distinguished acts of valor during the war in Afghanistan. Lt. Murphy was killed in action in 2005, but his legacy lives on through the Murph Challenge, which has raised more than $2 million for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The annual challenge is a way to remember all fallen veterans; exactly what Memorial Day is truly about while coming together as a fit squad.

“The ‘Murph‘ is more than just a workout, it is a tradition that helps push us, humble us, and dedicate a bit of pain and sweat to honor a man who gave everything he had,” the foundation explains.

How to complete the CrossFit Murph Challenge

So, what exactly does the challenge involve? The Murph workout is done for time and consists of the following:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pullups
• 200 pushups
• 300 squats
• 1 mile run (yep, again)

Intense, right? Only with CrossFit, it seems, do reps rise into the hundreds. But there’s a little twist to make this workout even harder… It’s all done while wearing a 20-pound weight vest. (Nope, not a joke.)

CrossFit’s Murph Challenge is exactly what it sounds like: a challenge. In fact, it just might be the toughest workout you’ll ever do. But if you’re looking to really push yourself to the limit, this it how to do it.

When people stick their butt in the air during a push-up, it’s typically in an attempt to make the exercise easier. That’s not good for your shoulders, and means you’re not properly engaging all of your core muscles. But in a pike push-up, you have permission to do exactly that… which is actually turning things up a notch. Pike push-ups are incredibly challenging, and they require a lot of upper-body strength to pull off correctly.

Remember, a pike push-up is just one of many push-up options, from easy to hard variations. Make sure to choose the one that suits your fitness level and the specific muscles you’re trying to work.

What is the difference between a push-up and a pike push-up?

The fact that you stick your butt in the air during a pike push-up is just the beginning of the difference, because that change of form causes a lot of other differences between the two strengthening exercises.

“All variations of push-ups are extremely effective body weight movements that work multiple muscle groups in the body,” says Laura Lee Crabbe, certified personal trainer and nutritionist at Caliber. “The difference between a pike push up and a regular push up is the orientation of your body. For regular push ups, you’ll maintain a flat back that is parallel to the ground, much like the standard plank position. For pike push ups, your hips will be upright, forming an upside down v position with your body. Your head will lightly touch the floor as you bring your arms down. In this position there is more of an emphasis on working your arms and shoulders, whereas regular push ups work more of the chest & core. Pike push ups are also great to incorporate into your training if you are working your way up to performing headstands.“

Here’s how to do a standard push-up:

Instead of starting in plank, a pike push-up starts in a downward dog position. Then once you’re stable, you bend your elbows and complete an angled push-up, all while keeping your body in an inverted V-shape for the ultimate challenge. Once your head is hovering right above the floor, you finish the push-up by using all your strength to straighten your arms and return back to the downward dog position. It’s anything but easy.

Are pike push-ups harder than normal push-ups?

Pike push-ups are a more advanced variation of a push-up, and they work different muscles.

“It’s not really a matter of which push up variation is better than the other, but rather which muscles you want to focus on,” Crabbe says.

But generally, pike push-ups are considered more difficult than standard push-ups.

“Push ups alone are a difficult move, and I do think regular push up form should be mastered before moving into other variations, including the pike push ups,” Crabbe says. “You’ll want to ensure that you have a strong core, and do not have any injuries with your shoulders before attempting pike-push ups. If you regularly perform push ups and your body has adapted to that difficulty level (meaning you have to continue to increase the repetitions to make them more challenging), pike push ups are a great exercise to switch things up.”

What muscles do pike push-ups target?

Regular push-ups work your shoulders, chest, triceps, core—which includes the glutes and the posterior chain. Rather than distributing that load across the plank of your body, pike push-ups shift shift a lot of that load forward into your arms and shoulders.

“Pike push-ups engage your deltoids, chest, triceps, biceps, upper trapezius, and core,” Crabbe says. “They are a compound movement, meaning they work multiple muscle groups at the same time. If you are wanting a move that works your entire upper body that you can do from anywhere, pike push ups are it!” 

How to do a pike push-up the right way

1. Start in a downward dog position with straight arms and legs.
2. With your head in line with your arms and heels slightly raised off the ground, slowly bend your elbows as you lower your upper body into a push-up. Make sure to keep your legs as straight as you can.
3. Once your head is slightly hovering above the ground, straighten your arms and push yourself back up to a downward dog position.
4. Complete 12 reps.

How to work up to a pike push-up for beginners

A pike push-up essentially combines two moves, the downward dog and the push-up. You need to master both of these components before attempting to put it all together for a one-two punch. Getting there might involve trying a series of variations before you can execute the whole move.

“You can work on a series of push-up progressions in order to get to the pike push-up,” Crabbe says. “If you are a beginner, start with push-ups from knees, then progress to regular push-ups. Once those become comfortable, try a modified pike push-up, where your knees are slightly bent as you raise your hips up, rather than completely straight. Next, try a pike push-up, but place yoga blocks underneath your hands to provide extra support. You can also try a decline pike push-up, where you place your feet on a chair or elevated surface. Practice these progressions over the course of several weeks and you’ll be on our way to completing your first pike push up!”

How to execute a pike push-up with good form

Since this is an advanced variation, it might be tempting to rush the move or use imperfect form to compensate for a challenge. Here are form tips and pitfalls to avoid when doing pike push-ups.

Move slowly and with control

“Performing pike push ups too quickly could lead to you using your body’s momentum to complete the reps, which in turn leads to not reaching the full range of motion for this move,” Crabbe says.

Keep your elbows close to your body

“Make sure your elbows do not flare out to the side as you bring your head and arms forward,” Crabbe says. “Keeping your elbows tucked close to your body will ensure that the emphasis of this move is placed on your shoulders.”

Engage your core

Just like in a regular push-up, you want your body to maintain a consistent position without any pressure going into back. That involves getting the core involved. Engaging your core “will help keep your hips in the air and avoid any rounding of the back or pelvis,” Crabbe says.

Foot and hand width matter

You want your feet and hands to form a strong foundation for your body as it moves up in down in the pike push-up. This involves keeping your feet wider than shoulder width apart, and your hands shoulder width apart and beneath your shoulders. This position is all about stability, and making sure you’re engaging the right muscles.  “Keeping the feet too close together can lead to less balance and stability, and placing your hands too far away from your body takes the emphasis away from your deltoids,” Crabbe says

The answer is most definitely yes. For a HIIT workout with no jumping, you can always try variations of plyometric moves that involve going at a faster pace, but without the added jump. Another way to turn the volume up is to add some weight. According to the American Council on Exercise, adding even a small amount of weight “can increase heart rate by five to 10 beats per minute and oxygen consumption (as well as caloric expenditure) by about 5 to 15 percent compared to performing the same activity without weights.”

The amount of weight you grab makes a difference. When you perform fewer, slower reps with heavier weight, you’re typically building muscle. But if you perform more reps with a lighter weight for long enough to get your heart rate up, that form of strength training can qualify as a cardiovascular activity. So if you pack your interval training with short bursts of weight-infused moves, you’ve got yourself a HIIT workout.

Well+Good Trainer of the Month Tatiana Lampa employs this strategy in a new 20-minute low-impact HIIT workout. Read: No jumping!

“We’re raising your heart rate up with absolutely no jumping to keep it easy on your joints,” Lampa says.

To get to that level of HIIT intensity, Lampa progresses bodyweight moves into those same moves performed with weights, such as a standing side crunch, reverse lunges to bicep curls, dead lift cleans, squat to thruster punches, and more. You’ll wrap up with some fast feet drills to really up the cardio ante (don’t worry, no weights needed for this one), so you can get that HIIT afterburn for hours afterward. Each burst is just 20 seconds, and as Lampa says, you can do anything for 20 seconds. So grab some weights and give it a try!

The 12-3-30 workout is simple: You walk on the treadmill at a 12 percent incline and 3 mph pace for a total of 30 minutes. Giraldo first shared the details about the workout in a video that’s now garnered 2.8 million likes, saying it’s the only form of exercise she’s done to reach her fitness goals. “I used to be so intimidated by the gym, and it wasn’t motivating,” she said. “But now I go and do this one thing, and I can feel good about myself.”

Obviously a whole lot of people got excited about being able to get in better shape by walking alone. And while walking itself is already beneficial, doing so at an incline really does check out. Aside from providing a cardio boost, it also strengthens your muscles.

“There are benefits to elevating the treadmill incline, including improved cardiovascular function, higher caloric burn, and glute strengthening,” says Holly Roser, a personal trainer and owner of Holly Roser Fitness. “This is the best possible form of cardio outside of running, as you’re using your entire body. That’s unlike when you’re on a bike or elliptical, where the machine is helping your movement, causing less effort on your part. It’s also low-impact, which is easier on your joints—especially for those who are having knee pain or low back pain.”

“There are benefits to elevating the treadmill incline, including improved cardiovascular function, higher caloric burn, and glute strengthening.” —Holly Roser, trainer

Don’t be fooled, though: This workout is anything but easy. The 12 percent incline can be incredibly challenging, and that’s why Roser says you shouldn’t jump right in if you’re new to working out. “Many people, especially beginners, cannot tolerate such a steep incline for such a long period of time,” she says. “Doing so can increase knee pain, calf tightness, flare up any old injuries, and if you’re not wearing correct shoes for your feet, increase plantar fasciitis pain.”

If you’ve already been working out for three to six months, you’re good to go with the 12-3-30 workout. If not, start by doing hills on the treadmill in bursts. That way, you can work your body up to the ultra-challenging 12 percent incline. “Start by getting up to 5 percent incline, then dropping down to 2 percent, repeating that for 15 minutes,” she says. “Then go from an 8 percent incline (which is still really hard), to 3 percent, repeating that for 10 minutes. Then go from a 10 percent incline to 5 percent incline. This gives your lungs, knees, and hips recovery time.”

If you want to run instead, try this treadmill hill workout:

“Reverse burpees are so good for adding a cardio option to strengthen glutes and core for healthy knees and a low back,” says Spencer in today’s video. Plus, because reverse burpees require you to learn a new (somewhat complex) movement pattern, they’re also helping you hone your coordination and motor skills—which may increase your longevity.

