10 Minute Cardio Smash: HIIT

Hi Everyone!

Tonight’s workout is a 10 Minute HIIT Cardio Blast. There is a focus on the large muscles of the lower body, which leads to major calorie/fat torching. It was a fun, and challenging 10 minute workout.

I warmed up with a 1 mile run on the treadmill, and followed this workout with 2.1 miles. I stuck to a comfortable pace. For me that meant I ran 8 minute miles. You know you’re doing a comfortable pace if you can carry on a conversation while you run.

I have not been as consistent with my workouts lately, and I definitely felt it during tonight’s interval. I am super motivated and excited to get back on track. Jesse and I are done house hunting (YAY!), so I will have my workout time back in my schedule. As long as inspections, etc, go smoothly we will be closing on our new house at the end of July. 🙂

I am excited to see my fitness level improve again, and get some more of my tone/definition back.

I hope you all enjoy the workout!
Melissa

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Max reps during each 50 second interval, 10 seconds of rest between exercises.

Warm up: 1 mile run, or 10 minutes jump rope or cardio of choice

1. Frog Hopper
2. Jump Squat Turn
3. 3 Way Plank
4. Right Leg Hop Press
5. Left Leg Hop Press
6. Single Leg Frogger Pushup
7. Squat Jacks
8. Single Leg Hip Thrust
9. High Knees
10. Burpee

Cardio: 2 mile run, or 15-20 minutes cardio of choice

15 Minute Interval: Iso-Plyo Workout

Hi Everyone!

Tonight’s workout is a combination of isometric and plyometric exercises. It is quick (15 minutes), but was a very challenging combination.

Isometric exercises occur when the muscle is contracted, with no change in the length of the muscle during the exercise. Plyometrics are fast movements that cause quick contractions and lengthening of the muscles involved in the exercise (usually with some type of jumping).

Both forms of exercise are beneficial, and they provide different benefits to your body. This workout helps to build muscular endurance, strength and speed. I found the static poses very challenging, especially Dancer Pose. It is quite different to go into this pose during a yoga flow, than immediately after a plyometric exercise. I had to modify the pistol squats, because my legs were completely out of energy by the end of the workout! I knew it would be challenging saving them for last, but I was surprised at the difficulty. Remember, form is number one! Better a modification than completing an exercise with poor form.

I hope you all enjoy the workout! It can be repeated up to 3X. I followed this workout with a 3.5 mile run outside. I have been tired lately, but it felt great to get my workouts back on track. 🙂

See you tomorrow with a new workout!
Melissa

Advanced: Max Reps during each 50 second interval, 10 seconds of rest in between each exercise.
Intermediate: 40 second interval, 15 seconds rest
Beginner: 30 second interval, 15 seconds rest

1. Frogger
2. Extended Hold
3. Mountain Climber Cross
4. Warrior 3
5. Jumping Lunge Kick
6. Warrior 3
7. Jump Squat
8. Dancer Pose (right)
9. Dive Bomber
10. Dancer Pose (left)
11. Side Lunge Tap
12. Boat Pose
13. Pistol (right)
14. Down Dog
15. Pistol (left)

23 Minute High Intensity Interval Workout: Full Body Cardio HIIT

Hi Everyone!

This workout kicked my butt! Make sure you warm up (jog in place, do some walking or jump rope) to get your body ready to work hard. Warming up increases your ability to maximize the effort put out during the workout, and improves the calorie burn.

This is an intense workout. The breakdown is similar to the breakdown I use in my Boot Camp classes. If you are just starting to build up your endurance and strength, or find that this is to intense you can substitute rest or marching for the high knees between rounds. You can also shorten the intervals.

I have mentioned before, HIIT workouts are one of the best ways you can burn fat while maintaining your lean muscle mass. This allows you to keep your shape and strength, while improving your metabolism.

Enjoy the workout! It made it into my new favorites list!
Melissa

Max Reps During Each 60 second interval, 30 seconds of High Knees between exercises.

*Beginners start with 30 seconds of max reps, 15 seconds of rest (or high knees) between exercises.
*HIIT workouts are very intense. Push yourself, but also listen to your body.

