Running or snoozing + Jump Rope Strength Workout
I’m running right now. Well, I’m *supposed* to be running right now, so let’s hope that I actually woke up on time, got dressed and made it out there.
A friend is meeting me, so that’s always good motivation to not be a bad friend bum and get myself up and at ’em. I don’t love the morning. Especially now that we have a little one, I soak up as much sleep as I can. By the time we wake up, it’s too hot to take Liv out in the jogging stroller, so I don’t go, unless I feel super motivated and hop on the treadmill. The only way to make it happen and train safely (with minimal boredom) until it cools down is to wake up early.
I set out workout clothes and sneakers,
charged the Garmin:
set my alarm,
and said a prayer, so fingers crossed that this post is publishing while I’m running instead of sleeping 😉
In the meantime, here’s the strength/cardio workout that I’ll be doing this week! Meg and I took it for a test run on Saturday at work- words were said and sweat was rained. It was a quick, effective and fun total-body workout, and I loved the cardio jump rope blasts in between. To make things even more exciting, I included jump rope options that you can do to switch up your jump rope routine and feel like Rocky. (Note: if you want to do regular jump rope, or if you prefer something else, add your own cardio blasts in instead)
-As always, check with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes. Honor your body and your injuries- if it hurts, don’t do it!
-This workout is meant to be in supersets, alternating between 2 exercises for 2-3 total sets. For example, for the first superset you’ll do 10-12 pile squat combos, 10-12 bent-over wide rows, pile squat and curls, bent-over rows, plqie squat and curls, bent-over rows. Jump rope, then continue to the next set of exercises. By doing it this way, your heart rate will remain elevated and you’ll be a ton of calories, in addition to getting a total-body strength workout, in a short amount of time. Supersets will often consist of antagonist muscle groups (like a triceps exercise immediately followed by a biceps exercise), but instead, I chose more of my favorite compound movements for many of the exercises. I’m a big fan of getting more bang for your proverbial workout buck.
-Find a friend to do it with you! Having a workout buddy is always excellent motivation.
Form cues:
Warm-up: 5-7 minutes, cardio of choice, moderate intensity.
1) Make sure your feet are wide and as you squat, your knees extend out instead of forward. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor as you hammer curl. Torso stays tall, abs stay tucked in. Squeeze your inner thighs as you stand. For the bent-over row, make sure to keep your spine nice and long (not rounded), and bring the weights up in a 90* angle (so your arms don’t raise above your shoulders).
Jump rope: 2 minutes
2) Traditional squat with feet under your hips, sitting your booty back and watching your front knee, overhead press on the way up. Bent-over triceps extension: keep your back flat and elbows glued to you sides as you straighten your arms to bring the weights back.
Jump rope: 2 minutes with high knees
3) Keep your hips raised as you bring the ball in and out. For more of a challenge, try it with one leg at a time. Flip over for your push-ups: fingertips open, arms wide, plank position, and the closer the ball is to your ankles, the harder it will be.
Jump rope: 2 minutes with cross country feet
4) The goal is to keep the ball from touching the ground. Squeeze the ball with your legs and come into a double crunch (head up and knees up), lower your head down and legs slightly down, but not enough for the ball to touch the floor. For the ball rotation, bring the ball up and down, using your legs to twist it side to side. For more of a challenge, lift your shoulders off the floor.
Jump rope: 2 minutes
Optional: follow with 10 minutes of HIIT intervals or a Tabata round
Cool-down and stretch.
So who’s joining me this week? Leave a comment and let me know how it goes! Thank you so much to those of you who have been pinning the workouts to spread the word and for your awesome sweaty workout pics (@fitnessista).
Have a very happy Monday!
xoxo
Gina
Something to talk about: Who’s your workout buddy for the week, or are you going to train solo? Runner friends, when do you get in your training runs? Are you an early bird runner?
Make It Happen Monday:
What goal are you declaring for the week? Write it down and make it happen!
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DANG! I would love to try this, but I don’t have a ball. I am a “skinny fat” girl now after losing 80lb and then gaining back about 12. Lots of loose wiggles and jiggles. I’d like to lose the fat and tighten up so HIIT looks pretty on point. I’ll have to scroll through your stuff on HIIT now that I understand it better. Zumba is Tues/Thurs for me, but I need more strengthening, I think.
Happy Running!