Of course, the odds of you nailing a reverse burpee on the first try are slim (and that’s totally okay). The exercise involves a controlled backward roll that gives you enough momentum on the way forward to spring up onto your feet and jump into the air. It’s far from easy, but luckily Spencer and de Winter are breaking down some of the most common mistakes they see in class on this week’s edition of TOTMC.

The first thing to watch out for, says Spencer, is your knees. If you find that they’re buckling in toward one another to help you lower to the ground, roll backward, and lift back up, you’re compromising the health of your ankles. Second, Spencer says people tend to let their legs bob up and down in the air when the core work comes from holding your thighs tightly to your chest. And last, reverse burpees-newbies tend to opt out of using their hands when doing so would help them maintain proper form.

To see de Winter and Spencer’s tips for keeping A+ reverse burpee form, check out the video in full. Then, you’ll be ready to add this move into your HIIT mix.

On this week’s episode of Trainer of the Month Club, Deja Riley, Lululemon ambassador, Mirror trainer, and founder of The Sweaty Smile Squad is serving up what she calls a “feel-good fire cardio workout”—and it’s just as fun as it sounds. In two rounds of six moves, you’ll challenge your full body (but mostly your hamstrings, glutes, and quads), up your heart rate and improve your cardio fitness.

After a short warm-up, you’ll get into the six moves in this HIIT circuit. When you’re ready, go ahead, crank your music and hit play on the video.

6 HIIT moves for a fast and fun, 15-minute, no-equipment HIIT workout

1. Hopscotch

Bring your feet under your shoulders and place your hands on your hips. Begin to hop in place, and every time you land, alternate between kicking your left foot up toward your left glute, landing on both feet, then repeating on the right side. For a low-impact alternative, remove the hop and just alternate butt kicks from this wide-leg stance. Repeat for 45 seconds.

2. Skaters

Stand to your right side, shift all your weight onto your right foot, and cross your left foot behind you, allowing your left toes to hover above the ground. Take a big leap (or step) to the left, landing on your left foot and allowing your right to cross behind it. Continue moving back and forth, sweeping your arms from side to side for extra momentum, until the 45 seconds is up.

3. Side-to-side lunges

Bring your feet to touch. Pour your weight into your right foot and step your left foot out wide to the side, bending into the left knee as you do so, while keeping your right leg straight. Step back to center an switch sides. (Alternatively, you can step your right foot over to meet your left and then switch sides, depending on how much room you have.) Continue moving back and forth for 45 seconds.

4. Jumping jacks

Bring your feet to touch and place your arms at your sides. Bend gently into your knees and spring your feet outward, so they’re just wider than your hips. At the same time, lift your arms out wide to your sides in line with your shoulders. Return to your starting position and continue repping through jumping jacks for 45 seconds.

5. Jumping reverse lunges

Bring your feet together under you hips. Jump or step back into a reverse lunge so your left foot is back, heel high, and you’re bending deeply into both knees. Jump or step your feet back together, and then switch sides. Keep it going for 45 seconds.

6. Around the world marches

This is your active recovery, intended to let your heart rate come down after those more high-intensity moves. Begin marching in place, and every 10 seconds, make a quarter-turn to the left until you come full circle.  You can pump your arms for some extra momentum here.

This routine targets your legs, glutes, and hips via lunges, squats, and fast transitions between different exercises. You can add weights to build more strength or you can keep it body weight-only to focus on muscular endurance. Either way, this workout really packs a punch. (You may want to have a sweat towel nearby.) The best part about this workout is that it is information-packed, and Atienza guides you through every move with a lot of patience and explanation.

There are two circuits with three exercises each in this routine. Atienza begins with a simple dynamic warm-up of jumping jacks, hamstring scoops, lunges, and good mornings in order to prevent injury and allow you to get the most out of the session.

The first circuit includes exercises that require you to move your legs forward and back in space, testing your balance and single-leg strength. They include seesaw lunges (a combo of forward and reverse lunges), bear plank to full plank (which requires walking your feet back and forth while maintaining level hips and pelvic stability), and glute bridges to hamstring bridges (during which your slide or step your feet out and back one at a time without letting the rest of your body rock back and forth).

Some other exercises included in the video deadlifts, which target the entire backside of your legs, from ankles to glutes, and side planks with a leg raise that’ll get into your core, as well as out outer hips and side glutes, as well as inner thighs.

The video ends with a relaxing cool-down, rewarding you for all of your hard work.

No, this is not magic or some loop hole. In its current guidelines, HSS offers an alternative directive when it comes to cardio: 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise. Lots of things can fall under this umbrella, but quick HIIT workouts are one of the easiest options since they’re most effective when they’re short. “You can’t perform at a true high intensity if [the workout] is long,” Rachel Vaziralli, creative manager of group fitness at Equinox and exercise-science expert previously told Well+Good.

Aside from being a form of exercise that fast tracks your physical activity goals, there’s a lot to love about high-intensity interval training. But one unexpected benefit to HIIT is how it influences your hormones, in particular the hormone our bodies release when we’re under stress, cortisol, and how less high-intensity cardio can help lower its levels overtime compared to more low-to-moderate aerobic exercise.

How cutting cardio can help cut cortisol

When we work out, our bodies release cortisol because “exercise essentially is a controlled stress on your body,” says exercise physiologist Sharon Gam, PhD, CSCS. Hormonally, our bodies react to exercise the same way that they react to other stressors. That’s a totally healthy bodily function, according to Dr. Gam, as long as our bodies are able to reset adequately and get back to normal levels. The way you do that is through rest and recovery.

Which is where a surprising benefit of high-intensity workouts comes in, HIIT and other intense forms of exercise, like HILIT (high-intensity, low-impact training) cause your body to produce more cortisol than moderate-intensity workouts. But because they’re so all-consuming, afterward, the signal from your brain to your hormones to take a load off is louder and clearer than the memo it gets after a longer period of steady state cardio.

“What a lot of people are doing is skipping the recovery, doing constant moderate intensity and not letting their bodies come back to baseline,” Dr. Gam says. “Whereas when you do more vigorous exercise, you’re so tired, it kind of forces you to rest afterwards.” Ideally, you should buffer at least a day between high-intensity cardio workouts to allow your body time to recover. Essentially, if you’re doing constant steady state cardio, you may have chronically elevated cortisol levels without those crucial rest periods, which can negatively impact your endocrine system as a whole.

It’s not just the exhaustion that promotes healthy recovery and lowers cortisol levels after HIIT versus steady state cardio, though. High-intensity exercise causes your brain to release additional hormones, such as human growth hormone, that also send signals to slow down. “That’s not activated as much with moderate steady state,” Dr. Gam says. “You’re getting the stress response, but not also the additional tools to help your body come back down to a better baseline. Whereas with higher intensity, you’re gonna get a peak in stress, but you’re also gonna get more of the tools that help to rebuild your body afterwards.”

So if you want to go the efficient route when it comes to hitting your weekly cardio baseline—and help out your cortisol levels while you’re at it—here are three 25-minute HIIT workouts. Do all three in a week, and you’ll be crushing that 75-minute high-intensity exercise goal. Get after it!

25-minute Bodyweight HIIT workout

This workout specifically targets your core and gets your heart rate up with intervals that will get you sweating in no time.

25-minute Barry’s HIIT cardio workout

Barry’s is known for their running, so this workout mimics the intensity of the boot camp’s sprint intervals all from the comfort of your home gym.

25-minute Barry’s lower-body HIIT workout

If you want to squat and lunge your way to meeting your cardio goals, this lower-body focused workout is for you.

And don’t forget to work in some active recovery! 

The next time you’re up for a challenge, make your way down this list of planks, starting with the easiest variations and then moving on to the ones that will fire up every muscle in your body. You might not feel the burn at first, but trust me—once you make it to the plank pike, you won’t dare call planks boring ever again.

First things first, there are a few form notes that will hold true no matter what kind of plank you’re doing. To start, you want to keep your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Keep your gaze down on the mat in front of you so your neck is in a nice neutral position. Keep your core engaged (think: belly button to spine) and your hips in line with your shoulders. Additionally, you want your arms to be aligned. If you’re on your forearms, keep your elbows right in line with your shoulders and if you’re on your hands keep your wrists right in line with your shoulders. Keep your arms strong but be careful not to lock your elbows. Finally, be careful not to slouch. Press into the ground so your weight is lifted up and out of your shoulder sockets. Keep these points in mind as you move through the following planks.

These are the 10 best plank variations, ranked from easiest to hardest

1. Straight-arm plank

The straight-arm plank is your foundation. Though it’s a bit tougher on your arms than a forearm plank, it’s a teensy bit easier on your core. During a straight-arm plank, your hands are stacked under your shoulders as you hold your body in a straight line from your head to your feet.

2. Forearm plank

During a forearm plank, it’s a bit more difficult to keep your hips in line with your shoulders, so you use your core a bit more. However, it also takes weight out of your wrists, which can make it more comfortable than a straight-arm plank. You’ll want to keep your elbows right under your shoulders and make sure you’re pushing up and out of your shoulder socket instead of sinking down into them.

3. Side plank

Instead of having the support of both of your arms, you add balance into the mix when you’re holding a side plank. This can make the exercise feel even harder—and ignite an even greater burn!—than the traditional plank. From a kneeling position, shift your weight into one arm, keeping your wrist right under your shoulder. Your feet can either be stacked on top of each other for a greater balance challenge or staggered with your top foot in front of your bottom foot, with your front heel touching your back toe. If having both legs up is too much, you can drop your bottom knee to the ground. In either position, keep your hips up and in line with your shoulders instead of dropping them down to the ground.

4. Bear plank

Bear planks make your entire body roar—seriously. Unlike the bear crawl, where you’re on all fours with your knees hovering above the floor as you travel across the room, the bear plank is stationary. Even though it’s a tiny movement, the burn is immediate. Start on your hands and knees with your wrist right under your shoulders and your knees right under your hips. Press your palms into the mat as you lift your knees and let them hover an inch or so over the mat.

