Day 17: Low-Impact Bodyweight Cardio and Core
18/1804 – Day 17 - Low-Impact Bodyweight Cardio and Core
This workout serves as Day 17 of the FB Kickstart 30 Day Program but can also be completed as a standalone workout.
Use this low-impact, bodyweight total body cardio with core work routine as a mid-week active recovery session or quicken the pace to increase the intensity and challenge!
Focus & Benefits: This low-impact, non-joint-jarring, total body routine includes speckles of kickboxing-inspired moves to drive up your heart rate with exercises that are easy to moderate based on your current fatigue levels and training goals. Each cardio exercise involves both the arms and legs to increase core muscle engagement and bump up the cardiovascular training effect. These cardio circuits are alternated with targeted core work containing both standing and on-the-mat exercises to offer you many balance challenge opportunities as you experiment with moving your limbs away from your center of mass (away from your stable base). Limb placement and abduction/adduction is a great way to increase muscle engagement of the core beyond the abdominals and creates easily modifiable moves for regression or progression.
Equipment: You don’t need any equipment other than a mat for the floor core work.
Tips & Helpful Information: The intensity of this workout depends on what purpose the routine has in your training regimen. If you’re treating this routine as an active recovery workout, slow your cadence of movement execution to provide a therapeutic, restorative effect for stiff, achy muscles. You’ll barely scratch the surface of discomfort during an active recovery routine. For the most part, the working interval concludes before any true discomfort has a chance to settle in.
On the other hand, if your muscles feel rested and you have the space in your training schedule for a more challenging routine, push the pace and go for it! You know best what you need on any given training day. My suggestions and guidance come from years of experience and training but I don’t live in your body (or mind).
Difficulty & Modifications Explained: This routine is rated as a level 3 because the moves are easily modifiable to provide you with the challenge that you need. As always, slow the cadence, reduce your range of motion, and opt for modifications to decrease your intensity whenever appropriate. Do the opposite to kick things up a notch!
Closing Notes: Have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously! (I surely don’t haha)
Stumble, regain your balance, and readjust your posture as many times as needed.
Workout
Warm-Up: 30 sec per exercise, no rest between exercises (5:00)
‑Arm Circles (forwards and back)
‑Alt. Hip Openers
‑Alt. Lateral Squats
‑Inchworm
‑Kneeling Runner’s Lunge + Thread the Needle – R
‑Kneeling Runner’s Lunge + Thread the Needle – L
‑Alt. Front Kicks
‑Stepping Lateral Shuffle + Hamstrings Curl
‑Jab-Cross – R
‑Jab-Cross – L
***30 sec off***
Cardio Circuit #1: 45 sec on / 15 sec off / 2 rounds (~8:00)
‑Front Kick + Lunge with Touchdown – R
‑Traveling Jumping Jack Lateral Tap-Outs (no hop)
‑Front Kick + Lunge with Touchdown – L
‑Lateral Stepping (2) Alt. Curtsy Lunges with Overhead Lat Pulls
***30 sec off***
Standing Core Circuit: 30 sec on / 15 sec off / 2 rounds (~4:30)
‑SL Deadlift (lift back leg) + Staggered Overhead Arm Raises – R
‑SL Deadlift (lift back leg) + Staggered Overhead Arm Raises – L
‑Alt. Bird-Dog (standing) + Arm/Leg Abduction and Adduction Torso Twist
***Water Break***
Cardio Circuit #2: 45 sec on / 15 sec off / 2 rounds (~8:00)
‑4 Jabs in Squat + 4 Jabs Standing
‑Stationary Lateral Lunges + Windmill Arms
‑Twisting Blastoff Squat + Overhead Slams
‑Lateral Shuffle + Cross (punch at end of shuffle)
***30 sec off***
Floor Core Circuit: 30 sec on / 15 sec off / 2 rounds (~4:30)
‑Full Plank: Spider Plank (knee to same-side elbow)
‑Oblique Swivels/Russian Twists (option: heels lifted)
‑SL Hollow Hold – R/L (round 1 = R / round 2 = L)
Cool-Down: approx. 30 sec per stretch (approx. 5:00)
‑Lying Hamstrings Stretch – R
‑Lying Figure 4 Stretch – R
‑Lying Hamstrings Stretch – L
‑Lying Figure 4 Stretch – L
‑Cat/Cow Stretch
‑Kneeling Runner’s Lunge + Torso Rotation – R
‑Kneeling Runner’s Lunge + Torso Rotation – L
‑Puppy Pose + 2x Triceps/Lats Stretch
‑Cobra Stretch – Forearms
‑Long Body Stretch (arms extended overhead)