[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?

Plyo Box Pyramid Lower Body Burner

HELLOOOO!!!  I'm alive!  I'm sorry for going AWOL there for a while.  I had a sudden family emergency to tend to a few weeks ago that required my full attention, but I am back (things are okay), and I'm excited to bring you guys another great workout today.  Boy how I've missed you!

Today's sweat sesh is all about the lower body.  I've been doing a lot of circuit style workouts here on the blog, so I thought I'd change it up and give you guys a pyramid workout today.  I'm excited for this one because it uses the plyo box - one of my new-found favorite pieces of exercise equipment.  If you don't have a plyo box, you can easily do this workout using a sturdy chair or bench.  Ready to get that booty burnin'?  Keep reading for the details, and make sure to pin this one, too! 

Plyo Box Pyramid Lower Body Burner

What You'll Need: a plyo box you can step onto, or a bench/chair of equal height.
What You'll Do: start with 10 reps of every exercise (on both legs).  After you finish 10, move down to 9 reps, then 8... 7... 6... until you've completed 1 rep of every move.

Split Leg Lunges (each leg) - facing away from the plyo box, prop one foot up on it and keep the other leg planted on the floor.  Lunge down as low as you can, bending both knees to 90˚, keeping your chest up.  Do all reps on one leg, then switch.

Butt Tap Squat Jumps - just like they sound, start in a squat with your rear lightly touching the plyo box, hands in front of you.  From here, propel yourself up into the air, swinging your arms down and back.  Land lightly on your feet, and tap your butt to the box again.  Keep the jumps going for the desired number of reps.

Lunge to Step Up + Knee Drive (each leg) - start in a lunge facing the plyo box with just enough room between to step up onto the box.  From the lunge position, take your back leg and plant it firmly on top of the box, stepping up as you do, driving your other knee toward your chest in a fluid motion.  Reverse the move to step down off the box and back into a lunge on the same leg you started on.  Repeat all lunges on one leg before switching to the other.

Side Plank Adductor Raises (each side) - these ones are killer for the inner thighs!  Start in a side plank on your elbow, with your top foot on the box, bottom foot touching the ground so your legs are split.  Maintaining the side plank position, raise the bottom leg up as high as you can. Do all raises on one leg before switching.  Trainer Tip: engage your abs to keep your hips from dipping.  Your body should be in one straight line from head to top foot; the only part that moves is your bottom leg.

Donkey Kicks + Pulse + Hold (each leg) - face the box and place your hands on the sides to maintain your balance.  Start with donkey kicks on one leg, bending the knee and kicking your heel upward toward the ceiling.  Once you're done with the kicks, immediately do that same number of pulses with your leg bent at 90˚.  Last, hold your leg up for that number of seconds (e.g. 10 donkey kicks, 10 pulses, 10-second hold).  Repeat on the other side.

Abductor Lifts + Pulse + Hold (each leg) - maintaining the same propped up form as the donkey kicks, now you're doing to lift your leg out to the side.  Keeping your leg straight and foot flexed, lift straight out to the side as high as you can.  Once done with the desired number of lifts, keep your leg up and pulse it up and down for the same number of reps, and finish with a hold (e.g. 9 lifts, 9 pulses, 9-second hold).  Repeat on the other leg.

Remember to keep going through the exercises until you've completed 1 rep on each leg.  Feel the burn!  And because it's Monday, we all need a laugh, and I'm finding some priceless outtakes in my stock of photos...

Outfit Details: tank - Lululemon, leggings - GTS Clothing

Readers: chat with me!  What's new?!  I've missed you all!  What new exercises, classes, and/or fitness endeavors are you enjoying?  Do you use plyo boxes in your training?  What are some of your favorite ways to use them?  What are some of your favorite lower body exercises?

15-Minute Low Impact Legs & Glutes Workout (perfect for quiet spaces!)