5. Reverse plank

This is a normal straight-arm plank, just reversed. While a traditional plank targets the front of your body, this version targets the back of your body too, making it even harder. Begin seated with your legs straight out in front of you and your feet flexed. Bring your arms to your side with your palms flat on the ground, fingertips spread wide and pointed straight ahead. Squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips up, opening your chest and drawing your shoulders down back away from your ears. Keep a soft bend in your knees to avoid locking them.

6. Mountain climbers

Take your plank on the move with mountain climbers. Start in a straight-arm plank and keep your hips down as you quickly bring one knee into your chest, alternating from one leg to the next. You can either walk them in (pausing with both feet together in a plank in between each knee lift) or run them in (keeping one foot off of the ground at all times). While going mountain climbers, you’ll feel your core working harder as it keeps you stable while you move.

7. Plank jack

This move is just what it sounds like—a plank fused with. jumping jack. Start in a straight-arm plank and engage your core, keeping your hips steady, as you hop your feet out and in like a jumping jack.

8. Plank walkout

The plank walkout is essentially a burpee without any jumps. Start in a standing position and bend your knees as you walk your arms forward into a plank, making sure you don’t drop your hips toward the floor or walk your arms out too far. Once you hit your plank, take a breath and walk your hands back toward your feet, pressing down through your heels as your lift so you land in a squat position before returning to a stand.

9. Walking plank

To perform a walking plank, you start in a straight arm plank and then one arm at a time lower into a forearm plank and then come back into a straight-arm plank. This move doesn’t look like much but because you’re staying low to the ground your core is constantly engaged. And moving in and out that forearm plank truly sets your core on fire.

10. Plank to Pike

This move is honestly so difficult. It’s the hardest on this list because it’s so hard to maintain the balance to perform it correctly. And the harder you’re working to balance, the harder your core is working. Start in a full arm plank either wearing socks or with gliders under your feet. Point your toes and begin to lift your hips as keep your legs straight and pull your feet in toward your hands, keeping your weight in your wrists. Slowly return to your starting position.

Flat feet, also known as fallen arches, are characterized by having little-to-no arch in the foot. It’s a condition that’s often hereditary or the result of injury, age, obesity, or pregnancy. And while flat feet may not always be a source of discomfort or a major disruption in your life, they can sometimes pose a challenge in getting an optimal workout.

That’s right—it’s not all in your head. And no, your endurance isn’t kaput. According to TJ Mentus, a certified personal trainer and member of the expert review panel at Garage Gym Reviews, some exercises and HIIT workouts can be a lot more strenuous for those of us with flat feet.

“Flat feet can be uncomfortable in general,” says Mentus. “Extended periods of standing, running, jumping, etc. tend to be more fatiguing for those with flat feet.” 

Part of the reason for this is likely due to something called overpronation. This is a common condition that happens when your foot rolls too far inward as you walk or run. The ankle collapses downward and overly flattens out when it should be lifting up. As a result, the extra motion puts a lot of stress on your foot and tendons—especially your Achilles tendon, which connects your heel to the calf. 

And because your entire musculoskeletal system is connected, what affects one part of the body can affect another part. So flat feet also can cause issues with your hips, back, and knees. For instance, overpronation causes your knees to slightly rotate inward, creating more tension and stress in your joints over time. 

But don’t be alarmed: Having flat feet doesn’t mean you have to cut back on your workouts. You just might need to modify them sometimes.

“While performing some exercises, especially of vigorous intensity, can be challenging, there are not any exercises that a person with flat feet should avoid,” says Noom coach and trainer Lauren K Baker. Rather than bailing on a workout, she encourages people with flat feet to pay attention to how their body feels, resting as needed, alternating between seated and standing exercises, and staying aware of their feet and the surrounding musculature.

What to keep in mind when exercising with flat feet

1. Cut back on heavy lifting 

According to Matthew Morris, a certified personal trainer and programming manager at Burn Boot Camp, it’s best to stay away from intense strength training movements that put pressure or strain on the lower back, hips, and knees if you’re experiencing any discomfort or pain. For example, you want to avoid heavy squatting (aka lifting large weights as you squat). Squatting is naturally taxing on the body, and any extra weight you add puts more pressure on your joints. Heavy hip hinges like deadlifts or rack pulls can also be too much to handle. 

“It’s not so much about putting strain on the feet,” Morris says. “It’s more about how having flat feet alters the biomechanics of your hips and your knees and your lower back, and then that can increase the risk of pain and injury in those areas. And so, for example, while I wouldn’t say that a squat is dangerous if you have flat feet, the risk of irritating your hips, knees, and lower back is higher.”

Modification: Use lighter weights

If you have flat feet, it’s better to build strength in your feet first and then increase how much weight you’re lifting. “I would have somebody start with lighter weights,” says Morris. “And then as their foot situation improves, then they can work into heavier strength training.”

2. Try isolation movements

Morris suggests targeting one specific muscle group at a time instead of doing compound exercises that work multiple muscles at once. This can be an effective way to avoid straining your back, knees, and hips. Examples of these exercises include hamstring curls, glute raises, and leg extensions. These are essentially “less work for the body” and “lower back–friendly,” says Morris.

3. Focus on non-weight bearing activities

As a general rule for anyone experiencing pain, it’s best to stick to non-weight- and low-weight-bearing activities such as swimming, cycling (outdoor or indoor), or rowing, says Baker. “As an individual becomes more confident in their ability, experiencing reduced pain and increased strength, they can incorporate a walking program into their exercise routine.” The main thing she stresses? Build up slowly—in intensity, duration, and frequency—to keep your body healthy from the feet on up.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Remember when you’d jump rope as a kid for fun? Well, now jump rope benefits extend beyond leisure and play, and they actually can lead to improvements in health and fitness, as a form of training.

“Jumping rope is a very simple and effective workout for anyone looking to improve cardiovascular health. And the beauty of jumping rope is that you don’t need a lot of time, equipment or space—you only need about 10-15 minutes, a jump rope and around 5ft x 5ft space, that’s it,” says John Shackleton, MS, CSCS, and Villanova men’s basketball head performance coach.

As you age, you must be vigilant about activity level and prioritize regular workouts to promote cardiovascular health and lower risk of disease, and when done correctly, jumping rope definitely qualifies as a workout—one that’ll make you sweat fast and be challenging, too.

Stash a jump rope in your work bag and take it on the go or keep one at your office for easy daily workouts during your lunch hour or when you’re working late hours and need a little energy boost and pick-me-up to make it through. Plus, it’s jump rope benefits your wallet too, as it’s an affordable piece of equipment to use at home and keep in a home gym, too.

How To Jump Rope With the Proper Form

Form is everything, since if you’re not holding the jump rope correctly and keeping the right rhythm with those jumps and footwork, you won’t be able to reap those awesome jump rope benefits or get an effective workout.

Shackleton suggests using this form with jump rope workouts:

• Start by holding the rope at both ends with the middle of the rope directly behind your heels. Then stand with your feet shoulder width apart, standing up straight and with a firm grip on the handles.
• In one motion, pull the rope over the back of your head so that the middle of the rope lands right in front of, or before reaching, your front feet.
• Then jump straight up over the rope and pull the rope behind your back and over your head, once again.

You should repeat this motion, jumping straight up into the air, each time the rope lands in front of your feet. “At this point, it is key to keep your arms locked and to simply move your wrists in a circular motion in order to move the rope up above the back of your head,” Shackleton advises.

Here’s the right way to jump rope, according to Amanda Kloots:

Jump Rope Benefits

Jumping rope is great for cardiovascular endurance and overall health, as it is a terrific form of cardio and it even allows for added resistance to make it more suitable as a strength training workout, too. Here are the top jump rope benefits that make it a killer workout you can do anywhere and anytime.

1. It Builds Endurance and Stamina

Jumping rope requires focus and endurance, where you maintain the movement, footwork and rhythm without needing a break and putting the jump rope down.

“Jumping rope activates almost every muscle in your body which helps boost your heart rate quickly, and quicker even than many other exercises, and having a boosted heart rate for extended periods of time will help your body build cardiovascular endurance,” Shackleton says.

“The best way to maximize cardio endurance training with jump rope exercises is to do long jump rope sessions around 20-30 minutes per session,” says Shackleton.

2. You Spike Your Heart Rate

“Jumping rope is a high intensity workout, which means it will help you get your heart rate up quicker than low intensity workouts,” says Ryan Daly, NASM-PES, a| Sports Performance Coach for Professional Athletes. Lower-intensity workouts might include a long-distance run where you’re maintaining a moderate pace, instead of doing sprints, for example.

“To push yourself, you can try high intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions with a jump rope,” says Daly. These types of exercises include high knees, side-to-side jumps and criss-cross jumps, which you can do in a tabata style circuit (20 seconds on, followed by 20 seconds of rest, for a total of eight rounds per tabata set).

You can also maximize jump rope benefits by using the jump rope along with other bodyweight HIIT exercises for a HIIT circuit that gets your heart rate high. For instance, you could do squat jumps, mountain climbers, push-ups or tuck jumps, in between those jump rope sets.

3. It Strengthens and Builds Muscles When Weighted

While jump rope benefits are most commonly associated with cardio, jumping rope can also target muscles to provide strength, increase in mass and more definition and tone.

To be fair, the best way to build strength is by doing weight-bearing exercise, which you should implement into your fitness routine to complement cardio work, such as jump rope circuits that are HIIT focus and leave you dripping in sweat. “Jumping rope can also be used for toning muscles but is not necessarily the best exercise for muscle building, as there isn’t a lot of muscular strain taking place in a traditional jump rope session,” says Shackleton.

“However, jumping rope can certainly help maintain and tone muscles as almost all of your muscles are being activated when jumping rope, and if your goal is maintaining and building muscle try using a weighted jump rope, since adding weight increases tension needed to control the rope and adds more strain to your muscles to help you build strength,” Shackleton says.

