Exercising outdoors adds a whole new set of challenges that your body critically needs to stay responsive. (Think instability and wind resistance.) This plyometric outdoor workout will surely make you sweat, using high-intensity Tabata training to burn every last bit of energy and then some. Gregg Cook, a trainer for Daily Burn and Equinox Fitness in New York City, has laid out a deceptively simple plan, demonstrated by Shredz ambassador Genevieve Ava, using compound and plyo moves to push your whole body into the red zone.SEE ALSO: 4 Weeks to Six-Pack AbsHow to Do it: Do the exercises in order with your maximum range of motion and speed, performing as many reps as possible in 20 seconds (except where noted to do a different rep scheme). Take a 10-second break, just enough time to record your reps, then begin next exercise. Rest up to 2 minutes, then repeat the circuit two to four times.Our Model: Genevieve Ava; Hometown: Menifee, CA; Occupation: Shredz Ambassador, Online Trainer; Instagram: @GenvieveAva“Hard work never goes unnoticed.”—Ava
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James Patrick
Squat Jump Kick Through
Stand with feet shoulder width, arms at your sides. Lower your hips into a squat, keeping your chest up and swinging arms back. Explode up into a jump. Land on all fours (hands and feet), hands under shoulders, knees under hips, keeping your knees and shins off the ground. Immediately lift your left arm off the ground and kick your right leg straight in front of you (not shown), keeping torso nearly perpendicular to the ground. Return to all fours, then kick through to the other side. Return to start.SEE ALSO: Sculpt Stronger, Leaner Legs
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James Patrick
Bench/Box Jump
Stand in front of a box, step, or other elevated surface with your feet hip width. Pulse your knees into a high squat, swinging arms back. Then use your glutes to jump up. Land softly on box with knees slightly bent. Step or jump back down to start. Leapfrog! Remember to jump as high as you can. To make the move harder, land in a deeper squat. SEE ALSO: 4 Best Exercises for Sexy Calves
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James Patrick
Incline Spiderman Pushup
Get into the top of a pushup position with your hands resting on a bench or other elevated surface, feet hip width and hands directly under shoulders. Lower your body into bottom of pushup and bring your left knee toward your left elbow. Return to top of pushup and repeat on other side. Be sure your elbows bend at least 90 degrees or chest touches the bench. Too easy? Do it with hands on the ground in a normal pushup position rather than elevated.This is a full body challenge to take your core work to the next level! Are you up for it?SEE ALSO: Four Weeks to Six-Pack Abs
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James Patrick
Split Squat Jump
Stand with left foot forward and right foot between three and four feet back, with weight on your front foot and the ball of your back foot. With hands at your sides, lower into a lunge, sending weight evenly between your feet until your front thigh is parallel to, and back knee is nearly touching, the ground. Rise explosively from the bottom of the lunge, swinging your arms high to assist; switch legs midair and land with right foot forward.SEE ALSO: The 5 Best Exercises for Women
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James Patrick
High-Knee Sprint in Place
Stand with your feet at hip width. Quickly lift your right knee and then left knee high in front of you, running in place. Be sure to include strong arm movement to mimic true running technique.Don’t land heel first. Make sure to land on toes, then send weight through the ball of your foot and then heel. SEE ALSO: 3 Ways to Build a Sexy Back
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James Patrick
Speed Skater
Stand with feet at hip width, hands at your sides. Leap to your right a few feet, landing softly on your right foot and sending your left leg back behind you. Use your arms to help propel you, bringing your right arm straight out to the right and your left arm bent across your body at chest height (not shown). Land with your right knee bent and left leg straight behind you. (Don’t lock knee.) Leap immediately to the opposite side.This lateral plyo move activates underused muscles like the gluteus medius. SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Chest Exercises of All Time
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James Patrick
Bear Crawl
Drop down onto your hands and balls of feet, knees low to the ground and hips as low as possible over knees. Crawl forward, reaching your left hand and right foot forward, then right hand and left foot. Make sure your back stays straight and your hips stay low. Crawl 10 to 15 steps forward and 10 to 15 steps backward.SEE ALSO: The Secret to Lean Shoulders
Exercising outdoors adds a whole new set of challenges that your body critically needs to stay responsive. (Think instability and wind resistance.) This plyometric outdoor workout will surely make you sweat, using high-intensity Tabata training to burn every last bit of energy and then some. Gregg Cook, a trainer for Daily Burn and Equinox Fitness in New York City, has laid out a deceptively simple plan, demonstrated by Shredz ambassador Genevieve Ava, using compound and plyo moves to push your whole body into the red zone.
How to Do it: Do the exercises in order with your maximum range of motion and speed, performing as many reps as possible in 20 seconds (except where noted to do a different rep scheme). Take a 10-second break, just enough time to record your reps, then begin next exercise. Rest up to 2 minutes, then repeat the circuit two to four times.
Stand with feet shoulder width, arms at your sides. Lower your hips into a squat, keeping your chest up and swinging arms back. Explode up into a jump. Land on all fours (hands and feet), hands under shoulders, knees under hips, keeping your knees and shins off the ground. Immediately lift your left arm off the ground and kick your right leg straight in front of you (not shown), keeping torso nearly perpendicular to the ground. Return to all fours, then kick through to the other side. Return to start.
Stand in front of a box, step, or other elevated surface with your feet hip width. Pulse your knees into a high squat, swinging arms back. Then use your glutes to jump up. Land softly on box with knees slightly bent. Step or jump back down to start.
Leapfrog! Remember to jump as high as you can. To make the move harder, land in a deeper squat.
Get into the top of a pushup position with your hands resting on a bench or other elevated surface, feet hip width and hands directly under shoulders. Lower your body into bottom of pushup and bring your left knee toward your left elbow. Return to top of pushup and repeat on other side. Be sure your elbows bend at least 90 degrees or chest touches the bench. Too easy? Do it with hands on the ground in a normal pushup position rather than elevated.
This is a full body challenge to take your core work to the next level! Are you up for it?
Stand with left foot forward and right foot between three and four feet back, with weight on your front foot and the ball of your back foot. With hands at your sides, lower into a lunge, sending weight evenly between your feet until your front thigh is parallel to, and back knee is nearly touching, the ground. Rise explosively from the bottom of the lunge, swinging your arms high to assist; switch legs midair and land with right foot forward.
Stand with your feet at hip width. Quickly lift your right knee and then left knee high in front of you, running in place. Be sure to include strong arm movement to mimic true running technique.
Don’t land heel first. Make sure to land on toes, then send weight through the ball of your foot and then heel.
Stand with feet at hip width, hands at your sides. Leap to your right a few feet, landing softly on your right foot and sending your left leg back behind you. Use your arms to help propel you, bringing your right arm straight out to the right and your left arm bent across your body at chest height (not shown). Land with your right knee bent and left leg straight behind you. (Don’t lock knee.) Leap immediately to the opposite side.
This lateral plyo move activates underused muscles like the gluteus medius.
Drop down onto your hands and balls of feet, knees low to the ground and hips as low as possible over knees. Crawl forward, reaching your left hand and right foot forward, then right hand and left foot. Make sure your back stays straight and your hips stay low. Crawl 10 to 15 steps forward and 10 to 15 steps backward.
