If it’s time to help your clients turn up the intensity of their at-home exercise programs, the following workout is sure to deliver. High-intensity training usually entails a higher heart rate training zone, which means you reap more benefits in a shorter amount of time. This training style is ideal for those with restricted time frames, stagnant or plateaued workouts, and/or individuals with little-to-no equipment and small workout spaces. Benefits include raising the metabolic rate to burn a higher number of calories, increasing the heart rate for conditioning, improving anaerobic and aerobic fitness, and much more.

The only equipment needed is a pair of sliders—for hard, smooth surfaces, hand towels work well, while paper plates work best on low carpet. A range of sliders also are available online for preferred workout surfaces.

Encourage your clients to complete this high-intensity workout one to two times per week on non-consecutive days or schedule this workout sporadically into their training programs to change things up.

Warm-up

The warm-up should last for at least 10 minutes and include dynamic movements such as: lunges, squats, hamstring swings, spiderman crawls, hip openers, torso rotations, 90º arm rotations, skips, jumps and bounds.

Workout Overview

This workout consists of alternating high- and low-intensity bouts. The higher-intensity work phase is initially performed for a shorter amount of time, whereas the lower-intensity phase lasts longer. The lower-intensity phase allows the heart rate to lower and the body to prepare for the next high-intensity phase.

As your client’s fitness level improves and he or she is able to recover faster than the suggested time, reduce the time spent in the recovery phase. For each exercise, transfer 5 seconds from the recovery phase to the work phase to increase the intensity and challenge of the workout.

Time: 30 minutes

Start with 5 seconds high intensity: 55 seconds low intensity

Build up to 45 seconds of high intensity: 15 seconds low intensity

Feet on sliders

High plank to push-up to pike

Alternating reverse lunges

Mountain climbers

Glute bridge alternating hamstring curls

Alternating lateral lunges

Hands on sliders

Slider fallouts

High-plank arm circles

Prone snow angels

Cool-down

Take five to 10 minutes to focus on lowering the heart rate and work on mobility while muscles are warm. Move slowly through each major muscle group by actively moving through each stretch for three seconds in each position.

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