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Your No-Excuses 30-Minute Throwdown

30-Minute Workout
Looking for a 30-minute workout you can squeeze into pretty much any busy day no matter what life throws at you? We’ve got it today with this guest post from Jen Mueller. Jen left her first career in corporate finance to earn a master’s degree in health education. She is a busy mom of four and holds a number of fitness certifications (including ACE’s Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist and Behavior Change Specialist). She is passionate about helping people reach their health and fitness goals. In her spare time, Jen loves running, kickboxing and spending time with her family. Jen enjoys blogging about raising healthy children and how small behavior changes can impact health and quality of life. And this 30-minute workout? Well, she brings it!

Your No-Excuses 30-Minute Throwdown 

jen-muellerBy: Jen Mueller, SparkPeople Community Director and certified health coach

Your day is full. If it’s not deadlines and work meetings demanding your attention, it’s the kids’ sporting events and chores at home calling your name. Spending hours at the gym is not a luxury you can afford, so it’s easy for exercise to get bumped down or completely off your to-do list. It doesn’t have to be this way, though! When it comes to exercise, quality is more important than quantity, so with even small amounts of time to spare, you can get a good workout and see results from your efforts.

When you’ve got just 30 minutes to squeeze in a sweat session, every minute counts. Circuit training is a great way to maximize results in a short period of time by combining a strength and cardio workout into one. If you’re ready for a challenge that will keep your heart pumping, muscles working and leave you feeling energized, this routine is for you!

You will need a set of dumbbells and a sturdy chair for this workout. In order to keep your heart rate elevated throughout the routine, you’ll want to move quickly from one exercise to the next. Start with a five-minute warm-up, followed by one minute of each cardio exercise and then one set of each strength exercise, completing eight to 12 repetitions per set. When you’ve completed the whole circuit once, start at the beginning and go through it again a second time.

1. Burpees

burpees

2. Deadlifts with Dumbbells

dead-lifts-with-dumbbells

3. Front Kicks with Squat

front-kicks-with-squat

4. Side Plank

Perform on the right side for one minute the first time through the routine, then the left side the second time.

side-plank

5. Mountain Climbers

mountain-climbers

6. Push-ups

pushups

7. Alternating Front Jabs

alternating-front-jabs

8. Dumbbell Squat with Overhead Press

dumbbell-squat-with-calf-raise-and-overhead-press

9. Plank Jumping Jacks

plank-jumping-jacks

10. Pendulum

pendulum

11. Alternating Hamstring Curls

alternating-hamstring-curls

12. Triceps Dips with Straight Legs

triceps-dips-with-straight-legs

Isn’t circuit training the best? It’s always great when you can get cardio and strength in one workout! Jen Mueller

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