15 Minute Bodyweight Workout
If you think you need to invest in a gym membership and a lot of time to get an effective full body workout, we’ve got a body blasting equipment free routine that will convince you otherwise. This bodyweight circuit works every muscle in your body while also turbo charging your metabolism for enhanced fat burning.
The Exercises
Squats
Muscles Worked: Squats primarily work the quadriceps and glutes. This exercise also provides cardiovascular benefits, especially when done with a fast cadence and a high rep count.
How to Do It: Start in a relaxed standing position with your hands extended out in front of you. Bend your knees, keeping your back straight, and squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand up. Repeat to desired count.
Progression: Hold the parallel squat position for a 5 count as you pulse up and down before lifting back to the start position.
Shoulder Tap
Muscles Worked: The shoulder tap primarily works the front deltoids, with secondary emphasis on the side (lateral) delts. This exercise also works the triceps. By keeping the core tight, you will also be working the abdominal wall.
How to Do It: Position yourself on the floor in a traditional push up position. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Maintain a straight line from head to toe. Straighten your arms to be in the top push up position at the start of the movement. Now bring your right hand up and across to tap your left shoulder. Lower and repeat with the left hand. That is one rep.
Progression: Perform a push up after every left and right shoulder tap.
Sky Jump
Muscles Worked: The Sky Jump is a plyometric exercise that burns a lot of calories. It will also strengthen and shape the quads, glutes and hamstrings. In addition, the Sky Jump will improve your jumping ability.
How to Do It: Stand with your feet together and your hands extended overhead. Now descend into a quarter squat and then jump laterally, landing with your feet together. Jump back to the start position. Continue your reps in a fluid, constant motion.
Progression: Hold the quarter squat position for a 5 count on every rep.
Crunches
Muscles Worked: The Crunch exercise directly stimulates the rectus abdominis muscles at the front of your core.
How to Do It: Lie on an exercise mat on your back with your knees bent and your hands alongside your ears (do not clasp your hands together) or with your hands criss cross applesauce in front of your chest. Now tense your abs as you crunch up with shoulders and head. Do not lift your mid spine off the floor.
Progression: Perform a twisting motion to bring elbows to the left and then the right knee at the top of every rep.
Push Up / Squat Combo
Muscles Worked: This push up/squat combination primarily works the quads and the pectorals. Secondary muscle groups worked are the triceps, deltoids, core, glutes and hamstrings. In addition, this is an intense compound exercise that burns a substantial amount of calories.
How to Do It: Stand with your feet together and your hands clasped together in front of your chest. Now, descend down into a full squat position. From there march your hands out on the floor to get into a push up position. Perform a push up and then march your hands back and come back up to a squat hold position. That is one rep. Start the next rep by marching your hands back into a push up position.
Progression: Perform ladder push ups where you do one push up on the first rep, two on the second and so on.
The Workout
Squats
Shoulder Tap
Sky Jump
Crunches
Push/ Up Squat Combo
Perform the workout as a circuit, where you advance directly from one exercise to the next with no rest. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. At the end of the round, rest for 60 seconds. Complete 4 rounds of the circuit in the first 2 weeks then add a round every week until you reach a total of 8 rounds.
For maximum strength, muscle and fat burning results, do this workout three times per week.
