30-Minute Cardio and Strength Workout (Strength and Steps)

How to Do a Wide Squat

1. Start standing with your feet out wider than hips for a wide squat stance, turning your toes slightly out. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your body between your legs.
2. Lower into a wide squat, sending your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping the dumbbells centered beneath your shoulders. Knees track over toes. 
3. Drive through your heels to return to standing, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a Staggered Deadlift and Back Row

1. Start standing with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Stagger your feet, so your left foot is slightly in front of your right. Keep 80% of your weight in your left foot, and 20% in your right toes.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing the midline of your body.
3. Hinge at your hips to lower the dumbbells down towards the ground, keeping your hips square to the mat. Lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your left hamstring (back of your leg). Maintain a neutral spine by keeping your back flat. Range of motion looks different for everyone.
4. Hold this single-leg deadlift position, then perform a narrow back row by pulling the dumbbells back toward your hips.
5. Lower the dumbbells with control, returning to the bottom of the staggered deadlift position.
6. Then press through your feet to stand tall, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a 3-Pulse Lunge and Knee Drive

1. Start standing in a neutral position, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip).
2. Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge. Lower your left knee towards the mat, aiming for a 90-degree angle in both knees. Pulse 3 times.
3. Then press through your right heel to drive your left knee forward, balancing on your right foot as your left thigh comes parallel to the ground. Hold for a moment.
4. Then repeat, stepping your left foot back into a reverse lunge to return to the starting position.

Modification: If lunges are uncomfortable, check out these alternative exercises.

How to Do a Wide Bicep Curl and Lateral Raise

1. Start with feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl).
2. Perform a wide bicep curl by extending the arms out wide as you curl the weights up to shoulder height.
3. With control, slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides.
4. Then, perform a dumbbell lateral raise by raising the dumbbells straight out to the side to shoulder height. Palms facing out.
5. With control, lower the dumbbells back down in front of you.
6. Continue this pattern, alternating each wide curl with a lateral raise.

How to Do a Lateral Lunge

1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart. Hold 1 dumbbell in your right hand.
2. Take a large step to the left with your left leg as you sit your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single-leg squat with your left leg while your right leg remains straight. Knees and toes are pointing forward.
3. Drive off your left foot to reverse the movement, standing back up to the starting position (as you pull your inner thighs together).

How to Do a Overhead Tricep Extension

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and a soft bend in your knees.
2. Hold 1 dumbbell vertically overhead and activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).

How to Do Quick Feet

1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, core engaged and knees bent.
2. Staying low in your hips and light on your feet, quickly step your feet out wide.
3. Then quickly step your feet back in, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a Narrow Squat Jack

1. Start in a narrow stance, knees and ankles together and a generous bend in your knees. Lower your hips into a loaded squat stance.
2. With your chest upright and your core engaged, “jack” your feet out into a wide or sumo squat stance (feet are wider than your shoulders).
3. Land softly in a low squat, bringing your arms overhead as you “jack”.
4. Then “jack” your feet into a narrow stance, returning to the starting position. Think, wide at the top, narrow at the bottom.

How to Do Lateral High Knees

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slightly bend your knees, finding an athletic stance or loaded position.
2. Leading with your left foot, quickly take two lateral steps to the left.
3. On the second step, drive your right knee up towards your chest, balancing on your left foot.
4. Reverse the movement, stepping out with your right foot and following with your left for two steps.
5. Then, drive your left knee up towards your chest, balancing on your right leg.
6. Continue this pattern, alternating sides and keeping your core engaged.

How to Do a Front to Back Hop

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Engage your core.
2. Hop both feet forward 2-3 inches, landing softly with bent knees.
3. Then reverse the movement, hopping back 2-3 inches to return to the starting position.

How to Do A Lunge Drop

1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Shoulders stacked over hips.
2. Jump your left leg back into a reverse lunge position, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
3. Explode up back to the starting position, feet coming parallel.
4. Perform two small hops, then jump your right leg back into a reverse lunge position.
5. Continue this pattern, alternating legs with each rep.

How to Do Surfer Squats

1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, core engaged.
2. Bend your knees, lowering into a squat. Both knees are bent at 90-degree angles, thighs parallel to the floor.
3. Then, drive through your heels to explode up, rotating your hips, knees and ankles towards the right while keeping your shoulders facing forward.
4. Softly jump your feet back to center, returning to the starting position. Knees, hips and shoulders all face forward.
5. Bend your knees and sit your hips back to perform another squat.
6. Then, drive through your heels to explode up, this time rotating your lower body towards the left. The upper body remains stable.