A 46-minute workout, half high-intensity cardio and half (mostly) light strength training from Amy Bento. The segments are also divided up into shorter mixes.

Intermediate exercisers and up who are time-crunched and want to fit a lot of exercise into a relatively short period of time. For advanced exercisers this will suffice as a light day. Some intermediate exercisers will be satisfied with the cardio but may consider the strength training segments a bit too easy. You will need most of your home exercise equipment — a step, 2 or 3 pairs of dumbbells appropriate to your strength level, exercise tubing, a stability ball and a mat.

It was bound to happen one day — in the middle of the strength-training half of this workout, my exercise tube broke. It wasn't Amy Bento's fault — the tubing was several years old and underused, so it was a bit stiff. I managed to complete the workout with my dumbbells, but I was a little bummed about the tubing, as Bento's routine showed me a couple of tubing tricks I hadn't seen before. (I never thought of looping the tubing under the step to alternate a bent over row and step-squat — good one!) The cardio half of this routine was just 20 minutes long, and the choreography was simple — but it was definitely not an easy workout! You do loads of plyometrics (jumping around) and the steps are very fast-paced. Bento basically fit at least half an hour of energetic calorie burning into those 20 minutes. The strength-training segment was a little easier, but it did have its challenging moments, like the push-up on the step... with rotation, with weights. For such a brief workout, it is a little equipment-heavy, but Bento is very efficient with set-up, and it's always nice to know all your exercise purchases are justified. Speaking of which, I'd better go out and buy another exercise tube. I want another set of that row-step-squat combo!

 

 

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