1. Decline Pushups
2. Double Squat Jump
3. Burpee
4. Reverse Hook Crunch
5. Spiderman Plank
6. Frogger
7. Lunge Jump
8. Surfer
9. Single Leg Frogger
10. Temple Tap Abs
11. Frog Hopper
12. Curtsy Lunge Kick (right)
13. Curtsy Lunge Kick (left)
14. Rotating Side Plank Crunch
15. Squat Twist

6 Workouts That Take 15 Minutes or Less

Hi Everyone,

This holiday season fitting in workouts has been a major challenge for me. Add in the fact that four of my favorite people have birthday’s this month, and I have been super busy, and eating a lot of foods that I don’t typically eat.

I have found myself falling into the trap of “not enough time to workout.”

Sometimes I need to remind myself that a short workout is far better than no workout. In fact, doing short intense workouts are great for your metabolism, and keep you burning fat for hours afterward. So here are six workouts that can be completed in 15 minutes or less. If you feel super motivated you can repeat any of these workouts, or mix and match them.

–7 Minute Full Body Workout: Go through the video one time for a 7 minute workout.
Three-pete Full Body Workout

–Intense 8 Minute Cardio Fat Stripper:
8 Minute Cardio Fat Stripper

–Intense 8 Minute Ab Workout
8 Minute Ab Workout

–10 Minute Bombshell Fat Burn
Bombshell Body Fat Burn

-15 Minute High Intensity Cardio Interval Workout
Cardio 15 Minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

-HIIT 15 Minute Cardio Cutup
Cardio Cut Up: 15 Minutes

Cardio: 15 Minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Melissa Bende…

Hi Everyone!

Today I repeated my Cardio 15 Minute High Intensity Interval Training workout. I forgot how intense this one is!

I am super excited that I kept track of my reps, because I was able to see how much I have improved since then! I was able to improve my number of reps on each exercise. If you have done this one in the past keep track and see if you can improve. If this is your first time, write down your reps (quickly!) during the 10 second rest breaks so you have a reference to compare to in the future.

I didn’t re-film the video tonight because Jesse was going through it with me, but I will in the future so you guys can see how I am progressing and becoming more fit.

Also, check out: AskBeef.com where I made a guest video appearance, and offered some alternate ways to do some of my favorite exercises. He has a great site, and it was an honor to be a guest.

As always the break down will be below, and I will post my old reps, and new reps so you can see the difference. I also ran 2 miles at an easy pace today.

Check back later, I am going to be interviewing NPC Physique competitor Michael Prest about his recent win.

Melissa

All Levels: Max reps during each 50 second interval, 10 seconds of rest between exercises. The number of reps I did today is in blue. My original reps are in red. I am very excited, because I have seen some significant improvement in my muscle endurance and in my cardiovascular ability.

1. High Knees 155
2. Jump Kick (right) 25 to 35
3. Jump Kick (left) 25 to 37
4. 3 Way Double Mountain Climber 24
5. High Knees 150
6. Squat Jump 25 to 34
7. Mountain Climber 107
8. Lunge Jump 18 to 28
9. Lunge Kick (right) 12 to 20
10. Lunge Kick (left) 15 to 21
11. High Knees 152
12. Surfer 21 to 32
13. Burpee 6 to 9
14. Low Jacks 40 to 50
15. Pendulum 60 to 82

Power Interval Workout with Treadmill

Hi Everyone,

This was my workout last night. It’s a combination of treadmill intervals and body weight exercises. If sweat is liquid awesome, then I was pretty darn awesome during this workout!

If you don’t have a treadmill you can substitute: 10 Minute Bombshell Fat Burn It is a 10 minute cardio based interval workout. So you would be doing intervals exactly the same length that I did without worrying about the treadmill. You can also substitute jump roping, or steady state cardio if you prefer. The breakdown for the treadmill workout is below.

