30 Minute to Fitness: Home Gym Intervals

Home Gym Intervals is one of Kelly Coffey-Meyer’s newest 30 Minutes to Fitness workouts. I had it on pre-order and I wanted to do it as soon as it arrived, but I was actually out of town on vacation when it arrived so I wasn’t able to give it a go until I got back from vacation, but it was the first workout I did when I got back! And it is actually the perfect workout for my particular after-vacation circumstances. Home Gym Intervals was created to help you use that home gym equipment you bought (stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill) that just sits there unused with clothes piling up on it. It is a cardio + strength circuit/interval workout. You do 1:30 minutes of cardio on your cardio equipment and 1 minute of compound strength work with dumbbells–and you alternate. Now, to make it a true interval workout you cannot just stroll on your treadmill or take a casual ride on the stationary bike–you need to really work hard. It’s only 1:30 minute after all. I own both a stationary bike and a treadmill; the first time I did this workout I used the stationary bike and I did the premix that combined everything–both workouts + the bonus core, and I kept the resistance on my stationary bike high, plus I tried to pedal as fast as I could against that very heavy resistance. I worked up quite a sweat and was breathing hard. For a treadmill you should be running pretty fast and possibly on an incline (which is how I will try it next).

Now, why was this such a great workout for “after-vacation”? Briefly, I have metal heels–2 plates and 12 screws in each heel. I still manage to do lots of plyometric and high impact cardio with no problem, but vacations are hard on me. We don’t rest on vacation–we go-go-go from the time we get up until we crash at night, trying to see and do everything. So for the past week I have been on my feet walking all day. Well, my heels hurt and I needed something low impact. This fit the bill perfectly using my stationary bike–no impact but an excellent solid workout! I love it!

A note on the premixes–the “combined” premix is actually missing one exercise, which really upset me when I realized it: the first strength exercise of workout #2 Squats with Bicep Curls. It also does not include a cool down or stretch.

For these workouts you will need some dumbbells and a cardio machine. Though there are warm ups, the warm ups kind of transition into your first cardio interval. For dumbbells I had 12 and 15 pound dumbbells handy and found those adequate, though in the future I may go heavier for some of the exercises. Below I am only listing the 1 minute strength circuits, but keep in mind that in between each strength circuit there is a 1:30 minute cardio interval on your cardio equipment.

***10/02/24–It has probably been nearly 10 years since I’ve done this workout! I returned to it this morning and really enjoyed it. I added the weights I used to the breakdowns below. I have different cardio equipment than I did 10 years ago. I no longer own a treadmill and though I still have my stationary bike, it is in the corner of my home gym and I rarely use it. When I did this workout today, I used my rowing machine, my stair stepper and my rebounder. I alternated between the 3 pieces of equipment–as in, each cardio interval I used a different piece of equipment for the full interval. I did workout #1, skipped the cool down/stretch. Then I did Workout #2, skipping the warm up and the cool down/stretch. I finished with Bonus Waist Line. Then I did a different 6 minute total body stretch (from YouTube). I burned 600 calories! Though technically I did get a total body strength workout as well, I feel like my upper body, particularly my shoulders, got a lot more work than my lower body. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable way to put that home gym equipment to good use!***

Workout #1 is 32 minutes long; warm up 5:30 minutes, training time 23:30 and cool down/stretch 3 minutes. You will only use one dumbbell for each exercise in this workout. The weights listed below are what I used.

Strength Circuits:

1. Hot potato squat (hold one DB in one hand at shoulder level, squat and as you stand, raise arm w/ DB while also tossing it up and over to other hand, squat with it in other hand at shoulder) (one 20# DB)
2. Alternating one arm rows while shuffle hopping side to side while in wide squat (DB is on floor, grab DB w/ one hand, do one row, place back on ground and shuffle hop to side, repeat on other arm) (one 30# DB)
3. One arm row (one 50# DB)
4. One arm row, other arm (one 50# DB)
5. Holding one dumbbell in both hands by ends/bells, step and “throw” dumbbell from one hip to the other (you do not actually release the DB, you are swinging it out in front of you) (one 10# DB)
6. Pendulum curl: hold one dumbbell in both hands by ends/bells and alternate lifting leg to side (pendulum leg lifts), curl dumbbell each time you lift a leg (one 20# DB)
7. One arm overhead press then push dumbbell down to opposite hip (one 20# DB)
8. One arm overhead press then push dumbbell down to opposite hip (other arm) (one 20# DB)

Workout #2 is 28 minutes long; warm up 5 minutes, 18:30 minute training time and cool down/stretch 4:30. You will use both dumbbells for some of the exercises in this workout. The weights listed below are what I used.

Strength Circuits:

1. Alternate bicep hammer curls once each arm then do 2 double arm bicep curls with squats (curl while squatting) (16.5# DBs)
2. Tricep kickbacks (15# DBs)
3. Stand in split stance holding one dumbbell in both hands by ends/bells, reach DB overhead then “smash” the knee by bringing back knee forward into a knee raise while pulling DB down to knee as it raises (one 15# DB)
4. Repeat #3 on other side of body
5. Hold one DB in one hand, squat while reaching dumbbell toward the opposite foot then do overhead press (one 20# DB)
6. Repeat #5 on other arm
7. Push ups (Kelly is actually doing a deadstop push up–bringing her body all the way to the floor at bottom then pushing back up to plank while keeping body straight from head to heels)
8. Grab both dumbbells and get into crab position with dumbbells on floor, do tricep dips in this position

Bonus Waist Line 9 minutes; bonus Waist Line is a standing core bonus and I really liked it. It worked the core while keeping your heart rate elevated.

1. With legs wide, crunch, touching one elbow to opposite knee then cross punch
2. Get in high plank and do “pledges” (touch opposite shoulder) and bring in knees under body and touch with opposite hand
3. Repeat #1 on other side of body
4. Get in to high plank and walk feet in (keeping legs straight) then step back out to plank
5. Get in boxing stance; shift ribcage side to side 4 times then punch down 4 times.
6. Field goals: arms overhead, kick straight legs in front of you and touch with opposite hand, alternate legs
7. Elbows to opposite knees (stand with legs wide, raise one knee while bringing opposite elbow to tap it, alternate sides)
8. Standing crunches: bring elbows to thighs keeping pelvis/hips tilted forward.

Premixes:

Combined Workouts 1 & 2 (one strength circuit is missing and there is no stretch) + Bonus Waist Line 55 minutes

Kelly’s Combined Mix 1 33 minutes

Kelly’s Combined Mix 2 27 minutes

Split up # 1 (1st half of Workout #1 and second half of Workout #2) 30 minutes

Split up #2 (2nd half of Workout #1 and first half of Workout #2) 31 minutes’

All Dumbbell Mix 27 minutes