Before we get into today's workout, I want to welcome all new readers to the blog, especially those visiting today from the blog hop hosted by Kristy of Runaway Bridal Planner.  I am participating in a health & fitness blog hop this week, which is a fun way for bloggers to connect and learn more about each other.  Whether you're a brand new reader, or have been subscribed for a long time, I'm so happy you're here!  To make what's already a pretty long post a little bit shorter, I'd like to point you towards the re-introduction I gave back when I participated in this hop for the first time.  That post has been updated since it was written, however I encourage you to check out the About Page and Fun Facts to learn a bit more about me and the blog.

Okay, now onto the fitness!  Today's workout was inspired by recent travels where I wanted to work out, but didn't want to disturb the other house guests or neighbors with a lot of jumping around.  This lower body workout is perfect for quiet spaces like apartments, hotel rooms, or even just the next room in your house.  You don't need any equipment to do it, so it's great for doing at home or on the go, and it's only a quick 15 minutes.  Keep reading for the details!

15-Minute Low Impact Legs & Glutes Workout

What You'll Need: just some floor space and an exercise mat if desired.
What You'll Do: go through each exercise for a total of 1 minute (broken up into various segments described below).  Repeat the 5 exercises 2 times through for the full 15-minute workout.

Lunge-to-Kick Sequence (30 seconds each leg) - start standing and step forward with your right leg into a forward lunge.  Get as low as you can.  Push yourself back up to standing and immediately do 1 front kick on the right leg.  Then step out to the right into a squat.  Push yourself back up and immediately kick that leg out into a side kick.  Now step your right foot back into a backward lunge, push back up, and do 1 back kick on the right.  Keep the pattern going on the right leg for 30 seconds, then switch to the left.

Square Pattern Squats with Lunges (15 seconds each position) - I think looking at the graphic for this one might be more helpful than words since this description is lengthy, so bear with me.  Picture an imaginary square on the floor.  In each corner, you're holding a low squat with your legs and feet together.  The horizontal sides are wide stance squats, and the vertical sides are lunges (the leg that's forward in the lunge is the one that's on the outside of the square).  Each position is held for 15 seconds, for a total of 2 minutes.  So, for example, start in the top right corner of the square and hold a squat for 15 seconds with your feet and legs together.  Next, step out to the left into a wide stance squat and hold for 15 seconds.  Now bring the right foot in and hold a low squat for 15.  Step back with your right leg and hold a lunge for 15.  Step your left foot back into a low squat again and hold... so on and so forth until you complete the full square and wind up back in the top right corner (or wherever you started).  Feel the burn!

Runner Stance Heel Touches (30 seconds each leg) - fair warning: the burn creeps up on you in these babies!  Start in a runner's stance lunge - crouched down, finger tips lightly touching the ground, your right leg forward with all your weight on it, back leg extended back straight, toes lightly touching the floor with hardly any weight on that leg.  From here, and maintaining the crouched down position, bring your back leg forward so your left toes lightly touch your right heel.  Extend your left leg back out again, remembering not to shift any weight backwards as you do.  Keep bringing that left leg in and out for 30 seconds, then switch legs.

Side Plank Leg Lifts (30 seconds each side) - get into a low side plank on your elbow with your top leg bearing all the weight and your bottom leg extended slightly in front of you, foot flexed.  Maintaining a strong plank position, lift and lower your bottom leg.  Keep going for 30 seconds on one side, then switch to the other.

Inside Knee Press + Pulse + Hold (10/10/10 x 2 each side) - this move involves very little actual movement, but you'll feel it in your leg adductors (inner thigh muscles) all the same.  Lie on your back with your left leg extended out straight (foot hovering over the floor for some abdominal engagement), and your right leg bent to 90˚.  Put your left hand on the inside of your right knee.  Staying in this position, press your hand into your knee and your knee back into your hand (both adding resistance to the other).  Press for 10, then pulse the movement (small quick presses) for 10 seconds, then hold the press for 10 seconds.  Repeat that once more on the right leg, then switch to the left.

Remember to go through that one more time for the full 15-minute workout.

Readers: chat with me!  How often do you train your legs?  Do you incorporate more plyometric/cardio components to your leg training or do you stick with strength training (or a combo)?  What are some of your favorite bodyweight leg exercises?  If you are new to the blog, how do you like it?  Any workouts that you might try?