I listed the paces and speeds I did on the treadmill workout. You can adjust them based on your comfortable pace, and your sprinting pace. The idea is to alternate 1 minute of a comfortable but effortful pace, with 1 minute at a quicker pace. By minute 5-6 you should be at a pace that feels closer to a sprint but can be maintained for a minute. Then you start working your way back up. Make sure you warm up before doing this workout.

Enjoy!

Melissa

Beginner: 5-10 Minutes of cardio, 10 reps
Intermediate: 10 Minutes of cardio, 15 reps
Advanced: 10 Minutes of cardio, 20 reps

Part 1: Interval Cardio on the Treadmill

Listen to your Body, and adjust the cardio to your level. Steady cardio, Jump Rope, or the 10 Minute Bombshell Fat Blast workout can be substituted.

Part 2:

1. Chair/Side Squat

2. Up/Down Dog (Dive Bomber)

3. Reach Through Situp

4. Lunge with Kickback (right)

5. Lunge with Kickback (left)

Part 3: Repeat Cardio Workout

Part 4:

1. Hip Press (right)

2. Hip Press (left)

3. Bicycle

4. Sumo Pushup

5. Ab Twist

15 Minute High Intensity Home Cardio Workout Real Time

Hi Everyone!

I’m back, and I’m feeling much better today! I didn’t feel like yesterday’s illness slowed me down too much, but it may have a little bit. I actually felt pretty darn good when the workout was over.

Soon I will do a 20 minute HIIT workout video. Many studies have suggested that 20 minute HIIT workouts result in optimal fat burn. I would recommend doing a nice 5 minute warm up before doing this workout (maybe jump roping!) Also, be sure to cool down. You will be working at a high level so you don’t want to shock your body by just stopping. You can walk or march in place as your heart rate lowers.

I hope you guys enjoy the workout!

Melissa

All Levels: Maximum number of reps during each 50 second interval, 10 seconds of rest between exercises. You can lower this to 20 seconds of work, and 10 seconds of rest if this is too much to start with. Also, always listen to your body. If you need a break take one. Keep track of your reps, and you will be able to see how much you improve as you repeat this workout.

1. High Knees
2. Frogger
3. Lunge Kick (right)
4. Lunge Kick (left)
5. Jumping Jacks
6. Jump Squat
7. Mountain Climbers
8. Plie Jump
9. Plank Jack
10. Ninja Jump
11. Burpee
12. Low Jack
13. Side Step Up (right)
14. Side Step Up (left)
15. Twister

20 Minute Full Body HIIT (full length video): Melissa Bender Fitness

Hi Everyone,

Here is the compiled video of my workout today! I am also uploading each 5 minute segment to youtube, for easy mixing/matching for future workouts.

This is a full body, interval workout. There is a cardio section, abs, arms, and butt. I was sweating like crazy! As with all of my interval workouts the point is to do as many reps as you can in each 50 second interval. You get 10 seconds of rest between each exercise.

As always, listen to your body during this, and all workouts. This is a full length video so you can see the number of reps I do. I use a 10 pound kettle bell at one point in the workout, and two 10 pound free weights.

Also, be sure to check out some of the changes I have made to the page. Don’t forget to start using www.benderfitness.com to get here. It will be the permanent domain name soon.

See you tomorrow!
Melissa

Click the link to get your own Gymboss Interval Timer!

All Levels: Max reps during each 50 second interval, with 10 seconds of rest in between.

Round 1: Cardio

1. In/Out Squat Jump
2. Step-up (right)
3. Step-up (left)
4. Warrior 3 Touch Down
5. Jump Up

Round 2: Abs

1. Half Get up/Crab Reach (with 10 lb kettle bell)
2. Plank Heel Touch
3. Pendulum Plank (right)
4. Pendulum Plank (left)
5. V-up

Round 3: Arms

1. Rolling Pushups
2. Warrior Row (right)
3. Down Dog Pushup
4. Warrior Row (left)
5. Tricep Dip

Round 4: Legs/Butt

1. Side Lunge Lift (right)
2. Side Lunge Lift (left)
3. Superman
4. Back Lunge (right)
5. Back Lunge (left)

Abs in a Hurry 10 minute workout: Melissa Bender (full length)

Hi Everyone!