4. It Requires Little Time but With Maximum Effort

Jump rope benefits are easy to achieve with a HIIT training workout that’s short and sweet, for when you’re pressed for time and need maximum intensity to make the most of your workout.

“If time is limited a jump rope HIIT session could be perfect,” says Daly. “In just 15 minutes you can get your heart rate working during active times within a 70 to 90 percent max heart rate and during rest periods within a 60 to 65 percent range,” says Daly. And when your heart rate is up, you’re bound to increase fitness gains and perform better, no matter how long you’re working out, as a whole.

5. It Protects Your Heart Health

When your heart is pumping within the estimated percentages Daly had provided above, oxygen and blood travel more efficiently and faster to reach the muscles. “This process can also lower cholesterol and benefit your cardiovascular health,” says Daly.

Increased, healthy blood flow is good for your heart health, cholesterol and blood pressure. When there’s oxygenated blood circulating throughout your body where it’s able to reach your muscles, especially when you’re exercising too, you’ll likely have lower blood pressure and reduced cholesterol levels.

“High blood pressure and high cholesterol are both leading causes of heart attack,” says Daly, so a quick 10-minute jump rope workout a day could provide real longevity benefits, which add up.

6. It Holds You Accountable

Jumping rope is convenient and portable, since you can carry the jump rope with you and keep it in your bag. It’s light enough, unless weighted, so it won’t cause strain on your back or shoulders or slow you down.

Plus, you can travel with jump rope, too. “If you’re in a hotel room you can simply grab the rope and jump for 10 minutes before hopping in the shower and getting on with your day,” says Daly.

Jumping rope requires minimal time, where 10-15 minutes is sufficient and effective, according to both Shackleton and Daly, and no other equipment. “It’s also more fun, so it might be easier to get motivated, than perhaps with a 30-minute workout on a cardio machine or a run,” says Daly.

7. It Improves Speed and Agility Training

“Jumping rope activates your fast twitch muscles, which is what allows you to explode quicker, and speed and agility all stem from your fast twitch muscles,” says Daly. Jump rope benefits your fast-twitch muscles and helps train them to be more agile and coordinated, with some fancy footwork and speed.

“You can also improve your balance and coordination by doing one-footed jump sessions,” suggests Daly. One-footed exercises are also challenging and yield great results.

Jump Rope Exercises To Maximize Benefits

1. Weighted Jump Rope Session (25 minutes)

“Adding a weighted jump rope is a great way to build upper body strength and reap greater jump rope benefits during a training session,” says Shackleton. “This weighted jump rope session will add muscle strain to your forearms, wrist, abs, shoulders, and your back muscles as the workout intensifies with the added resistance,” Shackleton says.

Shackleton recommends using a weighted jump rope with a 0.8lb to 1 lb range if you’re a woman and with a 1.5 to 2 lb range if you’re a man. However, you should use any weight you’re comfortable with but also feel challenged by enough—don’t limit yourself if you’re capable of surpassing this range, but make sure to ease into training with a weighted jump rope to avoid getting injured or increasing your load too quickly.

An example:

• 60 seconds of weighted jumps
• 30 seconds of rest
• Repeat 10 times
• Rest for 2-3 minutes
• 30 seconds of weighted jumps
• 15 seconds of rest
• Repeat 10 times

2. One-Legged Jump Sessions (20-30 minutes)

One-legged jump sessions work balance and coordination and prevent you from compensating with the other leg, so there’s more single-focused work and greater tension on the muscles.

“This helps to eliminate muscular imbalances and enhances your overall balance, and you also get strength improvements, as there is much more weight applied to each individual leg, as a one-legged exercise and circuit, with more tension on the calves and ankle muscles,” says Daly.

A tip? Give the rope a little swing when doing one-legged jump circuits. “When performing the one-legged jumps you are going to want to swing the rope a little bit faster, as you won’t be able to jump as high on one foot as you would on two,” says Daly.

An example:

• 60 seconds of standard jumps
• 30 seconds of rest
• 60 seconds of right leg jumps
• 30 seconds of rest
• 60 seconds of left leg jumps
• 30 seconds of rest
• Repeat 5 times

3. Double Jump HIIT Session (12 minutes)

“The double jump HIIT session is perfect for those who are trying to get their heart rate up in a short period of time, but to perform it, you must be able to do a double jump,” says Daly. A double jump is when you swing the rope over your head and under your feet twice, together as just one jump. You’ll need to jump higher and spin the rope faster than you normally would when doing a traditional jump.

“Because you are jumping higher and spinning the rope faster, this exercise is very high intensity and will get your heart rate up very quickly, which is why it is great for building cardiovascular endurance and requires the least amount of time,” says Daly.

Make sure the rope is long enough, so it offers 6 to 10 inches of room above your head for when it’s in the air. That way you can do those high jumps without restraint and the risk of getting whacked in the head.

An example:

• 45 seconds of double jumps
• 15 seconds of rest
• 45 seconds of double jumps
• 15 seconds of rest
• 45 seconds of double jumps
• 15 seconds of rest
• 1 minute of rest
• Repeat 3 times

Watch this video for another jump rope workout with all the benefits:

But getting there doesn’t need to involve intimidating exercises like burpees or mountain climbers. While the variations of a killer core sequence are seemingly limitless (check out Well+Good’s YouTube channel for primo workouts to try at home), trainer and fitness coach Roxie Jones, the creator of BodyROX, says her go-to move right now to round out her core workouts is the reverse bear crawl. “I’ve been loving backwards bear crawls as a workout finisher,” she says.

The reverse bear crawl isn’t just an ab-focused move. It’s a true full-body challenge, ensuring that even though you are homing in on your abs, you also get a well-rounded workout without adding much time to your workout—as little as 15 seconds can offer legit benefits. “You pretty much use every muscle in your body for a bear crawl and it’s especially challenging when done in reverse because you need to push through the ground while maintaining core engagement and stability,” Jones says.

Although she typically turns to it as her grand finale, Jones says it can be also be used to fire up your muscles at the beginning of a workout since it engages everything: “It hits shoulders, chest, back, quads, hamstrings and core.”

How do you do it? Start on all fours with your wrists aligned under your shoulders and your knees lined up under your hips. “It’s done in a bear crawl position, moving opposite limbs to travel backwards without letting the knees touch the floor,” Jones says. Here’s how to get set up into the correct starting position:

Correct form is key on this move to properly engage your back and core muscles—focus on keeping a flat, tabletop back without letting it arch. Then, crawl backwards with each hand and the opposite leg. Work to keep your knees just an inch or two off the ground. It might sound simple, but the reverse bear crawl is a super-charged core strengthening exercise because of the extra attention you have to give your muscles to stay in proper alignment.

Give it a try and get ready to feel it. Jones does this move for a set amount of time. Start with 15 seconds and work your way up to 40, or even 60. Or, do this move in between each block of your workout, increasing by 5 or 10 seconds with each round.

“This makes you practice coordination, stability, core control, and the ability to push since you’re pushing through the ground to travel backwards,” says Jones.

Want to get started? Try this core workout that uses the bear crawl before your next run:

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

The name does this sequence justice: Your muscles will be barking by the end. As the DAREBEE site says of the series: “Some workouts you are prepared for right from the moment you see them and others kinda sneak up on you and leave you feeling wasted on the floor, wondering why you did not see them coming. Howler is definitely one of the latter.”

As intense as that might sound, the workout is designed to cater to your individual fitness—DAREBEE offers three different levels depending on your ability. The moves themselves are a mix of high knees and different plank variations, performed back-to-back to create a high-intensity interval series.

“The high knees provide a good dose of cardio to lift your heart rate and help you break a sweat. All the plank variations are a good opportunity to strengthen your core and improve your posture,” says David Robertson, a group fitness instructor at Chicago Athletic Clubs, who points out that this makes for a nice mix of strength and cardio. “The best part is that this mini-workout is adaptable for all fitness levels.” Get ready!

How to do the Howler

First round: Start with high knees for 40 seconds, then hold a 10-second plank. Finish with 10 seconds of fast-paced mountain climbers.

Need a mountain climber refresher? We got you, below.

Second round: Do another 40 seconds of high knees before holding a 10-second plank, but mix things up this time by ending with a 10-second plank rotation: From plank, lift one arm up to the sky and rotate your core toward it, then return to plank and repeat on the opposite side.

Final round: Once again, do 40 seconds of high knees followed by a 10-second plank. Finish with a shoulder-tap plank for 10 seconds: Starting in a high plank, tap one hand to the opposite shoulder, return to plank, then repeat with the other hand.

Sounds tough but doable, right? Depending on your fitness level, DAREBEE suggests repeating the full series three, five, or seven times with up to two-minute rests in between. Amp up the challenge by pushing yourself to do more sets as you start to get the hang of it.

Focus on your form

To get the most out of the workout, make sure you’re using proper form:

• For the high knees movement, bring your knees up as high as you can (aim for waist level), landing on the balls of your feet. Mimic a running motion with exaggerated arm movements.
• DAREBEE also gives this pro tip for the plank rotations: Consciously tightening your lower ab muscles will force them to align better.
• Watch this video to find the correct position for all those planks:

Make it work for you

Although the Howler workout is suitable for beginners, the high-energy sequences will challenge your cardiovascular system and fire up muscles throughout your body, no matter your fitness level. If you want to make the workout low-impact, Robertson suggests turning the high knees into a march. “And you can always execute the planks from your knees to reduce the intensity,” he says.

Although the Howler can offer a serious full-body workout, it shouldn’t be the only cardio you do. “I would also recommend trying workouts that engage other muscle groups or integrate different cardio exercises,” Robertson says, “however the Howler is a decent option if you’re looking for some quick movement when you have a 15-minute break from work!”

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Alisa Kano, a group rhythmic gymnast—and part of Team USA!—who competed at the 2016 Olympic Games, knows that without strong abs, her job would be pretty difficult. “The abdominal muscles are one of the most important muscle groups for a gymnast,” she says. “When we balance, jump, turn, and overextend our bodies in different positions, our core does most of the work in keeping the other body parts in the correct positions—especially when it comes to supporting our backs. It’s not only important for preventing injuries, but a necessary component in successfully executing these elements.”

