Stop using all your “friend time” as an excuse to skip your workout. This five-minute circuit can be done whenever, wherever and it’s actually better when you do it with friends.
These exercises are straightforward and continuous — neither you nor your partner will stop moving for the full five minutes… which means you’re going to get tired. Keep pushing yourself and encouraging your buddy to keep going — remember, you can do almost anything for just five minutes.
Round No. 1
While Partner 1 completes a series of exercises (squat jumps, air squats and low squat pulses), Partner 2 will engage in a burst of cardio, performing bear crawls the whole time.
Partner 1
5 Squat jumps:
Stand with feet hip-distance apart, weight in your heels. Press your hips back and squat down, keeping your knees aligned with your toes, but behind your toes. From the low squat position, explode up, jumping into the air as high as you can. Land on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent to absorb the shock. Immediately, squat back down again to continue.
10 Air squats:
Perform a squat, just as indicated above, but this time without the jump. Simply press yourself back to standing, pushing your hips forward at the top to engage the glutes.
15 Low squat pulses:
Lower yourself into a low squat, then hold the low position, pulsing up and down slightly as you maintain the low squat.
Partner 2
Bear crawls:
Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position with your back flat, your palms under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Press the balls of your feet into the ground and lift your knees up, so you’re balanced on your palms and feet. Keeping your butt low and your core engaged, walk yourself forward a few steps on your hands and feet, then walk yourself back to start. Continue this forward-backward movement without dropping your knees to the ground. Continue until your partner has completed all of her exercises.
Switch roles after Partner 1 completes her exercises. When both partners have completed the series of exercises, a set is done. Perform five total sets without rest between sets.
Round No. 2
Round 2 is set up exactly like Round 1, where Partner 1 performs a series of exercises while Partner 2 engages in a burst of cardio. The partners switch positions after the first partner completes her exercises. When both partners have completed a series of exercises, one set is done. Perform five sets without rest.
Partner 1
5 Push-ups:
Performed on knees or toes, start in a high plank position with your arms extended and your palms beneath your shoulders, but slightly wider than shoulder width. Bend your elbows and, while maintaining a strong core and straight torso, lower your chest toward the ground. When you’re just shy of touching down, press yourself back to the starting position.
10 Chest taps:
Maintaining a high plank position (either on your knees or toes), shift your weight slightly to the left, lifting your right hand off the ground to tap your left shoulder with your right hand. Place your right hand back down, then shift your weight to the right, tapping your right shoulder with your left hand. Tapping each shoulder counts as one repetition.
Plank hold for a count of 15:
Maintaining the high plank position (on your knees or toes), pull your core tight, check to make sure your torso is forming a straight line and hold the position as you count slowly to 15.
Partner 2
Crab walks:
While your partner is performing her exercises, perform crab walks continuously. Sit on the ground, placing your palms behind you, your knees bent, your feet flat. Press through your palms and feet and engage your core to lift your hips off the ground. Walk yourself backward several steps using your hands and your feet, then walk yourself forward to start. Continue the forward-backward movement until your partner completes her exercises.
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