Tonight’s workout is a quickly! It focuses on strengthening, and toning your entire core. It hits all of the major muscles of your abdomen, while still incorporating some full body moves.

I had a super busy day today, so I was able to get in some additional exercise. While I was at work I got to go swimming with the kids for an hour. I also turned the incline on my treadmill all the way up, and walked for 20 minutes while reading on my kindle. Jesse was out running in the rain.

Jesse cooked us a delicious and healthy meal tonight. He made salmon fajita wraps, with spinach (I got plain greek yogurt on mine, and he used sour cream), and a bit of hot sauce on a flat out wrap. It was delicious, and a fun and different way to eat salmon.

Have a wonderful evening, and enjoy the workout! There will be a new one up tomorrow!

Melissa

All Levels: As many reps as you can in each interval. 10 seconds of rest in between each exercise.

High Knees
Supergirl
Crossed Leg Lift (right)
Crossed Leg Lift (left)
Plank Leg Lift
Ab Kick Out
Side Plank Lift (right)
Side Plank Lift (left)
Hip Lift
High Knees

I am going to have to watch the video and count my reps! I was talking a lot, and forgot to count. 🙂

Go Hard Home Workout: Melissa Bender

Hi Everyone,

Today’s workout is intense! I interspersed the reps with cardio blasts on my treadmill to maximize the burn. I interspersed mile runs in between the reps. If you don’t have someplace to run, or access to a treadmill, I recommend doing the 15 Minute High Intensity Cardio Fat Burn workout, or the 10 Minute Bombshell Fat Burn workout along with this workout. You could also chose to do 5 to 10 minutes of jump roping during the cardio burst sections of the workout.

Push yourself and go hard the entire time! Move through the reps as quickly as possible, while focusing on maintaining proper form.

Let me know what you think of the workout, and how long it takes you to get through it. I will post the breakdown the way I did it below. If you are doing one of the cardio workouts I have linked above you can do it at the end of the workout, instead of in between.

Have a great night,

Melissa

Go Hard or Go Home Workout

Beginner: 10 reps

Intermediate: 15 reps

Advanced: 20 reps

Cardio Burst: I did a 1 mile run (7 minutes, 40 seconds). You can do 5-10 minutes of jump roping, or wait and do a cardio workout at the end.

Side Lunge Kick (right)
Side Lunge Kick (left)
1 Leg Deadlift (right)
1 Leg Deadlift (left)
Lunge Jumps

Cardio Burst: I did a 1 mile run (7 minutes, 34 seconds)

Scissor Ab Combo
Angel Abs
Leg Lift/Hip Lift
Butt Shake/Hip Twist
Bicycle Abs

Cardio Burst: I did a 1 mile run (7 minutes, 30 seconds)

Pushups
Oblique Drop (right)
Oblique Drop (left)
Ball Pull In/Glute Squeeze
Rotating Side Plank

Note: I did 3 miles of running during the workout. I maintained a pace that I could hold while talking, but one that still had me working. If you don’t want to run or jump rope try one of these cardio burst workouts:

15 Minute High Intensity Cardio Burn

10 Minute Bombshell Body Fat Burn Cardio

Cardio: 15 Minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Melissa Bender Fitness

Hi Everyone,

Today’s workout is a high intensity interval cardio blast. The entire workout only takes 15 minutes. You can use this one alone, or you can use it as cardio with any other workout. If you don’t have the opportunity to run or jump rope this workout is another option for you.

It really kicked my butt today. I slowed wayyyyyyy down toward the end of the workout. You are going for maximum number of reps during each 50 second interval, but don’t forget to focus on form. It’s better to do fewer reps with perfect form.

Feel free to post the number of reps that you did in the comments section below. It’s really good to keep track, because it’s very motivating to try and do more next time.

Also, if you need to take breaks during the workout do it. There are several times in the video that I paused to shake out my legs or catch my breath. The next time I go through this I will be trying to increase my reps and rest less. J

Enjoy the workout, if you’re feeling up to it pair this one with any of my other workouts for a super intense sweat session.

