Ready for a new challenge?
For those of you who are looking for a new challenge, here’s another exercise routine that will challenge you even further. This time however, we want you to keep track of how many repetitions you do during each exercise and strive to beat it every time. Click on the video below to watch Coach Daniel explain each exercise, and check out the rest of the blog for quick tips and how to properly count each rep!
Challenge Yourself with this 6-Minute, Full-Body Workout:
The 6 Exercises:
1st Set: Legs
#1: Jump-Squats
#2: Jumping Lunges
2nd Set: Arms & Upper Body
#3: Push-Ups (w/ 4 variations)
i. Jumping Push-Ups (hands & feet off the ground)
ii. Jumping Push-Ups (only hands off the ground)
iii. Standard Push-Up
iv. Push-Up (on knees)
#4: Hop-Ups
3rd Set: Cardio
#5: Switch-Feet
#6: Mountain Climbers
Just like the 5-minute exercise routine we put together, this 6-minute Full-Body Interval Workout includes exercises that do not require anything except a little bit of space, some memorization and a clock or timer. The exercises are designed to work the whole body and for you to keep track of your repetitions so that you can push yourself to beat your previous best. They can be adjusted or substituted as needed to help deal with injuries or other problems so that the same workout intensity can still be achieved.
General Tips & Common Mistakes
Just like the previous 5-minute exercise routine, one of the biggest things to remember about any of these exercises is to breathe through every motion. Think about your breath throughout and take deep breaths in between when needed. Flow from one exercise to another and try not stop in between the exercises. You can take a few seconds to set yourself up for the next exercise but try to keep moving from exercise to exercise for each set. Remember to count each rep; you want to beat your previous best every time.
1st Set: Legs
#1: Jump-Squats
There are a few things to remember about this exercise:
1) Keep the feet flat to the ground, this is especially important when falling back down to the ground. The feet should land flat and ready for the next rep.
2) Look up 45 degrees to keep the back straight.
3) Think about sitting straight down on a stool or chair. The knees should never go past the toes.
4) Feet should be a little over shoulder-width apart.
* Jump up with the balls of the feet and after landing, try to keep the momentum going and go right into the next rep.
#2: Jumping Lunges
Counting the reps: 1 rep = 2 lunges
To keep the exercise even on both sides, only count it as a rep if you finish the lunge on both legs.
Few things to remember:
1) Go slow enough at first to get used to the movement of the exercise. Keep control the whole time.
2) Watch the back knee, make sure it does not touch the floor. The knee should be a few inches off the ground.
3) The feet are about shoulder-width apart. This will help keep balance and stability.
* One key thing in this exercise is to have the front knee track the toes to avoid injury. Make sure that knee is stable and not wobbling side to side.
2nd Set: Arms & Upper Body
#3: Push-Ups (w/ 4 variations)
There are 4 different variations for this exercise; do whatever variation suits your body best. If you have trouble doing any of the jumping push-ups, go down the list and do the next variation. Do what you can and build up your strength for the other variations. Remember to breathe! Exhale on the jump, inhale on the way down.
i. Jumping Push-Ups (hands & feet off the ground)
1) Hands and feet come off the ground; try and land as soft as you can when you fall back down onto your hands.
2) Before you land, try and have the arms extended out so you can bend them when your hands make contact with the ground. This will lessen the impact.
3) Keep the back straight in the plank; try not to shoot the hips up or have them collapse down.
ii. Jumping Push-Ups (only hands off the ground)
* Same as before with the first variation, but the feet don’t come up off the ground. Same details apply.
iii. Standard Push-Up
1) As always, keep the back straight and feet should be together.
2) Hands should be a little more than shoulder-width apart, and keep the stomach off the floor when going down on the push-up.
* If you know any other variation to the push-up, you can substitute it in every other time or rotate in the variations. For example, you can do a wide push-up or the triangle push-up if you know those variations and feel comfortable doing them. Otherwise stick with the standard push-up.
iv. Push-Up (on knees)
* Even though the knees are down, the back should still be straight. Don’t let them drop down or shoot up. Everything else is the same.
#4: Hop-Ups
Remember these details:
1) Always come back to the plank position after finishing a rep. The back should be straight and arms should be extended out but not fully straight.
2) The hips can come up when hopping up with the feet. Reach as far as possible with the feet comfortably; the goal of the exercise is to get the feet right next to the outside of the hands. If that’s not possible, hop up to where your flexibility allows.
