Barlates: Beginner Intervals: Old School Aerobics

Linda Wooldridge just released another Beginner Intervals workout and I couldn’t wait to try this one! I found Old School Aerobics more intense than her other two Beginner Intervals workouts (Compound Moves and Cardio Sculpt). I love all 3 of them but this one is definitely my favorite of the 3 and actually had me breathing hard by the end. I did use heavier weights with this one. I used 2 pound hand weights when I did the other two Beginner Interval workouts and I use 3 pound hand weights when I did this one, so maybe that is what made the difference? I don’t know but I found this to be a fun and effective little cardio workout. It was not HIIT level for me but I think this could be pretty intense for a beginner. The best thing about this workout? It was a lot of fun. This is a great add on/finisher for another workout, or combine all 3 of the Beginner Intervals workouts together for an hour long cardio workout (about 64 minutes if you include all the stretches, but you can make it an hour if you skip the stretches of the first two workouts you do). Like the other two, this workout is basically low impact. There are some hops and bouncing moves but no real jumping or impact. And Linda shows easier versions that takes the hops/bounces out of those moves.

Beginner Intervals: Old School Aerobics is 20:30 minutes long; 1 minute intro and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: light hand weights (Linda is using 2 pound hand weights and I used 3 pound hand weights). You use the dumbbells for every single exercise–so even if I don’t mentioned the arm movements in the break down you are holding the dumbbells and doing something with them. The structure of the workout is 30 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. Linda does give even easier versions of the exercises if you are a true beginner.

1. Hamstring curls w/ rowing arms
2. Alternating knee pulls (pull arms down from overhead)
3. Knee pulls on one leg (pull arms down from overhead)
4. Repeat #3 on other leg
5. V steps forward and back while punching arms in front of you
6. Lateral skaters
7. Pony step/hops w/ bicep curls
8. Traveling hamstring curls w/ rowing arms (two steps to each side)
9. Grapevines
10. Heel digs while rowing arms
11. 3 knee pulls each leg w/ a hop when changing legs (pull arms down from overhead)
12. Tap toe forward, side and back with corresponding arm movements
13. Repeat #12 on other leg
14. Low impact jack variation
15. Repeat #14 starting w/ other lead leg
16. Knee raise and tap toe across opposite foot, alternate legs (arms are pushing overhead and the move is done with a small bounce)
17. Hinging forward, alternate tapping legs out to side in single, single, double pattern, while also doing side arm raises (the move is done with a small hop)
18. Alternating reverse lunges w/ bent arm side raise
19. Squat complex: narrow + regular + wide plie–alternate sides
20. Front knee raise + side straight leg raise (bicep curl w/ knee raise, raise arms straight to side when doing side leg raise)
21. Repeat #20 on other leg
22. 2 alternating front knee pulls + 2 alternating diagonal knee pulls (pull arms down from overhead; you are also doing small hops with this move)
23. Side lunge + front curtsy lunge (tap weight to floor with each lunge)
24. Repeat #23 on other leg
25. 2 knee pulls to each side + 4 alternating knee pulls (pull arms down from overhead)

For more info on Barlates and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.