Melissa

All Levels: Max reps during each 50 second interval, 10 seconds of rest.

No Equipment Necessary. The numbers in parenthesis are the number of reps I completed during each interval.

High Knees
Jump Kick Right (25)
Jump Kick Left (25)
3-way Double Mountain Climber
High Knees
Squat Jump (25)
Mountain Climbers
Lunge Jumps (18)
Lunge Kick (right) (12)
Lunge Kick (left) (15)
High Knees
Surfer (21)
Burpee (6)
Low Jacks (40)
Pendulum (60)

10 Minute Total Core Toner: Full Length

Hi Everyone,

Today’s workout is a quickie! I call it the “10 Minute Total Core Toner.” Ideally you should do this workout with a cardio workout. That way you are burning off any fat that is covering up your six pack. Below I am posting a link to the cardio portion of the Bombshell workout. It is also only 10 minutes long, but guaranteed to get your metabolism going!

You could also choose to do jump roping, running, or high knees.

The intervals for this workout are shorter, but you will definitely get a workout. I was nice and sweaty by the time I was done with this one. Yesterday’s workout (Jiggle Proof Thighs and Butt) actually made my butt a bit sore today, so it was a relief to focus on my abs. J

I will have a full body fat burning workout for you tomorrow so be sure to check back! We will have Cydney back with us. I love working out with her because I find her progress inspiring! Also, she makes me laugh during every workout. Laughing during these exercises definitely makes it harder!

See you tomorrow. I hope you enjoy this workout and have a great night!

Melissa

Total Core Toner: 10 Minute Ab Workout (full length)

All Levels: Max reps during each 20 second interval, with 10 seconds of rest in between each exercise.

Plank Knee (right)
Plank Knee (left)
Leg Scissors
Bicycle
Leg Lift
Hip Lift
Push Through
Hip Twist
Pushups
Mountain Climbers

REPEAT

Don’t forget the cardio burst! The link is below!
Bombshell Body Fat Burn

Jiggle Proof Thighs and Butt

Hi Everyone,

Today’s workout is a doozy! Saturday is when I have a bit more time to create a more intense, longer workout. This one took me 36 minutes and 40 seconds. There were a few exercises in here today that I found really tough! On the last set of Burpees I really wanted to quit half way through, but I am so glad I pushed through and did all of my reps! I feel so wonderfully energized now.

Tonight I am going to add on 15 minutes of jump roping before I take my shower, just to get in a bit more cardio.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Melissa

Jiggle Proof Thighs and Butt
Beginner: 10 reps, 30 seconds for timed exercises
Intermediate: 15 reps, 45 seconds
Advanced: 20 reps, 60 seconds
Note: I used my interval timer for both cardio burst portions of the workout. I did 50 seconds of each timed exercise, with 10 seconds of rest in between. If you don’t have one use a stopwatch, over timer, cell phone timer, or you can guesstimate. I am putting the number of reps I fit in for each timed portion below). You can time your entire workout so you can see improvement as you repeat this one over time.
My total time: 36:40
Starter: Burpees
1. High Knees (timed)
2. Lunge Jump (timed)(I did 25 in 50 seconds)
3. High Knees (timed)
4. Plie Jumps (timed) (25 in 50 seconds)
5. High Knees (timed)
6. Runners Lunge to Balance (Warrior 3)(right)
7. Runners Lunge to Balance (Warrior 3) (left)
8. Side Plank Series (right)
9. Side Plank Series (left)
10. Diagonal Lunge Reach (alternate sides)
11. Standing Leg Lift (right)
12. Standing Leg Lift (left)
13. Prone Hamstring Curl (keep your knees up the whole time!)
14. High Knees (timed)
15. Jump Squat (timed) (I did 27 in 50 seconds)
16. Russian Kicks (timed)(I did 30. Right/Left=1)
17. Pendulum Squat (I did 20)
18. Jumping Jacks (I did 50)
Amp it Up Ending: Burpees!

This evening I will jump rope for 15 minutes, alternating between high knees jumping, and regular fast jumping. That’s it for today! Check back for tomorrow’s new workout!