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There are days when your workout is a one-woman show. No trainer, no chitchatting—just you and your “I got this” vibe. And then there are days when you need a little push.
That’s when a partner is clutch. “Sharing a workout motivates you to dig deeper, because now you have someone else feeding off your energy,” says Heidi Powell, a personal trainer on Extreme Weight Loss, who designed this routine with her husband, Chris (also a trainer on the show).
Here, you’ll trade off exercises—one cardio drill and one strength move. The quicker you speed through your high-intensity cardio, the fewerdumbbell reps your bud has to bang out. This gets you both into the fat-burning zone faster—and keeps you there. (Score more fat-blasting moves with Women’s Health’s Ignite routine starring Next Fitness Star Nikki Metzger!)
Think of these pairs as supersets. Starting with the first superset, complete the required reps of the first exercise while your partner performs the second until you finish; then switch exercises within that superset. Continue to the next superset and repeat the pattern through the third superset. Then finish as a team: Trade off rounds of burpees until you have collectively banged out 100 reps (one of you can do more than the other, and feel free to take breathers). Do this routine twice a week—and if you’re feeling extra jazzed, go ahead and knock it out solo.
Superset 1: High Knees/Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
1. HIGH KNEES
Stand with feet hip-width apart, elbows bent at your sides. Raise one knee as high as you can as you lift your opposite arm (a); repeat on the other side (b). That’s one rep; do 100 reps.
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees bent, arms extended, and a dumbbell in each hand. Lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor (a). Bend your elbows to pull the weights to the sides of your torso, keeping elbows pointing behind you (b). Lower the weights to return to start. That’s one rep.
Superset 2: Jumping Jack/Overhead Shoulder Press
1. JUMPING JACK
Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands at your sides (a). Raise your arms as you jump up and widen your stance (b). Reverse motion to return to start. That’s one rep; do 100 reps.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, elbows bent, and hands holdingdumbbells at your shoulders (a). Rotate your hands so your palms face forward as you push the weights overhead (b). Lower to return to start. That’s one rep.
Superset 3: Plank Jack/Back Squat
1. PLANK JACK
Start in a pushup position, your feet an inch or two apart (a). Brace your abs as you jump both feet wider (b), then jump back in to return to start. That’s one rep; do 100 reps.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, elbows bent, and hands holdingdumbbells at your shoulders (a). Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping your elbows pointing down and as parallel to each other as possible (b). Stand to return to start. That’s one rep.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then quickly push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat. Place your hands in front of your feet (a), then jump back into a pushup position (b). Engage your abs as you quickly jump your feet in behind your hands, then jump up with your feet together and arms reaching overhead (c). That’s one rep. Do 100 together.
