For today’s HIIT cardio and core workout, you’ll really bring the heat with dynamic tweaks on familiar moves, like the squat and the plank. It’s a strength-building, heart-pumping workout that has it all.
While working your core and legs together is great for a workout, it’s also super important for everyday life. Take your core, for example: If you’ve ever done a workout class, you’ve likely heard an instructor tell you to engage it. The reason it’s so darn important to engage your core when you exercise is because building strength here helps keep your body balanced and stable, while also keeping your spine safe and secure. A sturdy core also allows you to move in a more controlled and efficient way.
As for your legs, well, they are your foundation. They literally carry you wherever you want to go. So building strong quads, glutes, and hamstrings is always really important. Practicing squats and lunges—compound exercises that target all those muscles—are a great way to help you strengthen them; plus, throwing in some unilateral moves (like the single-leg lunge variation here) will help you identify and correct any muscle imbalances you may have between your right and left sides. Fortunately for you, this HIIT cardio and core workout covers all of this good stuff.
If you’re looking for even more of a sweaty push after you’ve crushed this workout, stick around for a bonus EMOM finisher: You’ll alternate between yet another plank variation and lunge variation to end strong!
The workout below is for day 17 of the SELF New Year’s Challenge. Check out the full four-week workout program right here. Or go to the workout calendar here. If you’d like to sign up to receive daily emails for this challenge, you can do that here.
WORKOUT DIRECTIONS
Complete each exercise for the chosen work/rest interval:
I=30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
II=40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest
III=50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
Rest 30–60 seconds between rounds. Complete 3–5 rounds.
EXERCISES
- Squat to Alternating Punch
- Bear Crawl
- High Plank March
- Plank Shoulder Tap
BONUS EMOM
Do both moves for the recommended number of reps. Rest the remainder of the minute; repeat 4 times total.
- Explosive Sprinter Lunge (alternate sides per round; 8–10 reps)
- Plank Shoulder Tap (8–10 reps)