Michelle calls this workout a low impact cardio workout that is perfect for a recovery day workout, so that is how I used this workout–as one of my recovery day workouts. It did work nicely for that. However, rather than a true cardio workout, I felt this was more of a metabolic calisthenics workout. I did get some good steady state cardio. According to my Apple Watch I spent equal amounts of time in Zones 2, 3 & 4 and burned 250 calories. But more than low impact “cardio” moves, this workout contains bodyweight strength and mobility work and I liked that about it a lot! You do spend a lot of time in plank, which I don’t love but I also know it is good for me. Michelle and crew are wearing the latest gadget she is promoting–one pound compression sleeves. I do think they are pretty cool but they are expensive! $75! I just used 3 pound hand weights for many of the standing moves. I did not use them for any plank based moves.
Each exercise is done for 45 seconds. There is a progress bar in the upper right hand corner of the screen counting down the workout time as a percentage. Below it is a counter counting down each interval. When there is 15 seconds left a video appears in the upper left hand corner of the screen previewing the next exercise.
30 Min Low Impact Cardio is 37:31 minutes; one minute intro, no warm up and 3:25 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat and Michelle and her crew are wearing one pound compression sleeves. I used 3 pound handweights for some of the standing exercises.
- Low impact jacks
- Alternating reverse lunges
- Lat lunges x3 (stand with legs wide, do 3 alternating stationary side lunges remaining low then raise out of lunge)
- Reverse lunge into a front knee raise
- Repeat #4 on other side of body
- Walk out plank (stand at one end of mat, squat and walk hands out to plank, walk hands back to feet and stand)
- Knee to single leg dog (do a 3 leg down dog the shift forward into plank bringing knee of raised leg to same side elbow outside of body)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body
- Burpee push up (start standing, place hands on floor, walk feet back to plank, do one push up, walk feet back to hands, stand and raise arms overhead while raising onto toes)
- Plank + crouch back (start in straight arm plank, push glutes back to heels keeping knees elevated off mat)
- Alternating cross punches
- Squat walk (stand at one end of mat, lower into squat and lateral squat walk the length of your mat then raise out of squat)
- Alternating front kicks (touch opposite hand to toe)
- Ski erg (lower into squat swinging arms down beside and behind you, stand and raise into toes raising arms overhead)
- Curtsy kick (cross back lunge into a side kick)
- Repeat #15 on other side of body
- Plank + beast (start in straight arm plank, walk feet under your body into beast keeping knees elevated off mat then walk feet back into plank)
- Plank rotate (start in elbow plank, rotate into side elbow plank raising top arm to ceiling, alternate sides)
- Push up into ankle tap (do one push up then push hips back into down dog tapping one ankle with opposite hand)
- 30 second rest
- Sumo pulse (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, lower into sumo squat and pulse 2x then raise out of squat)
- Lat lunge + kick (step out into a side lunge, as you raise out of lunge do a front kick and touch toe with opposite hand)
- Repeat #22 on other leg
- Ball to mountain (with legs/feet together, lower into a deep squat raising heels off floor and touch heels/mat with fingers, stand and reach both arms overhead)
- Right knee pulls (single knee repeaters, chop arms down to hip when knee raises)
- Repeat #25 on other leg
- Squat + ham curl (stand with legs wide, squat and when you raise out of squat do a hamstring curl tapping foot behind you with opposite hand, alternate legs with a squat between each hamstring curl)
- Windmill (stand with legs wide, bending to side, reach down and touch foot with same side hand, alternate sides)
- Squat + leg lift (one squat + one side leg lift, alternate sides)
- Runner (stand in split stance, bring back leg forward into a knee raise while also raising onto toes)
- Repeat #30 on other leg
- Lat 2x + swing (palms are clasped together, 2 lateral steps then swing arms to one side)
- Monster walk (stand with legs wide straddling mat, lower into squat and squat forward the length of the mat then squat walk backwards back to start)
- Push up & rotate (do one push up then rotate into side plank, alternate sides)
- Bicycle maneuver (core move on the mat)
- Plank taps (in straight arm plank, alternate tapping legs out to side once each leg then alternate tapping hand to opposite shoulder, once each side)
- Bird dog (on hands and knees with one arm extended in front of you and opposite leg extended behind you, bring knee and elbow together under body then extend them both out straight again)
- Repeat #37 on other side of body
- Mountain climbers
- Hollow hold (lay on back on mat, legs are extended straight and raised a few inches off mat, arms are extended straight overhead, hold isometrically)
- (no more intervals–this move is done for 1:50 minutes with no rests/or recoveries) Raise hips into bridge and hold, pulsing hips upward side to side; changes to pulsing straight up (no side to side) with weight in heels; keep hips/glutes lifted isometrically at top of bridge; pulse hips upward side to side again
For more info on Michelle Brieher’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
