[Terra Core Series] 15-Minute Plyometric EMOM Workout

Happy Friday to you!  I've been so excited for today because I get to share the first workout in my new Terra Core workout series on the blog!  If you haven't yet caught the rundown on what this awesome piece of equipment is, check out my introduction post here from earlier this week.  I'm seriously in love and I think this is something everyone (yes, everyone!) needs to have in their home gym collection. 

But okay, onto the workout.  Today's workout is a new(er)-to-me-structure called EMOM, which stands for Every Minute On the Minute.  I learned about this time structure in a bootcamp class I took a few months ago and I love it because it's high intensity, with variable rest periods where the harder (read: faster) you work, the longer you get to rest.  The structure is explained below if you're new to this format.  Today's EMOM features almost all plyometric moves which will ramp up your heart rate and work your lower body all at once.  So grab your Terra Core (or a Bosu*) and clear some floor space - let's do this!

15-Minute Plyometric EMOM Workout

What You'll Need: a Terra Core trainer* and a timer.  
*If you don't have a Terra Core (I highly recommend getting one - 15% discount with code INFITINHEALTH), you can do this workout on a Bosu ball, with a slight modification to the lateral walks (as described below).
What You'll Do: set your timer for 15 minutes.  When it begins, start with exercise #1 and try to complete it as fast as you can within that first minute.  When you finish that exercise, the duration of that minute is time for rest (so the faster you finish, the more time you'll have to rest).  When minute 2 starts, move onto exercise #2, only resting for the duration of that minute.  Keep going with the exercises in this fashion for the full 15 minutes (you'll complete 3 5-minute rounds of the 5 exercises above).

20 Low Squat Jacks - get into a low squat position with your feet places on either side of the Terra Core.  From here, hop up onto the Terra Core maintaining the same upper body height (i.e. not standing up in either position).  Keep going for 20 (each hop on counts as 1). 

10 Lunge to Knee Drive Skips (each leg) - start in a lunge position with your front foot on top of the Terra Core.  From here, drive your back leg up toward your chest fast as you stand.  As your knee comes up, push off of the foot that's on the Terra Core to hop upward in a small skip.  Land back down, and reverse the move to a backward lunge (back into the position you started).  Go for 10 reps on each leg, moving quickly.

10 Lateral Squat Walks + Jump - start at one end of the Terra Core, with your inside foot resting on the edge.  From here, propel yourself upward in a jump (as shown in picture 1), pushing off both legs, but actively engaging your quads more in the leg that's raised.  Land back down with that foot on top of the Terra Core (2), and walk sideways across it, maintaining a low squat position (3, 4).  Once you reach the other side, jump again.  Now walk back the way you came.  Each pass across the Terra Core counts as 1 (or you can just count the number of jumps you do) - 10 total.  *A note on using the Bosu with this move: since the Bosu is circular, you won't have the surface area to actually walk across it, so simply step up and over, jumping on each side.

15 Reverse Burpees - these are one of my favorite moves to do on the floor for some leg work and cardio, but adding the Terra Core makes it both slightly easier and more challenging.  (Easier because you're elevated off the floor, so standing up is less of a challenge; harder because rolling back onto the unstable surface forces you to engage your abs a lot more to maintain balance.) Start standing with the Terra Core directly behind you length-wise.  Sit down on it, and roll back so your back is flat and feet are lifted off the ground (as shown).  From here, roll back up to a standing position, and in one motion, jump upward.  When you land, immediately roll back onto the Terra Core again.  Keep repeating that motion for 15 reps.

15 Plank Jacks - boy, these ones got to my quads a lot more than I thought they would!  Try to move quickly with these ones... start in a plank position with your body parallel to the Terra Core, hands on the ground and your feet elevated (as shown).  From here, hop your feet off, bending your knees as you land (shown).  Now push off your toes and hop back up onto the Terra Core, squeezing your quads and glutes.  Keep hopping on and off for 15 reps (each hop off counts as 1).  Trainer Tip: keep your abs engaged here, too.  Even though this will mainly work your quads, you'll want to maintain a neutral spine, which means sucking that belly button in and keeping those abs active.

Repeat 2 more times for the full 15-minute workout.

Whew!  You are DONE! I hope your legs are thanking you. Let me know how you liked the workout, whether you're trying it on the Terra Core or on a Bosu.  And reminder, you can get 15% off the Terra Core with code INFITINHEALTH.

Readers: chat with me!  Have you tried using the Terra Core yet?  What do you think?!  Have you ever done an EMOM workout before?  If so, how do you like them?  Do they challenge you to push yourself?  What's everyone up to this holiday weekend?