After doing 2 sessions of morning bootcamps, I am now a morning workout girl. My boyfriend and I are now getting up in the mornings to workout/run and it’s awesome. The weather in DC is perfect for morning workouts so we are taking advantage of outside tracks and workout stations.
Although I do enjoy when I get to go on a 2-3 mile run with just my ipod, very mind clearing.
Can’t wait to try this workout, but will have to wait till next week as I sprained my ankle in a soccer game yesterday…double drat!
Your arm workouts will be in my rotation this week fo sho! xoxo
Looks like a great workout, Gina! I love that you test your workouts before posting them, too 🙂 I try to only share ones that I’ve done – or I’ve put my clients through 😉
Hope your run went well!
My goals for the week:
*no eating out/make lunch every day
*try out Crossfit for the first time
*hit the gym at least 5 times
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the graphics. They make it so much easier to follow along. Hope you had a good run.
Ooh sounds like a good one! I recently sprained my SI joint so my back is a little sore but I’m bookmarking it for when I’m better! I run really really early so sadly my workout buddy is myself. But sometimes I really like the quiet time.. it gives me time to think and plan my day – it’s like self-therapy!
I just finished your Summer Shape Up workout last week. I rest on Sunday and I did a Pure Barre DVD this morning…didn’t love it. I will try this one tomorrow morning. I love to run but my 10 month old doesn’t love the stroller so I do it when I can. My goals this week…get more sleep (I never get more than 6 hrs a night), do this work out 3x this week, do Tabata w/o once, do yoga once this week!
Oh this workout looks like a good one! Can’t wait to try it out. I have my early morning 6 mile run tomorrow so here’s hoping I wake up too 🙂
I’m going to work out every day this week, even if it’s a light walk on the treadmill. Work up and gain some endurance again.
Great workout!
Goals for this week:
1. record my eats
2. stick to the three glasses of wine or less
3. close the kitchen by 8:30
4. try new workouts
Whoa. I have trouble jump roping for 2 minutes at a time but I’m going to give it a try and work my way up to it!
you can doooooo it 🙂 take little breaks as you need them!
This looks like a great workout. When I was in THIRD grade (ha – my active claim to fame) I would jump rope with friends for hours every day. Not sure I’d last 2 minutes now but I’d love to try. Plus it’s easy and doesn’t require schlepping to the gym. Just need to get the ball though – been meaning to get one for a while!
I actually LOVE morning work-outs, but it’s so hard to get back to ’em when you’re out of the routine. My friend and I decided to help each other get back to the morning work-out routine by texting each other every morning this week. I sent her a “It will feel so good to drive to work, knowing you already got in your work-out!! Get sweaty, girl!” I’ve been on a healthy kick all day and I’m ready to make it happen this week. No more excuses!! 🙂
Random comment – your arms look awesome! Noticed that in the pic of you holding Liv in the pool yesterday and this one with the jump rope -Lugging around a 20 lb baby doesn’t hurt, right! 🙂
thank you!
I don’t have all (or any, ha) of the equipment, but I’m going to try modifying this workout tomorrow! I always run in the mornings, unless I’m running with a work friend (which we do right after quittin’ time). I’m lucky to live in a temperate climate, so it’s not oppressively hot at either time. It was a perfect 70 degrees at 7:00 this morning.
let me know how it goes!
I’m happy to say that even though today was my first day back to work full-time, I still got my workout/run in before I left. It was super early (4:30 am), but it feels good to have it done! 🙂
I’m an early morning worker-outer. I just like to visualize how good I will feel after when I am having trouble getting out of bed and surprisingly, more often than not, it does the trick!
Set out clothes, set the alarm, and say a prayer!! That’s how I roll with early morning workouts too!!
Great post! Goals for the week:
– Pack my lunch for work so I don’t waste money on going out
– Get my 4 kettlebell workouts in
– Take a Qigong class!
Great workout! I tend to work out alone, but I’m always on the lookout for friends who want to walk, ride bike, or even just try a new class. My goal this week is simply to MAKE IT THROUGH! Classes start back up today, so I’m just hoping to make it to Saturday without losing my mind. 😉
Looks like a fun one! I totally workout in the a.m.–best time for me 🙂
Yes! I need to make a goal of moving forward (tough breakup – been rocky dealing, ya know?).
