Cardio Workout in a Small Space

January 11, 2010
By Mike

It’s cold out there, but you can’t fall off your training schedule. If you can adapt and overcome, then you’ll feel a lot better about yourself and manage to stay healthy over the long winter. Granted, I’m not coming up with the next Sweatin’ to the Oldies; rather, I am reminding you of some cardio classics with a little twist to keep it interesting and account for living in a small space.

Ok, let start with a boxer’s favorite – the jump rope. If I’m going to jump rope I have to have something else going on. What can I say? I get bored easily. I don’t have a T.V. so I usually watch a 30 minute episode of something online. I’m still not very good at jumping rope so I had my girlfriend show me how to do the “skip rope” method. This is a different than the typical foot-together method. I like it because it keeps my heart rate up, but it isn’t totally exhausting. Another bonus is that the cost is low. A new synthetic rope will cost about $10 – $15 dollars.

A favorite intense cardio workout of mine is really more of a rapid-fire series of calisthenics. After some stretching and a warm up, I start with a set of push ups. I take a short rest then I do a set of sit ups. I take another short rest then I do a set of pull ups.
Here is what it looks like:

Set #1

  1. Push ups
  2. 30 second rest
  3. Sit ups
  4. 30 second rest
  5. Pull ups
  6. 30 second rest

Then I repeat the whole thing a few times. The trick to keeping my heart rate up is minimizing the periods of rest between sets. Believe me, depending on how many reps per set and how many sets you do, this can be a very intense work out. Now, let’s take a look at cost. Oh wait, the cost is zero dollars and zero cents.

So there you go – an awesome workout for next to nothing.

Ask questions or, please, share with me what your favorite (cheap) work outs are!

Related posts:

  1. 5 Exercises for Small Spaces
  2. A Lesson in Patience
  3. 4 Areas of Life: Easy Penny Pinchers
  4. Getting Used To That 60 Minute Mark…So I Can Pass It Later…
  5. Fit It In, Regardless of How Much Time You Have

Tags: , , , ,

  • They way you guide is good way, i agreed with you cardio exercise is 
    good way to be fit and healthy, i also do cardio exercise and i got good
    results too with my team.

  • It is easier to read and said than done.

  • Jump roping is my favorite cardio exercise--so much fun. New addition: Hula hoop! Happy waistline!

  • Ashley

    What do you use to do your pull-ups on??

    I play DDR! Yea, it cost a bit to buy the games and mats, but I think it's worth it!

blog comments powered by Disqus