A 12-Minute Intense Cardio Workout That’ll Strengthen Your Whole Body
Just because you don't have a ton of time to exercise doesn't mean you can't fit in a short-but-sweet workout. Having an hour set aside to hit the gym is great, but let's be real—it's not always realistic. That's why Michael Blauner, a certified personal trainer based in Bergen County, New Jersey, started creating 12-minute workouts for his clients. It's all about efficiency.
"For people who are short on time and don’t have a lot of time to work out, this at least gets them exercising," Blauner tells SELF. It's all about doing exercises that give you the most bang for your buck, and eliminating rest time. "Organize anywhere from three to four exercises into a circuit, and I recommend doing them repetitively without much of a break," Blauner says. The key: "Choose compound exercises that incorporate large muscle groups to cover the whole body in a relatively short amount of time."
The workout below is a 12-minute, total-body routine. Most of the moves require only your bodyweight. Recently, we ran a more beginner-friendly 12-minute workout from Blauner. This workout builds on that one—basic moves like the push-up and squat get the plyometric treatment, which ups the intensity and adds an extra cardio challenge. "This circuit is great for a pretty athletic person who is looking to kick it into high gear in a short amount of time," Blauner says.
"The workout should be a continuous flow, and your heart rate should be elevated," he adds, "to get the cardio endurance and stamina benefits."
Squat Jumps — 1 minute
Clap Push-ups — 1 minute
Bicep Curls to Shoulder Press — 1 minute
Jump Rope — 1 minute
Repeat the circuit three times.
Take as little time to rest as possible in between circuits to keep your heart rate elevated, Blauner says. If you're looking to add some more abs-specific moves to your routine, try adding this four-minute abs circuit or this three-minute one onto the end.
Here's how to do each move:
Brianne Wills1Squat Jumps — 1 minute
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- Hinge forward at your hips and sit your butt back into a squat. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Jump up into the air as high as you can and straighten out your legs. Swing your arms down by your sides for momentum, and keep your back straight and chest lifted.
- Land back on the floor with soft knees. Go directly into another squat.
- Continue for one minute.
Brianne Wills2Clap Push-ups — 1 minute
- Start in a high plank position with your hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists under shoulders.
- Keeping your body in one long line, bend your arms and lower yourself as close to the floor as you can.
- Use as much power as you can in your arms to push back up and lift your body high enough off the ground that you can then clap your hands together under your chest.
- Quickly put your hands back on the ground to land, and lower immediately into another rep.
- If this is too difficult (these are really, really hard!) do them on your knees instead (as pictured above).
- Continue for one minute.
Brianne Wills3Bicep Curls to Shoulder Press — 1 minute
- Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your body, palms facing up.
- Curl dumbbells to your shoulders.
- Rotate the weights so your palms are facing in toward your face, and press weights up and overhead.
- Slowly reverse the motion, bringing your arms back to your shoulders, and then back to starting position.
- Continue for one minute.
Brianne Wills4Jump Rope — 1 minute
Jumping rope works your entire body, including your arms, shoulders, core, and of course, your heart. Jump for 1 minute at a quick speed that is challenging but that you can maintain the whole time.
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