Bodyweight Cardio Exercises – Instructional Guides with Photos

Implementing bodyweight exercises into your cardio workouts is an extremely effective way to burn a lot of calories, lose body fat, tone your muscles and strengthen your heart and lungs. By using your own bodyweight it allows you to perform a quick and powerful workout anytime during the day without the need for any expensive equipment or bulky machines. This allows you to execute these movements anywhere with just a little bit of space like in the convenience of your own home or even in a hotel room when you’re traveling. Below are 8 awesome bodyweight cardio exercises with detailed photos and instructions to show you how to correctly perform each one:

• Burpees
• High Knees
• Ice Skaters
• Jumping Lunges
• Jump Squats
• Mountain Climbers
• Spiderman Mountain Climbers
• Speed Squats

As most gym-goers already know, cardio can be very boring and tedious when you perform the same exercises and it’s important to spice things up to get out of your comfort zone. Doing the same old routine on the treadmill, bike or elliptical gets very mundane day in and day out, so adding a fun and effective workout using bodyweight exercises into your cardio regimen will really kick your workouts up a notch! Bodyweight workouts have become very popular over the last several years and many of today’s home workout programs like P90X and Insanity use these types of exercises as the core of their routines. Other popular workout programs like Tabata and CrossFit also implement many bodyweight resistance style movements into their training.

One of the biggest benefits of using bodyweight cardio exercises is the level of intensity you can achieve when working out. Normal cardio, like walking on a treadmill or doing the elliptical machine, is considered “LISS” cardio (Low Intensity Steady State) which means your heart rate doesn’t get very high and doesn’t fluctuate much during your workout. Along with often being quite boring and monotonous, LISS cardio also isn’t the best way to optimally burn body fat. By using bodyweight exercises for your cardio and using interval type training, where you will be working hard for a number of sets or duration and then resting, you will be tapping into what’s called “HIIT” cardio (High Intensity Interval Training). This type of workout is very powerful for burning calories and fat. It taps into something called “EPOC” (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) which is also often referred to as the “Afterburn”. This results in a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity and allows your body to keep burning calories and fat longer throughout the day. This is a potent formula for achieving a lean and fit physique!

Below are several different cardio workouts using the 8 exercises listed above. Since some of these exercises can be difficult to perform, make sure to read each of the exercise guides closely and focus on performing each exercise using the proper technique and form according to your personal ability and skill level. Start at your own pace and work your way up to a level of intensity that is right for you.

Bodyweight Cardio Workout #1:
Perform each of the 3 exercises back-to-back and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat for 3-5 sets.

• Mountain Climbers: 20 reps
• Burpees: 10 reps
• High Knees: 30 seconds

Bodyweight Cardio Workout #2:
Perform each of the 3 exercises back-to-back and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat for 3-5 sets

• Speed Squats: 30 seconds
• Ice Skaters: 25 reps
• Spiderman Mountain Climbers: 10 reps

Bodyweight Cardio Workout #3:
Perform each of the 3 exercises back-to-back and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat for 3-5 sets

• Jumping Lunges: 15 reps
• Mountain Climbers: 30 seconds
• High Knees: 20 reps

Bodyweight Cardio Workout #4:
Perform each of the 3 exercises back-to-back and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat for 3-5 sets

• Jump Squats: 30 seconds
• Burpees: 10 reps
• Ice Skaters: 20 reps

Bodyweight Cardio Workout #5:
Perform each of the 3 exercises back-to-back and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat for 3-5 sets

• Spiderman Mountain Climbers: 10 reps
• Jumping Lunges: 20 reps
• High Knees: 30 seconds

By adding these highly effective bodyweight cardio exercises into your workout routine 2-3 times per week, you will be able to burn maximum calories in a minimal amount of time and shock your body into optimal fat loss. Remember, the key to attaining a truly lean physique comes down to consistently training it from all angles so make sure you also include strength training workouts and a clean diet into your overall fitness program to get the most bang for your buck! The old saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym” is true so make sure you review our Nutrition 101 article to learn the basics of how to implement a clean diet into your daily routine along with a comprehensive list of the most nutrient dense whole foods to eat each day to help you attain your ultimate fitness and physique goals! Check out our entire exercise guides database for exclusive access to over 500 muscle building and fat burning exercises!

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