Hey, it’s Mike Whitfield here with Workout Finishers. I have a special treat for my friends over at Exercises For Injuries. I want to talk about doing a 5-Minute Cardio Circuit.
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.
We are doing only a 5-minute cardio circuit because this is important, and I truly believe it is something we need to do every day. I like to work out three days a week, sometimes 4, which allows me to stay active on the other days. That is having more time to play with my kids and play basketball. I love to play basketball, and sometimes I go for a swim because of the positive impact this has on my mental state. It helps me make better decisions with food and puts me in the right mindset. Another reason is that it promotes a natural boost of energy. You don’t have to rely on stimulants or coffee.
When you do a short bodyweight circuit, it can provide you with a nice surge of energy. You can do this on an off day, requiring no equipment. It’s a 5-minute cardio circuit. It’s a 5 minutes cardio circuit, so that means we will be doing a lot of legs, but we will also add in some pushing movements.
Cardio Circuit 1. Lunge Jump or Total Body Extension
Start in the lunge position, jump up and switch feet.
Lunge Jump
Now, if your knees are not ready for something like that, do a Total Body Extension instead. So, we will do ten full-body extensions instead of 5 per side with the lunge jumps.
Total Body Extension
Your feet are about shoulder-width apart, with a slight knee bend. Your arms are behind your glutes, and you will explode onto your toes with your hands above your head. So, it is five reps per side on the lunge jumps or ten full-body extensions. Do it fast… one, two, three, all the way to ten.
Cardio Circuit 2. Explosive Push Up
Again, we are going to crank our heart rate up. You can do regular push-ups if you are not ready for explosive push-ups.
Explosive Push Up
What we are going to do is push up with momentum so that our hands leave the ground. And to minimize the impact, you will want to ensure you land in the push-up position. Again, if you are not ready for those, by all means, do regular push-ups. You are going to do 5 of those as well.
Cardio Circuit 3. Skater Hops
All you are going to do is jump to one side and land on one foot, then jump back to the other side.
Skater Hops
Make sure that your weight gets shifted to the outside leg. So, that’s a total of 10 – 5 on each side.
Cardio Circuit 4. Jumping Jacks
We are going to end the routine with 5 Jumping Jacks. This is a great conditioning exercise and great for shoulder mobility as well.
Jumping Jacks
We will do five reps of those; then, you will go through this 5 minutes cardio circuit.
Now I am out of breath just demoing it, so you can imagine what the 5 minutes cardio circuit are going to do. It’s a great way to stay active and get a nice surge of energy without stimulants and caffeine. You can also plug this in at the end of your workout as a great finisher. I will see you guys later. Rick, thanks for having me. Talk to you next time.
Mike Whitfield
