by Men's Health

by the Editors of Men's Health

Start the Weekend Strong With This Muscle-Sculpting Workout

Saturday mornings, especially in spring, should be spent outside. That's why we asked the Utah-based strength and conditioning coach Dan John to design this fast, portable series of cardio workouts, one for each Saturday of the month. Use them as breathers from your weekly routine.

Week 1: The Core Blast

The Moves:

- Pushup-position plank
- Dumbbell swing or jumping jack

The Workout:

Set a timer for 10 minutes.

- Hold the pushup-position plank for 60 seconds.
- Without resting, do 20 dumbbell swings or jumping jacks.
- Repeat the above sequence, without resting, until the timer goes off.

Rest for less than a minute and complete 2 more rounds.

Pro Tip:

Crank up the difficulty by increasing rep speed.

Week 2: The Sprint Set

The Moves:

- Pushup
- 30-second sprint
- Situp
- Prisoner squat

The Workout:

Rest as little as possible between these exercises.

- 10 pushups
- 30-second sprint
- 10 situps
- 30-second sprint
- 15 prisoner squats
- 30-second sprint

Repeat 3 times.

Pro Tip:

Squeeze your glutes as you press up in your squats.

Week 3: The Doubleheader

The Moves:

- Pushup-position plank
- 30-second sprint
- Dumbbell swing or jumping jack

The Workout:

Combine elements of the first two workouts, resting as little as possible between exercises.

- 30-second pushup- position plank
- 30-second sprint
- 30 seconds of dumbbell swings or jumping jacks
- 30-second sprint

Rest for 30 seconds; repeat the sequence 6 to 8 times. 

Pro Tip:

Treat the sprint as your recovery period. 

Week 4: The Kitchen Sink

The Moves:

All exercises combined.

The Workout:

Follow each of these exercises with a 30-second sprint.

- 30-second pushup-position plank
- 30 seconds of dumbbell swings or jumping jacks
- 10 pushups
- 10 situps
- 15 prisoner squats

Rest 1 minute and repeat the sequence twice.

Pro Tip:

On the final circuit, do as many reps as you can.

LEARN THE MOVES

1. Pushup-Position Plank

Assume the starting position of a pushup, with your arms straight. Keep your head in line with your body and squeeze your abs and glutes.

2. Dumbbell Swing

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a dumbbell with both hands with an overhand grip. Swing it between your legs as you bend at the hips and knees, as if you're about to hike it to a quarterback. Then swing it up to shoulder height as you stand.

3. Prisoner Squat

Stand tall with your hands behind your head and your elbows back. Sit back at your hips and bend your knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Then press back up to a standing position.

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