Exercise Library

Assault Bike

The fan bike, where arms and legs both drive and the resistance rises with your effort. Notorious, and unbeatable for short intervals.

Burpee

Drop to the floor, push up, jump the feet in, jump up. The whole body and the entire cardiovascular system in one unloved rep.

Cycling

Riding a bike, indoors or out. Steady aerobic work that leaves the legs fresh enough to lift the next day.

Fast Feet

Tiny, very fast steps on the spot in an athletic stance. A short, sharp conditioning burst that spikes the heart rate in seconds.

High Knees

Running on the spot driving the knees to hip height. A warm-up staple and a decent conditioning interval in its own right.

Hiking

Walking on hills or trails, usually with a pack. Long, low-intensity work that builds an aerobic base without wrecking your legs.

Jumping Jack

Jumping the feet out while the arms come overhead. The oldest warm-up in the book and still one of the best.

Jumping Jack (Reps)

Full-body cardio: jump feet out wide while raising arms overhead, then back. Keep a steady rhythm.

Lateral Shuffle

Shuffling sideways in an athletic stance. Conditioning in a direction almost nothing else in the gym trains.

Seal Jack

A jumping jack with the arms clapping in front at chest height instead of overhead. Opens the chest and shoulders, and warms them before pressing.

Skater Hop

Bounding sideways from one foot to the other, landing on a single leg each time. Builds lateral power and the ability to absorb a landing.

SkiErg

The double-pole skiing machine. Upper-body-led conditioning that hits the lats and triceps while your legs stay relatively fresh.

Sprawl

A burpee with the hips driven to the floor and the legs kicked wide, borrowed from wrestling. Faster and lower than a burpee, and just as unpleasant.

Stair Climber

The revolving staircase. Harder on the glutes and quads than a treadmill at the same heart rate, with none of the impact.

Swimming

Laps in a pool. Full-body aerobic work with no impact at all, which makes it the fallback when something hurts to run on.

Treadmill Incline Walk

Walking uphill on a treadmill. Gets the heart rate of a run out of a walk, with none of the impact, and it hits the glutes doing it.