My goal is to work on taming my sweet tooth! Dessert only 1x every other day! 🙂
Goals for this week: Get at least 2-3 workouts in. Busy with an art and wine festival on the weekend and particpating in a RAW art show on Thursday night in downtown San Jose (club Beso). Already stressed about time and paintings. ack. working out would be a great stress reliever.
Gina, I love you and your workouts. Even when I’m not in the mood to workout, you always push me and challenge me and i finish dripping sweat. It’s not always pretty, but it’s effective. 🙂
This jump rope workout is AMAZING!!! I did each superset twice with a Tabata session at the end. It is hardcore and kicked my butt. I love how much cardio is incorporated into the routine. Thanks for the (almost) weekly workouts. They really keep me going.
that makes me so happy! i’m so glad to hear you liked it and got a great workout 🙂
thank you for letting me know <3
My goal is to work out 5 days this week. Day 1 DONE!
I want to run/walk on Tue or Wed night this week the 5K I am training to run at the end of Sept.
I am like the first person who left a comment I have lost 80 pounds and have a lot of extra giggly skin. I HATE IT! I want it gone, but I do not want to have surgery to remove the skin. What can I do to tighten all this skin? I have been taking classes at my gym for full body work outs.
did it & now i’m sweatyyyy! great workout!
whoo hoo!!
Supersets are a great way to get results- you definitely feel them the next day! Looks like a good routine, I like the jump roping addition 🙂
Thanks for the amazing workouts and inspiration! I’m excited to try the jump rope/strength circuit!
Question about the jump-roping: I don’t own a jump rope, and my gym doesn’t seem to have one either – Do you think its as effective if you just mimic holding the jump-rope…but don’t actually HAVE a jump rope? Just jump up and down as if you did?
Clearly, I look like a crazy person at the gym.
Oh – and just to weigh in – I tend to do my weekday workouts in the morning, before work – because if I don’t, the day often gets away from me! On the weekends, I usually try to squeeze in a longer run with my running partner – the miles fly by when you can gossip!
Looking forward to hearing about your run this morning 😉
I ran solo for the first 2-3 year I ran. Only since moving to a new city did I join a running group and I love it!
I am definately and early runner, I am a much nicer person the rest of the day when I work out in the am 🙂 Tomorrow I have to hit the gym at night and I’m actually a little anxious about it!
Gina! So pumped to try out this workout tomorrow morning. I love your blog.. honestly. It’s so inspiring.
Made my first breakfast cookie! It’s chillin’ in the fridge now.
Hi Gina I want to try this workout at home but the only places I have enough room to do it is in the lounge room on a tiled floor or in the garage on a concrete floor. Is it bad to be jumping rope, etc on a hard surface? Would appreciate any comments, tips?
Thanks 🙂
it should be fine- just wear shoes with good support and use your best judgment. xoxo
This workout looks awesome! I always want to incorporate skipping into my workouts, but my gym doesn’t have any ropes! I find that weird! I really should buy one for myself one of these days.
Ahhh, just did this workout and it kicked.my.butt, THANK YOU, and like someone else said, the graphic is AWESOME!!!!
My gym had a lame jump rope so i ended up doing some burpees in between….2 min never seemed like SO long:=
Thanks again girl!
I train alone during the week but have a running buddy on the weekends for long runs. So much better with a friend! I only like to run in the AM and pretty early. If not, then I keep putting it off all day. Looks like a great workout!
I’m new to your blog and love your workouts. I was wondering if you can suggest a good way to pull them up from my iPhone while I’m at the gym.
Thanks!
you might have to just maximize the photo then turn it sideways? anyone else have an idea?
Definitely trying this later today! Thanks for always posting new, dynamic workouts. Question: I did a TurboFire HIIT yesterday, and I know 2 days of HIIT back-to-back is a no-no, but can I do Tabata intervals the day after HIIT? Or are they 2 similar to give my heart the rest it needs? Thanks in advance!
Another awesome strength circuit! I workout at home and these have really kept me looking forward to working out each day. Thanks & keep em coming!!! =)
Ok, this totally killed me! Jump roping for 2 minutes straight is so much harder than you would think it is…I ended up having to modify and just did the high knees and cross country feet jumps on the floor, because of how uncoordinated I was, hahaha. Definitely a quick and intense workout. I love these weekly workout postings! Thank you so much!
i love your workout posts lately !!
ps. ball rotation. hahaha!
Your new site design looks fabulous!!!!