To maintain her impressive core strength, Kano has three go-to exercises. If you want abs like a gymnast, start with this routine.

The best exercises for core strength, according to an Olympian

1. V-ups

V-ups aren’t easy, but they certainly get the job done. “This exercise engages both my upper and lower body,” she says. “You can’t beat a two-in-one exercise where you’re able to work out several muscle groups at once.”

How to do V-ups:

• Begin on your back with your knees extended and arms above head.
• Simultaneously bring both straight legs and your upper body toward the ceiling. As your body comes together, try to reach for your toes. Think of the letter “v,” as you’re making that shape with your body.

2. Bicycles

Bicycles are seriously underrated when it comes to strengthening your abs. “I like bicycles because of the slight rotational factor,” Kano says. “That will help target the obliques as well.”

How to do bicycles:

• Begin on your back with your hands behind your head.
• Lift one knee toward your chest while the opposite elbow reaches toward that same knee.
• After touching your opposite knee to elbow, switch to the other side.
• Keep alternating sides, just as you would when riding a bicycle.

3. Scissor kicks

Scissor kicks do more than just make your core strong. “This is considered an isometric exercise, which means your core will be in a continuously contracted state while your lower extremities do the moving,” Kano says. “Isometric exercises are also great for endurance. I love this one because after a few seconds, you really feel the burn.”

How to do scissor kicks:

• Begin on your back with your legs extended and hands beside your body.
• Simultaneously lift your upper body and legs slightly off the ground. Your arms will be at the side of your body the entire exercise. Think of creating the shape of a boat.
• Hold this position and begin to do the “cutting” motion with your straight legs, crossing your legs one over the other but making sure your knees are straight the whole exercise. The movement can be small and quick, alternating one leg over the other.

If you want to keep sweating, try this 15-minute ab workout:

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

EMOM stands for “every minute on the minute.” This means that you perform a set amount of movement at the top of every minute, and then use the remaining seconds to rest. In this particular workout, you’ll repeat six movements three times (which clocks in at 18 minutes total). You’ll push at max capacity for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before diving into the next exercise.

“Give me everything you’ve got for that full 30 seconds, because you know you’ll have that rest at the end,” says Hughes. One caveat to keep in mind? “As I’m counting down, make sure you finish that last rep completely,” she adds. So if you’re in the middle of a burpee and she calls “rest,” don’t just flop over—finish the movement. You’ve got this.

Ready to sweat? Press play and follow along with the movements below.

Full-body EMOM workout with Anissia Hughes

Three rounds. At the top of each minute, do 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest. 

Minute 1: toe touch rocket jumps Start with your feet around shoulder-width apart, and your toes slightly turned out, like you’re setting up for a squat. Squat down and then reach opposite hand to opposite toe. Make sure to keep your chest up. Explode back up and add a small jump at the top.

Minute 2: tricep push-up + shoulder tap Start in a push-up position, ensuring that your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are all in alignment. Do a push-up. At the top of the push-up, tap your left shoulder with your right hand and then your right shoulder with your left hand. To modify, do a push-up on your knees.

Minute 3: lateral plank walk to knee drive Start in a plank position. Take one lateral step to the right, then bring opposite knee to opposite hand. Repeat on the other side. Make sure your hips stay square to the ground and that your butt isn’t up in the air.

Minute 4: kneel to squat + knee drive Start in a kneeling position with your hands behind your head. Step one foot up and push through that leg to come to a standing position while driving the opposite knee toward your chest. Switch knees each time.

Minute 5: burpees Start in a standing position. Move into a squat, moving your hands down with your hips, and then jump back into a plank. Do a push-up. Jump your feet back to your hands. Explode up into a full squat jump, reaching your arms overhead. Take out the jump at the top of the burpee if you need a modification.

Minute 6: side-plank Start in a side-plank position with your right hand pressing into the ground and your left hand reaching toward the ceiling. Keep your hips lifted and hold for 15 seconds, then switch to your left side and hold for 15 seconds. To modify, put the knee closest to the ground on the floor.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Instead, HIIT is really about making sure you’re maintaining and adequate ratio of work to rest. “The timing can change so long as the work to rest ratio is complementary,” Thompson explains. “To find the interval duration that works for you, there are many factors that need to be considered, like the type of training, the number of exercises, and the intensity of the work set as well as the intensity of the recovery set.” For example, at F45, you may complete 20 seconds of jump squats followed by 10 seconds of an active recovery like jogging in place, or you may have 40 seconds of jump squats and 20 seconds of rest. Makes sense, right?

The reason why it’s so important to maintain the balance of going hard and resting really comes down to form, says Thompson. “During a longer interval, we would recommend finding a consistent pace in order to elevate the heart rate enough and maintain it without over-exhaustion and without losing correct exercise technique,” he says “If you find that your recovery period does not allow you to maintain the same level of intensity in the next set, then you may need to adjust the work to rest ratio.”

So, if you’re fully capable of cranking out a minute of bear crawls, but your lower back starts hurting halfway through, you may want to tweak the duration of that intervals to 30 seconds and take a full 30 seconds of rest. As you get more advanced, you can start upping the duration of both your effort and recovery periods.

Once you’ve given yourself permission to adapt your HIIT workouts to how your body feels right now, you’re prepared to enjoy all the benefits of HIIT training (and oh, there are many). It’s been shown to improve your cognition, boost your mood, and help regulate your metabolic processes.

“The interval training style allows variety in exercise selection across workouts, which ultimately should result in greater levels of motivation, and for the longevity of your training regime,” Thompson says. “Consistency is one of the most important factors when it comes to seeing results, so a training style that promotes variation is a huge benefit.” So, go ahead and HIIT to your heart’s desire (just make sure you’re taking time for R&R, too).

10 minutes of HIIT. Go, go, go: 

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

By virtue of elevating your heart rate and strengthening myriad muscles, both HIIT and boot camp boast similar, if not seemingly identical, benefits. Proponents for each workout abound; but how, exactly, does one differentiate between the two? More pressing, perhaps, is the question of which is more effective: boot camp or HIIT? Below, Charlee Atkins, CSCS, creator of Le Sweat TV, gives us the bottom line.

HIIT vs. boot camp: understanding the terminologies

If you’re unclear on the differences between HIIT and boot camp, it’s understandable. According to Atkins, “HIIT and boot camp are used interchangeably,” within the realm of group fitness classes and mainstream fitness culture. Moreover, she adds, they’re often employed as “marketing terms [rather] than actual science-based training methods.”

Mainstream HIIT, as she calls it—the type most of us practice when we drop into our local studios—is a modified version of what Atkins calls “true” HIIT.” As opposed to mainstream HIIT, “true HIIT is designed for elite and performance athletes,” Atkins explains, “and has the appropriate coaches and tools to complete the training.” For this reason, it isn’t accessible for just anyone walking into their local studio, and it certainly isn’t for beginners.

“To be training in a true HIIT format, you need to know things like your VO2max and your lactate threshold,” Atkins shares. Furthermore, athletes need to be performing at 90 percent or higher of their VO2 max in order for a class to be considered “true HIIT,” technically speaking, and most people aren’t tracking this info, she notes. Another way to gauge: “By the textbook, if you are performing at 90 percent VO2max and above, you should only be able to do two, maybe three HIIT classes a week,” Atkins says. “If you are doing five HIIT classes per week, you aren’t doing real HIIT.”

Despite the slight misnomer, HIIT—as most of us know it—can be a fantastic workout nonetheless. In the mainstream/group fitness context, “HIIT classes are often bodyweight classes,” Atkins explains, citing “plyometric or jumping exercises” as key components (hello, jump squats!). Another hallmark of studio-based HIIT, she adds, is the time-based interval component in which these exercises are performed.

Boot camp, on the other hand, resembles more of a circuit training style. Classes may include more equipment, Atkins notes, “such as dumbbells and kettlebells.”

Between the two, HIIT has a reputation for feeling more intense. According to Atkins, “mainstream HIIT feels more challenging because it’s synonymous with burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers,” she explains. “These exercises make you feel spent because you are using every muscle group and joint on the body.”

This can be a good thing if you know what you’re doing. That said, “in a classroom full of various fitness levels, it can be a recipe for injury,” Atkins warns. In the case of injury, pain doesn’t equal gain. In fact, injury can set you back more than simply taking it easier in the first place. According to Atkins, “injury is the number one reason people ‘get out of shape’” after starting a workout routine. Burnout—which, like injury, is rooted in “overloading the body”—is also a biggie in terms of derailing your fitness goals. The bottom line: choose the workout that feels challenging, but only to a degree that’s healthy, informed, and appropriate for your current fitness level. As always, schedule plenty of recovery days, too.

Which is more effective: HIIT or boot camp?

Back to the burning question—which, as you may have gleaned, is more nuanced than it initially seems. First and foremost, “effective,” in this context, is variable; its definition depends on your personal fitness goals and abilities. “What are you training for? Are you running a 10K? Competing in a triathlon? Are you a college athlete? Or are you a corporate athlete who is just looking to move better, sweat more, and feel more energized?” Atkins poses. Narrow down your fitness goal—with specificity and realism at the forefront. “It doesn’t have to be running a marathon,” Atkins offers. “It can be [something] like, ‘I want to pick up my child without hurting my back,’ ‘I want to be able to take the stairs and not the elevator,’ or I want to roll out of bed and feel a strong core.”

Once you’ve sussed out your personal goals, assess whether they’re physical goals (building more muscle) or performance goals (like running faster, jumping higher), Atkins suggests. From there, you can more easily determine where you may need to shift your focus—be it cardio, core, or something else. Additionally, consider chatting with a certified trainer, who can determine whether boot camp or HIIT will more effectively help you reach your goals.

