40MIN HIIT Cardio & Core // Day 58: HR12WEEK 5.0

40 Min HIIT Cardio & Core is Day 58 in Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 program.

This is the only cardio workout in this entire program. I am not sure why Heather decided to include one at the end but here it is. Because of the nature of some of the exercises you are getting some strength work, too. The cardio is all bodyweight but for the core moves you need at least one dumbbell. According to my Apple watch I burned 281 calories.

This is a circuit based workout. There are 3 circuits. The first two circuits are cardio circuits and the last circuit is a core circuit. The exercises are done interval style. For the first two cardio circuits the exercises are done for 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of recovery. For the core circuit the exercises are done for 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise. Heather shows a modification for some of the exercises that have impact.

40 Min HIIT Cardio & Core is 40:34 minutes; 45 second intro, 4:45 minute warm up and 3:45 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and exercise mat. Heather recommends medium dumbbells (15 to 25 pounds). The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1: (40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest)

1. Burpee jack (one jumping jack when standing then place hands on floor and jump legs out into a wide leg plank, jump feet back into hands)
2. Repeat #1
3. High knee run
4. Repeat #3
5. Lay down push up (alternate one push up with one superman)
6. Repeat #5
7. Pop squat (squat jacks, tap fingers of one hand to mat when in squat)
8. Lunge jump (start standing with legs together, jump one leg back into lunge then jump legs together again, alternate legs)
9. Repeat #8

30 second rest

Circuit 2:  (40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest)

1. Broad jump shuffle (forward jump the length of your mat, then shuffle run backwards to start)
2. Repeat #1
3. Mountain climbers
4. Repeat #3
5. Skater hops (narrow lateral skaters, hopping side to side)
6. Repeat #5
7. Ghost rope (hop as if jumping rope with jump rope arms)
8. Repeat #7
9. Full burpee (place hands on ground, jump feet back to plank and do a lay down push up, jump feet back to hands, stand and jump)
10. Repeat #9

30 second rest

Circuit 3: (40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest)

1. Loaded crunch (basic crunch but holding one DB at chest) (one 20# DB)
2. Loaded toe touch (lay on back on mat, both legs extended straight to ceiling, hold one DB in both hands, crunch upper body reaching DB to feet) (one 15# DB)
3. Seated twist (sit on mat with legs extended and knees slightly bent, hold one DB in both hands, twist torso/DB side to side tapping DB to mat beside hip) (one 15# DB)
4. Loaded reverse crunch (lay on back holding one DB in both hands, arms/DB extended to ceiling, straight legs are extended to ceiling, lower straight legs until they are a few inches off the mat then raise them back to ceiling lifting hips into a reverse crunch) (one 15# DB)
5. Plank pass thru (in straight arm plank with one DB on floor outside of one hand, reach under body with other hand, grab DB and pull it under body to other side, set DB on floor, alternate sides) (one 20# DB)
6. Plank reach & tap (hold forearm plank with a DB in mat in front of you, alternate tapping one hand to DB)
7. Repeat #1-6

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