Strength and HIIT Workouts

FULL WORKOUT VIDEO | Pyramid Workout: 30-Minute Strength + Cardio Workout At Home

Your new favorite workout format — the PYRAMID WORKOUT! This full body dumbbell workout combines strength exercises with full-range, total body movements to raise your heart rate; resulting in a 30 minute strength and cardio workout at home!

Since I introduced this pyramid workout format on my Instagram feed a couple months ago, it’s been a huge hit! And you’ve been asking for more of these workouts on the blog, so here it is in full-length, 30-minute workout video you can do at home. 

PYRAMID TRAINING. I dive deeper into exactly what the pyramid workout format is in the FAQ section of this post. It’s personally, one of my favorite ways to structure a workout. In fact, if you were around when I first launched NML and my workout DVD’s {back in 2015} you know this format showed up several times in my original workout videos. If you haven’t tried my original 20-Minute Pyramid Workout Video you defiantly should!

There’s something so mentally satisfying about the way pyramid workouts flow — the add-on, take-off structure breaks the full workout down into smaller, manageable parts.

I also love this pyramid workout for its efficiency — you get a total body strength and cardio workout at home in 30 minutes!

FAQs

What is a pyramid workout? 

At its core, a pyramid workout is based on an upward, then downward, sequence. You climb up the pyramid, and then go back down. This pyramid format can be used to structure a complete workout, as I’m doing for this 30-minute strength and cardio workout at home.

But you can also use this pyramid format around a single exercise. For example, say you’re doing squats, you could increase or decrease either the number of repetitions or the weight you are squatting in a pyramid-style.

There’s also some interesting research on strength training in regards to the benefits of “ascending” pyramids {gradually increasing weight with each set} versus “descending” pyramids {starting at the heaviest weight of the day and dropping with each set}, but both are proven to increase muscle endurance and mass.

You’ll reap the benefits of both strategies by ascending AND descending in this 30-minute pyramid workout.

How to turn strength training exercises into cardio exercises?

There’s a lot I love about strength training exercises, but one of the main things is how fundamentally efficient and adaptable strength training moves are for EVERY-BODY. Slight changes in how you perform the exercises can adapt the workout to better fit your personal needs.

For example, if you want this 30-minute workout to be more strength-focused, use heavier weights and perform each exercise at a slower pace. On the other hand, if you want more heart-pumping cardio at home, use medium-to-light dumbbells and perform each exercise at a faster, tempo pace. Each full body exercises is done in a timed, 30 second interval. So you choose your pace and weights to meet your personal fitness goals. 

Pyramid Workout: Strength + Cardio 30-Minute Workout

Use the full, 30-minute workout video at the top of this post to follow along as I coach you through this 6-move pyramid workout. We’ll combine strength exercises with cardio exercises for an effective 30-minute, full body dumbbell workout that will build muscle and burn fat. 

You’ll need a medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells. I suggest using 8-15 lbs, but you can always grab a lighter and heavier set of dumbbells if you have them available.

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. We’ll add on exercises as we climb up the pyramid. So it will look like this — perform move 1 for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds; then move 1 and 2, rest 30 seconds; then move 1, 2, 3, rest 30 seconds…and so on until we complete moves 1-6. Then we’ll go back down the pyramid in reverse order, dropping off exercise 1, then exercise 2, then exercise 3, and so on.

Alternatively, you can screenshot the six exercises for this 30 Minute Workout below:

Warm Up — I suggest this 5-Minute Warm Up for At-Home Workouts.

1. Lunge to Corners + 2 Jacks
2. 2 Squats + 2 Bicep Curls
3. 2 Back Flys + 2 Renegade Rows
4. Push Up + T
5. Lateral Lunge + Hop
6. Sit Up + 2 Triceps Overhead

Cool Down — I suggest flowing through these 8 Mobility Exercises.

What I’m Wearing

1. 2XU Mid-Rise Print 7/8 Compression Tights from Proozy.com {originally $99.95, on sale for $29.99} 
   *I’m also a huge fan of these 2XU Solid Charcoal Compression Tights {originally $89.95, on sale for $39.99} 
2. Trisha Mesh Tank from Fabletics {$14.97}
3. Reebok Women’s Fusium Run Running Shoes from Dick’s Sporting Goods {got these on major sale for $34.97, but they are sold in all sizes except size 11}

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