Ultimately, the winner of the “most effective” title between HIIT vs. boot camp is “…the one you enjoy,” Atkins says. Also, it’s the one you can enjoy safely, and “doesn’t get you injured.” Roger that!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

The best part about this cardio sequence is that it works to tone and sculpt your muscles without requiring any jumping or equipment other than a mat, so you can really do it from anywhere (without disturbing your officemates). According to Dong, the important thing to remember is that “cardio doesn’t mean burning extra calories or weight loss. It means getting your heart rate up there and your blood flowing.” The blood pumping, movement, and resulting increased heart rate is really what will help boost your focus and energy for the remainder of your day.

The key is incorporating moves that take you from high to low. Plank walkouts—which start at standing, require you to inch your way out in front of you into a plank position, then inch back to nearly touching your toes, before pushing back up into standing—are a prime example of this sort of low-impact exercise. “Anything high to low will really keep your heart rate up there,” explains Dong.

Additionally, by using pulses and small movements rather than straining under heavy weights or panting as you run and jump, you’re better able to focus on form, pay attention to activating your large and small muscle groups, and help improve your endurance, stability, and mobility. Dong also offers adjustments to make the moves easier or more challenging. And, though you may not be jumping, you can speed up the exercises to work up even more of a sweat, if you so choose.

Do this 10-minute set on its own or as a warm-up for your whole body for a longer workout. Ready to get started? Press play on the video above to follow along with a 10-minute no-jumping cardio sculpt workout that will give you just the midday energy boost that you crave.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

And what’s more, there are stacks of science to back up the modality’s benefits.  “[HIIT can] help with mood regulation, cognitive health, and boost your metabolism,” says Bryna Carracino, certified trainer and founder of BFit New York. These types of workouts, while short, have also been shown to promote longevity and keep exercisers moving for the long-run. All of these benefits, plus the fact that HIIT requires a short amount of time means it’s easy to squeeze into a jam-packed day.

Working out at home, while convenient, isn’t always ideal if you don’t have the right equipment. The good news is you don’t need a gym or any special equipment to do HIIT. All you need is some space and an exercise mat for when you take things down to the floor. “Find a space in your home that’s just made for your workouts. Even if it’s just your mat and a few loop bands you’ll start to create an energy there,” says Carracino. “The more energy you create in that space the quicker your mind and body will tap into that athletic zone.”

Carracino recommends doing HIIT workouts about two to three times a week, and giving yourself 24 hours in between each workout to recover. You don’t have to take off working out completely though, just avoid doing back-to-back HIIT sessions. Carracino says strength training, low-impact cardio, restorative yoga or Pilates, and foam rolling are all fair game.

“As a beginner, you can still plan for two to three times a week of HIIT just make the movements more full-body, start slow, understand that it’s a process, and always stay patient with your growth,” she says. Below are seven HIIT workouts for all levels that you can do at home that require zero equipment. Make some space, press play, and get ready to sweat.

7 HIIT workouts to try at home

1. 25-minute no-equipment HIIT + core workout

Let Charlee Atkins take you through a 25-minute workout that combines HIIT and core moves. You’ll get your heart rate up and focus on your core all without any equipment. Don’t forget to cue up your fave music or listen to the playlist at the link in the video description.

2. 15-minute bodyweight HIIT workout for all levels

Barry’s Bootcamp instructors Amber and Lindsay take you through a 15-minute bodyweight HIIT workout in this video. If you’re not feeling a high-impact workout, you can modify the moves to make them low impact. But just remember low impact does not mean low intensity.

3. 15-minute low-impact HIIT workout

Nike Trainer and Rumble instructor Ashley Wilking lead this 15-minute HIIT workout that’s low impact and easy on your joints. Worried about your downstairs neighbors complaining about your workout? Another bonus with low-impact workouts is they don’t make as much noise because they don’t require jumping.

4. 10-minute full-body HIIT workout

Think you need 30 minutes or more to get a “real” workout? Let this 10 minute HIIT workout with Ashley Joi show you just how much of a difference even 10 minutes of HIIT can make.

5. 25-minute Barry’s HIIT workout

This 25 minute Barry’s Bootcamp style HIIT workout will make you feel like you’re in the Red Room (minus the treadmills, weights, and hour-long time commitment). If you’re a Barry’s fan, you know this one will burn regardless of the lack of equipment.

6. 16-minute HIIT workout, low back-friendly

Low back pain is one thing that can make you wary of working out since you don’t want to make things worse. Good news: This workout is safe for low back pain and you can make the workout low impact if you need, too.

7. 15-minute HIIT core workout

Light up your entire core and feel stronger with this 15-minute HIIT workout with Sashah Handal. All you need to do this workout is some space and a yoga mat.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. 

Take it from Lauren Munsch Dal Farra, MD, a cardiologist and the CEO of PALM Health. As a busy CEO and doctor, she knows how hard it can be to fit exercise into a packed schedule, which is why she’s a fan of HIIT workouts. She says if you can fit them into your lunch hour, you’ll ride those energy and mood-enhancing effects for the rest of the day.

“Integrating the shorter anaerobic workouts into my lunch hour a few times a week is really effective for me,” says Dr. Munsch Del Farra. Keep reading for more details on why Dr. Munsch Del Farra’s go-to midday workout of choice is HIIT and how exercise can refill your energy levels.

Why HIIT workouts are ideal for a lunchtime sweat

“Midday workouts are a great way to incorporate HIIT training into your day because they’re shorter workouts,” Dr. Munsch Del Farra says. “They’re 20 to 30 minute workouts where you’re going 30 seconds on 30 seconds off or 20 seconds on 10 seconds off. You are exerting to your maximum capacity and then resting.” When it comes to HIIT workouts, short is good (and just 20 minutes can be better than longer classes). And if you’re looking for a workout that gives you the most for your precious time, HIIT is it.

Dr. Munsch Del Farra swears by HIIT or Tabata workouts to get the most out of a midday sweat when she’s back-to-back with meetings and patients. “I try to do a HIIT workout or a Tabata workout at least three times a week,” she says. In those HIIT workouts, her goal is to work 80 to 90 percent of her max heart rate zone for about 20-30 minutes (aka anaerobic training).

HIIT workouts increase energy

When you talk about feeling tired, sluggish, or blah, what does that actually mean for your body from a scientific perspective? “Exercise helps boost our circulation of oxygen,” says Dr. Munsch Del Farra. “That’s what the mitochondria, which are like the energy houses of our cells, [use as] currency. That allows our body to overall function better and use energy more efficiently.” More oxygen equals better-functioning cells, which means more energy, focus, and clarity throughout the day. Sounds like a win.

HIIT workouts improve focus, boost mood, and reduce anxiety

If moving your body helps you feel less anxious, there’s a reason: Exercise helps boost the “feel-good” hormones serotonin and dopamine. “Morning and midday workouts help boost your metabolism, increase your energy levels for the whole day, and increase your dopamine and serotonin, which can improve your mood and decrease anxiety for the day,” says Dr. Munsch Del Farra.

And if you typically rely on a second or third coffee to get you through the afternoon, Dr. Munsch Del Farra notes that exercise is a much more sustainable boost than a Blue Bottle run. “Caffeine is more of a stimulant; it connects to certain receptors in the brain that increase brain activity,” she says. “But it doesn’t have all the other benefits that exercise does—like increasing your circulation, increasing circulating oxygen, burning fat, lowering your blood pressure, and increasing your metabolism long-term.”

HIIT workouts fit into busy schedules

HIIT workouts are some of the best midday workouts since they’re easy to fit in (even if you do have to dash somewhere right after). Ultimately, Dr. Munsch Del Farra says the most important thing is not when you exercise, but if you exercise. What works for you may not work for someone else, but the key is figuring out when you will actually want to exercise—and stick with that. “If you have a job that has some flexibility around your work hours and you can take an hour to take a break overall, it’s a good way to reset and help manage stress,” she says. Just one more reason to carve out some space in your Calendar app.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Do this intense workout (just about) anywhere for rewarding results. “We’ll be working for two-minute blocks at a time, circling through combinations of moves and compound movement,” says Handal. If you can, use a mat and keep a sweat towel close, and don’t forget your water because you’ll definitely need it.

Set 1

“This is a ladder round, so we will [increase] the repetitions as we go,” Handal says.

Start in a squat. Walk your hands out into an inchworm. Jump your knees right under your hips. “That’s called a frog jump,” says Handal. “Keep your back super flat, your abs very braced, and your knees as low as possible in these frog jumps.” Jump your legs back out. Walk your hands back into your squat then do one squat jump. “Keep your feet wide, your heels rooted, chest lifted and knees wide in the squat jump,” says Handal. Repeat while adding one frog jump and one squat jump to each repetition.

“You are going to want to remember the highest rep that you get to,” says Handal. “We’ll return back to this set, and we will start a new challenge, starting with the highest rep and coming all the way down to one.”

Set 2

“As many rounds as possible, [we are doing] three moves with four reps each,” says Handal. Starting in a high plank, walk your hands out in a superman position then back in which is one rep. “Alternate your hands each time,” says Handal. Back in high-plank position, do four mountain climbers. Hop your legs in then do four squat pulses. Do this set for as many reps as possible, or AMRAP, in two minutes.

Set 3

“We are going to go back to that first ladder,” says Handal. “Starting with your highest rep, we are going to go down.” Moving from inchworms, to frog jumps, to squat jumps, Handal says to be mindful of form. “It’s not a race. We don’t want to sacrifice form for speed, ever.” If there’s still time on the clock when you get to one rep, Handal says don’t stop. “Keep cycling through with just one rep at a time.”

Set 4

“These moves are going to be focused on your lower body, predominantly,” Handal says. Start with four lunge jumps. Take your feet wide then jump back into high plank. “Hop it back and stay low. That’s a half burpee.” After you do four half burpees, push out four squat sequences: “Come down to the knees, then back up to the feet and that’s one. Lead with alternating legs every time you come up to your squat.”

