Burning calories and building strength might be easier than you think. You don’t need expensive equipment, and you can get a high-intensity workout with only two moves. Instead of buying the latest and greatest workout DVDs or spending money on a gym membership each month, try this simple, yet effective workout.
The two moves for this workout: squat jumps and elevated push-ups.
To do a squat jump, begin with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Focus on keeping your chest tall, and look straight ahead and slightly up. Squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor and your knees are in line with your toes. Hold your arms out in front of you as you squat, and push them back behind you as you jump. Jump as high as you can and land softly back in the squat position.
An elevated push-up is similar to a normal push-up but is done off of a raised surface such as a weight bench, sofa or table. Place your hands on the raised surface and your feet on the floor. The closer the surface is to the floor, the more difficult the move will be. Position your hands directly under your shoulders and keep your feet hip-width apart. Focus on maintaining a plank position and keep your body as straight as possible. As you lower yourself, keep your elbows close to your body and your neck in line with your shoulders.
Turn these two moves into a high-intensity workout by doing a reverse ladder routine:
Start by doing 15 squat jumps and then do 15 elevated push-ups. Next, do 14 squat jumps and 14 elevated push-ups. Continue doing each move and decreasing by one rep each time until you end with 1 squat jump and 1 elevated push-up. When you’ve finished the workout, you’ll have done 120 squat jumps and 120 elevated push-ups.
It’s important to go at your own pace and to focus on form over speed. Make sure to stretch before you work out, and spend a few minutes getting your heart rate up before you begin. When you’ve finished, cool down by stretching again.