3rd Set: Cardio
These two exercises are back, and this time we want you to count each rep and beat your previous best every time.
If you’ve done the 5-minute exercise routine, these two exercises should be a review. They should be done with good form and have every rep counted just like the Jumping Lunges from the 1st set of exercises.
* For Switch-Feet: Count 1 Rep whenever the Right Foot is in front.
* For Mountain Climbers: Count 1 Rep whenever the Right Knee touches the triceps.
#5: Switch-Feet
The footwork in this exercise is similar to the quick-switch in Muay Thai. Here are a few things to remember:
1) Keep the hands up in a guard position.
2) Focus on turning the hips to switch the feet rather than jumping and stepping with just the feet.
3) Stay on the balls of the feet and try to keep the same pace for the whole minute.
* The biggest mistake people make is forgetting to breathe. Use forced exhales on every switch and take a deep breath when needed.
#6: Mountain Climbers
Few things about this exercise:
1) Keep the arms straight, but not fully extended to protect the elbows.
2) Keep the back straight and have the hips down. They can be up a little bit, but do not make a upside-down V-shape with your body.
3) Use the turn of the hips to bring the knee up to the triceps, or get as close as possible. Adjust according to your flexibility.
* The key thing on this exercise never having both feet on the ground at the same time. Try and use the hips to turn and swing the legs back and forth, always keeping one leg off the ground.
Now that you have the exercises…
Try this 6-minute full-body workout for yourself. If you’ve done the previous 5-minute workout routine, give these exercises a shot after finishing your 30-day challenge. Counting your reps for these exercises are important, and after every session remember to log your results. Nowadays everybody has a smart phone, so it’s as simple as going onto a notepad or memo-sheet and taking 30 seconds to log the results from your session.
Do your best on each of these exercises and have fun with it! Compare your results after every week to see how you’ve progressed and keep striving to beat your previous best every time.
There’s No Excuse…
All of these exercises are quick and require almost nothing to do them. These exercises can be done in only 6-minutes, and everybody can find 6-minutes out of their day to do a little bit of exercise. There really isn’t an excuse for not having enough time to do this short exercise routine. Even if you’re feeling tired or had a long day at work, doing this quick 6-minute exercise routine will make you feel better when you finish it.
Among many other benefits, you’ll find yourself increasing the three areas targeted in each set of the exercises. You will strengthen your upper and lower body, as well as getting an intense cardio workout in. Even after a few days, you’ll see a difference in the amount of reps you’ll be getting on each of the exercises. Although you might be a bit sore, it’s a sign that you’re getting stronger and the exercises are pushing you to get better.
Once you stick with this short exercise routine for a week or two, you’ll see your reps continually getting higher and higher, and it can get addicting. You’ll want to keep pushing yourself to improve and in the end that’s what we want you to be striving for, bettering yourself everyday.
Take Our 30-Day Challenge
So here is our challenge to anybody out there that wants to push and see themselves improve on a daily basis. Take our 30-day challenge and do these exercises for 6-minutes everyday, for 30 days straight. We know these exercises can produce some amazing benefits and we want you to feel how much you have improved in just 30 days.
You will feel the benefits in less than a couple of weeks, but stick with the routine for another 2 weeks and you will see yourself become incredibly fit. Remember, there is really no excuse for not doing the exercise routine and it only takes 6-minutes out of your day to do. Stick with it and feel free to come back and leave a comment on how these exercises have benefited you!
Keep at it and have fun!
Quick Notes:
What To Do When You Have An Injury:
Remember, if you have a pre-existing injury or something that makes it hard for you to do one of these exercises, substitute the exercise for something similar that you can do without making the problem worse. For example, if you can’t do a do a push-up because of shoulder injury, try working around and it do it on your knees.
If that doesn’t solve it, substitute for stationary squats or stack & bricks from the 5-minute exercise routine. This is just an example, but you can get creative and try out different exercises to accommodate for your injury.
Challenge Yourself Even More:
When you feel like these exercises are getting easier after a couple of weeks, try challenging yourself and go the extra-mile. Try combining the two exercise routines, the 5-minute and 6-minute full-body workout and use the 5-minute routine as a “warm-up.” Only try this after you’ve finished the 30-day challenge.
Really try and push yourself through these exercises and you’ll feel amazing after setting some time aside to continually better yourself.
* Remember always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. Mild soreness after exercise may be experienced after beginning a new exercise. If you experience any pain or difficulty that does not improve after 2-3 days, stop and consult your doctor.