It’s that time of year again when you feel like it was just yesterday you were ringing in the New Year and then—poof!—it's spring and time to turn up the intensity of your workouts if you want to look and feel your best this summer.
Of course, looking and feeling great is only one aspect of getting into shape, but this time of year, there’s a certain urgency for building confidence, reducing body fat and making your lean, shapely muscles pop and fast. The good news is, you’ve come to the right place—we’ve got just the spring training program you need.
One of the best ways to shred for summer and feel better than you have in years is with a high-intensity hybrid workout that incorporates elements of both resistance training and cardio for a complete total body blast.
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The reason circuit training is so effective is because each time you do it, you’re rotating between the 10 exercises here with limited rest times, which means your heart rate stays elevated throughout the entire session, helping keep you in that crucial fat-burning zone for faster results. Another reason why it’s so effective is because you remain in that metabolic threshold for up to 24 hours after the workout is over.
Complete the following 30-45 minute workout (repeating the whole sequence 2 or 3 times, depending on how much time you have) up to 3 times a week as a complement to your regular weight-training and cardio days and shock your body into fast and impressive results.
You can take this routine outdoors, too! All you need are a couple of dumbbells and something to step up onto.
WARM UP
Spend three to four minutes warming up any way you like. Try skipping, star jumps, riding a bike, walking or lightly jogging, doing air squats or even burpees.
YOUR HYBRID HIIT WORKOUT
Timing: 45 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest
For the resistance movements, aim to get as many as possible by performing the movement in a slow and controlled manner within the 45-second work phase. Be mindful not to rush.
- Mountain Climbers
- 5X Wide Squats, 5X Narrow Squats
- 10 High Knees, 2 Inchworms
- Alternating Arm Dumbbell Overhead Snatch
- 5X Burpees, 5X Plyo Lunges
- Bicep Curl to Overhead Shoulder Press
- Alternating Leg Box Step-Ups to Knee Drive
- Bent-Over Rows with a Pause
- Barbell or Revo Bar Chest Press to Tricep Extension
- Weighted Seated Oblique Twists
Take a 1-min water break between rounds and repeat the entire sequence one to two more times. If you do the circuit twice, it will take you about 30 minutes to complete and 45 minutes if you do it three times.
Here’s how to perform each exercise:
1. Mountain Climbers (cardio)
From a high-plank position, drive one knee toward your chest at a time and gradually increase your speed so you're almost running horizontally.
2. 5X Wide Squats, 5X Narrow Squats (quads, glutes, hamstrings)
Take as wide of a squat stance as you can and perform 5 squats and then quickly re-adjust to a narrow squat stance with your feet only about 1 foot apart and do another 5 squats. Repeat until your 45-second block is up.
3. 10X High Knees, 2X Inchworms (cardio)
Run on the spot while you drive your knees above your hip line for 10 high knees, then pause in place and lower your arms down in front of you and use your hands to “walk” yourself out as far as you can. “Walk” back into your feet and repeat 2 of these inchworms before returning to 10 more high knees.
4. Alternating Arm Dumbbell Overhead Snatch (glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, back, and lats)
Grab a dumbbell with your right hand, bend at your knees and send your hips back. Place the dumbbell between your feet. Next, extend at the hip while pulling the dumbbell up keeping it as close to your front body as you can. At shoulder height, flip the dumbbell in your so your palm now faces outward and punch it up to the sky. Alternate sides each time.
5. 5X Hands-Off Burpees, 5X Plyo Lunges (cardio)
Start with the burpees by explosively jumping up and reaching overhead, feet wide and land on the floor, briefly lift your palms off the floor and then explode back up. After 5 burpees, move into 5 plyometric jumping lunges. Your heart will be pumping after this one!
6. Bicep Curl to Overhead Shoulder Press (biceps, shoulders, lats)
Using either a barbell or a set of dumbbells, curl your desired weight up towards your shoulders making sure to keep elbows tucked into your side. Once the weight reaches your elbow, flip them to face forward and press up into a shoulder press. If using a barbell, keep your palms facing you and press upward maintaining the reverse grip.
7. Box Step-Ups to Knee Drive (cardio)
Find a steady box, bench or chair and alternate stepping up with one leg at a time and driving the opposite knee up to the sky. Since this is the cardio component of your hybrid HIIT, we recommend focusing on speed here instead of attempting to add weight.
8. Bent-Over Rows with a Pause (back, rear deltoids and lats)
Using either a barbell or a set of dumbbells, grasp your weight and set your shoulders back and down. Next, hinge at the hips and lower your torso until it’s parallel to the floor and your weight is grazing the front of your shins below the knees. Row the weight up into your belly button, pause at the top and slowly release the weight back down. Engage your core and lats in order to protect your low back.
9. Barbell or Revo Bar Chest Press to Tricep Extension (chest and triceps)
Lying flat on your back, start by holding either a bar or set of dumbbells directly overhead. Press down into and chest press and press back up and immediately move into a tricep extension by lowering the weight and backward towards your face by bending at the elbows and stopping right above the forehead. Press back up and start the whole compound movement from the top.
10. Weighted Seated Oblique Twists (abs and external and internal obliques)
From a seated position, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, twist a dumbbell or medicine ball side to side. You can either tap down on the floor next to either outer hip or simply twist the weight to cross your body in the air.
By: David Barta
Fitness Goal Keeper
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