Set 5

“Here, we are going to start with a new ladder. The legs are already nice and toasty, so let’s keep them burning,” Handal says. One squat then a lunge jump on each leg. Add a squat and a lunge jump to each repetition, going up the ladder, for two minutes. “In the squat, tuck and squeeze your tailbone. In the lunge jump, take a long stride back, chest is lifted and legs are at a 90-degree angle,” Handal says. Remember your highest rep.

Set 6

Start in a bear plank position on all fours. Lift the knees two inches off the floor. Align your wrists, elbows and shoulders together and do four shoulder taps. From here, do four leg kickbacks. Hop your legs back and do four squat pulses.

Set 7

Starting with seven squat jumps and seven lunge jumps, go back down the ladder for two minutes.

Set 8

Return to the first AMRAP of superman planks, mountain climbers and squat pulses.

Set 9

For this active recovery, do a squat into an alternating lunge. “Just for one minute before I make you push it full throttle to the end of this workout,” Handal says. “Take this time to reassess and refocus. Use this active recovery to refuel.”

Set 10

Return to the second AMRAP of four lunge jumps, four half burpees and four squat suicides.

Set 11

“We’ve got one more active recovery,” says Handal. Hit a high plank position then shift your hips up and back into a downward dog. “Peddle out through the feet if you need to and as you shift forward, take your leg forward into a runner’s lunge.” Reach your arm up to deepen the stretch. Step back, hit your downward dog then do the same thing on the other side.

Set 12

“You got two minutes of an AMRAP, and then this is over. The cool thing is you’ve already done it,” says Handal. Get into a bear plank, hit the shoulder taps and kickouts. But add four burpees to the end. “A little extra intensity for your already intense workout.”

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. 

Nike trainer Traci Copeland leads us through a workout that offers a combination of high-intensity interval training and bodyweight-based strength training, which, as Copeland puts it, means “you’ll get the best of both worlds.”

What’s great about the structure of this workout is that it puts the strength training portion ahead of the cardio set, which pros say can be beneficial for making the most out of both types of exercises. Because strength training requires short bursts of effort and requires your muscles to use an energy source other than oxygen, structuring it first allows you to better maximize your energy throughout the entire workout. “Depending on your fitness level, your muscles and heart can only handle a set amount of anaerobic training before becoming tired,” Selena Samuela, a Peloton instructor, previously told Well+Good. This means that if you start your workout with an all-out cardio burst, you may not have as much energy left to build strength after the fact.

Another benefit of the workout? It’s quick, which means you can give it 100 percent effort knowing that it will be over in a blink. “People are able to go a little bit harder for that 20 minutes than they would for 28 minutes, and that’s what HIIT is all about,” Obé fitness trainer Mary Wolff previously told Well+Good. “Mentally, I think they’re able to push themselves harder because they know they’re going to be doing it for a shorter period of time.”

Following Copeland’s lead, you’ll start with a warmup meant to wake up the muscles you’ll be targeting throughout the workout, then move into a circuit of five equipment-free, full-body moves including planks, push-ups, lunges, and glute bridges. The goal of these exercises is to work multiple parts of your body at once, giving you a whole lot of bang for your buck. You’ll do each move for 30 seconds, then repeat the series three times.

After that, the real fun begins with a classic Tabata series. Tabata is a form of HIIT that involves 20 seconds of all-out work followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of four minutes—which is pretty much guaranteed to leave your heart pounding. In this case, you’ll work through four moves—plank jacks, an isometric V-sit hold, single-leg deadlifts, and squat jumps—two times total. And by the end, you’re sure to be spent.

While the workout is not for the faint of heart, Copeland offers plenty of modifications so that anyone can reap the benefits, regardless of their fitness level (quick reminder: there’s no shame in the modification game). And after 22 minutes, you’ll be able to step off the mat knowing you gave your body everything it needs for the day.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly. 

In these two weeks, you’ll harness strength in your arms, core, back and legs. You’ll complete full-body and targeted workouts with our team of personal trainers, all from the comfort of your own living room. By the time it’s over, you’ll see real improvement in your strength and endurance. You’ll notice that there are only 12 workouts meant to be performed over 14 days, so feel free to squeeze in at least two rest day whenever you need them.

Ready to go? Keep scrolling to see your workout plan for the next two weeks, and check back here in a month for our next challenge!

1. 10-Minute full-body mobility workout

The key word today is mobility. Ash Wilking, Nike trainer and Rumble instructor, is here to teach us how to “find strength in our mobility” by flexing, releasing, and extending every part of our bodies from our necks down to our ankles. Strength training requires our bodies to be loose and agile before we do any high-impact work, and mobility is a necessary building block for all of this, which is why we’re focusing on it here on day one.

2. 15-minute lower body workout to build muscle

Today is all about building strength in your lower body and lifting your mood in preparation for the rest of the challenge. Barry’s Senior trainers Amber Rees and Lindsey Clayton are here to take us through all the lower-body classics: lunges, sumo squats, glute bridges and more. This workout can be done with or without the addition of weights and is sure to get those legs burning!

3. 8-Minute core and back workout

Get those abs, traps, and lats ready because today is a core/back day! Charlee Atkin, founder of Le Sweat TV, is here to whip us into shape in just 8 minutes. Today’s workout calls for a set of dumbbells and is sure to strengthen and lengthen your body’s central muscles.

4. 10-minute upper body towel workout

This workout relies on an item I’m sure all of us have in our homes already: a towel. Led by Colette Dong, founder of The Ness, this 10-minute towel routine will work every muscle in your upper body, plus your abs and obliques for a little extra fire.

5. Upper body stretch to release tension

We are stretching and breathing today, friends! Ashley Joi is here to bring us a little “joy” of our own with this 8-minute upper-body stretch routine. This is the perfect cool down after yesterday’s upper body workout, and is a great way to end a long day working at a desk.  Before this stretch sesh is over, your, upper arm and back pain will melt away, and you might even see an improvement in your posture.

6. 15-Minute total core strength workout

Trainers Rees and Clayton are back to guide us through a 15-minute core workout designed to get the whole body working together as one. We’ll do some traditional core movements like side-planks and crunches, then switch things up with renegade rows and jack-knifes. This routine can be done as bodyweight only, or you can amp things up with a set of dumbbells. Either way, it’s sure to get your entire body involved.

7. Full-body mobility workout for active recovery

It’s active recovery day, which means we’re going to loosen up those muscles and recoup our energy with a low-intensity workout. Trainer Joi is back to walk us through leg swings, knee hugs, shin box lifts, and more. For this workout, you’ll need a chair or a wall for supportive balance. And when you’re done, you can pat yourself on the back for making it halfway through the challenge.

8. 17-Minute lower-body strength + HIIT workout

Get ready because today is a HIIT workout and the longest one yet! We’ll warm up with trainer Kat Atienza and then jump into some lower body movements that are sure to bring the heat: lunges, squats, glute bridges and more. This workout requires no equipment and will have you feeling stronger and more mobile by the time it’s over.

9. 5-Minute kettlebell core workout

Trainer Roxie Jones is using a 10-pound kettlebell for today’s workout, but feel free to go lighter or heavier—whatever feels right to you. With ussian twists, typewriter drags and figure-8 passes (no, those are not cocktails), these moves will blast your core in just five minutes.

10. 18-Minute arm sculpting workout with resistance bands

Trainer Sashah Handal takes us through three rounds of resistance training that will strengthen and sculpt your biceps, triceps, and core. You’ll need a long resistance band with handles, or a Theraband, a super portable resistance band without handles, for this 18-minute arm workout.

11. Wrist workout, stretches, & modifications

Today we’re focusing on an often-neglected part of the body: your wrists. If you ever feel like your wrists are weak in a plank position, during a pushup or in downward dog, this is the workout for you. Trainer Atkins is walking us through wrist stretches for strength and mobility, as well as modifications we can make to common poses that will take pressure off that delicate wrist area.

12. 23-Minute workout to build strength and improve mobility

We’ve made it to the final day of our strength training challenge and we’re wrapping up with our longest workout yet! Trainer Atienza takes us through two circuits comprised of squats, glute bridges, push-ups, side planks and hamstring scoops. No equipment needed for this 23-minute workout. And congrats on making it to the end!

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

“People are able to go a little bit harder for that 20 minutes than they would for 28 minutes, and that’s what HIIT is all about,” says Wolf. “And mentally, I think they’re able to push themselves harder because they know they’re going to be doing it for a shorter period of time.”

With high-intensity interval training, those pushes are really what it’s all about. “You want those short bursts of energy because without them, it just turns into a cardio class,” says Wolf. “And the big difference between [steady-state] cardio and HIIT is that cardio has a sustained heart rate without a ton of ups and downs, whereas in a HIIT class you should be going really, really hard for a short period of time and then really letting your heart rate come down. That 20-minute workout allows people to do that more efficiently.”

Considering there is such a thing as too much HIIT (research has shown that any more than 90 minutes of this type of training per week can start to have negative effects), squeezing in a few quickie sessions is a great way to integrate these types of workouts into your regular routine. After all, “when it comes to HIIT, it’s the intensity—not the workout duration—that has the most effect,” says Wolf.

Ready to see just how challenging a 20-minute HIIT session can be? Follow along with one of the videos below.

1. 20-minute HIIT boxing

Get ready to jab, cross, and duck with this boxing-inspired HIIT workout. You’ll move as if you were in the ring, and put both your speed and strength to the test as you throw your punches.

2. 20-minute full-body Barry’s HIIT workout

Barry’s is notorious for its sweaty, high-impact classes, and you can get a taste of some of its most challenging moves with this 20-minute HIIT session. You’ll work your full body with moves like push-ups and banded lunges, so grab a resistance band and get to work.

3. 17-minute core and lower body HIIT workout

This quickie HIIT series is just shy of 20 minutes, but still manages to leave your lower body quaking. It alternates between high- and low-impact moves so you get a little taste of both, and makes the most of every second by using “smart, compound exercises.”

