Cardio Core Blast

Circuit 1

Move 1: Ball Roll Ins to Pike Ups

• Bring yourself into a tall plank position, bracing your core and stacking your wrists below your shoulders. Place one leg at a time on top of the stability ball so that the ball is positioned somewhere between the top of your feet and the top of your shins.
• Press your feet and shins down into the ball for support, and drive the ball toward your torso engaging your core.
• Maintain a flat back without lifting your hips, and keep your gaze neutral (not looking up or down).
• Maintain stability and roll the ball back out to the start position.
• From the start position, press your toes into the ball and use the strength of your core to lift your hips, rolling the ball toward yourself as far as is comfortable. Maintain your shoulder over wrist alignment.
• Roll the ball back to the starting tall plank position, and repeat this combo for the allotted time.
• MOD: Without the stability ball, begin in a tall plank position on the mat or with your hands on an elevated surface.
• Brace your core and perform low-impact mountain climbers, alternating driving knees in towards your chest. Maintain a flat back, without lifting your hips, and keep your gaze neutral.
• Return to a tall plank position and press your hips up and back, keeping your head in line with your arms as you come into a down dog. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your palms, and your heels should reach toward the mat.
• Shift back to a tall plank and repeat this combo for the allotted time.

Move 2: Jack Press Ups

• Begin standing with your feet together and core braced. Hold your weighted objects in your hands, arms in a goalpost position and shoulders back and down (as if you are standing against a wall).
• Jump your feet out wide as you press the weights towards the sky with arms in full extension. Keep your elbows back and your chest open.
• Jump your feet back together, bringing your arms back to the starting position, and repeat.
• MOD: Remove weighted objects and/or make this move low impact by removing the jump and alternating stepping each foot out and back in.

Move 3: Ball Crunches

• Using a stability ball to support your lower back, begin in a reverse tabletop with feet firmly planted on the mat (take a wider stance for more stability).
• Place your hands behind your head without pulling on your neck.
• Brace your feet, and using the strength of your abdominals bring your chest up into a crunch. Pause briefly, then return to the start position and repeat.
• MOD: Remove the stability ball and begin with your back on the mat, knees bent and core braced. Follow same cues to perform crunch on the mat.

Move 4: Lateral barrier Jumps

• Place a yoga block (or any other barrier-type object) in the middle of your mat and stand on the far left side of the mat with your knees bent.
• Power through your feet to explode over the barrier to the right (use your arms to propel you).
• Land lightly with a braced core and evenly distribute your weight along each entire foot while allowing your hips and knees to bend to absorb force. Your knees should be in line with your toes as you set up to jump back to the left.
• MOD: Take out the jump and step one foot at a time over the barrier, coming into a squat on the other side. Keep your core braced and your chest elevated, and drive through the heels to stand. Repeat step over and squat for allotted time.

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Circuit 2:

Move 1: Jack Chest Press

• Begin standing with feet together, core braced, holding a weighted object at chest level with your elbows at your sides, and shoulders back and down (as if you are standing against a wall).
• Jump your feet out wide as you press the weight straight out in front of your chest, pausing for a moment to stabilize before jumping your feet back together, bringing your arms back to starting position.
• Repeat for allotted time.
• MOD: Remove weighted object and/or make this move low impact by removing the jump and alternating stepping each foot out and back in.

Move 2: V Sit Leg Scissors

• Begin on the mat in a seated position with your knees bent and feet on the mat.
• Keeping your chest elevated, brace your core to lift feet off of the mat and extend your legs so that you are balanced on your hips in a v-sit position, with arms extended beside your legs, overhead beside your ears, or down on the mat to assist with balance.
• Maintaining the V-sit, scissor your legs away from each other into a wide V then back together.
• Repeat scissoring of your legs for the allotted time.
• MOD: Keep your knees bent for the duration of this exercise.

Move 3: Superwoman to V Sit

• Begin by lying on your stomach on the mat, with your arms and legs extended.
• Brace your core to lift and reach your arms and legs off of the mat simultaneously (the wider your legs are, the easier the move will be. As you get stronger, bring your feet closer together).
• From this position, use your core strength to roll your body over onto your back; using your hands to assist, if needed.
• Using your core, pull yourself into a V-sit position, balancing on your hips with your legs and torso at a 45 degree angle and arms extended beside your legs or overhead. (Tent your fingers beside your hips and/or tap your toes onto the mat to assist with balance, if needed)
• With control, extend your legs and arms until you are flat on your back, maintaining a braced core and roll your body over onto your stomach to the starting position.
• Alternate rolling onto your left and right side as you repeat this sequence for the allotted time.
• MOD: Break this sequence in half, using part of the time for superwoman lifts and the other for v-sits or turn these into knee sits, with your knees bent.
• You can modify the superwoman lifts by alternating raising your torso and raising your legs, using tented fingers beside your chest to assist with the lift.

Move 4: Squat to Toe Reach

• Begin standing with feet hip distance apart, core braced, and chest upright.
• Send your hips back as you come into a squat, bracing your core and keeping your chest up, allowing your knees to track in line with your toes.
• Drive back up using the strength of your glutes to stand.
• Kick your right leg out in front of you and reach with your left hand to touch your toes, being mindful that your chest remains elevated, not rounding forward.
• Repeat with left leg, then return to starting position and repeat your squat to toe reach sequence for allotted time.
• MOD: Use an elevated surface like a couch, chair ottoman or bench to check your squat form and ensure you’re using the correct muscles. Rather than kicking your straight leg forward, drive a knee up and forward.