Intense Cardio AMRAP Workout

After posting about Heather Robertson‘s 20 Min AMRAP // Total Body Workout (and how I didn’t care for it), I got a few comments recommending this workout as being better. So I decided to give it a try. Wow! This is a tough workout! And just as the title says–it is intense.

Intense Cardio AMRAP Workout is structured the same way 20 Min AMRAP // Total Body Workout is structured. AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. This workout consists of 5 five minute circuits. Each circuit contains 4 exercises. Each exercise is done for 8 reps. You (and Heather, of course) will repeat one circuit (or Round) as many times as possible within the 5 minutes allotted for it. Before the circuit or round begins, the 4 exercises in the circuit are listed onscreen while Heather previews them. When the circuit/round starts, there is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen, counting down the 5 minutes. You follow along with Heather as she does the exercises, keeping pace with her if you are able. Otherwise you will have to work at your own pace. Luckily, in this workout (unlike in 20 Min AMRAP // Total Body Workout), the list of exercises remains on screen the entire 5 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about losing track of the exercises if you cannot keep up with Heather’s pace. And that was a problem for me with a few of the circuits. I was lagging behind Heather in Circuit 1 and Circuit 4 but I was able to keep up with her in the other 3 circuits. However, at the end of the final circuit I was pushing hard to keep up with her. In fact, near the end, I realized that instead of plank taps I had reverted back to the plank jacks from the first circuit! According to my FitBit I burned nearly 300 calories and was in my peak heart rate zone 54% of the workout! Super intense cardio workout! This is a winner and much better than her first foray into AMRAP workouts.

Intense Cardio AMRAP Workout is 35:28 minutes; 41 second intro, 3 minute warm up and 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat.

Circuit 1:

1. Jumping jacks, 8 reps
2. Leap frog, 8 reps (squat jump, touching fingers to floor when in squat and reaching arms overhead when jumping)
3. Butt kick runs, 8 reps
4. Plank jacks, 8 reps
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Speed skater, 8 reps (lateral skaters, tapping floor when in cross-back lunge)
2. High knee run, 8 reps
3. Hip twister, 8 reps (squat jump, at top of jump twist hips to one side, alternate sides, hands are held together in front of chest with elbows raised to shoulder level)
4. Burpees, 8 reps
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 3:

1. In & out jacks, 8 reps (one regular jumping jack + one jack raising both arms in front of you to overhead)
2. Pop squats, 8 reps (squat jack, reaching one hand to floor when in squat)
3. Side leaps, 8 reps (start in narrow squat at one end of your mat, do a side leap to other side of mat)
4. Side to side punch, 8 reps (alternating side punches)
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 4:

1. Side lunge hops, 8 reps (alternating side lunges w/ a hop/shuffle to change sides)
2. Crab dance, 8 reps (in crab, tap hand to opposite foot, alternate sides)
3. Mountain climbers, 8 reps
4. Jump squats, 8 reps
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 5:

1. Lunge & drive, 8 reps (reverse lunge into a knee raise)
2. Repeat #1 on other leg
3. Plank taps, 8 reps (in straight arm plank, tap hand to opposite shoulder, alternate sides)
4. Power jacks, 8 reps (wide leg plie jack, hands reach toward feet when in squat then open out to sides to overhead when feet are together)
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

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