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

The live classes have limited capacity, meaning that you need to sign up beforehand to reserve a spot. “It was important for us to cap class capacity, to guarantee that participants receive the personalized attention they need to maximize their workout,” CEO Joey Gonzalez said in a press release. “Barry’s participants will also have the opportunity to forge real connections with the Barry’s community that can translate beyond the digital realm.” The social networking feature of the app further highlights the community aspect that’s at the core of the brand. Your profile can include photos and bios, you can see your friends’ schedules and stats, and you can send messages to members that you’ve worked out with.

You also have the option to turn your camera on so you can get real time feedback from the instructor, and to make the virtual workouts feel less lonely; however, if you’d rather give yourself a bikini wax than work out on camera, don’t fret—there are other options for us introverts. You can make it so that only the instructor can see you, so that only your friends in the class can see you, or keep the camera off completely. If you prefer on-demand classes, you can choose from a variety of classes in the on-demand library. And, if you don’t have the time (or, let’s be honest, the motivation) to do a full-length 50-minute class, express classes are also available.

The app is available for download and on-demand classes now, with live classes starting tomorrow.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Circuit 1

Squat to knee drive: Perform a squat. As you come up, lift one leg up so that your knee is in line with your hips. Stabilize in the standing leg. Then go down into another squat, and repeat with the opposite leg. “Notice every time I stepped down, I’m not shifting my weight just into one side, my weight is distributed evenly in both heels,” says Atienza.  Continue alternating legs until time is up.

Push-up to world’s greatest stretch: Start in a high plank. Lower yourself down into a push-up. Exhale as you press yourself back up. At the top of your push-up, step your right leg forward so that your foot is in line with your hands. From this low runner’s lunge position, press your left hand into the ground and rotate your body to the right as you raise your right hand up toward the ceiling. You should feel the stretch in your hip. Return to the top of your push-up, and repeat with your left leg. Continue until time is up.

Glute bridge to sit-up: Lay on your back and set up for a glute bridge by bending your knees and placing your feet flat on the floor. Press into your heels and drive your hips up. Lower your hips back down. Perform a second glute bridge. When you come down, keep your feet where they are and raise your arms straight up into the air. Perform a two sit-ups. That’s one rep. Repeat until time is up.

Complete three rounds before moving on to set two. 

Circuit 2

Reverse lunge to single-leg deadlift: Start in a standing position with your feet hip’s-width distance apart. Step one leg back and bend your knee to perform a reverse lunge. Both knees should be making a 90-degree angle. Press into your front foot and stabilize on your standing leg as you bring your back leg in line with your front leg, keeping your foot off of the ground. Send your hips back and lift your leg so that you create a capital “T” with your body. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the same leg until time is halfway up, then switch legs.

Hinge Ws: Push your hips back. As you do so, raise your arms up so that they are in line with your ears. Pull your elbows down to create a “W” shape, then straighten your arms again. Return to standing. “You should really feel that engagement in your hamstrings,” says Atienza. Repeat until time is up.

Side plank to knee-drive + leg lift: Start in a strong side plank position. Make sure your elbow is stacked under your shoulder. Drive your top knee up toward the chest, making sure to stay in that strong side plank. Bring your knee back down so that you’re back in a side plank. Lift the top leg up until you feel engagement in your glute. Lower back down. Stay in the side plank and repeat the knee drive and leg lift. Switch sides halfway through.

Complete three rounds. 

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

The workout consists of two sets of four movements. Each movement is 30 seconds of work, and 15 seconds of rest. You go through each set twice. “Were gonna start with a nice quick warmup just to fire up our glutes and our core before we get into our lower body movement,” Atienza says. Get ready, because you’re about to feel the burn. Watch the video and follow along below.

Try Kat Atienza’s equipment-free lower body strength workout

Set 1

Good mornings: You’re “practicing that hinge movement here,” Atienza says. Place your hands on the back of your head and place your feet hip-width distance apart. Keep a soft bend in your knees, and send your hips back as you inhale. Exhale as you come back to standing. Don’t let your back round. Repeat until time is up.

Squat to squat jump: Send your hips back and down into a squat as you inhale. Exhale and squeeze your glutes as you return to a standing position. Go down into another squat, but instead of standing up, explode into a jump. Land softly on your heels. Repeat until time is up.

Alternating reverse lunge core rotation: Step to the front of your mat. Step one foot back into a lunge, creating a 90 degree angle with both knees. Rotate your torso over your front leg, then go back to center. Bring your back leg forward. Do the same on the opposite side, and continue to alternate until time is up.

Side plank plus clamshell: Lay on your side and set up as you would for a side plank. Bend your knees so that your legs create a 90 degree angle. Lift your hips off the mat. Open and close your top leg in a clamshell movement. Stay on one side for the first round, and do the other side on the second round.

Repeat set 1 before moving on to set 2.  

Set 2

Single-leg glute bridge: Lay on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise one leg into the air. Drive through your heel and send your hips up. Exhale at the top, then lower yourself back to the ground. Repeat until time is up. Do round one on with your right leg, and round two with your left leg.

Low side lunges: Step your feet out wide. Sink your hips back and push your body to the right so that you’re in a low side lunge. Push yourself to the left. Continue to alternate until time is up.

Kneel to squat: Start on your knees with your chest upright. Step your right foot up, then your left, so that you’re in a low squat position. Return your right leg to a kneeling position, then your left. Switch directions so that you start with your left side. Continue until time is up.

Bodyweight slams: Reach your arms up as you rise onto your toes, then hinge at the hips, press your heels into the ground, and thrust your arms down and past your hips. It’s like doing a med-ball throw without the med ball.

Repeat set 2. 

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Each of the workouts in these videos is modifiable, making them great for any fitness level. And because you’re at home, you can hit pause and take a break as needed. Below, you’ll find Well+Good’s 10 best online workout videos. Get changed, roll out your mat, and grab some water—we’ll be here when you’re ready.

10 of the best online workout videos from Well+Good

1. Dancer Abs

Led by Katia Pryce, CEO and co-founder of DanceBody, this six-minute workout will take help you move your body and activate your core like a dancer—no experience required. Though this video is one of our oldest—released in 2016—people can’t get enough of it. It’s been watched over 5 million times.

2. 15-Minute Full-Body Pilates Workout

For this 15-minute pilates workout, all you need is your body and space to lay down. Chloe Gregor, an instructor at East River Pilates in New York City, leads you through a full-body Pilates workout in this video. You’ll do the classic pilates roll-down, leg lifts, and planks and Gregor will be there to talk you through it.

3. 15-Minute Pilates Core Workout

The best part of Pilates is that no matter what muscle you’re working, nine times out of 10, you’re also engaging your core. So for this workout to actually target nothing but core, you know it’s gonna be good. Here, Gregor leads you through toe taps, plank dips, and more.

4. Resistance Band Back Workout

Shy of pushups, your back muscles are some of the hardest muscles to work without equipment. During this workout led by certified trainer Bec Donlan, you’ll complete rows, alt-pull downs, and more using nothing but a resistance band ($14 for a set of 3).

5. 15-Minute At-Home Abs Workout

Taught by certified fitness instructor and Le Sweat founder Charlee Atkins, this ab workout features two rounds that you complete twice. Each round has four moves that you do for 40 seconds each with a 10-second rest in between. And don’t let those dumbbells scare you—there’s no equipment required.

6. 25-Minute Low-Impact Cardio Workout

Whether you have joint issues or downstairs neighbors that you don’t wanna annoy, this low-impact cardio workout will get your heart rate lifted, no jumping required. During this 25-minute workout, Atkins will take you through 16 moves.

7. 15-Minute Dancer Abs Workout

Because everyone loved Well+Good’s first Dancer Abs video, we decided to recreate the magic with an updated dancer abs workout. This one is 15-minutes long, meaning you can dance it out with Pryce for more than twice as much time as you can with the original video.

8. Plank Series with Solidcore

Solidcore classes are typically done on a megaformer, which makes them hard to recreate at home. However, Solidcore instructor Triana Brown makes it happen by leading you through this workout that can be done with two sliders ($20), towels, or paper plates. Brown, who is also Solidcore’s senior manager of talent and product, will make your core quake in a way you didn’t know was possible in under 10 minutes.

9. 15-Minute Tabata Workout

During this Tabata workout, trainer Ash Wilking takes you through two circuits each composed of six moves. You’ll give each move all you’ve got 20 seconds and then rest for 10. Clear some space and tie on your sneakers for this equipment-free workout.

10. Full Body HIIT Workout with Weights

Coming in at number 10 is this full-body HIIT workout led by trainer Meg Takacs. During this workout, you’ll do two rounds of six movements for 30 seconds each. While you don’t need dumbbells to complete any of these movements, using them will help you get the most out of the workout. Takacs says you can use any dumbells between five and 15 pounds. If you need a set, snag this set that includes 5, 8, and 12-pound weights with a stand ($124).

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

In addition to the core, spider planks also work your arms and glutes, both of which become activated when you’re holding plank pose and bringing the knee to the chest. One of our favorite trainers, Charlee Atkins, loves planks for all of the reasons listed above. In fact, Atkins incorporates spider planks into virtually every workout. The spider plank isn’t as scary as it sounds, but it will leave your entire body quaking after a few rounds. You’ll notice the move is rooted in the traditional plank position, and you march your feet and hold them into the body (almost like a mountain climber).

Whether you’re looking to shake up the plain-old plank or you’re building a strong core from scratch, Atkins’s signature spider plank is sure to leave you feeling satisfied and strong. Here’s how to try.

How to do the spider plank

1. Start in plank position, ensuring your body is in a straight line from the head all the way to the heels

2. Lift one leg and bend your knee (similar to a fire hydrant), as you bring your knee toward your armpit. This should all be on the same side of your body; don’t let your body rotate!

3. Bring your leg back into plank position.

4. Repeat steps two to three with the opposite leg.

5. Continue to alternate legs.

In Atkins’s workout, the spider planks are part of a Tabata set, wherein you cycle through eight rounds of 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. You’ll see Atkins demonstrate the move in the third circuit. Whether you’re adding to a Tabata workout or looking for a one-and-done move, spider planks are a solid way to fire up the whole body, and when done regularly can help you to gain strength all over.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.